by Keren Or
“No. You both already know me and you know how I am. I like to tell the truth to your face... straight, without anaesthesia and without any colors. I love Lucas, but obviously he’s missing a screw. That man is stuck in time, and the worst part is that he doesn’t realize it. And if I’m saying things this way, Eli...,” continued Gaby, looking at her, “it’s because I know him and I know how he thinks. You’re going to suffer! I think it will be very difficult, if not impossible, for something to happen between you two.”
“Cruella De Vil!” said Fran, looking at Gaby.
“So... what do I do with all this love? And what on earth do I do with everything Lena told me?...”
“I suggest you keep trying,” Fran replied, trying to balance Gaby’s pessimistic words. “Think positively. Don’t give up so fast. I think you’re meant for each other... You have so much in common!”
“You’re right about that, Fran... they’re both missing a screw!” Gaby added, infecting the other two with her laughter. “And if we look at the glass as half-full...,” she added in a professorial tone, “at least you’re not crying over your psychopathic ex.”
“You’re hopeless, Gaby!” Fran exclaimed.
“Thank you, my friends,” Eli said, closing the subject, exhausted but in good spirits. “Thank you both. It’s really good to have the two of you; I don’t know what I would do without you...” In the weeks following this conversation, Eli was less and less in control of her anguish. Her excuses to justify settling permanently in Gaby’s office were running out, and Lucas... well, he began to feel pursued. Little by little, he lost his patience with Eli, until there even came a time... when he couldn’t bear to see her any more. Whereas before at least he found her likeable and entertaining, now she seemed more like a nuisance, a flea or a parasite...
Things, clearly, were not going well... Life has its own rhythm and outcome, and they did not coincide with Eli’s plans. Then doubt began to sow its poison... Could Lena have seen anything but reality? Eli wondered over and over again, mortified. She was desperate, it is true; though not enough to pull back. Her heart was telling her that there was still one last card left to play, but... only in due time. That is to say, it was only a matter of waiting for the arrival of… the perfect wave.
Eli’s persistence claimed its victims. No other man, even if he was Prince Charming, could approach her, much less get her attention. Among them... poor Max, who worked in the sales department, in the same department where Lucas worked. They were not great friends, even though they had quite a good professional relationship. From time to time they had lunch together, yet they did not share information about their private lives. So, Max did not have the slightest idea about what was happening—or rather not happening—between Eli and Lucas.
A key point has yet to be said, however: Max was the perfect suitor... Attractive, friendly, successful... and he was crazy about Eli. He used to call her on the phone, send her romantic messages and invite her to the movies and to dinner, flattering her and flirting with her constantly, but he always received a negative answer.
And that was as far as his tremendous potential reached...
Eli lost count of the number of times she prayed to God for Lucas to knock on her door inviting her to have coffee, only to be disappointed on opening it and seeing Max “the Brave” again. There was no logical reason not to give Max at least a well-deserved chance. But Max did not excite even the slightest emotion in Eli. Her heart had room for only one person: Lucas.
After several days of sorrow and low energy caused by the indifference of the chosen one, Eli finally received a great piece of news. It had nothing to do with Lucas, but it was enough to excite her weak heart...
Eli, like all the workers in the company, received an exceptional invitation:
As an expression of gratitude for your effort, commitment and achievements on the job, we invite you to spend a weekend on a dream island.
There will be three different dates, from which you will have to choose the one that suits you best.
More information will be sent by email.
Please confirm your choice by this Friday.
Sincerely,
Human Resources Department
Eli had barely finished reading the invitation when she heard the beloved voice coming from the kitchen. She waited a few minutes, making sure he was completely alone, and went in...
“Hi, Lucas,” she said, checking the various flavours in the tea box.
“Hi, how are you, Eli?” Lucas said, turning and smiling sweetly.
“Fine, thanks. Tell me... did you get the invitation? Have you heard about the vacation?” Eli asked in an innocent voice.
“Yes... Awesome, isn’t it?” Lucas said, catching on perfectly to the calculated purpose of the question while pretending just the opposite.
“And have you already chosen a date?” she continued, fuelling her curiosity.
“Yes, the last one... And you?”
“I still haven’t decided...,” Eli lied.
She left the kitchen right away. Knowing that the quota for number of people for each date was limited, and that those who registered first would be likely to get their preference, she was in a hurry to return to her office and to send her selection before it was too late.
She was really happy fantasizing about those days away from the company, away from work, from customers and from stress, on a sunny, romantic island, where she could show off her best outfits and her new bathing suit. Being in a fun and relaxed atmosphere, she would surely have the opportunity to talk to Lucas alone and finally get him to really know her...
Her sigh of relief indicated that she had submitted her choice on time. However, her happy, confident reaction turned out to be too hasty when Gaby informed her a few days later that Lucas had changed his original date selection. He had not done so intentionally against her, but it definitely felt that way. Both Lucas and all his co-workers in the sales department had been forced to travel on another date for work-related reasons.
