and growl at the same time. He, appropriately, looks like a Greek god in his burgundy buttoned shirt and black jeans. His chiseled features are even more accentuated in the ever changing play of flames and shadows.
“I bet that’s not what you had in mind when you got in the car,” Tomas says, pointing at a band of traditional street musicians on a slightly elevated platform.
“What’s going on?” is all I manage to say, totally spellbound with the crackling sounds of the fires and the joyful mood of the crowd.
“It’s a traditional celebration for summer,” he says. “People light fires to burn the flower wreaths they made in May and then jump over them.”
“They jump over the fires?”
Tomas nods. “They do and so will you.”
“Me?”
“You don’t want to insult tradition, do you?”
“I didn’t know it could be offended.”
“Maybe not, but they would.”
A group of elderly men and women in folding chairs watch the comings and goings of young couples, vociferous teenagers and excited children.
“Naturally,” I say. “The whole island is celebrating your birthday.”
“Honey, the entire country is.”
He leads me to a bench facing the sea. From here we have a clear view of the small boats that are traveling the waters with lit lanterns onboard. To our left, the street musicians play a traditional tune on their clarinets and violins. To our right, the fires keep burning. Children feed the flames with new wood from time to time.
“When’s the jumping going to start?” I say.
Tomas takes out his cell phone to look at the time. “In about twenty minutes,” he says. “Nine o’clock sharp.”
It hits me that he’s chosen to spend his birthday with me. This is not an accident—he planned it weeks ago. Of course, given the fact that he hates birthdays, it doesn’t really mean much.
“Exactly how did you and Nathan meet?” I say.
“You mean you haven’t heard the story from Grace?”
“I have but not from you. I want your version.”
“My version? I’m not sure there’s one. We met in Las Vegas while we were both aspiring to make a living as con men. It’s not a time I like to reminisce even if Nathan…” He pauses, probably trying to pick the right words. “Nathan was the first person who didn’t think I was a total loser. He actually respected me and saw something good in me.”
“He idolized you.”
He doesn’t respond and I don’t want to pressure him but I also don’t know what else to say. Maybe I should just shut up and watch the summer festival unfold.
“They’d love it if they were here,” Tomas says. “Nathan and Grace, don’t you think? Nathan loves watching a good fire. He’d just stare into it and see things no one else could see but himself.”
His voice shows real emotion when he talks about Nathan. I’m not used to an emotional Tomas. I shouldn’t be surprised. I know that he cares about Nathan the way he’d care about a younger brother.
Grace is a different story. Tomas and she butted heads when they first met and even though they later reached an understanding, they didn’t exactly become best buddies.
“Do you think Grace is beautiful?” I blurt out as he reaches down to pick up a pebble.
He lets the pebble drop and looks at me as if I had just murdered his pet puppy. “I don’t think anything of Grace,” he says.
“C’mon, you’re a guy. Guys always think something of a woman.”
“Grace is not a woman.”
Did I hear him right? “I beg your pardon?”
“You make me say the strangest things, Taylor,” he says, licking his lips.
I open my eyes as wide as I can to express my shock. “I did that? I was the one who made you say that Grace is not a woman?”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t.” I’m not sure I enjoy how uncomfortable this conversation makes him.
“Grace is sacred. She is loved by Nathan. She holds his heart. That means everything she does is above the world of mortals. There’s
“I bet that’s not what you had in mind when you got in the car,” Tomas says, pointing at a band of traditional street musicians on a slightly elevated platform.
“What’s going on?” is all I manage to say, totally spellbound with the crackling sounds of the fires and the joyful mood of the crowd.
“It’s a traditional celebration for summer,” he says. “People light fires to burn the flower wreaths they made in May and then jump over them.”
“They jump over the fires?”
Tomas nods. “They do and so will you.”
“Me?”
“You don’t want to insult tradition, do you?”
“I didn’t know it could be offended.”
“Maybe not, but they would.”
A group of elderly men and women in folding chairs watch the comings and goings of young couples, vociferous teenagers and excited children.
“Naturally,” I say. “The whole island is celebrating your birthday.”
“Honey, the entire country is.”
He leads me to a bench facing the sea. From here we have a clear view of the small boats that are traveling the waters with lit lanterns onboard. To our left, the street musicians play a traditional tune on their clarinets and violins. To our right, the fires keep burning. Children feed the flames with new wood from time to time.
“When’s the jumping going to start?” I say.
Tomas takes out his cell phone to look at the time. “In about twenty minutes,” he says. “Nine o’clock sharp.”
It hits me that he’s chosen to spend his birthday with me. This is not an accident—he planned it weeks ago. Of course, given the fact that he hates birthdays, it doesn’t really mean much.
“Exactly how did you and Nathan meet?” I say.
“You mean you haven’t heard the story from Grace?”
“I have but not from you. I want your version.”
“My version? I’m not sure there’s one. We met in Las Vegas while we were both aspiring to make a living as con men. It’s not a time I like to reminisce even if Nathan…” He pauses, probably trying to pick the right words. “Nathan was the first person who didn’t think I was a total loser. He actually respected me and saw something good in me.”
“He idolized you.”
He doesn’t respond and I don’t want to pressure him but I also don’t know what else to say. Maybe I should just shut up and watch the summer festival unfold.
“They’d love it if they were here,” Tomas says. “Nathan and Grace, don’t you think? Nathan loves watching a good fire. He’d just stare into it and see things no one else could see but himself.”
His voice shows real emotion when he talks about Nathan. I’m not used to an emotional Tomas. I shouldn’t be surprised. I know that he cares about Nathan the way he’d care about a younger brother.
Grace is a different story. Tomas and she butted heads when they first met and even though they later reached an understanding, they didn’t exactly become best buddies.
“Do you think Grace is beautiful?” I blurt out as he reaches down to pick up a pebble.
He lets the pebble drop and looks at me as if I had just murdered his pet puppy. “I don’t think anything of Grace,” he says.
“C’mon, you’re a guy. Guys always think something of a woman.”
“Grace is not a woman.”
Did I hear him right? “I beg your pardon?”
“You make me say the strangest things, Taylor,” he says, licking his lips.
I open my eyes as wide as I can to express my shock. “I did that? I was the one who made you say that Grace is not a woman?”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t.” I’m not sure I enjoy how uncomfortable this conversation makes him.
“Grace is sacred. She is loved by Nathan. She holds his heart. That means everything she does is above the world of mortals. There’s
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