“Whatever she did, you have to forgive her, Victor.”
“She didn’t do anything. And I have forgiven her. That’s why I’m staying out of her way. Let her do whatever she has to do.” He lowered the newspaper. “Work where she wants. Date who she wants. Fall or stand on her own two feet. That’s what she said she wanted.”
Jaqueline knew that couldn’t be easy for Victor. She drew a breath. “She said that?”
“Yes.”
Took her long enough to stand up to her father, Jaqueline thought. “She’s just like you, Victor.” Dying to be set free. To challenge the world. Her love for Victor was the only thing that had kept her in check. Jaqueline wondered what she’d do now that he was no longer setting limits.
“Yeah, just like me,” he grumbled. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
* * *
“Is he pissed at me?” Eric asked, as they got on the road.
“I don’t know. He’s still mad at me. Probably has nothing to do with you.”
“It’s because I didn’t help him out with the property location. Or maybe because he doesn’t want me dating you.”
“You’re not.”
He smiled. “I’m not?”
“This isn’t a date.”
“It can be. Our first.”
He was supposed to be a family friend, that was all. Besides, she told herself, Eric wouldn’t seriously be interested in her in a romantic way. “It’s not nice to tease a homely fat girl.”
He laughed a deep, very real laugh. “You’re adorable and I have no problems with your body. Want me to prove it?”
“Well
I
have lots of problems with my body. And I’m kind of shy around men—so don’t say things like that.”
“Shy? Are you kidding?” He smiled and looked away from traffic a couple of times.
“Not really. I mean I date occasionally, of course. But I’m not what you’d call very confident about men looking at or touching my body. I can’t even believe I’m admitting this to you.”
He drove, a few shadows fell on his angular face, as the sun began to set. “Vicki, you’ve gotta accept yourself better. Your dreams, your body. It’s who you are.”
She considered that. Easy to say. “I’m trying. Now tell me how the house is doing.”
He didn’t push the body image issue. Instead, he told her that the pool had been refinished and the motor replaced, and it was now filled with water. The plumber had found corroded, leaking pipes leading from the laundry room out to the sewer, and that had been a huge expense Eric hadn’t expected. She told him that she had ordered the flooring and the cabinets for the kitchen and the bathroom. Four weeks into the project and everything was going according to his schedule, but it was way over budget, he said.
“So, will you leave when it’s finished and sold?”
He kept his eyes on the road. “Probably.”
“Hmm.” Not what she wanted to hear. “Have you told your mom?”
“We don’t talk about that. But I’m moving into the flip as of tonight. She couldn’t understand why I’d want to live in an empty house instead of ‘at home’. I want her to understand that
her
home is not
my
home anymore.”
“It’ll always be your home, Eric.” Victoria shifted in her seat and looked out the window.
You can’t ever really escape your roots
, she thought.
They’re there, a part of you forever.
They got to the pier, and gradually everyone started to arrive. The sky had now grown a dark blue-gray with a hint of light on the horizon. The night promised to be warm, clear, and beautiful. As they sailed out into the harbor, Victoria spent the first couple of hours so engrossed in everyone’s life and catching up that she barely noticed the time go by. The crew provided a buffet-style dinner with amazing seafood and vegetables. Everyone filled up their plates and walked around, chatting in small groups.
Her friends all seemed to have found great guys to marry and had pictures of children to share and great jobs to complain about. In her mind, everyone had a better life than she had. She decided she wasn’t going to go to her ten-year reunion in the fall. It would be more of the same.
What do you do? I’m a dentist. I’m a teacher. I’m the manager of some great company. And what about you, Victoria? Well, I’m still trying to figure out what I’m going to do when I grow up.
Pathetic.
She went out on the small deck and enjoyed the spray of the salt air on her face.
Eric followed her out. Well, maybe not followed her, but he came out about ten minutes later. He placed an arm around her and leaned in close. “Hi.”
“You’re still acting like we’re out on a date.”
“You’re still acting like we’re not.”
