Little Games of Love: A Novel

by Gabriela Paz

  It was a sunny and breezy afternoon when Eva arrived at the bar. There weren’t many people yet, only Cece and her friend, Rosie, with a drink in hand, anxiously waiting for everyone to arrive. Cece was wearing a cute little red dress with matching red lipstick, black high heels, and her hair looked spiky but sexy. Rosie didn’t take any shortcuts either with her outfit. She was wearing a long blue sparkly dress with full make-up.

  Eva should have felt very underdressed, but she didn’t care. She was glad not to be wearing uncomfortable shoes or a short dress that obligated her to sit crossed legged on a barstool. Out of all of Cece’s friends, Rosie was the one Eva tolerated the most. She had a pleasant personality that was easier to get along with, not too over the top but not boring. Most importantly, her conversation was occasionally a bit deeper than the rest of Cece’s friends.

  “Hey!” Eva said to both of them as she arrived.

  “You made it! For a moment there, I thought you were going to text me some lame excuse last minute and cancel. But here you are,” Cece exclaimed as she gave Eva a tight hug.

  “Hey Eva, glad you could make it,” Rosie gushed.

  “Hey Rosie, it’s good to see you. You look great.”

  “Oh, thanks. I couldn’t pass the opportunity to wear my new dress,” Rosie said as she looked at her own dress proudly.

  “I know what you mean,” Cece interrupted, “I almost wore my prom dress too, but I didn’t want to blow everyone’s mind away, you know?”

  “I’m sure you would have.” Rosie laughed.

  “Eva, why didn’t you get dressed up? Come on, it's not just any night tonight.” Cece sighed.

  “Well, I didn’t really feel like it, to be honest. I wanted it to be like any other day. That’s the only way I convinced myself to come.”

  “Of course. You look great either way, Evs, don’t worry about it. Shall we get more drinks?” Cece suggested as she raised her glass.

  As more people proceeded to arrive, Eva started to feel the bar get smaller by the second. She wasn’t into big crowds and especially not on this occasion. Most of Cece’s friends were there now, and they all seemed to be having a great time. Tim, Bella, Fred, Camila, and Shirley, all part of Cece’s gang. Eva sometimes wished that she could like all of them and enjoy their company, but she felt she couldn’t be herself around them, so it made no sense for her to force it. They were all nice to her, nevertheless. “Hey, Eva! It’s been a while. It’s good to see you out. How’s everything?” Tim asked her nicely.

  “Everything is good, thanks. Just trying to pass this last semester so I can graduate,” Eva tried to smile, “How about you?”

  “Yeah, you know, same. Trying to get wasted tonight and forget about finals and all.”

  “Well, you seem to be doing a good job at it.”

  He laughed. “You better stop pretending to shake that cup around and start drinking too.”

  Tim was a good-looking guy, but he was almost too perfect with his effortlessly shaped eyebrows and his always clean-shaven face. He wasn’t Eva’s type, to say the least. Even with his on-point outfits and perfectly tucked back hair, Eva wasn’t attracted to him.

  She actually chuckled this time. “I am drinking. I take my time,” Eva lied. She wasn’t drinking at all. She didn’t love the taste of alcohol much, and even though she did feel like forgetting everything, she didn’t want to ruin Cece’s night by making a depressing scene.

  She had the tendency to get all sappy and gloomy whenever she was drunk. It came in stages depending on her mood, but most of the time, she went from happy, to crazy, to gloomy, to complete devastation in a matter of minutes. So it was better to be safe than sorry.

  “Guys! The one who gets it further away from the bull's eye must drink. I’ll start.” Cece yelled as she got ready to throw a dart. “Come on, Eva, you go next!”

  “Nah, it’s okay. I rather watch.”

  Cece didn’t object, “Okay, Rosie, your turn.”

  Everyone seemed to be having a lot of fun, throwing, missing, laughing, and drinking.

  Suddenly, Eva didn’t want to be there anymore. She couldn’t force her smile any longer, so she got up to find her best friend. “Hey Cece, I will be right back. I’m going to get some fresh air, but I’m okay, I promise. Please have fun.” She sauntered past the boardwalk towards the beach, where she took her sandals off to walk near the shore.

  There weren’t many people by the beach as most of them were hanging out by the boardwalk and inside the bars. There were only a few drunk teenagers in the distance singing songs, a couple sitting on a bench, and some guy throwing rocks into the water not too far away.

  Eva sat on the sand near the water to watch the sunset, but the beauty of it only intensified her pain. The defiant sky adorned itself with brilliant reds and oranges cloaking itself in dazzling splendor. She glared back at the stunning swirls of color, the whites of her eyes pink by crying and pinker by its reflection, and without warning, shame struck her soul. Shame for feeling pain when such beauty was right in front of her eyes. She was lucky, lucky to be alive, to be breathing.

  What is wrong with me that I keep feeling this way? Am I selfish for dwelling on my own pain for so long when there are people who are actually suffering?

  At that moment, as she starred in the distance a while longer, peace suddenly started to surround her heart. As her eyes shut and she thought about the countless blessings she had, she felt fortunate again for the first time in a while, even if it was just in that instant.

