CAPITULO 1

by Coltrain's Proposal(lit)

  - So that you and I have met secretly this morning in your house, while Cherry and he were out ..., or at least this is what the postman says, that he saw a gray Jaguar parked in your door - he explained irritated.

  Jane put the eyes in target and threw the arms to the air.

  - Surely he saw a gray Jaguar ... - he said to his husband-, that it belongs to the manager of the company who is making the clothes of my collection. It has a silver exact Jaguar to that of Copper.

  Todd Burke reddened lightly.

  - That's why you caught the hand from yourself with the door of the car: truth?-adivinó Jane-. Because the metomentodo of the postman would walk over there and he could not wait to tell you what your wife was doing to your backs - it mumbled-. When he sees it he goes away to inform!

  Todd reddened moreover.

  - How did you want that I knew that this manager had a Jaguar silver? - it pierced him, trying to justify itself in vain.

  Coltrain released of a golpetazo his folder on the stretcher in which seated Todd was.

  - Not, if in the end it will turn out that the fault is going to belong to Jane, for not saying to you that this woman has the same car as I! - it shouted him angered.

  Todd put himself of foot, looking at it challenging.

  - Copper... Todd ... please ... - the increpó Jane-. It is already sufficient!

  His husband was not agreeing. It turned towards Lou, who seemed so desolated as he was feeling inside.

  - I have understood that also they have broken his commitment: is not it true? - he said to the young woman-. They had been to marry years ago and this way they would not be making us suffer!

  Lou it looked at the eyes, and shook very slowly the head. Suddenly he had understood what was happening.

  - The doctor Coltrain is the most straight and honest person that I have met - he answered-. It is this men's class of which they act slyly, and he never avoids his responsibilities. If he was trusting in his wife, mister Burke, attention of the rumours would not pay, not of the inventions of the people. In the small cities there is always gossip, but only an idiot believes everything what it hears.

  Coltrain arched the eyebrows, surprised at that had gone out in his defense so unexpectedly.

  - thank you, Lou - said Jane quedamente-. It is more than I deserve myself after how I behaved with you, but thank you - it turned towards his husband-. I hope that you should have listened well, because it is right - he said to him. It was angered, and one was noticing him-. I married you because he loved you, and still I love you: although only God knows why! You never listen to me when I try to explain oneself; you always prefer fighting on the rumours on Copper and on me.

  Lou became red as a poppy. The same thing of her might be said. It was not daring to lift the sight towards Coltrain.

  - And so that you should realize the ridiculous thing that you can become on having believed the lies that it spreads the people - continued Jane increpando his husband-, I will say something to you that I do not know if you deserve that he says to you: I am embarrassed, and so that you find out, not, it is not of Copper!

  Todd Burke remained open-mouthed and took a good moment in rationing.

  - Jane!. Oh, Jane! - he said getting up, and embracing her strongly-. Is it true that?

  - yes, piece of cork oak ... he wanted to say it to you, but you...

  It could not finish the phrase, because his husband was kissing her as if there was not going to be one tomorrow. Lou, a little alarmed, slid out of the cubicle and went out to the corridor. I joust in this moment, Coltrain appeared next to you.

  - i hope that that it h governess convinced - it mumbled-. Thanks for defending myself - he added-. A pity that you do not create a word of what you were saying.

  Lou got the hands into the pockets of the trousers.

  - i believe that it is true that Jane loves his husband - he said quedamente-, and also that there is nothing between you, but that does not matter already, because in January I will go away. Your life deprived already does not concern me by no means.

  - Because you like that have wanted it - he remembered him é.

  The sarcastic tone in his voice hurt her.

  - He forgives, but it has been one very long day and I want to go away to house.

  - I also was going away - answered he-. He waits a second. I go for the jacket and accompany you up to the parking.

  Minutes later they were stopping opposite to Lou's car.

