Hold Me at Twilight

by Lucinda Whitney

  Jacinta smiled wide at him. “She said you’ll be speaking like the rest of us by the time you go home.”

  He shook his head and held his hands up. “No, no, no. Portuguese is a very hard language.”

  Jacinta related it to her grandma who nodded at him.

  When breakfast was done, Knox offered to help with the dishes and ended up beside Jacinta at the sink.

  “Your family is so…”

  “Obnoxious.” She offered with a shrug. “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “No, not obnoxious at all.” Knox turned to her. “Everyone has been so nice to me. And your cousin Matias gave me a key to his apartment this morning.” Knox was impressed with the Portuguese hospitality. People were open and welcoming, and truly genuine.

  Jacinta handed him another plate to wipe down. “Matias is great.” She lowered her voice. “He’s my favorite cousin. Don’t tell anyone.”

  “You’re not the same age, are you?”

  “No, he’s five years older than me, but we’re the only ones among the cousins who don’t have siblings. Our dads are brothers and they’re very close. The story goes that Matias was really protective of me when I was born. We’re more like brother and sister than cousins.”

  Her mother and grandmother came in and talked to Jacinta for a few minutes. She herded them out the kitchen, and after a bit of back and forth, they left with a wave. They smiled at him, and said something with a very strong accent.

  “That word they said at the end, were they trying to say my name?” He set the last saucer on the drying rack.

  Jacinta chuckled. “They’re calling you Noques.” She spelled it. “I’m sorry. They’re having the hardest time with your name. It’s difficult for them to say.”

  He could agree with that considering the Portuguese alphabet didn’t even have the letter K.

  Jacinta finished sweeping and hung the broom behind the door. “So today is a national holiday. It’s called Day of Portugal. It’s celebrated with parades, military demonstrations, and merit awards among other activities. We usually go see one of the parades downtown. Do you have any plans for today?”

  “No plans at all.” He didn’t have to go anywhere until Monday.

  She locked the door to the patio. “You don’t have to hang out with us, you know.”

  “I want to hang out with you. And your family,” he quickly added. As much as he liked Jacinta’s family, he liked Jacinta more. The thought slammed into him and his ears burned. She could probably see right through him, but he wouldn’t take back what he’d said. He did want to spend time with Jacinta, and her family was just as fun, despite her reluctance in admitting it.

  He’d enjoy them while he could, both her company and her family’s hospitality.

  * * *

  Jacinta climbed the stone bench and shaded her eyes to look over the sea of people lining up both sides of the street.

  Knox stood beside her, scanning over the heads of most people around them.

  “We always meet for the parade at this spot, but I can’t see anyone.” Jacinta hopped down.

  She drew the cell out of her pocket. She swiped at the screen but there was no response. “I won’t be able to call anyone. I forgot to charge my phone.” She’d left her charging cord behind in her room when she went down to the kitchen and had forgotten to go back for it.

  Knox handed her his phone. “Here, you can use mine.”

  “Wouldn’t that be an international call for you?”

  “I’m more worried about your family knowing where you are than international charges.”

  He made a valid point. They walked to the opposite side of the street where it was less crowded. She called Mãe and found out the family had moved on to a different meeting spot. Grandma and Tia Mariana tried to offer suggestions over the phone, and in the end, Jacinta and Knox decided to walk back home.

  Knox was such an easy-going guy. Nothing seemed to upset him and he just adapted to whatever circumstance he was in. He’d also helped with the breakfast dishes and, other than Matias, none of the guy cousins ever wanted to be caught in the kitchen, as they relegated domestic chores to women’s responsibility.

  How was Knox not married? For sure he had to have a girlfriend.

  “Were you able to call your family and tell them why your trip was delayed?” She asked him.

  Walking in the opposite direction of everyone else going to the activities in the historic center, they descended the streets toward the river.

  “I sent a message to my mom so she wouldn’t worry, and I work for myself, which means no boss.”

  “That’s it?”

  “That’s it what?” He slowed down and raised an eyebrow.

  “Is there no one else you have to call?” Her cheeks heated and she looked ahead. Could she be any more obvious in her interest?

  A lazy smile pulled at the corner of his mouth, and his glorious dimples made an appearance. “I have no other family but my mother, and no girlfriend to update.”

  She nodded, not knowing what to say to dispel the awkward moment and disguise her curiosity.

  “And you?” he asked. “If you were to be stranded in a foreign country because you were so distracted a kid stole your wallet and passport, who would you call?”

  “That’s an oddly specific scenario.” She tapped her chin. “I’d call my family, of course.” Was he trying to find out if she had a boyfriend?

  “Yes, after you talked to your parents, and grandparents, and your cousin Matias, and everyone else.” He made a wide arc with his arms and then slipped his hand in his pockets, the same lazy smile on his lips. “Anyone special you’d have to call? A boyfriend? A fiancé?”

  Jacinta shook her head slowly. “No one special like that. No boyfriend and definitely no fiancé.” Most guys didn’t appreciate meddling families who insisted on keeping up with her dating life.

  Knox’s expression softened into a wide smile, and he nodded slowly, apparently satisfied with her reply.

