“She thinks she had a contraction,” Eduardo stated.
Victor got excited, “Really? How fast they coming? Have you timed them? Do they feel like the ones you had with Adrian?”
Amber looked up at her husband. He looked good today too. Jean shorts, dragging black Oakland Raiders football jersey, Nike tennis shoes. “I think I’m OK now,” she breathed, getting up to her feet.
Leticia spotted the three of them and quickly hobbled towards the excitement. “What’s wrong, everything OK?”
“She’s having contractions,” Eduardo stated again.
“Having?” Amber counter-stated. “I only had two.”
“Did they just start?” Leticia asked, quizzically rubbing her own stomach.
“Yah, can you help me with the games?” Amber asked Leticia wide-eyed.
“I will,” Eduardo chimed in, looking into Leticia’s eyes as he said it. He couldn’t tolerate to see Amber in any more pain, if his brother wasn’t going to give his wife special attention today, then he certainly was.
Leticia smiled back at him. “Awww, what a thoughtful husband I have,” she let go rubbing his arm.
“Yah—yah, what do I do first?” Eduardo asked Amber, watching her wobble around gingerly.
“Adrian wants no kiddie games; imagine no games at a kid party.”
Eduardo gazed around at all the guests. “That’s my nephew! Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves thus far; I guess the little guy knows.”
“Thank goodness. Wait till you see the surprise I have for Adrian, he’s gonna love it!” She exclaimed, biting down on her lower lip as she said it.
Eduardo brought his eyes down to her lips—closed his own mouth and tried to escape being utterly captivated again. “Can’t wait.”
No kiddie games, Amber thought. What about a piñata? She remembered the conversation she had with her son just before the party. “Yah, we can have one of those…but no pin the tail on the donkey or stupid drawing games…” OK, so where does that leave her? The White Ranger surprise and a piñata filled with candy that would have to do.
Eduardo gathered up all the kids and began to put them in line according to height. Each kid would have a few swings at the bouncing papier-mâché Power Ranger, and cousin Hector—who was keeping himself out of trouble lately—would do the honors at making sure each kid missed the object before the last kid in line had their turn. Amber made sure each one of the little ones had a plastic goody bag to collect the flying candy and everything was all set. She was just about to wrap a bandanna around the first toddler when she felt another contraction. Oh no! She pulled away from the child and arched her back and waited until the feeling subsided. No other adult noticed her in discomfort but Eduardo who set eyes on Amber frequently. Amber made it look like she was just adjusting her outfit. He was sure he’d be running to her side again, he studied her body movement relentlessly.
First kid, swing! Missed! Another swing! Missed again! Another, and another, swing, swing, swing! Miss, miss, miss. Gee, Hector is good, Amber thought. Two more kids, two more misses, five more kids, five more misses. This is turning out to be good. Finally, after the twentieth child, it was Adrian’s turn, the Birthday Boy. Amber tied the bandanna around his head to cover his eyes and got out of the way. Adrian was a good baseball player and she knew he would have an accurate swing. One swing was all it took and the piñata burst open with the kids all darting towards the cascading candy falling from the sky.
Amber felt another contraction. Oh no, not again! She ambled back into the house and tried to disguise her pang as she pushed on into the den; she laid her head against the wall and closed her eyes and waited patiently for the tightening to recede. You can do this Amber, you can, you have to…It’s for Adrian, it’s his day…you can wait to have this baby until The White Ranger comes…you can wait…please wait baby, please wait…
“You OK?”
Amber reopened her eyes—what a surprise, her brother-in-law was worried about her and followed her into the den. How nice of him to be so concerned.
Eduardo went to reach for her but stopped short. He couldn’t stand to see her in so much pain.
Inches apart, their eyes embraced. He didn’t touch her; he didn’t dare. What the hell was wrong with him and what kind of carnal pervert was he anyway? Even when she was about to give birth he was still sexually attracted to her?
“Yah—I,” Amber tried to find the words, “Had another contraction.”
