by J Q Anderson
“What?”
“You heard me.” Those clear blue eyes watched me with love and adoration. “I know it’s soon and everything is moving fast, but I’m in love with you. There’s no one else for me, Camila, that’s why I’m so possessive about you. You’re my sun, my hope. You make me want to be a better man. I want to be the man you deserve and give you everything. I want to lay the world at your feet.”
I closed my eyes. God, this man. And I had fallen for him too. So hard I no longer knew which way was up.
“Sebastián…”
He kissed me deeply and the world spun. And I knew there was no one else for me either. I just wanted to be here, with him.
Chapter 29
“These look great,” I said. “The kids are going to love them.” I folded the last soccer shirt and placed it back into the box.
“This is the best part of this whole thing. You’ll see,” Sebastián said, sliding the box into the van Rafa and Tano were loading.
Excitement surged through me. In that moment, he wasn’t the powerful entrepreneur, or the son of the Argentinean customs boss. He was simply someone who couldn’t wait to put a smile on the faces of unprivileged kids.
Tano and Rafa got in the van, and Sebastián led me to a small Renault Clío parked behind it.
“Whose car is this?” I said, getting in.
“Mine. I keep something low profile for the visits to the schools. The other cars are too conspicuous. I would be an easy target.”
“Target? For whom?”
“A van full of soccer uniforms, supplies, and food makes a very attractive bounty. No need to add a Beemer behind it. Especially in the areas where we take this project,” he said, pulling into traffic behind Rafa.
“Oh.” I shuddered inwardly. Was he a constant target? And by being with him, was I one too? I pushed the thought away. “So how many schools are we visiting?”
“Just one today. I like to stay and play a soccer game with the kids. I usually start the teams and coach them until we find someone full-time. This school has a new coach, and I can’t wait to see how they’ve progressed.”
“So, I get to watch you play?”
“Yup. Lucky you.”
We drove north through San Fernando, Beccar, and Victoria, then turned west. As we left the freeway behind, the neighborhoods became more humble, rural. Tiny houses on dirt roads. Most had bars on the windows, their small yards barely a patch of dirt. Along the back of the modest lots, clotheslines crossed from one end to the other, the garments flapping in the midday breeze. Chickens wandered loose here and there, and from behind a wire fence, a stray dog barked a protest when we passed by.
We turned into a narrow dirt road lined by houses on both sides. Sebastián parked outside a white building I assumed was the school. The air was warm and doused with the aroma of freshly cut grass and baked dirt. From across the street, a woman in a black dress waved as she hurried to us.
“Sebastián, finally. So good to see you, mijo. The kids been waitin’ for you.” In the midmorning sun, her deep black eyes shone like dimes. They were etched with shrewdness, the way I imagined a fortune-teller’s. She then looked from Sebastián to me, regarding me with curiosity.
“Rosa, this is Camila, my girlfriend.”
“Welcome, welcome.” She hugged me, then smiled at Sebastián. “She’s a princess.”
“Yes, she is. My princess.”
A stampede of school kids in white pinafores charged us and crowded around Sebastián, pushing through to wrap their arms around him however they could. They ranged from six years old to middle school age. The little ones got Sebastián’s legs, while the bigger ones hugged him over the others. Sebastián stumbled, chuckling. The decibel level was unreal as the kids yelled greetings and questions over each other. Father Juan Pablo appeared from behind the kids, wearing a wide smile. I didn’t remember ever seeing a happier bunch.
“Camila,” Father JP yelled over the kids as he cut through to greet me, nodding toward Sebastián. “They love him here.”
“I’d say.”
Father JP led me to the van where Rafa and Tano were unloading the boxes and separating them in stacks.
“Good to see you, Father. The uniforms are in those boxes over there,” said Rafa, signaling with his head. “Tano and I will bring the rest inside.”
An older man with a crooked back and a labored pace approached from the school building. He shook his head, smiling at Sebastián who was still barricaded by the growing crowd of kids. Father JP introduced him to me as Eduardo, the school principal. His white hair was neatly combed back, his face heavily creased with lines of wisdom.
“Camila, it’s a pleasure. Welcome. The kids hurried their lunch today because they knew he was coming.” He turned to watch Sebastián. “He’s their guardian angel, you know. Gives these kids hope in people. God knows most of them here need it.”
Principal Eduardo ordered the kids to scatter and return to the playground. They tugged on Sebastián’s arms, pulling him along with them. We followed them to the school building, a humble structure of concrete and peeling paint. The classrooms bordered a courtyard of crooked tiles where boys and girls played games of basketball, jump rope, hopscotch, and elastic bands. Some rushed over to greet and hug Sebastián.
The back of the school was a large patch of grass that had been turned into a soccer field fenced with chicken wire. Father JP and Principal Eduardo divided the kids by age groups, directing them to stand in single lines. With the help of Rafa and Tano, they opened the boxes and handed each kid a soccer jersey embroidered with their team name; shorts, cleats, and a pair of matching socks. The kids hurried out of their pinafores and tried on the uniforms over their clothes.
I hadn’t noticed until then that there were only boys in the lines. The girls were gathered in a single group farther behind.