  Her eyes remained shut while she enjoyed that feeling of unexplainable warmth until someone abruptly interrupted her peace. It was the guy who had been throwing rocks near the shore. He was unexpectedly standing right in front of her. She looked up, a little bit shocked and upset to be interrupted, and said, “Can I help you?” She didn’t mean to be rude, but he had startled her.

  The guy cleared his throat, “Ahem, I’m sorry to interrupt, but are you okay? Would you like some company?”

  What the hell?

  CHAPTER 6

  The Stranger

  Jeez, she’s going to think I’m a creep. Would you like some company? Really Leo? Who says that?

  A few hours earlier…

  Getting on a sailboat was all Leo could think about. He still missed his home in Italy and his old friends. He missed going on the ocean without a worry in the world or without doubts about his future. Now that he was twenty-two, his life was different; he had to think about his job, money, where he was going to live. He certainly did not want to live with his parents for much longer, and this worried him. He had taken an internship that paid very little, and though he knew what the job entailed, he was stressed about the details.

  Obviously, he had a lot to learn, and he was excited about that; he only hoped that he would have an opportunity to grow in that company. The International Advisors Group was a well-known financial company with several branches throughout the states, so he felt honored to have the chance to work for them. He was supposed to start the next day, and the anticipation was killing him. He never had a real job before, so this was a big responsibility, and he hoped to do well.

  Leo couldn’t take the anxiety anymore, so he decided to go for a walk and relax a bit. He sauntered down the boardwalk for a while and contemplated getting something to eat, but everything was too packed, and he didn’t feel like waiting. He preferred to listen to his own thoughts that afternoon, so he headed towards the beach to find some peace of mind.

  The Island of Pensacola Beach still surprised him quite a bit. He hadn’t gotten used to the striking white sand no matter how many times he would go to the beach. The boardwalk and the shore were so much different than back home. So organized and planned like everything was in the States. He didn’t think it was better or worse, solely different.

  The breeze, the smell of saltwater and fish, were familiar. It
reminded him of sailing, which he appreciated. He had talked to his father the previous day about getting a sailboat. The island was the perfect place for one, and his father used to sail back home all the time.

  “I don’t think this is the right time to get one, son, but soon enough, don’t worry. I know you miss it. I miss it too, son,” his father had said to him when Leo indirectly asked. “We are on the verge of closing the biggest deal yet. And I want to make sure we do so we have time to enjoy it,” he concluded.

  “I know, of course, Dad, I understand,” Leo answered. His father, Julian Rossi, hadn’t stopped building the family business since they arrived from Italy. Luckily, the business had been going fabulously well, and he had already expanded to a lot of new cities. Many wineries and supermarkets sold ‘Palermo Notte,’ the name of the family wine.

  Depending on the family business was never an option for Leo. He always aspired to become someone successful on his own, someone who built something with effort and persistence, just like his father did. He had finished college not too long ago and was in the process of starting a new job. He wasn’t going to rest until he made his father proud.

  When he got tired, he slowed his pace and found some rocks gathered near the shore. Back home when he was younger, he used to compete with his buddies to see who could make the rock skip more times on the flat water. He was not very good at it, unfortunately, but he tried.

  He grabbed some small rocks and started throwing, trying to remember the technique he had learned back then, but he couldn’t do it properly. Plus, there were too many waves for it to actually work. Regardless, he kept throwing without giving it much thought.

  After a while, he heard footsteps approaching. As he turned around to see who it was, he noticed a distressed young girl rushing towards the shore. He watched her as she took off her shoes and sat on the sand. Leo looked around at the rest of the beach, realizing that there was almost no one else around. The sun was setting, and it was time to leave, but for some reason, he felt curious about the girl.

  The sunset glowed across the beckoning water, and when he glanced over to see her again, he couldn’t help but notice her pure expression. She was a few feet away, but he could still see her big green eyes shining with the reflection of the light. They expressed pain but peacefulness at the same time; it was hard for him to describe it. She had pale bright skin and long brown hair; she was a natural beauty for sure.

  Leo stayed there for a little while longer and noticed that she had closed her eyes as if meditating or crying. He wasn’t sure. He wanted to go and talk to her; maybe they could contemplate the sunset together.

  But what would I say? Maybe I will spook her. She was different, though. There was something about her that disabled him from walking away. If he didn’t meet her now, he probably never would. What do I have to lose? He decided to be brave and approach her.

  As he started sauntering toward her, his heart pounded. Who is this mysterious girl who came to appreciate the true beauty of life? She continued to keep her eyes closed as he drew near. He felt embarrassed that maybe he was interrupting something. But it was too late to go back as she abruptly opened her eyes with the sound of his footsteps. When she looked up at him, he almost choked. He suddenly realized that he had walked up to a beautiful girl without any plan whatsoever of what he would say.

  “Can I help you?” she snapped, making him regret his decision to approach her.

  I’m an idiot. Yep, this was definitely a bad idea. What was I expecting? He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but…are you okay? Would you like some company?” he asked her with a strong Italian accent. But the way it came out wasn’t exactly what he had in mind.

