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“Are you going to walk around with a hard on?” she asked.
“Yes. It won’t go down until after I come inside you again.”
She rose up on her toes and kissed me again. “We’ll just have to sneak away later on.”
“I’ll ensure we do. We should go. Abuela made you breakfast, and Paula’s sister needs help with her hair.”
“Right. She’s the one getting married. Did I cut everyone’s hair for the wedding?”
“Wedding aside, you gave every person their first professional cut. Four new couples went out on a date that evening.”
“So I’m like Cupid.”
I kissed the tip of her nose. “You’re more than Cupid.”
My stomach growled, and I took a good whiff. The smell of homemade food filled the air.I rubbed my stomach. “Today’s gonna be great.”
Grace chuckled. I took her hand and led her down the path to the village. They’d decorated the street with palm branches and flowers and everyone was running around with last-minute chores like there was a fire. Men carried extra chairs to the outdoor venue. More food was carried inside the hall, and kids roamed around the streets everywhere. The chaos brought satisfaction to my face. We stopped in front of Abuela’s bakery.
“It’s so busy.” Grace turned to the window. “Oh, my God. Look at that cake.”
Paula was just setting the marzipan bride and groom on the top tier.
“Where did they get all this?”
“I managed a small shipment in here last night.”
“A small shipment?” She flicked her brows up, and I shrugged.
“Listen, I have to go help with some lights, but I believe someone needs you.” I pointed to the kitchen window.
“Venir. El cabello de mi hermana es un desastre,” Paula called out.
“Her sister’s hair is a mess. She needs your help.” I took her lips once more. “I’ll have someone bring you breakfast, and I’ll see you soon.”
I grabbed a sweet coconut bun off a window shelf, stuffed it into my mouth, and waved to Paula. “Gracias.”
I hurried to the river, where the men had set up the wooden dance floor. They scattered a mess of string lights in the middle. I got the boys working on four different corners, and three hours later, we were ready to hang them on the trees overhead. I helped carry the buckets of roses I had delivered, setting them around the perimeter. Then came the pots of food, sitting benches, the canopy, and torches.
Over the last two days, the men had built a pizza oven, and they waited for me to fire it up. I circled the stone structure and checked the solid construction. I bent down to the ground and took out my matches. The kindling was stuck deep underneath the oven. I stretched forward, crawling inside until I reached the wood. The smell of kerosene wafted around me. I removed my matches, ignited a flame, and aimed underneath the teepee of twigs. Sparks flickered onto my face, and the blaze spread quicker than I expected. By the time I pushed out from within the oven, my beard had caught on fire. I swept my hands over my flaming facial hair when a bucket of water was splashed onto my face. The fire sizzled and died as the stench of burnt hair filled my lungs.
I shook off the water and touched my face. “Shit.”
Everyone burst out in laughter.
“Fuck. Mateo,” I called out to the boy. “Maquinilla de afeitar,jabón, and a mirror.”
I turned to Juan Carlos. “How do you say mirror?”
“Espejo.” The man waved at Mateo. Three minutes later, the boy brought a razor, soap, a tub with water, and a five-inch shaving mirror.
“Gracias.” I splashed the water over my charcoaled hair growth and soaped up. Grace would hate this, but I couldn’t go to the wedding with a charred face. I hurried with the shave and washed up in the river. Mateo went to get me clean clothes. By the time I was dressed, everyone from the village had gathered near the bamboo gazebo. The groom stood in front of Abuela, who would perform the ceremony. I searched through the crowd of colorful dresses for my Big Bird.
She was standing by the wine barrels, perched on her toes for a glimpse of the bride behind a rooted ficus tree. Her hair held a crown of pinned flowers and floated over her shoulders. A red shade tinted her cheeks from a fresh sunburn, but she truly looked like a queen.
I stood still, watching her chest rise and fall. Her skin glowed and eyes shone, and for a split second, I saw myself waiting for Grace in front of Abuela. The wind blew, and Grace’s gaze shifted. She scanned the crowd until she found me near the back row. Her mouth dropped open and her hand flew up to cover her surprise. I felt a slight tug at my lip. She side-stepped through the crowd and darted toward me once she reached the edge.
The music started, the crowd turned, and she slowed her run to a reserved walk. She stopped in front of me and lifted her hand to my face.
