Chapter 5
Pizza and Wine for Two

Weekends, only two days, forty-eight hours last an eternity when you miss someone.

After spending a wonderful night last Friday with Marcos, weekend didn't convey the so relaxing and festive meaning it should, specially during the Holidays. Before, I rolled my eyes when people said missing someone, that Christmas carried with it nostalgia of not being with the ones we cared of. Now I know it's true.

Staring outside the window panes, the gentle cresting waves braking against the dock made me think of him. It was Friday night after the concert, we strolled holding hands in the most casual manner, like teenagers, up to a cozy Spanish restaurant, one of the many you can find in old San Juan; those which makes the perfect place to fall in love with a gorgeous man, a man like Marcos.

Drinking wine and dining tapas, time flew by as we talked aimlessly until the bar closed. The barista walked me to the cab where we had the most cliche yet awkward moment... that instant you don't know where to look at and you smile like a fool without saying a word, then you and the other person speak at the same time and laugh... yes. Then we stared at each other amidst an overwhelming silence. Marcos leaned towards me and kissed me in the cheek, right on the corner of my lips, and bid goodbye.

Sweet.

Damned! That was me as we turned right on the next corner when I had just realized I forgot to ask him to go with me to the ball... How could I... Geez! And that I regretted the most now.

Marcos told me he would be studying for his finals so it wasn't proper to call him during the weekend. But I wanted. God knows how I wanted... I found myself grabbing the phone innumerable times, my fingers scrolling up and down the contact list, tempted to click on his name: Marcos. There was no other way, I'd had to wait for Wednesday, two days for the party, when I'd see him again.

And Monday passed, and Tuesday, going back and off work, crestfallen as I walked by the then empty spot in front of Institute's building where he used to park his bike-a-coffee-shop.

"There's nothing wrong", I repeated a thousand times to Claribel... yes, a thousand times I lied because I missed Marcos. Claribel didn't believe me. She knew the story. I had to tell her because talking about him felt good, the same way thinking about him and even missing him made me smile.

Already home, Tuesday evening, I reclined on the couch, taking notes as I watched some old advertisements on tourism I had to choose from to compile up for a documentary. Those where the moments I loved my job the most when working at home was both enlightening and fun, moreover it served for a purpose, keeping me distracted and busy enough not to think of Marcos for the next hours to come.

A Facebook notification brightened up the phone's screen next to me... picking up the gadget in hands I glared at it... Slide... Contacts... scroll up... scroll down... Marcos.

Right when I was decided to click on, the doorbell rang. I checked on the time, it was not late, seven o'clock, yet I was quite surprised to have someone knocking at my door.

Through the peeping hole I saw Marcos, standing by my door, a pizza box in arms.

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" I shook my hands and quick-stepped backwards to the mirror on the wall. "I'm a mess. Shit!" I combed my hair back with my fingers and tied it down in a ponytail. "Like the movies... T-shirts and boxer-shorts are sexy in a woman Marilyn", I repeated to myself while moving straight to open the door.

"Good evening", he greeted me.

"Good evening. What a pleasant surprise Marcos... please, come in."

"Thank you. I brought pizza, and wine... Tempranillo, you're favorite." His voice tuned confidence as he handed me the bottle.

"Oh wow... you know me well", taking the wine bottle in hands, I asked him to sit on the couch. He placed the pizza box on the coffee table and sat down. "Maybe you can help me to select amongst these ads the best ones for this next year's promotional campaign.

"Sounds like fun." Marcos smiled.

"How was the test?" I asked him while I looked in kitchen for a pair of glasses. I sensed he staring at my back... or below as I walked, I hoped.

"Great. I'm confident I passed them, no doubt." He said opening the pizza box. The so delicious smell filled the living room making my mouth watering.

"Awesome!" I gave him the glasses and the corkscrew. A second after the bottle popped open and he served the red liquor for both.

For an hour or so, Marcos and I conversed while watching at the dozen commercials. Playing back and forwards some of them and reviewing others twice, I was finally done with my homework. "Yay! I'm done. Thank you Marcos".

"My pleasure. This has been the most amusing group assignment I've done since sequential calculus coursework!" He chuckled. I laughed. Our eyes locked, both of us looking at each other in silence, only smiling. Words weren't needed in that moment.

Marcos leaned closer, hand brushing the back of my head. I closed my eyes to feel his lips pressing with softness. From my earlobe down to my jawline, his fingers trailed my neck, moving with gentleness over the collarbone, shoulder and then to my back. Pulling me closer, our bodies touched completely. Marcos wrapped his arms around me and kissed me with exceeding passion.

There was no need to talk, we just acted, moved by the heat of the moment. Laying on the couch, I placed myself on top of him and this time I kissed him, and kissed him more. He took off my shirt and I pulled off his too. Regaling each other with fervent caressed, we undressed each other. Marcos grabbed my waist and placed me on my back on the sofa, to climb on top of me. I wrapped my legs around his hips and let him in. I pulled him, tighter, my fingertips trailing his back, down his spine until I grabbed his round, firm butt.

"Where's the room?" He moaned. Lifting me in arms, Marcos took me to my bed where we made love till we were exhausted. Our bodies sweating, tilting naked against each other's skin. He kissed my forehead and lingered his fingers beneath my hair. I gasped, feeling complete, and placed my head on his chest, smiling to myself until I fell asleep on top of his.