What Men Don't Understand by Nuria Solano Read Free Book Online

than most of the men who had occupied those same positions.

    She had nothing. She was healthy. Ana had to be grateful to life and face it from that moment on. Be open to everything new, the future. She even let herself analyze the reason for her bachelorhood, her failure with men, but then she amended herself. "I haven't failed with men." She thought with some effort. "I simply haven't found someone I like enough. I'm still not Maria Luisa. I will marry before reaching her age." She said with some relief and a slight chill at her neck. It was then whe she remembered last Saturday afternoon when, almost by accident, as she was channel surfing with boredom, stared at a pythoness in a local TV station. The woman red the tarot cards, threw stones, bones, or smoked a cigar, yes, a cigar. She had the cheek to read in the ashes what would happen to the consultant in the following months. At first, it was the cigar what made Ana keep in that channel, but soon she was attracted by the wonderful power of this woman, who managed to save yourself from the anxiety of waiting, who confirmed you what you already suspected, who called you sweetheart and was your friend. Suddenly, she though about calling. Suddenly, Ana wanted the cigar. "Yes, I want her to read the cigar ashes for me." She said still wearin her pajamas, lying on the couch. And when she was picking up the phone, it happened. She heard Maria Luisa's voice on TV, saying her name was Olga and she was 32, but it was her, asking about love. Ana realized then, that most of the calls were from women between twenty and fifty-something, all asking about love. As if suddenly an evil spell had been broken, she dropped the phone with a spasm and was about to shriek. "I'm not like that." She said to herself, as she listened to an anxious Maria Luisa, asking more and more questions at the pythoness incompetence, who seemed unable to nail down a man and a date for her wedding. Maria Luisa, who liked to dance salsa every Saturday night, and took Italian lessons because it's "the language of loooove", who had left her parents' house only one year ago, because he had bought a "maiden" flat and was unbearable ever since to be next to her.

    Ana tought about her last relationship. Three years ago! Well, yes, but it had been a serious relationship. After that she had several romantic forays, although almost always with stupid brats who didn't take her seiously, and then, of course, were the guys who seemed to be better, and ended up confessing they were married. "That depresses anyone" she thought, feeling though it sounded as an excuse.

    Next day, while her co workers talked and talked, she was forced to think again about her situation, and how to face the future. "The truth is that now I don't know if it's good to start a fling with a guy," she reflected. "The gynecologist told me to keep a couple of months without taking the pill, just in case. But the, whenever I get in trouble, the guy never wants to use a condom. They say "I'm clean, I swear," and of course, I keep my stupid discreet smile while I think "clean about what, you moron!", and at the end, either way, everytime it ends with a condom and bad sex, or no sex, or taking the risk and having sex without a condom. No, if I meet someone I can't be dragging my feet for two months, so I better wait." " Is something wrong honey?", interrupted Maria Luisa's voice. "You're very quiet today. If you need anything, let me know." She offered caring. Ana smiled upon standing up, after collecting some bills that she just printed out. She shook her head and shrugged slightly, as if to imply that she was distracted by her thoughts, and went back into her cubicle. She continued to build mentally, short-term plans. "What I can do now, is get on a diet," she thought. " I can't even look at myself in the mirror. I'm so stupid, on top of the stress I've had these weeks, I foolishly decided to quit smoking, and of course I have been eating like a pig. I