Chapter Text
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Valeria isn’t one for deep connections, let alone pure romance. All her life she only had minor relationships that got her higher up on the food chain. Valeria isn’t one for getting to know people that won’t help her in business matters.
Hookups worked well enough for her. She didn’t need anybody anyways. The only thing people want from her is money, it always connects somehow or another. Valeria isn’t very trusting, or trustworthy for that matter.
Valeria sat in her house, alone. It’s grand, expensive, and pretty. She had everything ever needed in terms of tangible items. So much money for what? To spend on what? She had no hobbies, everything Valeria did was for the cartel.
It hits like a train when she thinks, and then what? What will she do after dropping her empire? What was the point in the first place? Why was she keeping it up? The glass of wine slowly grew warm in her hands as she sat there for God knows how long, thinking about everything that can possibly be thought of.
The racing thoughts reach no end, she feels trapped, alone, numb. Valeria’s a hamster running in a wheel, in the end, she’s the fool for fathoming all. She’s looking at the world from a third perspective, looking down at it all. There’s no fucking escape.
It was good for her to go outside, try to find something normal to do, not connected to the cartel by any means. Valeria needed a small break. She’ll bounce right back for sure, stronger and better.
Going to a library is a fulfilling task, especially to discover more of the world outside of the confined job she possesses. She peruses through the limitless books, enchanted by what each holds within.
To pick one was a heavy task, weighed down by the endless choices. Which one would she want to read? She’s never cared for something as silly as this, but she’s trying to find herself again, so she’ll allow it this once.
Valeria settles with a book about sharks, seeing herself in them. Valeria is an apex predator, tearing bodies apart, anything that gets in her way of succeeding. Her teeth are razor sharp, just like a Bigeye Thresher. She preys on vast amounts of smaller fish, swallowing them whole and keeping as strong as she is.
When Valeria stalks up to the checkout, she’s greeted by a wonderful, warm smile. She can’t help but smile too when she lets herself look over your face, taking in the colour of your eyes.
As she places the book down, you ask if she has a library card. A library card? How ridiculous. Can’t she just take the book and bring it back? Now she’ll have to give you her name, email, phone number. Now that she thinks of it, that doesn’t seem too terrible, if it wasn’t for a small piece of plastic.
Valeria signs up for a card, giving personal information to the lovely librarian. Valeria doesn’t know why she feels guilty when her eyes slip down to your chest for half a second. Perhaps it’s because of the broken rosary in her pocket, reminding her what a terrible sin it is to feel this way towards a woman. Valeria leaves as soon as she gets the dumbass card, she doesn’t know how to feel about her heart rate quickening towards a stranger.
Valeria loved everything about the book she picked out, she’s immersed in the pages all Sunday, glad for her day off. The only thing that interrupted her were the blaring phone calls from Diego, fucking annoying.
Valeria felt like a little kid again, learning about animals, finding herself in them. Every little fact has a small chance of sticking to her brain forever, the rest dumped away as trash. Her favourite shark would probably be the Mitsukurina Owstoni, otherwise known as the Goblin Shark. It’s very strange looking, and it lurks in the deepest parts of the sea. Encounters with it are rare, and it’s one of the world’s strangest sharks. It was really ugly, but Valeria almost found comfort in that. It’s mysterious, and it makes her neck crawl a little.
It’s a little embarrassing that Valeria finds herself back in the library late into the afternoon, having no use for a book she’s finished. She did nothing else but read all day, her stomach growling a little with hunger. Valeria sometimes forgets to eat, especially when she’s busy with work and whatnot.
Valeria calls herself a lucky woman when she sees you on shift, bent over organizing a bookshelf. She really tries not to look at your ass, but shit, what else could she look at? Valeria didn’t know she had a preference until now, someone nice and thick, only if it’s a woman of course.
The thought of being with a man made her spine crawl. She’d be seen as dependent, no matter how much she proved herself. It sickens her how much power men have, though her hands felt tied behind her back by God Himself, restricting her from loving the same gender.
All her childhood she was taught that being gay was a sin, that she’ll rot in hell if she made the mistake of longing for a woman. It didn’t scare her anymore, but the guilt still creeps in the back of her mind.
