Chapter 72 - Drunkenness — mduno
I confronted Cebolla and as he stepped back, he tripped over a flowerpot, which shattered. Rata grabbed my arm, and Beatriz backed away, scared by the reaction. My friend calmed everyone down, telling the manager we'd pay for the damages. Cebolla's face was one of total astonishment.
"I swear, sir. I didn't know anything about Miss Veronica, I didn't know she was in Bogotá."
"Don't give me that, what a huge coincidence, right?"
Beatriz took my hand and I pulled away brusquely. A moment ago, I allowed it to keep Veronica away, not because I wanted anything with her.
"What part of 'don't touch me' don't you understand?"
"But you just..."
"Look! I needed to keep her away. Go home."
"My parents don't know I'm here, I'm staying at a hotel."
She looked down and extended her hand with a card. Cebolla was getting up, and I looked at him. He raised his hands.
"I swear, I didn't know anything. I haven't talked to Raul in several days."
"Roland," I looked at Rata.
"Cebolla... sorry. Take Beatriz to the hotel, I need to..." I saw her thinner, very thin, is she not eating? My hands started trembling as I left my people and the intense Beatriz behind. Rata caught up with me.
"Roland."
"I want to go home, Rata."
I took the elevator down to the parking lot, and he followed without saying a single word. Except for being thin, she was the same, beautiful as only she could be, her hair loose, a bit disheveled. However, nothing looked bad on her, she could wear infinite colors and they all suited her.
Lord God, why do you insist on rubbing her in my face? I'm making a great effort to stay away from her, and you put her, by chance, in the same restaurant? This damn city is immense, and you put us in the same place?
We got home, I didn't care about anything, I locked myself in the room. My head was like a broken record, repeating and repeating the moment we met, her eyes drilling into mine. I needed to see her again. I dialed Raul's number.
"What the fuck are you doing?!"
That was his greeting. No wonder, a few days ago I was yelling that I loved Veronica and look what I'm doing now. And his way of talking to me only confirmed how important Veronica was to him, he didn't care who I was, and for that, I was grateful.
"Why did she come back?" I answered.
"What do you care!"
"Look." I wanted to curse him out, but I held back, clenching my fists. "Please."
"She came to get her passport."
The world fell out from under me, my blood stopped circulating, is she going to move further away from me?
"Where is she going?"
"I'm not going to tell you, you're an asshole, a week ago you confessed the most beautiful proof of love I've ever heard, and look what you're doing now."
"I can't defend myself, I'm a piece of shit. But I have nothing with Beatriz, I used her to keep from running to hug her." It was the truth.
"Well, that's what you need, I have to go, she's about to come out of the bathroom."
"Why does she look so thin?"
"For the same reason you look like a zombie." There was a pause. "You need to clear things up, tell her the truth, Roland, she's imagined other things, and I know her, she never..."
"I can't..."
"Then fuck you! Do whatever you want! We'll be at the nightclub where you danced with her the first time, in case you're interested, it's the only thing I can do for you." He hung up.
She's going to leave the country. She's going to put more distance... I couldn't see her, this fucking month has been a complete shitshow. Being good wasn't so easy, "and you keep testing me, huh? Then you say you're not stingy."
Ines said, "I never tried to understand you, God, because you'll never comprehend it, but there's always a greater meaning to his moves." "You're fucking complicated; I already go to mass, help the priest remodel the church, and agreed to help those young people, plus I promised to confess to a minister of your church, and you keep messing with me?!"
You're worse than me, believe me. And I don't give a damn, Lord God, if you condemn me for what I'm saying. I did my part, now don't play dumb, do yours, keep her away from me! Keep her safe from my corrosive soul. More than anyone, you know I'm not good for her. I'm trying to be somewhat worthy to see if I can stay by her side in another life.
