Chapter 24 #2
Thirty minutes later there was a knock on the door. I exited the office and stood in the hallway with Adrián. When he saw my bloodshot eyes, his eyes widened with worry. “What happened to you?”
“I’m okay,” I said, even though that wasn’t a hundred percent true. “Let’s go outside.”
Adrián reached out for my arm, but then remembered everything that wasn’t, and drew back.
I wished he hadn’t. He opened the door for me and followed me into the courtyard.
There was a crescent moon hanging low in the sky.
We sat down on the steps that surrounded the fountain.
Moonlight glinted off the thin palm leaves, casting shifting shadows over us.
It was like we were in a silver mine. And he looked at me like I was the most precious nugget there.
“I want to apologize again,” he said. “About not being totally truthful.”
“No, Adrián, I need to apologize to you.”
“About what?”
“It wasn’t fair of me to be with you while I was so confused. It was selfish. And maybe its own kind of untruthfulness.”
“What? No. Everyone has the right to take a relationship at their own pace. I shouldn’t have pressured you for more than you were ready for.”
“You didn’t pressure me.”
“I did. I knew you weren’t all in. I just didn’t want to believe it.
” He sat straighter and took a deep breath.
“Look, I’ve been thinking about us a lot.
I know we’re different, but honestly, I think that’s what makes it great.
I learn things from you. And hopefully you learn things from me.
” One of his hands hovered in the air by my cheek.
But he didn’t touch me. “But I thought about something else. You were right about Alegre. You can fight these battles and you should.” The wind changed direction and he was bathed in moving silver light. “I want to help you.”
The muscles in my jaw went slack. These were not words I expected to come out of his mouth. “But you said I couldn’t change the world. That I should start with individuals.”
“The people at Las Nubes are individuals. Start with them.”
“I don’t want you to do this for me.”
“Don’t flatter yourself.” He smiled, both tender and teasing. “I’m doing it because it’s right.”
And at that moment, the disillusion I was harboring about the world dissipated and floated off into the night.
The Professor was right. Everybody doesn’t disappoint you.
And sometimes they surprise you. I leaned over and hugged Adrián.
At first, his arms were tentative, resting lightly on my back. But I drew him in closer.
“I want to testify against them,” he said.
“But Café Bavaria is involved,” I said, pulling back to look at him. “This implicates your cousin.”
“Only by marriage. And he’s a Nazi—I am not owning that relationship.
” I laughed, a welcome release. He gave me an adorable lopsided smile.
“Look, when you go to Ethical Coffee International, I’ll tell them everything I know about Café Bavaria.
” He pulled out his phone and showed me his Google Drive.
“These documents prove the under-the-table deal between Alegre and Bavaria. I stole them from Dieter.”
“What?! How?”
“I went there yesterday, after I got back from Panamá. His laptop passcode was his birthday.”
“Wow, so boomer.” I stared at Adrián. I couldn’t believe he had gotten the final evidence for us! But then I thought about his future. “Isn’t it going to piss off your family if you testify against your cousin ?”
“Probably.”
“But you work for your dad.”
“Not anymore. I quit.”
“What?!”
“I never wanted to work in the hotel business. I was just going with the flow. I always go with the flow. That’s the same reason I didn’t tell you about Lucía. Because it was easier. But watching you leave your family, your country, and take on Alegre. Well, it inspired me.”
“ I inspired you ?”
“Yes. Because you don’t go with the flow, Dee. You swim upstream.”
I couldn’t speak. I never felt like I was good enough or brave enough.
But Adrián did. He took my hand. “I want you to know something,” he said.
With his other hand, he softly brushed back the stray hairs from my forehead.
“This isn’t about us.” His eyelashes were heavy with moisture.
“You know how much I care about you. You know I want this to work.” He looked down and I saw one perfect, shining tear in his lashes.
“But I respect your decision. If you don’t want.
..” He couldn’t finish that sentence. I could feel his body trembling.
I could feel mine trembling. I didn’t want him to let go of my hand.
“Whatever you decide about us is fine,” he said. “But we’re going to do this thing together. We’re going to get Alegre. And either way,” he paused again, “I’m your ally.” I could see more than one perfect tear now. “And your friend.”
I felt so many emotions: relief, affection, desire, uncertainty. Part of me wanted to say: Forget everything I said in Manuel Antonio! Let’s get back together! I made a mistake! But another part of me said: Wait. Be sure this time.
Adrián watched the kaleidoscope of emotions flit across my face. “Is there a chance for us, Preciosa ?”
I looked at his beautiful, open, vulnerable face. Yes. There was a chance.
But I couldn’t hurt him again. “I need to be sure before I answer that. Can I sleep on it?”
He smiled, hope beating out fear. “Take all the time you need.”
We stood up and walked back to the steps, our arms touching, my mind whirling.
* * *
The Professor was hard at work editing. I tried to put romance out of my mind and focus on the task at hand.
We had my stills from all the farms, as well as the video footage from Alegre and Dona Belén’s testimony at Café Bavaria.
I called Clara and recorded an interview over the phone.
After a few hours of splicing, we had a rough cut. I also had a raging headache.
“I can’t look at this anymore. I can’t tell what’s good and what’s terrible.”
“Go home,” said the Professor. “I’ll finish it up.”
“But—”
“But nothing. Adrián will take you home. All the content is done. It’s just a matter of editing it more cleanly. Don’t you trust me?”
Only one right answer to that question. “Of course.”
“Then goodnight.” He rose and pushed us out the door. “Meet me here at six a.m.”
Adrián and I walked to the parking lot. This was the most awkward moment yet.
I didn’t know how to be with him without holding his hand or kissing him, and I knew that it was even stranger for him.
Just when the tension of all that was missing became unbearable, we heard a loud explosion.
I jumped into his arms. “What was that?”
“Fireworks.”
“Why?”
“It’s New Year’s Eve.” As he spoke, three giant pink mums exploded above us.
I looked up and laughed; I had forgotten.
The sky was crackling with purple and pink and green.
I caught my breath. Fireworks always make me a little teary.
We create these complicated things, then blow them up.
All that work, just to feel something for a moment.
Adrián took out his handkerchief, an old-fashioned touch that delighted me. He dabbed at the corner of my eyes. There was an enormous Pop! Pop! Pop! as the entire sky ignited.
“What time is it?” I asked, watching the lights fizzle out as they fell to Earth.
Adrián pulled out his phone. “One minute till midnight.” We looked at each other, painfully aware of a certain tradition that was sixty seconds away. “Have you made a resolution?”
I thought for a moment. “Yes.” Many. “Have you?”
He nodded. A bell tower began to ring. I was still in his arms, with my mouth very close to his. Our mouths moved closer, like magnets outside of our control. He kissed me gently on the lips. “Just for New Year’s.”
“Just for New Year’s.” And then I put my cheek next to his, and I held him very tight.