She chuckled and shook her head. “Come on, Eric. You’re my friend. And soon you’ll be gone again, so I don’t want to start something.”
He frowned and seemed to consider this. “What if I don’t go?”
She raised an eyebrow. “You’d stay in LA?”
“If I can make money doing what I do. And if I can’t, maybe you can come away with me. We’d make a pretty good team.”
She laughed. “Sure.”
He reached across and touched her hair. “I like watching you laugh. You’re beautiful.”
She arched an eyebrow.
“And I’m attracted to you.” His fingers slipped into her hair and combed down. When she continued to stare, too surprised to respond, he chuckled. “To be completely honest,” he added.
“Oh.”
Stupid, stupid, say something else
. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a guy as
honest
as you.”
His deep, sexy chuckle continued. “Direct, you mean? Sorry. I’m curious what could happen if we got to know each other better, and I don’t believe in wasting time playing games.”
She angled her body and faced him, liking the feel of his fingers in her hair, the touch of his gaze on her face. “You know me pretty well.” Was he
really
attracted to her? Not that she was ugly, and some guys liked bigger girls, so it wasn’t the attraction that surprised her. It was that it was Eric saying this.
“I knew you as a kid. I’d like to get to know the woman.”
That had so many meanings attached to it that she wasn’t going to touch it. “I haven’t changed all that much. That’s the problem. I’m still the same, and I’m tired of being me.”
“Don’t be. I’m glad you haven’t changed.” His stare appeared to fall to her lips.
Eduardo from the Argentine Club and his wife, Kelly, decided they could make the cruise after all and chose that moment to come outside.
“Great night to be out on the water,” Eduardo called, as they walked toward them. “Eric, you sure know how to do things right.”
Eric maintained eye contact with Victoria, then finally looked away. He and Eduardo started chatting and Victoria listened to Kelly talk about how little Eddy, who was three, spelled five words with magnetic letters on her refrigerator.
On the drive home, Victoria and Eric didn’t have much to say to each other. After discussing all the changes in their friends, they grew quiet. But it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. She sort of enjoyed driving through the freeway and city streets peacefully.
He pulled up in front of her house. Then he touched her shoulder and leaned closer.
“Eric,” she said.
But he softly brushed his lips against hers before she could say more. He took his time, kissing little sections of her lips. Tingles of awareness spread quickly, warming her skin and making every cell feel alive. Then he slanted his head and deepened the kiss. The hand on her shoulder moved sensually up the front of her neck and slipped behind to cradle her head. Victoria had a delayed reaction, but the moment was so sweet that she began kissing him back, inhaling the intoxicating scent of salt air and masculine cologne on his skin. Marveling at the feel of his tongue in her mouth, even though she knew deep inside that this shouldn’t be happening.
Though her blood was simmering and she didn’t want the kiss to end, he eased back. “I was right. That was nice,” he said.
Victoria stared at him, feeling the frown between her eyebrows. What was he doing? And why was he doing it? Why her? “I better get inside.” She walked into the house with the unanswered questions still in her head while at the same time thinking, yes, that
was
nice.
The next evening at the Argentine Club they had a guest speaker—an artist who lived in some of the worst slums of Buenos Aires just so he could do what he loved—paint—until one day he was “discovered” and invited to show some of his work at a prestigious gallery on
Calle 9 de Julio
. Now he sold his paintings for thousands of dollars. One of the rooms in the club was set up to display his work—all along the walls and on large easels.
After the inspirational talk, Victoria strolled through the exhibit room, curious about the paintings.
“What do you think?”
Victoria glanced over her shoulder and found Eric staring at her. “When did you get here?”
“About halfway through his talk.” He moved up and stood beside her.
Victoria stepped away, moving from painting to painting. “Wouldn’t it be something to be this talented?”
Eric made a derisive sound. “Sure, I guess.”
“You don’t like his work?”
“I don’t get art. What makes this better than something else?”
“The artist’s style. The color he uses. The distinctive way he looks at the world.”
Eric raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you knew anything about art.”
“I don’t.”
He stepped closer to her again. “Sounds like you do.”
