The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-41

The rain was still falling when Louise dashed from Antonio's car into her own. "Gross!" she exclaimed as she pulled the door shut and wiped the water from her forehead. She set her purse on the floor, slipped out of her jacket and hung it carefully on the back of the passenger seat. 

Louise started the engine, turned on the wipers and headlights, and switched the fan to the Defrost setting. She waved to Antonio; he waved back and pulled away.

Louise took a deep breath and let herself relax back into the driver's seat. The air in the car had a moist, fresh smell. She gazed past the raindrops and the wipers that struggled to keep the windshield clear. Her thoughts weren't focused. She felt an urge to call Terri but decided against it.

"Terri has her own problems," she thought to herself. "Besides, she's probably with Francisco."

Calling Jo was out of the question. Those feelings were too raw. Louise couldn't even think about her. The conversation with Antonio brought it all back, her own infidelity and Walter's counter-infidelity with her close friend. 

"God, what a mess!" Louise said to herself out loud.

The windows were relatively clear now; the Defrost setting was working. Louise checked traffic carefully in both directions and pulled out of the space. 

Louise thought over her conversation with Antonio as she waited for the traffic signal to change. She felt remarkably tranquil, almost as though they had met for sex instead of a drink. 

Seeing him again was surreal after all that had happened. Thankfully, she still felt comfortable in his presence. He showed no animosity toward her despite the harshness of the breakup and the unfortunate way that he had found out about Walter. 

Louise always enjoyed listening to Antonio; she liked to watch his eyes and hands as he let his thoughts flow. The accent and the imperfect English were cute, but the appeal ran deeper that that. He was expressive and open. He didn't seem to fear the judgment of others. He just said what he wanted to say with confidence, at least to the degree that he could while communicating in a second language. This directness was one of the qualities that had attracted her in the beginning. He always made her feel at ease. It's probably why she fell in love with him.

Louise reached over and powered on the radio. She dialed down to the jazz channel at the lower end of the FM dial. Jazz is the perfect soundtrack for introspection - the warm chords of the guitar, the breathy urgency of a wailing saxophone. Jazz expresses emotion without the distraction of words. It raises the spirit and makes you feel as though you're floating toward heaven.

And it does this very well until an ad for an online dating service comes on and kills the mood. 

"God damn it!" shrieked Louise as she slammed the radio's power button with her fist.

Louise suddenly felt an uncomfortable tension tugging at her face. She choked back the urge to cry as she dialed Terri.

The phone rang several before Terri answered. "Hey, Lou, are you okay?"

"Hey, I'm so sorry!"

"No, it's okay, what's up?"

Louise began to cry. "I think I'm just really upset."

"Lou, were are you? Are you driving?"

"Yes," she sobbed.

"Well, maybe you should pull over."

"It's okay, I'm almost home."

"Do you want to call me when you get there and tell me what happened?"

"Okay," Louise sobbed.

"Louise, is Walter back?" Terri asked.

"No. Tomorrow."

"Hang on a sec." Terri covered the phone. Louise could hear muffled voices in the background. "Louise, I'm coming over."

Louise started to regain some of her composure. "Are you with Francisco?"

"Yeah," Terri answered. "But it's okay. It sounds like you need to talk."

"No, you should..."

"It's okay, Lou. I'm gonna come over and stay with you tonight."

"Are you sure?"

"It's okay, Lou. Really!"

"Okay."

"All right, listen," Terri instructed. "I want you to hang up and drive very carefully. It's raining hard."

"Okay."

"And I'll see you in a little while."

"Okay," Louise said softly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Lou. Just get home safely."

"Okay."

"Okay, bye!"

"Bye!"

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-40

Antonio jumped to his feet as Louise rose from the table. "Here, let me help you with your coat."

"Thank you," she acknowledged gently.

Antonio opened his walled and placed two twenty-dollar bills on the table. "I'll walk you to your car."

"Don't you need change?"

"No, that should be about right."

They walked toward the door. Louise turned toward Antonio as he reached for the handle: "You don't have to come with me."

"It's okay," he assured her. "I want to hit the gym and then get back to my room in time for the match."

"Soccer?" she asked.

"Football."

"Football ... right!" she mused with a grin.

Antonio opened the door for her.

"Oh, God! It's raining!" Louise cried.

"Wow! It really is!"

"I didn't bring an umbrella!"

"Where are you parked?" he asked.

"I'm way out there!" She pointed toward the far end of the lot. "There weren't any spaces closer when I arrived."

"I'll drive you to your car. I'm parked right here." Antonio motioned toward a black, late-model Mustang.

"Are you sure?"

"Sure, I'm sure!" he insisted. "Come on!"

Without hesitation, he dashed out into the pouring rain and opened the passenger door for her. Louise raced toward the car holding her purse over her head. Antonio walked briskly toward the driver's side and let himself in.

