Nine of Cups Read online

  "You know that I will have to go back to school, when my internship is finished, don't you?" I was being unnecessarily harsh and I didn't know why.

  JP stood up off the couch and moved towards the kitchen. "Of course, I realise that. I tried so hard not to want you, but..."

  How did he always manage to topple me like that? Every time I found a reason to get mad at him, he found the perfect thing to say. I immediately felt guilty. I took a deep breath and patted the spot next to me on the couch.

  "I am sorry, that was totally uncalled for. Please, forgive me." He hesitated. I figured he needed a distraction, so I asked him to look at my cards.

  "It's called a reading," he said, his mood changing instantly. "Shuffle them thoroughly, then split the deck in three. Reorder the deck and then give the cards to me," he asked nicely.

  He laid out a basic past, present and future spread.

  The first card was The Emperor. Nice! "You have a dual relationship with the concept of a Father figure. You try to avoid the people in your life that take on this aspect, because you fear their disapproval. At the same time you desperately want their attention and love. You think this issue is in the past, but it actually follows you everywhere you go." Damn, where did this insight come from. Either these Tarot cards really were magical, or he could see straight through me. I desperately hoped it was the cards.

  The second card was the Ten of Pentacles. He explained that I currently felt wealthy and at home. I had the possibility of building something lasting. He was clearly using the cards to push his own agenda! Opportunist!

  The last card was the Nine of Cups. The gold thread picture on the card was beautifully detailed.

  "What does this one mean," I asked, having totally gotten into this.

  "It means this!" He pulled me in for a deep kiss. Then he took my hand and brought me to his large bedroom.

  He sat us down on the edge of the bed and in-between kisses he said, "I am going to need your help".

  "Don't you know how to undress? I'll be more than happy to relieve you of your shirt!" I couldn't believe this was happening and I definitely didn't want any distractions.

  "You are going to have to walk me through this. I have never done this with a guy before," he confessed at the last minute.

  "Are you fucking kidding me?" I stopped, seconds after sneaking a peek at those perfect abs. "Why am I here, if you aren't into this?" So the two relationships he had mentioned were both with girls.

  "I am into you!" he said to his own defense. "I was never completely sure what I wanted, till I met you." His demeanor was utterly disarming. "You are so irresistible, that I can't help myself. I might not know exactly what I am doing, but I know that I want it to be with you."

  How could a person so assertive, suddenly be so vulnerable? He was allowing himself to act on feeling and I was attacking him for it. I had better get my shit together, before I lost my opportunity to get what I so desperately wanted.

  "If it's help you want, than its help you shall get!" I said with renewed enthusiasm. I pulled his shirt over his head and worked my magic.

  He was still panting long after I was done with him. I couldn't believe that I had been allowed to do all of that with this Greek God.

  "Oh, my," he said, staring at the ceiling in a state of pure bliss. "If I would have known what this was like..."

  "Then what?" I asked, giving him a slap on the thigh and a stern look.

  "... then I would have asked you to come over a long time ago!" Nice save. He turned to face me and smiled in admiration.

  "Ready for round two?" I asked, only half joking.

  This time I got a slap on the bum. "You niños have limitless energy!" he said in a scary imitation of Miguel's voice.

  "Don't you ever do that again, if you want more of this!" I said, making an explicit gesture.

  He kissed me on my forehead and said he was sorry. We snuggled under the thin sheet and despite it being still relatively early, I fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

  Seven

  I woke up before he did, but didn't want to disturb him. He had gone out of his way to spend time with me, despite being very tired. I couldn't even leave the bed, since he had a strong arm wrapped firmly around me. I decided to journal about last night's big adventure.

  As I committed my thoughts to digital memory, I had multiple flashbacks that caused quite a stir under the sheets. I was living in a dream and I wished it would never end. I sometimes thought that HE would one day just fade back into the fairy tale from which he had escaped.

  All of a sudden, there was a commotion in the bed and I saw JP's head disappear under the bed linen. Seconds later, I found out why. Apparently I had been a good teacher, because never in my life had a morning started this well. We fooled around till both of us started to get hungry. He asked me if I wanted to go out for breakfast or whether he should demonstrate his cooking skills. The only reason why I would have opted for outside was for coffee, but of course he had an espresso machine.

  As I scarfed down my waffle with chocolate syrup and fresh strawberries, I recognised something on his heavy dark-wood bookshelf. I stood up and floated towards it. I was right. I reverently stroked the DVD box set and purred, "Khaleesi!"

  "Do you like that show?" he asked, as he poured me more orange juice.

  "Like is the wrong word!" I exclaimed with my mouth half full.

  "I haven't seen it." He shrugged.

  "Any of it?" I was astonished.

  He shook his head. "I got that box set for Christmas, but I never had time to watch."

  I decided that I would have to correct this grave mistake, but first I wanted to finish my breakfast.

  When it became clear that he wasn't interested in leaving the house anywhere soon, I remembered the DVD's. I popped the first disc in the Blu-Ray player and we "canoodled" on the couch throughout three episodes. He was instantly addicted and kept asking what was going to happen next. I wasn't planning on giving any spoilers, so I kept shushing him and told him to pay attention.

