Nacho Figueras Presents

by Jessica Whitman

  Noni couldn’t imagine anyone cooking in this kitchen, never mind actually sitting down to enjoy a meal.

  She smiled as she recalled breakfast that morning, with everyone crowded around Pilar’s big farm table.

  Noni drank her water and then wandered back out into the great room, peering closely at a painting above the fireplace. “Oh my God. It’s a Modigliani,” she breathed. “And a good one.”

  Jacob came back downstairs and stood next to her. “Holy shit,” he said. He sounded awed. “Can you imagine? Actually owning one? You probably could, you know, after tomorrow.”

  She turned to him, surprised. “You know about that?”

  His shrugged. “Your mom mentioned it to me.” He grinned at her and raised his eyebrows. “Antonia Black, heiress. Very fancy.” He nudged her with his shoulder. “What do you say? Will you buy me a Modigliani or two?”

  She snorted and rolled her eyes. “Absolutely not,” she said, laughing in spite of herself.

  They stood in front of the painting a moment longer, just taking it in, and Noni relaxed a little. This felt nice, she thought, admiring this beautiful thing together. She slipped her hand into Jacob’s and squeezed.

  He turned to her and smiled. “I want to show you everything he has. There’s a crazy Vermeer in his bedroom and I swear to God, he keeps four Kandinskys in his home gym. But we’re going to be late for our reservation if we don’t leave now. I thought we could walk. It’s just down the hill.”

  * * *

  The restaurant was packed when Enzo arrived and he was grateful that his teammates had come earlier and commandeered a table. The place was directly across the street from the beach, and most of the seating was outside, with small café tables lining the road and an open-air central courtyard inside, where there were several fire pits surrounded by low tables and lushly upholstered wicker couches and chairs.

  As Raj had promised, the crowd was young. Young, beautiful, and scantily dressed, thought Enzo as he wound his way to the fireside space where David was waving him over.

  “Hey, man!” yelled David over the throbbing music. “You made it!”

  Enzo clasped hands with each of his teammates in turn.

  David looked the most at home in the bar. He was a good-looking kid, and all his time working as a groom had given him a strong physique. He wore a white linen shirt, open halfway down his sculpted cocoa-colored chest, and loose white jeans. A style, Enzo smiled to think, copied from all of David’s time working for the Del Campos. This was the uniform that Sebastian and Alejandro both tended to wear at their more casual functions.

  Lachlan was a little more dressed down—in a red V-neck tee and faded jeans, his sandy hair carefully mussed, his sleeve of tattoos proudly displayed. And Raj was a little more dressed up, in a blue and white striped button-down, cut close enough to show off his formidable muscles. He also wore small gold hoops in his ears.

  More than one young lady was looking their way. They were a fine-looking team.

  “Here, mate!” said Lachlan, pushing a shot glass toward Enzo as he took his seat. “I saved you a shooter!” He frowned at it. “It’s not on fire anymore, but I bet I could get it going again if you want.”

  Enzo almost refused it, but then thought, Why not? What the hell.

  “No fire necessary,” he said, and gulped it down.

  The alcohol burned a trail down his throat and warmed his stomach as the rest of his teammates cheered him on.

  * * *

  The waitress showed Noni and Jacob to an ocean-side table. The restaurant was packed with the rich, privileged, and beautiful. Even the busboys were model-level gorgeous.

  Antonia looked around at all the young partiers throwing back drinks and preening for each other. For a moment, she was almost glad that she had grown up poor. Certainly, going without had been hard in its own way, but getting to know her brothers had disabused her of the notion that the rich were necessarily happier than anyone else, and living a life like this, hyperaware of how you looked, what you wore, who you were with, where you were seen…it just seemed exhausting. She silently swore to herself that no matter how much money she had, she would never get sucked into this trap.

  “It’s nice, right?” said Jacob, unfolding his napkin and putting it into his lap. “Fun?”

