Storm in a Cup of Coffee

by Keren Or

  “Patience, Eli. A very short while ago Lucas could not even be in a steady relationship. He wouldn’t be able to withstand the pressure, and you’ll end up driving him away,” said Cris from his comfortable, spacious armchair.

  “But... what’s stopping him? I won’t bear this wait for much longer! If I already have to live life as part of this family, I also deserve to be fulfilled in it... Don’t you think?”

  “Your frustration is understandable, Eli, but Lucas is still burdened with the ghosts of the past. We are working hard to break down all the barriers. It’s a long process and requires patience.”

  “The greatest dream of my life is to get married and become a mother. Everything else: studies, work, my efforts... is running parallel and directing me towards it. Who is to assure me that I’m not wasting my time?”

  “Nothing is certain, but those who don’t take risks don’t win. And I get the impression that Lucas... is very committed to this relationship. I advise you, Eli... to not rush him. Let the fruit ripen in due course. You’ll see... that he’ll come to you on his own...”

  Coming out of the consultation, still distressed, deep down Eli recognized that Cris, as always, was right. So on the way home she made a commitment to herself to not touch the subject again with Lucas. At least... for a couple of months.

  “What’s important... is that he loves me and we are together,” she consoled herself as she was driving along. “He cares about me and shows it to me constantly. Like, for example now. He’s calling me just to hear my voice and let me know that he’s waiting for me at home...”

  Arriving at the apartment, Eli tried to open the door, but curiously... it was locked.

  “How strange...,” she thought, “He had told me that he would be here... Where could he have gone?”

  Eli went through all the rooms, but nothing... there was no trace at all of Lucas. For a moment... the darkness and the silence that filled the house also invaded her fragile heart. Disappointed, she went back to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water, and there she found, for her peace of mind, a note attached to the refrigerator:

  Come to find me!

  I’m waiting for you at the entrance to the park around the corner from our house.

  Eli did not understand Lucas’s strange and mysterious attitude. Especially... his not answering her repeated calls.

  Without giving the matter any further thought, she left for the park, curious to know... what exactly that man was up to.

  It was at night and nothing could be seen anywhere... including Lucas.

  Totally confused, Eli got out of the car. She then saw a lit candle on the first step of the stone stairs leading to the park entrance, beside it... another note:

  Follow the light...

  it will lead you to me..

  She began to tremble and her heartbeats accelerated, a bit from the shock but also from emotion. Eli had never liked surprises; they made her feel vulnerable and out of control. Neither did she like being alone in the dark, in the middle of a park and at that time of night. However, something on this occasion told her that she should follow the game... Her heart was beating and feeling... that she would not regret it. Eli started on her way to the light...

  After climbing a few steps, turning to the right, she gasped as she saw a path covered with warm candles and red and white roses. Slowly and with care, she took one step and then another, trying not to trip on her shining, magical carpet. Her heartbeats reached the sky, illuminating her path... accompanying her to her destiny.

  And her destiny... was waiting for her there... on his knees before her...

  “Lucas...,” whispered Eli.

  “Eli... my love...,” he said. “I love you like I’ve never loved anyone before. I adore you and I want you... and I really love being with you. You’re a great treasure chest, holding within... the most beautiful precious stones that ever existed: your affection... your love... your heart... and I have it...”

  Eli just looked at him in ecstasy... her eyes filled with tears.

  Lucas continued:

  “That’s why... I want you only for myself. You’ve made me the happiest man on earth, and yet... it does not compare in any way... to all I feel for you... Eli, my chest of gold, my jar of honey… Will you marry me?”

  Crying with joy, Eli clearly and loudly answered, “Yes, of course!”

  The moon and stars shining in the sky were witnesses to the magic that was born with that union... of two souls who seemed to have met... after a long, long time...

  And there, at the least expected moment... with the breeze caressing their bodies and the candles illuminating their souls... Lucas, finally... chose love...

  Depositing his heart... blindly...

  In her hands…

  17

  A look is worth… a thousand words

  The preparations for the wedding were underway—the hall, food service, music and even the flower arrangements were taken care of. The only things outstanding were the invitations, the photographer and a few other details...

  Lucas, who had abandoned his previous life overnight, leaving his trusted lawyer in charge of completing the final divorce proceedings, discovered only six weeks before the wedding that Sabina had refused to give her final consent. The news unleashed confusion and entanglement in Lucas’s life, in addition to chaos in Eli’s life, who saw herself once again moving away from her dream of reaching the altar.

  Eli did nothing but cry. The invitations had already been sent out, the dress was almost finished, and the most-longed-for moment of her life... was being threatened. Disconsolate about her bad luck, she locked herself in her room, lamenting and crying her heart out. Consumed with rage, she rejected any overture, any word of encouragement, especially... from Lucas. Distancing herself from him was perhaps not the best solution at a time like that, but it was her way of running from the problems, to which Eli, after all... was accustomed.

