Say Queso!

I didn't expect this. I was not prepared! This was not part of the thousand and one scenarios cooked up in my head! I needed to stay calm. I needed to appear as cool as a cucumber.

"Oh my God, it's you!" I exclaimed.

"Oh my God, it's me!" he replied laughing.

I quickly lifted up my sunglasses and his expression changed from confusion and amusement to a genuine look of surprise.

"You're back! You came back!"

He seemed flustered and excited. I felt immense joy at the sight of his agitation. I had hoped for a reaction and this was even more than I had imagined. Yet, things weren't exactly the same as they had been a month ago. I had read so many things online that now the voice of all those people echoed in my mind. I was filled with worry and apprehension.

Red flags!

 This was the popular term for the warning signs of things that would go wrong. I could hear the voice that I imagined for these people. An angry woman with a stern voice:

Oh he's excited, huh? That's a red flag. This is part of his entrapment! He  barely knows you! Why would he be so happy?

                                       Shut up! Let me enjoy this!

"How long are you staying? When did you get here? How are you? Did you have a nice flight?" he bombarded me with questions.

"Two weeks and I arrived last night. The flight was fine. I'm good. I'm really good!" I grinned and as we stared at each other happily, inattentive to everyone and everything around us.

More after the jump...

Un Cafecito y Mi Corazón.

I vaguely remembered his schedule. Or at least the one he'd had for that one week a month or so ago! I didn't expect him to be there that day. Still, my eyes were wide open and exploring every visible space around me. We managed to arrive at the buffet before closing time. I anticipated a surprise but he was nowhere to be found. Every male that I heard, my brain quickly scanned for voice recognition.

He wasn't there. I had to accept that. He would surely be there the following night!

I proudly showed my mom around, as if I were a regular, as if I'd been here a million times before, even if I'd only been there once and for a total of seven days while my body was ravaged by mysterious deformities no less, and my brain buzzing due to injections and primal lust.

"I can't wait to see the ocean!" my dolphin mother repeated a few times that evening.

We headed back to our room after the evening show. I had carefully unpacked all of my shiny new clothes (I wasn't going to wear that yellow dress everyday!) and had picked an outfit for tomorrow night. I couldn't sleep. My mother had no problems in that department. I could already hear the purring of her snoring.

I'm being kind. It sounded like a Cuban muffler.

I grabbed my ipod, slipped on my sandals and headed out for a walk. I was just too full of excitement and nervous energy and I needed to unwind. I also really needed a Cuba Libre. I selected my very cherished summer playlist and chose the song, that for some peculiar reason, empowered me. I didn't want to listen to the music that I usually preferred like Muse, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, and The Black Keys. No! That was way too depressing! I wanted fun, upbeat pop, and Jennifer Lopez is Puerto Rican so, close enough, right? I could switch to Celia Cruz later.

Oh yeah, this was working! I felt tingles run up and down my arms. Maybe it was my endorphin rush or maybe it was the mosquitoes, but I was feeling good.

More after the jump...