Ramón spoke into the microphone. “Hi, everyone. I’m Ramón. I have to admit, I haven’t played much in years, but a beautiful woman asked me to play her a few songs. Julieta, this one is for you.”
Swoon.Julieta beamed.
Ramón began to strum the guitar. He sounded just as great as he had on the guitarrón and even played a complicated riff, which impressed Julieta. A lock of his hair hung in his face, accentuating his strong bone structure.
He sang “Mi Vida Sin Tu Amor” by Cristian Castro. Julieta loved that song. She and Ramón seemed to have the same musical taste. How could she have so much in common with this man but at the same time be so different?
Julieta had resisted trying to think about the future all week, butshe couldn’t help herself. They would be good together. And their children would be adorable. Why couldn’t it work?
She turned her attention back to Ramón. The crowd swayed with the music, and honestly, he sounded like a professional. His eyes lit up; his deep voice belted out the notes. He was so sexy and passionate. He should’ve never stopped playing.
He played a few more songs, mostly old Spanish classics. He even received a few dollars’ worth of tips in the jar. Ha, if only these people knew how rich he was.
“Thank you, everyone. I appreciate the support.” He walked back over to Julieta, sat down, and then pulled her into his lap.
“You were amazing! I’m your biggest fan.”
“I can’t believe you did that for me. It was such a blast.” He grinned from ear to ear and then downed a glass of water.
“I just wanted you to have a good time. The best things in life don’t cost money.”
He kissed her, sending shivers throughout her body.
“Julieta, that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
Warmth flooded her chest. He gazed at Julieta, and she felt that he could truly see into her soul.
•••
They dined on paella and then listened to a flamenco guitarist. It was a perfect night.
Julieta watched the guitarist, and then touched Ramón’s thigh. “This is a silly question, and I’m sure the answer is yes, but have you ever been to Spain?”
“Yeah. I’ve been all over that country. I love it there. The people are so warm.”
“I’ve always wanted to go to Seville. But I’d be happy to go anywhere. I’ve never even been to Cabo. I hear it’s beautiful.”
Ramón hesitated and chose his words wisely. “It is.” He didn’t want to keep promising Julieta the world if he wasn’t going to deliver, but he was completely serious about her.
He wanted to give her everything. He wanted to look toward the future and plan trips with her to Spain and Mexico.
But everything was happening so fast. Ramón had always been cautious in love. Papá had warned him about women using him for his money, but he didn’t feel that Julieta was like that. She didn’t seem to care about his wealth. Ramón had a suspicion that if he lost every penny, Julieta would still like him, even if he was a bum on the beach with a guitar. Ha, she would probably like him even more.
His heart sang. He hadn’t felt this alive in years. Was it being with Julieta? Or the fact that she had brought music back into his life? Or feeling more connected to his culture? Or a combination of all?
After dinner, they walked on the beach in Encinitas. The town had a different vibe than Coronado or La Jolla. There were a bunch of bropreneurs and boss babes living here, and the residents were very health conscious. There were many New Age shops and vegan restaurants, too.
Maybe he should open a vegan Taco King here.
“Julieta, have you cooked a lot of vegan food?”
She shook her head. “I mean, I always have vegan options on the menu, no matter what. But I love meat. Why?”
“I just had an idea of making our Taco King here vegan.”
“That’s a great idea! The residents would love it.”
“Really? You think so?”
