“I’ve missed you so much, Atty!”
“Me too! I can’t believe you’re here!”
“Well I am.” He said, detaching himself a bit to look at me. “You look great!”
“Thanks, you too. How was the trip?”
He let go of one of my hands to pick up his suitcase but held on to the other. I felt like a wave of energy was flowing from him to me and back. I wondered if this was what all those romance novels I’d read were talking about. That spark that people felt when they were with someone they truly cared about.
We walked toward my car as he told me about his trip. It had been uneventful but long, almost a full day traveling. He was happy to be back in Miami and with me. I couldn’t wait to spend the whole week with him.
“Are you hungry? Do you want to go eat something?” I asked him as we got in the car.
“Not really, they fed us on the plane.”
“So what do you want to do?”
“How about your place? I’d love to meet Nana if she’s there. Plus, I can’t check in to the hotel until later, and I wouldn’t mind resting for a bit before we go wandering through Miami again,” he replied.
“OK, that sounds good. Nana was gone when I left this morning, but I’m sure she’ll be back soon if she’s not already.”
When we walked into the house I could hear the sound of someone chopping in the kitchen. “That’s probably Nana getting started on lunch. Let’s go say hi then I can take you on the grand tour.” Ben nodded and followed me through the house.
I was right about Nana and lunch. She was at her cutting board dicing onions and peppers for a sofrito. She stopped as we walked in.
I couldn’t help smiling widely as I introduced Ben. “Nana, this is Benjamin Althaus. Ben this is my Nana, Natalia Ortega.”
He reached out a hand and said, “Mucho gusto,” with no trace of gringo in his accent. Nana gave me an accusatory look, as if I’d purposely not mentioned that he spoke Spanish, but I had no idea that he did so I just shrugged at her.
She wiped her hands on her apron self-consciously as she turned her gaze back to Ben. “Hello, Ben! It’s so nice to finally meet you. I’m sorry, I don’t want to get you covered in onions though.”
“No worries,” he said and stepped back next to me. “That looks like it will be good. What are you making?”
“Beans. I have to start early so they’ll be ready for lunch time. Will you join us? It’s not a fancy meal, but it’s definitely representative of Miami.”
“I’d love to. I don’t think I’ve ever had a homemade Cuban meal before,” he said with a smile.
“Great, we can all get to know each other at lunch then,” she said.
“Perfect. I’m going to show Ben around the house, OK, Nana?” I told her.
She nodded and went back to her cooking.
“Well, that was the kitchen,” I said with a smirk and led him back out toward the large room at the front of the house. The living room area was set up near the entrance and the dining room table took up the section closest to the kitchen. “This won’t take long, it’s not a big house.”
He smiled back. “I’m not in any rush.”
“Here’s the dining room and that’s the combination living/family room. Nana used to just watch TV in her bedroom, but she added that one when she got tired of going up and down the stairs.”
“It looks cozy. Are those all pictures of you and Nana?” he asked, pointing to the frames on the shelves next to the television.
“Mostly. There’s a couple of friends, and that black-and-white one is of Nana with her husband, Luis. He passed away shortly after they were married.”
“So it’s just you and Nana, then?”
“Yup. For as long as I can remember.”
“And you don’t know anything about your parents?”
“Just the name my mother gave Nana, but who knows if it was even real. Apparently she was in some kind of trouble.”
“I can’t imagine not knowing who my parents were. It must be tough.”
“I get by,” I said and smiled. No need to linger on things that couldn’t be helped. “You want to go upstairs?”
At that he smirked, and I blushed as I realized how that could have sounded in another situation.
“I’d love to,” he said and made me turn redder. He started to laugh. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
“It’s my own fault, I set it up,” I said and laughed too.
He followed me up the stairs. I showed him where Nana’s room was, then walked into my own room. “This one’s mine.”
“So this is where I can picture you when we’re chatting online,” he said and swept his hand toward my desk and computer.
“Yup, this is it.”
He looked around the room slowly. “I want to remember it all so I can imagine you here when we’re not together.”
I smiled. “You’ll have to send me pictures of your office so I can imagine where you are when you’re typing at me.”
“Will do, though it’s not that interesting to look at.” He finished his study of the room and turned back toward the door. “We should probably get back downstairs; I wouldn’t want to give Nana the wrong impression by hanging out alone with you in your room too long.”
It was sweet that he would worry about that. I just nodded and we went back down the stairs. “You want to go out to the patio and hang out a while? The weather’s still bearable right now, and there’s good shade out there.”
“All right, sounds nice.”
We walked back through the kitchen where Nana offered us some iced tea she’d just made and then went out to the patio. We didn’t have a big backyard, but it was pretty. Nana had a green thumb so lots of native plants thrived, and she’d installed a small fountain a few years back. A light breeze greeted us as we sat down on the rocking chairs by the table. Ben took hold of my hand and looked out toward the fountain.
“I can’t tell you how glad I am to be here right now, Atty.”
