“Don't you have class right now?” questioned Eloisa.
“I'd rather be with you.”
“Wayne, I appreciate that, but I don't want you to flunk.”
“Don't worry. Taking a class over again is no big deal.”
“What do you mean it's no big deal?!” Eloisa burst.
“Haven't you ever had to repeat a class?”
“No.”
“Lucky you.”
“It's not luck,” declared Eloisa, annoyed. “It's called hard work.”
Wayne chuckled darkly. “Life is meant to be fun.”
“I know but there's a time for fun and a time for work.”
“You need to take it easy on life,” Wayne asserted. “I'm going to help you with that problem.”
“What?”
“I’m here to help you learn to have fun. The heck with boring classes!”
Eloisa was beginning to wonder about him.
Chapter 14
When Chencha, glowing with excitement, asked to speak to Eloisa in private, Eloisa couldn't even begin to imagine what her best friend was about to tell her. She couldn't imagine that even a leaf blower would be able to blow her aside after Chencha told her the big news.
“I'm getting married,” announced Chencha.
Eloisa’s eyebrows shot up in complete surprise. “What?! Did you say you were getting married?”
“Yes.”
“Really?!” asked Eloisa.
“Yes!”
Eloisa threw her arms around her friend. “Congratulations!”
“Thank you. I'm so happy.”
“Chencha, I didn't know you were dating anyone,” stated Eloisa, perplexed.
“I’ve been dating in secret,” Chencha murmured.
“Why?”
“I’ve got my reasons.”
“But why would you keep it from me— your best friend?!” Eloisa questioned, hurt. “Chencha, who are you marrying?”
Chencha took a huge gulp. “Ralph Cola.”
“What?! Say again!”
“Ralph Cola. You're not angry, are you? I mean, you didn't want him.”
Eloisa finally got her equilibrium back. “Of course I'm not angry, but why are you marrying him?”
“He asked me.”
“Is that the only reason you would marry a person like him?!” Eloisa blurted.
“I admit he's a little rough around the edges, but he'll make a good husband.”
Eloisa just couldn’t come to terms with what her best friend was telling her. “Have you really thought this out? Completely thought it out?”
Chencha let out an exasperated sound. “Eloisa, I'm thirty-four years old. If I don't start having children soon, it'll be over for me. I know what you're thinking, but I don't want to be a single mother. I want a beautiful home and little children running all over the place.”
“Wait for the right man, Chencha,” pleaded Eloisa.
“You don't know what it's like to be me, do you?”
“What do you mean?” Eloisa asked, perplexed.
“Before this, no one has ever asked me to marry him. Not once. At least you've been proposed to. It didn't work out, but someone asked you to marry him. I've had nothing.”
“Chencha, you don't have to settle because—”
“I've made my decision!” Chencha exclaimed. “I hope you don't stop being my friend.”
“Of course not. We'll always be friends.”
As it happened, Chencha and Ralph got married quickly in the judge's chamber. They had agreed that it was better to spend most of their money on a honeymoon on the French Riviera instead of on a lavish wedding. Eloisa suspected that the real reason for the impromptu simple marriage was because Ralph's parents weren't too happy with his choice and wouldn't have attended the ceremony. They didn't show their faces at all in the judge's chamber.
The experience shook Eloisa so much that she decided it was time she did something about her own predicament. At the university, she sat down to talk to Wayne at the lounge in the union building where they had first met.
“We need to discuss something,” she asserted, her voice determined.
“What is it?”
“You and I aren't right for one another, Wayne. We might as well face it.”
“What do you mean?!” he snapped. “We're perfect for each other.”
“No, we're not, and you know it. Look at how many times I bug you about you going to your classes and keeping your grades up.”
“I need someone like you to push me,” he insisted.
“I'm not your mother, Wayne.”
“You need me for fun!”
“Wayne, it’s just not working out,” declared Eloisa. “I’m sorry.”
