Page 10 of Now and Forever

“I don’t care, Papá.”

“Uff, you’re as stubborn as your mother. Exactly the same!”

“Well ... I’m glad,” I say, but now I’m moody.

He laughs. “I didn’t let your mother get away, and Eric isn’t going to let you get away. You’re too precious and interesting.”

I adjust my helmet and angrily put on my goggles. I don’t want to talk anymore. I push the throttle and take my bike to the starting grid. While waiting for the start, I gun my engine repeatedly. I’m pissed off, very pissed off, and this can make me reckless. My father, who knows me better than anyone in the world, beckons me with his hands to lower my intensity and relax.

I race as if being carried by the devil. I take even greater risks and love it. My adrenaline’s pumping while I jump and skid. Out of the corner of my eye, I see David and someone else ahead of me on the right. I speed up and overtake the other biker, but David’s very good, and, before reaching the bumpy area, he accelerates and jumps past the potholes, which makes me lose time and almost fall. But I control the bike and keep going. I catch David, then pass him. It happens again. We skid, and a third runner overtakes us both.

I push my bike as hard as I can, catch up to him, and leave him behind. Now David jumps, takes a chance, and passes me on the left. When I cross the finish line and the judge lowers the checkered flag, I raise my arm.

Second! David, first.

We go around the track and greet all the attendees. They applaud, and just seeing their happy faces makes us grin. At the end, David comes over and hugs me.

I know my closeness with David will irritate Eric. But I need this, and subconsciously, I want to provoke him.

My father and everyone else come up to congratulate us. My sister hugs me, as do my brother-in-law, Fernando, my niece, and Frida. Everyone shouts “Champion!” as if I’d won a world-class race. But Eric stays in the background. I know he expects me to go to him, that I’ll always go to him. But not this time. As our song says, “We are complete opposites,” and if he’s stubborn, I want him to realize once and for all that I’m much, much more stubborn than he is.

Once we’re on the podium, they announce how much money’s been collected for the children’s toys. It’s a stunning amount!

Instinctively, I know Eric donated that money.

Delighted, I grin. Everyone applauds, including Eric. His face is more relaxed, and I see the pride in his expression when I raise my glass. This moves me and jabs at my heart. Any other time, I’d have winked at him and said, “I love you.” But not now. Not now.

When I get off the podium, I take thousands of photos with David and everyone else. Half an hour later, the crowd disperses, and the racers begin to collect their things. Before leaving, David reminds me he’ll be in town until January 6. I promise to call. I have my racing suit in my hand as I leave the locker room. All of a sudden, someone grabs my arm. It’s Eric.

For a few seconds, we just stare at each other.

Oh God! That serious look of his drives me crazy.

His pupils dilate. With his eyes, he lets me know how much he needs me and pulls me to him.

“I’m dying to kiss you,” he murmurs, holding me close to his mouth.

He doesn’t say anything else.

He kisses me, and for a few seconds, I let him. Wow. Strangers around us applaud, delighted by our effusiveness. When he pulls away, the Iceman’s voice is hoarse, and he’s looking me right in the eye.

“This is like racing, darling. If you don’t take a risk, you can’t win.”

“Indeed, Mr. Zimmerman, but the problem is that you’ve already lost me,” I say, well aware of the impact of my words.

His gaze hardens immediately.

I pull away, shoving him, and walk toward my brother-in-law’s car. Eric doesn’t follow me, but I know he’s watching.

4

The next day, Sunday, I wake to find a beautiful bouquet of long-stemmed red roses waiting for me in the kitchen. Seeing them, I curse; I know who sent them.

“Cuchufleta, look at these beautiful flowers for you!” says Raquel.

Without reading the card, I throw them away. My sister screams like a woman possessed and quickly rescues the roses from the trash.

“What are you doing? Throwing these away is a sacrilege. They must have cost a bundle!”

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