“Really?” she asked, irritated that he would think it would matter to her.
“Your family would never feel comfortable amongst ours. Carmela was fortunate it ended when it did. It would take a lot to be part of my family. Dario and Fernie know what's expected of them. Take Dario, for instance, someday he'll marry someone appropriate for himself like Jacqueline,” he asserted as he looked slyly at Eloisa. “She'd be his perfect companion.”
“I'm sure she would,” Eloisa muttered.
“Dario knows what's important. That's why he convinced Fernie to end the relationship with your sister.”
“What?” Eloisa burst.
“He is the one who made Fernie come to his senses and see reason.”
“Dario separated Fernie from my sister?!” Eloisa blurted furiously.
“Yes, he certainly did.”
It had merely been a suspicion before, but now it was confirmed! Eloisa was livid about the confirmation of the horrible suspicion concerning Dario’s sinister hand in the breakup of her sister and his brother.
When the dinner party finally ended, Eloisa marched to Chencha's house without saying a word. Chencha couldn’t figure out what had upset her friend so much. Eloisa asked for aspirin but refused to talk about what was piercing her head for fear of it exploding if she let it out. In bed in one of Chencha's guest rooms, Eloisa tossed and turned with violence.
Spending Saturday with Chencha watching movies and talking about old times had a calming effect on Eloisa. She still refused to talk about the previous evening, so Chencha decided to give Eloisa some space. As promised, Ralph worked all day. When a new friend of Chencha's dropped by during the evening, Eloisa decided to give them time to visit and went outside to the gazebo. The flower gardens were absolutely breathtaking as they were well tended by a very talented gardener. Their explosion of color livened all of Eloisa’s senses. She had a remarkable time breathing in the outside air of sweet flower fragrances and watching the glowing sun set.
“Chencha told me you were out here,” murmured Dario from behind her, his voice atypically edgy and jittery. Eloisa's insides almost jumped out. “I didn't mean to startle you, but I need to speak to you.”
Chapter 17
What in the world is he doing here? Eloisa wondered. “What can I do for you?” she asked coldly.
“I can't keep it in anymore,” he declared, rushing his shaky words. “I have to tell you that I find myself having amorous feelings for you. I know I shouldn't be thinking of you romantically, but I am. I've tried everything to tear you out of my heart and mind. Absolutely everything! It's a ridiculous situation, but I have to do something about it . . . I guess what I'm asking is that we start some kind of a romantic relationship.”
“What?”
Dario grew irritated. “I'm asking you to go out with me.”
“Go out with you?”
“Yes,” stated Dario.
“No, I won’t go out with you!” she burst.
“No?”
“No.”
“You’re going to reject me just like that?” he questioned, upset.
“Yes.”
“Why?” he muttered. “You won’t even give me an opportunity? Why?”
“Why? Should you even ask me why? You tell me that you can't understand how you can care about someone like me.”
“I didn't mean it like that.”
“Let me tell you something, I don't need you or your snooty royal blood or your condescending money. Did you think that the penniless wench would jump at your preposition? I'm not Cinderella. I don't need a prince to rescue me.”
“You're taking it wrong. Obviously I worded how I feel about you badly. I’m not very good at expressing feelings.”
“Even if you had given me a very passionate preposition instead of insulting me, I still wouldn't go out with you.”
“I prefer you over any other woman. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” he questioned, his proud voice with hurt spikes.
“I know more about you than you think,” snapped Eloisa. “I know that along with you tearing your brother away from a friendship with Wayne, you also tore him away from—”
“Wayne?! Are you in love with him?!”
“Is it any of your business?” Eloisa burst.
“For your information, I didn't tear his friendship away from my brother,” he explained crisply. “Fernie was forced to get away from Wayne.”
“Like your brother was forced to get away from my sister?” Eloisa retorted. “You convinced him to break up with Carmela, didn't you?”
“Yes, I admit that I did,” he murmured, quietly.
