Desperate for You

by Ruben Soto

  “I’m sure they already know. John, Jr. is fourteen and Catherine is twelve. They already know what it’s like to grow up rich. They’ll follow our footsteps.”

  “You’ve told me so many things I’d never knew about before. I’m still trembling because I don’t know what to expect from Roberto. You have to realize that for me marriage is something sacred. I can’t change my mind from one day to the next. It’s going to take some time before I can grasp your way of thinking. So many things to think about now. I’m confused.”

  Monika took her right hand and reached over to touch Jennifer’s shoulder.

  “I fully understand my dear. Let me help you out. Have you already set the date and time when you will meet with Enrique?”

  “No, remember I have to consult with Roberto to see what his schedule looks like?”

  “I will call Roberto and talk with him and I will be there the day of your appointment. Don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll make sure you get the dream kitchen that you’ve always wanted.”

  “Thank you Monika. It’s great to have a friend like you at a moment like this.”

  They waved goodbye and Monika stepped into her new sporty BMW and Jennifer drove off in her Mercedes.

  On the way to her boutique Jennifer couldn’t help but think about what Monika had told her. She thought about all the lovers that Monika had had. She often had thought about sleeping with another man who wasn’t Roberto. She wanted to experience a younger man, but it was only a fantasy. Was Roberto lying to her and actually seeing another woman? Why did she have to go through this when everything was going so well? Tears were rolling down her pretty face. She had high cheekbones and her skin was soft. Somehow the tears brought out a different type of beauty in her.

  Chapter Three

  Monika got home and called Roberto on his cell phone. She knew she would be able to convince him to hire Enrique. She just needed to get him to be there for the appointment. As she says, whenever she wants something, she gets it. This was no exception. She would pull it off with such finesse that Roberto wouldn’t even know what he was agreeing to.

  “Hello Roberto, how are you my darling? It’s good to hear your voice. We haven’t talked since the night of my party. I hear you’re working long hours these days?”

  “Monika, what a nice surprise. I guess we haven’t spoken since then. How’s John doing? Tell him I haven’t forgotten about his suggestion for taking a golf trip to Tucson. It’s just that I’ve had too much work lately and it’s taking up all my time.”

  “Roberto, I’ve known you for many years and I can’t remember the last time that you were so busy. You’ve always had time for entertainment. I can’t believe how you’ve changed? Is everything okay with your businesses? I hope you’re not on the verge of losing them?”

  “Oh, not to worry. It’s just that I’m adding to my empire. A man is never satisfied with just having the essentials. When you have a lot, you always want more. I guess it keeps me going. It’s my motivation in this life. I’ve always been driven to succeed and when I see a good opportunity I don’t let it pass me by.”

  “But when one is wealthy, my dear Roberto, you want to live the good life. That’s why you hire others to do the dirty work for you. What’s the point of having so much money if you’re not able to enjoy it? And are your businesses really your motivation in this life? What about your beautiful wife and your two lovely children? Shouldn’t they be your main motivation?”

  “Now Monika, you know what I’m trying to say. Of course I love my wife and my children and I want the best for them. I have to continuously be looking for ways to increase my net worth. By the time my children are older, a million dollars is not going to be worth the same amount that it is today. Maybe I’m just worrying too much? Now that I have a family I think more about their future.”

  “If you keep working like this, they’re the ones who’ll need to start worrying. You may not be around for much longer if you keep, as you call it, working so much. You need to find time to spend with your family and for yourself. I noticed that you’ve been gaining weight. You’re letting yourself go Roberto. But most importantly, don’t ignore your wife and your family.”

  “I can tell you’ve been talking with Jennifer. She thinks I’m ignoring her and the children. But it’s not true. I just need to work on this project and then things will get back to normal.”

  Roberto didn’t want Monika to know anything about his personal affairs.

  “Ay Roberto. You are so stubborn. I can sense your stubbornness coming through the phone line. Nevertheless, the reason I called you is that you know Jennifer fell in love with my kitchen cabinets. Jennifer called the cabinetmaker to hire him for the job but he needs you to be there to sign the initial contract. That’s just the way he works. I told Jennifer that John had already given me his approval so he signed the contract with no problem. Jennifer is afraid you’ll ask too many questions and then you won’t agree to hire him. She is so sweet. She just wants those cabinets in her kitchen more than anything else in the world. I know you’re busy now but I want you to commit to being there and sign that contract. It’s the best thing you can do now for your marriage. You need to win Jennifer back. You two have never had problems before, but time would soon change that. Enrique, the cabinetmaker, believes the man is the head of the house and should be the primary signer. He still has that old Mexican machista way of thinking. But I respect him for that. I want you to promise me that you won’t ask questions and sign that contract. If you have any questions in reference to his work you can call me. As you saw, he did a fantastic job in my house. So don’t give him a hard time. I know how stringent you can be. This would be the equivalent of giving Jennifer a new diamond ring from Tiffany’s. So don’t blow it. I will be there myself to make sure that this goes smoothly. Can I get you to agree on this?”

