“Maya, you’re talking about moving to another country. That’s not a small decision. I feel like you’ve gone on one of those radical makeover programs, but instead of changing your appearance, they’ve changed your brain.”
“Don’t joke around.”
“I’m being serious.”
“I love it here, though,” I told him. “I feel as if I could stay here forever and be happy. I don’t need anything else.”
“Yeah, you don’t need anything else except for Lucas and his big old…”
“Hey!” I cut him off. “Don’t go there. I shouldn’t have even told you.”
I could hear his chuckle as he said, “Admit it, Maya, you’re falling for him. At least tell me he’s treating you right. Because otherwise, I’ll fly there right now and kick his ass.”
“I love you, Matías,” I replied. “You know how much I miss you, don’t you?”
“I miss you, too. But you didn’t answer my question.”
I found myself nodding, even though I knew Matías couldn’t see me, as I rested a hand on my hip. “Lucas is a good guy. Seriously. He’s trustworthy, nice, attentive, giving…”
“I don’t doubt that. It sounds like he’s beengivingit to you for two days straight.”
“Matías!” I shrieked. But I couldn’t help but laugh along with him.
He complained that I’d gone a week without telling him what was happening between Lucas and me, and I reminded him that he’d been too busy to call. I could feel him fiddling around in the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of water, as he explained how Natalia had decided to do a new version ofDon Quixotenext season. “It’s madness,” he went on, “but Maya, I’ve always got time to talk about sex. And I want details. Lots of details.”
“Perv.”
“Honey, I haven’t gotten any in ages. So I’m going to need to live through you.”
“I didn’t think straight sex turned you on.”
“Listen, Maya, I’ll just omit you from any scenario you tell me about and focus on the part about your naked boyfriend.”
I never liked to share the dirty details, but I was about to give it my best shot when I saw Lucas on the other side of the window, approaching quickly. I hadn’t been expecting him.
“Hey, Matías, sorry,” I said. “I’ve got to go. I’ll call you back soon.”
“Are you all right?”
“Sure.”
The bell rang over Lucas’s head as he opened the door and he greeted me with aHimuttered in that gravelly, seductive voice that turned me on so much. I waved at him as Matías made a terrible joke about Lucas being like Harry Potter and coming to show me his magic wand, and then he begged me to put the call on speaker so he could hear Lucas’s voice or, better still, FaceTime.
“That’s not going to happen,” I responded.
“Don’t be greedy. I want to see!”
“I’m hanging up now.”
“Maya…”
I put my phone down on the counter, and Lucas asked if he was interrupting something.
“No,” I said, “it was just my friend Matías. I’ve told you about him.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be closed by now?” Lucas wrapped his hands around my waist and looked me in the eye.
“Yeah, why?”