Bile rose to her throat. “How could you?”
“Let me tell you what you don't know about your good friend Wayne,” Dario sneered. “He was sleeping with Fernie's fiancée. Fernie was broken after that. Completely broken, and when he took a shine to your sister, I didn't want to see him hurt again.”
“Why would you think that Carmela would break his heart?”
“It was obvious to me that your sister didn't have the same feelings for him as he had for her.”
“How could you have made that assumption?!” Eloisa snarled.
“Easily, she didn't look to be enamored of my brother, and it didn't help that your mother was bragging to everybody about Fernie’s sentiments for your sister.”
“Did you hear Carmela brag about your brother’s feelings for her?”
“In all honesty, no.”
“My sister is a reserved person. You, of all people, should know what it's like to be shy and awkward around other human beings. At least that's what you were telling me last night. You're nothing more than an unsympathetic, arrogant jerk!”
Dario’s face scrunched in a wince as if a sharp object had pierced it. “Is that what you think of me?”
“You haven't proven yourself different in my book.”
He stared at her for a few seconds, his dark eyes penetrating hers, his lips in a constant ache for her kiss. “I apologize for coming here. Please forgive me for disturbing your peace,” he murmured, leaving.
Chapter 18
Eloisa pondered the infuriating situation from all sides. What good purpose would it serve to tell Carmela of what she had learned about Fernie? Eloisa decided it was best to keep quiet and hope that her sister would be able to eventually rip him out of her heart. And as for Dario’s strange and out-of-the-blue preposition, she preferred not to talk about that either. It was too much of a private conversation between her and Dario to let anyone else in.
The people she did feel compelled to have a talk with about new circumstances happening in her household were her two younger sisters. She spoke to Lola first who was feeding the ducks. The sweet creatures happily gobbled up the bread crumbs Lola threw at them. Eloisa asked her sister to sit on the porch with her.
“This new boyfriend of yours, is he a responsible young man?” questioned Eloisa.
“He's not my boyfriend!” Lola burst. “He's just my friend.”
“Judging by how often you talk to him, you have a crush on him, don't you?”
“We're only friends,” Lola insisted. “But he is an awesome guy!”
“If it becomes more than friendship, you know you can talk to me about anything, right?”
“Yes, Eloisa, I know that,” Lola burst as she rolled her eyes.
Eloisa next found Marta in her bedroom avidly studying her science textbook.
“I'm very proud that you won first place for your Science Project,” declared Eloisa.
“Thank you,” responded Marta with a grin.
“Do you know how smart you are?”
“I'm not that smart,” Marta murmured shyly.
“You’re the most intelligent one in the family, Marta.”
“I'm not, you are.”
“No, Marta, you're wrong. Do you realize that I almost never have to help you with your homework?”
Ma
rta shrugged her shoulders. “It's never hard.”
“To you it's not. To Carmela, Lola, and me it is.”
“I try to help Lola as much as I can.”
“I know,” Eloisa declared. “You're a good sister.”
“Lola is awesome.”
“Marta, I know you look up to her.”
“We have a lot of fun together.”
“Having fun is important,” stated Eloisa.
“Do you really think so? It looks like you don't have fun at all.”
“I know I'm a little too serious sometimes,” Eloisa murmured.
“You're very serious.”
“Okay, I'm very serious,” agreed Eloisa. “It's that ever since papa died, I feel it would be so easy for this family to lose itself. Look at Balbino Jr.”
Marta grimaced. “He's gone off and left us.”
“Marta, you can have fun and still be responsible about your future.”
“I haven't stopped being on the honor roll, have I?” Marta burst.
“No, but you're getting to an age where boys are becoming important. I don't want you to lose your way.”
“I won't,” Marta insisted.
“It's not enough to be intelligent. You have to be smart about life too. You've got a whole lifetime to put together the different pieces. You don't have to rush into anything.”