  By the time we were done watching, I was ready for lunch. He suggested we have a quick shower together so he could take me to a chiringuito on the beach. I agreed to going to the beach, but not to the joined shower.

  "If we do that, we will never leave the house," I mock scolded. I ran to the bathroom and locked the door. Finally a moment's rest. This day was like none I had ever lived before, but I needed two minutes to myself to think. Ever since he had let me take the lead last night, I wanted to be a bit more in control of our "relationship".

  "Are you OK in there?" he asked through the closed door.

  "I am perfectly fine. Just figuring out how the hot water works," I lied.

  "Do I need to come in and show you?"

  "I think I got it!" I yelled, through the sound of running water.

  The warm massage was divine, but I almost regretted having to wash his smell off of me. I figured that he didn't want to bump into anyone he knew on his day off, because he put us directly into a cab. We zipped down to the beach and before I knew it, I sat in front of a bowl with cheese covered nachos and a Mojito in a plastic cup.

  Jean Pierre was bathing his pretty face in the sun, wearing his classic Ray-Bans. I loved his "basic" look of a tight fitting polo shirt with khaki shorts and flip flops. I had cursed myself for not bringing a change of clothes, so he had given me one of his T-shirts. It smelled of fresh laundry and him. He wasn't getting it back.

  We had returned to a state of low profile physical contact, now that we were out of his private bubble. I was starting to understand his predicament. He had never made a lasting commitment to anyone, let alone to a bloke. He was probably scared to parade around his affections, because he didn't know how long this was going to last. If anything went amiss, his public image would be forever changed.

  "Can I ask you something?" he said casually, still staring into the sun.

  "Is it inappropriate?" I asked, slightly wary of the tone with which
he had asked.

  "Did you join my gym by accident?" He was now looking straight at me.

  Shit! Should I tell him the truth? Would he think I was a nutter? I decided to fess up. These kind of things always screwed things up later on.

  "No!" I breathed into my empty plastic cup.

  "I knew it!" He smiled triumphantly. I turned red and kept very quiet. I held out my cup for a refill.

  He leaned in and said, "If you promise not to stare at me like a piece of meat, we can work out together. I will show you how to pump those arms a bit."

  I gave him a hurt look and asked, "What's wrong with my arms?"

  "Nothing!" he said, grabbing my hand, consolingly. "It's just that you might need a bit more strength, if you want to..." he whispered the rest into my ear. He was catching on fast and seemed willing to try new things.

  JP let the suggestion sink in, as he signaled the waiter for another round of drinks. I left to go to the bathroom and when I came back, he was talking to someone I didn't know. I waited for a moment to see if it was a quick greet and dash, but this chick wasn't fucking leaving. I burned with curiosity and made my way back to our table.

  "Hi!" I said enthusiastically, giving this random girl the standard two kisses. She gave me an awkward look as I sat back down in my seat.

  "Caleb. This is Martha. She used to be my neighbour, when I was still living in El Born." Jean Pierre did not display any uncomfort over having being recognised.

  Was she one of the famous two girls that he had been in a relationship with? She was very pretty, but looked older than him. Much older.

  "We were just discussing JP's last couple of days," she said kindly.

  The last couple of days that he didn't want to discuss with me last night?

  "How do you two know each other?" she asked to make small talk. She was still standing, which meant he hadn't asked her to sit. Good! I wanted to save him from answering her question, but I struggled with the wording.

  "He is my boyfriend," Jean Pierre said flat out. He didn't even flinch. I stared at him with my mouth hanging open. After one mesmerising first kiss, a half botched date and a night of mind-blowing sex, I had just been publicly promoted from personal stalker to boyfriend. So much for my previous theory.

  "Qué bien!" Martha said, looking shell-shocked. She smiled at him blankly and said, "Well! I'd best be going. Have a nice day." No more kisses, she just left.

  "Did you see the look on her face?" He was grinning like he had pulled a prank. I desperately hoped this wasn't a joke.

  "I am your boyfriend?" I asked, one half of my mind throwing a party, the other half scared out of its wits. "Isn't that a bit quick?"

  "Quick?" he asked incredulously. "Isn't this what you wanted from the very beginning?"

  "How could you possibly know that? Who have you been talking to?" I blurted out before I could stop myself.

  "Your facial expressions do all the talking for you. You willed me to notice you since the day we met. You tempted me with your forbidden fruit, but I don't think you expected me to take a bite."

  Who spoke like that? Was he right? Was I the architect behind all that had transpired? I would have to pay more attention going forward. It was clear that Jean Pierre was highly intuitive. He was right though, I never expected him to make a move.

  I was assimilating my new position, whilst he ordered yet another round of drinks. The mojitos got tongues wagging. Except this time it wasn't mine. It appeared that making his public declaration hadn't been that easy after all. Was he drowning his mind in booze to avoid thinking about the consequences? There was no way to know, so I just let him talk.