  Noni looked at him and felt rebuked. What was her problem? She was such a snob. All these people were just trying to have a good time on a Friday night. She didn’t have to break it down into class warfare.

  Still, when she looked at the drink menu and realized that they were charging twenty dollars for a glass of what she knew to be not-so-great white wine, she couldn’t help but inwardly roll her eyes.

  “It’s a million-dollar view,” she finally said. And it was. The sun was hanging low over the sound, with lazily drifting sailboats silhouetted against a dozen different shades of gold, pink, and lavender in the sky. The beach was a vast expanse of sand as fine and white as powdered sugar, punctuated by bright yellow sun umbrellas and tan, beautiful people strolling along in various states of undress.

  She had to admit, once their overpriced cocktails and plates of moules-frites had arrived, it was fun in its own way. The food, the drinks, the beach, the view, the crowd, even the good-looking man smiling fondly at her across the table…who was she to complain?

  She relaxed and happily bit into a French fry.

  “Max said he had a really good time with you while I was gone,” said Jacob.

  Noni smiled. “More like a good time with Pilar. I was working so much I hardly saw him, but she seemed more than happy to hang out with him. They really hit it off.”

  Jacob raised his eyebrows. “Well, we’re lucky that she could help out. I didn’t realize you’d be working so much.”

  “Neither did I,” said Noni, sipping her drink, “but when Enzo left, there was a lot to do.”

  Jacob nodded and dragged a fry through the sauce on his plate. “I feel bad that I saddled you with a kid when you had so much going on.”

  Noni shook her head. “No, no. I wanted to have him. I’m so glad I got the chance to see him again!”

  He nodded again. “Why did Enzo quit, by the way? That seemed pretty sudden.”

  Noni bit her lip, not sure whether she was ready to go there just yet. But, she thought, if she wanted a healthy relationship with Jacob, she had to be honest.

  “Well, you know that Enzo and I were…involved, right? I mean, just for a little while.”

  Jacob’s blue eyes snapped a little. “It seemed that way to me, yes.”

  “When things ended, it was…difficult. I think he just felt like it might be awkward for him to stay on as piloto for my family.”

  Jacob cocked his head. “Do you really think of the Del Campos as your family, Noni? I mean, I don’t remember you ever mentioning your brothers when I knew you.”

  Antonia felt herself color. She reached for her drink. “I didn’t…like to talk about them back then. We didn’t have a relationship yet. But we do now.”

  “And Pilar? Benny said that she’s been nothing but awful to you.”

  “Well, I mean”—she smiled to herself—“Pilar’s not an easy person, but lately it’s been…different.” She ran her finger along the edge of her plate. “It’s funny, but I actually think having Max around has helped.”

  He laid his hand over hers. “I’m glad for you if that’s true, but I guess I just hoped that you and Max would have the chance to spend some real time together.”

  She looked at his hand on hers and sighed. “Jacob, I want that, too. I can’t tell you what it means to me to see him again. It’s been…wonderful. He’s an amazing kid, and I’ve missed him so, so much. There hasn’t been a day since you left that I haven’t thought of him. But…I have to be honest, I don’t know if I can be the person you want me to be for him.”

  He opened his mouth to speak, but she interrupted.

  “It’s not that I don’t want to. I do. I want it more than anything
. It’s just…” She felt her voice catch. “I don’t know if I’m even capable of it. I don’t know that I can be a mother. I mean, you told me yourself—I’m not built that way.”

  He tightened his hand on hers and closed his eyes for a moment. “Antonia.” His voice was low. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

  He opened his eyes and looked at her.

  “When Max and I left, I know I told you that it was your fault and that I didn’t feel like he was safe with you. I know I blamed you for him getting sick. I know I did all that. But the truth is”—he looked away—“I was going to leave you anyway.”

  She looked at him, confused. “What?”