  “Monika, you’re just as stubborn as I am. But that’s what got you where you are today. Did Jennifer really tell you that we were having problems? The first time she ever mentioned anything to me was a few days ago. But she has to understand that when business calls I have to be there.”

  “When business calls or when the querida calls? If you keep spending money on her there won’t be any empire to hand over to your children. Don’t play with me, Roberto. I am too old and I’ve been around the block myself, so you can’t fool me. You married a decent girl like Jennifer expecting her to be your wife and querida at the same time. But that didn’t come with the package. So you bought yourself another gift on the side to make up for it. Your poor wife has lived in an imaginary world all this time and she’s finally waking up to reality. Are you still there?”

  “You’re a very stern woman. I don’t know how John has been able to live with you all these years. You can think whatever you want Monika, but I feel insulted that you are insinuating that I have a mistress. I don’t have to explain my personal life to you or anybody. I’ll be there to sign that silly contract. I just ask you not to corrupt my wife. I want her the way she is. I’ve known you for many years and I know how open minded you are. I just plead that you stop talking so openly with her.”

  “Ha! Now you are accusing me of being a corrupter. I think we’re even, Roberto. It’s a done deal. You sign that contract and I will stop corrupting your wife. I can keep secrets too, my dear. Chao!” Monika laughed and then hung up the phone.

  Roberto was very introverted. There were certain things that he wanted to keep private about his personal life. He had met John and Monika Garza at a charity golf game at the prestigious La Cantera Country Club. He was still single and had not met his first wife, Elena, yet. He was starting to network to build his reputation throughout the city. With the Garza’s influence he met many prominent people. He became a good friend of the new young, Governor of Texas. He had lunch with him in Austin on various occasions. He also befriended San Antonio’s mayor, many councilmen, state and national senators and some of the city’s wealthy and prominent citizens. He
joined several chambers of commerce and had season tickets to the city’s basketball team, the Spurs. He also had a luxurious suite in the team’s new AT&T Center. There he would entertain many of his closest friends. Jennifer didn’t care for basketball so she never attended the games. Roberto occasionally was seen with different beautiful women seated next to him. But none of this ever got back to Jennifer. He couldn’t afford to have her find out about these events. Roberto knew full well that both John and Monika knew about his past. And they also knew many things about his present that he couldn’t conceal from them.

  ***

  Roberto surprised Jennifer when he showed up at Robert’s school to see him get his award. He pulled a chair next to hers since she was not expecting him to show up. Robert noticed that his dad was there and he came over and gave him a hug.

  “Dad, you’re here. I love you, dad.” Jennifer reached for her purse and took out a Kleenex to wipe away her tears. She was overcome with emotion. The events of the past week had left her feeling confused. She had felt remorse towards Roberto because she didn’t know the truth about his whereabouts. At least he had the decency to show up today. It’s the least he could’ve done to make it up to her.

  The presentation ended around eleven and Roberto invited Jennifer to have lunch. They went to Paesano’s, a trendy Italian restaurant in the Alamo Heights area. It’s one of the places in San Antonio where people go to see and be seen. The ambience is excellent and the pasta dishes are exceptionally good. They arrived before the lunch crowd and were able to be seated immediately. They ordered their meal and had some wine. After the meal they ordered desserts. Jennifer ordered her usual cappuccino with a tiramisu and Roberto ordered a regular cup of coffee and a carrot cake. They hadn’t spoken much until then.

  “Jennifer, I know this has been a difficult week for you. I am the one to blame for it. I haven’t exactly been a good husband or father lately. I know this is confusing for you since we’ve never gone through this before. I think I’m going through what they call the midlife crisis. I’ve reached the age where most men take a look at their life and they realize that it’s gone by so fast. I’m no longer that young, motivated, charming guy that I once was. I look in the mirror and I see wrinkles coming out and my hair is starting to get gray. Some of the buddies I went to school with have already died. I can still remember the good times I had with them back in high school. I can’t believe they’re gone. I mean my father and mother are in their seventies and they’re still going strong. I wish life would’ve been different for me. I always wanted to be in control of my life. I had planned it out perfectly. But then reality hit and I learned a tough lesson. We’re not in control of our destinies at all. I could die in an accident tomorrow leaving you a young widow and my children without a father. I thought money would bring so much happiness and peace. But that’s not the case. The more I have, the more I worry. That takes away from my happiness. So I get more involved in my business that way I don’t have to think about it so much.”

  Jennifer was listening intently to what he was saying. She had doubts about his reasons for having changed. Was there really another woman in his life or were there several?

  “You’ve always been a proud man, Roberto. I’ve always admired you for that, believe it or not. Many people could misinterpret that as being arrogant. But I see nothing wrong with being proud of one’s accomplishments. And you have plenty to be proud of.”

  Jennifer told him how she admired him for reaching financial independence at a very young age. How losing his first wife tragically was a significant event in his life. He didn’t have alternate plans since he thought his marriage was supposed to be forever. He didn’t show anyone just how hurt and confused he was after her death. He turned to the only thing he knew, which were his businesses and other pleasures. Soon, he found out that those things didn’t bring him satisfaction either. Then he met her. She was a very young innocent girl who illuminated his life. He married her hoping she could help him forget Elena. By giving him a son she would be providing an heir to his fortune. She would be a loyal and loving wife and they would live happily ever after. But she told him she’s come to realize that he will never get over Elena.

