They took the lift up to the top floor, where the celebration was taking place. It was still early but there were already a good few guests. Kiko, probably the tallest person in the room, observed everything with great interest from his vantage point. He located the bar –or one of them, as there were several spread out over the space– to the right of the entrance. It was an open bar, and the first boozers had found their spot next to the servers. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were playing on the speakers.
While Kiko was soaking up the atmosphere, Oscar began mingling with other partygoers. Being so short, they hardly noticed he was there. Daniel watched him, hoping his friend wasn’t on the lookout for his next conquest. It wasn’t that he was a sleaze ball –Oscar would have felt tremendously offended if anyone ever accused him of being a pervert– but he felt an uncontrollable attraction for the female species. More often than not, after several drinks and an eager affection, girls ended up in his arms. This wasn’t a normal party though, so Daniel decided to have a little chat with his friend later on.
Daniel led them to the back of the bar. There, laid out in a circle was the dance floor. A modern spiral staircase snaked up from one of the corners. A subtle slap on the back took Kiko by surprise. He had to grab onto Oscar so as not to fall over.
“Wooaahh! Heeey mate! Sorry, I diffn’t see you there! Ha!”
The guy who had bumped into him was Miguel, the largest of their basketball team, even bigger than Kiko. He was known in the basketball world as the ‘White Bear’, as every single hair on his head was white, despite only being in his early twenties. Although big and clumsy, Miguel was a gentleman, and at that very moment, he could barely stand up straight.
“Miguel, you big oaf, be careful, you’re as strong as an ox,” complained Kiko, turning around.
“Sorry, Kikooo, I’m sssooo sorry.”
The White Bear was slurring and his eyes danced around the room.
With a smile, Daniel stepped forward and greeted their drunken teammate with a slap on the shoulder.
“How’s it going, mate?”
“Dannyyyyy! I din’t know tha’ you were here!” Daniel couldn’t stop the big lump of a man pouncing on him.
“Miguel.... Mig..,” he wheezed, trying to push the giant off of him. He had picked him up in a bear hug and was squeezing him to his chest.
When he finally let him go, Daniel inhaled deeply to get his breath back.
“What are you doing here? Did my brother invite you?”
It wasn’t that Daniel had a problem with Miguel being there, quite the opposite, but Miguel and his brother didn’t know each other at all.
“Ssssshhhhh!” Miguel put his finger to his lips and looked around.
“I sneakeded into the party..... Ha! Don’t tell your bro, ’s a secret! But, I reckon am gonna go, I don’t feel so goo....”
He put his hand to his mouth as he finished speaking. Then he heaved a little. The three friends took a step back, just in case.
“No worries, pal, better you get home and rest,” hurried Daniel. “See you next week, right?”
“Yeah... am off. Hey, ssssooo glad I saw you!”
The White Bear turned clumsily and waved goodbye.
“Your mate was a bit worse for wear, don’t you think?” exclaimed Oscar, stunned.
“Yeah, he was plastered!” replied Daniel.
“Come on, let’s go and see what’s upstairs,” Kiko said, keen to see the top floor.
“Jesus Christ!” Oscar stopped and gaped.
They walked out on to a wide open terrace decorated in Hawaiian style. This floor had a totally different vibe. The wooden flooring, the fabulous cocktails that passed by balanced on trays carried by attractive waiters and waitresses, the chill out music. It was like being on holiday, just several floors off the ground. The rooftop overlooked the northern side of Madrid, not far from the Paseo de la Castellana Avenue with its incessant traffic. Tiny windows greeted the view from the surrounding buildings like fireflies, always dominated by the modern skyscrapers of the northern district, shiny and tall.
There wasn’t another bar like it in the whole city. That’s what Kiko and Oscar (and Daniel too, although he wasn’t about to admit it) were thinking just as someone came up behind them.
“I see you’ve found the beach bar.”
Daniel’s brother approached them followed by an entourage of people around his own age. Brown-nosers, thought Daniel. As always, Ricardo’s clothes fit him like a model. Today: white shirt, black blazer and jeans. By his side and not letting go of his arm was Teresa.
“We only just got here and we were having a look around,” Daniel said, looking anywhere but at his brother’s face. “Congratulations on the bar. It’s not bad.”
Not bad! Calling that incredible bar not bad was the understatement of the year but it was hard enough congratulating his elder brother, never mind admitting how amazing it was.
Ricardo nodded knowingly and smiled.
“Good evening, Teresa,” Daniel stepped forward towards his sister-in-law. “Long time no see.” He gave her the protocol double cheek kiss.
“Oh hi, Daniel. How are you? Are you still repairing thingamajigs?”
“Computers, Teresa. They’re called computers.”
Ricardo, how did you end up married to this bimbo?
Daniel sighed and turned towards Kiko who was looking away, trying not to laugh.
Interrupting, Ricardo brought the conversation back to the bar.
“Do you like the views, little brother?”
That’s it, rub it in, like you always do.
“Yeah, but in winter the wind is going to make it cold up here.”
He wanted the party to end as soon as possible. He fantasised about the fire alarm going off so everyone would have to evacuate, and it seemed like such a good idea, he looked around for the button. His brother brought him back to reality. Coming closer until they were almost touching, he whispered:
“I saw Dad yesterday. It looks like you haven’t been in touch much.”
“Is that what he said?”
“When was the last time you went to see him?”
“Nothing to do with you.”
Daniel wanted to remind him about who was there, being only a boy, trying to get their father out of depression when she died. Where was the great Ricardo then?
He had to bite his tongue.
Thoughts of keeping his mouth shut evaporated when he saw her, a few metres away, leaning on the railing. She was looking out over the horizon thoughtfully, and even from the side, as Daniel was looking at her, her eyes glowed as if she were from the future. The breeze lifted her fringe and the streetlights bathed her shoulders in gold. In a split second, this muse had created a Big Bang on the rooftop. Fireworks, a volcanic eruption, colourful supernovas. Daniel would struggle to forget, if indeed he ever did, the figure that her short, tight dress cut on her.
Daniel turned back to the group and nodded with feigned interest.
“I see you’ve spotted Sofia,” his brother, his damn brother again. “Do you remember her?”
As if listening in on the conversation spoken in low voices a few metres away, the girl in the dress turned, looked Daniel in the eyes and smiled.
Daniel’s world came to a standstill.
She’s coming over. She’s getting closer, shit.
“Danny? I almost didn’t recognise you! You’ve changed so much. How long since I last saw you?”
That took him by surprise. His insides were a mixture of sheer embarrassment, surprise, and why not admit it, a pinch of elation. He was sweating beneath his shirt, pulling a stupid grin. Everyone was looking at him expectantly.
“Yeah, it’s been a while, and, you know, everyone changes.”
Someone must have decided that this would be the awkward conversation zone.
“Aren’t you going to give me two kisses?” she asked playfully and without waiting for an answer, she put her cheek to Daniel’s, who tensed.<
br />
“Well, nice to see you again,” he said. “See you around. Shall we go join the party, guys?”
Kiko and Oscar politely said their goodbyes. Daniel was already halfway down the stairs when he heard what would haunt him for the rest of the night:
“Next time, I hope you’ll say hi before looking at my arse,” was the goodbye he got from Sofia.
He turned around perplexed, but the only thing he saw from the stairs was his brother’s smiling face.
‘I feel good..... danananananana... I knew that I would now....’ Kiko sang at the top of his voice while waving his arms around.
Oscar wasn’t watching his friend. He was wrapped up in his own business. Standing in the corner, he was holding a vodka orange (his favourite drink) in one hand while stroking the knee of a young, brunette (his favourite hair colour) with the other.
Daniel was furious. Furious for having to kiss his brother’s arse in his perfect bar. Furious for having to push his way across half the dance floor to get to the bar to order a drink. And, to top it all off, furious with himself for acting like an idiot in front of that girl by the railing. Sofia. Who was she? Did they really know each other? Daniel thought about all of this while the barmen ignored him.
Turning his head, Daniel saw a familiar face next to him. He smiled for the first time that night.
“Well, well, well, Ivan! What’s a ruffian like you doing in a place like this?” he shouted over the music.
They shook hands warmly.
Ivan let out a laugh and replied gesticulating.
“I work with one of the barmen and he got me a ticket,” he said. With each hand movement, his biceps showed beneath his shirt. “I wasn’t going to come but then I found out that this chick who drives me crazy was coming. Maybe you know her, her name’s Sofia. Christ, what an arse!”
Daniel felt a shiver.
“How’s it going with the new team?” he said to change the subject. “I hope abandoning us was worth it,” he accompanied this last comment with a wry smile.
“Danny, Danny! No hard feelings. Anyway, you should be enough to bring the team along. You don’t need me! You’re a machine, you’ll end up playing with the pros.”
Ivan was starting to slur his words, clearly he’d had a few too many. He finished by slapping Daniel on the shoulder, who rubbed it, taken aback.
“You’re drunk and talking nonsense. Since you left, we don’t have as much strength or personality. But anyway, I hope it’s been worth it and you’re happy in your new chapter.”
“Cheers, mate.”
“By the way, in a few weeks, we’re going to be playing against each other.”
“Really?” Ivan didn’t let Daniel finish his sentence. “Great, I’ve missed pummelling you in training sessions. Prepare yourself, I’m not gonna go easy on you. On the court, there are no friends, you know that.”
He finished speaking pointing a threatening forefinger. Daniel frowned. Something had changed in Ivan, and it wasn’t just the alcohol. While he was thinking of a subtle way to say goodbye, someone covered his eyes from behind.
“Guess who!”
Daniel didn’t have the faintest idea, but the feel of the hand against his face seemed soft and pleasant. When he was able to open his eyes, he saw Sofia, a few inches away from him.
“I thought you’d left,” she said. That look on her face, was it innocent or mischievous?
Daniel needed a few seconds to think of what to say.
“Will you have one last drink with me? That way we can reminisce about old times.”
“I can’t today, tomorrow I have to get up early. I just came to say bye. But let’s stay in touch, OK?”
Sofia wasn’t touching Daniel anymore, but that didn’t stop his skin tingling.
“Yeah, cool, whatever. See ya,” he said and leaned forward putting his lips on her cheek. Slowly. As if working a miracle.
There was no miracle, just two polite kisses and a nervous smile before she disappeared into the crowd.
A good while later, and finally with a drink in his hand, Daniel found Kiko and he decided it was time to go home. He didn’t take much convincing, it was late and he was ‘on fire!!’ They couldn’t find Oscar, which probably meant there’d be a new story the following day.
Just as the two friends pushed their way over to the lift to leave, Ivan came out of the crowd. He grabbed Daniel by the arm, and put his mouth scarcely an inch from his ear and shouted:
“It looks like we’re going to be competing for more than basketball.”
Then he walked away without saying another word. Daniel didn’t have chance to respond.
The sun peeked out between the buildings. Kiko was snoring in the taxi. Daniel was taking stock of the evening. Had it been more fun than he was expecting? Weirder, that was for sure. He put his earphones in and pressed play on his mobile app. An instrumental tune came on, smooth, evocative. In these conditions, anyone would have fallen asleep. For him though, the music took him back to the bar. To the railing on the rooftop. To the bar inside. To Sofia.
I’ve got to see her again. Do I really know her? Why didn’t she have a drink with me? Does she think I’m an idiot? Why can’t I stop thinking about all of this?
4
It was Friday, and I couldn’t concentrate on the Agatha Christie novel I was reading. I had the constant need to look over at the hall and check everything was in order.
It had only been a week since I had received that strange letter. Would my anonymous stalker come back as he had promised in his note? That night, I would stay at home, just in case.
Suddenly, my blood froze. I’d caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of my eye. A new piece of paper slid across the hall floor.
I swallowed and watched the door handle. It was just like in the Hitchcock films: someone would rattle the door handle then break in wielding a machete. I counted to five. I hesitated. Should I read what the paper said? I was sure that whatever it said, it would stick in my head for the whole week. This isn’t healthy, damn it!
Finally, I approached the paper and I read it with the same fear as taking a burnt cake out of the oven.
Hi, Angie. I can’t stop thinking of you. I wonder if you think of me too. Although I’m sure you don’t even know what I look like. As I told you before, I’m not a stalker, so I’m not going to ring the doorbell of a complete stranger. How awkward would that be? When you’re ready, I’ll be delighted for you to open the door so we can get to know one another better.
By the way, your new haircut really suits you.
My fingers tensed around the paper, creasing it. Furious, I marched into the living room where I wrote on the other side of the paper. It wasn’t easy, my hands were shaking. Then I went back to the entrance and slid my note under the door.
Stop leaving me messages, whoever you are. If you don’t, I’ll call the police.
While I was waiting for something to happen, I looked at myself in the hall mirror. Freckled and puny, not about to let a pervert complicate my Friday evenings with his little games. And it was my favourite day of the week. I won’t put up with it! And stop biting your nails!
Against all odds, my threat received a reply, on paper, of course.
Have a good week.
What the hell was this guy playing at?
5
Eric Miller came in through the locker-room door and the jokes stopped instantly. He leaned on the wall and waited for his team to finish tying their laces, putting their bags in their lockers or whatever else they were doing. It reached a point when all you could hear was the murmur of the crowd, far away, on the other side of the tunnel.
“I know what you’re all thinking,” he said, eventually.
All he got in response was a handful of frowning faces.
“I suppose that the bad streak the team is having has gone out of your little heads. Honestly, lately you’ve been playing like shit.” He took a step towards them. He cleared his throat. “Losing against opp
onents way beneath you, pathetic games, whining like my daughter when she was five, a few ugly weeks, for sure.”
Daniel wasn’t thinking anything about his team’s bad streak. His mind was flying around in circles, like a bird of prey, about the party last Saturday. He hadn’t been able to get this girl out of his head. It wasn’t just physical attraction, Daniel didn’t know how to describe it. Her voice? Her eyes? The perfume that she wore? He’d even dreamed about her. It had started off like an erotic dream. Sofia and he were kissing next to the railing of his brother’s bar, when there was an explosion in the sky. A passenger plane fell towards them at full speed. One of the engines was on fire. The dream had turned into a nightmare. He was jumping out of the way, leaving Sofia alone before the imminent impact of the fire-plane, when Daniel had woken up.
He was in a period of his life where smiles came easily, but in general he felt demotivated. The blame lay with 5 feet and 4 inches of feminine sensuality. He had to see her again, but he wasn’t sure how to get in touch with her. Stop thinking about this now and concentrate on the game, he thought. He could ask Ricardo for her number, and at the same time ask him how the hell he knows her. He dismissed that idea straight away; it was already hard enough to talk to his brother full stop, never mind about a girl.
Pay attention to the coach, idiot.
He tried to focus his thoughts on the figure that was delivering the sermon. Spotless black suit. White shirt. Belt and shoes shiny like a new coin. In the training sessions he usually wore a tracksuit, but this was a special game, and Eric Miller was an elegant man. And methodical. Born in Indiana, he had moved to Madrid with his parents before turning eight. His upbringing had been strict with impeccable results. His blue eyes hinted at his good looks as a young man, and now teetering on the edge of forty, a few wrinkles and platinum blond hair gave him a charisma that Daniel had come to envy.
“If we lose today, goodbye promotion,” Eric was saying when Daniel’s thoughts came back to the locker room. “Then there’s today’s opponent: third in the league and very good stats. Maybe they have two or three top players. But I’ll tell you one thing,” Eric raised his voice and took another step toward them. “You are what you think you are. Belief in your virtue is stronger than virtue itself, damn it, and I believe in this team. I believe in you. Now, the question is,” he looked the players in the eyes, “what kind of person are you?”
Reflections in the Mirror Page 2
