Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story


- Text Size +

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


 

CHAPTER 5 



Angelo.

Angelo.

Angelo.


That would be the recurring theme for the day. Feet swollen and butt stinging I didn't care – it was my angel's homecoming.


The Almas' were like the best foster parents ever. They were giving me the rest of the day off on the condition that I would be back by breakfast to take the kids to school. Maybe it was just me, but I really thought they were making an effort into making me feel at home.


I'd chosen to extend my contract in Madrid and even though I was okay with my decision, I wasn't okay. My mother had terrified me into not going to Paris and that's the part I wasn't okay with.


I hardly picked up her phone calls. When I did pick up her phone calls, I only gave one-word replies. What pissed me off more was how oblivious she was to how I really did not want to be talking to her. 


Reluctantly, I had told Dominica about me not going earlier in the week after she wouldn't stop pestering me about needing to find an apartment to rent and putting down a deposit, and all that adult stuff that did not sound pleasing to my ears at all.


She'd been highly pissed at me at first, but then she quickly got over it. That's one of the things I liked about her. In less than three days she'd already found an apartment, done everything she needed to do and was set to leave the following week.


I should have been going with her, but instead I let fear get in the way and fell prey to cowardice. I really could only blame myself and leave that in the past, besides I truly enjoyed living in Madrid, it's just that...I wanted more.


When I was done making the kids' meal I left them with their parents playing a game of snakes and ladders – you know the picture perfect family.


Shutting the door close I walked out. Angelo's plane was due to land in about an hour. I was taking the metro to the airport and I'd figured out that we'd be taking the taxi back to his hotel.


The early September air was quite humid so I was more than ecstatic when I felt the first whoosh of the air conditioning as I entered the arrivals about forty minutes later. Excitement stirred and stirred within me and I'm sure by then I was just one cheesy goop inside.


My eyes eagerly looked up and down the screens to see when and if Angelo's plane had landed.


There were more people than I actually expected also waiting; so much activity, cries, laughter, kisses, handshakes- it kind of made the whole saying – distance makes the heart grow fonder come alive. But it was all just like white noise to me.


Where is he? 


I impatiently kept checking the time on my phone and looked at the screens. Angelo's flight had landed. I got even more disheartened when the arrival doors kept sliding open and a passenger that wasn't Angelo would walk through so I texted him but he didn't reply, I figured it was because he was still going through customs and getting his luggage.


I was just about to walk away after about thirty minutes to look at the screens to ensure I hadn't looked at the wrong flight number, when I had to take a double take. There in living colour and in the flesh was Angelo. He looked a little pale and tired, but he was still damn gorgeous to me.


I let him get through the crowds of people at the front before I made myself known to him.


When I called out his name his head quickly snapped to my side. When he saw me, he flashed the brightest of smiles as I upped my pace to him.


I was never a person who was into the whole PDA but I couldn't help but hug him really tight. Feeling his warmth against me there was nothing like it. And I even went as far as giving him a peck on the lips – Angelo swiftly recovered from his shock at me initiating a kiss in public by trying to suck on my bottom lip and that shit I liked too much when he did it but there was a time and place for that.


“Slow down buddy, don't get too ambitious,” I said giggling pulling away.


He was about to say something but then we both heard his name being called out and we simultaneously turned in the direction that it was being called from. Instead of the confused expression I was expecting, Angelo was smiling down at the wavy haired brunette and then loosened his hold on me.


Angelo then proceeded to introduce me to the girl, but I've always had a weak short-term memory so I immediately forgot her name. Before babbling the rest of their conversation in quick-fire Spanish, Angelo told me that they were sat next to each other on the plane and found out that they went to the same elementary school.


How bloody cute.


They'd had over seven hours to have their little reunion party, so I didn't understand why the girl was lingering and their conversation was been extended longer than necessary. After a short while, my patience ran thin and I decided it was about time to break up the reunion party.


“Erm...Angelo, I think we should go get our taxis,” I said putting on a tight smile, turning around not bothering to listen to his response.


It was past eight in the evening already when I came out of the airport there was a warm breeze, my sciatics were playing up a little, which added to why my patience had plummeted.


The reunion party was still undergoing. The girl though was on the phone and Angelo looked on concerned - like deeply concerned. Bitch please.


When she got off the phone, she babbled more stuff to Angelo sounding stressed. The girl was holding her temple, but then Angelo said something which made her face glow in disbelief and then Angelo shrugged his shoulders as if to say ''of course'', before flagging his hands down for a taxi.


My annoyance at the situation was getting harder for me to conceal, and in an effort for my mother's side of me not to make an appearance, I picked up my phone and texted my boyfriend:


Why is she coming with us?


