by Sammy Sutton
“Antonio, she’s probably hiding from all of this.”
“I can’t go in there Carmen… What if she’s sick?”
“Okay, okay, I’ll go check.”
Carmen found Amanda in the lounge, holding Cecelia. Cecelia’s mother, Elisabeth had just entered one of the bathroom stalls. Carmen smiled.
“You don’t look sick.”
“No, I am not sick. I am holding a glamorous little baby girl. Antonio sent you to check on me.”
“Guilty.”
“Elisabeth, if you don’t mind, I’m going to take your Cecelia to meet her Uncle Antonio.”
“That will be fine.” She called back.
Antonio had begun to pace, Carmen should be out with her by now, something must be wrong. The door opened. Stunned, he saw Amanda holding a baby.
“Antonio, meet your latest niece, is she not gorgeous?”
“She’s beautiful.” Amanda handed him the baby. “This is Celia.”
Antonio spoke to the baby. Amanda felt a pang in her gut. The thought that Antonio had missed fatherhood hurt her for some reason. The baby reached up to her uncle and placed a huge, open-mouthed, slobbery kiss on his cheek. The cameras went off around the room simultaneously. It was precious.
Elisabeth came out of the bathroom. Talking to Antonio, she retrieved her baby.
Antonio went to Amanda, “I’m sorry I sent Carmen to check on you.”
“It is fine, really.”
“Walk with me, Antonio. I’m hunting strawberries with chocolate. I have seen evidence that they exist.”
He laughed. “I hope they are organic.”
“I imagine when your brother gets the bill he will swear they were organic.”
Antonio laughed again as he spotted the strawberries on a side buffet, groaning beneath the weight of ornate dishes filled with exotic treats. He snatched a couple and pulled Amanda to the side.
She bit the chocolate off the strawberries.
“You get the rest.”
He smiled. “No chocolate?”
“Sorry, I cannot help it.”
“Amanda… I hope you’re having a good time.”
“It is one of the best days I have ever had, honest.”
They went back to their table, chatting along the way. Rejuvenated, Antonio felt lucky and happy today. Amanda was right about everything. He didn’t think once he made the decision to come, that he ever doubted what she had said.
Her encouragement gave him strength. Amanda, so impressed with his family, made him feel great. Hell, even he was impressed with his family. It felt good to be a part of it again.
Amanda sat next to José and Antonio. They had seated Antonio directly to sit next to his father. José seemed genuinely interested in Amanda. “Amanda, you have a son about Rosie’s age, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. Sam is sixteen.”
“You must be very proud. I understand he is quite the achiever.” José said.
“I am.
Antonio’s mother asked. “Do you have to share your sons over holidays?”
The question made her uncomfortable, and she did not want to answer it.
“No, I do not. My sons have me, and that is all. The circumstances are complicated.”
Amanda feared she had come across as rude. Antonio didn’t even know the circumstances. Her answer was incomplete. Still, she could see his awareness of not knowing the details.
As soon as possible, she found a door and walked outside onto the veranda. The evening humidity had started to drop. She looked out over the country club grounds and golf course, and noticed the symmetrical esthetics.
“Amanda.” She turned to face Antonio, and still did not want to speak to him.
“You shouldn’t come out here alone. You know we’re being followed, what’s wrong?”
“I hurt you, and there is no excuse.”
“I have felt you keep the boys separate from me, I thought it was because you wanted to separate me from them this early in our relationship.”
“No, it is not because of you. In fact, until earlier this day, I failed to see the reason.”
“What’s the reason, Amanda?”
“First of all, what I said in there about my boys is true. They have identified with a Dad before. Not now… and not in a long time. I am not prepared to talk about that part. They all came to me, independent of a man. That is all true. I want to get that straight.
This is not about them. It is about you. The guilt comes from an assumption that is not mine to make. I feel guilty about being a parent, when you are not one, and I will never be able to do anything about it.”
“Sohu, we’ve talked about this.”
“I know, and I humiliated you.”
“Amanda, they didn’t know that I didn’t know.”
“You did, and I knew it.”
“Amanda, forget it today. We’ll work through it. Look at what happened today, we’ll make it work out.”
She put her arms around Antonio. They kissed and walked back inside. He squeezed her hand. She knew what he hinted and whispered to him.
“Dance with me, Antonio.” He escorted her to the dance floor and felt her against him.
“Can I tell you a secret?” he whispered.
“Yes.”
“I’m bushed… and ready to have you alone, all to myself.”
“I know, I agree.”
As long as they danced so closely, he would take full advantage. “I want to take you out of this dress.”
She loved how he talked in her ear as they danced. He kissed her ear lobe with his tongue and made her shiver.
“When I get you alone, I’m going to do that all over you. My fingers are going to crawl slowly, all over your body.” He held her close. “Amanda, I want you.”
“Antonio, we have to stay here a while longer, your family deserves this time.”
“I’m on overload. All I’m thinking about is taking that dress off of you.”
“You will have to think of something else.”
“How can I, when I’m thinking about it, nonstop.”
