"Lumi, answer the damn phone already."
"No."
"He's called six times already. Today. I lost count from yesterday and the day before. It's beyond pathetic."
"Don't want to."
"Well, I don't want to hear the ring anymore either. Tomorrow I'm buying a phone with a different ring."
"Okay."
"Lumi!" I yelled. The phone was ringing again. Even after it stopped I could still hear it in my head. It was a sign of how annoying it could be. The guy was really desperate. Anyone that knew Lumi would know that the more you insisted annoyingly, the less there was a chance she'd give in. It was... damn it, it was hard to think with the damn phone ringing. "Why the hell did you give him the house number? From now on, to crazy stalkers, cell number only. Better, no numbers at all."
"Hmm. If I knew he was a stalker I wouldn't have given him any number."
"Fine. Answer or I will and I'll invite the bakka over."
"You can have him."
"Not even if I was single."
"Not single... aaaw! Are you two officialy...?"
"As of last night. In fact I have something to talk with you. So please, answer the damn phone and tell him if he calls again I'm gonna kick his balls blue." Lumi wasn't happy but she picked up the receiver.
"What? No. Because I have plans. Anne and I are going away for the whole month. No. Maybe. Never. Yes, you too. Bye-bye." She put the receiver back and turned to me. "Done. Now tell me."
"What was all that?"
"He asked if he could come over. Then, asked when could we go out again. He asked if I was really going to be this childish. Childish... as if I'm the one calling non-stop to another person that clearly doesn't want to talk to me. And then, asked what would I say if he invited me to go to France with him. Never. He told me to go to hell and I wished it back to him."
"Hmmm... As long as he doesn't..." the phone rang. "call again... Lumi. No, come back here and pick the damn phone up." I said as she turned to run to her bedroom.
"Grr... What?!" Lumi barked and then looked like she'd seen a ghost. "Sorry. No, I thought you were someone else."
I mouthed 'who is it?' and she mouthed 'Victor' back. I couldn't be happier. That stupid crazy Matt Mueller had been calling on and on since their last date on Wednesday. Lumi had agreed to meet him for drinks at night and when she arrived, he hadn't been there. Hadn't answered his phone and hadn't left a note. She waited for thirty minutes, which, considering it's Lumi, meant she was having a Mother Teresa day. When she decided to make the best out of a stood up, she returned the smile of a guy that had been staring at her the whole night. He had just taken the seat next to her when Matt appeared and made the scene of the year inside the bar. Punched the guy and after dragging Lumi out of the bar, had tried to make her feel ashamed of talking to another man. Didn't she respect their relationship? Man, I laughed my ass off. Want to push Lumi away, push her and things on her.
"The man was a stupid possessive psycho." Lumi said after relating the story. After that Matt had sent flowers and called one time after the other. "Flowers, to an allergic person. Fantastic." Truth was, she liked flowers, even if they made her sneaze endlessly, but his flowers were tainted. His would make her sick.
"What about Victor?" I asked. After the whole asking her out and then taking another girl in front of her incident, Lumi still hadn't given in to Victor. I had no idea why. He was smoking hot gorgeous, talented, was obviously interested in her, had apologized and had a sexy accent. Why the hell wasn't she making him marry her already? And then it hit me. She liked him. Ho-ho, this was going to be fun.
"He wanted to know if we could go out tonight." I waited for her to go on, but she never did.
"And?"
"And what?"
"Jeez... are you?"
"Nope. I'm busy."
"Doing what?"
"Have to take care of my hair."
"Your... hair?"
"Yeah. It's dry and I haven't taken care of it in a long time."
"Lumi, the man of your dreams is asking you out and you're saying no because... I've had it. Give me that phone."
"Why? No!" Lumi tried to get the receiver back, but I had caught it and ran into the bathroom. She pounded on the door and threatened to call Eli and break up, but I was already dialing.
"Hey, Victor, it's Anne. How are you?"
"Hello. I'm all right. You?."
"This is how this is going to be. Do you cook?"
"A little." Actually he cooked a lot. And I knew it.
"Yeah, so tonight you're going to be coming here and prepare dinner for Lumi, what do you think?"
"I ah... would it be too stupid to ask what is going on?"
"It would."
"Then, at least it'll be fun. Where's she?"
"Hear the pounding? Make it worth it. She's going to beat me senseless after I leave the bathroom." he laughed, agreed and hung up.
