Chapter 11
“Can we just focus on the language?” Grace asked. “I think that’s more important than anything cultural. Don’t get me wrong. I know that’s important too, but I will want to communicate.” Antonio nodded and sat down to give her yet another lesson in the language.
Grace suddenly interrupted Antonio as he was pronouncing a word she was struggling with. “What language do you dream in?” Grace asked, suddenly curious about how the languages floated about in his head.
Antonio laughed. “I don’t dream,” he answered simply.
“Everyone dreams. Come on, I’m just curious,” Grace said, placing her hand across the table on his. As soon as she touched him, the first time since they had made love, she felt something spark in her body.
“I prefer to dream while I am awake so that I can remember my dreams for much longer,” Antonio said, his thumb stroking the back of her hand.
Grace nodded numbly. Did he feel the same charge she was feeling?
“What kind of things do you dream about?” she asked, looking up at him before returning her gaze to their hands.
“I like to dream about you,” Antonio said. His words touched Grace’s heart. While she knew that he was flirting with her, she felt as though his words held a drop of genuine feeling.
“What do we do in your dreams?” Grace asked, probing further into his statement.
“We are in Aruba,” Antonio smiled. “And I am teaching you my mischievous ways of sneaking around the city without security knowing.”
Grace laughed. “I feel as though that might very well happen… and all too soon.”
“My favorite part is when we get back to the palace,” Antonio said. “when I take you to our royal chamber.”
Grace shivered. She wanted to ask another question, but her lips couldn’t form the words. She wanted what she had shared with Antonio only two days before. She wanted him again. “Antonio,” she said, standing and going behind him. “I like your dreams. Maybe you can show me your favorite part.”
Antonio stood and pressed himself against Grace. His kisses made her body yearn for more. She wanted him all of him right then. They started kissing, and Antonio removed her clothing. She felt no embarrassment standing before him, and she urgently tugged at his clothing, wanting to touch him.
Antonio smiled and started teasing her senses with his tongue, then he slowly removed his clothing. The both stood naked, and Grace took him in her mouth with the kind of urgency she had not felt before. She wanted him to know that she felt strongly for him, that she wanted to give him pleasure, not just take it all for herself. She moved up and down, and she felt Antonio’s hands playing with her hair. She couldn’t help but smile. His groan told her that he was enjoying it, and Grace moved faster. Suddenly, Antonio pulled her head up and pressed her against the wall. Grace wrapped her legs around his waist.
When Antonio was inside her, Grace couldn’t help smiling up into his face. “Oh, that’s perfect, harder,” she directed. “Harder.” He pushed in even harder. When he finished inside her, Grace laughed aloud. He lay on her, his head resting between her breasts. She slowly stroked his hair, feeling completely confident after the pleasured look he had while he had come. The seriousness of their situation settled upon Grace. She had to tell him her secret. And now, as she felt his weight upon her and his arms around her, she felt as though he would understand her. How could he not?
“Antonio,” she started. He lifted his head to look her in the eyes, perhaps sensing her seriousness. “I need to tell you something. I don’t want you to freak out.”
“I don’t know those words: ‘freak out’.”
“I don’t know how to explain it,” Grace said, brushing past her wording. “But, I need to tell you that I’m… pregnant.”
As soon as Antonio heard the words, he jerked up. He slid himself out of her and sat on the bed. “That’s not possible,” he said. “We only made love one time before. You cannot know you are pregnant that soon. Are you not on birth control? Unless…”
“It’s not your baby,” Grace said softly. She sat up, the sheet around her. She suddenly felt cold.
“You are pregnant with another man’s baby?!” Antonio yelled. Grace shrank back from him. “How long have you known?”
“O-only a few days,” Grace stammered. “I just found out.” She already felt the tears rolling down her face. She fought against them to continue speaking. “I was with the same guy all summer. I thought we were going to get married. I was careful, but it is not 100% safe.”
Antonio shook his head and started pacing the room. “How am I supposed to enter the country with my new bride who’s pregnant from another man? How do you think that makes me look?!”
Grace just cried, not able to answer.
“I asked you a question,” Antonio said. “I expect you to answer!”
“I don’t know,” Grace said. “I don’t know what to say. It’s not like I tried to do it.”
Antonio shook his head. He started talking in Papiamento, and Grace merely tried to escape within the sheets. “I don’t want to look at you,” Antonio said. “Get out of my room!” Grace hurried to do as she was told, leaving her clothes behind and going straight toward her room. Was Antonio going to hate her? Maybe he would make them divorce. Somehow, Grace didn’t want that. She was so attached to him now. She had thought they would be good together. She wanted to move to Aruba, speak his language, and most of all, she wanted to love him.
Grace enclosed herself in her room the rest of the day. She ordered the sweetest things she could find on the menu and had Estefan bring her the cart of food once it arrived to the penthouse.
“Are you alright?” he asked as he rolled the cart in.
Grace shrugged. “I am fine. Thank you for bringing the food. Can you check on me later tonight to see if I need anything?”
“Of course,” Estefan promised. Grace ate her way through a few movies, trying to decide if she should approach Antonio or wait for him to approach her.
“No,” she said to herself. “He yelled at me. I didn’t do anything wrong. He needs to apologize.” Grace continued to hide in her room, and she felt grateful when Estefan came in to check on her. “What is Antonio doing?” she asked as Estefan collected her tray of food.
“No, no,” Estefan answered, shaking his finger. “I do not get in the middle of lovers’ quarrels. If you want to know, you must find out for yourself.”
Grace showed her disapproval but chose to stay in her room instead. She could be stubborn when she wanted to, and Antonio needed to come apologize to her.