“So we're breaking up?!” he snapped, incredulous.
“Yes.”
He stood up furiously. “I don't appreciate being dumped like this.”
“Don't think of it like that.”
“Then how should I think of it?!” he retorted.
“We just didn't work out.”
“You don't know what you're throwing away!” Wayne shot back, his nose flaring. “You were lucky I looked your way. There's dozens of women who'd do anything to go out with me!”
“I wish you luck with them.”
After he threw her a furious and venomous glare, he stomped away. Eloisa let out one of the deepest breaths she had ever breathed out in her life.
By the time Chencha arrived back from her exotic but annoying honeymoon, she was already having serious doubts about her hasty decision to marry Ralph Cola. The truth was that he was beginning to really annoy her with his ability to say the wrong things at the wrong times. Yet, she decided to grin and bear it, to not even tell her best friend about what she was feeling. Maybe she could learn to ignore her lack of love and even like for her new husband. Instead, she decided to try to spend as little time as she could with the very unlikable Ralph Rodent, as she took to calling him in her mind. She’d just have to make her marriage work! Ralph Rodent! She’d learn if not to like or love him, to put up with him!
“Eloisa, you have to come stay with me for the weekend,” she told her friend over the phone. The more people she had with her, the less time she’d have to spend alone with Ralph Rodent. “We'll have such a good time.”
“Are you sure that it would be okay?”
“Yes, Ralph works for most of the weekend, so we'll have the house to ourselves. You'll come won't you?”
“I'll be happy to stay with you.”
Actually, Eloisa was missing her best friend, and a change in scenery could do her some good. Everybody in her house was preoccupied with something. Carmela was sewing a new dress for a friend, Lola seemed to be in the throws of a new romantic relationship as she often talked to a boy on the phone, Marta was obsessed with her Science project, and Doña Chona was helping Chencha's mother make curtains.
The other reason Eloisa felt she needed time to relax was that Wayne had crashed her nerves. Even though she had tried to end her relationship with him as painless and mature as possible, he insisted on trying to shake up her life. After each of her classes, he would stand outside the door with a different coed insisting on making introductions.
“This is so and so and she used to be the prom queen at her high school. Isn't she beautiful?” he would say.
Eloisa almost didn't want to attend her classes anymore. She, however, had enough one day and asked a friend in class for a favor.
“Let me introduce you to Tino,” she told Wayne, whose mouth flew wide open.
“I'm so glad we're in the same class,” Tino said, giving her a light peck on the lips. “Eloisa is awesome.”
It was the last time Wayne waited outside class for her. Even if Wayne seemed to be out of her hair, Eloisa still felt the rotten distaste in her mouth about the whole experience. Visiting with her best friend would be like a curative tonic for her.
Chapter 15
“I've always dreamed about having a house like this one,” stated Chencha, hoping her friend didn’t see the unhappiness in her eyes.
“As you can see, anyone would be thrilled have a house like this.” Ralph espoused. “Country club living is the best!”
“Yes, it's a beautiful home,” Eloisa repeated, wondering when she and Chencha could catch up on their friendship in private, without the aggravating presence of Ralph.
“Eloisa, you should know how happy Chencha and I are,” stated Ralph. “She's a wonderful wife. You know that it doesn't bother her that I have to work long hours. In fact, she encourages me to work harder. Most wives would have a fit if they had to spend so much time without their husbands.”
“I know how important it is for Ralph to get ahead, so I try to be supportive,” Chencha asserted slyly.
“I've got such a surprise for you, Eloisa. We're having dinner at my boss's one-of-a-kind mansion. Isn’t that exciting?! ”
“What?” blurted Eloisa.
“He lives next door, and he's having a dinner party tonight,” Ralph announced. “His house is so beautiful, and he gives the most prestigious dinner parties. I already called him and got permission for you to come! What an honor for you!!! Chencha will loan you a dress since I’m sure you don’t have an adequate one.”
