formal. I shake his hand, though. It’s cold and unfeeling.
He keeps my hand in his, secure, and then he brings it to his lips, sealing our introduction with a wet kiss.
“Um, what the hell are you doing?” Vicki says to Emilio.
Emilio turns to Vicki. “Victoria, darling, please excuse us. I’d like to get better acquainted with Daria.”
“Uh, hell no,” she says, defiant.
“Leave,” he barks at her. She leaves, pouting, with Emily trailing.
“Emilio, is it?” I say.
He smiles.
“I don’t want to get better acquainted with you. Excuse me.”
I go to move, but Emilio blocks my path.
“I mean you no harm,” he says, sincerely.
“What do you want?”
He’s staring at me. “I’m transfixed by your eyes, such a lovely shade of green—like a leaf after a rain.”
My heart skips a beat.
“You’re very poetic,” I say. “I know of another Spaniard, here, who likes my eyes too.”
“Oh?” says Emilio, raising an eyebrow. “A fellow countryman, here, how unusual—what is his name, darling Daria?”
“Gabriel Antonio del Castillo,” I say.
“Hmm,” Emilio says, furrowing his brow, pursing his lips.
“Do you know him?” I ask.
“No, can’t say I do.”
“Curious,” I say, “you and Gabriel finding my eyes, so transfixing.”
“Curious, indeed,” he says, smiling.
I see Vicki, giving me the evil eye, across the gym. I tilt my head in her direction. “So, Emilio, what do you see in our Victoria?”
He smiles. “Oh, don’t be so quick to dismiss our Victoria. She’s been a fountain of information.”
“I wouldn’t believe anything she tells you. She has a habit of lying.”
“I can discern fact from fiction, truth from lies.”
“I have to go,” I say, and turn.
He blocks my path, again. He leans in and whispers, “You’re lying, senorita.”
“So are you,” I hit back.
He looks offended. “I’ve been completely honest with you.”
“Only liars say that,” I point out.
“Hey, is this guy bothering you?” Alejandro interjects himself between me and Emilio.
Emilio appraises Alejandro and by his smug expression, finds him harmless, yet he acquiesces, and takes a step back, holding up his hands.
“I’m so sorry,” he apologizes, falsely. He looks at me and nods. “Daria,” he says, in farewell, and then leaves.
My name on his lips: “Daria,” wasn’t just a farewell. He was saying, “I’ll see you again.” I shudder.
“Are you all right?” Alejandro asks.
I nod. “Yeah, he’s Vicki’s date, actually. I guess he figures himself a Casanova or something.” I shrug. “No big deal.” I’m lying. Gabriel Antonio del Castillo isn’t a harbinger of doom. It’s Emilio de la Vega, the mystery Spaniard.
“The answer is in the fountain.”
What does it mean? And how are Gabriel and Emilio connected?
All Shook Up
The dance is over. I see Alejandro, leaving with his dance partner. I’m jealous, even though I have no right to be. Tony and Camilla leave, off to have their own private dance, I assume. Emily leaves by herself. Emilio and Vicki are nowhere to be found. I noticed Emilio was staring at everyone, the whole evening, and especially at Camilla, who was oblivious to his existence. Every once in a while, Emilio gave me looks, none of which I liked—a predator to its prey.
My parents are not at home. I fix myself a margarita, not bothering to change out of my mini skirt and camisole. The doorbell rings. I ignore it. It rings again. Who, at this hour? I wonder. I finish off the margarita and go downstairs. I’m walking at a steady pace, until I halt, fearful. What if it’s Frankie? No, he wouldn’t ring the doorbell. He’d break the window. I advance towards the door. I look through the peephole.
“Gabriel,” I whisper, shocked.
I hesitate, deciding whether or not to open the door. Who am I kidding? I can’t deny him. I open the door and smile.
He smiles back.
He keeps my hand in his, secure, and then he brings it to his lips, sealing our introduction with a wet kiss.
“Um, what the hell are you doing?” Vicki says to Emilio.
Emilio turns to Vicki. “Victoria, darling, please excuse us. I’d like to get better acquainted with Daria.”
“Uh, hell no,” she says, defiant.
“Leave,” he barks at her. She leaves, pouting, with Emily trailing.
“Emilio, is it?” I say.
He smiles.
“I don’t want to get better acquainted with you. Excuse me.”
I go to move, but Emilio blocks my path.
“I mean you no harm,” he says, sincerely.
“What do you want?”
He’s staring at me. “I’m transfixed by your eyes, such a lovely shade of green—like a leaf after a rain.”
My heart skips a beat.
“You’re very poetic,” I say. “I know of another Spaniard, here, who likes my eyes too.”
“Oh?” says Emilio, raising an eyebrow. “A fellow countryman, here, how unusual—what is his name, darling Daria?”
“Gabriel Antonio del Castillo,” I say.
“Hmm,” Emilio says, furrowing his brow, pursing his lips.
“Do you know him?” I ask.
“No, can’t say I do.”
“Curious,” I say, “you and Gabriel finding my eyes, so transfixing.”
“Curious, indeed,” he says, smiling.
I see Vicki, giving me the evil eye, across the gym. I tilt my head in her direction. “So, Emilio, what do you see in our Victoria?”
He smiles. “Oh, don’t be so quick to dismiss our Victoria. She’s been a fountain of information.”
“I wouldn’t believe anything she tells you. She has a habit of lying.”
“I can discern fact from fiction, truth from lies.”
“I have to go,” I say, and turn.
He blocks my path, again. He leans in and whispers, “You’re lying, senorita.”
“So are you,” I hit back.
He looks offended. “I’ve been completely honest with you.”
“Only liars say that,” I point out.
“Hey, is this guy bothering you?” Alejandro interjects himself between me and Emilio.
Emilio appraises Alejandro and by his smug expression, finds him harmless, yet he acquiesces, and takes a step back, holding up his hands.
“I’m so sorry,” he apologizes, falsely. He looks at me and nods. “Daria,” he says, in farewell, and then leaves.
My name on his lips: “Daria,” wasn’t just a farewell. He was saying, “I’ll see you again.” I shudder.
“Are you all right?” Alejandro asks.
I nod. “Yeah, he’s Vicki’s date, actually. I guess he figures himself a Casanova or something.” I shrug. “No big deal.” I’m lying. Gabriel Antonio del Castillo isn’t a harbinger of doom. It’s Emilio de la Vega, the mystery Spaniard.
“The answer is in the fountain.”
What does it mean? And how are Gabriel and Emilio connected?
All Shook Up
The dance is over. I see Alejandro, leaving with his dance partner. I’m jealous, even though I have no right to be. Tony and Camilla leave, off to have their own private dance, I assume. Emily leaves by herself. Emilio and Vicki are nowhere to be found. I noticed Emilio was staring at everyone, the whole evening, and especially at Camilla, who was oblivious to his existence. Every once in a while, Emilio gave me looks, none of which I liked—a predator to its prey.
My parents are not at home. I fix myself a margarita, not bothering to change out of my mini skirt and camisole. The doorbell rings. I ignore it. It rings again. Who, at this hour? I wonder. I finish off the margarita and go downstairs. I’m walking at a steady pace, until I halt, fearful. What if it’s Frankie? No, he wouldn’t ring the doorbell. He’d break the window. I advance towards the door. I look through the peephole.
“Gabriel,” I whisper, shocked.
I hesitate, deciding whether or not to open the door. Who am I kidding? I can’t deny him. I open the door and smile.
He smiles back.
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