  “I’d met someone. Long before that night. I’d been seeing her for a while. So when he got sick, I mean, I really was scared and angry, of course. That wasn’t an act. He almost died. But what happened that night—it could have happened to anyone, and I knew that. I knew you were just so exhausted. I was so scared to tell you I wanted to leave. You’d been so incredible, helping me through Astrid’s death, taking care of Max. I felt like such an asshole. I didn’t know how to be honest. So when all that went down, it just seemed like an opportunity, the easiest way, I guess, to avoid having to tell you about Cecelia. I thought maybe it would hurt you less if you didn’t know about her.”

  She tugged her hand out from under his. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. “So you let me think that it was my fault…that I didn’t deserve to be a mother to Max?”

  “I know. It was the wrong thing to do. I realize that now. I was stupid and I was scared and I was fucked up. I mean, it had been such a terrible year with Astrid using again, and then when I lost her…I wasn’t myself. And you were really young, Noni. You were great with Max, you were, but you were practically a kid. That scared me.”

  Antonia felt dizzy.

  “And I’m not proud of his, but honestly, Cecelia was wealthy. Like, really wealthy. I knew that if I was with her, it would just be…easier. I knew that I’d be able to stop teaching, to concentrate fully on my art. And Max could go to good schools and be taken care of.”

  She pushed away from the table, started to get up, but he grabbed at her arm.

  “I was wrong, Noni. I was so, so wrong. Nothing was easier with Cecelia. She was cold. She was disconnected. She believed in my talent—she helped me make it in the art world, but I don’t think she ever really loved Max. She just thought he was in the way, you know? She hired all these nannies and she started talking about sending him away to boarding school…I just couldn’t do that. I could never do that to him. He’s my son. So we left her. And then I was back in the States, and I ran into your mom, and when I saw you again…it just seemed like kismet, you know? I realized what a huge mistake I had made. That you had really loved him. That you loved me…and I just threw that away.”

  He looked up at her, imploring. “I never meant to hurt you, Noni. I swear. I made a mistake. A horrible mistake. And I just…I just want to make it right.”

  She stood for a moment, her breath caught in her throat. “I…I need a moment.” She stumbled backward.

  He stood up. “Noni—”

  She put her hand out. “No, don’t. I just…I’m going to the bathroom for a second, okay? I promise, I’ll come back. But I need a second alone.”

  He looked unsure but nodded as she backed away.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Enzo had to admit, he was enjoying himself. After that first shot, he’d ordered a couple of vodka and sodas, trying not to notice the inflated price of the drinks. His teammates were fun. Raj had a million and one amazing stories about playing polo in India—including an entire year when he’d actually played on elephants—and David and Lachlan kept up a running commentary, teasing and laughing as Raj spun his tales.

  It was the best Enzo had felt in a while.

  He got up to use the bathroom, surprised to find that he was a little unsteady on his feet. The drinks may have been overpriced, but they definitely weren’t watered down.

  The corridor to the bathrooms was long and dimly lit, and just before he turned into the men’s room, the women’s bathroom door flung open, and Noni walked out.

  Enzo blinked, not quite trusting his eyes. Noni just stared at him for a moment, saying nothing. Her face was blotchy, and her dark eyes were red-rimmed.

  “Noni?” he said at last. “What are you doing here? Are you okay?”

  She shook her head mutely, rapidly blinking her eyes as if to hold back tears.

  “Querida,” he said. He took her hand and led her to the end of the hall where there was a small bench. He pulled her down next to him. “What’s going on?” He didn’t let go of her hand.

  She closed her eyes, the tears silently slipping beneath her long, dark lashes. “There’s too much to explain,” she said. Her voice sounded rusty. “Can you…would you mind just holding me for a moment?”

  Without question, he put his arms around her and held her close. She wrapped herself around him, laid her head against his chest, and sighed.

  “I’ve missed you,” he said. It hurt to say it.

  She was silent. And that hurt even more.

  He smoothed his hand over her hair. “Are you okay?”