  When Jacinta looked up, she was surprised to notice they had ended up in front of the Dom Luís bridge. “Would you like to walk to the other side?”

  Knox looked up as people strolled around them in both directions. “I didn’t realize it was open for pedestrians.” The arched metal bridge seemed familiar. “Is this the one designed by Eiffel?”

  Jacinta smiled. “You’ve been reading those brochures I emailed you, haven’t you?”

  “I didn’t have time to visit all of the places, but I did look over all the materials you sent.”

  He’d felt compelled to read all the emails she’d sent his way, since he had asked for suggestions in the first place.

  “It’s shared with the above-ground metro.” She went on. “The tracks lead in and out of the station. The conductors drive slowly and honk to warn the pedestrians.”

  The sidewalk was wide enough for them to walk side by side and Knox kept to Jacinta’s left. When they reached the center of the bridge, they stopped and viewed the river and the cities on both sides. To the north, the city of Porto inched up the hills in a mass of red-roofed buildings and white-faced monuments; to the south, the modern city of Vila Nova de Gaia shared the same colored roofs but less historic buildings.

  On the river, boats of different sizes lined the banks on both sides, like parenthesis holding back the secret to an adventure.

  “Do you see that ship down there?” Jacinta stepped closer to Knox and rested a hand on his forearm.

  He stilled at her touch. She stood close enough that he could smell her floral scent—something fresh and full of simple goodness. The warmth of her skin tripped his heartbeat, and for a moment, nothing else was as important as sharing the same space with her.

  “Do you see it?” she said again.

  With difficulty, Knox dragged his attention to her extended hand and tried to concentrate on what she said. “Which one?”

  “The longest one, all white and flat-topped.”

  “With the r
ows of cabin windows?”

  “The very one. That’s Matias’s ship. It’s the newest and most luxurious in the fleet, and it even has a swimming pool on top.” Jacinta sighed.

  “Have you been aboard?”

  “Not for a trip, but Matias gave me a tour. It’s absolutely amazing.” Jacinta stepped away from him and crossed her arms over the railing.

  Knox wasn’t ready for the loss of contact between them. What would she do if he took her hand and they walked together like a couple? Everywhere around them, couples of all ages held each other’s hands, their smiling faces and intimate expressions drawing out a side of Knox he hadn’t felt before—part longing and part envy for something he didn’t have.

  A maudlin thought, undoubtedly brought on by the beautiful river-front scenery and the eagerly curious woman with a kind heart.

  Knox retrieved his phone from his pocket and took a picture of the view.

  As they resumed walking, a group of Korean tourists marched between Knox and Jacinta, splitting them apart. She shrugged back at him, and changed directions, stepping toward the barrier between the sidewalk and the Metro tracks. He tried to catch up, but more and more tourists carried her farther from his side.

  From behind, the rumbling of a Metro train approaching caught his attention. Knox kept an eye on Jacinta’s head, trying not to lose her amid the many other dark-haired pedestrians.

  As the crowd got thicker, a group of teenagers bumped her toward the track. Anxiety filled his chest. Knox called to Jacinta, and she looked back over her shoulder. He sprinted, dodging the bodies in his way.

  When the train honked, Jacinta startled. Other people jumped away from the tracks and jostled her back in his direction but not quite far enough. Knox reached his arm forward and yanked the back of her shirt. With the momentum, she slammed into his chest just as the train zoomed by the exact spot where she’d been. His arms came around her back and he held her close, both of them trembling at the possibility of what had almost happened. Jacinta rested her face against him, her rapid, shallow breaths fanning across his shirt and warming his gooseflesh skin.

  Knox didn’t move for a few moments. He needed to cherish Jacinta in the safety he could now provide, not knowing if he did it for her comfort or his peace of mind, or maybe even both. It had been a close call: a few extra seconds or too many inches out of reach, and the reality would have been much different.

  A young couple tapped Jacinta’s shoulder. She turned to face them without leaving his embrace. The guy said something with a solemn expression, then they nodded and strolled on, their arms around each other.

  “What did he say?”

  Jacinta looked up at him. “He said you saved me just in time.”

  * * *

  Jacinta stayed in Knox’s embrace as her heartbeat slowed from the crazy gallop it had taken. He rested an arm around her shoulder, pulling her to his side as they resumed walking. When the flat cement sidewalk transitioned to irregular cobblestones, Knox slid his arm down and took her hand, interlacing their fingers. His grip was tight, and she held on to him with the same fierceness, finding comfort in the connection.

  They walked in silence to the end of the bridge and continued on into a garden of olive trees and park benches full of people. On the other side of the garden, under the branches of a gnarled tree, they found an empty bench. Knox veered in its direction and when they sat together, his arm came around her once more.

  Knox had saved her life.

  When the group of Korean tourists walked by, the crowd had been so thick that Jacinta had been jostled away from the sidewalk. The Metro had come too fast.

  If not for Knox’s quick reaction, she would have been gravely injured, if not worse.

