by Linda George
“How much I love you.”
Tears appeared in his beautiful eyes. He kissed her forehead before closing his eyes and stroking her hand, squeezing her fingers, and leaning farther toward her. “One more night…” he whispered.
One more night…
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In Ollantaytambo, they boarded the tour bus to drive back to Cusco. Lynn sat in her usual place, feeling lonely, as though part of her were missing. Alex sat up front. She noticed he looked rather lonely, too, but, of course, he was “on duty” again, pointing out places they passed and answering more questions on the way back to Cusco. Even though they’d become “special friends,” he’d never neglected his duties as their guide.
They arrived at the Costa del Sol just before dark. Some had different rooms from their previous stay, but Sharon and Lynn were assigned to the same room as before. Lynn watched to see where Alex was staying, but he lingered in the lobby after she and Sharon left to go upstairs.
They took showers—a necessity after all those stone steps!—and dressed in the clothes they’d brought for “dressing up.” Lynn wore her black jeans with the “sparklies” again, but chose a turquoise knit top with long sleeves this time. When she’d bought the necklace for Alex, she hadn’t shown him—or anyone else—the matching necklace she’d bought for herself. She put it on, and it brought her a wave of happiness, seeing how the turquoise stones matched the top.
Lynn had worn her hair pulled back into a long ponytail every day, with her hat on top to shade her face from the sun. The sunburn she’d brought back from Caral had healed and turned into a lovely tan. After shampooing her hair in the shower, she used the dryer to fluff her hair over her shoulders. This would be her last night with Alex. She wanted to look special for him.
She and Sharon went downstairs, straight to the urn of hot water and the bowl of Coca leaves in the lobby. They were back at an altitude of 11,000 feet, which sapped energy quicker than climbing a thousand stone steps.
She still didn’t see Alex. He must still be in his room. But then, he appeared at the door of the hotel leading to the street. He’d had a shower, too, and fluffed his thick black hair, just as she’d fluffed hers. He wasn’t wearing his hat. He also wasn’t wearing his “tour guide clothes.” His jeans were darker than those he’d worn during the day, and his white shirt was unbuttoned several inches from his throat.
“Ladies, you look very beautiful.” He gave them both a kiss on the cheek. “I really love your necklace, Amor. A wonderful surprise.”
“I didn’t see you go to your room,” Lynn said softly.
“I don’t have a room here this time,” he admitted. “I went home. That’s where I’ll be tonight.”
For him, the tour was over.
“Will we see you tomorrow?”
“Of course. I couldn’t let you leave without saying good-bye.”
His words pierced her heart.
The others came down, declaring they had to have cheeseburgers and fries, Peruvian-style, to compare to burgers in Virginia.
Lynn gave Alex an impish grin. “Know what I’d like to have tonight? Those incredible shrimp skewers at the Museo del Pisco. And a strawberry Pisco Sour. Or two!”
They all agreed that sounded better than burgers! They walked two blocks to the plaza, then across to the Museo where Sergio was delighted to see them again. He escorted them to the basement to the same oblong couches with the table in the center where they’d sat the first time.
Lynn motioned to Sergio to take her order first. “I want five skewers of shrimp.”
“Five?”
“No, make it six, so I can share. I may want more in a little while.”
“Whatever you say! Shall I bring you a strawberry Pisco Sour?”
“Yes, please!”
Sergio took orders from the others, who studied a menu before ordering a dozen different tapas to share, including shrimp skewers.
Sharon ordered two skewers for herself. “I can’t trust her to share. She loves shrimp more than anyone I’ve ever known!”
Spread out around the table, their conversation got louder and louder, thanks to the vivacious live music filtering down the stairs from the main floor. Alex sat in the curve of the padded couch with Lynn leaning back against him and his arms around her.
Lynn appreciated so much how accepting everyone had been about her relationship with Alex. Whenever the others saw the two of them together, their expressions displayed only delight and approval. If any of them had come to Peru expecting a fling with their guide—other than Sharon, of course—they’d given up on the idea almost immediately.
Was Lynn ready for commitment? The more she thought about being with Alex in a committed relationship—or married, as he’d hinted earlier—the more she loved the idea of being with someone she could truly count on, who loved her for who she was, who shared her love of history and sharing history with others, and who clearly loved his mother!
Lynn’s thoughts left the group and centered on her parents for a moment, and how her mother might face a normal future again, if only… She banished those thoughts. Tonight she would celebrate! They’d come to Peru not knowing what to expect, and tomorrow they’d leave with memories that would enrich their lives forever.
Alex fingered Lynn’s necklace lovingly. Wearing matching necklaces reminded her of college, when couples who weren’t ready to be engaged became “dropped.” A “drop” was a necklace with a pendant bearing the logo of the school. “Dropped” meant “engaged to be engaged.” Lynn loved the idea that she and Alex had actually gotten close to making that big decision. But living thousands of miles apart made it impossible—another thought she put aside in favor of celebration.
Alex reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “E-mail,” he said, glancing at the name of the sender. “From your father.” He handed her the phone.