  She looked straight at him with her big, round, green eyes, like she was making an effort to see him. He noticed the sun was behind him, and the reflection didn’t allow her to see him properly, so he moved to her side to make her more comfortable. He could surely see her all right. Whatever was left of the sun was hitting her beautiful, flawless face as she looked straight at him.

  Finally, she answered, “Um, I don’t really know you. Don’t you think that would be weird?”

  Absolutely. But I’ve beyond crossed the weird like at this point. “Define weird.” Leo grinned as he made an attempt to be charming.

  “Well… You got me. Fine, why not? I guess there’s plenty of space,” she surprisingly surrendered without much of an expression.

  She was definitely younger than him, now that he could see her better. Leo sat next to her, not too close to avoid scaring her, but she kept looking toward the sunset without even acknowledging him. It was clear that he was going to be the one starting the conversation. “So, what are you doing out here all by yourself?” He tried to act cool and collected, but he felt creepier by the minute.

  She was distant when she spoke. “Just getting away from the crowd to reflect. I’m not much fun to be around lately.” He was about to respond, but before he could, she surprisingly asked, “How about you?”

  “Been feeling quite anxious today. I start a new job tomorrow, and I wanted to get some fresh air and some clarity.”

  “I know what you mean. I’m trying to get some clarity myself. I graduate school in a few weeks and still haven’t decided if I’m going to college or not.”

  He was getting more comfortable as he listened to her. She had a calm and soft voice that was soothing to hear. But he was a little disappointed to find out she was so young. She’s still in high school? She is definitely quite mature, he thought, justifying himself. He could have sworn she looked in her late teens or early twenties. He didn’t mind being with someone a bit younger if it was meant to be—but she was just starting out her life. “Well, congrats on graduating. That’s exciting.”

  “Yeah, thanks.”

  “You know when I graduated high school, and I came here, I was in a similar situation. I didn’t know if I should go to college or start a business. It was really confusing. But I guess that’s normal, there’s no rush, and you can take all the time you need until you are sure.”

  She wasn’t looking at the sunset anymore. She was finally looking straight at him as she seemed interested in what he had to say. “You make a good point. But I don’t know what to study, and I don’t want to pick a career and then quit it early because I don’t like it, you know?”

  “I get it, but that’s kind of the point, isn’t it? You go to college, and you figure out what you want. It’s not like you are wasting any time. It's always productive when you are trying to figure out what you want,” he said, trying to be empathetic. But the more he looked at her, he realized she seemed completely lost. It appeared to him there was more to her story than just being confused about going to college, and he was determined to find out more.

  “Well, I guess so,” she answered. “When you say it like that, I guess it doesn’t sound half as bad as I see it in my head.” She sighed.

  “Trust me. You have all the time in the world. You will figure it out, I promise.”

  They remained silent for a few seconds as they both stared at the sunset. He was tense but didn’t want to miss his chance to keep conversing. “Why are you so sad? If you don’t mind me asking,” he finally said.

  She looked back at him, her eyes tearing up. “Some idiot broke my heart.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” He was embarrassed to ask such an obvious question, but he didn’t know what else to say.

  “It’s alright. I’ve been better.” she paused as she took a deep breath. “It doesn’t matter anymore. It’s been almost three months now. I just can’t seem to move on.”

  Leo went blank for a second. Asshole. He had been through rough break-ups before, and sure, it had been depressing for a few days, but that was it. Being heartbroken sounded a lot more serious than what he had experienced.

  “I’m so sorry to hear that. I’m su
re that whoever he was, he didn’t deserve you,” he said, looking straight into her eyes.

  “Thanks,” she sighed with a forced smile. Even with her sad demeanor, she was still the prettiest girl he had ever seen. He got lost in her eyes every single time she turned to face him. Please don’t look away. He was about to finally ask for her name when she suddenly stood up and said, “Thanks so much for talking to me. I had a lovely time, but I have to go now. See ya.” No, wait!

  He tried to get the words out of his mouth before she left, but she was already gone, and it was too late. “See ya,” he whispered to himself.

  Did I say something inappropriate? Why did she leave like that? Would I ever see her again? She left so quickly he couldn’t process what had just happened.

  Leo walked back home, feeling upset for being so idiotic that night. The first thing he should have asked was her name. It wasn’t rocket science. He was going to regret it deeply if he never saw her again. He kept repeating the conversation they had in his mind while he pictured her big angelic eyes.

  She wasn’t his usual type, even though he didn’t really have a physical type. He did have a personality type, however. He liked bubbly girls who were fun but could also establish a serious and real conversation. But he also didn’t like girls who were too open or too straightforward because he enjoyed the chase.

  One thing that was really important for him was that they were genuine, and that was hard to find. So, he wondered what it was about that sad girl that had enchanted him so much. She had surely made an impression on him, and he wasn’t going to give up until he saw her again.

  Although Leo was excited for his first day of work, he couldn’t help thinking about how much his life had changed since he moved to the States. He often yearned for his native home in Cefalù Palermo, a small village by the water to the south of Italy, where the high sunlit clouds floated across a clear blue sky almost every single afternoon.