“What about them? The girls?” I asked Father JP.
“The girls don’t want to play soccer, so Sebastián brings them other things.”
“Like what?”
“You name it. New clothes, jump ropes, art supplies, music, nail polish. Whatever they ask him for.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, they’ve got him wrapped around their little fingers.”
“This is so cool,” I said, watching Sebastián help a little boy put on his shirt. Love tugged at my heart. This man. When they looked at him, most people saw a Palacios, a gangster. But underneath that name was a brave man with a big heart who used his privilege and his means to help others, innocent people with no hope. First the Russian girls, now these kids.
Father JP followed my gaze. “Wait till you see him play soccer with them. I don’t know who’s happier.”
The girls charged us when Father JP opened a pink box. I helped him hand out all kinds of things, and within minutes the boxes were empty. Sebastián jogged to me. He had a little girl in a white dress strapped in his arms. She couldn’t have been older than four. Her skin was the color of milk chocolate, her hair the shade of molasses and pulled up in a high ponytail.
“Cami, this is Luciana. Will you keep her company while I play a game with the boys?”
Luciana tightened her arms around Sebastián and tucked her head in the crook of his neck. “I want to stay with you.”
“Luci, I need you to take care of my girlfriend for me, okay?” He kissed her hair. “Did I tell you Camila’s a ballerina?”
She frowned, assessing me suspiciously. “She doesn’t have a tutu.”
“I do,” I said. “At home. Maybe next time I can bring it with me. Would you like that?”
She nodded and loosened her grip on Sebastián’s neck. “Do you have lipstick?”
I pulled my pink lip gloss out of my purse, and Luciana stretched out her arms to launch herself to me. Sebastián gave me a soft kiss on the lips, then ran back to the boys.
“He kissed you,” Luciana said, pressing her little palms on my face. “That means he loves you.”
We sat on a bench in the shade, and a group of teachers brought lemonade while Sebastián and Father JP divided the kids into teams.
“It’s my favorite day of the month,” one of the teachers said. A long auburn braid hung down her back. Her deeply tanned skin was weathered and traced with worry lines.
“It’s everyone’s favorite day of the month,” an older one corrected. “Sebastián’s their guardian angel.” She echoed Principal Eduardo’s words from earlier. She then turned to me. “How did you two meet?”
I told them about the day I dropped the ballet shoe on the street. It seemed so distant, like it belonged to someone else’s life. So much had happened since then. It was strange to even think of my life before Sebastián. I watched him move with ease as he passed the ball to his younger teammates, dodging Father JP. This was a new side of him, and I loved it.
A half an hour later they stopped for a drink. Sebastián winked at me from among the children, then wiped his forehead and went back to the game.
Luciana shifted on my lap. “I’m tired. Can we go home?”
“It’s okay,” one of the women said. “I’ll walk her. It’s just across the street.”
“No, I want Camila,” Luciana said, wrapping her arms around my neck like she had done with Sebastián.
“I’d like to take her if that’s okay,” I said.
The woman nodded. “Her mother’s name is Rosa.”
“Oh, yeah. I just met her. Luciana, are you ready?”
She jumped off my lap. “I can dance too. I know how to stand on my tippy-toes. Look.” She put her hands on her waist and rolled onto perfect pointe. I watched her with wide eyes.
“That’s amazing. How do you do that?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged.
“You have a gift.” It had taken me more than five years before I could stand en pointe like that.
Luciana grabbed my hand and tugged me toward her house, a small square about the size of Sebastián’s bathroom.
Inside, Rosa was bent over a steaming pot on a stove. There was a single bed to the side and a small dining table beside it. She turned around when Luciana squealed and ran into her arms.
“Mami, I have a new friend. She’s a ballerina, but she doesn’t have her tutu. Isn’t she pretty?”
Rosa smiled benevolently. “Camila, thanks. You needn’t bother.”
“It’s not a bother at all. She’s very talented. Does she take ballet?” I felt foolish as soon as I said it. Dance was not likely at the top of their priority list.
“No, just around the house.”
“Well, if it’s okay, I could teach her a few things. Maybe next time Sebastián comes?”
“Sure. That’s very nice of you.”
Luciana clapped her hands and rolled onto her toes.
I shook my head in disbelief. “I’ll arrange it with Sebastián.”
“Thank you, thank you,” she said, nodding.
“What size of shoe does she wear?”
“A size one, though we make do with whatever we ’ave in hand.” She smiled sweetly at her daughter.
I hugged Luciana hard and promised to visit her soon. A little piece of my heart chipped off and stayed with her.
Chapter 30
“Mmm…this is heaven. I love your idea of staying in,” I purred, stretching out by the edge of Sebastián’s glorious swimming pool, a rectangle of crystalline water with an infinity drop-off. I curled my toes, basking in the energy of the morning sun. He rose from the water beside me, planting a sensual kiss on my neck, his cool lips sending goose bumps down my skin.
“Anything to get you in a bikini and have you all to myself.”
“Oh.” I chuckled, running my fingers through his dripping hair. “Ulterior motives. I see.”
His lips sucked harder and I squirmed, giggling.
“Stop. You’re going to give me a hickey.”
