Love in the Lineup

by Deborah Fletcher Mello

  Their last stop had been Los Tres Ojos, an exceptional fifty-foot deep cave with three lagoons surrounded by stalagmites and lush vegetation. The two had donned their swim gear, traipsing through the caverns as if it were something they did every day while they stole kisses and caresses behind the crags and rock formations. The day could have gone on forever, Angel had thought, as he pulled her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her fingers. Roshawn had found herself overwhelmed, not only by the warmth of the people who had greeted her with heartfelt wishes, and their native son with sincere reverence, but also by the sheer passion and seductive ambience that radiated throughout the city.

  As the evening hours approached, Roshawn’s body was fatigued, but her spirit had been abundantly exhilarated. The duo had finally fallen out from exhaustion, drifting happily to sleep as they’d dropped across Angel’s bed, hands still entwined tightly together. Maria had looked in on them once, refreshing a bottle of wine and tray of cheese, crackers and fruit from the night before. She had smiled approvingly, withdrawing to her own room to call her brother and report that all was well with her beloved nephew and the woman who’d come from the States to claim his heart.

  As the night unfolded, the sun falling off in the horizon, Roshawn opened her eyes and stretched the length of her body. For only a brief moment she was unsure of her whereabouts and just as she was thinking about panicking, Angel rolled his body closer to hers, his arms tightening around her torso in a protective embrace. Roshawn rolled to press her nose into the bend of his neck, inhaling deeply as she imbibed his scent deep into her lungs. An exhale of breath blew hot against the man’s flesh.

  Angel chuckled softly. “That tickles,” he said, his own eyes still closed tightly.

  Roshawn reached to kiss that space just beneath his chin. “So, you planning to sleep the night away?”

  He shook his head. “Not at all. I have plans for you.”

  “I hope those plans involve food because I’m hungry.”

  He opened one eye and looked at her, shaking his head against the pillow. Roshawn lifted her body ever so slightly to lie across his chest. Angel tightened his hold around her. “We can get a shower, and then I’m sure there’s food in the kitchen. My tía Maria cooks constantly.”

  Roshawn smiled. “She’s so sweet. I imagine she and your father are quite a pair.”

  “They are. She raised me. She’s the only mother I have ever known. I love her dearly. I don’t think I would be here if it wasn’t for her and my father.”

  “Family’s very important.”

  “Tell me about your family. You don’t ever talk much about them.”

  “Well, I was an only child also. My best friends, Bridget and Jeneva, became my sisters. None of us had any siblings and I think that’s what drew us to each other. My parents were great. Both of them were teachers and now that they’re retired they spend most of their time traveling around the world. In fact they’re in Hong Kong right now with Chen’s parents.”

  Angel nodded. “You and your ex-husband are very close.”

  “We’re very good friends. I have a lot of respect for him. He’s been an incredible father.”

  “He is very proud of Ming. He talks about her often.”

  “Ming is her daddy’s heart. He adores that child. She couldn’t have asked for a better father.”

  “I want someday to be a good father to my children.”

  Roshawn leaned up to stare into his face. “Children?”

  Angel nodded. “I hope to have many children someday.”

  “How many is many?”

  He grinned, shrugging his shoulders. “As many as you will allow me.”

  Roshawn grinned back. “Your father came at me with that mess. What would I look like having more babies now? Ming is eighteen years old. I’m thirty-six years old. For all I know, all my eggs are dried up by now.”

  The look Angel gave her was so consuming Roshawn felt her heart skip a beat and then two, picking up the pace as it restarted itself.

  “You would look like the beautiful creature you are with my babies passing through your womb. Your age is of no consequence if your heart is open to the idea,” he said softly, the convictions of his statement wafting through her. Roshawn said nothing, still staring into his eyes.

  “Will you think about having my babies, Roshawn?” He pressed his palm to her abdomen, his fingers gliding over her flesh. “Will you honor my love for you with a son born of your heart?”

  Silence whispered softly to them, his words a gentle echo sweeping over her spirit. “Do you love me? Do you, Angel?”