I spent a little time checking my hair and pores in the mirror, waiting for the beast to lower her guards and then opened the door. Lumi was nowhere. I went into the living room, kitchen and her bedroom. Nothing.
Maybe she left. Damn, was she going to be out on purpose? Why was she so hellbent into avoiding him? When I entered my bedroom she sprang from behind the door and jumped on me, throwing us both over my bed.
"You know, I've said many times but I will never be a lesbian."
"Ha-ha. What did you do?!"
"Invited him over. He's giving you a solo sax performance."
"He's what?"
"And you're going to stay home and be beautiful."
"Hell I am. You invited him, you take care of him."
"I already have plans." I gave her my brightest smile. She sighed in frustration and let herself fall in the bed next to me.
"Why did you do this?"
"Because you like him. You're just too sttuborn."
"The man invited me out and then took another girl home. In my face!"
"He never took her home. And you know it. And he has apologized. Many times. He's sweet, charming and is going to cook you dinner tonight."
"Ugh..." she threw her hands over her face and breathed in.
"Lumi... seriously. Why are you avoiding him so much?"
"I... I don't know." She lowered her hands and stared at the ceiling. Her helpless gaze started to worry me. "I like him. And I haven't liked anyone the way I like him before. Not this fast. I have no intention of letting a man hurt me. Anne, call him. Tell him we're going to backpack in Europe this entire month and he should find someone else to cook for. And let's really go."
"Hmm. About that. Eli invited me to spend three weeks with him in England."
"He... really?"
"Yeah. He's going to give a conference in London and has to do something about his PhD. After that we're going to a country house his friend offered for a full week."
"You're... you've already said yes?"
"No. I wanted to talk to you first. Are you going to be okay here?"
"Of course I am. You should go. When do you leave?"
"Tonight."
"Tonight... Ha, and you're planning to leave Victor watching over me? Pass. I can take care of myself. Madeline and Kit were thinking about going to LA or Vegas for the end of the summer, maybe I'll go with them."
"Okay. But give Victor a chance tonight. Okay! Let's start packing. I have to call Eli. Go take care of your hair now."
"Hmm. Yeah, yeah..."
***
After my three week bag was finally packed - I had packed and repacked four times - I left it by the door in the living room and went into the bathroom where Lumi was soaking in the tub.
"Lumi?"
"Hmm?"
"Eli's coming to pick me up."
"Don't forget your passport." Lumi said with her eyes closed while she lifted her foot out of the water and let it drop again.
"Won't. Are you really okay?" I asked leaning on the door. She opened one eye, looked at me and closed it back.
"I wish I wasn't going to have forced dinner with Victor, but yeah. Though I hope you a have a terrible trip. I hope Eli takes you to a cheap hotel and that... you don't find anything cool to buy."
"Cheap shot."
"Don't forget that mascara that I love. And anything else that you think I might love."
"I'm not bringing you anything."
"Why not?"
"Because you're bitter. And you wishe I didn't find anything cool to buy. Okay, I'll bring something boring. Like a shirt. I hope you two finally get over that thing and have lots of hot sex. You could use some."
"Get out before I change my mind."
"Love you."
As I closed the bathroom door, the doorbell rang. I ran back to my bedroom to ckeck my make up and see if I hadn't left anything behind, picked my bag and purse on the way to the door and there was Victor with two brown bags on his arms.
"Hello... isn't 5p.m. too early for dinner?"
"Your call made me a happy man today. Thank you."
"You're welcome. If you hurt her, I'll break your legs."
"Got it. I won't. Is she home?"
"Tub. I'll let her know before I go."
"You're leaving?"
"You thought you were going to make dinner for us three?"
"Ah.. yes."
"I'm leaving for London. You take good care of my girl."
"Yes, ma'am. And don't let her know yet. I'm making a surprise."
"She'll be mad."
"Just a little. She'll have forgotten by the time you get back."
"I'll be gone for three weeks. Kit and their friends are planning a trip I think."
"Hmm." Victor leaned to give me a light kiss in the cheek. In the same moment, Eli appeared in the doorway and looked from me to him and back. His eyes got darker and the blood left his cheeks. He cleaned his throat and stepped in the apartment.
Victor looked at me with an amused smile and being a whole foot taller than Eli, did the best poker face I had ever seen and said "I'll just put these in the kitchen, gorgeous."
"Ah..." Eli's brows went up as he stared at Victor whistling his way to the kitchen. "Hi."
"Who... what is going on?"
"That was Victor. He's Lumi's friend." As the answers popped in his head, he relaxed and kissed me.
