Page 5 of Stronger Than Fate
—Have you looked at yourself in the mirror, woman? You’re beautiful with a knockout body, not only do you have beauty to spare, you’re intelligent and have a pretty hefty bank account. Do you really think there won’t be a man who falls in love with you? —she said, with irony—. I already know several who are drooling. And speaking of that, I swear I was convinced that on this vacation you were going to have your sexual debut. I think you’re too demanding because you didn’t lack candidates and some of them were absolutely delicious. As always, you don’t know how to appreciate the luck you have.
Yes; I was a virgin. Probably the oldest adult virgin on the planet. At 24, I hadn’t had sexual relations. For me, it was important to have sex with someone I at least connected with, and that had never happened. Guys my age bored me tremendously and, although I had tried to open my mind and have sex, I’d never felt comfortable enough to go through with it. I didn’t want that experience to be with just any guy I met. I was well aware that I was considered a beautiful woman, with delicate features highlighted by my exotic violet-blue eyes, a color I shared with my brothers that we’d inherited from our mother. I had long dark blonde hair that I brightened a bit with subtle highlights. I was tall with a slender build, but even being thin, I had a sensual figure from my work at the gym.
“I suppose someday I’ll find the right person. Someone I love who feels the same way about me. Having those feelingsreciprocated isn’t so easy—only some are destined for that luck,” I said.
“I don’t know, I think falling in love isn’t that difficult, as long as you’re not as demanding as you are.”
“You’re wrong about that. I don’t consider myself demanding, I simply haven’t fallen in love.”
“And what about sex? You should enjoy that activity, even if you don’t feel ‘connected,’” she said, using the word I always used. “You can’t imagine what you’re missing by being so inflexible and pretentious.”
I looked at her and said nothing. I wasn’t going to convince her; she obviously thought my situation was simply about being demanding, and she was very wrong. What was wrong with wanting to wait for someone with whom you felt you had at least something in common?
At that moment, the hotel driver called to let me know he was already at the airport, and we both left, dragging our suitcases and ending the conversation.
I arrived at the hotel a little before six in the morning. I greeted all the employees working that shift and asked Josefina, one of the receptionists, to have breakfast sent up to my room. Since it was Sunday, I wasn’t planning to stop by the office, so after resting, I would dedicate myself to organizing everything I’d brought back from the trip.
I woke up around ten in the morning to the sound of my phone’s ringtone. I was so deeply asleep that it took me quite a while to open my eyes and return to reality. After sitting up in bed and rubbing my eyes a bit, I picked up the phone and answered.
“Hello, Lolo, good morning.”
“Hello, little sister, how was your arrival?” he asked, with his typical cheerfulness.
“Very well, I’m at the hotel and was sleeping peacefully.”
“So you’re criticizing me for calling to check on you because I’m a brother who cares about his little sister and…”
“Enough, enough, enough. You’re making me dizzy with all your verbosity,” I said, and Lolo burst out laughing. “Thank you very much for caring, my dear Lolito.”
“That’s better,” he said, laughing. “What are you planning to do today?”
“Nothing in particular.”
“Then I’ll pick you up and we’ll go buy Bastián’s gift. Remember his birthday is tomorrow?”
“Of course I remember. What has he organized?”
“A gathering of friends and siblings at the ‘High Sin’ Disco Pub,” he informed me.
“I know it,” I said, “I’ve been there with my friends.”
“I’ll pick you up, we’ll buy the gift and then have lunch together, sound good?”
“What time?” I asked, because it was obvious my brother had forgotten about jet lag.
“How much time do you need to get ready?”
“All day,” I said, joking.
“How old are you? Stop complaining and get ready because I’ll be there in an hour and a half,” he ordered.
“Okay, bossy. I should have stayed in Mykonos forever,” I replied and hung up, hearing my brother’s laughter.
We decided on a work of art, and the gift ended up being a beautiful painting that, knowing his tastes, we imagined he would love. Since we liked all of them, deciding on one took us quite a bit of time, and by the time we finished, we were starving.
“There’s a good restaurant nearby, let’s go because my stomach is growling,” Lolo said.
“I’m ravenously hungry too,” I commented.