“Not as glad as I am, I’m sure,” I replied. Just holding his hand gave me such a rush. I was so happy he was with me. I couldn’t quite believe it was real.
“I don’t know about that, but I won’t get into a contest with you,” he said, smiling.
“So how’s work? Not too busy?” I asked.
“Not now, though I’m sure it will be next month. How’s school? You happy to be on break?”
“Yup, though not just ’cause of the schoolwork. I’ve been looking forward to seeing you for so long. School’s been the usual; I can handle it.”
“That’s good. How are your friends? The ones from the business class? You been going out?”
“A couple of times. We went dancing a couple of weeks ago.”
“That’s right, you told me about that. I was a little annoyed,” he said and chuckled lightly.
“Annoyed? You didn’t say anything.”
“I didn’t want to sound like a possessive boyfriend, especially since we just talk on the computer, and I wasn’t here to take you out myself. I can’t expect you to sit at home all the time just ’cause I’m far away.”
“Well, you have nothing to worry about. I have no interest in dancing with anyone but you.”
“Thanks, but I know there’s no way you didn’t have guys after you at that club. I’m sure they were dancing next to you just to pretend you’d said yes to them.”
I laughed. “If they did I didn’t notice them.” I didn’t think any of those guys were interested in me, and I certainly hadn’t been interested in them.
We sat out there until lunch was ready, just talking about random things. Ben told me about his family and how much more he’d gotten to know his youngest brother since he was living with them in Australia. He also told me how he’d lived in Spain for two years after I asked where he learned to speak Spanish. I told him about my classes and new friends. He seemed glad I had people looking out for me and helping me have fun. I didn’t ment
ion my mom again. The entire situation surrounding her was so strange, and I knew I couldn’t say anything to him anyway. The note had said specifically that it would be dangerous for other people to know; I wasn’t going to risk his safety, though I still wasn’t sure what the danger could be.
I had been nervous about Ben meeting Nana, but lunch went very well. Nana was good with people and apparently so was Ben. They both told stories about their travels. Nana seemed especially interested in Ben’s time in Spain and had him switching into Spanish for half of the conversation.
I dropped Ben off at his hotel after lunch, and we agreed to meet later for dinner. He needed some time to settle in, and I wanted to change anyway. I walked back into the house, ready to get Nana’s opinion without Ben there to hear it. She was sitting in the living room watching a cooking show.
“So what did you think of Ben?” I asked hesitantly. Though they’d seem to get along great, I knew that Nana got along great with everybody. That didn’t necessarily mean she wanted him dating me. It wasn’t in her nature to be rude to anyone, not even people she disliked. She always made sure her guests felt welcome.
“He seems very nice. Though perhaps a bit old for you. What is he, 30?” she asked.
“Nana! I can’t believe you think he looks that old.”
“It’s not that he looks old; he looks like he could be a well-built 18.” She gave me a small smirk. “But he talks like someone who’s older, older than 30 even. The details he gives about his travels, they are things old people notice, not kids. He seems like someone who’s seen a lot of the world.”
“Well, he has seen a lot of the world. You heard how often he’s moved and how much he’s traveled.”
“It’s not just that he’s seen the physical world, more like he knows how things work, how people are. I don’t know how to explain it properly,” she added, sounding frustrated.
“Well, I don’t know about that. But he’s 22, Nana, that’s only three years older than I am,” I defended, though I did know what she meant. He was more mature than most of the boys I’d met.
“Perdoname. You’re right. I’m probably over-analyzing. He seems like a very nice man, and you seem very happy, Atancia.” Her words did not match her tone. She sounded wary, but I chose to ignore it. I didn’t want to get into a fight with her about it. She’d see how amazing he was once she got to know him better.
“I am.”
At that she smiled. “That’s all that concerns me.”
Chapter 12
Ben asked if he could drive when I picked him up. He went north on U.S. 1 until we got to the road leading onto Key Biscayne. We passed the tolls and drove over the bridge leading to the island. I loved this road though I didn’t come often. Both sides were surrounded by dark water. On one side shone the lights of downtown Miami, while on the other were the shadows of mangroves that lined the estate at Vizcaya.
He pulled into a restaurant that I recognized though I’d never eaten there. It was next to the marina and was very expensive, at least for my budget. I was suddenly really happy I had worn a dress instead of putting on dark jeans. Ben gave the keys to the valet, and we walked through the entryway to the podium were the hostess stood. Ben told her we had reservations, and I wondered when he’d made them.
The hostess led us through the restaurant and out the back doors. Two fire pits glowed with warmth, and we sat at a table next to one of them looking out over the water at downtown. The scent of the wood burning mixed with the ocean made me feel like I had traveled someplace exotic; I guess that’s how people who visited Miami felt though I was used to the inland suburbs not the tropical waters.
“Have you been here before?” Ben asked me.
“Here? No. I’ve passed by it a few times though.”
“It came highly recommended. I wanted to take you someplace special.”
“It’s beautiful, thanks.”