"You know" he said when we parted, "the next time I see a man laying his hands on you, I'll break his arms", but did it with a little smile. When Victor came back he was still whistling and put his arm over my shoulder. He was enjoying making Eli jealous. Can't say I wasn't either. Eli was about to say something when a noise came from the bathroom and Victor ran back to the kitchen. Lumi came out, waved hello to Eli and locked herself in her bedroom. Victor popped his head in the kitchen door and whispered "Sorry about it. You two have fun." he smiled and then added "Anne, if you have time, go to the address I'm texting you. You'll love it. Bye!" And disappeared in the kitchen.
"He's English?"
"Yeah. London." I picked up my bags that he took from me and I put my arm through his. "Shall we?"
***
"I can't believe she's going to London and I'm... you know what? When he gets here I'll tell him to leave. Through the interphone. I'm putting on my PJ's and I'm going to enjoy time with a nice brigadeiro in the couch watching movies all night." she tossed her towel over her bed, sat to use her creams and mosturizer, chose a two-piece pajamas, a pink top with gray trousers and after she put them on, tied her hair in a knot and put on her glasses. With her orange crocs, trying to think if there was sweetened condensed milk at home, she stopped by the bathroom to turn off the lights and heard a noise coming from the kitchen. "What? Isn't her plane leaving at 7?". Lumi closed the bathroom door and convincing herself she had only imagined it, entered the kitchen. And screamed.
Victor had a full dinner preparation going on the stove and on the balcony. Three pans were open and had several ingredients boiling and frying, wondefully scenting the kitchen. Lumi stared at the pans and at his back while chopped something, speachless. He turned and giving her a warm smile did the worse thing he could. A joke.
"Ah.. I love to stay at home on my pajamas as well." Lumi looked down, swore and sat at the stool, resigned. He had already seen her. Going back to change was an effort that she wasn't really up to making. Especially when she was about to kick him out for life. Who cared if he was seeing her that way? He was a dead man walking. "What the hell are you doing here?" she asked plopped down on her hand
"Dinner."
"Huh... it's five-twenty."
"I'm making pot-au-feu."
"Pottofill?"
"Pot-au-feu. It's French."
"Ah... what is it?"
"A beef stew. It can be served as soup or as a dish. I'm making the dish. It's the most honoured dish in France."
"Hmm. Where did you learn to cook?" As she watched him cook, he tried to hide his smile. She had forgotten about being in PJ's or the fact that she hadn't expected him to be there. "My mother is French. But she never cooked. She had a maid when she moved to England. She raised me. I called her Angelique, but her name was Angèle. She was my guarding angel all right."
"She raised you? Where was your mother?" Victor hesitated briefly, but enchanted with her honest interest turned to face her.
"Let's say that my mother did her job by having me. Should have stopped there. Unfortunately, Angelique only interveined when I was four. Are you hungry?"
"Yeah... Interveined?"
"Are you by any chance that interested in me?"
"Ah, not at all! You started to talk, I'm just listening."
"Hmm. My mother isn't a bad person. She's just... self-centered. She started to resent me after she gave birth, because it had deformed her body. Or so she told me. Angelique has a daughter a few months older than me so I was lucky to be breast-fed by her. I always tell Kit that Angelique is my real mother."
"You and Kit only share your father, right?"
"When I was seven, my mother left. She went back to France. A couple of years later my father remarried. Meredith was Kit's mother. Her only problem was disliking Angelique. She thought that having another woman in the house was bad for the family's sake. So, Angelique was fired and she left with Emmanuelle back to France. Meredith passed when Kit was twelve."
"She never told me."
"Kit doesn't talk about it. They were really close. By the time I was eighteen, I left home to study in Paris. I lived with Angelique for a few years. I visit her every year on her birthday and on mine."
"That's really sweet." Lumi was smiling. Victor arranged the vegetables inside the biggest pan and set the lid back. He went to fridge, took the bottle of wine he had brought and opened. With two glasses served, he sat next to Lumi and offered one.
"I didn't know if you liked wine. But this one is fabuleux, as Angelique says."
"You never called her mother?"
"I did when I was little. She told me not to. Said it would hurt my mother. That's when she became Angelique to me. Kit calls her Miss Angèle."
"And what about Emmanuelle?"
"What about her?"
"What happened to her?"
"She's a lawyer. Angelique hoped we would fall in love and get married. But I always saw her as my older sister."
