The Dancing Torera

9

The clock strikes 6 as I wake up hungover and tired from the nights of events. I chuckle at my loss of memory as three girls lay restless in my bed. Soon I realize my tardiness and run to the arena for practice.

"Your late" Raul, my manager sighed.

"I overslept" I mutter, realizing that I was nearly an hour late.

"Well... your friends have been doing push-ups. One for every second you were late. What number are we on now men?"

"360" James curses.

"Sorry guys" I shrug nonchalantly, I knew my punishment would rival theirs.

"Enough" Raul claps and they collapse to the floor.

"800 laps after practice"

"But Raul!"

"But nothing! You're hanging by the thin of your curly hair Esteban! With your injury and the tardiness... get it together or you will be replaced... I mean it" he pushes past me. I look to my teammates as sweat drips down their faces.

"If you two would have seen the women in my bed" I try to fill them in but they only glared with hatred.

"Get the bulls out" Raul snaps at us to begin.

——

Finally, practice is done and we coax the bulls away.

"800 laps" my coach yells and my friends leave to shower. I peel off my shirt and begin my punishment.

350

As I run my next lap, I see the mysterious flamenco dancer from yesterday night. She is sitting atop the fence watching me curiously as I suffer.

"Can I help you señorita?" I smile, excited by her sudden presence. She shook her head no and continued to observe me, obviously checking out my chiseled form.

"Like what you see?" I wink, making sure to embarrass her.

"353" she voices, keeping record of my count, "Your coach must really hate you" she grinned, happy of my torturous punishment.

"Everyone hates me señorita! It's what makes my life exciting " I sigh through heavy breaths.

"Its nice to see you suffer." she crosses her slender legs and leans against the wall, "it makes my stupid life seem a little better"

"Your life can't be that bad" I ask opening up a conversation.

"370" she voices and I continued running. Silence fills the space as I pass the marker.

"What number?"

"I think I lost count" she pouted playfully.

I stand still and grin.

"800" I shrug and collapse to the floor. I feel her shadow as she hovers above me

SPLASHHH

"What the!!!" I look up to her; an empty bucket of rested between her fingers.

"I thought you would wanna cool down" she smiles. I grab her ankle before she could run and grip her waist, pulling her into my chest.

"Ewww!!!your so wet!" she screams and giggled, "let me go" she wiggles.

"Not until you say sorry"

"There are two things a woman must never do Mr. La Renta: admit defeat and apologize." she brags.

"You must have a easy life then?" I build on her statement and slowly release her. We both stare at each other in silence and awkwardly break. Her eyes dart to my wound and she runs her hands against my wet torso. I wince in pain as she presses against it and I grab her wrists harshly. She regretfully pulled away as I turn away in shame.