Anarchy (23 page)

They finally reached the upscale establishment and on
c
e inside the lobby doors, he sighed
at the cool
air
circulating
from hidden vents
.         

“Welcome, names please?”

“Mister and Miss
us
Diaz.”

Jessica  smiled
at this and he winked.

“Follow me please.”

The restaurant was fairly empty
. M
ost of the patrons
were
in their mid-thirties, artsy types with deep pockets.

“It’s nice.” Jessica whisp
ered as they followed the hostess.

Emilio wasn’t as impressed by the uninspiring décor. He’d been in swankier spots. The saving grace for this one,
it’s
cozy private tables
and air-conditioning
.

They were seated and the hostess announced a waiter will arrive shortly then sauntered off.

Jessica smiled, “Thanks for bringing me, it’s twenty-one and over.”

“You’re welcome. No booze, though.”

“Not even one Daiquiri?”

“Not one.”

“Ugh, you’re such a dictator.”

“I’m
not helping you break the law.”

“Funny…hah…hah,” she teased.

The waitress arrived as they browsed the expensive menu. They ordered then he leaned over the table
to compliment her
, “You’re very pretty.”

“Thanks. Do you like the dress I’m wearing?”

He blushed. The dress hugged her curves in all the right places. She was very sexy in a classy way. “Of course, I like everything you wear.”

“Macho Emilio is actually blushing.
Hot damn!”

“All right…enough.”

She brought her face close, “
You have nice eyes.”

“
You flirt too much
.”

“And a nice body.”

He blushed again.

“You know what I want to do?” She asked.

“No, tell me.”

“Bungee jump.”

He laughed, “Another day.”

“You know what
I
don’t
want
?”

His eyes traveled down her plunging neckline, resting on her full breasts.
God, she’s hot!

“No, but you’ll tell me I’m sure.”

“I don’t wan
t to spend my life censuring who I am or let others tell me who I’m supposed to be. I’m young but it feels like I’ve lived two lifetimes. I
already figured out
what I want. You don’t have to be fifty to know those things.
” Her eyes dropped sadly and he wondered what she was thinking but didn’t have to wait long for
a full
disclosure. “My Uncle Al
probably
thought he
time to enjoy his life,
but
…he didn’t
.
It was snatched away.
I
’m not planning on making that mistake.
” Her eyes were on him again, “Everyone should live
in the moment. Tomorrow might not exist
.”

He saw how deeply affected she was over her uncle’s death. It
explained her carefree and passionate spirit.
“Yeah.”

“What about you,
what is it you’d like to do?”

The waitress appeared with t
heir drinks
.
He ordered a
house beer
for
himself and for Jessica a lame
twist of lime
in water
. He took a minute to drink as he thought about the question,
“Hmm,
easy one. I’d open an auto shop, not one of those
d
inky spots but a real quality joint with professional service and top-notch mechanics.”

She smiled as he talked about it then he became quiet, took a
nother
gulp of beer and
his eyes hardened.
She’s
getting me to open up, trying to make me believe in happy endings but I don’t…if I get caught up in fantasies, I’ll start believing
in fairytales.

“Then do it.”

“Humph.”

“What’s going through your mind?”

Women, they wanted to know too much. If men disclosed their every thought,
women
might not like what they hear
d
.
“
I’m wondering
where our entrée is
,”
he
answered,
then
s
wivel
ed
his head
in search of the w
aitress
to
avoid
the intensity of
Jessica’s
probing eyes.

Sometime later, they strolled from the restaurant, walking leisurely, enjoying the warm Miami afternoon
and
just
being together
. The active streets were filled with young, excited college kids and a few elderly seated on the curbside benches beneath the shade of palm trees. During the peaceful walk he took her hand and squeezed g
ently. She smiled at this intimate gesture and for the first time, had no commentary.

A block from the hotel his cell rang, he did not release her hand to answer, “Yeah Lou, what’s up?”

“
Gotta
cut your vacation short kid, need you in New York
, pronto
.”

Emilio glanced at
Jessica;
he’d known eventually their bonding time would
n’t last forever.
He sort of hoped it hadn’
t come
as
quickly, however he
grew
accustomed to
abrupt endings
.
He’d experienced these short bursts of happiness and contentment proceeded by sudden separation
. The long sad days and feelings of not being wanted cut through
his heart
like a knife.
Being shuffled from one foster home
to
another
taught him
to never get emotionally attached to anyone.
He stopped dreaming of a family who’d love him
and
threw
away
wish
ful thinking along with the memories of a painful
child
hood.
He
mastered the art of
avoiding attachment and
became accustomed to going solo,
that is,
until Jessica
got under his skin.

“Okay, when?”

“Get the earliest flight, Alfonzo’s requested a driver.”

This surprised him. He’d spoken to Alfonzo over the last couple of days and he hadn’t hinted at any trouble –but then again, Alfonzo never did. “Okay. What about
Jessica?”

“He says let her enjoy the rest of the week, she’s a
big girl
.”

“Right.”

“Give me a call with an arrival
time,
I’ll have someone waiting with the car.”

Emilio understood. Alfonzo’s cars were
specially outfitted
with bullet proof glass and
reinforced
doors.
Something must’
ve happened, why else would he
request a driver
?

He shoved the cell in his pocket and met her curious eyes, “I have to
get back to work
.”

“When?”

“Today.”

She couldn’t hide the disappointment, “
Spend time with me before you go
.”

He
lifted her hand, put it to his mouth
.
Her proposal was hard to refuse
, yet he couldn’t accept.
He kissed her
fingers
.
“I can’t
,
I need to get to the airport
.
”
He
pulled her to his body
and kissed
her publicly
. Slowly, h
e
separated from her
.
He thought it best to put a halt to their sexual relationship before she expected a commitment of some kind.
“
I care about you
. W
hat we shared was great. It really was
…
but
Jess…we can’t pretend it’ll go anywhere. You’re young…and you think you know what you want but you really don’t. One day when you’re older…you will and realize it wasn’t me.”

“What…are you kidding…you can turn-off your feelings just like that?”

“I do care…I…
I
’
ll remain your
friend
. A
ny time
you need me I’ll be
a phone call away
, I promise.”
He stressed. It was killing him to tamponade their
burgeoning relationship.
Doing it was the only assurance he had she’d go about her carefree life and not get mixed up in his sordid one.
 

Her eyes narrowed,
“
I
took a risk
when I told you how I felt.
Having
you, even
if it was
briefly was worth it. I don’t care if I made
a jack-ass out of myself
,
or you think I’m easy
a
t
least I had the courage to go after what I want. Too bad, you
don’t!
”