"Aah... Kit did tell me you had an older sister once. I thought it was strange... saying you had an older sister. As if she didn't. Now I get it."
"Yeah. Kit never lived with Angelique. Well, in the end, even her was satisfied. Emmanuelle is getting married in the end of this year. I have to bring a date, why don't you come with me?"
"To France?"
"Oui. You don't like France?"
"Ah..." Lumi didn't know what to say. She felt... she didn't know. It felt so comfortable sitting in the kitchen and listening to his story, she hadn't even bothered to be mad anymore. And that worried her even more. Sighing, she got up and decided to change. "I'm going to change. Be right back."
"Why?"
"I'm on my pajamas."
"Yeah. So? I like your pajamas. If I could, I'd stay in mine all day."
"You... Hmm." Why was she desiring to be beautiful for him that much? All she could think of was contact lenses, and checking her hair. Maybe an eyeliner and a nice outfit.
"Stay that way. Next time, I'll bring mine and we'll be on our pajamas together."
Lumi looked at him, got up and went to her bedroom. She closed the door and sat on her bed. On their pajamas together? A couple only got together wearing pj's in a pajama party or after sleeping together. Fact was, sleeping together was starting to ring inside her head. Her legs weren't waxed and she was wearing just white cotton underwear. If she changed, was it going to be too suspicious? Well, since he had asked her not to change, if she did, she could say it was because she wanted too. After all countering him would be fun. She took all of her clothes off and was picking lingerie when Victor knocked. Horrified, she put on the panties she was holding and the dark green sweater she had used the day before. The black leggings were in the hook behind the door. Victor knocked again. "Lumi?" She pulled the leggings on seconds before he opened the door.
"What are you doing?"
"Changing."
"I told you not to."
"I'm not a child. I'll do as I please."
"Hmm... Fine. You..."
"What?"
"Have panties all over the floor."
"I... Go away. Go, go, go." And pushed the door herself. What the hell was she doing? This idiot was never going to seduce her that way. She picked the panties, shoved them in the drawer, put her contacts and decided that make up would give him a wrong impression. Turned the lights off and went back to the kitchen. Victor was washing the dishes he had used to prepare the stew and turned when he heard her.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to barge in."
"You seem to do that a lot."
"Sorry."
"Hmm. Yeah, yeah. When's the dinner ready?"
"In a few minutes."
"Not soon enough. Is there more wine?"
"The bottle is on the dinner table."
The dinner table was set for two and had candles waiting to be lit. The wine bottle was set next to the glasses that apparently he had brought. There weren't those kinds of glasses in the kitchen. Yellow roses wore arranged inside a tall glass and she noticed that he had changed the tablecloth. What was going on here? They... had never even shared a decent conversation before the one they had in the kitchen. She had never given him any impression of being interested in him. Why was he doing all this? She needed to know. She knew one of her biggest flaws was needing to understand everything, but she couldn't help it. This man had appeared in her life and seemed to want to take a stand. She needed to understand it before she left it go any further. Assured, she went back to the kitchen. Victor was leaving at the same time and the pan nearly toppled over her. Part of the stew drenched her arms and the front of her sweater. Desperate, Victor put the pan back in the stove and came back to the living room with a soaked dishcloth.
"You son of a..."
"Yes, I am, I'm so sorry. Let me... take off that sweater."
"What?"
"Take it off! It's making your wound worse!"
"I.. don't have anything underneath."
"You... Lumi, take that bloody thing off." Victor said impatient and pulled over her head. Her arms were reddening and her belly seemed seriously burned.
"Take your hands off! I've been burned before, I know what to do. Go away. I need to shower."
"Shower?"
"Yeah, cold shower." Lumi said already in the bathroom turning the water to cold. "I hate you for this." she barked as she stepped under the cold water. He stared at her standing under the cold water with her leggings and bra. He knew it was probably sick, but getting turned on was the least of his problems. Her arms and belly seemed really burned. He started to come near but she turned with even colder eyes and pushed the curtain to shut him out.
"I'm really sorry. Let me take you to the hospital."
"Not necessary. I've had worse burns, these won't need medical care."
"But..."
"I'm fine. Maybe you should go. I'll clean the mess."
"Lumi..."
"Just go."