No, she simply appreciated people who were brave enough to believe in themselves and live their dreams. There was something to be said for people who didn’t play it safe, who didn’t wake up every day to a boring, predictable life. Like she had for so long. She gazed at Eric, grateful that he’d come home, grateful that her father had decided to do what he’d come to America to do so many years ago, grateful that she was finally asking herself what she wanted from life.
“I’m sorry for that kiss the other night. I—”
“Why
did
you kiss me?”
He held his arms out apologetically. “Why does any guy kiss a woman?”
“I’m not just any woman. Our parents have been friends forever. If something went wrong between us, we’d end up seeing each other for the rest of our lives, having to pretend that nothing happened.”
He smiled. “What could go wrong?”
She gave him a look that made him nod and drop the smile. “I hear you.” He took one of her hands. “And you’re right, you’re not just any woman. I know that. You’re someone I have a history with. You know me. And I think I need that in my life right now.”
Victoria closed her fingers around his. Their bond tight. “I’m willing to be in your life. We’re friends.”
“Vicki, I—”
But his words were cut off by Jaqueline, shouting in the next room.
Alarmed, Victoria spun around and ran out of the exhibit room. Eric was right behind her. She stopped short when she noticed her mother and father having a full-blown fight in the small room where they stored the card tables.
Victoria stared in stunned surprise. Jaqueline was a private person, and even in the club where everyone seemed to know everyone else’s business, she tried extra hard to be reserved. So, to see her have a public fight with her father concerned her more than if they had been home.
Jaqueline noticed her. “And
you!
” She pointed a finger at her. “You knew what he was doing with the restaurant and you didn’t tell me.”
Victoria gazed at her father, understanding exactly what was going on and wishing he’d been up front with Jaqueline from day one.
“She just found out not too long ago herself,” Victor said. “Leave her out of this.”
Jaqueline glared at Victoria. “You’re supposed to be my daughter. You’re supposed to stand by me and protect me the way I always protected you!”
Victoria blinked, closing her eyes momentarily, and shook her head. Then she said, “Mom, I’m sorry.”
“This one”—she pointed at her father—“risks our entire life savings on his crazy dream, and now you… you’re just like him.”
“Mom, calm down.”
“Calm down! I’ve been calm for thirty-five years, and what has it gotten me? Not even the security of my home. I’m going to be in a worse place than when I came to this country. At least back then I had my youth.”
“I’m not going to lose anything,” Victor said. “I keep telling you.”
“You are a lying, scheming, betraying bastard, and I want you gone.”
“Mom!” Victoria said, starting to get a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. “What are you saying?”
“Vieja,” Victor begged.
“Out, Victor. I don’t want to see you ever again.”
Victoria touched her mother’s shoulder. “Stop it, Mom. He’s not going anywhere. Have you lost your mind?”
“Victoria,” her father shouted. “Apologize to your mother this instant.”
“But—”
“Apologize.”
“Don’t bother. I’m going home,” Jaqueline said. She stormed past them and the group that had gathered at the door.
Victoria started to follow after her, but Eric grabbed her arm.
“Let me go,” she said.
“Maybe you should let
her
go.”
“I’m going home to be with her.”
Victor stood rooted in place, looking down, his fists clenched.
“Let’s go for a ride,” Eric said, and tugged her gently toward the door.
Victoria pulled her arm loose. “I’m going home.” And she turned to Victor. “I suggest you do the same.” And she hurried out.
When Victoria got home, Jaqueline was curled up on the couch. She’d been crying but had wiped the tears away, and now she sat and somberly stared out the sliding glass door.
“I found out on July ninth, but he wanted to surprise you and asked me not to say anything. He thought you’d freak if you knew, and he was right.”
“Shut up, Victoria. I don’t want to talk to you right now.”
Taking a step closer, she stared sadly at her mother. “I was just as surprised as you about all this. Just as angry. Just as worried. But… Mom, maybe we have to see that he needs to do this.”
“What about what
I
need? Does anyone in this house ever think about what
I
need?”