Chapter 39 - She Was a Rival - mduno
I wanted to hug him, but I managed to hold back. I sat next to him and the cool breeze hit my face. I gave him a sign to continue.
"You won't get mad anymore?"
"It depends." We looked at each other for a moment. "You can't argue with the truth, Roland," I said, looking away.
"Before you showed up." He shrugged. "About four months ago, when I traveled to Miami to check on some projects, I stayed at my partner Andrew's house." He struggled to confess or reveal a part of his mysterious and secretive life. "I stayed almost a week and somehow flirted with Beatrice. She had always seen me with many women, sometimes two in the same day, and didn't think I was a good match."
"That week, we realized—or rather, I realized—that she was a good girl and maybe I could start having something serious in my life." I felt a pang of jealousy inside; she was a real rival. "Don't make that face, Veronica." I tried to smile at him. "Before I left, I told her to think about me, and if she accepted the challenge of being with me, to let me know next time." He caressed my face.
"That's what Beatrice did, showing me her acceptance of that supposed agreement to have a serious relationship. But she didn't want to understand when I introduced you as my girlfriend." His gaze was so sincere. "I was already in love with you. I got scared that afternoon when I felt her kiss. I told her again that you were my girlfriend..."
I threw myself at him, kissing him. I wasn't going to let Beatrice have him. Reuniting our lips made soft moans escape. Our tongues began a dance, and there was nothing else for a long time, just his lips and mine, his tongue moving with mine, his hands gripping my hips.
"Aren't you mad at me?" he managed to say without pulling away from my mouth.
"For telling the truth, even if it hurts? Never, Roland. Now I know I have a rival," I said, pulling back a bit to catch my breath.
"You have no one, no woman would ever come close to being your equal." I kissed him all over his face. "Don't ever take your kisses away from me again, Veronica."
I couldn't hold back the burning in my eyes and the tears came. He wiped them away. It was possible that a man like Roland Sandoval was begging me never to stop kissing him.
"Now you see why you've messed me up. I still don't understand why you came into my life or for what purpose. Why are you crying so much?"
"Only God knows the answer to both questions."
"I don't believe in that nonsense. For me, there's no Creator, Veronica, and I respect your faith as long as you don't make me go to mass or church or any of that crap." I pulled back a bit more to look him in the eyes. "I'm sorry, but for me, God doesn't exist."
"Never say that, never speak like that in front of me. Because if God didn't exist, I wouldn't have met you, and you wouldn't have shown up the night I was almost assaulted."
"I was following you, it wasn't God, it was my stupid obsession."
"I don't want to argue with you about it. This Byzantine discussion will get us nowhere. I just don't want to hear you talk like that about God, okay?"
"No problem, I won't mention it," he said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "Now kiss me again because I want to make up for the three days you've deprived me of them."
After lunch, we went to the room to freshen up and change clothes. Roland went into the bathroom first while I turned on the TV. His phone rang and I hesitated to answer. It stopped ringing, then started again with a different tone. Roland rushed out of the bathroom to answer it.
"What's up, man?" My body tensed. "What?!"
At that moment, I realized our honeymoon was over. I grabbed a dress and went into the bathroom, knowing from his tone that it was time to go. The return trip was quick. Two hours by boat back to Miami, then the airport, and like a true gentleman, he dropped me off at my house. When I got to my bed, I fell asleep instantly.
"How long do you plan to sleep?"
Lorena jumped onto my bed, followed by Raul. I covered my mouth to yawn. I looked at them with a murderous glare, seeing their curious faces, eager to know what happened on my trip with Roland. I decided to forgive them.
"Please," Raul was very curious. "You're killing me with the mystery!"
"Can I at least go to the bathroom first and take care of basic human needs upon waking up?"
They both rolled their eyes. I smiled, seeing that they could wait a few more minutes with their anxiety. I didn't take long. I brushed my teeth, peed, tied my hair in a messy ponytail, and came out to face the barrage of questions they were sure to have. I signaled that I was ready.
"Did you sleep with him?"
Lorena went straight to the point while Raúl gave her a light slap.