If she remembered well, she had to stay in the cold water for thirty minutes. Years before, she and I had been trying a recipe for a fried Brazilian sweet that Americans called Spanish doughnut. The dough had exploded while frying in the hot oil and had drenched her. I shoved her under the shower and had brough a basin over with all the ice I had in the house. I bathed her in cold water for thirty minutes as google told me to. It was one of the most terrible frights of my life. Lumi switched it back to hot water only for her back, since she was freezing. Wrapped in the towel, she left the bathroom and saw Victor sitting on the couch. He turned when she came out and started to rise, but she went into her bedroom and locked the door. It wasn't that she was furious for being burned. It had clearly been an accident. But after everything, she had just lost her mind. Confusion made her lose her mind. There was a wonderful man making her a romantic dinner, that had been clearly worried sick when she had been drenched in the boiling stew. She was feeling worse by the second.
Since they were loose and more comfortable, she put her pajamas back on and after arranging her hair, she left her bedroom.
The dinner table was empty and Victor wasn't in the living room anymore. She went into the kitchen and there wasn't anything on the surfaces anymore. There was only a tupperware over the kitchen table with what appeared to be some of the stew with a note that read I'm sorry on it. Picking up a spoon in the drawer, she sat at the table, opened the tupperware and sampled the stew. Closing her eyes to enjoy the flavor, she wondered why was she feeling so tearful and sad that Victor had left. She had been the one that had sent him away, but... if she wasn't misguided, she was also, dissapointed. He had finally listened to her protests. Holding the spoon, she set her head on the table and fought the desperate desire to cry.
***
"I wonder what's happening at home..." I said looking out the plane's window. We had just boarded the plance and were waiting for it to take flight.
"After what you told me... I think they must be just fine. And enjoying a great dinner."
"Yeah... but, you know... Lumi's a little complicated to understand. Victor has realized that she likes him back. But I think she didn't, and she'll fight agaisnt it as much as she can."
"Why?"
"Because... she doesn't trust herself.. and she doesn't trust men either."
"Hmm... And you left her there in the bathroom not knowing he was already in the house...."
Eli looked at me and caught me smiling. Soon, I couldn't hold the laugh. After she left the tub and found him there, she had probably been so angry that had beaten him to a pulp. The image of him on the floor begging her to stop cheered me up. She'd be fine. I leaned to Eli's shoulder and felt the pull when the plane took off.
"He wanted to know if we could go out tonight." I waited for her to go on, but she never did.
"And?"
"And what?"
"Jeez... are you?"
"Nope. I'm busy."
"Doing what?"
"Have to take care of my hair."
"Your... hair?"
"Yeah. It's dry and I haven't taken care of it in a long time."
"Lumi, the man of your dreams is asking you out and you're saying no because... I've had it. Give me that phone."
"Why? No!" Lumi tried to get the receiver back, but I had caught it and ran into the bathroom. She pounded on the door and threatened to call Eli and break up, but I was already dialing.
"Hey, Victor, it's Anne. How are you?"
"Hello. I'm all right. You?."
"This is how this is going to be. Do you cook?"
"A little." Actually he cooked a lot. And I knew it.
"Yeah, so tonight you're going to be coming here and prepare dinner for Lumi, what do you think?"
"I ah... would it be too stupid to ask what is going on?"
"It would."
"Then, at least it'll be fun. Where's she?"
"Hear the pounding? Make it worth it. She's going to beat me senseless after I leave the bathroom." he laughed, agreed and hung up.
I spent a little time checking my hair and pores in the mirror, waiting for the beast to lower her guards and then opened the door. Lumi was nowhere. I went into the living room, kitchen and her bedroom. Nothing.
Maybe she left. Damn, was she going to be out on purpose? Why was she so hellbent into avoiding him? When I entered my bedroom she sprang from behind the door and jumped on me, throwing us both over my bed.
"You know, I've said many times but I will never be a lesbian."
"Ha-ha. What did you do?!"
"Invited him over. He's giving you a solo sax performance."
"He's what?"
"And you're going to stay home and be beautiful."
"Hell I am. You invited him, you take care of him."
"I already have plans." I gave her my brightest smile. She sighed in frustration and let herself fall in the bed next to me.
"Why did you do this?"
"Because you like him. You're just too sttuborn."
"The man invited me out and then took another girl home. In my face!"
"He never took her home. And you know it. And he has apologized. Many times. He's sweet, charming and is going to cook you dinner tonight."
"Ugh..." she threw her hands over her face and breathed in.
"Lumi... seriously. Why are you avoiding him so much?"
"I... I don't know." She lowered her hands and stared at the ceiling. Her helpless gaze started to worry me. "I like him. And I haven't liked anyone the way I like him before. Not this fast. I have no intention of letting a man hurt me. Anne, call him. Tell him we're going to backpack in Europe this entire month and he should find someone else to cook for. And let's really go."
