Chapter Twenty-Seven
Genevieve
Sand and spikes had taken residence on my eyelids. Sleep had clearly become my enemy. Every honk from the taxi cabs outside irritated me as I waited for the arranged transportation from the Tropics Panamá.
My flight here had been smooth but riddled with emotional triggers. When the flight attendant asked me if someone was joining me, gesturing at the first-class seat next to me, I teared up. Immigration in Panamá was a breeze. When a gentleman approached me as soon as I left the plane and explained he was friends with Adrián, I agreed to follow him. Adrián had set up for me to get VIP service where they took care of all my immigration, customs, and baggage claim transactions and I just had to wait in a well-appointed lounge with snacks and drinks. I sat in the VIP lounge, alternately sobbing and mad at I don’t know what.
I texted Adrián to let him know I had landed well after he asked about my status, and he replied with a heart. The damn man couldn’t even be one of those who got prissy while arguing. He was all, “Did you arrive well, Preciosa?” and “Text me when you’re in the hotel” when all I wanted to do was curl up in a corner and cry.
I was being dramatic. We just needed to postpone the court date to Monday. Adrián had promised to take care of it, and I had wanted to rail that it wasn’t fair that we even had to push it. But clearly, I was in my Oblivious Genevieve era because I was the one boarding a plane four days before our wedding. Come to think of it; I hadn’t even bought a dress. The only attention I’d put to the date was getting Anita to witness so that Adri had someone there for him.
“Fuck,” I exclaimed as I waited.
On the periphery, I read a sign with my name, and I whirled to find myself eye to eye with my driver.
“Oh fuck.”
Julín took my carry-on and guided me to the waiting vehicle. Beyond “Good afternoon, Ms. Raymond” no other word was exchanged until we got into the car.
“Hello, Julín.”
“Hello, Genevieve, imagine how surprised I was to find out we had a person from our Tropics contract that required driving...over the same dates as my best friend’s wedding.”
“Julín...”
“I’m not getting into your business. I’ll drop you off at the hotel and that’s that,” he said and then stayed quiet. What were the odds that of all people he would pick me up? I should have thought of this; I would have told the Tropics not to worry and that I would rent a car. Now I was stuck with Julín. And why hadn’t he assigned another driver? Great. Besides leaving my fiancé at home before our wedding, I had to deal with his best friend, who clearly hated me.
I descended from the car, thanking Julín as he helped me with my carry-on. The hard slam of the vehicle door told me all I needed to know about how Julín felt about this situation. Had Adri called him?
Putting my game face on, I checked into the hotel and freshened up, ready for the meeting with Danilo Morrison. I couldn’t stay in this moping state while I had business to conduct.
Diligence. Ambition. Drive. I kept repeating my mantra to keep from crumbling into pieces.
A few hours later, I sat across from a tall, debonair man with the most striking eyes I’d ever seen, with a beautiful ebony complexion, a face that should be in magazines, and a build that said super heavyweight.
“Mr. Morrison, such a pleasure to meet you. Thanks for taking the time today,” I started.
“No need to thank me, I should be the one grateful. I called Ms. Ricard on such short notice. I would have understood if the meeting couldn’t happen until another time.”
Huh.
“Of course, we were ready to meet. We have been trying to gain your attention with this project.”
“That you have, and I’m very intrigued. I’ve always been hesitant to build in that area because I’m protective of what it is and needs to remain. Sacred to our people.”
“And that it is. Let me tell you more about our plan.”
The meeting with Mr. Morrison was such a great success I felt giddy at the possibilities. He, like Adrián, had an aversion to gentrification for the sake of gentrification and was willing to make the type of moves to protect the area from additional developments that did not aspire to the same goal.
“So, tell me, Ms. Genevieve, are you looking for work? I hate to be that person, but you’re a very effective saleswoman, and the passionate way you speak about the experience for the Black traveler is fascinating. You’d be the perfect ambassador for one of my old investments, Black Travel Chronicles.”
My heart tripped in my chest.
“Well, funny enough, I was in conversations with them yesterday about a partnership with Tropics.”
“Hmm, I’ll hit Latoya up and ask her thoughts, but she probably saw the same thing I did.”
“I don’t know if you can afford me.” I laughed but inside I was eager to hear more. The excitement I used to have about work took over and I sighed. I’d missed this feeling. This was the type of job I’d never have considered in the past, but now...now it would be the perfect job that encapsulated my new goals in life. Everything that I had shared with Adrián and it would probably offer much more balance.
“They probably can’t. The publication just bought out my equity ownership, but it’s an amazing project with fantastic people. I’m telling you. You’d thrive there.”
After a couple more details, Mr. Morrison departed the Tropics Panamá, leaving me with many things to consider.
The following day I was on a mission. Gone was Moping Gen. Now I was filled with a nervous but excited energy, as I strategized possibilities in my mind. I needed to get to Aguimar and back tonight to go and see the family and give them some of the gifts I’d hastily put together the night before. Adri and I had a box of items to send, but once I was coming to see them, I didn’t want to lose the opportunity of bringing some clothes for the kids.
At the crack of dawn, I waited for my driver while a myriad of emotions clouded my thoughts.
When Julín approached in one of LasDell’s cars I sighed. I’d hoped yesterday’s antagonism meant he’d reassign my account but no luck.
