Mari
I wake up feeling scared. I blink a few times to figure out where I am, since this is most definitely not my bed. I try to move, but a weight over my waist keeps me still. It must still be night out there, because it’s dark.
“It’s too early, pretty. Go back to sleep. Your alarms won’t ring for another three hours,” a husky voice says in my ear, making me remember the night before, of where I was and who I was with. My body warms at the memory. I try to move again, feeling a little sore from the escapades of the evening, and then he pulls me closer. “If you keep moving like that, I’ll spend the next three hours before the alarm doing something other than sleeping,” Cadu says with a laugh.
I inch closer to him, enjoying his hold on me, his heat. The memory returns full strength. The wonderful day, the thrill of getting to know Itaipava’s Castle, the romantic dinner, the passionate night of love . . . the precise moment when he said, “I love you.” I know it is going too fast. We’ve been together for only a few weeks, but we are in love. Totally and hopelessly in love. I could see how true his feelings were, and they reflected mine. Keeping this in mind, I close my eyes and allow myself to relax in the warmth of his body, falling asleep with a smile on my face.
It is almost eight o’clock when I wake up to the sunshine coming through the curtains in the bedroom. I open my eyes and the first thing I see is her lying in my bed, her head on my chest, her soft face looking like she’s having a good dream.
I keep still for a few minutes just looking at her, thinking of how much she means to me in so little an amount of time. She’s beautiful and delicate, with a pretty smile. I’ve been with many women. After all, when you’re twenty-six and you work with models, it’s only natural you might date a few of them. Okay, many of them. But despite the fact that those women were the “beauty standard,” to me they meant nothing. Most of them were only worried about their diets, the presents I would give them, and if they would look good enough in their photo shoots. Mari was different . . . she was real.
I never tired of finding differences between her and every other woman who had crossed my path. And yesterday, while we made love, telling her how I felt seemed like the right thing to do. I couldn’t imagine keeping my feelings from her. Not after everything she told me over dinner, about what her stupid ex-boyfriend did to her.
Thinking of that jackass made me feel like making it up to her somehow, for all the things she has been through. I couldn’t think of a good way to do that other than to show her just how desirable, beautiful, and lovely she is. I pull her hair away from her neck and kiss it until I reach her ear. She is still asleep, but I can see her body reacting, shivering with every peck.
“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty,” I say quietly in her ear, and she lazily opens her eyes.
“Oh . . . good morning.” She smiles and I smile back, feeling my body reacting to her loving look.
“Good morning, pretty,” I answer, pulling her to me and holding her tight in my arms. “What a nice way to wake up, with you in my arms.” She smiles and I roll us over, getting on top of her. I lean down to kiss her but she stops me.
“I didn’t even brush my teeth yet,” she says, flushing.
I put my lips on hers. We kiss passionately and when we pull away, I look in her eyes and simply say. “I don’t mind.” She smiles and I kiss her again, touching her deeper. I will never get enough of her. Ever.
Sunday was a special day. Being woken up with so much love by Cadu gave me the strength I needed to face the day. It wasn’t a dream. I didn’t imagine what had happened the day before. He was mine, truly mine, just as I was his. And he made sure to show me that from the moment we opened our eyes. After the romantic and lazy morning in bed, we drove to Petropolis, walked around the Crystal Palace and the gardens in the Imperial Museum, and stopped for a delicious and fun lunch, during which we spent a long time laughing and talking.
Then it was time to leave. We went back to Rio listening to music and singing along together, talking about life and laughing. Laughing a lot. I don’t remember ever feeling as happy as I do right now, with him. He makes me completely happy.
Cadu drove me home and went upstairs with me to take my luggage, and when it was time to go, a melancholic atmosphere seemed to cover us.
“Thank you for the weekend,” I say, trying to smile away the sadness.
“Thank you for coming.” He pulls me into a soft kiss. “It was great.”
“It was,” I answer, my heart aching knowing he’d soon leave.
“Well, I’m going to go home. I need a shower and then some rest. Tomorrow we go back to normal,” he says, smiling, and I nod.
Cadu puts his arms around my waist, pulling my body against his, and kisses me passionately. Slowly, our lips grow apart and he leans his forehead on mine.
“I meant it, you know?” he looks seriously at me. “I’m in love with you, Mari. Very much. Very much indeed,” he says, and we both laugh.
“And I’m in love with you.”
He steals another kiss, then steps back.
“Well, I’m going to go before I give up leaving altogether. I’ll call you later, okay?”
“Drive safe.”
“I will,” he answers, smiling, and then goes, taking my heart with him.
I close the door to her apartment and go downstairs. My heart is racing, as if I ran a marathon. I get to the front door, say goodbye to the doorman, and get in the car which is parked in front of her building. As soon as I close the door, her perfume engulfs me and I smile, feeling her sweet presence all around me. I start the car and drive through the streets in her neighborhood to the main avenue, which leads me home.
A few minutes later, I turn the stereo on and the romantic playlist we listened to over the weekend starts playing again. While I listen to the music, memories start playing in my mind.
Memories of the two of us together, the places we visited, her thrilled expression when she saw the books in the castle, her eyes shining over dinner. And the most perfect night of love I’ve ever had. I remembered every kiss, every touch, every whisper. The moment we said, “I love you.” I look around and I see I’m halfway back to the south part of the city.
Longing takes over my heart and I wonder why I’m going home if all I wanted was to stay with her. Yes! I want to be with her as much as possible. Feel her kisses, her body on mine, hearing her laugh, and watching her fall asleep again. Determined, I turn on my directional and make a turn to take me right back to her. Smiling, I realize this is the best decision I’ve ever made!
When Cadu leaves, I spend at least five minutes sitting on the couch, completely still, remembering everything that happened over the weekend. I am looking at nothing in particular with a silly smile on my face, when the text alert on my cell phone pulls me out of my trance.
I put my cell phone on the table and go to my room. I take off the jeans and the white T-shirt I was wearing, throw them in the laundry basket, and go in my underwear to the bathroom. I take a clean towel, take off my underwear, and then tie my hair in a messy bun. I am about to turn on the shower when I hear the doorbell. Three or four times, as if the world is ending. Lais.
“Giiirl,” I shout, putting the towel around my body while I go to the door. “You have terrible timing. I told you I was going to—” I open the door and, to my surprise, it isn’t her. “Shower.” I say, astonished.
“Can I shower with you?” Cadu asks, his eyes shining when he sees me wearing nothing but a towel, his huge smile made complete by his dimples.
“Oh . . . hey,” I babble, still surprised. “I thought you were going home.” His smile grows bigger, if that’s even possible. As he speaks, he comes closer, pressing me against the wall in the hall and closing the door behind us.
“I did. I changed my mind halfway there.”
“Really?” I ask, shocked.
“Really. I’m not ready to go, Mari.” He pecks my lips, his eyes on my eyes and on my mouth. “I’m not ready to leave you alone. I want to be with you for as long as I can. Can I?” he asks, kissing me again, putting his arms around my body and making me sigh. “Can I, pretty?” he insists and I smile in agreement.
“Of course you can.” I find strength within me to answer, and his smile grows.
“Come, let’s take a shower.” He hugs me, biting my shoulder and then taking me to the bathroom. I let out a low moan and he smiles, his eyes shining with desire. “After the shower, I’ll show you how much in love with you I am.” He grins, and all I can think of is licking those dimples and enjoying the gift that is having him in my home.