Gunner
A cold chill came over me as his offer to teach me lingered in my mind. He was the most beautiful person I’d ever seen, and the thought of our bodies close together was everything my teenage heart could handle.
We pulled up alongside a small, hole-in-the-wall kind of place. The sign above the door read the club's name, but I was confused.
“Are you sure we’re at the right place?” I asked.
“Yes, this is the club.”
“It looks kind of small…”
“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” He winked.
Once we walked in, I realized it was much larger than it appeared outside. Tables were sprawled out on the sides of a large, shiny, wooden dance floor, and lights flashed in every direction as people danced.
The décor was a bit outdated, but that only added charm to the ambience. He grabbed my hand again and led us to a table on the opposite side.
“This way I can hear what you’re saying without having to yell.”
I nodded as a waiter came over with menus. He grabbed his pad and pen and smiled as he spoke.
“Hola.”
“Hola.” Desiderio responded.
“Drinks?”
“Yes, uh… Gunner, what would you like?”
“You choose.” I grinned.
“We will have two tropicolas.”
The waiter nodded and wrote down the drinks before walking to a counter at the other end of the room.
“So,” Desiderio cleared his throat, “What do you think of Havana?”
“I love it. The buildings, the people, the sounds… all of it.”
“I wish you could have seen it before… he overthrew the island.
“Castro?”
His tone grew serious. “Don’t say his name.”
“I… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
He held his hand up. “It’s okay. Yes, him… This island was once a beautiful, thriving place… However, it is now a shell of its former beauty.
The people of Cuba are strong, and that’s why this island still stands today. We were knocked down for many years, but we never gave up hope.”
“It’s still sad that everyone here went through so much hardship… I couldn’t even imagine the strength it took.”
He smiled. “That is why we live each day as the beginning of a new life. When we fall, we help one another up. That is the Cuban way.”
I could feel the pride in his voice as he continued. It was a soothing remedy to the ailing hearts of those who had been affected.
The waiter returned and set our drinks down in front of us.
“Do you know what you’d like to eat?”
Desiderio looked at me.
“Whatever sounds good to you is fine with me.” I grinned.
“Well, in that case, we will have the Ropa Vieja, lechon asado, and the fried plantanos.”
“Bueno.” The waiter nodded and walked off.
“So,” he continued, “Tell me about yourself.”
“What do you want to know?”
He took a sip of his drink. “Anything. What do you do for fun in the States?”
“I spend a lot of time at the beach.”
“What else?”
“That’s honestly about it. I dislike going to the mall or spending all day inside. The sun and sand are my happy place.”
He smiled. “Me, too. Do you have a girlfriend?”
A rush of panic overcame me. How was I supposed to tell him I’m not into girls like that? What if he walks off and I lose the only friend I’ve made here so far?
“Gunner?”
“Sorry. No, I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“I’m surprised.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Oh? Why is that?”
“Oh, come on, look at you.”
I chuckled. “What about me?”
He sighed. “You’re blonde with a cute smile. Anyone would be lucky to have you.
I felt a blush overtake my face and lowered my head.
“Oh, stop. People don’t see me that way.”
“Well, for what it’s worth, I think you are cute.”
My head shot up.
“You do?”
He nodded again. “Of course I do. How could I not?”
A sheepish grin formed on my face.
“Is that why I caught you staring at me in the coffee shop?”
A slight red overtook his tanned features.
“I… uh… Yeah. You caught me.”
“Desiderio?”
“Yeah?” He asked lowly.
“I think you’re cute, too.”
He let out a loud laugh. “Really?”
“Yes.” I reassured.
“Now I really can’t wait to get on the dance floor!”
“Eat first, dance later.” The waiter chimed in as he set the plates down.
“Will do.” I said.
We didn’t talk while we ate. We enjoyed the savory taste of each dish. It was some of the best food I’d ever had. We finished and guzzled down our drinks.
“That was so good.” I ate the last bite.
“Ready to dance? Or are you too full?”
I grabbed his hand in mine. “Let’s go.”
We walked into the middle as a band came out with their instruments. They sat in their chairs and began playing a fast salsa rhythm.
He pulled me into him. “Are you ready?”
“I don’t know how…”
“Follow my lead.” He said with confidence.
He began swaying his hips to the beat as he twirled me around. He showed me the left foot back and right foot back techniques. Even though I was dancing like I had two left feet, I was getting lost in how his hips swayed to the music.
He dipped me as the song ended, his forehead beading with sweat. We were breathing heavily as the next song came out. To my relief, it was a slower song.
He nervously smiled at me. “We don’t have to…”
I placed my finger over his lips. “I want to.”
With those words, he placed my right hand in his and brought me in by my hips with his left hand.
I felt the heat radiating from his body. You couldn’t have placed a piece of paper between us. I put my head on his shoulder as we slowly moved our bodies to the tempo.
“Gunner?”
“Yeah?”
“This is nice.”
“Yeah,” I said, taking in a whiff of his cologne, “I wish the song would never end.”
He chuckled. “I know what you mean.”
We danced until the song stopped. We embraced in a hug before walking back to the table.
He paid the bill, and we walked back to his car. The sun had begun to set, and I checked my phone. Dad had called me fourteen times. I groaned as I put it back in my pocket.
“Let’s get you back.” He said sweetly.
He stopped in front of the doors and approached to open mine. I stepped out and met his gaze. His eyes were a mix of happiness and hopefulness.
“Can I see you tomorrow?”
“Yeah,” I smiled, “That would be great.”
“Pick you up at ten?”
“Sounds good.”
He gave me a quick hug. “See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
I watched as he drove off before walking through the lobby to the elevator.
Dad was sitting on the couch watching an old black-and-white show. He turned to me as I opened the door.
“There you are! I was starting to get worried.”
“I’m fine, Dad. Desiderio showed me around.”
“Desiderio?”
“Yeah, I met him at the coffee shop. He’s a sweet guy.”
Dad shook his head.
“What?” I asked in frustration.
“You can’t let yourself get attached, Gunner. You always do this.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Yes, you do. We’re only here for two more days, and who knows if you will see him again.”
“You’re worrying for nothing, Dad. He was just being nice.”
“Okay,” Dad raised his hands, “Whatever you say. Just be careful, okay?”
“I will.”
“I’m going to watch some more TV. Do you want to join me?”
“I think I’ll get some sleep.”
“Okay, son, get some rest.”
“Thanks, Dad.” I walked to my room and closed the door behind me.
I jumped on the bed and wrapped my arms around the pillow. I drifted off to sleep with him on my mind.
See you tomorrow.