  - drew loved very much his wife - said she-, so much, that twelve years later still has not recovered from his death. It even continues going to spend the Christmastime with the family of her. I asked him how one would feel if he was finding out that a woman was won the love of it: and do you know what answered me? That would feel a pity for her, because it her might never correspond.

  - Why do you tell me that?-inquirió he without comprising where it wanted to go to stop.,

  - Because you are still in love with Jane - answered him Lou-. Until you have not overcome this disappointment, you will not be able to surrender in body and soul to anybody any more. That's why I do not want to marry you.

  Coltrain had gathered the bridge of the nose, and was looking at her flabbergasted, unable to declare a word.

  - Jane is a part of your life - continued Lou-, a very important part, and although she has managed to leave behind the past, you still have not obtained it. I ... I understand it, and fodder that perhaps some day you could do it, but till then it is not just that you try to commit oneself with another person.

  Coltrain wiggled the head.

  - Jane was beginning in the world of the detour when I began as intern in this hospital - he told to him-. One day fell down of a horse and they brought it to urgencies. It was me who dealt with her, and from the moment in which we met we get on. When we gave it of discharge we stay a pair of times, and then with more frequency. She is a very special woman.

  - I know it - Lou murmured-. Drew said to me that she is a very good person.

  - It it is - he agreed.

  They remained the quiet two, and Lou, uncomfortable for this silence, it extracted the keys of the car of the pocket of his overcoat.

  - Be taken - he said-, it me went already.

  Pero Coltrain took it of the shoulder, preventing from giving him the back.

  - Lou, never him h and spoken to Jane of me p adre.

  She gathered the bridge of the nose. He had never imagined that it had secret with Jane. It lifted the eyes towards him and long moment looked at it, as if it was trying to unravel a mystery.

  - onlooker: truth? - said to him Coltrain-. And there is another curious thing that happens to me with you, but it is something that still I do not feel prepared to say to you.

  It approached her, and Lou felt that it should separate, to stop it ... but it did not want to do it. He inclined the head and kissed her sensualmente in the lips. Lou did not protest by no means, but it surrounded the neck with the arms, opening the mouth to allow him a contact moreover intimately.

  Meanwhile it was kissing her, Coltrain inclined more on her, pushing the young woman against the door of the car, as that day, after the holiday of Christmas. Lou tried to say something, but the insistence of the kisses of Coltrain did not allow it to him.

  - What happens? - it murmured detaching a moment his mouth of that of her.

  - This place is ... too much .... public - Lou stammered, luchadno for recovering the breath.

  Coltrain raised the head and looked in contour, warning lapresencia of some onlookers in the parking and also in the entry of the pavilion of urgencies.

  - Demons - it mumbled irritated, separating from her-. They see to my house - he suggested with the respiration cut off as that of her.

  Lou shook the head before his willpower was fading away.

  - i cannot.

  - Hen.

  Lou blushed.

  - it is well, yes that I want to go - he admitted it-, but I am not going to do it. You a
re horrible, Jebediah Coltrain, taking advantage of the weaknesses of the others! It is not just!

  - Yes that it is - he entertained corrected it, outlining a wolfish smile-. We go: dare, Lou! Risk everything to the only one letter. You always behave as a scientist: analyzing every possible movement, his possible consequences... For once in your life I know adventurer!

  - not - denied to herself she, this one time again with an unusual steadfastness-. Have you kissed me so that she saw us?-inquirió furious.

  Coltrain gathered the upset frown, and continued the direction of his look. Todd and Jane were in the staircase of entry of the pavilion of urgencies, observing them.

  - Not - he answered stuned-. It was not even known that they were there - he said to him sincerely.

  Pero Lou did not believe it.

  - You're pulling my leg - it murmured.

  It got into the car, introduced the key in the contact, started it and moved away. The legs were weakening him, but it was said that after a little bit they would stop trembling. And perhaps also the rest of his body. Coltrain was driving crazy her. Thanks to God who would leave soon.