Of course I sat in the front with the driver, whilst the two got all chummy chummy in the back like my name was Sue Storm. The ping to notify Angelo of a new text message could be heard. I turned my head to the window, like I had no care in the world but really I was impatiently waiting for Angelo to reply to my text.


He didn't. For the whole journey right up to when the taxi parked in front of the hotel Angelo and his friend continued to chatter away and laugh every so often like they'd magically developed a funny bone.


Before he could reach into his pockets for his wallet, I'd already handed the money to the driver. Even though I was subtle, my boyfriend knew me well enough to pick on when he really shouldn't test me.


I got out of the taxi and walked into the main doors of the hotel. It was one of them swanky ones, the same one that Angelo had stayed in the last time he came. He said it was because he liked the bathroom. Angelo was very particular on how his bathroom looked like and the cleanness.


The first time I visited him in the hotel, I felt all types of weird - like serious inferior-feeling issues. It was only when Angelo held my hands that I became a little bit more comfortable but all my uneasiness didn't leave because I couldn't help but notice how some of the staff looked at me like I was some sorry-excuse of a black girl staining my colour all over their fine establishment.


This time around though, I was too pissed-off to care and outside was getting just a little bit more chilly, so I just walked in and sat in the lobby and left the BFF's behind hauling their luggage out the taxi, before a bellboy walking past me went to assist them.


It was no fun being a third wheel. Yes I did go to language school to learn Spanish and some would wonder why I couldn't pick out anything that was being said by the dynamic duo, but in my defence, they were talking at like a thousand miles an hour it didn't even sound like they were talking in sentences, just one big long word. Oh and as predicted I hadn't passed the oral exam.


“Hi. My English not good,” the girl started a little shyly making me raise my head up from my phone, “but I want to say sorry for disturbing. I'm going to room now.”


She threw a finger backwards, giggling randomly probably out of nervousness.


She sure was a quirky one.


“It's okay,” not having a choice but to say, “buenas noches.” 


“Buenas noches,” she replied before exchanging more words with Angelo, saying 'gracias' like a thousand times before Angelo hugged her tight.


Of course I wasn't the slightest bit jealous. 


There were a few moments of silence after she left with Angelo just watching me which only made his smirk grow even wider. “Let's go.”


Thankfully, we didn't end up in the same lift as his best bud, but all the way to the lift, in the lift, out the lift and in front of his room, we remained in silence.


Oh there were going to be some serious talks alright.


The room was both modern and classy, it didn't have none of those tacky decorations and furniture that five-star hotels tend to have.


“Let's pray.”


Before I'd even sat on the bed, he'd grabbed hold of my hands.


“Father, I just want to thank You for the safe flight. I want to thank You for using me to help a friend I haven't seen in a long time...”


Oh, you say she's just a friend.


“...I thank You, for Luciana, the biggest blessing of my life aside from You and my family. Dios please touch Luciana's heart and not let her get mad at me for unknown reasons...”


He knew alright.


“And instead let Your unconditional love for us dwell in our hearts for each other. In Jesus name. Amen.”


“Amen.”


Even though I felt connected to him, it was not fair to use God to discount him basically ignoring me for the last hour and I was about to let him know of that fact but as soon as we'd said our amens, he let go of my hands and grabbed onto my face.


His pink, pillowy lips tasted so good. Being in his hold, feeling his touch, spiralled my heart to beat out of control. He sucked on my lower lip, upper lip, I probbed and prodded my tongue in his mouth.


The kiss was messy, the kiss was hot, the kiss was...desperate.


I found myself falling backwards on one of the gigantic single beds.


“Lucy, damn...I've missed you so much,” I heard him say as he unlatched his lips

from mine and started sucking on my neck, I loved it when he swirled his tongue round slowly – it hit that spot.


Loud moans fell from my lips. He was iron and in seconds he had me where he wanted me to be – pressed underneath him.


And this was why we couldn't be bed buddies and why we were checked in a two-single bed room suite. Although looking at the size of the beds it was like two king sized beds.


“Angelo...we have to stop.”


A reluctant groan left his lips. For a moment or two he dropped kisses on my collar bone bordering on my cleavage area and just when I was fully enjoying myself, brushing my hands through his hair back and forth, he lifted himself up from me and climbed off of the bed.


“Okay, so that was...that was great.”


“Yes it was,” I replied, mind a little hazy, recollecting my thought process, “but don't think I'm just going to let pass the situation this evening.”


“Of course not,” now that the holy, hot and heavy part was sorted, he walked over to his suitcase left near the door and zipped it open, “her parents were meant to pick her up but their car broke down on their way to the airport, so I got her a room to stay for the night and I'm gonna drop her home tommorow before I go to my parent's house.” 