“Hey, Julín,” I greeted as I got in the car.
“What’s up,” was all he said, and the same silence permeated the vehicle until we arrived in Aguimar two hours later.
I hopped out of the car, grateful not to have to deal with Julín’s dry ass for hours, when Yiya cannonballed into me, robbing me of all the oxygen in my belly.
“Hey, pretty girl!” I smiled at her, feeling at home in this humble little space more than anywhere else besides when I was with Adri.
Claudia and the children all gathered around me with loud hellos, hugs, and kisses until we finally made our way to the fonda where Mario and Chichi were manning the space.
“I think Adrián is having second thoughts about marrying me,” I blurted out to Claudia as we settled to have lunch together. The children all had left to go to school right after saying hello.
“Girl, that man loves you. He ain’t going nowhere.” She waved my worry away. That was as ineffective as wearing mosquito repellent here at night. My worries had become a stomachache that threatened never to leave.
“No, moving the wedding date...it just. I could tell how hurt he was, but you know him...”
“Yeah, I do, which is why I know he ain’t going nowhere. The question is, are you going to do right by that? He is loyal. He’ll stick with you till the end.” She nodded and then got up as a group of workers came to have lunch.
She left me there with my plate of fried fish, as the flies took over my lunch that I couldn’t stomach finishing.
In a stark difference to when I had stayed during vacation, Claudia took advantage of my hands, putting me to work for the rest of the day. I cleaned a couple of rooms that needed to be readied for the weekend, and I hung some of the towels and linen needed for that stay. When it was time to go, I was exhausted, but the thoughts had blessedly calmed down to a buzz versus the loud chatter of yesterday.
“Claudia, I miss y’all. I know Adri misses you so bad.” I hugged her, letting her scent of fried goods, laundry detergent, and that mom smell that always lingered on her comfort me. My eyes prickled with unshed tears as the babies all said bye to me, Chichi and Mario waving from the entrance of la casita.
“Call me when you get in, alright? Julín, you too! And stop glaring at Genevieve. You’re so annoying.” Claudia popped Julín in the head, who ducked to avoid the oncoming hit.
“Yeah, okay, chao y’all. Chao, mandona!” Julín said and ran to the passenger side when Claudia tried swatting him for calling her bossy.
Not wanting to be rude, I hadn’t used my headphones on the way here, but expecting the same cold shoulder, I popped them in and got lost in my phone. After an hour of reviewing work emails, I was startled out of work mode to find Julín staring at me and then back at the road every few seconds.
I removed the earbuds and stared back. At this point I didn’t have a lot of politeness left for him.
“I’m not mad at you. I never was. I’m just who I am and can come across as an ass. Adrián is one of the few people that understands and lets me be me.”
“You mean lets you be rude?”
He shrugged and nodded.
“It’s a defense mechanism. Being gay...here it’s not always easy. Adri and I came out around the same time. Believe it or not, I was the tough one, always fighting at school and defending us both. He tried to talk things through with people. Get them to like him to the point that everyone forgot he liked men and women. They just loved him. But they didn’t realize what toll that took on him. Adrián is a giver, a people pleaser,” Julín said, matter-of-fact. My stomach contracted at his words, recognizing their validity.
“When he met you...he was just coming out of the deep sadness of losing his parents. And I’m sure he’s given you the workaholic speech, but Adri spent a lot of time in Colón. He basically took ten years to finish his degree because of how much he helped around in Aguimar. He focused on himself for a couple of years, and now he cannot forgive himself. Then once his parents passed, he decided to dedicate all of his time and efforts to Villa Bonita, and when I wanted to open a business, he supported that too. Do you know he gave every single cent of what he earned those successful years to people in the town that needed it? That is Adri. Few people know not to take advantage of that, so when you came...”
“I became someone that could potentially do that?”
“He loves you so much, I know that now, but I was worried at first that he was just going into the deep end to please you, then he decided to move and...” The silence was enough for me to understand. Adrián had given his life as he knew it in order for me to continue my career. I could have moved to Panamá. We both loved it here. But we defaulted to my city, my career, putting him through a rigorous immigration process he never asked for. All for me to stay comfortable.
“I get it... I do.”
“He called me about the wedding. And about the job. That job would have allowed him to come to Panamá a lot, but he’s about to decline it...for the sake of your marriage and what he envisions to be the right balance between you two. The balance you won’t get with your career,” Julín said, and I expected the words to sting, but he said it with no malice. I sat there seeing things from Julín’s perspective. He was still an ass, but I understood him better now. He was just hella protective of his friend.
“Do you love him?” I asked quietly.
“Not like people think I do. I have my phobias to conquer, and bisexuality is not something I always understood in him. I thought that was his people-pleasing side rearing its head. Being with women...made his family at ease, even if they knew about his occasional relationships with men. But when I see him with you... I get it. I’ve never been in love with Adri. I just wanted him to live his truth without having to please anyone.” Julín shrugged, and I sat there with all this knowledge and all these questions swirling in my head.
Night settled as Julín rode into the driveway at Tropics, watching me expectantly.
“Thanks so much, Julín. I thought you were an asshole...”
“Damn.” He reared back.
“And you are, but you had a reason for it.” I grinned. “I’ma need your help, though. I need to call someone about a job and go home and marry my husband.”