"Oh, no! You're soaked!"

"We're both soaked," he said with a matter of fact tone. "Bad timing, I guess!"

The comment implied multiple meanings in Louise's mind. "Yeah, I guess!"

The Mustang's V-8 engine roared as Antonio pressed the accelerator pedal. Louise's eyes opened widely. "Oh, this car is so YOU!"

"Do you like it?"

"It sounds nice," she observed. "And it doesn't leak."

"Have you ridden in a Mustang before?"

"In high school, I think. - Don't tell my mom."

"Well, they're a lot more powerful now," Antonio boasted.

"I rode in a Ferrari once. That was pretty powerful."

"Wow! when was that?"

"Another story for another time." Louise pointed to a car as they drove slowly down the row. "This is me."

Antonio pulled into the space adjacent to Louise's. "There! You will not have to walk too far!"

"I can't believe there are so many spaces now!" she grumbled. She realized that she sounded irritated. "I'm sorry for complaining."

"It's okay," he assured her. "No one likes getting caught in the rain."

"Anyway, thanks for the ride!"

"My pleasure!"

"Geez, it's still coming down!"

"Probably, it will slow down in a minute," he said. "Hey, listen..."

Louise turned toward him. She felt uneasy about what he might say.

"I'm sorry about the Friday thing," Antonio said. "I didn't intend to upset you."

"It's okay," Louise said calmly. "She just blurted it out at a stressful moment."

"Beth?"

"Yeah."

"She seems pretty excited to go," Antonio noted.

"Yeah, because she has a thing for you!"

"I don't think so."

"Oh, yeah! Totally!"

"Well, it's okay because I don't have a thing for her."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure, Louisa."

"You're sure that you're not looking to hook up with somebody this time."

"Well, I wasn't looking to hook up with her."

"Oh! My! God!" Louise exclaimed with a look of contemptuous disbelief on her face.

"I'm sorry. That didn't mean ... it wasn't what it sounded like," Antonio said sheepishly.

"Well, it sounded pretty bad!"

"Entiendo. Really. I'm sorry. I just meant..." He paused for a moment.

"You meant...?"

"I meant that I am not attracted to Beth, not even a little bit. Okay?"

"You're sure?"

"Louisa, I told you that I am sure."

"I mean, are you sure that that's what you meant?"

"Ah, you are playing games with me now!" Antonio complained playfully. "You know that my English is not that good."

"Okay, just checking," Louise said as she reached for the door handle.

"Why don't you come with us?" he asked.

"Come where?"

"El viernes," he suggested. "Friday - come to dance. It will be fun."

Louise cringed. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why isn't it a good idea?" Antonio realized that was pressing her a bit, but with his smile he let her know that he wasn't trying to be pushy. "You can bring your boyfriend."

"Oh, that's an even worse idea!" Louise blurted out with a look of shock on her face.

"Oh, so he knows about me."

"No," she explained. "He doesn't know about ... anything. But I don't really want him asking questions either, do you know what I mean?"

"Entiendo. Está bien."

"And besides, dancing really isn't his thing."

"Okay, well, it was just a thought," Antonio said.

"And it was a nice thought," she said. "Now, I have to get home."

"Sí!"

"And you have to go to the gym."

"Yes!" He said with a smile.

"And watch your football game."

"Soccer game!"

"Oh, don't try to pull that one mister!" she scolded.

Louise looked into Antonio's eyes. She had an overwhelming urge to kiss him in that moment. He lips were parted and her heart was racing. If she had known for certain that he was feeling the same way, she might have gone for it. But neither of them made a move. The moment passed.

"Thanks again for the ride," she said as she unlatched the door.

"Thank you for meeting me."

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

The Horse Farm - Chapter 2-39

Quebracho was located near the corner of a large, L-shaped shopping center. The parking lot was busy and most of the spaces were taken. Louise parked near the far end of the lot and walked past two other restaurants, a gym, and a row of specialty shops.

"It figures that I couldn't even find a good space!" she muttered.

A bouncer in a black suit stood beside a double door of dark wood and faux iron work. He pulled one of the doors open as Louise arrived. She wondered whether he was going to ask her for identification, but he didn't.

Antonio was sitting to Louise's left at a table across from the bar. He smiled and rose to his feet; his slender six-foot two-inch frame and raven hair turned a few heads.

"You were right!" Louise exclaimed.

"About what?" Antonio asked while slipping Louise's jacket gently from her shoulders. 

"It is a nice bar!"

"I'm glad that you think so," he said, relaxing a bit. "And listen! No tango music!" 

Louise let out a laugh. "I guess you were right about that, too!" she said with a beaming smile.

A muscular waiter approached the table. "What can I get for you, Miss?"

"Malbec? Not too dry?"

