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I pinch his chin playfully, the sincere look on his face making my heart melt. “Oh, Trevor, you already have.”
We arrive at the hotel twenty minutes later. Gabe had reserved one of the smaller banquet rooms, completely decorated with balloons, streamers, and party favors. There’s a full buffet of New Mexican food and a DJ playing music I grew up listening to. Al Hurricane, Darren Cordova, Cuarenta y Cinco, Matthew Martinez.
There are over forty people in attendance. They’ve come from Taos and elsewhere, including relatives from my father’s side of the family whom I haven’t seen in a long time. Turns out my mother had been keeping them up to date about my progress with PT school the whole time. They’re so proud of me for being the first in the family to earn a doctorate and wouldn’t Papa have been so proud of me, too.
And like a dam breaking, I burst into tears at their words, knowing one thing for sure. Nothing can save my mascara now.
Chapter Thirteen
Trevor
It’s been a long night but I’ll be the last one to complain. Claudia’s family reminds me so much of my life back in the Philippines as a child. Except for the language differences, they’re just like many of the people I grew up with in Manila. They’re loud, fun, and they don’t hold back.
Her cousin Gabe is everything she’s told me and more. The guy’s solid. If it weren’t for him telling me exactly where to go after the wannabe-racecar Uber driver dropped me off at the university campus, I’d never have made it in time to see Claudia on stage. Of course, I had to track him down first, looking up his personal cell phone number while I was on the company plane. Gabe didn’t even flinch when I called.
And he sure can dance, guiding each partner on the dance floor effortlessly. Claudia telling me about the time he had three girlfriends sure seems possible. Not that I doubted her at all. His hips don’t lie.
Her mother even managed to drag me to the dance floor for salsa dancing. Or I think it was salsa… or was it bachata? But it doesn’t matter. I may speak six languages, but on the dance floor, I’m hopeless. But I tried and boy, was I grateful when Claudia cut in to dance withher man.
Or in her words,mi novio. And I sure know what those words mean.
My boyfriend.
Guess it’s official, just the way it should have been from the start. Maybe I should have pushed her then but I wasn’t at a place to do so and when things finally got serious between us, I had to leave. Guess that’s what it took for Claudia to finally realize she wanted something more permanent between us.
There’s only one problem: she’ll be nowhere near Virginia Beach.
But it’s not as bad as it seems. After five weeks in the sandbox, I’ve accepted that I can handle a long-distance relationship with her. She has to review for her board exams and the last thing I want is to distract her. I want her to pass her exams on her first try, and I know she will.
Her job in Taos is a whole different matter though. I was tempted to pull Gabe aside and convince him to talk her out of working for him. But who am I kidding? It’s Claudia’s dream and I’m the last person to stand in her way.
After the party winds down, Claudia catches me stifling a yawn, jet lag finally catching up with me. Exhaustion, too, because apparently, claiming one didn’t know how to dance is no excuse not to start learning a few steps.
“Are you heading up to your room?”
“Yup. After all that dancing, I need to hop in the shower and sleep,” I reply. “Are you staying with me tonight or with your mom?”
Claudia holds up the key card I’d handed her earlier. “With you, of course. Unless you changed your mind and want to be alone.”
“Alone with you,” I correct her, grinning. “But don’t you want to wake up with a view of the sunrise again?”
“Been there, done that.” She touches the tip of my nose with her finger. “No, Mr. Hawthorne, I want to wake up with you.”
While her family and friends fly home in the morning, Claudia and I will be spending the next four days together and I plan on treating her like the queen that she is. Museums, the best restaurants, and wherever else she wants to go. I won’t even mind if she prefers we stay in bed the whole time.
But first, shower and sleep.
“Go ahead and do what you need to do. I know your leg’s probably sore after all that dancing,” Claudia says as she tucks her key card in her purse.
“You’re definitely right about that.” Even with all the adjustments she made to account for my prosthetic leg, it pretty much wiped me out.
“Then go,” she says, kissing me on the lips. “I’ll catch up with you as soon as I finish talking to Mama and my cousins.”
“Take as long as you want,” I say as I wave goodbye to everyone and head toward the elevator.
“Hey, Trevor, wait up.”
I turn to see Gabe striding toward me. Ever since I’ve heard Claudia say his name, I’ve wanted to hate the guy. It’s jealousy but I can’t help it. She loves Gabe like a brother and after meeting him in person, I can see why.