She slips the book into a nearby ‘return bin’ and walks to your bookshelf, pretending to look for a specific novel. When you notice Valeria, you give her a friendly smile. You must remember her from the other day, who wouldn’t? Valeria takes the chance to talk to you.
“Any book recommendations, mija?” The nickname seems natural, you raise your eyebrows at it. Nevertheless, you respond how you would any other customer.
“It depends on the genre you’re looking for, I’ll be happy to point you to the best books.” You stand straight after putting away the novel in your hand.
“I want your favourite book, I don’t have a preference.” Valeria’s smile seems mocking, but you assume that’s just how her face is. She’s attractive, of course, a little too pretty for her own good.
You return the smile and lead her to the sci fi section, picking out the best one you know. Valeria looks over the cover, then flips it over. It looked a little bland, but if it was your favourite she has every right to trust your opinion.
She’ll read chapter one while she eats dinner, probably fast food. She doesn’t feel like dressing up and eating alone. She’d much prefer to be lonely in the comfort of her own home. She wishes you could come with her, but asking you would be a task of it itself.
You know each other’s names, but that’s about it. Valeria knows nothing about what you do alone, your favourite colour or your favourite food. Instead of being as confident as she always is, Valeria just signs out the book and leaves.
Valeria has come to a realization, since she knows your name and the place you work at, she could probably find out everything else about you. She’s a cartel boss for a reason, for God’s sake. Or maybe she could just get to know you firsthand, like any normal person.
It was really everything or nothing for her, either disinterest or straight up obsession. All she needed to know is if you’re single and gay, then she could make a move. That's how Valeria convinced herself to find every social media platform you were on, find your likes and dislikes, your hobbies and special interests. She was immersed in her own strange form of research, going as far as finding your address. She’ll just need to craft everything perfectly, make sure you land right in her arms.
Even though she hasn’t finished the silly book you’ve recommended, Valeria is back in the library, just to see you again. But you’re not there, instead some random college student fills your absence. Valeria glares at them like they burned you at stake personally, like you won’t be back from your lunch break in half an hour.
She nearly forces the information of your whereabouts out of the librarian, finding out that you’d be in the cafe three blocks down. She lets out an exasperated sigh, like he just wasted Valeria’s time, like he inconvenienced her, and storms out the library, heading down the street with no thought put into it whatsoever.
If she plays her cards right, you’ll be hers, only hers. She hadn’t fabricated a plan, so she was trapped in the entryway of the cafe, gazing at you from afar. Holy fuck how you looked sitting down, how large your thighs looked, the way your chest would press against the table if you leaned forward.
Valeria orders a black coffee so that she’d have an excuse to sit across from you. Feigning ignorance, she puts on a charming smile. “I thought I recognized you from somewhere! I loved the book you recommended, mija.” Again with the silly nickname she had given you, the one that would roll off her tongue easily.
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You couldn’t help it, the way your heart skipped a beat at the way Valeria smirked at you, as if you shared a joke. The pit of your stomach flutters, you sip at your cold drink, using it as an excuse to not say anything right away.
Usually you try to be confident on the job, but when someone catches you in your moment of rest, you feel like a deer in headlights, embarrassed for everything and nothing. Though Valeria didn’t seem to be judging you in any way shape or form, instead, she seemed to almost be admiring you, though that could just be the way she smiles. You make idle chat about the book she checked out last Sunday, at 7pm. Not that you were keeping track like a fat fucking creep.
There wasn’t even too much to talk about regarding it, she hadn’t even made it past chapter two, where the real shit starts. She must be a slow reader, you assume. Quite the polar opposite to you, you could finish a novel in a singular afternoon if you really tried.
Nevertheless, Valeria is awfully charming, listening to you speak like nobody ever has. It made your insides tingle with warmth, a joyous feeling. You nearly felt sad when she had to leave, an urgent phone call, or so she said. Though Valeria left her coffee on the table.
A small sigh escapes you as you stand to throw both empty cups away, until you notice the penciled phone number across the side of Valeria’s cup. You freeze in place, looking around as if the shop itself would present answers to you on a velvet pillow. Instead, you just took a photo of the cup and left without another word. Maybe or maybe not, you’d call the scribbled number in your free time, if you had enough faith in yourself to do so.
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