  His smile brightened. “Did I not promise you my heart for now and always?”

  “But do you love me?”

  Angel pushed her back against the mattress, rolling his body above hers. He stared down at her, intoxicated by the sight of her. Her eyes glistened as they stared into his. “I love you with everything I have in me. It is why you and only you could have the effect that you do on me. You thrill me. You make me vulnerable. Only love could leave me feeling so empty when I’m not with you and so complete when you are so near to me. Of course, I love you.”

  Roshawn pressed a palm to his chest, reaching her other to stroke the side of his face. “Then with everything I have in me, I will honor that love. I will gladly think about having your daughters.”

  Angel laughed, tossing his head back against his shoulders. “I said my sons.”

  “And I said your daughters.”

  “Sons.”

  “Daughters.”

  “Stubborn.”

  “Irritating.”

  Angel lightly pressed his mouth to hers, his kiss barely a touch against her lips. He scanned her face, joy glistening in his eyes. “Say it,” he said, his tone just shy of commanding. “Tell me now.”

  Roshawn grinned, her wide smile wrapped in sheer bliss, understanding seeping into her heart as she whispered her response into his soul. “I’m falling in love with you, Angel Rios. I am falling head over heels in love with you.”

  * * *

  “So, where are you two off to this evening?” Maria asked as she lifted Angel’s dinner plate from the table. She stood beside her nephew, balancing the plate in one hand, the other resting lightly against the man’s shoulder.

  “Guácara Taina,” Angel responded, his eyebrows raising ever so slightly as he turned to look at Roshawn.

  The older woman nodded. “They say that it is a very nice place.”

  “What is it?” Roshawn asked, eyeing him curiously as she pulled the last bite of her meal into her mouth.

  Maria did a quick shuffle from the table to the kitchen sink. “It’s the club for dancing the salsa and Merengue,” the woman said as she dropped the plate against the counter and shimmed her way back to the table.

  Roshawn grinned. “Merengue, huh?”

  Angel leaned back against his seat, the front legs of his chair rising an inch or so off the floor. A broad smile filled the warmth of his brown face. “Roshawn is quite the dancer, Tía,” he said teasingly. He smiled in jest as he chuckled softly and the look he gave Roshawn caused her to blush, the heat of it warming her dimpled cheeks.

  She laughed. “It helps to have a great partner, Auntie.”

  Warmth from the old woman’s smile beamed over the two of them. “I am sure you two will dance nicely together,” she said softly, giving Roshawn a sly wink. “Do you know how to Merengue, Roshawn?” Maria asked. “It is our national dance, you know?”

  “Really?” Roshawn said. “I’ve been salsa dancing before but I don’t think I’ve ever done the Merengue.”

  Maria nodded her gray head. “If you can do the salsa then you can do the Merengue.” She tapped Angel against the back. “Tell Roshawn about the Merengue, nephew. I have things to do in the other room.” She leaned to kiss his cheek, then circled round the table to embrace Roshawn. The duo watched as she went out of the room toward the other end of the house.

  “She does too much, my t�
�a. Every time I try to get her some help she makes a fuss.”

  “She and your father are both very strong-willed,” Roshawn said with a slight smile.

  Angel smiled back. “They are more stubborn than you are,” he said, lowering his chair back to the floor as he rested his forearms against the table, his hands clasped in prayer.

  The two sat quietly, staring intently at each other, eyes dancing back and forth easily. The moment was endearing and as they both fell into the moment, Roshawn imagined that she could see her butterflies dancing sweetly with his.

  Chapter 17

  There was a line of cologned and perfumed, exotically dressed bodies extending from the entrance of Guácara Taina, the upscale dance club situated in the center of town. Angel pulled his car up to the door and got out. A cheer erupted from the crowd gathered as they recognized him, calling loudly for his attention. He smiled and waved his appreciation as he maneuvered his way around the vehicle to the passenger door. A club valet rushed to his side and greeted him by name, the two men shaking hands.

