Little Games of Love: A Novel

by Gabriela Paz

  How is it possible that in one sudden meeting, he can make me feel this way? Whether it was nerves, tension, or attraction, she felt vulnerable around Leo, and that scared her deeply. Therefore, her answer to that text held more weight than just writing a few words.

  Eva gave herself until noon to make a decision. If she rejected his invitation, it would mean to close the door on the possibility of feeling something more and to close the door on him forever. Every time she unlocked her phone, her hands started to shake, and she couldn’t make up her mind. Cece had told her to go for it, but she wasn’t listening to her friend’s advice anymore. This was about her and nobody else.

  As she finally built up the courage, she wrote, “It was nice seeing you too. Can’t wait. See you then.” Is that too much? Or should I play the game a little bit more to sound more interesting? She had already made the guy suffer enough by standing him up once and making him wait four years. He deserved an honest answer. Sent. I’m screwed. Officially.

  Eva borrowed her mother’s car that afternoon to make sure she arrived at the yacht club on time. The place wasn’t too far from her house, and she was surprised to arrive so quickly. She wore a light blue summer dress with a pink bathing suit underneath, and her hair hung loosely on her shoulder. As she got out of the car, she stood in front of a picturesque clubhouse and a sign that read ‘Parasailing and wave runners this way’ with an arrow pointing towards the beach.

  Eva had no idea where she needed to go, so she texted Leo, “Hey, I’m here. Where are you?”

  Only one minute later, he answered, “Hey, meet me at the back of the clubhouse by the pier.”

  “Okay, be there in a minute,” she replied, not able to contain her nerves and excitement.

  She made her way through the clubhouse, where she passed a nice little bar where people drank and played billiards. There was light music in the background, and the ambiance was quite pleasant. The weather was perfect, with the sun shining as bright as ever and the water appearing peaceful. People were getting their jet skis ready to run, and others made an attempt at what looked like paddleboarding.

  As she walked in further and enjoyed the salty smell of the ocean, she noticed a long narrow pier that stood in the middle of the water. Her heart started to pound faster as she made her way towards an isolated sailing boat that rested on the water at the end of the pier.

  “Eva, you made it!” Leo shouted from the sailboat.

  “Yes, I can’t believe I made it either, believe me. I’ve never sailed before, and I’m a little nervous,” she blurted out. Though I’m definitely more nervous about being alone with you.

  “Don’t worry, I will do all the work, and you just relax. Come! Hop in,” Leo instructed as he extended his hand out to her. Electricity passed through Eva’s whole body as she grabbed his hand and jumped inside the boat.

  “What do you think? Do you like it?” he asked.

  “It’s lovely. I love the blue colors of the sails. Did you pick it out?” she asked. The boat wasn’t big, maybe around 25ft. Still, the mast was tall and intimidating, especially for somebody who never sailed before. There was a decent size cockpit and a small cabin on the foredeck, which made her curious.

  “My dad did. It’s very similar to the one I had back in Italy, actually. The one back home was named “Andiamo,” and this one I named “Carpe Diem.”

  “Nice. What does it mean?”

  Leo smiled. “It translates to ‘Seize the Day.’ Basically, it means we should enjoy our lives while we can without worrying too much about the future.”

  “Perfect. That’s exactly what I need,” she smiled back timidly.

  “Here, you should put on the lifejacket just to be safe. I will put one as well. Are you ready to get going?” He asked enthusiastically.

  “Yes, I’m excited. Do you need any help?”

  “No, it’s okay. I prepped the boat before you got here, so we should be ready to go,” Leo said as he untied the dock lines.

  The sails filled with the breeze and suddenly advanced over the waves. Eva sat by the cockpit, taking in the striking scenery, but she was too distracted by how Leo handled himself around the boat. He appeared to be an expert sailor as he tested the direction of the wind.

  “Andiamo!” Leo screamed. “I’m so glad you could come. For me, this is the best feeling in the world.”

  “It is pretty amazing,” Eva replied, feeling the wind against her face and savoring the moment. It had been such a long time since she had this carefree feeling; it was liberating.

  “Grab the tiller and try to keep it straight while I take care of the jib sheet,” Leo said as he moved around the boat, pulling more ropes.

  The tiller? “What? You mean this long thing?” Eva shouted.

  “Yes. Try to keep it straight.”

  Eva was so nervous, she didn’t want to sound or look like an idiot, but she had no idea what she was supposed to do exactly. Thankfully Leo came back quickly and grabbed control of the tiller again. “Don’t worry, you’re doing great.”

  “I’m not sure about that.” She blushed.

  “It’s going pretty straight now. We will stop soon once we get to the open sea.”

  “How come are we stopping?”

  “Well, you didn’t think I asked you to bring your bathing suit for no reason, did you?” he teased.

  Oh lord. “But isn’t it kind of dangerous to go in the water this far away from shore?”

  “Oh, I didn’t take you for a chicken.”

  “I’m not.” Eva laughed. We could literally drown and die. But who’s thinking about that?

