+ seis

I drove down the busy streets of Mexico City in the middle of the night without a specific destination. I didn't even know what time it was or where we were. All I knew was that getting home was out of the question since Enrique seemed to have forgotten his own home address.

I parked in the lot of the least sketchy looking motel I could find and searched Enrique's pockets once more, this time for his wallet. I had no money of my own yet, just a few American dollars that would probably get us nowhere. When I finally found his wallet, I opened it to reveal photos of him with his wife and children. There was one of him and Silvia on their wedding day, both standing in front of the church with smiling faces. For him, it had been his first marriage since he was only eighteen when he married her. For her, it was already the third, with several other relationships under her belt. Still, they were both good people and they seemed to love each other. It pained me in my heart that the perfect marriage they seemed to have was beginning to crumble to pieces and neither of them was doing anything to stop it.

Hiding the wallet in my pocket and making sure to lock the car with him inside it, I walked into the small lobby where a woman was at the front desk. It was well past midnight judging by the clock hung up on the wall behind her, but she still wore a polite smile on her face.

She asked me something in Spanish. "Hello. How may I help you?"

I returned the smile, telling her. "Hello, I'd like one room for one night."

I thought about getting two rooms--one for him and one for myself. But I didn't want to take those liberties with his money. It was one night anyway and it wasn't like anything was going to happen between us. We were merely there to sleep for the night while he was able to sober up. The fact that he was my idol had nothing to do with it. 

The woman behind the counter nodded. She looked down at her clipboard and then pulled out a key from a small basket next to her. "You will be assigned room seventeen. It will be fifteen pesos and you must vacate the room by ten in the morning."

"That's fine." I told her, pulling out his wallet and handing her the money. She gave me the key and I made my way out to the parking lot. To my luck, I had parked the car only a few steps from the room door.

I went over to the passenger side and opened the door. His breathing was slowed and his eyes were closed, it was evident that he had fallen asleep. He looked so peaceful there that it was almost a shame that I'd have to wake him. Pressing my hand into his shoulder, I shook him gently, "Enrique..." He shifted in his seat, but still his eyes remained closed. I tried again, "Enrique..."

"Mm..." He groaned, reaching his hands out, which expertly snaked around my waist and pulled me into his chest unconsciously.

My voice was muffled by my lips pressed against the fabric of his shirt. Bringing my hands to push myself away from him, I said, a bit louder, "Enrique!"

This time he was startled awake and he pulled his arms back in embarrassment. There was still a slight slur in his voice because of the many drinks he had that night. "Shit. I'm really sorry." He cleared his throat.

There were beads of sweat forming on his forehead and I knew that could only be a good thing. The alcohol would soon be evaporating out of his system in the summer heat of Mexico City. Looking slightly more composed, I helped him out of the car and led him to the room.

I unlocked the door easily and pushed the door open.

For the most part, the motel room was what I expected of a low quality motel. There was only one twin sized bed, a mini fridge, two individual couches, a coffee table, an old ham radio, and a bathroom all the way in the back.

With my arm around Enrique's waist to keep him steady, I walked all the way into the small space of the bathroom with him and turned on the cold water. Without thinking it through, I pushed him into the shower fully clothed. His eyes bolted open as he felt the freezing water on his smooth skin and he gasped for air. "What was that for?" He complained, trying to get out of the shower, but I got in his way.

"You have to be sober before we get back to your house. I don't want your children to see you that way." I admitted with a sigh.

He nodded silently in understanding, not fighting me on the issue any longer. I left him in there and walked out into the larger room, plopping myself on the bed and waiting for him to finish.

Almost fifteen minutes later, he walked out into the room awkwardly, a white towel wrapped securely around his waist, his wet hair pushed back. He seemed like he was completely sobered up now with the cold shower. I was about to ask why he didn't put his clothes back on but then I realized they were soaking wet and he could catch a cold. "Sorry about your clothes. I really should have thought that through." My face contorted in pity and even blushed in embarrassment at what I'd done to my idol.

He chuckled at my apology. "Don't worry. I know you were only trying to help me."

I glanced at the clock with a sigh. There was an opening to change the subject and I took the opportunity. "Yesterday was officially the longest day of my life."

"And now its time to sleep." He said with a smile.

I went around to the front of the bed and pulled the covers aside. He took several steps past me and went to sit on one of the couches, setting his damp clothes on the air conditioner to dry. My eyes watched him and I bit my lip nervously. I didn't know if it would look right for me to suggest it, but then again, who would find out? "Uh...Enrique?" I began.

He turned to look at me. "Yes?"

Patting the empty spot next to me, I told him, "Come lay down with me."

His chocolate brown eyes watched me hesitantly. "Are you sure?"

My thoughts once again drifted again to other thoughts. Me being alone in a motel room with my idol. Many fangirls would jump at the opportunity of being alone with him, and not just to innocently sleep with him. If he was asking me if I was sure, maybe his thoughts had drifted the same direction as mine. We were both young--him twenty one and me twenty. But he was married to one of the most beautiful actresses in the country. There was no way he'd ever go for someone like me. And there was no way I would ever try to come between someone's marriage.