  But one day she came out of her self-imposed seclusion, determined to face the reality and arrive as quickly as possible at a satisfactory outcome. That was Eli... a kind of wobbly man, always returning to its original position after being beaten... An hour later, she was already talking to a close friend of her father’s, a divorce lawyer with excellent contacts scattered around the world, who agreed to take charge of the matter and to execute it under good terms urgently and meticulously. With God’s help, trips to the embassy, paperwork around the clock and a drop of optimism, Lucas finally managed to reach Sabina; of course... not her heart (did she have one?), but her pocket... which was ready to be fattened once more.

  Lucas paid, the cloud moved on, and within a few days the divorce was approved, letting Eli resume her life and continue with her plans.

  There was one month to go…

  Eli smiled again, Lucas stopped “sleeping” and the two of them... were on the same road again.

  But nobody said... that road would be free of stones...

  Within a few days, Lucas received another distressing piece of news with a call from his sister: his father had been rushed to hospital in critical condition; the doctors were trying to stabilize him after a stroke. As a result, his plans to attend the wedding and see his beloved son at last rebuilding his life... were at risk.

  Once again, anxiety and worry about matters of fate were added to the tension and natural nervousness. As always in Eli’s life... until the last minute and until she said “enough,” suspense and uncertainty about the problems arising were contaminating her happiness.

  For a week, Freddy was on the verge of death. No one knew how he would get out of that critical condition, if he got out...

  However, as if by magic, two weeks before the wedding, Freddy made a remarkable recovery. With the consent of his doctors, he miraculously managed to arrive in time to give away Lucas... to his new wife-to-be.

  To
gether with his four daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren, Freddy came, just days before the ceremony, to the big lunch organized by Eli’s parents. For the first time, the two families sat at the same table. Since they spoke the same language, a pleasant atmosphere was created, and amid laughter, family stories, and, of course, discussions about business... the hours flew by. Lucas was excited to have his family near again, although a very important chair was missing... his mother’s. At several points Lucas thought how happy Eleanor would have been to meet Eli. Finally... an honest woman, with good values, genuine feelings and... worthy of her beloved son.

  “Are you happy, son?” asked Freddy.

  “Very happy, Dad. Eli is the best thing that has happened to me in my life, and I know she will make me happy.”

  “That’s good, my son. You know I can be very critical of people, but honestly, I feel that this time you won the lottery.”

  “Thanks for your support, Dad. You don’t know how thrilled I am to have you here, at this very special time!” Lucas smiled.

  And while they were looking for their coats to leave, the father took the opportunity of a moment by themselves to advise his son.

  “Lucas, I really think Eli is the woman for you. You can tell where she’s coming from and see where she’s going. Take good care of her, son, you have gold in your hands. I know you’ve had quite a few problems and that it hasn’t been easy, but every relationship has its ups and downs. The question is whether there is love. If there is, don’t let her go...”

  While Lucas dropped off his father at the house he was staying at, Eli used the time to go to the mall for some last minute purchases. On entering the third store, discouraged because she could not find exactly what she was looking for, she found instead something that she did not expect to find...

  “Tomás!!” she exclaimed, stumbling over a pile of shoe boxes that appeared out of nowhere.

  “Eli! It’s been such a long time!!! Did you get married?” was the first thing Tomás asked after giving her a hug filled with affection and noble feelings.

  “In another five days. If you change your mind... the invitation still stands...”

  “Thanks, but I don’t think it will change,” replied Tomás. “You know how happy I am for you, but I won’t be able to witness you marrying another man. I prefer to avoid the pain.”

  “Don’t worry, Tomás. I understand and respect you.”

  “Eli... Are you happy?”

  “Yes, I am. And you?”

  “I’m fine. You know me, I’m getting by...”

  “Yes, I know you,” said Eli, smiling. “But even if we are separated for twenty years and each have our own family... I’ll always care about you.”

  “I know...,” replied Tomás, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “I wish you the best, Eli. I hope he’ll know how to take care of you the way you deserve. Goodbye.”

  “Goodbye, Tomás,” answered Eli. Watching him walk away, she whispered, “You’ll always be in my heart...”

  And Eli returned to the apartment calm and determined to focus... in a single direction...

  Her future…

  Late in the night, Lucas and Eli, each with their group of friends, went out to celebrate their bachelor and bachelorette parties. The men gathered in a bar and the women at Sofi’s house, where a surprising and amusing evening was in store for Eli. The female group began by indulging in the food that each guest had prepared, while telling, one by one, how they met Eli or some funny or emotional anecdote having to do with her. Of course, Sofi revealed intimate details about her childhood that Eli would have preferred not to confess... but then she was moved to tears on hearing the sincere and affectionate comments made by the others.

  A karaoke party afterwards managed to break the tension that there might have been at the beginning, and Eli made an impression, as always, with her beautiful voice.

  Finally, when it seemed that they had known each other all their lives and one after another became drunk, it was time for the last event: a talk and games guided by a sexologist.