  “Okay, here we are,” Leo said as the boat came to a complete stop. There was absolutely no one around. Not even one boat sailed nearby. He quickly threw the anchor to keep the boat from stirring away and jumped onto the peaceful ocean. “Come on, Eva! Jump!” he yelled.

  Eva quickly took her dress off and stood over the bow, hesitating to jump. “I’m scared! Maybe you were right, and I am a coward.” I don’t think I can do this.

  “I was joking! Of course, you are not. Just close your eyes and jump!” Leo encouraged her. But Eva only wondered if there were sharks or big whales around. She respected the sea and the animal life in it. It was no joke to her to be swimming in a deserted ocean with no way of knowing what was underneath. Leo wasn’t giving her much of a choice, though, and she was going to have to jump. She counted to three several times in her mind prompting herself to do it, but her body wasn’t listening, or perhaps it was her own mind that froze her body.

  “Come on, Eva, you can do it. I’m here, and I will take care of you, I promise. Nothing will happen to you.”

  “Okay, okay. This time I’m jumping, I swear! Are you laughing at me?” she accused.

  “No, no. It’s only been like five minutes, and I can’t believe you haven’t jumped.”

  Eva took a deep breath, and without counting to three this time, she jumped. God save my soul.

  “Finally.” Leo smiled as he swam towards her.

  “Oh my God, it’s so cold,” she said, shaking.

  “I know. Come here,” he said as he hugged her. Eva should have been thinking about the romanticism of it all, but she couldn’t stop herself from shaking, so she held him tighter. The life jackets were in the way, but she could still feel the warmth of his skin through his protective arms.

  “Is this better?” Leo asked.

  “A little bit,” she stuttered. “I’m sorry, as you can see, I’m not much of a water person.”

  He laughed. “It’s okay. It is really cold, actually. Do you want to go back to the boat?”

  “Wait,” Eva blurted. “Don’t move. Let’s stay like this for a few more minutes, or I will freeze to death.” Let’s stay like this forever.

  “Okay,” he replied as he held her for a few more minutes.

 
As they made their way back on the boat, Leo rushed to get her a towel. “Let’s go inside the cabin to get you warmed up,” he said.

  “Okay,” she answered. Her whole body was exposed to the wind, and her skin was all covered with goosebumps.

  “Okay, here. This should get you warmed up,” Leo said as he slowly placed some covers around her. The cabin was a tiny space in which they barely fit in, but it was more than enough for Eva to get warm. There were a few long seats by the sides and lots of junk lying around.

  “Thanks,” Eva said, still shaking.

  Leo was so close that she could smell his intoxicating, pleasant scent. Is there such a thing as a sexy smell? There must be. Water dripped from his hair as he looked at her with his caring, seductive eyes. With his bare wet chest, he took one step closer and whispered, “Is this better?” and as he kissed her gently on the lips, she could no longer resist.

  Eva grabbed his neck and pulled him closer to her. “Much better,” she whispered back as she returned the kiss more passionately. One touch was enough for her to feel the electricity going through her body and her hormones shutting off her higher brain. As he wrapped his arms around her back, she let the covers fall onto the ground. Please don’t stop now.

  Her goosebumps were no longer from the cold but from his touch only. Leo then dragged her towards the wall, and his hands made their way below her waist. As their mouths remained one, Eva couldn’t help but feel their bodies and minds connect. It was as if they were made solely for this, to fall into one another, to feel this natural rhythm.

  Her rational self had gone out the window as she slowly let him untie her bathing suit top. He then began to kiss her all over her face and neck until rapidly making his way down to her bare chest. She closed her eyes as she felt his lips on her skin and his hands touching her whole body.

  Suddenly he threw a bunch of old junk to the ground as he cleared the narrow cabin seat. As he carefully laid her down, their bodies became entwined, and their hearts becoming one. He stopped to look at her in the eye as if asking for approval, and she nodded without hesitation. The moment Eva felt him inside her, she let out her first moan.

  His tongue carved every inch of her body like a chisel, and his kisses were long and deep. She moaned louder and louder as he pushed deeper and faster until suddenly, without control, their bodies exploded, leaving them motionless as they lay together with their arms and legs still entangled. Eva could feel his heart beating fast as he lay on top of her, and she wondered if it had felt as amazing to him as it did to her.

  For so long, she had dreamed of following her heart without being scared of breaking her rigid old patterns. First, she had kissed him impulsively before leaving for college, and now, she had finally done exactly what her heart longed for. What is it about him that makes me lose my mind?

  In that moment, it didn’t matter to her how the situation had come to be or how fast it had happened. All that mattered was the way he made her feel. Now she finally understood what her friends meant when they told her that the best things in life happen when you let yourself go.

  “I think I’m warm enough now,” she joked as Leo’s head still rested on her bare chest. He then made an effort to catch his breath and said, “You are amazing.”

  Eva blushed when she heard the words come out of his mouth. As she ran her fingers through his hair, thinking of an appropriate answer, he finally lifted his head to make eye contact. God, he’s beautiful. He stared at her for a few seconds without saying a word. His eyes were as sweet and honest as they could be. Nobody had ever looked at her that way, and she couldn’t help but smile shyly.