  “She still lives inside of you. I now understand that you didn’t want to leave that house. There were too many reminders of her there. When I started changing everything I could see you were hurting inside. You wanted to preserve her memories. It’s what was left of her. Once we moved out of the house, I closed another chapter in your life. I know you love me. But you’ll never love me the way you loved her. She will always be your true love and that’s something I have to accept. How silly of me to think that I could make you forget her completely. I was thinking of myself when I decided to marry you. I was living in a dream world. I was so young. But now I’ve come to realize that I’ve never had the kind of love you had with Elena. I’m not and will never be able to replace her in your heart.”

  “Jennifer, please don’t say things like that. You know I love you very much. I want the very best for you and our kids. Yes, I admit that I still think about Elena. She was the only woman I ever loved until I met you. But you have to stop comparing yourself to her. You are my wife now and you’re all that matters to me. Honey, I am going through a personal crisis like I told you. You have to support me during this crucial time. I don’t want to hurt you. It’s the last thing I want to do. Just bear with me during this time. I promise things will get back to the way they used to be. I’ll be able to spend more time with you and the kids.”

  “Will you be able to be there to sign the contract?”

  “Yes, I’ll be there. I know you want those cabinets. I’m not going to do anything that will keep you from getting them. I had that house built for you and you have done a tremendous job in designing it. I should hire you to be one of my managers. I promise you I won’t ask any questions. I want you to be very happy. That’s what matters to me the most.”

  “Thank you, Roberto. You don’t know how much this means to me. I’ll call the cabinetmaker and schedule the appointment for Monday morning.” She was overcome with emotion and he leaned over and kissed her on the left cheek.

  “After I close these business transactions I want to take you on a trip. I have to go to Miami next month and I want you to come along. I know you’ve always wanted to go there. You can visit the trendy shops and we can go to South Beach. How does that sound?”

  “That sounds like a great idea. Thank you, Roberto. And please forgive me for being so negative. You know we women are more emotional and any little thing makes us cry.”

  “I thank the saints for you every day. You’re an angel here on earth.”

  Chapter Four

  Monday finally arrived and Jennifer was already dressed by eight that morning. Her other maid, Lupe, fixed up a traditional Mexican breakfast for her and Roberto. She made homemade tortillas, ranch-style eggs with potatoes, and her own hot sauce. She had bought pan dulce early that morning since she knew they both liked sweet bread with their coffee.

  “Lupe, esta todo delicioso. This breakfast is fit for a king and queen. What would we do without you? The tortillas are so good. I would eat more but I have to watch my weight. Roberto seems to agree. He’s already eaten six tortillas and he’s just on his first sweet bread. Honey, you have to stop eating so much otherwise you won’t fit through that door.”

  “Am I really getting that fat? Monika told me the same thing when I spoke with her. I guess I haven’t gone to the gym in a while and it’s showing. I haven’t even been able to play golf like I used to. But nothing is going to keep me away from Lupe’s excellent cooking. Usted es buena para la cocina, Doña Lupe. God gave you the gift for cooking and I appreciate good food like yours. Diosito me la bendiga mucho.”

  “Gracias, Don Roberto. I love to cook and I especially enjoy cooking for people like you. You both have been very kind to me throughout the years. It’s the least that I can do. I can’t wait until the kitchen is fi
nally complete. Don Roberto, I wish you could try more of my cooking. I’ve been cooking dinner but you haven’t been able to make it lately. The other day I made some enchiladas that were divine. I made them knowing they’re your favorite. Hopefully, you can start eating dinner here again soon.”

  Roberto glanced at Jennifer who was sipping her coffee and looking down.

  “Lupe, I’m so sorry. I apologize for not being here more often. I just have so much business lately that I can’t make it home for dinner. I promise that shortly I will be able to join you for dinner again. Your cooking is far superior to that of any restaurant in the city. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  Monika arrived shortly thereafter and Jennifer took her on a tour of the house. Monika was impressed with the way Jennifer designed both the exterior and the interior of the house. It had the same grandeur feel that her own house generated. Their taste for design was one of the few things they had in common. She finally came to the kitchen and noticed how big the area was. Jennifer explained to her exactly where she wanted everything to go.

  “Jennifer, I can already see the completed kitchen. Dios mio, you should’ve studied design and decorating. You have simply done an impeccable job with this entire house. I wish I had known of your talent. I would’ve hired you to design my house. You should dedicate yourself to this business and forget about that boutique. I think you would generate more money doing this. You probably would make more money than Roberto. What do you think, Roberto?”

  “Monika, always trying to stir trouble as usual. Jennifer is fine in the boutique. Besides it’s like a hobby. You know we don’t need the extra money. It’s a way for her to keep herself occupied. Otherwise she would be bored here at home. Unlike you, Jennifer loves to keep herself busy doing productive things.”