Misplaced (10 page)

“What can I say? Business has been slow.”

“What are you doing these days?” “When I’m not crusading for immigration reform? Honestly, it doesn’t leave time for much.”

Robert ran a hand through his dark wavy hair and shook his head. “You’re making this into an argument, Victoria. It’s a perfectly civil question.”

She was embarrassed by how little of her life was not spent working, so she said nothing.

He leaned closer, fixing his eyes on hers, and whispered, “You’ve been avoiding me for ten years now.” Pulling away, he eyed Marta. “By the way, I thought I saw you in the plaza the other day,” he said, loudly enough to catch her attention.

“I rarely leave the office during the day,” Victoria retorted, catching sight of the disapproving turn of the corners of her aunt’s mouth. “If it was me, though, I was on my way to court.”

“Well, next time, stop by my office and say hello. I’ll buy you lunch.”

Her uncle came to her rescue by raising his glass. “It’s an honor to have so many lovely women at my table.”

From her seat at the opposite end of the table, Victoria watched Khara mesmerize the two older women just as she had captivated the cat the night before. Hanging on Marta’s every word, Khara marveled openly at Rosario’s impeccably tailored pantsuit and pearls until both older women were practically dizzy from the effects of her indisputable charm.

“Such delicate fingers,” Rosario commented. “I can’t remember the last time I saw a young woman with such perfect posture.”

Marta sighed as she brushed Khara’s cheek. “If only I could have skin like that again…”

“Mentirosa! You never had skin like that!” Rosario retorted and slapped Marta’s arm. The two burst out in giggles.

“Victoria’s great fortune is to have such women in her life,” Khara said quietly. “I never knew my mother. She died when I was born.”

After dabbing at them with a tissue, Rosario’s dark eyes still shone. “Life is sometimes hardest on the young and beautiful, no?” She and Marta cast sympathetic glances at each other.

Immersed in this pool of maternal warmth, Khara blossomed. Over the course of the evening, she held her own, and Victoria even caught her laughing once or twice. When one of the women placed a hand on her arm or brushed her hair back, she practically glowed. Victoria had to admit that there was a thing or two to be learned from this young woman. It was obvious she was well acquainted with dinner parties, familiar with toasting and wineglasses. An air of practiced diplomacy surrounded her as she sampled the unfamiliar appetizers.

Elias’s observant gaze never faltered. “Come now, hijita,”he said, leaning in close. “Don’t make us wait any longer. What have you managed to learn about her? I must confess, I expected someone… un poco diferente. Certainly not this well-bred young lady.”

“Not much more than I did on Friday. I thought her native tongue might be Arabic, but I can’t be sure.”

“Really?” Robert’s arched eyebrow told Victoria she’d hit a nerve.

“As you have undoubtedly noticed, her English is perfect, so it doesn’t matter. I thought that bringing her here might help her relax and open up a bit.”

“Arabic, you say?” Robert’s gaze moved across the table.

Elias picked up a plate. “Let’s see what Marta’s prepared for us.”

The group followed him to the kitchen, plates in hand. Robert stepped behind Victoria and whispered, “I’d hoped to have been invited here for more personal reasons.”

“Such as?”

“I thought you might have asked your aunt to invite me, but I see that’s not the case. You won’t mind, then, if I exchange seats with your aunt and test your theory, will you? I spent several years working in Riyadh.”

“I had no idea,” she lied. Marta had kept her well informed. The shine in his eyes dimmed, along with his smile. “My job took me to the more isolated parts of Saudi Arabia. Back then, I was such an adolescent fool, about a lot of things.” He turned her around to face him, his blue eyes searching hers. “Most of what they know about the United States they learned watching television. Not so different from us.”

Victoria recalled him breaking plenty of hearts in college, and whatever he’d had then, he had now. Suddenly, Marta materialized behind them.

“I’ve made your favorite—enchiladas con pollo—and still your plates are empty? What’s happened to your appetites?” Placing a bit of food on her plate, Victoria returned to the table. To her relief, Marta slid into Robert’s seat.

“Now that,” she declared, smiling in his direction, “could be one of your best decisions yet. Rosario says he asks about you all the time.”

Victoria tried to envision them sitting at a table of their own with a child or two. A lump rose in her chest and she shook her head. “Tia, please don’t start.”

Marta reached under the table and squeezed Victoria’s knee. “I see the way you look at him.”

Victoria was in the middle of a pathetic excuse when Marta interrupted, saying, “Maybe there’s hope for you yet.”

Chapte
r
Seven
Vic
t
oria

Rober
t
an
d
Khar
a
sa
t
sid
e
b
y
side
,
head
s
together
, oblivious
to
anyone
else
at
the
table.
He
hung
one
arm
casually on
the
back
of
her
chair
making
notes.
They hardly
touched their
food.
W
ith
Rosario and Marta
constantly
hecklin
g
eac
h
other
,
V
ictori
a
couldn’
t
catc
h a
wor
d
o
f
their
con
v
ersation. She pushed her plate a
w
ay and wondered what kind of progress Robert
w
as trying to make.