  As Angel passed over the keys, he reached to open the car door. His smug expression was a mix of pride and joy as he extended his hand to help Roshawn to her feet. The man standing beside him eyed her from top to toe, his eyes widening brightly at the sight of her. Angel wrapped a possessive arm around her waist and guided her through the crown and toward the entrance. It was like the waters parting for Moses as people stepped aside to let them through. Two burly employees moved to open the door, greeting them both politely.

  Once inside the multilevel cultural and dance center, they were guided deep into the caverns of an underground cave. From there they were led to a private table in the VIP section, a prime spot in the grand space illuminated by hints of light positioned strategically throughout the room. As Roshawn’s eyes adjusted to the dim light, she held Angel’s hand, moving to take a seat in the cushioned booth first.

  Without Angel speaking one word, a bottle of champagne and two glasses were delivered to the table by an exotic young woman with skin the color of warm mahogany and licorice-colored hair that fell like silk strands down to the middle of her back. She smiled slyly, her gaze locked on Angel, never once bothering to toss a look in Roshawn’s direction. Roshawn bristled, sitting straighter in her seat, her annoyance at the flagrant disrespect painting her face. The moment passed when Angel leaned and kissed her mouth, not once bothering to acknowledge the other woman’s presence. Roshawn couldn’t help but smile smugly as the female stormed off in a huff. After a brief conversation with the owners, the couple finally found themselves alone.

  The dance floor just below them was packed with couples shimmying to the deep tempos of the music. Roshawn watched with awe at the proficiency of the young dancers spinning and gliding, hips and torsos shaking provocatively. She reached for Angel’s hand and moved in closer as she talked into his ear, the volume of the music giving any attempts at conversation a good battle.

  “So, tell me about the Merengue,” she said, her mouth pressed close to his ear. She took a second to pass her tongue against the line of his face, smiling seductively before she pulled back.

  Angel smiled, nodding his head as he leaned in even closer. Roshawn could not help but note the ease in which he slipped into his native tongue. “There are two stories that the old people tell about the Merengue. It is a very old dance and some say it came from the slaves who used to see the Europeans dance in the big houses. When these slaves were chained together they were forced to drag one leg as they cut sugar in the large cane fields. They would do this to the beat of the drums and from there, when they had their own festivities they would mimic the master’s dances and improvise on the movements that they did in the fields. Their dance was more fun and brought them much joy.

  “Others tell the story of a great war hero who was wounded in the leg during one of the many revolutions here in the Dominican Republic. A party of villagers welcomed him home with a victory celebration, and out of sympathy for his affliction, the guests felt obliged to limp and drag one foot as he did. The original Merengue was not danced by couples, but was a circle dance and the men and women would face each other and hold hands, but they did not hold each other too closely.”

  Roshawn nodded, still watching the action below. The music tempo had varied but the dances were similar. They seemed to enjoy the slower turns that would transition to a sharp quickening pace towards the latter part of the dance. There was much hip action and the energy was beyond definition.

  She took a quick sip of her drink and reached for his hand. “Let’s Merengue!” she chimed as she pulled him to his feet, leading the way toward the dance floor.

  Angel grinned as he followed eagerly behind her, her exuberance matching the energy in the room. The surrounding ambience was wild, enthusiasm as thick as the heat rising through the packed crowd. In a matter of minutes, Roshawn had mastered the step, her body shifting left, right, left, right, in time with the tempo. Angel loved to watch her move, her lithe frame moving easily with the heavy beat of the music, seduction shining in her eyes as she stared at him, and that incredible smile filling his spirit with warmth and energy.

  At one point, the crowd parted, giving them a wealth of space as all eyes stood watching. Since there was nothing shy about either of them, they played to the audience, their performance on the dance floor one that would not only be the talk of the nightclub, but would make the local gossip section of the newspaper the next morning.

  Before they knew it, the lights were flashing overhead, signaling the early hours of the morning. Angel leaned to give her a quick kiss, then pulled her along toward the door, stopping only briefly to wave goodbye to the management. Thirty minutes later they were pulling into the driveway of the Rios home and though she should have been exhausted, Roshawn felt as if she were just getting her second wind.

  “That was a lot of fun,” she said, smiling brightly. “We must do that again.”