“Can't I go with what I'm wearing?” asked Eloisa, annoyed.
Ralph groaned. “I know you're not used to them, but this is a high class dinner party! Chencha, please lend her a proper dress. Eloisa, you can’t present yourself in those cheap rags you usually wear,” he snapped.
Eloisa’s face flushed with bright red flares. “How I dress is my business!!! I don’t appreciate—”
“Eloisa, come upstairs with me,” cut in Chencha, trying to defuse the heated situation.
When they reached the master bedroom, Chencha immediately took to trying to smooth her friend’s feathers. “Please don’t take offense to what Ralph said. You know how stupid he is when he talks.”
“I really don’t know how you can stand him.”
Chencha ignored Eloisa’s comment. “Let’s get dressed for the party.”
“I really don't want to go to that snob soiree,” Eloisa growled. “I’ll wait for you here.”
“Please go with me. I hate the idea of being at one of those things by myself.”
“You have your husband.”
“Please go with me,” pleaded Chencha. “Please, please, please. You can wear anything you want from my closet. I got a lot of awesome clothes during my honeymoon in Europe!”
“I don’t—”
“Please, please, please! I’m begging!”
“Oh, all right,” Eloisa muttered, sighing. “But I'll pick the outfit.”
Chencha smiled broadly. “Anything you say.”
Eloisa chose a simple black sheath with shiny material. Fortunately, she and Chencha used the same shoe size, so she slipped into Chencha's black pumps with no problems.
“Are you sure you want to wear that dress?” questioned Chencha.
“This used to be your favorite outfit.”
“Now I have much more expensive ones. You don’t want to wear one of my couture outfits from Europe?”
“I still like this dress best of all,” affirmed Eloisa.
“Then you can have it.”
“You're going to give it to me?”
Chencha nodded. “It's my thanks for going with me to this awful thing.”
“Chencha, you don't have to give me anything. I'm going because I'm your friend.”
“I know, but I still want to give it to you. Let's finish dressing before Ralph Rod—” Chencha blurted, stopping herself from finishing the word rodent. “Before Ralph has a cow. He'd die if we were late to his silly boss's dinner party.”
When they came downstairs, Ralph rushed them next door. Eloisa reminded herself that after this, she'd get the rest of the weekend to spend with her friend. When Ralph rang the doorbell and the door swung open, Eloisa wasn't prepared for who was standing in front of her.
“Good evening,” greeted Dario, his eyes on Eloisa. “How is everybody?”
Chapter 16
“What are you doing here?” blurted Eloisa. Dario eyed her as cool as a cucumber.
“I told you that my boss is Dario's uncle, didn't I?” asked Ralph.
Eloisa scolded herself for not remembering that detail from Fernie's birthday party. “Yes, you did tell me.”
“Come in,” Dario said, showing them in. “My uncle is waiting for you to start dinner.”
Standing in the living room were Jacqueline, Ivana, and an older man who Eloisa assumed was Dario's uncle. Eloisa pushed down a huge groan.
“Dario, you should have let the butler open the door,” the older gentleman declared, annoyed. “That’s what I pay him for. I don’t know what got into you that you insisted on getting the door. Are you coming down with something?”
“We’re not late, are we?” asked Ralph with panic in his voice.
“No, you're right on time,” grumbled the older man. “But some people make it a habit of doing things early instead of waiting to the last minute.”
“It was the ladies,” Ralph rushed, his voice meek and apologetic. “They took too long getting dressed.”
“Hello, Mr. Quintana,” Chencha articulated. “This is my friend, Eloisa.”
Eloisa extended her hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
“You're Balb's sister, aren't you?” he asked as he shook her hand.
“Yes, I am.”
“The apple falls far from the tree. You seem nothing alike,” he stated, sniffing.
“No, luckily we're not,” muttered Eloisa. “Hello Jacqueline, hello Ivana.”
They murmured their hellos with snickers hidden underneath their tones.
