“Ah, no? Then what?”
“A gift for you.”
“For me? Why? It’s not my birthday.” Eva’s mouth moves into an adorable circle, and I almost move forward and kiss her for it.
“Birthday? Who has a birthday?” Espie is beside us in a second, raising her curious glance at Eva.
“No one.” Eva presses the tip of her sister’s nose. “Why don’t you sit back in your place?”
“But I heard you speak about presents. I did!” Espie whines.
I straighten up. “Well, if you did, Espie, then there has to be one. Let me just go and check outside to see whether you’re right.”
I hurry to my car and get the black box from the trunk. Let’s hope I’ve picked the right size. I’m sure about the color, and pretty confident about the style too. I ordered this off-the-shoulder evening gown after seeing her in that blue dress with a similar neck arrangement. But Eva has such a slender waist, and the model on the picture seemed bulkier somehow…
I stride back to the house, but just after I’m over the doorstep, I pause.
If I hand Eva the dress and invite her to the ball, there’s no turning back.
This is the last strike before the end game. Am I ready to do this? Even if it means I’ll have to stop seeing Eva once my promotion is confirmed? Will I be able to stand not speaking with her, breathing in her scent, and kissing her lips ever again?
Panic rips my chest at these questions. I don’t know the answers to them. The only thing I know is that my chest feels as if I’ve drilled through it with a jackhammer.
The package slips from my hands, tumbling to the floor with a blunt thud.
Juan and Espie sprint to me. Espie picks up the box, holding it by its ribbon before I have a chance to collect it. They bolt back to the kitchen, chanting, “Here is your gift, Eva. A real gift!”
I shuffle behind them, still plagued by the realization that what I’ve worked for up till this point might not be at all what I want right now.
The package is already on Eva’s lap when I reach them.
She stares at me with a confused expression, but it isn’t upset or disapproving like when she received any of my previous presents. “May I open it?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
She unties the ribbon with an experienced gesture, and in a second, the purple fabric of the evening gown becomes visible. She pulls it out and a gasp escapes from her throat.
At the same time, Abuelita and Espie draw in a sharp breath, their eyes widening in awe.
Juan is the only one who pouts. “It’s a dress.” The indignant accent he puts on the last word makes it clear he hoped for a very different surprise than his sister.
Abuelita jumps up and takes Espie’s and Juan’s hands. “Ven conmigo, niños. Come with me kids. It’s late. You need to get ready for bed. Let’s leave Eva to enjoy Nathan’s gift alone.”
Despite their vivid protests, she drags them to the bathroom upstairs, probably to change into their pajamas.
I almost don’t notice their abrupt departure because my eyes are glued on Eva. My only concern is whether she likes my present as much as I hoped.
She stares at the dress without moving a muscle. Only the rapid batting of her eyelashes assures me that she didn’t turn into a statue.
“What do you think?” I ask her.
She blinks at me and I notice with bewilderment that her eyes glisten humidly. “It’s…it’s absolutely fabulous. The most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen. But where shall I wear such fancy attire?”
“To the ball I want to invite you to.”
“A ball?”
“Yes, it’s Mother’s annual charity ball, remember? I told you about it already. It’s a bit of a show really to dazzle our clients. I’d love for you to be my plus one. I know it’s much, all at once, to appear publicly at my side and in front of my family. If you’d rather not…I’d understand.”
What am I saying? I’d need her to come, otherwise I lose the bet. So why offer her a way out? Maybe a small part of me hopes that she’ll say no. That I’ll have to quit this challenge for good. I won’t become CEO, but I won’t have any rules against keeping in touch with Eva.
She puts the dress on an empty chair and stands up. She steps over to me, placing her palms on my chest. Her closeness and her touch send my pulse racing. Will she accept? Or will she…?
“For you, Nathan, I’d do this and more.” Her voice is husky as she repeats the same bold words I told her in my car. It’s filled with a hidden emotion that transpires despite her efforts to keep it at bay.
The oddest sensation settles into my bones. A weird heaviness, as if their surface just got coated in lead that makes standing straight an arduous task. My heart is the only one unaffected by the odd spell. Or rather, it seems to have been hit with a magic entirely opposite of that bewitching my body. My heartbeats flutter, stutter, leap and hop, making my ribcage feel like it’s a concert hall for a heavy metal band.
Eva’s bottomless eyes pull me in as she holds my gaze.
Oh, goodness of all. I know what Eva is feeling because I…I feel it, too.
“Eva Flores, you’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met,” I mumble.
Her lips stretch into a bright smile. She lifts herself onto her tiptoes, and as her lips press on mine, the world closes around the corners. She grazes her fingers on my neck, and I haul her closer.
I can’t win this bet, I can’t…
The elation I feel at the idea that Eva reciprocates my feelings, instead of just having a crush as I thought she might, leaves no doubt about the depth of my devotion for her. I can’t ignore labeling it anymore. I deepen the kiss with all