  “What is it?” he asked, grinning back.

  “The way you are looking at me makes me nervous.”

  “How am I looking at you?” he grinned.

  “I don’t know like you are looking straight into my soul, and you know exactly what I’m thinking.”

  “I do wish I knew you were thinking. I want to know every little thing about you, Eva. You drive me crazy. You have since the first day I met you.”

  “Really? I didn’t know that.” But it’s good to know.

  “You must have. Can I ask you something?”

  “Anything.”

  “Why did you kiss me before you left for college? Did you want to be with me back then?” he asked, still looking into her eyes.

  Right… about the kiss…“That’s a good question,” Eva blushed as her heart started to race again. “I liked you, and I wanted you to know that. I just didn’t think it was the right time. I didn’t know how to tell you. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay, I kind of figured.”

  “You did?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Yes. You know, I saw you again from afar when I dropped Stefano off at his dorm.”

  Her eyes suddenly opened widely. “Seriously? Why didn’t you come to say hi?”

  “I don’t know. I saw you there with your friend, unloading the car, looking happy, and I just couldn’t do it. I wanted to, so badly, but you had so much to look forward to, and I didn’t want to take that away from you,” he said, looking away.

  “You wouldn’t have. College wasn’t all that great…” she paused, thinking about all the mistakes she had made. “I did always wonder why I never saw you again or why you didn’t contact me.”

  “Well, now you know. I’m an idiot for letting you go. I should have said something when I saw you. I guess I always figured I would see you again somewhere down the road.”

  Eva didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t seen Leo in four years, and just like that, it almost felt like she was exactly where she was supposed to be. “I bet you didn’t anticipate this as a down the road encounter,” she said bashfully.

  “I certainly didn’t, but I’m glad it happened,” Leo said softly. He then glided his fingers through her hair once again and said, “I want you to know that I feel very strongly about you, Eva. More so than I have with anyone else.”

  The way he spoke, so passionate, made Eva want to believe him. Could this be real? Everything she was feeling and everything he was telling her, Could it really be?

  As she kissed him softly on the lips, she curiously asked, “How come? Why me?”

  “I don’t know what it is about you. You are special. One thing I can promise you is that I am not a liar. I always speak from my heart, and I mean it when I say, I really like you.” He reassured her.

  “I want to believe you, and for some reason, I feel like I can trust you. It’s just that my past disables me from moving forwards in relationships sometimes, and I’m scared to make the same mistakes.”

  “I promise you, this is not a mistake. And I will help you heal your wounds no matter how long it takes.”

  If what Eva was feeling wasn’t love, she didn’t know what was. In the blink of an eye, he had become her everything, and although she didn’t want to say it out loud, she enjoyed having such a feeling. “Okay,” she answered.

  And as they lay together for a few moments longer, listening to the sound of the waves, Leo whispered, “Now that I know what it’s like to be with you, I don’t think I’m going to be able to let you go.”

  CHAPTER 23

  The Truth

  The door made a squeaky sound as Leo entered his house later that night. His mind was on cloud nine with the day he had. He couldn’t believe he just made love to Eva. How it happened, the way it happened, and most importantly, the way she made him feel. All he wanted was to go into his room and text her, but as he entered the house, Stefano startled him.

  “Hey man, where have you been?” he asked.

  “Hey. What are you doing home? It’s Friday night,” Leo asked, surprised.

  “I didn’t feel like going anywhere. I drank too much last night, and I’ve had a headache all day. Where have you been? I thought you wanted to do something together
since you are leaving on Sunday.”

  Leo scratched his head. He knew he could have perfectly spent the day with his brother, but Eva was all he could think of. “Yeah, I’m sorry, bro, I completely forgot, and I lost track of time today. I actually went sailing with Eva.”

  Stefano turned his gaze back to him abruptly. “You did? Wow, I didn’t see that coming. How did that happen? I was sure you had forgotten about her.”

  “I saw her at the cove the other day and invited her. Bro, I’ve had the best day of my life.”

  “Really? What happened?” Stefano asked curiously.

  Leo tried to portion the size of his grin. “Well, let’s just say we enjoyed each other’s company, and maybe this time around, we might end up together.”

  “You should be careful with her, bro.”

  “Why?” What’s up with him?

  Stefano stuttered. “Well, let’s just say that she’s known for breaking hearts.”

  “Well, from what I know, she’s the one that’s had her heart broken.”

  “That might have been before,” Stefano said, clearing his throat. “She was different in college.”

  “Everyone changes and grows up in college. It’s normal. I’m sure she was simply living new experiences.” She must have.

  He shrugged. “Well, I saw her hooking up with her ex. Just saying.”

  Impossible. “What? Which ex? The one who cheated on her before college?” No way. She would never go back to him.

  “Yeah. His name is Daniel.”

  “Okay, so you caught her doing what exactly?”

  “They were all over each other and kissing at a bar. Do you really want to know the details?”

  “No, It’s okay,” Leo muttered. He hadn’t been expecting this at all. How could she go back to him? “Stef, there’s no way she’s still seeing that guy. How long ago was that?”