Memories of a Life That Never Happened

Chapter 21 - Familiarity

"You look beautiful," he whispered to Mica. 

She studied her friend. Abel's unruly hair gave his tanned face a carefree, sunny frame. He was wearing a fitted white t-shirt, baggy linen pants of the same color and sandals. It was a simple but flattering outfit. The t-shirt looked chiseled in Abel's torso and showed off his labor-toned muscles. His pants gave him a cool, unpretentious air. The way they hung from his hips could not look hotter if Michelangelo had sculpted them himself.  

"Thank you, Abel. You don't look half-bad yourself." She punched him softly in a conspiratorial way. "There was a bunch of girls drooling over you on our way here." 

"Can I have a word with you?" Carolina asked Nicholas as he motioned to sit down. 

"Of course." He helped his wife out of her chair and let her lead the way. The couple distanced from the table until they were out of sight.  

Theo shifted in his chair. He had spent the afternoon thinking about the girl sitting next to him. He had come up with all sorts of strategies to meet her again. Earlier that night, when his father announced that the Ortiz family would be sharing their table, he had no idea who they were. Or what it meant.  

All he had picked up was how upset his mother got when she heard the news. She was mad to have "these people and their litter", as she had put it, joining her family.  

"Otherwise, they would feel-and be-completely out of place," his father had argued. "They'll sit with us. End of discussion." 

On a raging fit, Carolina had thrown the wine in her glass straight into Nicholas' face, wiped her tears from her cheek and sobbed.  

"You're a monster." Theo recalled the empty goblet shaking in her hand. "Why do you do this to me?" 

"If I want to get people in this village to elect me, I have to start somewhere." His tone was so soft it was even more irritating. "Spending a few hours with them won't kill you. Besides, by having them nearby, we can buff away any mishaps. Just stick to what you do best. Pretend to be civil."  

As usual, Carolina stormed off to her room, crying. Now, for a change, Theo sided with his father this once.  

It was no secret that his parents had a strained relationship. Over the vitriolic years, anger build up inside his mother like steam. Unattended for too long, she too exploded. She was tired and frustrated. That, Theo could understand. However, it did not make her always right.  

Unlike Carolina, Theo was very much interested in welcoming Mica. There was this weight on his lungs that left him short of air. They were so close he could even feel her warmth. Still, she was yet out of reach. So far, he had no clue who was that guy beside her. Could they be brothers? They could not look any more different. Then again, the same was true to him and Nick. 

In an act of boldness, Theo cleared his throat. "So," he said. "Was it your dad who put all this together?" 

"It was." Mica said, beaming proudly.  

"I hope he's feeling better. I stopped by the health center with my dad earlier today." 

"You did?" She frowned. Her parents had failed to mention that. "Well, he's doing better now. Needs to save his strength, though. So we came to represent him." Mica indicated herself and Abel.  

"I was waiting in the car-in the hospital," Theo thought he ought to explain. "I'm not a big fan of hospitals." 

Mica nodded. "Yeah, me neither." 

"Who is?" Alan chimed in, which earned him a nudge from Theo. 

"Your father did an awesome job too." Abel said, bending over the table to look at Theo. "I've never been to a party like this." 

Theo recognized the perfect chance to discover what the bond between Mica and Abel was.  

"Yeah, but my dad says that's all thanks to yours." On purpose, Theo did not shift his eyes from Abel.  

"Oh, no!" Mica chuckled, waved both arms in front of her in a dismissive gesture. "Abel's not my brother. Julian, my half-brother, is much younger than me. Abel here's my rescuer. Saved me from dying of boredom."  

Theo swallowed, forcing down the clump on his throat. So Abel was not her brother. That meant he must be her boyfriend. Otherwise, she would have brought a girlfriend along. Of course she had a boyfriend. What was he thinking? He reached out for his glass, focused his attention at the bottom of it. Slowly, he drained the contents, thinking of something clever to say.  

In every scenario he had conjured for their second encounter, Theo never depicted a plus one. Now, the words he had practiced all afternoon seemed either idiotic or unfit.  

"Oh, yeah." Theo put down his glass, smacked his lips. "What could be worse than spending New Year's Eve at home?" he asked, although he had no trouble coming up with a list. Number one was finding out that the girl who finally got his mind off Lilian was already taken.  

The excitement that fuelled him when he saw her at his table started fizzling. He lifted a hand, had the waiter refill his drink.  

"A toast to a wonderful night." Theo raised his glass just enough to keep the toast between the four of them. 

"To new friends." Mica imitated Theo, staring at him. "And old ones." She shifted her eyes to Abel. "On them we can count no matter what."  

Old friend. Two magic words that reignited Theo's fever. With them, hope started crawling its way back into his slightly tipsy heart.