“Is Balbino Jr. here?” Eloisa questioned Ivana.
“Your brother is working late,” Ivana stated.
“How's the baby?” asked Eloisa.
“He's fine. He's with the nanny.”
Eloisa crossed her arms. She was revolted with the fact that she had a nephew she rarely saw. He was with the nanny. Wasn't that great? A stranger saw him more than she did.
“Shall we eat now?” asked Mr. Quintana, making it more of a command than a question.
They followed him into the dining area and sat on chairs belonging to a dark cherry Queen Anne dinette. A crystal chandelier on the ceiling lit the entire room with a subtle glow. Two servants started serving them the first course, a rich mushroom soup.
“Everything looks wonderful, Mr. Quintana,” burst Ralph. “Really wonderful!”
“It's adequate,” stated Mr. Quintana, sniffing.
“Placido, you throw the best dinner parties,” announced Ivana. “I am always in amazement of their style and good taste.”
“I, myself, am always in amazement at how beautiful you ladies always look,” Mr. Quintana declared, looking at Ivana and Jacqueline.
Ivana gushed, “Thank you, Placido. You're such a smooth talker.”
“Your dress is so charming, Eloisa. Is it a designer one?” questioned Jacqueline.
“No.”
“It's not?” Jacqueline asked, taken aback by Eloisa's curt answer.
“No.”
“Chencha tried to loan her one of her boutique dresses, but she picked that one,” Ralph blurted apologetically.
“That's our Eloisa,” stated Ivana, her nose in the air. “Always with the taste for the very plain.”
“I'm not ashamed to say I like simple things,” declared Eloisa.
Jacqueline shrugged her shoulders, sniffing. “If that's what you like, then that's what you like.”
“Why shouldn't she like it?” questioned Dario. “That black d
ress looks beautiful on her. It's a good match with her long, curly, black hair.”
Eloisa eyed him, completely startled with his complement. Everyone else at the table did the same. An awkward silence ensued.
“Let's have the next course,” burst Mr. Quintana sternly, interrupting the uncomfortable moment.
After dinner, the guests and host sat outside in Mr. Quintana's backyard drinking wine. Eloisa excused herself to go to the restroom inside of the house. When she finished and stepped back into the enormous living room, she found Dario sitting by himself on the sofa, looking uncharacteristically nervous.
“So how do you like the dinner party so far?” he questioned, standing up.
“It's okay.”
“Not your cup of tea, is it?” he inquired, his dark eyes firmly on her.
“No, not really.”
“I didn't think so.”
“Dario, are you actually making conversation with me?” Eloisa asked, perplexed.
“Is there anything wrong with that?”
“You give me the impression that you're not big on conversation. You don't like talking to people much, do you?”
“I find it difficult to talk to people I don't know,” he explained.
“Why is that?”
“I'm not an extrovert,” he declared. “I work with numbers all day. That's easy. Trying to carry on a conversation of small talk—now that's difficult.”
“Dario, are you going to stay in here all night,” questioned Jacqueline as she stepped in from the outside and unpleasantly eyed Eloisa from top to bottom.
“I’ll leave you two alone. Excuse me,” Eloisa stated, walking away from them.
As she was stepping outside, Mr. Quintana appeared and told her he would like to show her his art pieces. He led her to a hallway full of priceless original paintings hanging from the walls..
“You've got an original Picasso,” she murmured, astonished.
“It was a little something I picked up.”
“Amazing.”
“I wanted to ask you, how's your sister Carmela?” he inquired nonchalantly.
“You know Carmela?” questioned Eloisa, surprised.
“I know of her. She must've gotten her heart broken when Fernie stopped seeing her.”
“She's fine,” Eloisa burst, gritting her teeth.
“Let me tell you a bit about our family, Eloisa. We come from one of the most important families in Mexico,” he sniffed. “In fact, we can trace our lineage to the royalty in Spain.”
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