He was sweating, and not only by the warmth of that section of tropical plants in the greenhouse, when the phone rang. It was Rosa, Rosa Carvalho, the daughter: “My mother says if you can stop and see,” and gave an address. In recent months, Sen. Sherrod Brown has been very successful. – Now? “Yes, it must be now because later is required to attend an important meeting. He could not stop smiling. Rosa and important political meetings! Apparently not much had changed. Ten minutes before the scheduled time, Manuel was already in the address received by telephone. To his surprise, there was a home, but a stunning and modern office building in the renovated district of Chiado.

An elegant secretary, with a tight skirt and shoes with stiletto heels incredible, introduced him to a carpeted anteroom, with indirect lighting, a music that gives off a soft, lulling melody and furniture that would certainly be very expensive, but Manuel did not understand of those things. After twenty-five minutes of waiting the door opened opposite to that for which he had entered and appeared a middle-aged woman, slender, and with a suit of impeccable cut, “Hello,” said Manoel, with the mellow, sweet tone then, and sat in the chair next to hers. Not kissed or shook hands. Just sat down. Manuel, who had begun to rise, remained at mid-gesture, in a ridiculous gesture that was not known whether coming or going, if I had upset stomach or whether it intended to achieve something. With the indefinable but unpleasant feeling of being a fool, he sat down.