Lynn couldn’t hide what she felt when she read the post.
Sharon and the others had stopped chattering and fallen silent. “What does he say?”
“Mom hasn’t responded the way they’d hoped after the surgery. Dad will let me know in the morning if there’s been any change. It could be another twenty-four hours before they’ll know for sure.” She handed the phone back to Alex and took a deep breath with her eyes closed, taking “two steps back.”
“So, we have to keep celebrating this amazing tour we’ve just completed!” Sharon declared. “Your mom would never forgive us if we didn’t have one more Pisco Sour and drink to her recovery.” She reached for her glass and drank the rest. “Sergio! Bring me another! And another strawberry for my friend!”
Lynn drained her glass then told Sergio, “Fill ‘er up!”
Sergio asked the others if they also wanted refills, which several did, then went up the stairs happily to fetch them.
Alex pulled Lynn closer and whispered, “You are very brave, Amor. Your mother would be proud.”
“I just have to keep my mind occupied with positive, happy thoughts.”
Alex raised her hand to his lips, then gave her a sweet smile. “I think I can help you with that.”
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Laughing and talking on the way back to the hotel, everyone agreed they’d chosen the perfect way to say good-bye to Cusco and to all the wonderful places they’d been and sights they’d seen. They were going home with bags of gifts, hundreds of memories, and thousands of photographs, which they promised to share with each other.
Alex and Lynn walked near the back of the group, holding hands, bumping their shoulders occasionally, and stealing kisses even when they knew the others might be looking.
Once they were back in the hotel, the others disappeared quickly, knowing they wouldn’t get nearly enough sleep to get them through the long day of travel ahead of them. They might actually be able to sleep on the flight from Lima to Houston.
Sharon was the last to head upstairs, but before she left, she pulled Lynn off to the side. “I’m spending the night in
Barb and BJ’s room tonight. Our room is all yours.” She smiled at Alex over Lynn’s shoulder.
“Are you sure?”
“Their room has two beds. They were happy to let me bunk with them. Give me five minutes to get my stuff from our room…”
Lynn smiled her thanks, then returned to where Alex was standing by the door, getting ready to leave.
“You don’t have to go home,” she told him.
“I was hoping you’d come with me.”
“Sharon won’t be in our room tonight.”
His eyes—and his smile—widened. “Are you sure?”
“A gift to us.”
They waited another ten minutes, wandering through the courtyard where they’d danced, and where they’d kissed the first time. Then, they made their way up the wide stone staircase to the second floor, then around to Lynn’s room. She unlocked the door, and they slipped inside. Sharon had turned down the covers—expertly, Lynn thought—and left some Pisco-flavored chocolates on the pillow. She’d stashed all of her clothes and other stuff in her suitcases in the closet so the room looked perfectly beautiful.
“Alex, I need to tell you something.”
He took off his jacket and laid it neatly on the back of the chair by the dresser. “I hope it is something happy.”
“I can’t stay in Cusco with you.”
He ducked his head and looked away. “I understand.” He gathered her into his arms, kissed her hair, her temples, her lips.
“Let me finish,” she told him gently. They sat on the edge of the bed. “I came here to tour Peru, to see Cusco and Machu Picchu, to gather information and photographs to make my unit on the Inca come alive for my students.”
“You are an excellent teacher.”
“I didn’t expect to fall in love.”
His eyes widened.
“I have no idea what will be expected of me once I get home. So the choice about whether or not I can stay has been made for me, simply because the future is completely unknown to me right now. And there’s very little chance that my mother will wake up and be able to get on with her life as it was before.”
Alex nodded.
“I’ve loved meeting you, getting to know you, and…falling in love with you.”
He brought her hands to his lips.
“I love you, Alex. I want to be with you more than anything. But I can’t right now.”
“You could see your mother, then come back.”
“I don’t know that for sure. I may not know for months. I can’t ask you to wait for me. I may not be able to come back for a long time, and that isn’t fair to you.”
“I have been half a man until you came into my life. But now I have found the best part of myself, someone who loves all the things I love—Peru, Cusco, Machu Picchu, the history of my country, and sharing what I have learned with others. How can I say good-bye to the best part of myself?”
“I feel the same way, but I have to leave tomorrow. I can’t ask you to wait for me.”
“You are breaking my heart. You are my dearest love. When you leave, you will be taking my broken heart with you.”
Their tears mingled as they kissed. Once again, she couldn’t hold him close enough or kiss him passionately enough, or long enough. On this, their last night together, Lynn released all her love for Alex and forgot about tomorrow or the days to come. For tonight only, she was his, and he was hers, and they could pretend that the future held only love for them both.
Chapter 20
Alex eased out of bed the next morning just after six o’clock, put on his clothes, and walked quietly toward the door. He didn’t want anyone to see him leave, or his pain and sadness, knowing he might never again be able to hold her or love her the way he’d loved her last night. All the hesitation he’d sensed in her before had been replaced with complete surrender of her feelings for him. She loved him! But now, he had to tell her good-bye.
“Alex, don’t go.”
