Guests

Your Last Day

Is it possible that I've repeated a thousand times how incredible everything I'm experiencing with Athena is? If not a thousand, then ten thousand. I don't know how much time I have left to enjoy her company, but what I do know is that we'll remember this image forever: Athena Díaz in the back of a dirty pizza van, trying not to get covered in flour—and God knows what else—balancing in a way that has seen better days. It's such a funny situation that I can't help but burst out laughing now.

"Instead of laughing, you could help me not to fall, pinche cabrón!" When she says that last part in Spanish, I swear the situation makes it even funnier.

"I see your knowledge of Mexican insults is quite good."

"If you want, I can continue enlightening you a bit more," she replies indignantly.

"I have no doubt."

I crawl closer, and just as Costa makes a turn much faster than recommended, Athena falls into my arms. Her back hits my chest, and I wrap my arms around her. It's the only way I can avoid touching her in unexpected places.

I don't finish the thought as she turns her head to look at me. Her lips are only about five centimeters away from mine. She's thinking the same thing as me, judging by how she's looking at them. We stay like that for a few seconds.

I clear my throat and slowly pull away. You have no idea how much I would have given to kiss her! However, there are boundaries I won't allow myself to cross. I can't do anything. I shouldn't do anything. Yes, there's a very important nuance in my words. I'm not saying I don't want to do anything because that would be a lie—I just told you how badly I wanted to kiss her.

"Did you ever imagine living such an adventure?" she asks, playful.

Her voice, her expression... everything about her is sexy and perfect just as she is.

I need to clarify something very important. If you think Athena captivated me solely with her beauty, that's not true. It wasn't just her appearance that caught my attention—if it were, I would have been infatuated with her long ago. There's another crucial thing that is often overlooked: her personality, humor, intelligence, freshness, and transparency. Those qualities captivated me from the moment we crossed paths. They're things that can't be explained. You have to experience them.

"Never. And with you... it didn't even cross my mind. I have a good imagination, but I don't go that far."

She smiles.

"You know, I shouldn't have stopped here," she says. My surprised expression speaks for itself. "My flight was direct to New York, and, well, I wasn't ready to face reality yet, so I told Kay, 'Why don't we have some fun in the Azores for a couple of days and then go back?'"

"I don't think Kay enjoyed the part she got to play."

"Definitely not! I don't know how I'm going to make it up to her for all the trouble she went through."

"I don't think she'll forget these days either."

"Either? Will you remember me...?" She doesn't finish the question. A shadow veils her gaze.

"As long as my mind works, there's no way I'll forget you."

"Won't you write anything about our encounter?"

"It wouldn't be a bad idea... I don't know the finale yet, but it could make for a beautiful story."

The van suddenly brakes, and despite trying to prevent it, Athena falls on her backside on the van floor. She sighs with resignation.

"If today were your last day, what would you do?" she asks, squatting down again.

The question is much deeper than it seems.