around her neck, another sweet gift from
Nico.
“Say, is there any more of that fudge left?”
he asked as he drove. On a whim, they had bought a box of the
decadent homemade stuff at a gift shop, half praline silk, the
other marbled mocha.
“Sure, which one?”
He flicked his eyes her way. “Surprise
me.”
After she pulled out a praline square and
handed it over, Nico took a bite before he spoke again. “Erica, I
have a confession to make.”
“Oh?” She tried to keep her eyes focused on
the road ahead.
“I have to leave tomorrow. My business calls,
and I’ve already neglected a couple of my clients.”
She felt as if her lover had just taken a
stiletto blade and slipped it right through her heart. But what had
she expected? He lived up north, Erica lived here. In all their
time together, they had never discussed taking the relationship on
to the next level—whatever that may be.
She choked back the bile. “Oh, well, I
understand. I was hoping you’d be my date at my cousin’s wedding.
It’s in two weeks. She’s having a traditional Cuban fiesta, with
lots of food, salsa dancing, and all that good stuff.”
“Sounds great.” Nico skipped a beat before he
spoke again. “If I can’t rearrange my schedule, do you plan to go
with your sister?”
“Actually, no. Mari told me the station is
sending her on an assignment to Tallahassee that weekend. It’s her
first major story. Although she’ll miss the wedding, she’s just too
excited about this trip.”
“Wow, that’s a great break for her. Well
then.”
When Erica ventured to look his way, she
could almost see him flipping through his mental appointment book.
“I believe I can shuffle things around so I can spend the weekend
with you. How’s that? Sorry, I can’t be more definite.”
She found herself grinning after all. “No,
actually, that’s great! The first weekend in June. Do you own a
pair of white slacks and a guayabera shirt? How about a pair of
huaraches?”
“I’m not sure,” he chuckled. “I’ll have to
ransack my wardrobe.”
“Well, that’s what most of the men will be
wearing, or even jeans. The reception is very informal, but it all
boils down to a terrific time.”
Nico indulged in a quick glance. “Maybe give
us ideas.”
Suddenly, Erica felt her heart rev up. She
smiled. “You never know.”
* * *
Her cousin Maya had booked the terrace of Las
Palmas Hotel. Now as night approached, the marimba band took over
the festivities with festive salsa music. The trees had been
decorated with hundreds of twinkling little lights, and a variety
of colorful piñatas hung from ropes above the wedding crowd. The
main buffet table held a vast variety of foods, and a sweet Madeira
wine fell from a silver fountain and into a pool of sliced fruits.
The most unusual feature had to be the huge bird cage filled with
bright multi-hued parrots and a few macaws.
“Well? What do you think?” As she spoke,
Erica leaned back in her padded chair and fingered one of the
wedding cookies from the bowl next to her.
“The night is still young, and amor fills the air.” Laughing, Nico tapped the table to the beat of the
band’s conga drum. “Unless you want to eat some more.”
She glanced at the near-empty china plates
before them. They had both over-indulged on the spicy shredded
pork, red enchiladas, the frijoles boracho , chicken
and red rice, the fried plantains, and the various island fruit
salads.
“In a minute,” he continued. “I just might have the
energy to join the happy couple.”
Erica’s gaze followed Nico’s as they watched Maya and
her new husband, Tomás, do a feisty two-step for their wedding
dance. Soon other couples joined in.
Relaxing for the moment, Erica felt a
wonderful calm settle over her, and not just from the wine. She had
to be the luckiest woman in el mundo! Nico Sloan, in his
casual guayabera shirt and jeans, had to be the best-looking guy
here, even surpassing the groom in his white suit.
Nico.
“Say, is there any more of that fudge left?”
he asked as he drove. On a whim, they had bought a box of the
decadent homemade stuff at a gift shop, half praline silk, the
other marbled mocha.
“Sure, which one?”
He flicked his eyes her way. “Surprise
me.”
After she pulled out a praline square and
handed it over, Nico took a bite before he spoke again. “Erica, I
have a confession to make.”
“Oh?” She tried to keep her eyes focused on
the road ahead.
“I have to leave tomorrow. My business calls,
and I’ve already neglected a couple of my clients.”
She felt as if her lover had just taken a
stiletto blade and slipped it right through her heart. But what had
she expected? He lived up north, Erica lived here. In all their
time together, they had never discussed taking the relationship on
to the next level—whatever that may be.
She choked back the bile. “Oh, well, I
understand. I was hoping you’d be my date at my cousin’s wedding.
It’s in two weeks. She’s having a traditional Cuban fiesta, with
lots of food, salsa dancing, and all that good stuff.”
“Sounds great.” Nico skipped a beat before he
spoke again. “If I can’t rearrange my schedule, do you plan to go
with your sister?”
“Actually, no. Mari told me the station is
sending her on an assignment to Tallahassee that weekend. It’s her
first major story. Although she’ll miss the wedding, she’s just too
excited about this trip.”
“Wow, that’s a great break for her. Well
then.”
When Erica ventured to look his way, she
could almost see him flipping through his mental appointment book.
“I believe I can shuffle things around so I can spend the weekend
with you. How’s that? Sorry, I can’t be more definite.”
She found herself grinning after all. “No,
actually, that’s great! The first weekend in June. Do you own a
pair of white slacks and a guayabera shirt? How about a pair of
huaraches?”
“I’m not sure,” he chuckled. “I’ll have to
ransack my wardrobe.”
“Well, that’s what most of the men will be
wearing, or even jeans. The reception is very informal, but it all
boils down to a terrific time.”
Nico indulged in a quick glance. “Maybe give
us ideas.”
Suddenly, Erica felt her heart rev up. She
smiled. “You never know.”
* * *
Her cousin Maya had booked the terrace of Las
Palmas Hotel. Now as night approached, the marimba band took over
the festivities with festive salsa music. The trees had been
decorated with hundreds of twinkling little lights, and a variety
of colorful piñatas hung from ropes above the wedding crowd. The
main buffet table held a vast variety of foods, and a sweet Madeira
wine fell from a silver fountain and into a pool of sliced fruits.
The most unusual feature had to be the huge bird cage filled with
bright multi-hued parrots and a few macaws.
“Well? What do you think?” As she spoke,
Erica leaned back in her padded chair and fingered one of the
wedding cookies from the bowl next to her.
“The night is still young, and amor fills the air.” Laughing, Nico tapped the table to the beat of the
band’s conga drum. “Unless you want to eat some more.”
She glanced at the near-empty china plates
before them. They had both over-indulged on the spicy shredded
pork, red enchiladas, the frijoles boracho , chicken
and red rice, the fried plantains, and the various island fruit
salads.
“In a minute,” he continued. “I just might have the
energy to join the happy couple.”
Erica’s gaze followed Nico’s as they watched Maya and
her new husband, Tomás, do a feisty two-step for their wedding
dance. Soon other couples joined in.
Relaxing for the moment, Erica felt a
wonderful calm settle over her, and not just from the wine. She had
to be the luckiest woman in el mundo! Nico Sloan, in his
casual guayabera shirt and jeans, had to be the best-looking guy
here, even surpassing the groom in his white suit.
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