Eli felt deeply disappointed. And the idea of traveling without her best friends made her even more depressed. Since they could not leave the office without staff to run the place in their absence, Eli, Gaby and Fran had no other choice but to each travel on different dates.
The world was… falling down. Her illusions about the trip, her last and only hope, were fading slowly, along with all her fantasies...
The next day, Eli recalculated her moves. Keeping her arms crossed and giving up were not in her vocabulary. She had to hurry to put together a new plan and make sure that this time... nothing would go wrong.
“Fran... what do I do...? I’m not able to change my date... there are no spaces left!”
“If you want... I’ll switch with you. It’s all exactly the same to me...,” Fran replied sweetly.
“I’m also offering mine to you,” Gaby said, smiling mischievously.
“You mean you’re begging her... You’d even pay her to do it!” Fran exclaimed, defending Eli’s interests. “Gaby, listen, no one wants to switch with you,” she added, looking at her scornfully. “You’ll be alone with the whole bunch of nerds. And anyway, your date... does not suit Eli.”
“Thanks, girls, but I don’t want to switch with either of you. A trip without you will not be the same...”
“The only option, then…,” said Fran, “is for Danielle to agree to trade places with you, but I doubt she will.”
“It would be easier to bribe the owner of the company,” Gaby said sarcastically.
Danielle was a bitter, lonely woman, aged about thirty-five, who worked in the office next door. Eli had tried several times to engage with her, inviting her to lunch and trying to find topics of conversation, but her gruff, disdainful manner prevented anyone from getting close. Danielle was an excellent worker, though still she was a complete mystery as a person
. Although she worked in another area, she also handled matters dealt with by Eli and her co-workers, so that provided the option that she could stay to replace her. Even so, the possibility that she would agree to the request was next to zero, as she would say no simply for the satisfaction she would get from giving a negative answer.
However, Gaby had a very valuable piece of information that could tip the scale...
“Have you noticed, Eli, how Danielle is always after Alan?” Gaby asked, closing the door and putting on an angelic face.
“Yes, and... what’s that got to do with this?”
“Alan is down to travel on your date, and Danielle on Lucas’s date… capisce?”
The light went on in Fran and Gaby’s eyes. “You go, Gaby!” Fran said, pushing her, “You’ll know what to say... we trust you.”
Gaby, who was afraid of nothing and felt absolutely no embarrassment, accepted the challenge, left the office and returned a few minutes later with the verdict:
“Eli, my dear friend...,” she said, slowing down her response to cause more tension. “Good luck with Lucas!”
Eli couldn’t believe it. Once again she had gotten her way...
The reins of the horse were in her hands again.
“Fran... Off we go!!” Eli said, jumping and hugging her friend. “Lucas... Here I come!”
Ready and willing to play her last card, Eli was strategically armed.
Lucas did not have the slightest idea about the change in plans, and much less about what was awaiting him...
And that was exactly how... Eli wanted it...
As wise men would say:
“In both war and love...
All is fair…”
4
Countdown
“Eli, relax... he’ll be here soon,” said Fran, trying to cheer up her worried friend. “He was probably delayed with his son...”
“I know, Fran. I’m not worried, I’m just very eager to see him, that’s all...,”Eli replied, checking her watch again.
There were only a few minutes left before take-off, and most of the passengers were in their seats, waiting for the latecomers to see it fit to board the plane.
Without taking her eyes off the door, Eli was talking to Fran and other co-workers, when suddenly... she saw him come on board. Lucas looked more handsome than ever before... His recently acquired image of a “Marine soldier” made him look much more attractive, masculine and modern than he did every day. His haircut, held in place by a layer of gel, highlighted his boyish little face and small brown eyes, while his blue jacket accentuated his black hair, taking some years off his age; from no angle did he look thirty.
In Eli’s enchanted eyes, Lucas was as beautiful on the outside as on the inside. The sudden change surprised her, for she was accustomed to seeing him stuck in the style of the seventies, always wearing old-fashioned, dull clothes. Normally, his hair grew shapelessly and with quite a bit of volume, hiding his fine features. His unkempt appearance concealed his natural charm, but even so, Eli... did not care. She much preferred to have a good, decent man by her side than a model in a magazine—elegant and sophisticated but empty...
Finally... if it had not been for Fran, who kept her threatened and under control, Eli would have surrendered at his feet, crawling on the floor, melting with love for him.
Come to think of it... she was not that far from it...
Often, but especially at that moment, Eli wondered how much weight Lena’s words could really have had. Could they have had so much power and influence as to be able to manipulate her feelings? What was the likelihood that she had simply been brainwashed? What effect would her prediction have had if the man mentioned had been another... for example, Max?
Reflecting, trying to find the answers, she always came to the same conclusion: that her feelings toward Lucas had been born long before she heard Lena’s prophecy, and that her prediction was only a catalyst that had accelerated a natural process...