  Minutes after Lou was coming to house, the phone started sounding insistently.

  - Say? - Lou answered finally, that was going a little bit trying to ignore it with the hope of the one who was calling was desisting.

  - Still you are trembling with desire: to what yes? - he asked him between mocker and seducer about the voice of Coltrain.

  To Lou almost one slipped the receiver between the fingers.

  - What devils do you want? - it stammered.

  - An invitation to have dinner the Christmas Day, of course - said he-. I do not want to sit down one more year in front of the TV set and eat me a sad sadwich or a piece of pizza.

  Lou still was angry with him for having made her spend shame before so many foreign look for the second time. The personnel of the hospital would spend to itself at least two weeks speaking about it. Less evil that she would not be already to have to support it.

  - A sad sadwich or a piece of pizza is precisely what you deserve yourself - he said to him.

  - Oh, we go, do not be cruel, Lou. We are in Christmas. Listening, I will take the salad and the dessert if you prepare the turkey: what do you say to me?

  Lou could not avoid to doubt. The certain thing was that moríapor to happen this day with him, but she was sure that that only his march would be difficult.

  - Come, Lou, I gave that yes ... - he tried to cajole her with velvety voice-. We go, you know that you are wishing it. If you go away on the first of January there will not be many any more occasions to be together. Also: what can you lose?

  " the respect for me misma, my honor, my virginity, my pride ... ", she enumerated for yes.

  Nevertheless, his response was very different:

  - Good, I suppose that to happen together one day will not kill me.

  Coltrain laughed.

  - Surely not. I will be in your house twenty-five at eleven o'clock in the morning: in agreement?

  And it hung before she could change opinion.

  - Oh, God: what have I done? - Lou wailed, looking at the receiver in his hand. " This is an error, a terrible error, and I am going to repent the rest of my life ". Coltrain would end up by driving crazy her really.

  The day of Christmas night went to the early supermarket and bought a small turkey. The cashier who attended to her was one of his patients, and he dedicated a significant smile when he saw the turkey and the bottle of champagne that it put on the tape transportadora. Fortunately, nevertheless, it did not make any comment on this matter, and Lou ran to house before stumbling over someone more that it had heard the rumours on Coltrain and her.

  Already in house, it was cleaning a little, had lunch, and in the evening it refilled the turkey and put it in the oven. It had decided to prepare it the previous day not to have to make it the same twenty-five. This way only it would have to warm it up. When it was done, it extinguished the oven so that it was cooling down, gathered and cleaned the kitchen, and already it was almost eight o'clock when it went away to the lounge, lit the TV set and curled up in his couch with a few worn-out jeans, a wide sweatshirt and a few socks of wool.

  Nevertheless, scarcely it had to take ten minutes sat, when it heard the noise of a car stopping in the door of his house. Missed, it went to the window of the foyer to look, and frowned on having seen a silver Jaguar, and how certain red-haired doctor was bending him, with a great box in the arms.

  - Open to me, Lou - it was called it he from the outside, meanwhile it was raising the steps of the entry.

  - What is that?-inquirió curious, indicating the box while it was supporting the door so that it should happen.

  - Meal and presents, my lady.

  Lou could not be more astonished. He had not waited for it that night.

  When she had closed the door, it followed Coltrain, which had gone to the kitchen and was unloading there the content of the box.

  - The salad - it began to enumerate aloud-, the dressing, olives, caviar and a cake of chocolate with nuts. Not, I have not done her - he added on having seen that had continued looking at it open-mouthed-. I have bought it. One gives me fatally the confectioner's. Do you believe that you will have place in the icebox?

  - That you might have asked me about it before presenting yourself here - she said to him.

  Coltrain smiled.

  - If it had called you, you would have listened to my voice in the answering mashine, and would have feigned that you were not in house.

  Lou blushed. It was right.

  - I believe aue there is place - it murmured opening the icebox, and rearranging a little the things so that it was fitting what he had taken.

