Awake, My Sleeping Beauty

Chapter 13

WEEKS LATER

Ricardo pulled out a chair for Heaven outside of a café about an hour away from town. Heaven grinned and sat down.

"Thank you, what a gentlemen!" Heaven chuckled as Ricardo took a seat next to her.

"Of course, but what do you have me pegged as, some loser with no etiquette when it comes to women?"

"Oh!" Heaven laughed and playfully scrutinized him with her eyes. "So you're a natural when it comes to women, eh? How many of them do you have in your little black book?"

Ricardo raised an eyebrow and gave her a look. "Seriously, a 'little black book'?"

"Isn't that what all the Casanovas use?" Heaven snickered.

Ricardo laughed, shaking his head. "I'm not like that, and you know it."

"I know," Heaven nodded. They stared at each other for a second before Ricardo cleared his throat.

"Besides, I wouldn't dare even look at another woman now that you're my girlfriend."

Heaven grinned and gave him a quick kiss on his lips.

"So do you have any plans?" Ricardo asked and took a sip from his coffee. "It's been two months since you graduated."

"Well," Heaven sighed. "That's a good question. I asked my mom and dad about my plans before the accident."

Ricardo looked at Heaven, who seemed suddenly lost in a thought.

"Well?" he asked when she didn't answer. Heaven turned to him.

"They told me I was planning to go to Spain to study at a really good music conservatory."

Ricardo's eyes lit up and Heaven blinked, a little confused.

"Why do you look so happy?"

"If you go to Spain," he said with excitement, "that means I can show you around! My house is in Spain, remember?"

"Oh, I know," Heaven replied thoughtfully. It was a big coincidence that before she suffered the boating accident with her parents, that she planned on moving to Spain after high school.

"What is it?" Ricardo asked her when he noticed the weird expression on Heaven's face.

"I just find it strange that you happen to live in the country that I planned to move to. It's a little bizarre."

"Or it might be fate," Ricardo grinned. "Listen preciosa, I'm so glad that you told me this. You can stay at my place once you leave for school, if you want."

"Whoa," Heaven laughed, "Thanks for the offer, precioso. But I think I'd rather do my own thing once I get to Spain. I need to be more independent, it's what moving away from home is all about."

"You sure?" Ricardo asked, clearly wanting her to consider his offer.

"I'm positive," Heaven nodded. "We've only been dating for a few weeks. It would be insane for us to make plans to move in together."

Ricardo shook his head and smiled. "You're absolutely right. See? You always seem to derail the flow of my thinking. Maybe it is better if you didn't move in. I wouldn't be able to focus on my work."