"Hmm. About that. Eli invited me to spend three weeks with him in England."
"He... really?"
"Yeah. He's going to give a conference in London and has to do something about his PhD. After that we're going to a country house his friend offered for a full week."
"You're... you've already said yes?"
"No. I wanted to talk to you first. Are you going to be okay here?"
"Of course I am. You should go. When do you leave?"
"Tonight."
"Tonight... Ha, and you're planning to leave Victor watching over me? Pass. I can take care of myself. Madeline and Kit were thinking about going to LA or Vegas for the end of the summer, maybe I'll go with them."
"Okay. But give Victor a chance tonight. Okay! Let's start packing. I have to call Eli. Go take care of your hair now."
"Hmm. Yeah, yeah..."
***
After my three week bag was finally packed - I had packed and repacked four times - I left it by the door in the living room and went into the bathroom where Lumi was soaking in the tub.
"Lumi?"
"Hmm?"
"Eli's coming to pick me up."
"Don't forget your passport." Lumi said with her eyes closed while she lifted her foot out of the water and let it drop again.
"Won't. Are you really okay?" I asked leaning on the door. She opened one eye, looked at me and closed it back.
"I wish I wasn't going to have forced dinner with Victor, but yeah. Though I hope you a have a terrible trip. I hope Eli takes you to a cheap hotel and that... you don't find anything cool to buy."
"Cheap shot."
"Don't forget that mascara that I love. And anything else that you think I might love."
"I'm not bringing you anything."
"Why not?"
"Because you're bitter. And you wishe I didn't find anything cool to buy. Okay, I'll bring something boring. Like a shirt. I hope you two finally get over that thing and have lots of hot sex. You could use some."
"Get out before I change my mind."
"Love you."
As I closed the bathroom door, the doorbell rang. I ran back to my bedroom to ckeck my make up and see if I hadn't left anything behind, picked my bag and purse on the way to the door and there was Victor with two brown bags on his arms.
"Hello... isn't 5p.m. too early for dinner?"
"Your call made me a happy man today. Thank you."
"You're welcome. If you hurt her, I'll break your legs."
"Got it. I won't. Is she home?"
"Tub. I'll let her know before I go."
"You're leaving?"
"You thought you were going to make dinner for us three?"
"Ah.. yes."
"I'm leaving for London. You take good care of my girl."
"Yes, ma'am. And don't let her know yet. I'm making a surprise."
"She'll be mad."
"Just a little. She'll have forgotten by the time you get back."
"I'll be gone for three weeks. Kit and their friends are planning a trip I think."
"Hmm." Victor leaned to give me a light kiss in the cheek. In the same moment, Eli appeared in the doorway and looked from me to him and back. His eyes got darker and the blood left his cheeks. He cleaned his throat and stepped in the apartment.
Victor looked at me with an amused smile and being a whole foot taller than Eli, did the best poker face I had ever seen and said "I'll just put these in the kitchen, gorgeous."
"Ah..." Eli's brows went up as he stared at Victor whistling his way to the kitchen. "Hi."
"Who... what is going on?"
"That was Victor. He's Lumi's friend." As the answers popped in his head, he relaxed and kissed me.
"You know" he said when we parted, "the next time I see a man laying his hands on you, I'll break his arms", but did it with a little smile. When Victor came back he was still whistling and put his arm over my shoulder. He was enjoying making Eli jealous. Can't say I wasn't either. Eli was about to say something when a noise came from the bathroom and Victor ran back to the kitchen. Lumi came out, waved hello to Eli and locked herself in her bedroom. Victor popped his head in the kitchen door and whispered "Sorry about it. You two have fun." he smiled and then added "Anne, if you have time, go to the address I'm texting you. You'll love it. Bye!" And disappeared in the kitchen.
"He's English?"
"Yeah. London." I picked up my bags that he took from me and I put my arm through his. "Shall we?"
***
"I can't believe she's going to London and I'm... you know what? When he gets here I'll tell him to leave. Through the interphone. I'm putting on my PJ's and I'm going to enjoy time with a nice brigadeiro in the couch watching movies all night." she tossed her towel over her bed, sat to use her creams and mosturizer, chose a two-piece pajamas, a pink top with gray trousers and after she put them on, tied her hair in a knot and put on her glasses. With her orange crocs, trying to think if there was sweetened condensed milk at home, she stopped by the bathroom to turn off the lights and heard a noise coming from the kitchen. "What? Isn't her plane leaving at 7?". Lumi closed the bathroom door and convincing herself she had only imagined it, entered the kitchen. And screamed.