  Eli did not know where to hide. Already, in itself, the subject was embarrassing... but having her four almost unknown sisters-in-law in front of her made it even more embarrassing. Fortunately, despite being much older than her and practically strangers, the four of them had a good disposition and participated in everything... with a smile...

  Before ending the night, they opened the gifts they had brought for Eli, which, one after another, turned out to be surprisingly... sexy, transparent lingerie. It’s a good thing that Eli had an upcoming honeymoon, because if not... who knows when and where she would have been able to try them out!

  Once back home at four o’clock in the morning, Eli fell like lead into her tempting bed; after trying for a few minutes to stay awake until Lucas arrived, she could not hold out for another second, and fell asleep.

  “At what time did you get home?” asked Eli, hugging Lucas from behind as he prepared two cups of tea in the kitchen.

  “Apparently after you... I tried to kiss you, but there was no one to talk to. It seems like you had a good time...”

  “Yes, it was lovely. Well, you know... leaving aside the fact that neither Valeria nor Jessi nor Nicole was there... and neither was Ema...,”replied Eli, distressed. “I dreamed about her again,” she added.

  “Why don’t you call her and you both leave behind what happened?” Lucas tried to persuade her once more.

  “I can’t... Besides, she was the one who hurt me! But it’s so sad that you’ve not even met her.”

  “Well, I won’t insist about Ema. But... are you totally sure you don’t to want to invite your other friends to the wedding?”

  “Jessi doesn’t have the money to buy a ticket to come specifically for the wedding, and Valeria and Nicole haven’t spoken to me in months. There’s no reason for me to invite them if they’re no longer part of my life. Thanks to Beki, I realized that I have to surround myself with only good people who support me, encourage me and who really want to be with me. I feel it’s better this way... Besides, it’s too late to change my mind.”

  “As you wish, Eli... I only care about you...,” Lucas finished the subject, knowing that if he kept insisting, perhaps he would not be invited either...

  “I know, Lucas. But enough talking about me. How was your stag party? Did you suffer very much?” she joked, sitting on the counter.

  “A lot...,” replied Lucas, standing between her legs and teasing her with his answer.

  “Can you be more specific... Or do I have to squeeze the information out of you?”

  “Squeeze all you want... Remember that we are alone...,” Lucas continued teasing.

  “True, I almost forgot that your dad invited Andy to stay with him,” answered Eli, ignoring his insinuations. “But first... tell me about your night and then I’ll think about whether you deserve a reward... or a punishment...,” Eli said this laughing, but totally sure of her man.

  “You can relax. I behaved well. We went to a pool bar, so we all got into the water. There was live music, an exquisite buffet and delicious cocktails...”

  “And?”

  “And... the waitresses served you dressed in bathing suits.”

  “Yes... I can just imagine how much those bathing suits covered... And how did they serve you?”

  “In different ways... some danced, others came by with the drinks, and some joined us in the water...”

  “It sounds very entertaining,” Eli said jokingly.

  “I’m not going to deny that. But you know how I am... that was all. Believe me, nothing happened. At least... nothing I may eventually regret...,” answered Lucas, smiling and holding her around the waist. “The only woman who attracts me and interests me in this world... is you. Sometimes I even think... that you’ve put a spell on me...”

  Eli came off the counte
r, took Lucas’s hand and, without saying a word, led him straight to the bedroom.

  With such an answer, apparently... Lucas deserved a reward...

  With three days to go before the wedding, Eli’s list of instructions to be followed during her absence was already on her neat, organized desk, with all her outstanding work duties shared between Fran and Gaby. Now all that was left was for Lucas to come to get her, to start from that moment her three-week vacation.

  Accompanied by a team of friends, Eli locked herself in the bathroom. Her next step was to finish getting ready for the photo shoot to which her future father-in-law had treated them. There... in the middle of working hours, while one applied her makeup and another straightened her hair, Fran and Gaby gazed at her and every so often they bickered... With so many opinions, it was a miracle that she left on time, and even more miraculous that the final result was... sensational.

  Dressed in white, with an elegant and sensual outfit that she had bought especially for the occasion, Eli set out with Lucas to the appointed place by the pier, looking radiant and beautiful. Even the photographer was surprised on seeing her get out of the car, transformed into a perfect model: remembering the simple, pretty girl who had come into his studio a few days before, he never would have imagined that this attractive, seductive woman would arrive. However, that was like Eli... who, with a touch of makeup and the right outfit was... very striking.

  “What’s going on in your mind that you look so pensive?” asked Lucas, as he changed his clothes behind the trunk of the car.

  “That after this I won’t see you until the wedding,” said Eli sadly.

  “But my love, it’s only three days. You’ll be at your parents’ house... they will pamper you... and so, the time when we meet again will be more exciting. Don’t you think?”

  “Yes, love, it’s just that... you know how hard it is for me not to be with you. But I’ll do it... for you!”

  After three hours, different locations and endless poses, Lucas left Eli at her parents’ house.