Loving Vicente

II

DANIELLA’S POV:

3 weeks later..

I stood at the airport with both my parents crushing me into a hug. "We love you so much. Have a great time and be safe." Tears prick my eyes as I realize we'll be apart for so long. "No funny business Daniella." My dad says strictly, though he sounded as such his eyes were filled with sorrow. I knew he was having a hard time saying goodbye. "I love you dad, I'll be fine," I reassure him. We hear my flight being called over the loud PA and give each other one last hug. Waving goodbye to my parents, I pull my passport and ticket out and make my way to the boarding line.

After getting checked in, I boarded the plane slowly. Flying made me nervous. Lucky for me it was a short 2 hours. My parents booked me a window seat, thankfully. After settling in and hearing the pilot go over safety procedures, we finally took off. The whole way there my stomach felt uneasy. When we landed, I breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Exiting the plane took forever. I was anxious to meet my family. When it was my row, I made a swift exit. After gathering all my bags from baggage claim, I pull up a picture of my uncle. Casting a search around the small airport, I finally spot a sign with my name on it. My cousin Anna stood anxiously, bouncing on the balls of her feet. When she sees me walking towards them, her face lights up with excitement. "Prima, it's so good to meet you!" She throws her arms around me while grabbing one of my bags, and walking back towards her dad.

I was surprised to hear her English, she must've been practicing. "Hola Tio!" I greet him with a big hug. He laughs and says hello while grabbing the last of my things and leading me to their car. As we step outside, I take a look around. It was dry and hot. Shaking off the negative feelings that bubbled up, I hopped into the car. While driving towards their house, we made small talk. Anna talked a mile a minute asking me tons of questions. Surprisingly, she had learned much more English than I thought. The doubt I'd felt begins to subside.

We reach a long road with very few houses nearby. A beautiful conservative home sat on a large property that was filled with farming equipment. To the side of the house, was a huge barn that contained a few horses. After unloading my bags, they show me to my room and leave me to get settled. I text my parents and let them know I've landed. My room consisted of a simple bed, a desk, and a small dresser. As I'm unpacking my clothes, I hear a knock on the door. "Come in," I say, Anna opens the door with a huge smile on her face.

"Listen, there's a party tonight. Want to sneak out with me?" She looks at me with this hopeful look in her eyes. As much as I didn't want to disappoint her, I'm not the type of person who takes off and parties. "I'm sorry Anna, I don't think so," I reply, her face falls. I try cheering her up by showing her some of the snacks I brought with me. She seemed to lighten up a bit.

Dinner comes around quickly, I helped my cousin make fresh tortillas and my uncle made arroz con pollo. (Chicken with rice) As we eat, I see Anna bouncing her leg up and down impatiently. My uncle doesn't seem to notice. After helping clean up, I decide to read love poems by William Shakespeare. Taking a seat on the porch, I admire the sunset. The air around me is warm and welcoming, making me feel a type of security I hadn't felt at home.

My uncle sticks his head out the door, letting me know he was going to sleep. Wishing him a good night, resuming my reading. After about an hour, my eyes grow tired. Heading back into the house, I run into Anna. She holds her finger to her lips, telling me to be quiet. "Come with me cousin, please. Have some fun for once." She gives me her biggest pout, begging me to come out. Feeling unsure, I walk towards my room. Anna gently shuts the door behind her. "I don't know Anna. Who's going to be there?" I ask wearily. "It's just some friends from the neighborhood, honest. My best friend Isa is picking me up in 20 so let me know." She responds while walking out the door and disappearing into the hallway.

I sat in the unfamiliar room, Anna's words causing a war in my brain. "Have some fun for once." After debating my choices for what felt like forever, I finally pull myself out of the bed and search through my luggage for an acceptable outfit. I didn't even know these people or how the girls dress. Choosing a simple white lace tank top and a jean skirt, I throw on a pair of wedged sandals and let my curls fall free. Quietly closing my door and making my way outside, I see Anna on her phone. After hearing my footsteps, she turns quickly. A look of panic flashes across her features. Once she realizes it's me, a smile grows on her face. "I'm nervous Anna. Do I look OK?" Her eyes soften as she takes in my distressed state. "Don't worry prima. You look hot. My friend Isa and her older brother should be here any second."

After a few minutes, we see a car pull in at the end of the driveway. Anna makes her way over excitedly. My heart beats faster with every step I take toward the all-black BMW. Once we've finally reached the sleek doors, a bubbly brunette rolls down the window. "Hola chicas, are we ready to party?" Her thick accent sounded beautiful.