I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep at five in the afternoon... I tried, but I couldn't. Veronica was here... My Beautiful. It was seven when I got out of the car in front of the nightclub where Raul said they would be. I just wanted to see her, nothing more, even if it was from afar, like before, when I followed her driven by my urge to see her.
When I went in, it was easy to find her; she was talking with her friend at the back of the bar, holding a bottle of tequila. There weren't many people despite it being a Friday, so I stayed on the second floor and ordered a beer. She looked so beautiful with her two braids, an erotic scene crossed my mischievous mind.
That I could do, think about her. If she only knew how many times I've made her mine, how many times I've imagined her moaning with pleasure as I penetrated her, I longed so much to taste her again... You have been mine and I won't forbid myself that.
She was singing with a broken voice and drinking, glass after glass, her friend was looking after her. Raul was like Rata with me. Two men approached to ask her to dance, my blood boiled, but her friend took on a protective attitude to drive them away, glaring at one and pushing the other. She was wiping away tears.
Raul took the bottle from her and she snatched it back, "Dear God, she's drunk!" I went down to get closer. She greeted me with a half-smile, they were giving approval for me to approach. I was nervous, what the hell was this reaction?
"I thought you weren't going to come," Raul complained.
"Roland!"
She was so beautiful, smiling, looking more stunning with that childlike appearance. She looked like a sensual and provocative gardener, if only she knew how sensual she was.
"Veronica." She laughed, came closer to me, lost her balance a bit, and stopped to steady herself. When she managed, she reached me. "Come." She wiped her nose with a handkerchief. "I know what you answered when I said 'foolishly, I thought we could be friends.'"
She made air quotes with one hand, holding the bottle in the other. She poured herself a drink and downed it. I had never seen her drink before.
"The Skinny says I'm already drunk, but no, no, no."
She shook her head and I wanted so badly to kiss her. What about her didn't I like? Nothing, even drunk she looked perfect.
"Come, come." She pulled me to sit down, it was impossible not to laugh.
"I'm going to make a call," Raul commented.
"Don't leave me here, Skinny." Her friend looked at her.
"Don't leave her alone, wait for my return." How could he think I'd leave her drunk? He pointed at me.
"Skinny, he already has a girlfriend."
Veronica said, and I couldn't help but laugh again. Was she getting drunk because she was jealous?
"I'll just make a call, Vero."
"Fine." She made a gesture, go ahead. Our eyes met and I saw she had been crying. "Really, can we be friends or not?"
"Does it matter?" She swayed from side to side, drank another glass. "You've had a lot."
"Yes." She laughed. "A few minutes ago, or well..."
She looked at me, dear God, I wanted so badly to kiss her.
"Answer me, can we or can't we be friends, just answerrr."
"Today, there's no problem," I said.
"Ah! Okay." She sat next to me. "Don't worry, I'm not going to take advantage of you, so you're not going to cheat on Beatriz with me, we're already friends." She shrugged, having her so close and she was so beautiful. "Do you want a drink?"
"Let's dance." A jerk who ignored my presence next to her asked.
"She's with me, idiot! Can't you see?"
That's all I needed, for someone to take her away the only way I could have her today.
"You're such a liar," she whispered in my ear, I frowned.
"Why do you say that?" Having her so close, her breath aroused me.
"We're not together anymore, you kicked me out of your life like a stray dog."
"What's a stray dog?"
She burst out laughing, leaned on the table, and took a clean glass.
"Skinny didn't want to drink, and we didn't even come on the bike."
She wiped her nose again, poured a drink. She evaded the question. I drank it, not planning to drink more.
"I'll just have this one."
That look killed me, I didn't like it. Her sadness was my fault.
"Do you have to go already?" Where could Raul have gone? I downed another tequila, she got up. "Wait for Skinny to come back and then you can leave."
She waved her hand from side to side, I held back the urge to laugh again while she tried to hold back tears.
"I'm not going anywhere for now."
Her eyes sparkled again, how this woman could destroy me... You know why, idiot, because you love her more than ever.