“Just marking my territory.”
I shoved his forehead, pushing him back into the water. He shook his head, splashing me.
“Sebastián!” I wrapped my arms over my head.
His soft laughter got closer, and he pressed another cold kiss to my shoulder.
“Come here,” he said.
“No. It’s cold.”
He bit his lip to stifle a smile, and before I knew it, I was in the pool with him.
“Jesus, it’s freezing!” I gripped him with my arms and legs. A deep chuckle rumbled from his throat, and as he brought me to him, his mouth found mine. Blazing heat inside me rushed to all the right places. He pressed my back against the cool tiles, and I kissed him hard.
“I’m lucky to have you,” he said tenderly.
“Says the man who has everything.”
“The only thing I really want…is you.”
“And you have me.” I pulled a strand of wet hair off his forehead. “I’m the lucky one. What you do for those kids, Sebas…it’s so generous.”
“Most of them have rough situations at home. I can only make them happy for a few moments of their day. But it gives them hope. At least they know they can choose something different. Sometimes all people need is a little help.”
“I love you, you know?” I said, finally setting the words free while I traced the line of his jaw.
Relief and joy crossed his eyes. “I love you too.”
“You have such a big heart. This thing with the uniforms. How did you get it started?”
“Actually, it’s Julián who’s the most involved. He runs several charity projects,” he said, shaking the dripping water off his hair and onto my face. I laughed, then frowned when the words registered.
“Wait…Julián? Seriously?”
“Julián has a rough past. He spent some time in the streets when he was a kid. Long story. Now he leads like ten different charities.” He brushed my wet cheek with the pad of his thumb.
“That seems totally out of character with the man I met the other day.”
“Appearances can be deceiving.”
“I’d say.” He lowered his head under water while I racked my brain, trying to merge the two very different versions of Julián in my head. Sebastián rose and I kissed his wet lips. “I want to help however I can, which gives me an idea. Can we go back to Luciana’s house a bit later? I’d like to bring her something.”
“Sure. What?”
“You’ll see. I just need to make a stop first.”
Later in the afternoon, we drove down a small street in Martinez until I found the address I wanted. I hadn’t been there in years.
I waited a few minutes at the door. The little house hadn’t changed much. The front garden was meticulously manicured, just as I remembered it. Laura opened the door and gasped, immediately wrapping me in her arms. She had been my seamstress since I started ballet and had sewn every single costume I ever wore until I joined the company at the Colón. To me, she was family.
“Camila, darling. Look at you. All grown up, and skin and bones!”
“You always say that no matter what I weigh. This is my boyfriend, Sebastián.”
He bent down to greet her with a kiss on the cheek. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“A boyfriend! Dios mío, and he’s so handsome. Camila, you really are all grown up. Come on inside.”
“Are you going to tell me what we’re doing here?” Sebastián whispered into my ear.
“You’ll see.”
“So. What exactly did you have in mind?” said Laura as she led us into the last room in the hallway. Just stepping into Laura’s sewing room made my heart race. It was an enchanted space that smelled of cotton and the cedar blocks she hung between the fabrics to keep moths away. When I was young, I believed this was a place where dreams were made true. Laura would pull out her measuring tape and make all sorts of calculations I was sure were magic.
Sebastián followed me in, looking as mesmerized as I had always felt in here.
“This place is incredible,” he said.
“Go ahead. Look around.” Laura gestured with her hand, and he followed suit, disappearing into the hundreds of costumes hanging on bars throughout the room. She looked at me over her half-moon spectacles, her hands locked at her waist. Her now white-dusted hair was pulled into a neat bun. Laura was only five feet tall, but her tone and her demeanor made you stand up straight when she spoke, kind of like Madame. And nobody could sew like Laura. She was a gift to ballet.
“I need a tutu for a four-year-old girl. Something embroidered with rhinestones, or flowers. What do you think?”
Her eyes narrowed in thought. “I’m working on some costumes for the Nutcracker. They are along the lines of what you are describing. I’m sure I can add one more to the count.” From several dozen sparkly white costumes neatly lined up on a freestanding hanger, she pulled out a white satin bodice with gathered layers of tulle at the skirt intricately embroidered with rhinestones and snowflakes. It was stunning. “I would let you take one now, but all the sizes I finished are much bigger. I could have it ready in about a week? Just the tutu?”
“Yes, just the tutu will do. Thank you, I know how busy you are. This should cover it and the delivery fee,” I said, reaching for my purse and pulling out my checkbook. I let her know I would call her later with the address, and wrote her a check for a generous amount. When Laura saw it, she shook her head.
“Camila, no. That is way too much money.”
“I will hear no more,” I said, signing the check and sliding it on the table. “I’m barging in and imposing this on you.”
“You are never an imposition. I’m so glad to see you. Sit down for a moment and tell me about life at the Colón. Must be so glamorous. And thank you for the tickets to Giselle, I can’t wait to see you dance as Myrta.” She moved some boxes from a chair so I could sit.
I glanced over at one of them. “Are those slippers?”
“Yes, we had to order them in advance to match them to the costumes.” She opened the box and pulled out a white satin ballet slipper.