"Right away!" Louise glanced at the waiter's body as he walked away. "Maybe he belongs to the gym next door," she thought to herself.

"Thank you for coming," Antonio said.

"You know I always come for you," Louise teased with a wink.

"Oh, well, your sense of humor hasn't changed!"

"Sorry!" Louise said, now feeling mildly embarrassed. "I just couldn't waste a setup like that."

"I'll have to be more careful," Antonio said with a grin.

Louise glanced around the room. The dark wood had an aged look. A staircase with a decorative iron railing led to a second level with additional tables. A series of black and white photos lined the walls.

"Is that Buenos Aires?" she asked.

"Yes," Antonio answered without much emotion.

"You couldn't find a place with pictures of Montevideo?" she joked.

"You know, I have tried!"

"That's what this town needs," Louise remarked. "A good Uruguayan restaurant."

"Indeed!"

They shared a brief and nervous laugh.

"Malbec for the lady," said the waiter as he placed the glass before Louise. "Would you like a refill, sir?"

"I'm okay for now," Antonio responded. The waiter moved on and took glasses from another table into the back.

"What are you drinking?" Louise asked directly.

"A Sauvignon Blanc from Chile."

"That sounds refreshing!"

"Yeah, but now that I think of it, I should have gotten the Malbec."

"Would you like a taste?" Louise asked.

"No, that's okay. I don't like to mix red and white."

"I'll drink to that!" Louise raised her glass, and Antonio responded in kind.

"Okay, so why are we here again?" Louise asked.

"I don't remember," Antonio said. "I think you asked me to have a drink with you."

"No, you asked me to have a drink with YOU!"

"I did?"

"I think so?"

"Maybe you're right," Antonio conceded. "Or maybe I'm just drinking too much."

"That can happen," Louise observed.

"So, anyway, I wanted to say that I'm sorry for snapping at you the other night."

"You didn't snap," Louise countered. "You were being honest. I think that if anyone should apologize it's me."

"No apology necessary," Antonio insisted. "Not between us."

"That's sweet, Antonio. But, obviously, this situation bothered you."

"You could say that."

"Well, again, whether you think it's necessary or not, I do apologize for hurting you."

"Thank you," he paused for a moment. "I understand. I do. Things between us..."

"...kind of happened fast," she said, completing his thought.

"Yes," he agreed. "Very fast."

"And at the time, I don't think that I realized that it was going to turn into something serious."

"Entiendo. No digas más..."

"I should have told you," she insisted.

"I guess so," Antonio pondered. "But then, maybe things would have been different. Or maybe they would have been the same."

"Do you think so?"

"It's hard to say. It's in the past."

"I know," she said. "I just don't think that you would have been interested..."

"I was interested in you from the day that we met," Antonio confided.

Louise's heart raced. "Really?"

"Yes. I still remember thinking ... that I shouldn't be thinking what I was thinking. Does that make sense in English?"

"Yes, it makes sense," she said. "Because I felt the same way. I even told my friends and ..."

Louise stopped. She realized that she had just admitted more than the should have.

"And what did they say?"

"Well, it was obviously a complicated situation," Louise explained.

"I understand."

"I mean, they didn't discourage me from getting to know you - since they knew how I was feeling. But they didn't want me to get hurt, either."

"It sounds as though your friends are very understanding."

"Yes and no," she muttered thinking about Jo and the night that she had spent with Walter. Louise still felt partially responsible; she had been with Antonio that evening.

"Are you okay?" Antonio asked.

"Yeah. Let's just not talk about that anymore."

"Okay," he agreed. "But, now, things are good with you ... and the guy?"

"Walter," Louise asked. "Yes, things are fine."

"Well, I am relieved to hear that everything returned to normal."

"Normal," Louise thought to herself. "Nothing about my life is normal." 

Things hadn't been normal since the day that this dashing man had first walked into her life. She was fascinated from the first day, not just with his looks, but with his gentle voice and cultured manner. Despite her best intentions, she fell in love, deeply in love, and she sensed that he felt the same for her.

When he returned home at the end of his assignment, she cried for two months - every day - and never let on to Walter that she was heartbroken. That's not normal. It was torture. And when things finally seemed to be getting back on track, she discovered that Walter had had affair with one of her closest friends.

"None of this is normal!" Louise thought. "It all started with him! He's sitting right in front of me, and he doesn't know any of this. Should I tell him? Should I open up and be honest? My God, he'll think that I'm a crazy person. I'll probably get fired."

"Louisa?" Antonio asked.

"Huh?"

"¿Estás bien? Are you okay?"

"I'm ... I'm good. Sorry! The wine ... the wine is really good!"

"Would you like some more?"

"No," Louise decided. "I think maybe I should probably go. Is that okay?"

"It's fine," Antonio insisted. "I'm glad that we were able to talk."

"Yeah! Me, too! It was nice."

  

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved