Strawberry Kisses

by Phavy Prieto

  "Congratulations to your mother for the masterpiece she gave birth to," I thought as I realized, from such a short distance, that his features were indeed perfect.

  That night, when I went to bed, after Damian told me he would pick me up the following Friday after work, I realized that being his escort meant spending the whole weekend with him.

  "Sex, sex, sex," my brain incessantly repeated, making me fantasize about that weekend when I had to sleep in the same room with Adonis.

  Chapter V

  I looked in the mirror for the umpteenth time.

  "It's the perfect combination of the most advanced rape defence," I thought as I looked at the old knee-length plaid skirt, the flat shoes with very kitschy white socks, and the white shirt buttoned up to the collar. To complete it all, I put on a sports bra that crushes your breasts to such an extent that it become flatter than an ironing board.

  "If he likes me even dressed like this, I'll kill myself," I whispered before putting on those old nerdy glasses I bought at a thrift store.

  "Are you really going to show up in this condition?" asked Nerea, leaning against the door jamb of my room as she looked at my reflection in the mirror brushing my hair sloppily.

  "Yes, and only because I didn't find a nun's dress in the wardrobe, otherwise I would have gladly put it on," I replied tying my hair.

  Too bad I didn't also find a tasteless elastic for my hair!

  I saw how Nerea rolled her eyes. Maybe I was exaggerating, but I could not afford the luxury of tolerating even one evening with that lame-o of Mathews' cousin and of him seeing me as a walking temptation. If my strategy succeeded, I would not know anything about him for the rest of my life and the Il Divo tickets would be mine.

  Look at what one has to do to see those four hunks singing like angels!

  "Sometimes I wonder if you made a mistake with your profession and if you are actually a failed clown," Nerea said.

  "Hey!" I shouted. "Not only you force me to go out with that loser, but you provoke me as well?"

  "I'm just saying that you are exaggerating," she insisted. "Steven doesn't look like a bad person. He is not the best looking guy in the world, but you're too melodramatic."

  "Again," I answered turning around. "I can still choose not to show up for the date and make sure you go to bed tonight with the Vileda mop stick," I said, crossing my arms and frowning.

  "Okay, okay," she said, raising her hands in surrender. "He's as ugly as you say."

  She immediately vanished as if she feared I could change my mind, which I would have done without thinking too much if it had not been for those tickets.

  As soon as I arrived at the restaurant, I snorted at seeing Steven getting up frantically to approach me.

  "You are wonderful!" he exclaimed awkwardly.

  Beyond being ugly he's also blind. That’s all I needed!

  "Thank you very much," I smiled deceptively as I sat down.

  "I must confess that after our last conversation I thought I wouldn't see you again, but Nerea told me you were under stress at work, and I understood why you were so unpleasant."

  Me unpleasant? I'd rather say that I have shown you the path to the truth.

  "Oh yes, that's it," I replied, rolling my eyes. "I had a bad day," I said, taking the only glass, full of water.

  "I'll need a lot of wine to get out unharmed," I thought as I raised my hand to get the waiter's attention.

  After listening to the story of his third trip to... I honestly don't remember if it was China, Kazakhstan or God knows where, because they were all equally boring journeys. In any case, wherever he was, cutting my veins with a plastic knife would have been a more pleasant torture than his tales.

  "… so I had to stay in a very modest 2-star hotel. It was terrible! I almost couldn't sleep thinking about the cockroaches that could peep out from anywhere," he concluded and then he drank.

  Well, that’s better. Drink. If stupid people were flowers, you would be spring, my dear.

  "Maybe the cockroaches would have fled away if they had seen you," I said uninhibited, drinking more and involuntarily making him pour more wine in my glass.

  "So funny!" he exclaimed laughing. "It is evident that you noticed that I worked out in the gym, despite me wearing this loose shirt."

  Was he serious? I was not aware that muscles were needed to kill cockroaches. I had always killed them with the first battered slipper found in the house.

  "Of course, I noticed it!" I said ironically. "Soon you will look like Ant-man," but without "man". Though, when you think about it, an ant shows more common sense.

  When I looked for a waiter to order another bottle of wine, I set my eyes on a dark-haired guy who was staring at me.

  "That can't be true," I whimpered inwardly as Steven laughed at his grotesque antics.

  "Earth, swallow me and spit me into the Dead Sea," I whispered when I saw Adonis smiling from ear to ear.

  "Excuse me, what did you say?" Steven asked.

  "Er… that the wine is excellent, maybe we should order more," I said immediately, trying to undo that ugly braid I had as soon as possible.

  I don't even know why I'm surprised. I have so much bad luck that if I fell on my back, I would break my teeth.

  "All the bottles you want! Although it would be better to keep chatting and drinking all the wine we want at home."

  Are you stupid or are you snorting dandruff?

  My patience had reached its limit.

  "Look, Steven," I began to say.

  "Hi, Maria," interjected a sensual voice with overtones so manly that it would have set on fire a snowy forest in the middle of winter.

  I turned my gaze around until I met that perfect face that made me forget my cloistered nun look.

  "Hello!" I exclaimed in amazement.

  "Who would you be?" Steven asked frowning.

  "I'm Damian Devoir," he answered directly. "The fiancé of the young lady here," he added nodding in my direction.

  "What?" It was the only thing I was able to process.

  "I didn't know you were engaged," Steven replied obviously annoyed.

  Neither did I.

  "Haven't you informed him about it, honey?" Damian asked, staring at me with that mischievous smile that made me hesitate between kissing him or slapping him in the face.

  "You know, we've been dating for a short time," I lied brazenly, looking at Steven. "And... and then..."

  Maria, think something clever that doesn't seem like an excuse.

  "Besides, I'm the owner of the company where she works," Damian added to further fuel my embarrassment.

  Here, bravo, keep going like this to fix it.

  "So you are her boss," Steven said starting to get impatient.

  "Let's say yes," he replied, showing his white teeth that contrasted with his slightly tanned complexion.

  "But... it is clear that you are not able to give her everything she wants if she wanted to sneak out with me tonight," Steven snapped making me blush with shame.

  "Yes, it’s confirmed, the guy sniffs dandruff," I thought as I got up and put the napkin on the table. My patience was over.

  "Excuse me, I'll give it back to you right away," I said taking a glass of wine from one of the two diners seated next to us to empty it out on Steven who was stunned.

  "Do me a big favor: get extinct!" I exclaimed placing the glass back on the table from which I had taken it. "Thank you. I'll offer you another bottle for the trouble," I whispered politely as I left the restaurant in anger.

  I will definitely kill Nerea.

  "I must admit that it is difficult to get bored with you," I heard a few steps after I left a fifty-euro note on the restaurant counter to pay for the wine, including a tip for the trouble.

  "You gave me a heart attack!" I exclaimed. I began to breathe fresh air deeply to calm down.

  "I almost didn't recognize you dressed like that. What were you doing with that individual? "

  "It's a very long sto
ry," I confessed, slowing my pace.

  "I have plenty of time," he replied, putting his hands in his pockets. "I'm sure your story is more interesting than my appointment tonight."

  "Did you have an appointment?" I exclaimed, raising an eyebrow.

  "A very boring one," he said without giving more details.

  "We're both in the same situation then," I sighed. "I had to go out with that dull pedant to do my best friend a favour in exchange for the tickets of my favorite band's concert."

  "Il Divo," he immediately said as I pronounced the last word.

  "And how do you know?" I asked amazed.

  "You wrote down the concert date in your planner and then deleted it because you didn’t find the tickets."

  Did he read the whole planner? I'm afraid to ask him.

  "Thank you for reminding me that you are a degenerate gossip," I said crossing my arms making my gorgeous interlocutor laugh.

  Idiot... and handsome like the sun. But idiot, after all.

  "It was too intriguing. It's way better than reading a tale of mystery late at night."

  "For the record, I'm not slapping you in the face just because you managed to get that moron in the restaurant leave me alone by pretending to be my boyfriend," I admitted with regret.

  "So you admit I did you a favour," he smiled.

  "A favour? I don't know. I still can't forgive you for stealing my planner. Besides, you are blackmailing me to give it back."

  "I have to remind you that you ruined a thousand-euro shirt."

  "One thousand euros?" I asked in disbelief. "Not even if it were golden!"

  "Limited edition," he added without further details.

  "I said that I'd pay for the laundry," I said.

  "Too late... I had already chosen your punishment," he teased, getting even closer. He was so close that I could feel his breath touching my lips.

  "Okay, I admit it," I said, moving away from his face away not to melt in his gaze. "You did me a favour, but I finished the job."

  "And I would say you did very well," he replied. I started walking even slower and he adjusted to my pace.

  "I'm used to defending myself," I admitted unbuttoning the top button of my shirt that was beginning to asphyxiate me.

  "If your goal was to go unnoticed, I assure you that you achieved the opposite result," he said, looking at me.

  "Because I look like a nun who ran away from the convent two days ago?" I asked awkwardly.

  "Primarily because of what your clothes hide," he assured in a deep voice.

  "Do you find me sexy, Mr. Devoir?" I said taken by a moment of bravado.

  To my amazement he came close enough to brush my ear with his lips and I felt his nose caressing my hair.

  Oh my God... I’m going to faint in the middle of the street.

  "Of course," he whispered in such a sensual tone that made even my toes shake and my heart stop.

  Damn me and the moment I decided to put on my nun's underwear!

  Chapter VI

  "I seriously believe you urgently need a pair of glasses, Mr. Devoir," I replied, dodging his gaze and resuming my steps.

  Not only handsome, but also a smooth talker.

  I heard his chuckle as I walked, an instant before I saw his profile at my side again.

  "Maybe you are right," he replied with a tinge of malice that did not go unnoticed. "However, I feel compelled to accompany you home so that your nun's clothes reach their destination safe and sound."

  I reacted by covering my mouth with my hand to avoid a loud laugh. "Okay," I accepted with a smile still painted on my face.

  We walked to his car and I was not at all surprised when I saw that brand new black coupé that was flaunting his wealth.

  Eventually it was probably true that his shirt cost a thousand euros and he wasn't joking about it.

  "Will you get in? Don't worry, it won't bite," he said, bringing me back to reality.

  "I don't know if I want to get in. What if I ruin something? Will I have to pay for it?" I answered a little distressed.

  He smiled, and his prompt reaction to open the door for me calmed me down.

  "It depends," he whispered, followed by a brief silence. I took the opportunity to pull up my skirt a bit to be able to get in the car. "I accept payments in kind only".

  "In kind? It's definitely starting to get too hot in here," I thought and my breathing became more rapid and nervous.

  As I sat down and Damian closed the door, I was inebriated by the smell of the leather seats and the notes of his perfume still present inside the car. But above all, I smelled luxury, luxury and money everywhere.

  He got into the car and started the engine. A pleasant thought occurred to me: for at least ten minutes I would share the same space with that Greek statue and a few days later I will also spend an entire weekend with him. My God!

  Mental note: to buy expensive lace lingerie... very expensive... extremely expensive!

  "Seatbelt!" he reminded to me, breaking the silence and my perception of the darkness that enveloped us in the car.

  "What?" I asked as I regretted about my appearance that didn't match the car at all. Damn the moment I decided to dress like a nun! Although I already knew that karma had targeted me, I continued to provoke it like a hardened masochist.

  I had to imagine that the day I put on a pair of grandmother's panties a handsome guy like him would take me home.

  Suddenly I felt some kind of pressure on my arm, part of my belly and chest and I realized how close Damian Devoir was to me.

  Damn, damn... he smells so good!

  "Seatbelt!" he repeated as soon as he fastened it for me and I resumed breathing.

  "Oh, yes," I replied feeling like a complete imbecile. "By the way, it's a really nice car."

  "Thanks," he replied. "Who are you going to the concert with?"

  "What concert?" I asked while enjoying the embrace of that extremely comfortable and soft seat.

  It’s definitely more comfortable than my bed. I just wonder how it would be... Pure thoughts! Pure thoughts! You must align your thoughts with your clothing immediately, Maria!

  "You said that you accepted that date just to get the concert tickets," he clarified.

  "Oh, the concert, yes," I answered lost in thought. "I haven't decided yet."

  "Then you’re going with me," he said seriously without taking his eyes off the road.

  "Have you just, by any chance, invited yourself?" I asked amazed.

  "I'd say you're repaying me for the favour you owe me. Admit it, I've earned that ticket as much as you did."

  "What a nerve you've got!" I said astonished.

  "So what?"

  'What do you mean "So what"? There is no "So what!"

  "Admit it."

  "What should I admit?"

  Even if he tells me that I have to admit that I like him, I will definitely send him to hell.

  “That you want to go with me."

  "What?" my ego rebelled, even though deep down, deep down, the damned Greek statue was right. But I would never admit it.

  "Not at all, pretty boy," I declared, crossing my arms. He began to laugh. "What is so funny?" I asked incredulously.

  "At least now I know you find me handsome."

  Your plan not to look crazy is falling apart.

  "I said pretty boy, not handsome. There is a big difference," I stated trying to protect my self-esteem.

  "I'd be extremely flattered to know what kind of difference, but I think we've already arrived at your house."

  When I saw the entrance to my building, I wanted to scream, I don't know if it was out of relief or out of pain for having to abandon that male temptation. Certainly Damian Devoir was a mystery to be solved. Sometimes he was nice, cheerful and... perfect. But on other occasions he was a certified asshole.

  "Well, I think you'll be left without knowing the answer," I told him before taking off my seat belt and opening the door.

  "We will see that. G
oodnight, Miss Acosta," he said just before I closed the door.

  "Yeah, say goodnight to your grandmother," I thought as I headed for the building entrance. As I entered, I turned around. He was still there, looking at me. Soon he accelerated and his car vanished. My heartbeat increased.

  Why didn't he leave right away, once I got off the car? I knew the answer: Damian Devoir wanted to make sure nothing would happen to me until I entered the building.

  "In the end he’s not that stupid," I thought as I climbed the stairs.

  At that moment I remembered that I had never given him my address. How the hell did he know where I lived? I didn’t write my address in my planner. I would never ever have written it. Consequently he must have obtained it somehow.

  What I liked most about Saturdays was that I could comfortably spend my time on the sofa and watch crime fiction shows: this is why when the TV screen suddenly went black, I screamed hysterically.

  "What’s this story that Damian Devoir is your boyfriend?" Nerea asked irritated.

  "I see that the news spread pretty fast," I sighed, resigning myself to enduring a series of uncomfortable questions to which I would give nonsensical answers. "I didn't say it. He did," I justified myself.

  "You spilled a glass of wine on Steven!" she cried angrily.

  “Look, if he’s blander than a silicone squid, it's not my fault. I assure you that he asked for it and even deserved it. Actually, I would have spilled the whole bottle on him if I could. You should thank me that I restrained myself to just one glass."

  "You went too far, Maria," she blamed me.

  "I assure you that at first my intentions were good, but Steven made me lose it. By the way, I don't know why that bothers you: you had your romantic night by candlelight with Mathews, didn't you?"

  "Yes, but... he said that he will never see you again."

  "Hallelujah!" I cried excitedly. "In the end Devoir was right, and I owe him a favour."

  "I thought that if only you had given him a chance... that if you knew him better, in the end you would have liked him," Nerea replied sadly.

  "I'm more likely to become a lesbian than to be attracted to Steven," I assured her considering that matter closed for ever.