Madrid

Raúl

For a moment, I was completely still at Alana’s action. I felt the pounding of her heart against my chest. She noticed my reaction and walked away.

– Sorry, Raul! Sorry!

– Don’t be sorry! – I say with difficulty. – But please continue!

Then Alana wraps her arms around my shoulders, I grab her around the waist and pull her against me in a growing urge of passion. I notice her shivering slightly and I gently caress the back of her neck with my mouth, moving closer to her ear.

– Never apologize when you want to kiss me, cariño!

He turns my face to his face, and I notice his altered features. When our mouths meet, I’m the one who trembles, and I feel like I’m out of my mind. The fact is that since I kissed Alana, I feel like I’ve never kissed anyone before, a kiss with so much passion and desire. I feel my chest crushing her breasts, my legs burning between hers, a feeling of pleasure coursing through my body, which seems to heat up too much.

She suddenly lets go, and it surprises me when I look into her eyes, and I find a look with a mixture of tenderness and desire, it’s momentary, because it quickly gives way to discomfort.

– Let’s go! – She speaks softly and looks everywhere but at me.

– Fine, but I don’t think it would be nice to take you home in this state. Let ‘s go to a friend of mine, he lives close by!

– It’s all right!

[…]

Alana

My ankle hurts less now, but after I came to my senses, I felt a different kind of pain, more sophisticated, more abstract. The fact of having kissed Raúl, with all the confusions that permeate my mind, combined with the fact that he likes me, and I can’t respond.

If I can’t respond, why did I kiss him? Why have I been accepting your approach, and this contact that drives me out of my mind? Am I just feeling attracted? After all, Raúl is a very handsome and attractive man… Oh Alana, stop thinking nonsense, all this is not helping!

– It’s all right?

– It is.

– Are you so quiet, is your ankle hurting so much?

– No, it hurts less!

– He is sure? Because you look like you’re worried about something, so I thought you were in pain!

– Don’t worry, it’s okay, I was just thinking about life!

All along the way we didn’t exchange many words. We went through the same dirt road until we took the highway again, the car entered another road that seemed to have no end, we walked this path for a while, until we arrived in front of a large gate with a sign, written: “Private Property”. He honked at the gate, which opened, and we were able to enter the property. I had no idea where it was taking me, the only information is that it was a friend’s house, but I don’t know who this friend would be, although I still didn’t know the place very well, I had a brief impression that it was a familiar area to my memory.

Raúl stops the car, opens the door, undoes my belt, and then helps me out. He holds me around the waist, and it makes me a little nervous, we walk to the entrance of what appears to be a yellow cottage, half hidden behind the trees. A man is standing on the big balcony of the cottage, he comes down the stairs and comes to meet us. A tall man with white hair and wrinkled skin, he looks to be in his sixties. He smiled happily as he looked at Raúl, whom he greeted with affection .

– You’ve finally found time to pay me a visit, Raúl!

Raúl smiles back and protests slightly.

– What is this Armand? I always come here, It’s getting too dramatic, I haven’t been here for two weeks!

Armand makes a face, and hugs him. He looks at me, and says bluntly:

– Is this the famous Alana? – Is that the one you keep talking about? – he asks, I look at the two of them, Raúl looks at me a little embarrassed, and nods to his friend.

– Yes. It’s Alana. Alana, I want to introduce Armand. He was my father’s friend, and he became my friend too, maybe I don’t remember him , but his house was my and Dani’s vacation spot, and sometimes you were here too…

– Yes, I think I remember a little, I had this impression of knowing the place, but I wasn’t sure! How’s Armand? – I say, and extend my hand to shake his hand.

– Very well, and happy to see you again! – How ‘s Dani doing ?

– Well…

– I always watch the games to see him, and it makes me proud to know that that little boy who always came here to spend the holidays with Raúl, has turned into a star of our football!

He leads us inside his house, I didn’t remember much, but I recognize the decor, and the whole ambiance of the property. Inside the cottage there were a number of horseshoes hanging on the walls, a huge fireplace. The house is all in wood, rustic furniture and always giving that air of coziness.

We sit in the living room, on a big, soft leather sofa, and Raúl explains what happened to my foot, and Armand goes down a hallway that leads to other rooms in the house. Raúl bends down to remove the bandage he had made with gauze, my foot is a little swollen, although it hurts less. Raúl passes his hand and stares at me, and I find it difficult to keep my gaze on him, and Armand comes back carrying a first-aid kit.

– Do you want my help? – he asks.

– No, I think I can do that!

– How it is?

– It’s not too swollen! – He speaks and I observe. – Does it hurt, Alana?

– A little.

As he smears an anti-inflammatory cream over the spot, Armand watches, then says something.

– So, where did you come from?

– I took Alana to see the stone…

– Know the stone?’ And what were you doing there, that she got hurt?

– I just wanted to walk, and I tripped!