Marta nodded. “Can I tell you a secret?”
“Of course you can.”
“I want to be a scientist,” Marta blurted quickly. “Is that silly?”
Eloisa hugged her. “No, it's not silly at all. You'd make a great scientist.”
“You really think so?”
“I know so.”
“Eloisa, do you think I can get accepted at a school like Harvard?”
“With your brains, Marta, you can do whatever you want to do.”
Marta swung her arms around Eloisa, almost knocking the wind out of her. When Eloisa stepped into her own bedroom, a blanket of warmth spread through her. Even though she knew she didn't get to the deep place she wanted to with Lola, at least she had reached an important pinnacle with Marta.
Chapter 19
One of Eloisa's favorite authors was speaking in one of the university library's seminar rooms. Benita Alvarez wrote Flower Girls, a novel about sisters and their caring for each other. Eloisa sat in the front row with the book on hand for Benita Alvarez to sign after the reading.
When the author finally stepped in, Eloisa gasped so loudly that a student next to her asked her if she was all right. She nodded her head, not being able to say a word. Benita Alvarez had walked in with of all people, the new arch enemy of her family.
Dario Quintana.
Why do I bump into him so much?! she wondered. Why is he with the famous author? He sure gets around. And I thought he was with Jacqueline!
Dario sat in a chair next to the podium, almost facing Eloisa directly. She decided to move, but as she was about to stand up, Dario suddenly noticed her. He looked to be as surprised as Eloisa was when first seeing him. He nodded his head solemnly at her, and she did the same to him. As Benita Alvarez started speaking, Eloisa decided it would be the epitome of rudeness if she changed seats now.
I'm stuck, she thought. I’ll just ignore Dario.
Throughout the time Benita Alvarez read passages of her novel, Eloisa tried her best not to look at Dario who stole a few glances towards her himself. When it was over, the author was besieged with people, and Eloisa made a clean getaway. But as she stood at the elevators, she looked at the book in her hands. She came to get it signed, and she was leaving without a signature because of Dario. She came to meet one of her favorite authors but was running away like a coward. So what if Dario was there? Eloisa turned around and marched back into the seminar room. She sat in the back, waiting for the long line of people to get done with Benita Alvarez, so she could have her chance with the famous author. To pass the time Eloisa started talking to a fellow student who used to be in her English Literature class the previous semester.
“Hi,” greeted Dario, walking up to her and startling her.
“It was nice seeing you again, Eloisa,” said the fellow student she was talking to, standing up. “I've gotta go. I'll see you around.” He sauntered off.
“Bye,” Eloisa called after him, and then turned back to Dario. “Hi,” she muttered, not knowing what to do with the awkward and uncomfortable situation. Why had he approached her?
His dark eyes dug into hers. “You're a fan of Benita Alvarez?”
“Yes, I'm a big fan.” Eloisa held up her novel. “I'm going to get this signed.”
His intense eyes stayed intently on her. “I'm sure like most great readers, you'd enjoy a conversation with the author.”
“Yes, of course.”
“She has to be on a plane later tonight,” Dario informed, “so she won't have time to sign many more books. We're having dinner. Would you like to come with us?”
“Come with you?” The invitation took her by complete surprise.
“Yes, I'm sure she'd love to hear from one of her most ardent and intelligent fans.”
Had he actually complemented her? she wondered. “I . . . I don't know about joining you,” she answered, his avid stare making her nervous.
“You're busy right now?”
“No, not really.”
“So you'll come?” he asked, his voice pleasantly hopeful.
The top of Eloisa's mouth twitched. With every molecule inside of her, she wanted to say yes. How many opportunities like this would she ever have to share a meal with Benita Alvarez?
He pulled out one of his business cards, scribbled on it, and handed it to her, his fingers staying a little longer than necessary on her hand. “This is where we'll be if you want to drop by. I hope you prefer our company to going home or anything else on your agenda.”