“Maybe you should sit down, I’ll go get Victor,” Eduardo expressed turning the corner.
“Eduardo!” Amber yelled at him bringing him back into view.
“What?” Eduardo asked with baited breath.
Amber grabbed hold of the allusion in his eyes, mouthed out the words ‘thank you’ and Eduardo noted it, gave her one of his amazing half grins and sprinted back around the corner.
Amber tried to calm herself down; the mixed emotions were driving her crazy. Lust and strong muscle contractions do… not… mix! She practiced her breathing once more when she heard the earsplitting screaming of youngsters from the backyard. The next thing she heard was Adrian running around the house calling out her name.
“Mom!… Mom! MOM! Where are you? MOM!”
“I’m in here!” Amber screamed back at him.
“Mom, Mom! The White Ranger is here! The White Ranger! Thanks Mom thanks!” Adrian gave Amber a big hug and kisses and then ran back outside.
Amber closed her eyes again. There… it’s done…My son is happy; I can have this baby now. And just when she allowed herself to relax, her water broke.
Victor rushed in from behind the corner and spotted the water on the floor. “Now?” He asked anxiously.
“Now.” Oh God, not now!
Thirteen
Lust Makes You Do Foolish Things
After Valentina was born, routines halted. Victor and Amber were much too busy to be driving over to The Family’s house every Friday night, Eduardo and Leticia were busy too with their little girl, Kyra. The two girls were born weeks apart from one another and drawn out hours turned into days and weeks, and the weeks turned into months of predictable days of diapers, bottles, powder, and lotion, spit up, bibs, pacifiers, crying and restless evenings.
Amber dragged herself away from the crib. Up late one night, Valentina had been crying mercilessly with a stuffy nose. It was Amber’s shift, Victor had already given the baby six hours of his attention and Amber told him to lie down already. He was a good father, just like she thought. Beyond the call of duty father and just as he had been a doting husband, he was just as equally giving to the children. And oh how he loved his new chestnut-haired baby girl! Cooing at her, kissing and holding her constantly. If he wasn’t Valentina’s birth father, she would have to take him in for questioning.
Amber walked through the dark house, not switching on any lights; it was that kinda night, nothing bright, please. She sat herself down on the couch and wanted to go to sleep, but couldn’t. Her endometriosis was getting serious. Every three months she would miss menstruation. Her condition becoming so severe she suffered terrible stomach cramps. Her period was extreme that night, the pain bringing her to her knees. Now that she had her second child, her gynecologist suggested that she should seriously consider having a hysterectomy. But that important operation was not on her mind, something else had consumed her.
Amber sat on the couch and began to cry. Sobs so hard, she had to shove a pillow in her face to muffle away the sound. God I miss him...How could I have let this happen? I’m in love with him…I’m in love with Eduardo…What do I do? How can I stop this? Do I wanna stop this? Oh God I want to see him so bad…How do I see him without making it obvious? The Sanchez house…I would have to see him at family gatherings…Thank God for family events…I could see him out in the open and no one would ever know that I was in love with him…But how do I get myself over there? How do I invite myself over to the Sanchez house? Would he be there? How do I get him there? God, I
think I’m gonna have to wait till another holiday, when’s the next one? Fourth of July? Will he be there? He should be. Oh God, this is absolutely insane, INSANE! In love with your brother-in-law. This is terrible, taboo and unforgivable. No one would ever understand. And oh God, Victor’s so good to me, so thoughtful all the time, so caring. It would devastate him if he ever found out, trusting in me. Trust, what’s that? Oh God, how could I have let this happen? This is so wrong. All I want to do is be with him. In the same room, same area, same anything…
Amber suddenly had the stupidest idea; she was going to call their house. One o’clock in the morning, and she was going to ask for Leticia. Confide in her about the baby and how it was so strenuous to put her to sleep and if Leticia was having the same problem with Kyra...and if...and if he was there (she knew he would be) and maybe...maybe he would be the one to answer the phone, she could talk to him? Ask him sort of matter-of-factly if they were going to the house for the Fourth of July? That would be OK, wouldn’t it? She could pull that off, couldn’t she?