Amanda laughed as she whirled in Antonio's arms. His problem was alleviated shortly by his father's interruption, as he claimed his promised dance. The hours sped by as they each danced with other family members and old friends of Antonio's family.
The evening ended as it began, the toast of the day was the last dance between Antonio and his beautiful niece dancing around the room, Rose, the belle of the ball and Antonio, the returned prodigal son.
Chapter 46
"There is always room for coincidence."
Alva Noto
Amanda awakened earlier than she had thought she would after such a long night. She realized she felt awful; her head was pounding, she felt clammy, and gremlins' were dancing in her stomach. She laughed a little at the thought of a hang-over cure she hated; she rose, wrapping a sheet around her body, before going to find her medicine case. After the unusual amount of Champagne she had drunk, she should have counted on a bit of a hang-over.
Reaching the closet she turned on the light and reached up to take her black train case off the shelf. Her hand met empty space and she turned to search for it, perhaps Antonio had moved it. She finally found it resting on the shelf below where she had placed it.
Carrying the case into the bath, she drew a glass of water, and pressed the buttons for the combination to open the case. The left release appeared to be catching; she made a mental note to have it repaired. Inside the case she sought out the herbs that would settle her stomach and give relief from the headache.
Returning the case to the closet, she realized she could multiple footsteps moving up and down the hallway, and from the direction of the balcony door, she could hear loud radio voices. Walking to open the doorway, she stuck her head out, and glanced to the left. There were two policemen standing there!
One of them turned to look at Amanda after hearing the door open. He smiled at the sight of a tousled red-head,
and bare shoulders sticking out the door. He waved his fingers at her, and she automatically returned the gesture before remembering her state of undress. Swiftly closing the door, she returned to the bed.
She sat on the bed and put her hand on Antonio’s shoulder to wake him. He roused enough to grab her and pull her down onto him.
“Antonio, something has happened in the suite next door. There are police everywhere.”
Antonio belted up in the bed. Way wrong move, he grabbed his head and moaned. Amanda groaned in sympathy, and told him to stay still; she had left a portion of her 'cure' in the bathroom, just in case. Bringing it to Antonio, she slipped the glass in his hand and told him to drink. He did without opening his eyes.
He swallowed half the glass in his first drink, thinking it was bicarbonate of soda; the normal hang-over medicine. Nope, his mouth, throat and stomach all rebelled at the same time. He bolted naked for the bathroom, and heaved.
"What are you trying to do, kill me?" He moaned.
"Do not be such a baby; it was just honey, capsaicin, ginger and potassium, in a little water mixed with apple juice. If you had kept it in your stomach, you would have been feeling fine, shortly. Would you like for me to make another one?"
"HELL NO!"
Antonio stumbled back to the bedroom, searching for…"Amanda did you hear anything last night?"
“No, nothing, what are you doing?”
“I’m trying to find my pants. I need to find out what’s going on.” He slipped on his jeans.
“Just go back to bed, and I’ll convince someone to tell me what happened.” He kissed her, and then walked out into the mayhem. Making eye contact with a detective in the hallway, he walked over to introduce himself.
“I’m Dr. Antonio Dominguez, staying in the suite next door.”
“Hello, Dr. Dominguez. I’m detective Johnson, Miami Dade PD.”
“What happened?”
“We have a dead man, drugged and robbed by an unknown woman.”
“Really…? That’s awful.”
“Looks as if he picked her up late last night at a club, then brought her back here. Poor guy was probably set for a romantic encounter. Seems the woman slipped him a Mickey, something went wrong, and it killed him. She stole his valuables and left.”
“That could make a guy think.”
“Hell, she probably didn’t know the drugs killed him. We’ve seen several of these cases recently, but none were dead.”
“Do you think the same woman is responsible for all of them?”
“No, but we do think it’s a tight knit group.”
“Dr. Dominguez, did you or your wife happen to see or hear anything?”
“We aren’t married. No, we got in late after my nieces fiesta de quince activities yesterday. We were tired when we got back, and didn’t leave again.”
“The thing is we’re really concerned. Between you and me, Dr. Dominguez, this man had some serious weapons… and she took ‘em.”
“Damn, how do you know he had weapons?”
“We’ve uncovered he’s some type of Federal Agent.”
“You’re kidding.”
“See those guys, the Feds, gettin’ ready to boot us off this case…he's apparently one of theirs…peculiar, huh? Don’t know what the guy did here, but he was doin’ it on the Fed’s time.”
“Do you think he was watching someone here, at the Hotel?”
“Looks that way...” Someone called over for Detective Johnson.
“Good luck, Detective.”
“Yeah, it’s been nice talking with ya’, Doctor. Here, take my card, in case you’re in town and need any help.”
“Yeah…”
Antonio went back to the room. Amanda lay in bed, in wait for his return. He peeled off his jeans and crawled under the covers with her. The warmth of her naked body against his skin felt wonderful. On her forehead, he placed a kiss.
“Someone drugged and robbed the guy, he’s dead. A woman he picked up at a bar killed him.”