He turned and saw her propped on one elbow, motioning to him to come back to the bed. How could he say no?
“I must go, my love.”
“Not yet.” She reached for him and eased over to make room for him to lie next to her once more.
“It’s almost dawn. I can’t let anyone see me—”
“They already know. Please, hold me again.”
He couldn’t refuse her anything. He wished more than anything that he could take her home with him and love her with everything in his heart and soul for the rest of their lives. But they had only a few minutes left.
“I’m sorry,” she told him again. “I’m so sorry. I never should’ve let any of this happen. I’ve hurt you so much.”
“Hush, mi amor. You haven’t hurt me. You’ve made me whole. And someday, you’ll come back to me, and I’ll be waiting. If necessary, I’ll wait forever.”
She pressed her face against his chest, then kissed him again, wanting him again. Sounds of people closing doors and walking past the room made that impossible.
“I must go. Taking you to the airport and watching you get on the plane and fly away, out of my life, might be more than I could bear. Tell me good-bye now, my love. Let this be our final memory. Kiss me, Lynn. Kiss me good-bye.”
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A few minutes later, Sharon let herself into the room. She didn’t say anything, just went to the bathroom and closed the door before turning on the light.
Lynn made herself get up.
Sharon came out. “I saw him leave. I’ve never seen anyone so sad.”
“We said good-bye. He won’t be going with us to the airport.”
“No new messages from your father.”
“It’s two hours earlier in New Mexico.”
“We may not hear from him until we get to Lima.”
“I know.” Lynn went into the bathroom and closed the door. She turned on the shower then washed her face in cold water at the sink while the room filled with fragrant steam. When she looked into the mirror, all she could see was regret.
They stacked their luggage by the door at seven-thirty, and two busboys came to load it on the bus. They followed, fixed a cup of tea in the lobby, and were surprised to see Malena come in to accompany them to the airport. Rudolfo helped load the luggage while Malena took care of checking everyone out of the hotel.
Sharon put on a smile and asked Malena, “Will Alex be going with us to the airport?”
“No, he’s on vacation for the next two weeks. He’s done four tours without a break. I may give him three weeks before I call him to do another one.”
At the front door, the two young women who had begged Lynn to buy something from them when they were in Cusco before, were peeking inside.
“Miss! You promised to buy from me!”
“No, from me!”
“I’ll buy from both of you!” Lynn went outside and looked at all the beautiful silver pendants, earrings, and rings they displayed on what seemed to be thick cardboard covered in blue velvet. Lynn chose four pendants from each girl’s selection, so she could give one each to the seven ladies in the group, plus one for herself, and paid them with the last of the soles in her purse.
“Thank you, Miss! Thank you!”
Lynn scanned the street both directions, but among all the people walking down the sidewalks, she saw no one who looked like Alex.
Malena and the others came outside and were instantly besieged by the two girls, but they had to get to the airport to go through security and check in for their flight, so Malena told them to “Move on!” and they did.
On the bus, the front seat was taken by Malena. Once they were away from the hotel, she stood, holding onto the seats on either side of the aisle, and asked, “Did you enjoy your stay in Peru?” She nodded at all the positive responses. “Was Alex a good guide for you?” More positive responses. “Everyone loves Alex. He knows everything there is to know about Cusco and the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu!”
Lynn added in her mind, Alex knows everythin
g about how to make me happy…”
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At the Cusco Airport, they told Malena and Rudolfo good-bye and went inside. Their luggage was checked through to Lima where Malena said there would be escorts waiting to make sure it all was transferred to their flight to Houston. When Lynn left the bus, she couldn’t help searching the crowds to see if Alex had changed his mind and come to tell her good-bye again. But he wasn’t there.
They all had carry-on luggage that barely complied with the maximum size allowed, thanks to having to put some of their purchases into their carry-ons. Sharon carried the laptop and intended to get online in the terminal before they boarded the plane. They went through customs and security to the gate where they’d have to wait half an hour before time to board. Sharon checked e-mail over and over. Still nothing.
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Alex watched the group leave the bus at the airport. He’d vowed he wouldn’t see her again this morning before she left, but he couldn’t stay away. She was the last one to leave the bus. Her hair shone in the sun like gold, and he could see the sadness on her face. She may have gotten bad news about her mother. She hadn’t changed her mind about leaving, so the news couldn’t have been good.
She searched the crowd. Looking for him? He had to remind himself again that going to her would only mean having to say good-bye again, and that was something he wasn’t sure his heart could survive.
They all went into the terminal. His last glimpse of her came when she stopped at the door and searched again. He turned away, so she wouldn’t recognize him.
After she’d gone inside, he made his way to the area nearest the runway and the terminal, where the planes about to depart were parked. Three people sat on a bench near the chain link fence, talking and laughing, pointing toward a plane that was just landing. They left the bench and went into the terminal.
Alex sat down to wait. As much as it hurt, he had to watch her plane take off. He would imagine her looking out one of the windows, still searching for him. He would remember holding her, loving her, becoming part of her, and hope he could remember without crying.
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