  Angel smiled back. “We can do it as often as you like.”

  She reached for him, resting her hand against his upper thigh as he guided the vehicle into its empty space, shifted it into park, and cut off the engine. A glimmer of mischief flickered over Roshawn’s face as she suddenly jumped from the car, racing up the walkway toward the back of the house. Confused, Angel raced behind her, calling out her name.

  “Roshawn? What are you doing?”

  Her enigmatic laughter was the only response as she quickly disappeared from sight. Seconds later, there was a loud splash, the woman still giggling excitedly as he finally made it to her side. She floated naked against the cushion of water in the lower pool, the red silk dress and Ferragamo shoes she’d worn discarded poolside in one disheveled pile. Her arms paddled easily at her sides as her wide grin beckoned him to join her.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, his arms folded across his chest.

  “What’s it look like? I felt like a swim,” she said coyly, her tone oozing with eroticism.

  He shook his head, staring intently at her, his body begging his mind to toss reason to the wind and jump right in beside her. Angel pulled at his necktie and unfastened the top buttons of his dress shirt. Roshawn’s smile widened as she flipped her body in the water, her bare buttocks mooning him in the open air before twisting back around to face him. He couldn’t help but grin back as he pulled the shirt and jacket off simultaneously, tossing both into the pile on top of Roshawn’s garments. He rubbed a wide palm slowly across his chest and down to his abdomen, his hands finally falling against the waistband of his slacks.

  “We have to fly this afternoon, Roshawn. You should be getting your rest.”

  “Rest isn’t what I’m interested in getting,” she said smugly, her own hands reaching to cup both her breasts as she stood upright, the water leveling off just beneath her nipples. She slowly cupped a palm in the warm water and guided the moisture over one shoulder and then the other. Her gaze locked with Angel’s. “How long do you plan to keep me wai
ting?” she asked, her tongue gliding slowly over her bottom lip and back inside her mouth.

  Angel pulled at his zipper, then pushed the rest of his clothes to the ground in one sweep. The length of his manhood protruded eagerly, a rock-hard erection quivering with an urgent need to feel her inner intimacy. Reaching back down for his suit jacket, Angel pulled his wallet from the inner pocket and searched its folds for the one and only condom he knew was hidden inside. Grasping his fury in his right hand for a brief second to stall his sudden yearning, he sheathed himself quickly. Moving to the far end of the pool he dove in headfirst, the water splashing its greeting. Swimming beneath the blue fluid, illuminated only by a full moon and the pool lights, he swam to her side. He resurfaced in front of her, every inch of his body glistening as it emerged from the water. He clasped her tightly around the waist and pulled her to him.

  “I think the champagne has made you tipsy,” he whispered, his eyes darting back and forth across her face.

  “Oh, I’m very clearheaded,” she said as she locked her legs around his waist and teased her femininity against his pelvis. “I know exactly what I’m doing,” Roshawn said as she pressed her hands to his chest, her palms brushing lightly across his hardened nipples. The shiver that coursed through him caused his body to shake ever so slightly and Roshawn smiled with amusement as his expression intensified, his breathing starting to race as he sucked in deep breaths of air.

  Roshawn giggled again and pulled away from him as she glided her lean body into an upward arch and propelled herself to the opposite end. The water seemed to part and make room for her presence, swirling around her face and breasts and thighs with delicious, rippling flourishes.

  As she reached the end of the pool and looked back around, Angel was nowhere to be seen. Her gaze skipped across the surface of the water, trying to sense just where he lay beneath the liquid puddle. She was suddenly surprised, her body stiffening with pleasure as Angel swam between her legs, his mouth latching hungrily to her flesh as his hands clasped her buttocks, pulling her legs over his broad shoulders and back. For a moment, her head was pulled under the water and she held her breath tightly, intensifying the sensations that surged up through her torso and into her limbs from the intimate kiss. As she rose back to the surface, clutching at the side of the pool, she sucked in air, gasping loudly from the unexpected gratification. Control suddenly shifted between them. As she cried out his name it echoed loudly throughout the darkened air.