In any case, the reason for her feelings was no longer relevant. Whatever it might have been... there was no turning back now. The only thing that mattered at that time and place was to break down the defences... surrounding Lucas.
When they arrived at their destination, the five-star hotel, surrounded by tropical trees and located in the center of that stunning island, was, without exception, one of the best hotels Eli had ever seen. When she received the key to the room she would share with Fran, she rushed out to settle in quickly and take advantage of the last hours of sunshine.
Stopping as they opened the door, they both froze, trying to absorb the paradise revealed before their eyes. Undoubtedly, they had been given a room with a prime view: a very large window led to a spacious terrace, furnished with a round table and four white armchairs. The view was stunning: a huge golf course, surrounded by palm trees and fountains of natural water. The perfect setting for Eli’s romantic fantasy movie... The only thing missing was a fairy, with her magic wand and her stardust!
Eli threw herself onto the bed, allowing herself to be carried away by her imagination...
“I’ll give you five minutes to stay in this state,” Fran said, laughing.
“Yes, my commander! With five minutes I’ll have enough and more than enough... If you only knew all that can be accomplished in such a short time!”
“Eli! Naughty! You and Gaby really are two of a kind...”
Didn’t I say so...? Eli thought, but she sighed and said, laughing, “Oh, Fran, my favourite saint... I’ll have to give you some relaxation lessons, but now... the pool is calling us!”
They chose the best spot, where the deck ended and the sea began. After pulling up a couple of chairs and slathering themselves with suntan lotion, the two were ready to start their holiday. Except... the dream of relaxing and enjoying the silence quickly vanished when a splash, caused accidentally when some inconsiderate person jumped into the pool, left them soaking wet. In a few seconds, the entire sales department had planted themselves there, and the noise... overpowered the peace.
The chaos created was just like that of a kindergarten. They pushed each other, played ball and jumped in gleefully, emptying the pool.
“Pretend that they’re not here...,” Fran said, putting on dark glasses.
“And what do we do to ignore the noise?”
“Close your eyes and think of... you know... with your vast imagination, I’m sure you’ll go to another dimension and you won’t hear anything...”
Eli liked the idea. Tilting the back of her chair, she closed her eyes and gradually made herself comfortable, ready to dream. Just as Lucas was about to kiss her... some insensitive person, dragging a chair, woke her up:
“Hi, girls... Can I join you?” Max asked as he sat without waiting for an answer.
Eli could not believe her bad luck. She asked her Inner God why he always sent her what she did not ask for and denied her what she most yearned for. In any case, it wouldn’t be so terrible to share a little time with Max, only that Eli would have preferred... other company...
Her desire and attempts to see Lucas at some point in the afternoon were fruitless. He had gone off with his group for a boat ride, and Eli... did not intend to wait for him, growing roots in the meantime.
So that night, she went with Fran and three other friends to a local nightclub that a young receptionist at the hotel had recommended. The songs of the eighties, which Eli liked so much, the relaxing atmosphere and the pleasant bartender thankfully freed her of her plans, strategies and fantasies for at least a few hours.
Arriving at the hotel in the early morning hours and totally exhausted, she did not even have the strength to change her clothes. She simply fell on the bed and in less than a minute... there was no one to talk to.
The alarm went off at eight-thirty. Eli and Fran were still in bed, unable to move, but they had to hurry up to be read
y before nine o’clock, since they did not want to be late getting to the lobby, where they had agreed to meet their other co-workers to discover the wonders of the exotic location.
With them being almost the last to show up, the buses were already waiting at the entrance, and each guide was calling the people on his list by name. Miraculously, Eli and Fran... got the chance to travel with Lucas. The ride could not have had a better start.
First, they went to the port, where they strolled through the colourful markets and spent money in stores selling souvenirs, antiques and jewellery. Next, they visited a couple of museums, medieval monuments, temples and an old stone palace of amazing architecture. At lunch time, they sat down to rest from the long walks and nourish themselves with a typical tasty meal as they chatted and gazed at the beautiful water fountains, the historic statues and the streets filled with palm trees and flowers.
In spite of not being able to share even one minute alone with Lucas and the pain of watching him exchange words with one woman after another except with her... the day was entertaining and wonderful. But after walking all day and resting so few hours the night before, Eli and Fran ended up feeling exhausted, falling asleep in front of the TV at nine o’clock. After this, they had only one day and one night left before they were to return home to the pressures of daily life.
The sun filtering through the slits in the blinds and the soft, warm breeze caressing her face heralded a beautiful day. The next day at that very hour they would be on their way to the airport; it would be the end of a short but incredible holiday and, perhaps, the end of something else...
Eli and Fran went down to have their second-to-last breakfast. Everyone was free to enjoy the sea, the pool and the sun; nonetheless, they were saving their energy for one last scheduled activity: the farewell night at a first-class restaurant. There would be a party, and nobody, the management had promised, would want to miss it...