– Serious? I thought they were making out outside the car!

As soon as he speaks, I don’t know where to look, while Raúl doesn’t speak.

– That it? We are just friends! – I say and smile awkwardly.

– My wife and I also started like this with a friendship, and today we’ve been together for over twenty years! he exclaims, and the mood gets a little tense.

– Don’t mind him, Armand talks too much. Speaking of your wife, where is she? – Raúl looks at me, and then continues his service by asking Armand.

– He went to visit his mother in Barcelona!

He finishes the bandage, and looks at me, his eyes seem to be staring straight into my mouth, and I feel my face burn, and my breath ragged as I look at him.

– Then I think we’d better go, otherwise it’s going to be late!

– Why such a hurry? Stay a little longer, can you smell it?

– I’m feeling, what is it? – Raúl asks, and gets to his feet.

– Vegetable and meat soup, do you like it ?

– Of course I like it, that my mother doesn’t hear us, but your soups are the best, Armand! – Raúl exclaims, stares at me. – How about, we have the soup and then we go home, what do you think?

– If it’s not too late, that’s fine! – relax, we’re in the car, and it won’t be late, it’s still eighteen o’clock!

– Then fine!

[…]

There was tea in a pot placed on the table, and a pot of soup with an irresistible smell, and so I understood that it was impossible to go without trying it. After a lot of conversation reminiscing about the past, and the kind and hospitable way Armand treated us, especially me who hadn’t seen him for a long time, we said goodbye, and went to the door, accompanied by the owner of the house, who greeted me and he said.

– You need to come back more often, Alana!

– Thank you, Armand!

– Take care of that foot, go to the doctor to make sure it wasn’t something serious!

– Don’t worry, I will! – Thanks…

The car drives away slowly, I wave until the cottage is hidden behind the trees. So I sink into the seat and let out a deep sigh.

– So, how about our tour? – It was a disaster, wasn’t it? – Raul asks.

– It was different, but it became disastrous because of me…

– It wasn’t quite like that, I ended up upsetting you, when I promised something that I can’t keep… – He says, looking at me quickly while my eyes are still watching him.

– Raúl , can I ask you something?

– He can.

– After all, why did you take me to that place?- I ask, but I can already imagine what he will answer.

– I took you with me to spend time together, and I had in mind that we’d have a picnic…

– A picnic? So where was the food?

– In the trunk there’s a basket full of things… Sorry, I ended up doing silly things, making you nervous, and you thinking all wrong about what I really intended…

Raúl’s words make me a little bad, I imagined everything wrong, I rushed, but in the end, I wanted him to kiss me, so much so that I did.

– Raul, I…

– Okay, you got it all wrong because of me, because since you got back I can’t think of anything else, and I’ve been making the most childish excuses to be around, and… I think I’m talking too much!

– No, fine, why don’t we have this picnic another day? I ask, and he looks at me with a big smile.

– Alright, tomorrow I’ll be very busy, I have some extra training sessions, I’m going to practice corners, and… Could it be the day after tomorrow?NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

– Maybe yes…

We continued the way back talking random things, I didn’t want any subject that caused that awkward atmosphere. Raúl parks his car in front of my house, I undo my belt, and before I decide to leave…

– Does the foot hurt a lot?

– It is not alright!

– Good, when I looked at Armand’s house, it was looking good, but I think it’s important to go to the orthopedist!

– I don’t think you need to!’ I need to come in eh…

I put my hand on the door, and he lightly holds my arm, we look at each other, not a single word comes out of our mouths, and I feel my heart beating faster, and it makes me very confused, because at the same time I want to kiss him, but something tells me it’s wrong to play with people. He approaches, and I can’t resist, before he takes the initiative to kiss me, it’s me who kisses him again, my lips touch his, but I pull away, Raúl approaches and I feel a desperate pressure under my mouth, I shouldn’t have To do this, I shouldn’t allow such a thing, but something holds me to this man, and it’s no longer his mouth pressing mine, I kiss him back.

He wraps his hands around my waist, my hands wrap around his neck, and they touch his hair. I honestly don’t know what happens to me, I feel like I have no control over myself. His tongue invades my mouth, I feel his hand touch my hair, caress my neck, and it feels like I’m delivered in a way I don’t recognize myself. I need to do something, break free, push him… I don’t know! And before I do anything, Raúl is struck by some sense.

He breaks the kiss, in his gaze I see something familiar: confusion. I’m confused, every time we kiss I feel weird. I pull away from him, we exchange desperate looks.

– Sorry, Lana, I shouldn’t have done that!

– Alright, I got carried away too…

– Please don’t walk away from me, don’t be afraid! I already said that I feel something for you, but don’t think I’m going to force situations, I…

– Calm down, Raúl , I wanted to kiss you too, and… – but once I’m struck by some madness, I approach and touch my lips to yours again.