Rolling my eyes at him playfully, I assured him. "We'll only sleep."

A smile formed on his lips as he cut the distance between him and the side of the bed with a few strides. He sat on the empty side and laid down next to me, bringing the covers up to his neck. I grabbed the two pillows from the bed and set them between us. "Now we can both make sure we stay on our side of the bed. This is my side and that's yours." I pointed to his side. It was childish, but it worked.

He nodded, "Okay."

I turned around, facing away from him. "Goodnight, Enrique." I muttered, closing my eyes.

"Goodnight, Ani." He said softly.

A smile spread across my lips at his mention of a nickname for me. The only other person who had called me that was a cousin of mine, but that had been years ago. "Ani?"

"I thought it sounded pretty." He hummed, "Like you."

"Thank you." I blushed.

"Its the truth." He told me. "Well, let's get some sleep."

-

The next morning I woke up with my skin sticky and hot with sweat. My long dark hair matted was down against my scalp and wet. I was startled when I felt warm breathing on the back of my neck and a pair of strong arms around my waist. There was something hard pressing up against my lower back and my eyes widened when I realized what it was. I nudged him awake and he moaned against my neck, planting wet sloppy kisses on it slowly. "Good morning." He mumbled in Spanish.

He probably didn't remember the events of the previous night and thought he was back home in bed with his wife Silvia. 

When his tired eyes opened and he noticed the contrast in hair color. Silvia's hair was blonde, while mine was a dark, almost black color. He bolted up in bed, a horrified look on his face.

Finally freed from his arms around me, I turned to face him. For a lack of something better to say, I greeted him awkwardly. "Good morning Enrique."

"What are we doing here?" He asked, confirming my theory that he certainly did not recall the events of the night before.

"You got drunk when you were supposed to be showing me around Mexico City." I explained to him. "And you couldn't even remember your own address so we had to stay in a motel."

Pulling the covers up to see he was completely naked in bed, he asked another question. "Where are my clothes?"

"Oh." I trailed off awkwardly. "I wanted to sober you up so I pushed you into the cold shower fully clothed. Again, I am sorry about that. Not my greatest decision."

Running a hand through his dark brown hair, letting out a shaky breath full of disbelief. "I really drank a lot last night, didn't I?"

I nodded slowly. "But you had a pretty good reason."

He shook his head, showing the disapproval he felt towards himself. "Its probably not okay to get that drunk."

Pulling away from him and sliding my legs over the edge of my feet, my feet padded across the cold tile floor. I was headed for the bathroom to allow him some privacy. "I'm gonna have a quick shower so change back into your clothes."

He nodded and I disappeared into the small room in the back.

-

I emerged from the shower feeling fresh, except for the fact that I was wearing the same clothes as the night before. He was sat on the bed, already fully clothed and I looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand. It was half to ten in the morning and I informed Enrique, "We need to leave the room by ten."

There was a rumbling sound heard through the room and I had almost forgotten how hungry I was. At the bar, I had only ate pistachios from a glass container on the bar counter and it hadn't been enough to satisfy me. Enrique frowned, concerned. "Did you even eat yesterday?" He asked, trying to remember if he had seen me eat something.

I shrugged my shoulders, shooting him a lie. "I wasn't hungry."

"I'm so sorry." He apologized, his eyes widening in horror. "Silvia and I were so preoccupied with our own dumb problems that we forgot to tell you where everything was in the house."

"I'm fine." I insisted shyly. "Don't worry about me."

"Maybe that's why you're so small." He reasoned, but it seemed more like he was talking to himself now rather than talking to me. To him I probably seemed much smaller than I really was. He was over six feet tall and just about a while foot taller than me. He towered over everyone, but I probably looked really small compared to him.

"Enrique!" I finally interrupted loudly, getting his attention. Cutting the distance between us and placing a hand on his shoulder reassuringly, I told him. "You're being paranoid over nothing. Please stop worrying."

He stood up, towering almost a foot above me. His brown eyes brightened as an idea crossed his mind. "I'll take you out to breakfast." He told me with a grin. "You can get anything you want. Its on me."

I shook my head. "You don't have to do this for me. I'm only an employee."

He frowned at my words. "I thought we agreed that we were friends too."

"Well yeah..." I trailed off.

"So I want to treat my friend to breakfast." He smiled.

Crossing my arms over my chest and feigning annoyance at the tall and handsome Mexican standing before me, I finally let out a sigh. A smile I couldn't suppress made an appearance on my face. "Fine."

-

i'm going to keep updating this story because it makes me happy.

i need something that will make me happy rn. my crush hasn't texted me in three weeks. we used to text every day and one day he suddenly just stopped. we still talk at work. but its not the same. 

even thought i really like him, i won't reach out. i put in so much effort for months, only to have him ghost me like this. he doesn't deserve me and once he realizes that he was wrong for being a dick, i'll have moved on. its not even the fact that he's not interested that bothers me.

its the fact that i felt like he only led me on for so long and then just completely ignored me out of nowhere. i thought we had something and i hoped he liked me. i was clearly wrong.

anyway, time to go to bed. i have work tomorrow. 

-clary