The service was excellent and the food even better. We lingered at the table a while, enjoying the view and the light of the fire. Ben suggested we walk out by the railing that ran around the building. It was dark, no moon, and there was no one else wandering around outside. I stopped to lean on the railing and look out toward the city. He stopped behind me, wrapping his hands around my waist and leaning his chin on my shoulder.
“I love being able to hold you, Atty. You don’t know how many times I imagined this while I was away.”
I started to turn toward him, and he loosened his grip so I could face him though his hands still held my waist. I stared at him for a moment. There was no need to say I felt the same; I was sure he could tell from my expression how much I wanted him with me. He leaned toward me a bit, and I closed my eyes expectantly. Seconds passed, and I felt his forehead touch mine. I opened my eyes and looked into his. Even in the darkness they shimmered clear green. They were so beautiful, but he looked hesitant. I wondered if he was worried about kissing me. “It’s OK,” I urged him. He shut his eyes hard, his breathing ragged like my own.
“As much as I want to kiss you right now, Atty, there’s something I need to tell you first.” He backed away and leaned on the wall opposite the railing. Uh-oh, I thought, this can’t be good. My mind flashed through all the scenarios that would keep him from kissing me, especially after everything that had led to this moment. Maybe he was older, like Nana had said. Or maybe he had a girlfriend, or worse, a wife.
He must have seen the panic on my face because he quickly said, “Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad. Just something you need to know before getting too involved with me. Come on, we need to go somewhere private.”
We drove to the beach, then got out of the car and walked toward the water. There wasn’t a soul as far as I could see, and I wondered if we were even allowed to be out there at night. “There’s something I need to tell you, Atty. I’m afraid you’re going to think I’m crazy, but if you just give me a chance to get through it I know you’ll understand.”
My heart was thundering away, but I tried to calm it by focusing on the crash of the waves nearby. How bad could this be? I really hoped he wasn’t married. What would I do, take my keys and leave him there? I looked at him and nodded, letting him know I was ready to listen.
“All right, where to begin? I don’t know where to start. I guess I’ll go with the feeling. Do you feel it, the energy that goes back and forth between us when I touch you?” he asked.
I nodded and gave him a small smile. I thought that maybe it had been just me.
“I know you’ve probably heard people say they feel a spark when they like someone, but this isn’t a spark.”
Was he really saying he didn’t like me? I scrunched my eyebrows a bit.
“I don’t mean that I don’t like you, Atty. What I mean is that what you feel isn’t some romantic fairy tale—it’s energy. Energy flowing from me to you and back,” he paused for a moment and looked toward the water before returning his gaze to me.
“Remember that first week we were together, how we joked about vampires, and I told you that theory about people who could transfer energy?”
I nodded. I remembered all of our conversations, even the silly ones.
“Well, it wasn’t a theory. I was describing what I am. What we are actually. I was feeling you out, to see if you knew anything about it. I couldn’t believe you didn’t know. I wasn’t sure if I could be the one to tell you the truth about yourself.”
I looked at him quizzically and unconsciously stepped back. He put his hands up and signaled for me to wait.
“OK, I know that sounds crazy to you, but it wouldn’t if you had been raised by your parents. I have never heard of one of our kind being raised by anyone else, it just doesn’t happen. When I first saw you at the party I knew immediately you were like me; that’s why I walked over. As I talked to you, I realized you didn’t know what I was. I thought you were too young yet, I could feel you pulsing but randomly. When you told me your mom had left you with Nana, it occurred to me that maybe you didn’t k
now what you were.
“I decided I needed to see you again, not just because I was curious about your background, but also because I was curious about you. I thought I knew all the families, but you were different, I had no idea who you were. Then, when we went dancing that night, and you had that panic attack, I knew for certain that you had no clue. I couldn’t kiss you then either, not without telling you, but I wasn’t sure that I could. I decided to discuss it with my family before going any further. My father told me I should come home so we could figure out who you were. He didn’t want me alone with you until we were certain it was safe.”
I was confused. What did he know about my panic attacks that I didn’t? Why would it be a sign to him? I nodded so that he would continue.
“We tried to figure it out but can’t. We’d never heard of anyone losing or abandoning a baby. My family thought it was all right for me to keep talking to you, to see if any new information came up, but every time I brought up family you got busy or signed off. I wasn’t sure whether you were embarrassed or just trying to hide something. Eventually though, I didn’t care. I needed to see you, to touch you again. You took up all my waking thoughts and my dreams as well. My father decided it would be all right to come back. He’d sent investigators to the area and found nothing suspicious.”
“He’s afraid I’ll hurt you?” I asked tentatively. “Why would anyone hurt you?”
“Because of who I am. My father is the oldest of our kind. He is very powerful, and though not many would bring down his wrath by messing with his children, there are a few who would be willing to set traps for us just to get to him.”
I was more confused than ever. “Are you royalty or something? Australia doesn’t have a king, you know,” I added.
He laughed. “What I’m talking about is bigger than mortal rulers, Atty. What you and I are, it’s beyond their realm.”
“So what are you saying, Ben? I’m really not following.”
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