I smile and introduce myself, "Hey, I'm Daniella." The girl turned to me and sized me up with her eyes. "Anna you didn't tell me she was so gorgeous." I let out an awkward laugh and mumble a thank you while getting into the car. "This is my older brother Vicente. Don't mind him, he's an ass." Isa chuckles. I connect my gaze with beautiful dark brown eyes. Our stares held for a second too long before he clears his throat. "Nice to meet you." His smooth and deep voice erupted butterflies in my belly. I thank the Lord it's dark in here so he couldn't see the blush that crept across my face.

The radio played slow Spanish ballads while Isa and Anna chatted away. They spoke in a mix of Spanish and English so I could try to keep up. After a while I let them talk and watch the town pass by, zoning out. Snapping back to reality, I catch sight of the familiar browns. He quickly averted his eyes, focusing back on the road. I felt another blush creep up on me. Suddenly the car comes to a stop. Anna and Isa jump out telling me to hurry up. We start walking towards a building with the windows covered.

Pulling Anna closer to me, I whisper in her ear. "Where are we?" She laughs quietly, "Don't worry. We're fine." She tries to reassure me. Looking over my shoulder I finally take in Vicente. He was wearing black jeans and a black T-shirt. Rings littered his fingers, with a gold chain to finish it off. He was sinful.

My body burned hot as thoughts of what his rings would feel like against my bare skin, invaded my mind. When Isa opens the door, she reveals a huge crowd in an open space with loud music and lights flashing. Everyone was dancing and laughing with their drinks in hand. Ana and Isa take off towards the crowd of people, pulling me with them.

It takes a while to loosen up as they dance along beside me. It wasn't that I was bad at dancing, I was just shy. Finally letting go, we dance for what feels like hours. When we needed a break, we make our way towards the drinks. All three of us locked hands, so we wouldn't get lost in the crowd. I spot Vicente standing with a group of guys. He looks towards us, locking eyes with me.

I give a shy smile and continue walking with the girls. We pour out three shots of tequila and say quick cheers before downing the liquor. I take a sip of the soda Anna had brought since drinking wasn't something I did often. Anna and Isa introduce me to a few of their friends. They all seemed nice. I noticed one of the girls in the group named Maria kept glancing toward Vicente. I don't blame her, he was certainly handsome. He carried himself with undeniable confidence. Looking away from the girl to Vicente, I notice his eyes already on me.

Feeling embarrassed and caught, I look away and focus back on the conversation. Everyone started asking me questions about my life in the States. Answering them with the most Spanish I could, they listened intently. Luckily most of Anna's friends had known plenty of English and we were all able to talk. The girl I had caught staring, Maria, asked for my phone and put her number in. "Let's all go out again soon!" She said excitedly. I nod my head yes with a smile on my face, happy everyone was so welcoming.

Anna and Isa come walking towards me, "Hey we're going to the bathroom, you coming with?" They glance at each other with this unreadable expression, I tell them I'm OK and wait with Maria. She suddenly spots someone she knows and sparks up a conversation. Pulling out my phone to keep myself busy, I feel out of place. Everyone around me was drunk or smoking. One shot was enough for me, I just wanted to relax. Suddenly feeling a presence behind me, I turn around and see Vicente standing a few feet away. "Hi, are you having a good time?" He leans towards me, so I could hear him above the loud music.

His manly scent of cologne invaded my nostrils. My eyes roam his tall and muscular frame before I smile and shake my head yes. "How about you? Have you been drinking a lot? I can drive." I explain in a worried tone. He flashes me a breathtaking smile and brings his cup to my lips, insinuating for me to sip. I take a small drink and feel the relief of cool water on my throat.

My face burns, realizing the intimate gesture. Vicente's eyes are filled with lust as he takes me in from head to toe. "You blush a lot, it's cute." He says smoothly. Maria walks up saying hello, breaking whatever moment we had between us. "Hey Vicente." She says, batting her eyes at him. Maria was beautiful. She had long black hair and big hazel eyes.

Glancing her way, he gives a polite smile and then walks back toward his group. Turning to me, Maria has this look on her face. "What did he say?" She asks with her nose turned up. "He was asking where Isa is," I respond. Looking over my shoulder, I spot Anna and Isa. They walk back towards me, letting me know we're leaving. Breathing a sigh of relief, I say goodbye to everyone and we head to the car.

The drive home was nice, I kept the window down enjoying the warm night. A feeling of panic arises. "Will your dad be up?" I whisper to Anna, she was drunk and breathing heavily. Shaking her head no, I think about how to get her inside. When we reach the long driveway, Isa and Anna are already asleep. "I'll carry her in for you." Vicente offers. I let out a small OK and we quietly approach the house, Anna hanging limp in his arms.

Since the house was only one story, we were able to climb through the window and lay her down. "Thanks for carrying her, and thanks for the ride," I whisper. He smiles at me, "Give me your phone." Handing it to him, he quickly types away. "Text me, Hermosa." Then quietly crawls out the window, taking a piece of my heart with him.