The Way To A Man’s Heart
Page 14
“That’s what I meant.”
“Sorry, I know. I’m just a little on edge. Traveling doesn’t agree with me.” He pushed the hatch shut with a thud and Sera took her spot behind the front passenger seat. The palm trees were gently swaying in the warm breeze, and enclosed in the car, safely on the ground, Sera felt herself begin to relax.
“I hope you weren’t waiting for anyone in particular,” she ventured when she felt ready for conversation.
“I would have said so. It just seemed a nice day for a drive.”
“You came to the airport just for a drive?”
“Yeah, it’s actually my uncle’s car, but it just occurred to me to take the taxi out to the airport. He always meets interesting people out here, and the extra money doesn’t hurt. Don’t worry; I’ll take you
wherever you need to go.”
“You came for fun?” Sera wasn’t sure what to make of this man.
“As I said, I’m not working today, so I thought I’d take the run for him.”
“Nice of you.”
“No, just something to do.”
The music on the radio was a nice salsa, and Sera felt she was in the right spot. She allowed herself a moment to get a look at her driver. He was slightly taller than she, muscular in the arms and comfortable in his skin. His dark hair had a nice wave to it, and was long enough that he occasionally raked a hand through it to keep it out of his eyes. She briefly wondered if it felt as soft as it looked. Her fingers tingled at the thought.
The taxi jerked ahead of the buses and traveled smoothly down the access road towards the highway. They rounded a bend, and the ramp to the highway was visible he spoke.
“So, where to?”
The question interrupted her thoughts and she felt irritated. Sera watched out the window as they passed by the enclosed compounds of the all-inclusive resorts. She did not miss that kind of enclosed security. The tourists would never learn the real Cayo Pequeсo in there.
“I’m headed for the village of Puerto Pescado. You can drop me anywhere on the main street.”
“Perfect, that’s where I just came from. Your fare will be a bit less because I don’t have far to drive home after dropping you off.”
“Don’t happen to know a place I could stay, do you?” She didn’t know quite what she was hoping for but it couldn’t hurt to ask.
“A place to stay? You don’t have a reservation?”
“No, I don’t. I’d prefer not to sleep on the beach. Mosquitoes, you know. Can you give me some names?”
“You don’t have a place to stay,” he said, as if talking to himself.
Sera figured he was thinking out loud and paused a moment before replying. “Doesn’t that ever happen?”
“I just thought you’d have people to visit, or a reservation at the inn.”
“That’s the one by the beach, right?”
“Yes, but I doubt they have room this time of year. We can check, though. If not, I suppose we can find you a place. Having picked you up, I feel a bit responsible. I won’t have you sleeping on the beach. It’s not exactly the safest place, especially for a bit of a woman like you.”
“I’ll be okay,” she replied, trying hard not to sound offended.
“You don’t know that. Don’t be naпve.”
“You just met me. You can hardly call me naпve.” Sera fought to keep her voice level, but the bite still came through. She wanted this man on her side, at least until she found a place to stay.
“Sorry, but c’mon. I’ll find you a place to stay. Why are you here anyway? Some kind of ‘finding yourself’ quest?”
“Nosy, aren’t you?”
“Not going to say?”
“I’m here to gather research for a book I’m writing. Technically, it’s called an ethnography.”
“A book?”
Sera sighed, hoping he could hear her impatience. “I’m an anthropologist.”
“So, you are here to study…never mind, here we are, anyway.” He pulled the car up beside a white iron gate. Behind it were huge bushes of flowers, poinsettias and hibiscus, as well as palms. She could see a white building with flower boxes below each window. It was two stories, and appeared immaculate, and she felt a rising sense of unease.
“I can’t stay here,” she mumbled.
“What’s wrong?” Apparently his ears were sharp.
”It’s too closed-off.”
“Closed- off how?”
“I’m afraid I’ll just stay in there. I’m sure it has beautiful rooms.” Sera knew she would have to push herself to meet people. It wasn’t something that came naturally, and although she knew she could accomplish all she meant to, it wouldn’t help if she had a room and impeccable service along the beachfront. She would feel much less inclined to leave her room and meet people. She had to push herself just a bit more.
“You’re not making much sense.”
“A tip and sense along with it. Asking a bit much, aren’t we? Do I have to make sense?” It was her attempt at lightening the mood and thankfully, she saw his shoulders shake in soft laughter. “I won’t be able to get to know the people and how they live. It’s the lifestyle that doesn’t fit.”
“What are your options?”
“You tell me.”
They were still sitting in the car, but the driver had stopped looking at her. He fell silent and stared out the windshield. Then, very slowly, as if she did not understand her own language, he said, “There is no other place in town.”
“Well, then perhaps you could drop me at a restaurant. I haven’t eaten in a while.”
He started the engine again, and slowly pulled out of the circular drive and back onto the street.
“Where are we going?”
“Well, you won’t get to know the community in a restaurant. They’re for tourists. You don’t leave me much choice but to take you in for a home cooked meal.”
“No, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be difficult. You can let me out where you like. I have your fare.” She rifled in her carry-on and produced a few American dollars to wave at him. She knew they were more highly-prized than the local currency, the peso.
“I can’t leave you in the middle of nowhere.”
“I came here on my own. I’ll be fine.”
“Trust me. We’ll get you a meal and then decide what to do.”
Sera was too tired to argue anymore and slumped in her seat. The tone in the man’s voice told her she didn’t have much choice. He had taken her in, and he felt a responsibility to make sure she arrived somewhere safely.
”If I go with you, I’ll need to know your name.”
“Cristian.” His left hand reached over his right shoulder as he awkwardly strove to steer with this right hand. One of the first things Sera always noticed about a man was his hands. She took Cristian’s hand in hers and felt both strength and tenderness. It was pleasurable to imagine that hand on her body. She shook it, and felt at ease.
“I’m Sera,” she responded.
As she was relaxing in the back of the car in an exotic country, she found herself trying to get a better view of Cristian’s face. His features were defined, yet his lips were soft and relaxed. He had the air of someone completely comfortable with his looks. His eyes watched the road without a hint of unease or stress despite the crowded roadways. When he glanced in the rearview mirror at her and smiled, she immediately felt the heat of embarrassment rising up her neck. She turned away to gaze out the window. Knowing where her next meal was coming from, she could enjoy the scenery and be in her favorite place.
This file was created with
BookDesigner program
bookdesigner@the-ebook.org
5/14/2009
-webkit-filter: grayscale(100%); -moz-filter: grayscale(100%); -o-filter: grayscale(100%); -ms-filter: grayscale(100%); filter: grayscale(100%); " class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share