  She shook her head. “No.” She looked up at him, her dark eyes huge and wet, her soft trembling lips a mere few inches from his. “But I’m sure I will be,” she whispered.

  He stared at her. He couldn’t resist. He leaned over and kissed her, and after the tiniest moment, he felt her melt under him and kiss him back. A kiss not so much of passion as it was of exquisite, heartbreaking tenderness.

  He closed his eyes and floated on that kiss, savoring the feeling of having her in his arms again. The warm, spicy scent of her, the silky brush of her hair against his cheek, the way her hands skimmed over his shoulders and rested lightly at the small of his back.

  She broke the kiss and sighed, leaning her forehead against his. “I should go,” she said.

  He pulled her closer. “No,” he said.

  She shook her head. “Yes,” she said, but moved closer to him instead. “You’re coming to my party, right?”

  He nodded.

  She smiled. “Good.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Without another word, she got up and walked away, slipping into the night.

  He sat there for a moment, the taste of her lingering on his lips, still not totally sure that he hadn’t imagined the entire thing.

  Then he got up and walked back to his table.

  “Boys,” he said, “I need your help with something.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  She and Jacob walked back to the house in silence. It was a beautiful night; the tall, full pine trees along the road whispered softly in the summer breeze. The first few fireflies of the season, little green orbs of dancing light, were darting among the shrubs and trees of cottage yards. Noni could feel the warmth of the residual heat collected from the day’s sun in the blacktop beneath her feet.

  She was walking with Jacob but thinking of Enzo. How he had just appeared in the moment when she needed him most. As he always seemed to do. How, seconds before she had seen him, she had felt like the world was ending. She hadn’t been able to catch her breath, the ground had seemed to be shifting beneath her; she had just wanted to sink to the floor and weep and had contemplated doing just that.

  But then, moments later, in the safety of Enzo’s arms, she somehow knew she would be okay.

  She drew strength from him. She always had.

  She sighed.

  Jacob looked at her. “I feel horrible,” he said. “Like I’ve gone about this all wrong.”

  She laughed ruefully. “Was there a right way?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe I shouldn’t have told you at all.”

  She shook her head. “No. I’m glad you did. I mean, it’s good to have some proof that I’m not actually the monster I thought I was, right?”

  His face
twisted in pain. “Is that really what you thought, Noni? For all these years?”

  She kicked at a stone on the ground. “Yup. Pretty much.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “God, I’m so sorry. Obviously I was the monster.”

  She blew out a little puff of air and shook her head. “It was a terrible year, Jake. You were going through some impossible things.”

  “I appreciate you saying that.”

  “Your wife died. You had a newborn baby.”

  “I know. But you were so good to me, good to us both, and I…I think I broke your heart.”

  She was quiet for a moment.

  “Losing Max did,” she admitted.

  He nodded. “He’s a great kid, isn’t he? He turned out really well considering that he has such a screwup for a father.”

  She laughed. “He did.”

  “You were the only real mother he ever had, Noni. I mean that.”

  She bit her lip, thinking of the way she’d held him as a baby. The way she’d rocked him in her arms, the heavy droop of his head as he fell asleep against her shoulder. Holding him had felt better than anything she’d ever known.

  She wasn’t sure how she felt about Jacob. But she knew how she felt about Max.

  They had arrived at the house, both a little winded from the steep climb up the driveway. They turned and looked at the night sky reflected on the ocean. He reached for her hand, and she let him take it.

  “That year wasn’t always terrible, though, was it?” he said. “I mean, we had some good times, too.”

  She looked at him. “We did,” she agreed.

  He met her eyes. “And we could again,” he said, smiling.

  “It’s possible.”

  He leaned down to kiss her. After a moment’s hesitation, she lifted her face to his and let him.

  It was nothing like the kiss she had just shared with Enzo. That kiss had said everything; this kiss was mute. She fiercely wanted this to be easier, to have Jacob’s lips on hers make her feel…anything, honestly.