“Yes that's cool but what was not cool was you ignoring me the whole time you was with her like I was the Invisible Woman.”


Angelo scrunched his eye at me, before stalking off in the direction of the bathroom without a word like I wasn't opening a line of communication with him.


“It's always some type of bullshit with you,” he kissed his teeth, taking some toiletries in the toilet, “like seriously, what was I supposed to do just leave her and let her sleep in the airport when I'm able to help?”


“That not my issue,” and he knew it, “my issue is that you didn't even try to include me in the conversation.”


“You sound so petty.”


By this time I rose up from the once crispy smooth linen of the bed we'd not even five minutes ago been feasting off of each other's faces on. 


“I'm going to leave before words you say piss me off more. And you can call over your BFF and drink hot chocolate with those little cute marshmallows on top, watch movies until past midnight to finally round of the reunion festivities.”


“Now you're being ridiculous,” I heard him say now out of the bathroom, “you're not leaving.”


I was already putting my shoes back on, when I'd removed them I don't know, I guess things got really heated – fast. “Yes I am.”


“No you're not,” looking at me like a silly child having one of their typical tantrums, he didn't even make moves to stop me.


“Are you going to make me stay?”


“Are you going to make me, make you stay?”


Even though I'd never admit it out loud – I found it so damn hot when he challenged me. It was a tear jerker in the southern regions. His voice held so much promise and threat all at the same time – a potent cocktail – I'd never drank one before, a cocktail I meant talkless of a potent one.

So I backed down.

Pretending not to care that he'd won the battle of the wills yet again, I broke off the intense staring match between us, kissed my teeth and grabbed the 24 hour menu that lay on the dresser. “I'm charging whatever I get to the room.”

This homecoming had not gotten off to a good a start.



Back when I was in the States, Angelo and I had gone to the youth pastor in my church to help guide us with our relationship, because I especially needed it, in terms of praying together, which we continued to do, the pastor also talked about matters respecting one another and matters to do with erm...sex, to put it plainly.

One of the other things the youth pastor said that I took to heart was being honest but kind in our communication with one another, which was easier said than done.

“Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you want me.”

“That's a very bold statement,” a stormy expression crossed Angelo's face like he was in a war between God and flesh, “a very bold and true statement.”

“That's too bad, because you're not getting me."

Hearing that, in one millisecond Angelo took the bed covers off himself and sauntered over to my side. “You sure about that?"

“Absolu-”

His lips captured mine before I could end the word. “Ang-”

My voice became all muffled and shit.

I was the one that ended up being the reluctant one to end the kiss. The roles always reversed to put him at a better advantage. It was unfair.

When he let go, he had the victory smile on his stupid face.

At six am I had ordered a breakfast buffet, because by the time I got to the Almas' it would be time to take the kids to school.

I'd ordered more than I could actually finish but I figured Angelo would eat the rest. Never was I a morning person and having to wake at half five in the morning put me in a less than good mood. What took the piss most at waking up at having such an early start, is waking up next to (in my case a few feet between) your beloved and not being able to get warmed up by their kisses first thing because you weren't on good terms with them.

As was the case between Angelo and I currently.

It nagged me that he didn't even attempt to involve me in the conversation with his friend, and maybe yes, my old insecurities did have play of it a bit but I felt justified- I mean, she was bloody gorgeous, like fangirl gorgeous, and everyone knows that's major gorgeous.

The night before, shortly after ordering all the world's food, Angelo went out of the room, saying he was going to go for a walk and I had barely given a word of acknowledgement.

With the room to myself, I snuggled in my bed putting Gabino on loudspeaker, whilst eating buttered popcorn and mindlessly watching TV. I just needed someone to talk to. I didn't want to talk to Dominica, because it would just compound the fears concerning Angelo and I.

Gabino was a very cool guy overall, and apart from his body odour he gave off a good vibe. An ironic statement, when considering the 'circumstances' of the last time but he was just that.

Whilst talking on the phone, I was flicking through the channels, when I ended up seeing Angelo's mum, Sara, in some show. Taken by surprise and excitement, I screamed like the girl I am, and that worked Gabino up so hard. I didn't mean it, but he got really worried that something had happened to me. After several times of repetitively assuring him that I was indeed fine, he calmed down – I had to explain to him that I had seen someone that I knew on TV.

When he asked who it was, I brushed over the answer saying he wouldn't know and changed topic to both of us meeting up, because Pepito and Manuelo had a football match.

It was during that part of the conversation well over past midnight now that Angelo decided to walk back into the room.