"Hey! That's not how you ask, dummy." He rubbed his arm and Flaco looked at me.
"Sweetheart, did you make love?" I burst out laughing.
"Well... I'm sorry to say..."
"Say it!" Lore was biting her nails.
"You're so mean!" Raúl changed his position on the bed.
"No." I got under the covers.
"No!" she shouted.
"No!" he exclaimed, his eyes bulging out of their sockets.
"No," I corrected. "I'm not going to sleep with him yet, he sleeps with everyone." I looked at Lorena. "Sorry for what I said, it sounded bad. But I won't be the same."
"Don't worry about me."
It really didn't affect her, she said it with complete ease, there was no jealousy or anger in her.
"Vero, I've never been jealous or envious because you date the most attractive man I know." I smiled, she was right, and I would add dangerous. "I'm happy for him. Like you say, God remembered and sent him an angel."
"Don't say silly things, Lorena."
"Oh, well," Raúl intervened. "I want the exciting part, tell me how it's possible that nothing happened at all. Three days of breeze, sand, sea and nothing at all?" He shook his head. "Poor Roland!"
"Why poor?" I said.
"Vero, he must be in pain, you know where."
I hadn't thought about that and remembering the times he went to the bathroom... I smiled.
"In any case, it was lovely spending those days with him."
"He must really like you, you must be the first woman to spend more than two hours with him and nothing happens."
I was about to counter that comment when my cell phone rang. It was an unknown number. Looking at them, they raised their hands in a gesture of "we get it," and left, while D'Artagnan ran in and jumped on my bed.
"Hello." I knew who it was.
"Did you wake up well?" His voice sometimes sounded like a lullaby.
"Missing you."
"Not more than I miss you, believe me." I smiled, he stayed silent.
"Do you want to tell me something?"
"I'll be delayed for a couple of days, then I have to come back next week."
I felt a void in my stomach, I hated that part where I couldn't always be with him.
"What are you up to?"
"Veronica, the less you know about this Roland, the better, and please respect that." I said nothing. "In my other version, I'll try to open up a bit, just be patient with me."
"Okay."
I imagined those meetings where hundreds of women parade in front of him, it made my stomach churn.
"I won't be with anyone." He hurried to say. "It's not that kind of meeting. It's more serious."
"Could you die?" I heard his breathing.
"Yes, if Simón and my team miss something, maybe." My skin prickled and I felt a tightness in my chest.
"Take care," I heard his sad smile.
"For the first time, I want to, Veronica. Believe me, it's the first time I care about staying alive." I understood how sad Roland's life must be.
"Think of me, love." I stroked D'Artagnan.
"Beautiful, I've been doing that since I met you. Be good."
"You're not the one to tell me that, plus I know you a bit, I must have private security," he laughed.
"You're very smart, that's why you're my girl."
I wanted to tell him I loved him, but I held back, we've only known each other for a few days and I don't want to overwhelm him. Besides, hearing him talk like that made me happy.
"When I can, I'll call you, it's not easy... You know."
I felt deflated, I wouldn't be with Roland for who knows how long. I left the room and Raúl was making breakfast for us. They didn't ask. The day went on normally between the three of us. Always in early December, we took the Christmas decorations out of the boxes.
We played Christmas carols and the day became childlike. I loved Christmas, not because it's the most beautiful month of the year, but because of what the concept entails. Family unity, friends, children's joy, the awakening of dreams, promises.
My Flaco was always in charge of untangling and setting up the lights. Lorena and I dusted off the figurines and ornaments while we sang Christmas carols at the top of our lungs over and over.
"Vero, where will we spend the day of the candles?"
Raúl looked at me to see what answer I would give Lore, she in turn exchanged glances with me.
"I don't know." I looked at both of them. "Why?"
"We always spend it together, you celebrate the seventh in a way that makes me feel decent."
"Lorena!" I didn't like seeing her in those existential crises of her life. "Let me talk to Roland. Then I'll let you know, but we'll spend it together."
"That sounds perfect," she said.
Damn... Roland told me not to talk about anything religious and now what? Will he be upset about celebrating with us?