“Wow. That is horrible.”
“It’ll make a lot of guys think.” Antonio smoothed her hair away from her eyes, her beautiful eyes. Every morning when he woke up, he looked into her eyes and fell in love with her again.
“Amanda.” He wanted to tell her the dead guy was an agent, but he changed his mind.
His phone rang. He reached back to answer it without separating them.
“Good Morning José.”
“What are you doing, Antonio?”
“Lying in bed, I did get up earlier… The guy in the suite next to us is dead. I talked to the Detective and found out the idiot picked up a woman at a bar. She drugged then robbed him. Something went wrong and he died. The dumbass was apparently a Federal Agent of some kind.”
“Did you and Amanda see him?”
“I don’t think so. We came back here after Rosie’s party.”
“Damn, Antonio. You know he was probably watching you.”
“He isn’t now.”
“You need to get up. Mama is cooking, and you need to tell Pop and me everything that’s going on.”
“Say…I don’t think I’m ready to get up.”
“Well you better get ready, you know Mama; she'll come knocking on your door if you are not here when she says to be!"
“Okay, we'll be ready in an hour; I'll call you for a ride.” He hung up the phone and moved closer to Amanda.
“What did José want?”
“Mama is cooking. Pop wants to talk about the Scrolls.”
“Should we get up and shower?”
“As much as I want to stay right here, connecting with you all day long, I guess I need to talk to my family. I’ll shower while you get ready. I don’t think we should shower together today.”
She laughed. “Probably not…”
He called José, like he promised. “Antonio, are you two showered and dressed?”
“Yes.”
“I’m coming to pick you up,” he hung up.
They hurriedly finished the breakfast from room service, gathered their computers and briefcases, and then sat them by the door. Antonio heard the knock at the door, looked out and answered it.
“José!” Grabbing him, he started hugging him.
“Antonio, I swear you’re wasted.”
“He just feels happy.”
“Which detective did you speak to, Antonio?”
“Johnson, I have his card. Do you know him?”
“Yeah, I’ll call him later, in case he learns anything new. Amanda, are you doing okay? I’m sorry, Antonio had me distracted.” He gave her a little hug.
“I am great, thanks.”
The drive to their parents' house was a short one, and Amanda loved watching the easy camaraderie between the brothers.
Chapter 47
“The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together. ”
— Erma Bombeck
The Dominguez Family Home was built on a foundation of love, using family values as the framework. Their home was the perfect illustration of Pop’s hard work and dedication, and Mama's commitment to ensuring her families comfort and sense of well-being in all things. After all, Pop had made his fortune all on his own after escaping the revolution in his beloved Cuba, and Mama had stood there with him through the bad times, and the good.
Antonio sat there staring at the house for a moment, then he squeezed Amanda's hand resting on his shoulder. “This is where I grew up Amanda.”
They started inside just as his mother came out to greet them.
“Mama, you’re so beautiful. I love you.” Antonio bent and whispered in her ear, as he untied her apron. His mother snapped a hand towel at him, just as she did when he
was small.
“My boy…Antonio, now I know you’re home.” He turned and saw his Pop, then approached him.
His father was dressed in what, as children they had called his 'play clothes', a pair of chinos and a chambray shirt. As a judicial official, Maurice dressed as the successful attorney and then judge he had strived to be, at home he was relaxed and shed his austere image, for the most part.
"Antonio, welcome home my son. Yesterday we welcomed you back to Miami; today we welcome you back home. Mama has been fixing all of your favorites, Maria called and she told us of Amanda's need for certain foods, and we have prepared a feast fit for rabbits! "
Ileana smacked the judge on the arm and said; "Maurice, not rabbit food, organic produce!
Forgive my husband Amanda; he does not stay on top of current events like I do. I fully understand the benefits of your special diet. In Cuba, health was a priority, and when money and doctors were scarce, the old ones remembered the benefits of turning to nature for cures and positive aspects of nourishment."
Antonio could not help but laugh, he was home! While Pop believed he ran the world; at home everyone knew who was boss.
"Move Maurie, let the children come inside." Antonio's father stepped aside and waved them in.
The sounds of teenage boys in debate over the best hero class in their favorite online dungeon game, young girls giggling, a baby fussing, women laughing, and men arguing over who was the best grill boss, met then in the entry way. The scent of sofrtio, the base his Mama used for most of her dishes, filled the house with an essence that had Antonio's mouth watering in anticipation. Before he could head for the kitchen, José grabbed his arm and dragged him and Amanda into the living room to greet the rest of the family.
The large cavernous room seemed to be filled with people of all ages. Amanda felt a little overwhelmed, until Carmen came to her side and said hello. The familiar face helped a great deal, and with Antonio's hand in hers she was ready.
José walked forward, raised his hands and called for quiet. Took a few minutes, but the teenage boys in the small media room, the teenage girls in the corner by the piano, and the various adults all finally centered their attention on Antonio and Amanda. Even baby Celia in her mother Elisabeth's arms seemed to sense the moment and stopped fussing.