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“Of course!” I said in a much-too-high pitch. I laughed, but it came out nervous. Could he see right through me? “I’d like to think, though we haven’t known each other that long, we are friends—”
“We are friends, Carolina. You’ve taken my shoes off when I was too drunk—”
I laughed in earnest, remembering his drunken experience. “Well, I want my friends to be happy. And I hope you find your happiness too.”
“Oh, I will,” he said with a firmness that made my thighs clench under the table.
“So how are you gonna do it?” I asked.
“Do what?”
“Get her back?”
“Don’t know. I’ll think of something. Why? You have any suggestions?”
I swallowed hard. No. He couldn’t ask me this. While it was true that I wanted him to be happy, I wanted no part in the creation of said happiness.
“Actually,” he said, “this is perfect. I could use a woman’s advice—”
“Hector,” I whined, “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
“I think it’s a brilliant idea. Tell me, Carolina, if your husband was trying to get you back after a long time apart, how would you like him to do it?”
No, no, no. This couldn’t be happening. The thought of him with another woman, even his wife, went down like cheap tequila; it burned to the core and left a bitter taste on the tongue. I’d rather have a catheter put in than talk about this. Didn’t he have buddies he could talk with about this kind of thing?
“Come on.” Hector nudged me. “I’m sure what you come up with will be a million times better than any of my ideas.Please.”
“You’re being pathetic again,” I said. “It makes it hard to say no to you.”
He grinned again. “I know. You said.”
I couldn’t find a way to say no without also giving away that my feelings for him were growing. I’d have to play this cool.You can do this, Caro.“Fine. What did you have in mind?”
“Expensive roses?”
I shook my head. “Really? That’s the best you can do?”
“Yes. That’s why I’m consulting an expert.”
“Ha-ha,” I said in a mocking tone. “You have to think of something big. It’s hard to advise because I didn’t know you two as a couple. If it’s personal, that’s better.”
“What do you mean?”
I took a deep breath and did my best to steady my voice. “One year when I was little, Mom and Dad had been fighting. I can’t remember anymore what the fight was about. Let’s just say Dad was in the doghouse for a week. Dad knew who mom’s favorite author was, so he got our local bookstore to track down a signed copy.
“When Mom opened the gift, she started crying. I thought she would get mad all over again, but she just kept saying over and over how that author had touched the book she was holding, and nowshewas touching it.”
Hector listened intently as I shared the little memory of my parents together. “That’s sweet,” he said. “But I don’t think Andrea is much of a reader.”
“You are missing the point. It’s not about the gift itself. It was so effective because he knew something so personal about her. Something only he could have managed.”
Hector scratched his head, thinking.
“Look, it doesn’t even have to be a thing. It can be a place or an experience. Is there a place special to the both of you? Maybe take her there? Whisk her away. Women love being whisked away.”
The minute I said it, I regretted every last syllable that had left my mouth. I placed the final nail on the coffin that was my jealousy.Way to go, Carolina. You managed to make yourself jealous.
“Maybe I’ll do that,” Hector said.
I cleared my throat. “Good.” I smiled, but it was stiff.
No. Please don’t go anywhere with any woman. I could picture them and their perfect bodies clad in swimwear in the Maldives. A romantic getaway for two, all because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.
“Are you okay?” Hector asked. “You look like you’re going to be sick.”
I smiled tightly at him again. “I’m fine.”