I had felt kinda weird and a little guilty speaking to another guy late in the night, in the presence of my boyfriend, so whilst looking at a tense looking Angelo stalk over to his bed I ended the call with Gabino.

The urge for him to come over and bless me with his kisses and touches was unreal. He felt it and I felt it – but we turned to our sides and slept on it.

What he didn't see though was the tears leaking out my eyes and soaking my pillow, which brought us now to the present.

“Are you going to meet me up for lunch?”

Sipping on the last of my orange juice I replied, “ I can't.”

“Why not?”

“Because I'm busy.”

“Ah c'mon Luce, I didn't travel thousand of miles to argue with you. I could have just done that on Skype.”

“And you think I want to argue?”

His facial expression said it all. “I don't want to argue with you. But I want an apology.”

“An apology for what?”

“For ignoring me whilst talking to your ''friend''.

He huffed seemingly reluctant at first, but finally looking at me he said, “Fine, I'm sorry.”

I don't know if maybe it was his acting skills or because I was too damn eager to kiss and make up but I totally believed in his apology.

“Good,” I said, a smile lighting up my face before I went up to give him a peck on the cheek but he quickly stepped back, giving me the one minute finger.

I honestly don't know who this boy thought he was, about giving me the one minute finger like he was a one minute man. God forbid.

“What?” I asked stupendously annoyed.

“You only ended the call with that guy you was talking to because I came in, correct?”

“False,” the guilty pangs were beating hard in my chest and I struggled to keep eye contact with Angelo. “I have to go now. I'll text you later.”

Before he could say anything else, I flew out the room, like I'd spontaneously grown some wings.


Lord, what was happening? Was the only thing I could think in my head as I sat in the metro at half seven in the morning. Like how was it that the moment he landed we couldn't even manage an hour's worth of love and affection? Something fishy was going on.

I really was free for lunch I was just being difficult, but having time to think I was determined to make peace, I mean I wanted him to be in a good mood for my birthday plus we had less than a week together before he had to go back and who knows until when we'd get to see each other again. With that thought in mind I started typing up a message to Angelo.


I'm free between 11 and 12:30, pick a place for us to meet for lunch. My peace offering.


Then I proceeded to put some corny ass emoji, just to sweeten him up a little bit.

See, one thing I'd gotten to realise about men is that they act like babies. Even though they want to be regarded as gladiators all the time, they still wanted all that good loving, and most importantly the attention.

Like with Angelo he had this overly possessive manner that both scared and excited me at the same time. It scared me in the sense of how easy I always found myself ready to submit to him and many occasions over the past year I did just that. It was almost my guilty pleasure to keep him hungry but fed at the same damn time.

Ten minutes later as I was walking down to the Almas' house from the metro station, I receive a text from Angelo:

I forgot I'm visiting my family, so can't make it.

Not being able to resist an eye roll because I knew he was going to be dropping off his 'friend', giving them more quality bonding time, before going over to his parent's house.

Not having any choice but putting all my crazy thought and issues to the back of my mind, I finally got started with my day.


Several hours later I was sat on the side of the pitch with Gabino, watching Pepito play and his team was currently on a two-goal lead, which basically meant happy days were here again for Pepito.

Whilst I was cheering for Pepito on his third goal, Gabino brought to my attention that my phone was ringing. I picked it up immediately seeing it was Angelo calling, blocking one of my ears from the boisterous sounds around me.

“Chica! How are you darling?”


Without any difficulty a smile immediately surfaced on my lips at the sound of Sara's glimmering voice shining through the phone.

“I'm okay, thank you. How are you?”

“I'm great. I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday in advance and to tell you that we need to see each other very soon. Okay?”

Since I'd been in Spain, I had gone to Angelo's family house a couple of times, but because his parents were all so busy I hadn't had the opportunity to go as much as I would have liked.

“Of course, Sara. No worries.”

“Great, I'll get back to you when I'm free, I'm producing a new telenovela, but it's taking so much of my time.”

I wanted to tell her about seeing her yesterday, but then I held back, knowing Sara she liked to keep a low profile and I felt she'd feel I'd treat her differently because of her fame.

“Okay, chica, I'm going to go now. I'm going to give you your present when we meet up.”

“Oh Sara, you don't have to do that.”

¡Tonterías! Chica, I'm going to go now. I'll pass the phone to Angelo now.”

“Okay, bye,” then I heard a few clinks before Angelo's voice came through.

I watched as Pepito made an impressive sharp tackle and pass to his teammate, unfortunately the ball was swiftly taken off by his teammate's marker.

“Luciana can you meet me at the hotel lobby at about nine?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Where are you now?”

“At Pepito's football match.”