Eloisa stared at his tall, long body as he walked away. As he angled up to the table where Benita Alvarez was signing her novels, she apologized to her fans for having to leave. They stepped out of the door that was the nearest to the podium.
“Eloisa, can I borrow your notes from our child development class?” asked a student, startling her out of her thoughts.
“Sure, but I don't have them with me. I'll have to give them to you tomorrow.”
After a minor discussion about the class, Eloisa found herself in her car, wondering if she should go home or head towards the restaurant. Would the awesomeness of having dinner with one of her favorite authors overtake the disgust of having to spend time with Mr. The-Sun-Only-Shines-On-Me? Strangely, Dario had been very polite that night. Wasn't it kind of him to invite her at all?
As she entered the Mexican restaurant hand written on Dario’s card, she told herself that this was an opportunity she couldn't squander. Dario waved at her with a welcoming grin as soon as she stepped into the dining area.
“Hi,” she greeted, looking directly at Benita Alvarez.
“Bennie, this is Eloisa Longoria,” Dario introduced.
“I’m a huge fan,” Eloisa gushed, shaking her hand.
“Is that my book you have there?”
“You bet,” Eloisa said as she sat down. “Would you mind signing it?”
“Not at all,” Benita said, taking the book from Eloisa’s hand and immediately flipping to the first page to sign. Dario handed her a pen.
“You don’t know what this means to me, Ms. Alvarez,” Eloisa declared.
“Please call me Benita. You were at the reading earlier, weren't you?”
“Yes, I was. Dario was kind enough to invite me here.”
“That's my good friend Dario, a very kind person,” Benita said, smiling at him as she handed the signed book back to Eloisa. “Very kind.”
Eloisa was certain Dario's face turned slightly red. “Eloisa is a student at UTEP. She's going to be a teacher,” he informed.
The waiter interrupted. Eloisa, who was the on
ly one who hadn't ordered yet, asked for the special, the taco soup.
“You're going to be a teacher, Eloisa?” questioned Benita as soon as the waiter had left.
“I know it doesn't sound very glamorous, but I've always wanted to be a teacher.”
“I think it's very noble,” declared Benita.
Dario nodded, his dark eyes on Eloisa. “I completely agree.”
“What are you going to teach?” Benita asked.
“I'm going to be a high school English teacher. I love literature.”
“That's wonderful, Eloisa,” Benita stated. “Truly wonderful.”
“Yes,” Dario murmured.
Eloisa's face became flushed. “I'm not here to talk about myself. What I really want to talk about is your amazing novel.”
“I knew I liked this young woman,” Benita told Dario with a chuckle.
“How did you get the idea for Flower Girls?” Eloisa asked eagerly.
“I'm very close to my sisters. I wanted to write about the importance of close family ties. It's so necessary to have that.”
Eloisa grinned broadly. “I couldn't agree more.”
“You're close to your family?” asked Benita.
“Her father died, and she's helped take care of her family since,” explained Dario, a certain admiration in his voice.
Eloisa was completely taken aback by Dario’s numerous compliments all through the evening. As the waiter served them their food, Eloisa felt the warmth of being with uplifting people. Yet, one of the people at the table was the arrogant Dario Quintana. How confusing!
“Good for you,” gushed Benita. “Family is everything. Eloisa, you’re a hero!”
Eloisa turned a bright reddish tint. “The food looks delicious,” she rushed as she changed the subject, smiling at her large bowl of taco soup.
As the dinner progressed, Eloisa was able to uncover everything she had ever wanted to know about Benita Alvarez. She was immensely grateful that the author was not bothered by her bombardment of questions. Dario stayed quiet through most of it, looking amused. Then he excused himself to step outside to make a business call from his cell phone.
“How long have you known Dario, Eloisa?” questioned Benita.
“I really don't know him that well.”
“I've known him for many years. We attended college together. We're very good buddies.”
“You are?”