Amber walked over to the phone and stared at it for a long second. Lost in her tears, her drowsiness, she dialed their phone number. Wiping away her tears she cleared her nose with a tissue. One ring, she was getting nervous. Two rings, Eduardo answered.
“Hello?”
His voice was clear, he wasn’t asleep. What was he doing up at one o’clock in the morning? Was Kyra up all night as well? Was he as delirious as she was? Amber hung up the phone and started to cry again, anguish so deep, she slid to the floor with the phone in her lap. Suddenly, it rang on its own. She answered it immediately. “...Hello?”
“Amber?” Eduardo asked curiously, “Is that you?”
Amber was still on the floor. Good Lord, should she tell him? Should she confess her love for him? “Eduardo—I’m sorry...I wanted…I wanted to speak to Leticia, but I realize it’s late, I’m sorry.” She was about to hang up, but Eduardo kept talking.
“What’s wrong Amber? You sound like you’ve been crying. Is it my brother? Did he hurt you?”
Why would he think Victor would hurt her? Victor couldn’t hurt a fly! “No…I, no...I was just up all night with Valentina, she’s had a cold.”
“Yah, Kyra was sick last week, I think it’s going around.”
Then suddenly, she didn’t care to talk to Leticia anymore. She just wanted to talk to Eduardo, continue to talk to him period. He is whom she wanted in the first place, never mind about her sister-in-law!
“Amber, you still there?”
“Yes.”
“Amber, get some sleep, it’s late.”
“Eduardo?”
“Yes?”
“Are you...are you going to your Mom’s house for Fourth of July?”
Eduardo hesitated, “No, my firm is sending me out of town to settle a case, but Leticia and Kyra are going, why?”
Tears fell from Amber’s eyes. That was not what she wanted to hear! But keep him on the phone Amber—don’t let him get away! “What are you doing up so late? You don’t sound like you’ve been sleeping.”
Eduardo could still hear the moisture in her voice, “I haven’t been sleeping at all lately.”
The line goes quiet. A confession of some sorts—what was he trying to say?
“Me either,” she confessed as well.
“My job is tough.”
Figures, why would he be sleepless because of her? “I bet.”
“The media—the constant battle of trying to upscale our cases.”
“I can imagine. I’m still having problems with my attorney. I can’t do anything right by him. My work is never good enough.”
“Well, we can get a little annoying at times,” he laughed.
“You think?” She gives to him, chuckling as well.
“Why don’t you find another job? You’re constantly complaining about one or more associates there; you don’t get any respect Amber. You should look somewhere else.”
“Yah, it’s just that easy,” Amber smiled, and then suddenly dropped when she squinted in the darkness to see her husband filling the doorway. “I have to go now.”
“OK...goodnight then, get some sleep.”
Amber hung up the line and walked over to Victor.
“Who were you talking to?” Victor asked questioning her acting peculiar.
It was the first time Amber ever felt guilty. All her flirting had been a game, a test of sorts to see how much she could get Eduardo’s attention, and now she felt she had been caught in the act of sex. “Eduardo,” she acknowledged.
“Why did Eduardo call?”
“Oh—he didn’t—I did, at first, I was calling Leticia. She wasn’t up; Eduardo answered the phone, so we started talking about work.” Amber felt herself gasping for breath. She didn’t want to hurt Victor, and this was truly the first time she felt like she had.
“Oh,” he gave out, turning around and walking back to bed.
Oh? Amber thought, letting out a sigh of relief. Just oh?
There’s that acceptance thing again, that bizarre tolerance that walked hand-in-hand with The Title. Sister-in-law slash Brother-in-law upmost and always. That instantaneous fondness that supposed to be present the moment you put that wedding ring on your finger. That risk-free partiality that’s there for every in-law, free of charge.
