next to her on the bench and reached for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. “Is Marisol asleep?”
“Yes. She didn’t even make it through the story tonight. What are you thinking about out here all alone?”
She shrugged. “You mean aside from being worried we’re making a monumental mistake by ‘exploring possibilities'?” She smiled at his scolding expression. “I guess our talk earlier has made me introspective. I’m realizing some things about myself that I don’t really like and I hope to change. I was thinking that maybe you’re a good influence.”
“Don’t tell the paparazzi. They’ve built an entirely fictional life for me, complete with playboy antics and bad boy reputation. Wouldn’t people be surprised to see the real Gabriel Rodrigo? Staying home at night, reading bedtime stories to his daughter, unsure of himself in his own garden with a beautiful woman he very much wants to impress?” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her palm, never looking away from her eyes.
She smiled at him. “You, unsure? I don’t believe it. You forget I’ve had to sneak into back entrances and avoid being plowed over by all your fans. You could have your pick of virtually any woman on earth.”
“I hope that includes the beautiful woman in my gardens I’m trying to impress.” Gabe smiled.
“You have a great smile. Those dimples … oo la la . It’s no wonder girls of all ages chase you wherever you go. You even had my grandmother blowing you a kiss.”
“She did, didn’t she? Your grandmother aside, all those women you speak of … they don’t even know me. They want the image, the entertainer. It’s all shallow, meaningless. In the beginning, it was fun, but now it’s more of a nuisance than anything else. I have to be careful where I go. I have to hire bodyguards for my family. It’s a loss of freedom, and after awhile, it becomes boring. I haven’t been interested in taking those women up on their offers since … since Margarita, I guess. Now there was a lesson learned the hard way.”
“And yet, you’ve moved past it. You’re more hopeful than I am. You’re right, I’m very serious, but I wasn’t always. When my mother was living, I took nothing seriously. I laughed all the time, just like she did. She raised me to be carefree and happy, but somewhere along the way I lost that. I’d like to get it back, but I don’t know how. You’re so much more open than I am and much more positive.”
Gabe scooted closer and put his arm around her. “It’s funny you should say that, Summer. You bring those things out in me. Think back to that first week you starting working. I accused you of sneaking into my hotel room, I told you I didn’t want you buying Marisol any presents, I assumed you were having an affair with your cousin. Diós , if I wasn’t accusing you of something, I was apologizing for my words or actions. It’s a wonder you didn’t quit. After I got to know you though, you made me want more. You made me more hopeful and positive when I saw the kind of person you were. Before I met you, nobody would have agreed with your assessment, believe me. You’ve made me question myself and who I have become. You’ve made me want to find the person I was before I was famous.”
“Tell me about that person, Gabe. What was Gabriel Rodrigo like before he became a household name?”
“Very different in most ways, other than his love of music. I’ve loved music always. My grandmother, my mother’s mother, taught me all the old Mexican ballads and love songs and I would sing them for her whenever she took care of me, which was often.”
“My parents owned a restaurant in the touristy part of Mexico City, and it took both of them to run it. They left me with my grandmother every day while they went to work until I was old
“Yes. She didn’t even make it through the story tonight. What are you thinking about out here all alone?”
She shrugged. “You mean aside from being worried we’re making a monumental mistake by ‘exploring possibilities'?” She smiled at his scolding expression. “I guess our talk earlier has made me introspective. I’m realizing some things about myself that I don’t really like and I hope to change. I was thinking that maybe you’re a good influence.”
“Don’t tell the paparazzi. They’ve built an entirely fictional life for me, complete with playboy antics and bad boy reputation. Wouldn’t people be surprised to see the real Gabriel Rodrigo? Staying home at night, reading bedtime stories to his daughter, unsure of himself in his own garden with a beautiful woman he very much wants to impress?” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her palm, never looking away from her eyes.
She smiled at him. “You, unsure? I don’t believe it. You forget I’ve had to sneak into back entrances and avoid being plowed over by all your fans. You could have your pick of virtually any woman on earth.”
“I hope that includes the beautiful woman in my gardens I’m trying to impress.” Gabe smiled.
“You have a great smile. Those dimples … oo la la . It’s no wonder girls of all ages chase you wherever you go. You even had my grandmother blowing you a kiss.”
“She did, didn’t she? Your grandmother aside, all those women you speak of … they don’t even know me. They want the image, the entertainer. It’s all shallow, meaningless. In the beginning, it was fun, but now it’s more of a nuisance than anything else. I have to be careful where I go. I have to hire bodyguards for my family. It’s a loss of freedom, and after awhile, it becomes boring. I haven’t been interested in taking those women up on their offers since … since Margarita, I guess. Now there was a lesson learned the hard way.”
“And yet, you’ve moved past it. You’re more hopeful than I am. You’re right, I’m very serious, but I wasn’t always. When my mother was living, I took nothing seriously. I laughed all the time, just like she did. She raised me to be carefree and happy, but somewhere along the way I lost that. I’d like to get it back, but I don’t know how. You’re so much more open than I am and much more positive.”
Gabe scooted closer and put his arm around her. “It’s funny you should say that, Summer. You bring those things out in me. Think back to that first week you starting working. I accused you of sneaking into my hotel room, I told you I didn’t want you buying Marisol any presents, I assumed you were having an affair with your cousin. Diós , if I wasn’t accusing you of something, I was apologizing for my words or actions. It’s a wonder you didn’t quit. After I got to know you though, you made me want more. You made me more hopeful and positive when I saw the kind of person you were. Before I met you, nobody would have agreed with your assessment, believe me. You’ve made me question myself and who I have become. You’ve made me want to find the person I was before I was famous.”
“Tell me about that person, Gabe. What was Gabriel Rodrigo like before he became a household name?”
“Very different in most ways, other than his love of music. I’ve loved music always. My grandmother, my mother’s mother, taught me all the old Mexican ballads and love songs and I would sing them for her whenever she took care of me, which was often.”
“My parents owned a restaurant in the touristy part of Mexico City, and it took both of them to run it. They left me with my grandmother every day while they went to work until I was old
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