Page 8 of After the Fire
He huffed in agreement. “What can I get you?” he asked with a big smile, his eyes twinkling with something I couldn’t quite place. He was so calm and collected—a trait I envied a lot and one thing I had to constantly work on. He had always been this way, ever since I met him. I remembered his easy smiles and how he paid attention to everyone. Like he was mesmerized by everything.
The laughter in the restaurant got louder and when I scanned the room, it looked packed. It almost felt like everyone was eating together, although at separate tables. People stopped by to chat with others, dragging chairs and their drinks for moments just to catch up. It had a familiar atmosphere, even if these people were only acquaintances to each other.
The only other comparison I could think of was the club, but that was more of a place to see and be seen than to actually enjoy other people’s company. All of the smiles were pasted on. The scene today was genuine.
“I’ll have the pasta, thanks.” In the time it took me to scan the room, Santiago had poured me a glass of wine and laid silverware and a place setting on the tabletop. He had arranged my book neatly right next to my glass, placing it over a napkin to avoid getting it wet. “Oh, thank you,” I said, blinking a few times at the thoughtfulness.
Santiago lingered at the bar until my food arrived, then disappeared behind the doors to the kitchen. I opened my book and started reading, but I was derailed as soon as he sat right next to me with his own plate, almost like he intended to share this moment with me.
“What are you doing?” I asked, and I felt my face bunch up in a scowl I couldn’t hide. This man brought out the worst in me for sure, and every fiber of my being knew it.
He responded with one of his easy smiles, all teeth and crinkled eyes.
“Well, I needed to take a break anyway, so I ordered some food and I’m sitting here. Do you mind the company?”
“You are free to sit wherever you want, but I told you already that I’m reading my book tonight.”
He stared at me, unfazed by what I had just said.“Did Julia tell you the story of those two lover kids that ran away from their families and came here?” he asked with an amused smirk on his face. How did he know that I was a sucker for a good love story? It made me a little nostalgic, knowing that could have been me. That I had, once upon a time, the chance to my happily ever after.
“What’s the face for? You look like a fool smiling like that. Don’t your cheeks hurt from all that muscle contraction there?”
He let go of a deep, roaring laugh, making me jump with surprise. It had been a long time since I’d heard anyone laugh like this, like he actually meant it. He was pure sunshine, this man, and I didn’t understand why or how people like this lived, just happy with their mere existence.
I scowled just so that I could hide the smile that was forming on my lips. It was like my brain knew that I shouldn’t be enjoying this man’s company, but my body had other plans.
“Oh, come on, don’t be such a grump,” he said. “Live a little, Victoria! It’s okay to laugh, you know?”
He could also read minds, apparently.
I buried my face in what was left of my food, trying to avoid looking at him. My hands itched for my book, and despite my dislike for him, I still had some manners. It had always been this way, ever since college—he was so… gleeful. It was almost like he sparked joy, and then used his perfect smile to rub his happiness in my face.
Just as we were both finishing our meal, a blonde woman approached us.
“Hi, baby,” she said. “There you are. I couldn’t find you.” She kissed his cheek and wrapped her long arm around his shoulders. She was tall, dressed impeccably. She was stunning. “I went looking for you at your grandparents’ house, but you weren’t there, and you weren’t answering your phone.” His girlfriend, maybe? Yuck.
Santiago tensed up. It lasted all of one microsecond, and if I wasn’t looking so closely, I wouldn’t have caught it. But he turned and smiled that easy smile of his, and he looked up to her from his seat while she squeezed his shoulder a little possessively for my taste.
“Ah, sorry, I’ve been here all afternoon. Julia had an emergency, and I volunteered to take over for her shift,” he said to her, even though I could tell he was uneasy. She was looking straight at me, almost staring daggers in my direction.
“How rude of me, apologies. Victoria, this is Clara. Clara, this is Victoria,” he said, almost like he had done this thousands of times. Was she his girlfriend?
I raised my hand and gave her a small wave and my best formal smile—the one I knew was one hundred percent fake and used for my business associates only. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too. I’ve heard so much about you,” she said. The corners of her mouth inched up a little, and her eyes thinned. Santiago stiffened at her side as soon as she uttered those words. “Santiago has told me all about you.”
Santiago laughed an uncomfortable laugh, like he was caught red-handed doing something he shouldn’t have been. “Victoria and I went to law school together,” he added quickly.
“Are you from around here?” I asked her, regretting those words as soon as they left my mouth. I didn’t want to make small talk with anyone, let alone this stunning woman beside me. She looked happy, just like Santiago. Like they were both living their best lives together.
“Actually, we’re here for Santiago’s grandmother’s birthday party this weekend. I just came a few days early to spend some time with Santi since he’s been here since the beginning of the year,” she responded and looked at him with stars in her eyes. Yes, she was the girlfriend, I could confirm.
“Well, I’m going to take off. I hope you enjoy your night. Sorry if you had plans, Santiago. Didn’t mean to interrupt,” I said, feeling more and more awkward in this situation. “Can you charge this to my room?” I asked as I grabbed my book and stood up from the bar.
Santiago, who hadn’t said more than a few words yet, looked at me intensely. “Sure, no problem,” he said. No easy smile for me now.
I turned to leave and as I was reaching the staircase to go up to my room, I heard his steps behind me.
“Hey, are you alright?”
