Page 51 of Sombra
Maybe I need to focus on my studies instead of the handsome man I met.
“Sometimes you just have to figure out what someone really means under the words,” says Lulu.
“Wise woman speaks the truth,” I say. I don’t usually volunteer so early when meeting new people, but I’m really comfortable with thiscrowd.
Or maybe it’s just that I’ve been drinking.
“Do you like thetapas?” asks Tavo.
“What does tapas mean, anyway?”
“The little plates of food. It originated from a piece of salami,” says Tavo. “It wouldtapar, cover, the glass to keep out flies. But during the time of Franco, it became against the law to serve alcohol without food.”
“So in the southern partof Spain, it’s tradition for tapas to be served with drinks for free,” says Dani. “Other places you have to buy them, but here, you go out and have a few small drinks and a few plates of food, and you’re good for dinner.”
“Best tradition ever,” Lulu chimes in.
Trent raises his glass and pops an olive in his mouth. “I agree.”
“You don’t have that?” asks Tavo.
“No.”
His arm is still around my chair.
A warm smile crosses Tavo’s face. “Then enjoy. We shall do this more often.” The waiter drops off another round of drinks. My fourth glass of wine. They’re small, but still.
Tavo picks his up and raises it to eye level. “To your education.”
“To yours,” I say.
“Salud.”
At this point, I am buzzed. Comfortable. More comfortablethan I’ve ever been. I’m trying not to cuddle up to Tavo, but he’s right here.
I post a picture of the Alhambra on Instagram, then start taking pictures of the gorgeous food on the table. I pick an artsy shot of the terracotta bowl of sardines, shiny and silvery, to put on my account.
While I’m distracted with my phone, Sonia materializes next to us. Her talons claw up his shoulder,and he recoils toward me. She’s saying something low, and in Spanish. I catch the word “cama.” Bed. “Esta noche.” Tonight.
Is she propositioning him?
My teeth grind. I have no claim to him. No right at all. And yet I want to mark my territory. Keep her away. If I were an animal, my fur would be rising on the back of my neck and spine. My hackles are up and out. But before I say anything—andI’m sober enough to know saying anything is a bad idea, Tavo is waving her away, muttering, “No, Sonia. Cómo te digo, no.”
I stare at his face. He’s so cold, glaring at her. There’s no emotion. No smile. And he shrinks from her touch. She leaves with two friends. Tavo’s breath is at my ear. “Sorry about that, guapa.”
I don’t know what he’s sorry about, but okay. “You can be … sorry.It’s okay,” I hiccup.
Night’s now fully in swing with the people of Granada all out, walking and talking.
I catch Dani talking to Lulu. “Well, you know we have two parts of our mind.”
“Oh, Lawd, not the hippie talk,” Lulu grumbles.
Trent holds Dani closer and kisses the top of her head. “She can’t help but be hippie-dippy.”
Lulu points a finger at him. “Thisis true.” She turns to Dani. “Continue.”
“So as I was saying, there’s two parts of all of us. There’s the conscious mind, which is what we think about, all the stuff in our brains. And the subconscious mind, which governs us, but we have no idea what it’s doing. It controls breathing and all the automatic mechanics of our body, but it also controls our behavior and motivations. If yoursubconscious mind isn’t on board, anything you try to do won’t work right.”