Victor had a full dinner preparation going on the stove and on the balcony. Three pans were open and had several ingredients boiling and frying, wondefully scenting the kitchen. Lumi stared at the pans and at his back while chopped something, speachless. He turned and giving her a warm smile did the worse thing he could. A joke.
"Ah.. I love to stay at home on my pajamas as well." Lumi looked down, swore and sat at the stool, resigned. He had already seen her. Going back to change was an effort that she wasn't really up to making. Especially when she was about to kick him out for life. Who cared if he was seeing her that way? He was a dead man walking. "What the hell are you doing here?" she asked plopped down on her hand
"Dinner."
"Huh... it's five-twenty."
"I'm making pot-au-feu."
"Pottofill?"
"Pot-au-feu. It's French."
"Ah... what is it?"
"A beef stew. It can be served as soup or as a dish. I'm making the dish. It's the most honoured dish in France."
"Hmm. Where did you learn to cook?" As she watched him cook, he tried to hide his smile. She had forgotten about being in PJ's or the fact that she hadn't expected him to be there. "My mother is French. But she never cooked. She had a maid when she moved to England. She raised me. I called her Angelique, but her name was Angèle. She was my guarding angel all right."
"She raised you? Where was your mother?" Victor hesitated briefly, but enchanted with her honest interest turned to face her.
"Let's say that my mother did her job by having me. Should have stopped there. Unfortunately, Angelique only interveined when I was four. Are you hungry?"
"Yeah... Interveined?"
"Are you by any chance that interested in me?"
"Ah, not at all! You started to talk, I'm just listening."
"Hmm. My mother isn't a bad person. She's just... self-centered. She started to resent me after she gave birth, because it had deformed her body. Or so she told me. Angelique has a daughter a few months older than me so I was lucky to be breast-fed by her. I always tell Kit that Angelique is my real mother."
"You and Kit only share your father, right?"
"When I was seven, my mother left. She went back to France. A couple of years later my father remarried. Meredith was Kit's mother. Her only problem was disliking Angelique. She thought that having another woman in the house was bad for the family's sake. So, Angelique was fired and she left with Emmanuelle back to France. Meredith passed when Kit was twelve."
"She never told me."
"Kit doesn't talk about it. They were really close. By the time I was eighteen, I left home to study in Paris. I lived with Angelique for a few years. I visit her every year on her birthday and on mine."
"That's really sweet." Lumi was smiling. Victor arranged the vegetables inside the biggest pan and set the lid back. He went to fridge, took the bottle of wine he had brought and opened. With two glasses served, he sat next to Lumi and offered one.
"I didn't know if you liked wine. But this one is fabuleux, as Angelique says."
"You never called her mother?"
"I did when I was little. She told me not to. Said it would hurt my mother. That's when she became Angelique to me. Kit calls her Miss Angèle."
"And what about Emmanuelle?"
"What about her?"
"What happened to her?"
"She's a lawyer. Angelique hoped we would fall in love and get married. But I always saw her as my older sister."
"Aah... Kit did tell me you had an older sister once. I thought it was strange... saying you had an older sister. As if she didn't. Now I get it."
"Yeah. Kit never lived with Angelique. Well, in the end, even her was satisfied. Emmanuelle is getting married in the end of this year. I have to bring a date, why don't you come with me?"
"To France?"
"Oui. You don't like France?"
"Ah..." Lumi didn't know what to say. She felt... she didn't know. It felt so comfortable sitting in the kitchen and listening to his story, she hadn't even bothered to be mad anymore. And that worried her even more. Sighing, she got up and decided to change. "I'm going to change. Be right back."
"Why?"
"I'm on my pajamas."
"Yeah. So? I like your pajamas. If I could, I'd stay in mine all day."
"You... Hmm." Why was she desiring to be beautiful for him that much? All she could think of was contact lenses, and checking her hair. Maybe an eyeliner and a nice outfit.
"Stay that way. Next time, I'll bring mine and we'll be on our pajamas together."