  Knox took a deep breath, his chest expanding. Somehow, it didn’t feel awkward to be sitting this close to a man she’d met only yesterday, holding her gently in the twilight hour as if they’d been familiar long before today. When at last her heartbeat returned to its normal rhythm, Jacinta straightened, breaking the closeness. His hand rested lightly around her back with a hand on her shoulder, as if he were reluctant to completely let go.

  She broke the silence first. “This is the first time I don’t mind sitting on this side of the garden. The view from here is so ugly.” Only rooftops and old buildings, unlike the riverview side.

  “Not to me.”

  Jacinta looked up to find Knox watching her. The reality of what had almost happened slammed into her and tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. “If you hadn’t been there…”

  “But I was and I—”

  He turned his head away and closed his eyes, then swallowed hard.

  Whatever he’d been about to say, he’d changed his mind.

  It was for the best. The intensity of the moment had created a false sense of intimacy between them. Nothing more.

  They found their way to the riverfront and had dinner at an outdoor restaurant. Knox told her about growing up in a small New Jersey community and walking through a neighborhood of Portuguese immigrants on his way to school. He talked fondly of the local bakery and of the friends he’d meet there on the walk back home.

  Jacinta told him of growing up with a gaggle of crazy boy cousins who constantly pulled pranks on her. Matias had been her defender, helping to forge their close bond at an early age.

  They talked of books and movies, of their jobs and their hobbies. They talked away the minutes into hours until time stood still, and the moments stretched into forever. How could she capture such fleeting happiness and brand the magic into her heart? How could she even try?

  The man in front of her was not the same one she’d met yesterday. He’d become much, much more.

  A waxing moon perched shyly in the dark sky when Jacinta and Knox arrived at her street. The taxi they’d called pulled up to the curb, and Knox held the door open for her. They’d lost track of time, absorbed in each other as they’d been all night, and the church clock two streets over clanged the second hour.

  Jacinta turned the key noiselessly and they slipped into the darkened foyer, leaving a crack in the front door.

  Knox took a step and rested a hand on her arm. “I never had a day—and a night—like this before.” He spoke softly.

  She could barely discern his eyes but the warmth of his body, and his fingers on her arm, raised a swarm of feelings inside her that wouldn’t settle. Jacinta moved into his space and his arms brought her closer still. His other hand caressed the contour of her cheek, trailing a line of fire to her lips.

  She felt him close the distance and she tipped her face to him.

  “Jacinta, is that you?” A light flicked on in the next room and Avó Teresa’s shuffling steps followed behind.

  Knox stepped away from Jacinta with a heavy sigh, and she understood his frustration. “Yes, I’m locking up, Avó. I’ll be right there.”

  Jacinta tugged at the door handle and Knox slipped by her, resting his hand on top of hers before stepping from the stoop to the sidewalk.

  “Can I see you tomorrow?” he asked, with a smile in his voice.

  The incandescent light from the single bulb over the door turned his eyes a warm, dark blue.

  “You mean today?” Jacinta leaned forward. “Come for breakfast when you’re ready.”

  Knox brushed a kiss on her cheek. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

  Neither would she.

  Knox woke early on Monday morning. The sun wasn’t up yet. He’d left the blinds open and a pale pink hue bathed the wall next to the bed.

  Matias had left the night before for his week-long cruise. Just as he was closing the door, he’d come back and asked Knox what his intentions were toward Jacinta.

  Knox had thought for a moment. He couldn’t deny he had feelings for Jacinta. As much as he’d tried to disguise it, no doubt his expression gave him away. It was impossible not to smile whenever he was around her. And it wasn’t his fault his eyes followed her constantly, even when they were in a
crowd. He’d found her pretty when he had met her, but he’d become much more attracted to her with each passing day, to her warm chocolate eyes and her gentle features.

  He’d come for breakfast on Saturday morning and had spent all weekend with the Romano family, side by side with Jacinta, helping her with the preparations for her grandparents’ sixtieth anniversary. The party was two weeks away, and they were expecting extended family to come from all corners of the country. The women in the family started preparations a whole month before, and this weekend had only been part of all the cooking and baking and freezing they needed for the final day. In the evening, he and Jacinta sat at the back of the patio, and talked for hours.

  He’d only known her for a few days, and the more time he spent with her, the more he looked forward to it. Unfortunately, they hadn’t had a private moment to share a kiss, and Knox was dying to kiss Jacinta.

  Matias must have seen the interest on his face and had read between the lines of what Knox had kept to himself. He’d told Knox to look out for Jacinta, reminding him she had a large, protective family. As if Knox could forget that detail.

  Jacinta had asked him not to mention the near-accident on the bridge to anyone. Not that it was a secret, but maybe she wanted to keep the moment between the two of them, just as he did. The experience had been too intense, and sharing it with someone else would take away the magic of the moment that followed and the strength of the memories. It was more special between them alone.

  Today Knox was going to Lisbon to apply for a passport. He was leaving on the early train and returning as soon as he was done. Jacinta had tried convincing him to stay overnight at another cousin’s apartment—she had cousins all over the country—and come back the next day after some sightseeing. He’d told her he didn’t want to inconvenience another cousin of hers, unwilling to confess she was the reason he wanted to return as soon as possible. A whole day without seeing her would be long enough already.