“Alright, I'll speak to you later. I love you Lucy.”

Hearing Angelo say those words right into my ear especially since it'd been a while since I'd heard him say it, was like a phantom caress over my body. The other things I wished he could whisper into my ear, damn, his voice had that sexy sleepy tone, rich with his Spanish gusto. Yum.

“I love you too,” I finally replied, “I'll see you later.”

After discontinuing the call, a breath of fresh air left me. Things were going right with my heart and I. Gabino who was fast becoming a big brother figure, looked at me as if to ask if everything was okay, and I just smiled back leaning my head on his shoulders and watched the rest of the matches.

Concerning his odour – he'd basically covered himself with a whole load of perfume. He had admitted to me that he'd been aware of his 'condition' since his late teens and it has been plaguing him til his current age of twenty five. Not that I was used to the smell but I'd say I was better at coping with it.


A few hours later I walked into the hotel lobby wearing a neon pink maxi dress and some black converses, with a thin sweater to shield myself from the light breeze.

Angelo was already there looking as fine as fine can be in a simple white vest top and black yoga pants over black converses and a black bomber jacket.

When he saw me a smile tugged on his lips removing any remnant of nerves on how the night was going to go.

I was running on less than four hours of sleep but Angelo's hand tugging me to follow him out, recharged my strength.

“Ang where are we going?”

“Just a shisha place not too far from here.”

“Oh okay.”

Stars dotted around the navy blue night. The hotel was pretty central so there was still the hustle and bustle around, but it only kept me at comfort, with my heart by my side.

From the outside of the lounge, Arab music could be heard playing in the background, that slow type enchanting music that was so scintillating to the bones. For a weekday there there were quite a lot of people sat outside on the tables sharing the pipe with their friends.

Inside it was like a scene from Arabian Nights, with the curtains, shisha smoke, rugs and gold furnishings and millions of multicoloured cushions scattered all over the couches.

Angelo still holding my hands, led me to an upstairs that was pretty much similar to the downstairs just a little bit more spacious.

Before we came out of the balcony doors we ordered our tea and our individual hookah pipes that two of the staff brought for us out to the balcony, where it was pretty much empty. Getting ourselves comfortable we say down on the couch close to each other with the perfect view of Madrid.

It was a nice warm night with a sneaky breeze flying in here and there but all in all it was good.

For awhile neither of us said anything as we inhaled through our hoses watching life around us.

“These are one of those nights.”

Hearing Angelo's faraway dreamy voice, I sat up, “What d'you mean?”

“These are one of those nights I wish could last a lifetime,” he replied before breathing out melon and cola flavoured smoke into the night.

A grin ready on my lips, “Oh yeah?”

“Of course,” he said smiling in my face,“don't you?”

The night was indeed beautiful. “Damn right I do.”

“So why are we constantly arguing over nothing?”

“It's just our thing. It's what we do.”

“No it's what you do.”

“Fine, it's what I do,” sighing heavily I knew the conversation was reaching a bridge I didn't want to cross, “I'm just scared of everything.”

I placed the hose on the table for the moment, no longer feeling like smoking it and finding myself sitting up more upright to face Angelo's side profile and he had to turn around to look at me.

Seeing the intensity in his eyes and feeling the intimacy of the dark night, I felt locked in but yet free to disclose all my fears at once.

“I'm scared of everything Angelo. We're both so young. We're living in different continents. You, you're so ambitious, you have so many dreams, you work so hard,” at this point I had to take a deep breath cos I could feel my voice breaking, “and honestly I love you so much for it. I thank God everyday for your life and for having you in my life. Before I met you, I never really thought I had passion for anything or had much confidence or motivation for doing anything, I was just okay with doing what others wanted of me. Being with you this past year now has made me realise how much more there is to life and all of a sudden I have dreams that I want to fulfil. And what I'm most scared about is that we'll end up giving in to the demand of what it takes to fulfil our dreams that we'll end up giving up on each other.”

I heard him softly sigh, before inhaling out the mouthpiece of the pipe. “I don't know how many times I can tell you this Luciana. You can't control what's out of your control, all we can do is take each day as it comes.”

I turned my face away, I wiped the tears falling from my eyes and picked up my cold tea.

“Yeah, you're right.”


 







Chapter End Notes:

 

A.N: Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed reading it. I won't be updating this story for a month or so, so I hope the somewhat longer chapter will tide you over for a while.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank everyone and anyone who's purchased a copy of 'The Untitled Girl', I sincerely appreciate your support and thank you again and a million times :-).

Have a good day and God Bless :-).







Enter the security code shown below:
Note: You may submit either a rating or a review or both.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.