“Why do you keep saying she’s impulsive?”
“Because she is.”
“What you call impulsive, I call passionate, papi.”
“Passionate, sure. She let that guy get in her head. She planned to leave us—leave her legacy behind. If that’s not impulsive, I don’t know what is.”
“Why are you like this?”
“Like what? You know I’m right.”
“She was young and in love. You remember what that was like?”
“Remember? Of course. Now I’m an old man in love.” Her father muttered words Carmen couldn’t understand, but her mother did because she gasped his name and then gave a low chuckle.
That was the perfect time to enter the room. When she did, Carmen found her parents smooching—her mother standing before the cutting board with a knife in her hand, and her father standing beside her with a hand resting on her ass.
“Hey, tone it down, you guys,” Carmen joked, though the sight of them being affectionate filled her with sadness.
She’d always seen their open affection for each other growing up and viewed them as the ideal couple—an ideal she wanted for herself. She wanted a spouse who would love her hard and sacrifice the way her parents had sacrificed for each other. They were the standard.
Graciela put down the knife. “Hola, mija! It’s so good to see you.” She pulled Carmen into a hug and when she let go, looked her up and down.
Carmen might as well be looking in a mirror. People often teasingly called them twins. In addition to having the same deep brown complexion, Carmen had inherited her mother’s petite frame, full nose, and generous lips. Graciela currently wore her kinky hair straight, parted in the middle, and secured from her face.
“Have you lost weight?”
Carmen pursed her lips. “No, Mommy, I haven’t. How was your trip?”
“You might have. You’ve been exercising a lot lately.” Alfred popped an olive into his mouth.
“You don’t need to exercise,” Graciela said, frowning.
“I’m not doing it to lose weight. I only want to tone a little bit. See my muscles?” Carmen flexed her biceps, and her mother raised her eyebrows.
“Very nice.”
“Thank you. So, how was your trip?”
When she had returned from Atlanta, her mother was still in Cuba visiting family and had only come back the day before.
“Tata wishes you had come with me and wants to know when you’re going to make her a great-grandmother.”
“When she’s married,” her father interjected.
Graciela muttered under her breath, shaking her head, and Carmen smiled.
At six two, Alfred’s presence dominated the room with a fit body that hadn’t softened much over the decades since he’d played professional baseball. He played in the majors for a couple of years but was cut from the Atlanta Braves and never picked up again.
He moved back to Canada to take care of his ailing father, who passed away after a few years and left him with a small inheritance. With the earnings he’d saved from his days in professional baseball, Alfred took a gamble on himself and opened the first Fit Body Gyms location.
With sustained growth, the company expanded to the place it occupied today as the most successful fitness club in Canada.
“How is Tata? Did she get over that cold?” Carmen asked.
“Yes, much better now. You have to go see her soon. She misses you.”
“I will.”
“She won’t be able to do much traveling anytime soon—not with her handling more of the business.” Alfred spoke with pride in his voice, blatantly mirrored on his face.
Her father had always wanted her to hold a position in the company, and now he was getting his wish. At the same time, Carmen had doubts again about remaining—because of Carlos.
The few days she spent with him had been her happiest in a long time, and she was ready to duplicate that experience, especially after their hot FaceTime session two days ago. Time to plant the seed.
“Actually, I think it would be a good idea for me to visit Atlanta again in the next couple of weeks—to make sure the new locations are running smoothly since the opening.”
Her father waved off the idea and went to the refrigerator. “That’s nothing for you to worry about. We can check in with the general managers from here.”
“I want to. I feel like those stores are my responsibility, and I take that very seriously.” When had she become the kind of person who lied so authentically? The untruth sounded so convincing, she almost believed it herself.
“I don’t think it’s necessary, but if you want to…” Her father watched her over the open door of the refrigerator.
“I do. Going back to check up on the stores would make me feel better.”
“I think it’s a good idea. Don’t you think it’s a good idea, papi?” Her mother turned briefly from the stove and smiled reassuringly at Carmen.
She always supported anything her children did and knew how anxious Carmen had been, wanting to make sure that she did a good job for the openings.
Alfred smiled easily. “It’s a great idea. You should definitely go back and put your mind at ease. I’m glad you’re so concerned about the welfare of the company—the business you and your brother and sister will inherit.”
Pride filled his voice, and guilt swiped her conscience.
“I haven’t told you, but I’m very proud of the work you’ve been doing in operations,” Alfred continued.
“Thank you, Daddy.”
“By the way, do you have an escort for the upcoming ball? The time will be here before you know it.”
“I’ve been too busy to date, so I’ll go alone.”
Fit Body Gyms co-sponsored a ball that benefited sports for underprivileged children—from volleyball to baseball—the event shined a spotlight on the importance of team sports in childhood development. Since the creation of the event five years ago, Fit Body Gyms and other sponsors had raised millions that they donated to sports teams around the country to aid in travel, buying uniforms, or whatever the kids needed.
This was the first year she’d be attending, and as a member of the management team to boot. In the past, she’d refused to go as an act of rebellion against her father, but in her new role in operations, she embraced this as one of her duties. Besides, it was for a good cause.
Alfred frowned. “That’s too bad. You know—”
“Well, I’m going to clean up a bit and then come back to help you, Mommy.”
Graciela sent a sharp look at her husband, and Alfred shrugged, as if he couldn’t help himself. Someway, somehow, he always had to interfere in her love life.
“Thank you, honey,” Graciela said.
Carmen hurried from the kitchen. She hated lying to her parents, but it was a little white lie. She would definitely check on the business in Atlanta, and while there, she’d kill two birds with one stone and spend time with Carlos, too.
11
Carmen stood on tiptoe in her tennis shoes, searching for Carlos’s car among the many that dropped off and picked up passengers at the airport sidewalk.
He had said he was less than two minutes away, but she still didn’t see him. Almost a month had passed since she’d touched him, and she was anxious and impatient to do so again. She was about to call him one more time but saw him walking toward her with his easy-going stride.