Fourteen
Torment Is All The Rage
Eduardo tapped his gold-tipped pen speedily on top of the binders he was working on.
Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap!
The weightless eerie sound surrounded the barely lit room. It was nearing three o’clock in the morning and he had still been working. Not because he was forced with the drudgery, but simply couldn’t sleep. His mind raced with thoughts of Amber again…How to be near her, how to get her to his parents home. She called the house? What for? She was still up late? Why? She said she wanted to talk to Leticia first, but then decided to talk to him. She asked if he was going to his parent’s home for Fourth of July. Did she want to know about him exclusively, or was it collectively? Valentina was sick, was it true? He only offered that Kyra was sick because he simply wanted to keep her on the Goddamn phone! Good God this was getting bad. He really had to get it under control. Constantly worrying about her, wanting to be adjacent to her, the feeling was so tremendous, what could he do? Restrain himself and keep his distance, be preoccupied for once. Dive into work, achieve another goal. What goal? Find one dammit, and find one fast.
He opened up a law book, read just a few words then gazed over at the phone again. Could he call her? Would she still be up? Why did she hang the phone up so quickly? Was Victor there? Victor was there, he realized, shutting his eyes. Good God what was he doing? Panting over his sister-in-law; how truly egotistical of him and how utterly disgusting.
Fatigue was getting to him now, as he closed his eyes in heartache. Instantly feeling Amber’s arms around his shoulders; small caresses inching their way down around his chest. It was a sensual feeling, it was exhilarating...it was real.
It was Leticia.
Eduardo grabbed her hand and whipped his body around in the chair. Leticia looked at him cautiously at first and wondered what he was about to say. Eduardo began to mouth out the words stop but fell short of doing so. She reached over and took his face within her hands and gently kissed him on his lips. He didn’t kiss her back and she instantly withdrew her hands from feeling unwelcome.
Eduardo stood up; she backed herself into the wall. He simply stared at her. What does she want now? What else does she want?
Leticia was breathless and eyed his body up and down. Eduardo was practically naked under his silk robe, wearing only his boxers and a frown. By the look in her eyes he knows what she wants, but is he prepared to give it to her? Knowing full well they could get pregnant again? Does he want another child with this woman, when he really couldn’t stand the sight of her?
But Eduardo was prepared though, having been a bachelor most of his life and carried several packet
s of condoms in his desk no less. It had been almost a year since he had sex and he was loaded. He wanted to feel Amber so much; all he wanted to do now was clearly handle skin. He didn’t dare kiss her on her lips, kissing on the lips was far too intimate for him, and all he wanted from Leticia now was intercourse. He began slowly breathing on her neck, softly at first, then sensually diving down to the tips of her breasts and nipples. She was more than willing this time he had her, it was what she wanted and hunted him out for. He pushed her body up against the wall, caressed and kneaded her small mounds in his mouth. She grabbed onto his hair and tried to pull his face up to her lips, but he didn’t budge.
“Do you want to lie down?” He asked breathing heavily now.
“No, take me here,” she purred, yanking off his robe, trying to pull at his underwear.
Eduardo lifted up her arms and clutched her buttocks as she naturally wrapped her legs around his waist, straddling his body close and solid against the wall. He still hadn’t allowed himself to kiss her and guided her hips on top of his erect penis. In and out only once, Eduardo loosened her arms from around his shoulders and remembered the condom, allowing her body to release from his and slide back down as he searched through his desk.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“I’m looking…I’m looking for a…here, got one,” he said, unwrapping the plastic and rolling it on.
Leticia looked at him mortified. “You can’t be serious,” she said with both hands on her forehead in disbelief. The sight of him and that thing over his penis placed a red flag in her brain.
He pressed against her firmly, only awkwardly this time. He tried lifting her up against the wall again, but her body suddenly felt like five hundred pound weights. Good God, this just isn’t right! The mood had suddenly shifted from OK to see ya! He took a step backwards, unrolled the second skin and stepped back into the robe.
Unsuitable Obsession - Part One Page 12