  Jean Pierre told fascinating stories from his youth. He had been in so many places, that not a single adventure took place in the same country. He laughed hysterically when he told a story about scuba diving with his father. Apparently the poor man had boasted about his capacity to see very far under water. Jean Pierre could not let such arrogance go unpunished, so he had swapped his father's dive mask with that of another diver. It had graded lenses! His father couldn't see anything during the entire dive and thought he was going blind. At some point, he got so nauseous, that he finished the dive half an hour early.

  I didn't think the story itself was that funny, but the way my drunk "boyfriend" told it was hysterical. The cutie got so plastered, that I had to take him home. It was like I had manifested my desire to be more assertive in this relationship, but not quite the way I had meant. We never even made it to dinner.

  As soon as I got him home, I offered to make him coffee. He refused, claiming that it would rob him of his sleep and he a long day tomorrow. Instead, I put him under a lukewarm shower and washed him. He made a few half-baked attempts at grabbing me, but I could easily fend them off. That was not what he needed from me right now. I put him into a fresh pair of boxers and a sleep shirt before lugging him into the bed.

  He was gone before I could even give him a kiss goodnight. I debated whether I should go home or stay with him. I concluded that he might need some motivation in the morning, so I slept in another one of his shirts.

  JP was very restless during the night and woke me up on a number of occasions. At some point he rolled over on top of me, quietly moving his lips. He was probably very thirsty, but I wasn't going to wake him up. It was hard to fall back asleep, so I picked up my phone for some late night journaling.

  Eight

  I woke up in a panic. Both of us had to go to work and I hadn't heard the alarm on my phone go off. I turned around and saw that I was alone in the bed. What the fuck was the time. Picking up my phone, I saw that it was six thirty.

  I walked into the living room, rubbing my eyes. Jean Pierre was cooking something that smelled divine. When he saw my vampire face, he walked over to give it a kiss and pressed a coffee into my hand.

  "Eggs and Bacon with toast. I think both of us need some grease to soak up the booze."

  "You more than me!" I said with my raw voice. I think I slept no more than an hour or two.

  "Did I misbehave?" He asked with puppy eyes. "I planned all sorts of stuff for last night, but the sun and cheap rum fucked me up!"

  I giggled. It was the first time I had heard him swear and it sounded weird coming from that perfect mouth.

  "I think you slept well, though!" I tried to ease his guilt.

  "I didn't let you sleep at all, did I?" Again the puppy eyes.

  I sensed that if I got him trashed often enough, he would become my guilt slave. Did I want that? I had a flash of Fifty Shades, but dismissed it immediately. That was not my thing.

  "I wanted to spend some time with you before you had to go for work. You start at eight, no?"

  "Actually, it's Saturday today. They need me to stay later, so I don't have to be there till ten."

  He looked at me as if he had won the lottery. We stuffed in our breakfast, before running back to the bedroom.

  Since there was only an hour difference between our clock-in times, we took the Metro to the hotel together. JP did not let go of my hand for a second, determined to show the world. When we approached the hotel, I tried to let go of him. He held on tight, claiming that they could not tell him what to do till he stepped through the staff entrance. He was surprised when I told him that I wasn't sure if I was ready to face the crowd yet.

  "If Miguel and Costas know, everyone knows. Don't try to anticipate what everyone thinks, it will drive you crazy."

  He let go of my hand one street up from the hotel and gave me a kiss. He ran ahead, like a child on the way to the playground. He "beat" me to the door.

  "You are mad!" I called after him.

  He turned and nodded his agreement in a state of happiness that was wondrous to behold. It was as though he had regained his innocence. Had I set him loose? Was this a good thing?

  Work was mind-numbingly boring compared to yesterday. The hotel had expected a whole load of simultaneous check-ins, but in the end it was a steady flow. It was now three o'clock and
the hotel was already fully occupied. The entire team except for the head receptionist was put on cleaning duty. We shredded documents, sorted the room key envelopes and dumped the paper.

  Lydia asked if I could bring a list of corrections down to Banquets. Merce was going to be furious. She hated having to rebill, because the receptionists didn't add the pop-ups before check out. I didn't mind the task. It would be good to see the gang.

  Sylvia gave me a big hug, when I walked into her office. "I missed you!" she said. She had been on holiday for a while and had just come back. "What can I do for you?"

  I explained the situation and she helped me communicate it to Merce.

  "Conyo! Otra vez!" She shouted, as she stomped off to the other office with a shit face. She returned seconds later and gave me a kiss on the head before disappearing once again.

  "What was that for?" I asked Sylvia in surprise.

  "I guess it's her way of saying congrats!" Sylvia patted me on the back, not knowing how I would react to her remark.

  "Congrats for what?" I looked at her suspiciously. I wasn't aware that I had done anything special.

  "For taking such good care of one of our department's most valued employees," she said after a moment's thought. Subtle Sylvia, subtle.

  "You're welcome!" I said with exaggerated enthusiasm. Jean Pierre was right; everyone knew.