  When they had ended, Coltrain introduced the hand again in the enormous box, and extracted two paquetitos.

  - A gift that you will give me and other that I will give to you - he said to him.

  Lou looked at it irritated.

  - It was not necessary that you were buying a gift for you himself - it spluttered-. I have bought to you something.

  Coltrain arched the eyebrows.

  - Seriously?

  Lou gathered the lips.

  - The one that will not think to happen the Christmas Day with you does not mean that it is so creeping as not to buy to you anything.

  - And why did not you give it to me the day of the holiday of Christmas of the hospital?-inquirió he.

  Lou blushed again.

  - You did not also give to me at all this day - it pointed.

  - Because he was keeping it for today - Coltrain said with a smile.

  - Since I also - she answered. It was not going to be less.

  - Can I put them under your Christmas tree?

  Lou shrank of shoulders.

  - Skylight.

  It continued it up to the lounge, and Coltrain left the paquetitos on the carpet, along with the enormous fir that Lou had adorned with balls of colors, lights, brilliant garlands and a star in the top, and sat down to admiring it. Lou stooped and sat down next to you.

  - From child I have always loved the Christmas - he murmured.

  - Yet I cannot believe that we have no custodies this weekend - said to him Lou-. How have you obtained it?

  - You know already: blackmails and bribes - he joked-. The past Christmastime yes that had us to work: do you remember?

  - Yes, I remember it - she murmured-. In fact me agreement that these days we discuss more than of custom. The Christmas spirit shone for his absence.

  - Oh, but it was necessary that we were discussing - Coltrain said to him, lying down sideways how length it was, and resting on the elbow-. If it had not been stinging you constantly, love would have ended up by making you day yes, day not, in the stretchers in which we examine the patients.

  - Q. .. what? - she stammered.

  Coltrain extended the hand and separated a tuft of his face.

  - Whenever I was trying to app
roach you were separating you - he said to him-. This was the only thing that saved you, because I have wished you long ago, a lot of time, Lou, and have fought desperately against it - he added, caressing sensualmente the feminine lips with the fingers.

  - Po ... might you to stop doing that, please? - nervous she watered him.

  - Why? I know that you like, and to me also.

  It attracted her towards if and he placed himself on her.

  - I can feel the beats of your heart - it whispered against his lips-, and notice your labored respiration - his hand slid towards one of the bosoms, stopping on him to stimulate the nipple until it hardened-. Do you see it?, to your body also he likes.

  Lou tried to say something, but Coltrain kept silent about it with a kiss, and she took several minutes in managing to assemble again the sufficient willpower to detach his lips of those of him.

  - jebediah ... not....

  But he started kissing her again.

  - i wish you, Lou... I wish You tantísimo....

  - Pero Jane ... - she insisted.

  Coltrain raised the head and, for Lou's surprise, laughed softly and was rolled towards the side, resting again on the elbow her to look at the eyes.

  - Lou, you are worse than Todd Burke. What do I have to do to convince you? I am not in love with Jane. Some time ago that I do not feel for her any more than friendship. In fact, before Todd was appearing, it had already broken with her.

  Lou looked at it amazed.

  - You .... you broke with her ...? I believed that you were still a lover with her when he married...

  He denied with the head.

  - Do you want to know why I broke our relation? - he said to him.

  Lou looked at it unsteady, swallowed saliva and finally it agreed with the head, very slowly.

  - because he was not feeling anything when we were kissing - he said Coltrain.

  Lou frowned.

  - I was not getting excited physically - he added.

  She, simply, could not believe it.

  - But ... that is ... impossible - it stammered-. A woman can excite a man if ... good, if it puts determination in it.

  Coltrain shrank of shoulders.

  - Perhaps - it granted him-, but the truth is that in my case I was not feeling a real interest for her. I confused fondness with love, and ended up by realizing that when I was kissing her it was as if it was kissing a sister.