“
¿
T
equil
a
co
n
crema?
”
Elia
s w
en
t
t
o
th
e
dar
k
rosewood
cabinet
in
the
corner
and
pulled
out
an
amber
bottle.
He
came back with a tray of sil
v
er-rimmed, glass
caballitos
and slid one
V
ictoria’
s
w
ay
.
“Th
e
shap
e
o
f
th
e
glass
,
yo
u
see
,
pay
s
homag
e
to
the cowboys. They drank tequila from hollo
w
ed horns so they wouldn’t spill any, e
v
en when riding.”

He
r
uncl
e
almos
t
al
w
ay
s
bega
n
discussions
,
especiall
y
when
h
e
fel
t
uncomfortable
,
wit
h
som
e
sor
t
o
f
histor
y
lesson
.
Not
tha
t
sh
e
w
a
s
keepin
g
score
,
bu
t
he
’
d
use
d
thi
s
on
e
onc
e
o
r
twice
bef
o
re.
In
a
d
i
sc
reet
vo
i
c
e,
he
qui
c
kly
c
hanged
the
s
ub
j
e
c
t.
“
Y
o
u
know
that
Marta
only
w
ants
to
see
you
happy.
Don’t
think
that
I
don’
t
kno
w
th
e
pressure
s
an
d
difficul
t
choice
s
tha
t
fal
l
on
young women these days.”

She squeezed his hand. “I’m thirty-two.”

“Nonetheless.
”
H
e
seeme
d
t
o
gi
v
e
hi
s
nex
t
words
considerable thought. “There is so much rhetoric about how to be
happy
in
today’s
world,
almost
as
if
there
w
ere
a
formula. I
prefe
r
t
o
thin
k
o
f
happines
s
a
s a
for
m
o
f
art
.
Sometimes disciplin
e
i
s
required
;
othe
r
times
, a
tota
l
abandonmen
t
of
con
v
ention creates the true masterpiece.”

“I’
v
e ne
v
er thought of it that
w
ay before.”

“What I’m trying
to say is this: become a gifted artist,
hija
. Find happiness in your own time, your own
w
ay.”

Her uncle poured more tequila; Robert politely refused. He whispered in Elias’s ear and disappeared into the dim light of the hall
w
ay.

“
T
o
th
e
w
o
n
d
er
s
an
d
m
an
y
a
d
aptation
s
o
f
art,
”
E
lias
toasted, standing with his drink in hand, winking at her.

Amid
the
clinking
of
glasses,
Marta
nudged
Rosario.
“What on earth is he talking about
? Por dios
, Elias, speak English!”

Th
e
mea
l
w
a
s
almos
t
finishe
d
whe
n
Rober
t
reappeared,
kneelin
g
bet
w
ee
n
V
ictori
a
an
d
he
r
uncle
.
Hi
s
congenial
expressio
n
betra
y
e
d a
sens
e
o
f
unease
.
“
I
nee
d
t
o
spea
k
with
th
e
tw
o
o
f
you
.
Pri
v
ately.
”
H
e
e
y
e
d
Khar
a
curiously
,
thoug
h
she
w
a
s
fa
r
to
o
engrosse
d
i
n
con
v
ersatio
n
wit
h
Rosari
o
t
o
notice.
He hurried to the library with
V
ictoria close on his heels.

“I hope you don’t mind, I borrowed you
r
computer.
”
H
e
peele
d
of
f
hi
s
jacket
and flung
it o
v
er a cordo
v
an leather armchair.

“
W
it
h
suc
h
lo
v
el
y
company,
”
Elia
s
admonishe
d
whe
n
he
caught up, “work should be the last thing—”

I
f
Rober
t
w
a
s
listenin
g
h
e
ga
v
e
n
o
sig
n
o
f
i
t
othe
r
tha
n
to
drum
the
keyboard
so
hard
it
rattled as
he
del
v
ed
into
screen after screen.

“Wha
t
ar
e
y
o
u
lookin
g
for?
”
V
ictori
a
asked
.
Sh
e
would
ne
v
er ha
v
e imagined him capable of such focus.

“He
shook
his
head
and
mumbled,
“But
she
used
the
word
“
w
adj”
to
describe
paper,
W
adj?
Ne
v
er
heard
it
before,
but
just
a minute, here it is. But that’s impossible!”

“N
o
w
there
’
s
a
w
o
r
d
I
do
n
’
t
like,
”
s
h
e
a
c
kn
o
w
le
d
ge
d
,
leaning o
v
er his shoulder to see the computer screen.

“
E
v
e
n
takin
g
i
nt
o
a
cco
un
t
th
e
o
the
r
d
e
r
i
v
a
t
io
n
s
o
f
A
rabi
c
…”