Lumi looked at him, got up and went to her bedroom. She closed the door and sat on her bed. On their pajamas together? A couple only got together wearing pj's in a pajama party or after sleeping together. Fact was, sleeping together was starting to ring inside her head. Her legs weren't waxed and she was wearing just white cotton underwear. If she changed, was it going to be too suspicious? Well, since he had asked her not to change, if she did, she could say it was because she wanted too. After all countering him would be fun. She took all of her clothes off and was picking lingerie when Victor knocked. Horrified, she put on the panties she was holding and the dark green sweater she had used the day before. The black leggings were in the hook behind the door. Victor knocked again. "Lumi?" She pulled the leggings on seconds before he opened the door.
"What are you doing?"
"Changing."
"I told you not to."
"I'm not a child. I'll do as I please."
"Hmm... Fine. You..."
"What?"
"Have panties all over the floor."
"I... Go away. Go, go, go." And pushed the door herself. What the hell was she doing? This idiot was never going to seduce her that way. She picked the panties, shoved them in the drawer, put her contacts and decided that make up would give him a wrong impression. Turned the lights off and went back to the kitchen. Victor was washing the dishes he had used to prepare the stew and turned when he heard her.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to barge in."
"You seem to do that a lot."
"Sorry."
"Hmm. Yeah, yeah. When's the dinner ready?"
"In a few minutes."
"Not soon enough. Is there more wine?"
"The bottle is on the dinner table."
The dinner table was set for two and had candles waiting to be lit. The wine bottle was set next to the glasses that apparently he had brought. There weren't those kinds of glasses in the kitchen. Yellow roses wore arranged inside a tall glass and she noticed that he had changed the tablecloth. What was going on here? They... had never even shared a decent conversation before the one they had in the kitchen. She had never given him any impression of being interested in him. Why was he doing all this? She needed to know. She knew one of her biggest flaws was needing to understand everything, but she couldn't help it. This man had appeared in her life and seemed to want to take a stand. She needed to understand it before she left it go any further. Assured, she went back to the kitchen. Victor was leaving at the same time and the pan nearly toppled over her. Part of the stew drenched her arms and the front of her sweater. Desperate, Victor put the pan back in the stove and came back to the living room with a soaked dishcloth.
"You son of a..."
"Yes, I am, I'm so sorry. Let me... take off that sweater."
"What?"
"Take it off! It's making your wound worse!"
"I.. don't have anything underneath."
"You... Lumi, take that bloody thing off." Victor said impatient and pulled over her head. Her arms were reddening and her belly seemed seriously burned.
"Take your hands off! I've been burned before, I know what to do. Go away. I need to shower."
"Shower?"
"Yeah, cold shower." Lumi said already in the bathroom turning the water to cold. "I hate you for this." she barked as she stepped under the cold water. He stared at her standing under the cold water with her leggings and bra. He knew it was probably sick, but getting turned on was the least of his problems. Her arms and belly seemed really burned. He started to come near but she turned with even colder eyes and pushed the curtain to shut him out.
"I'm really sorry. Let me take you to the hospital."
"Not necessary. I've had worse burns, these won't need medical care."
"But..."
"I'm fine. Maybe you should go. I'll clean the mess."
"Lumi..."
"Just go."
If she remembered well, she had to stay in the cold water for thirty minutes. Years before, she and I had been trying a recipe for a fried Brazilian sweet that Americans called Spanish doughnut. The dough had exploded while frying in the hot oil and had drenched her. I shoved her under the shower and had brough a basin over with all the ice I had in the house. I bathed her in cold water for thirty minutes as google told me to. It was one of the most terrible frights of my life. Lumi switched it back to hot water only for her back, since she was freezing. Wrapped in the towel, she left the bathroom and saw Victor sitting on the couch. He turned when she came out and started to rise, but she went into her bedroom and locked the door. It wasn't that she was furious for being burned. It had clearly been an accident. But after everything, she had just lost her mind. Confusion made her lose her mind. There was a wonderful man making her a romantic dinner, that had been clearly worried sick when she had been drenched in the boiling stew. She was feeling worse by the second.
Since they were loose and more comfortable, she put her pajamas back on and after arranging her hair, she left her bedroom.
The dinner table was empty and Victor wasn't in the living room anymore. She went into the kitchen and there wasn't anything on the surfaces anymore. There was only a tupperware over the kitchen table with what appeared to be some of the stew with a note that read I'm sorry on it. Picking up a spoon in the drawer, she sat at the table, opened the tupperware and sampled the stew. Closing her eyes to enjoy the flavor, she wondered why was she feeling so tearful and sad that Victor had left. She had been the one that had sent him away, but... if she wasn't misguided, she was also, dissapointed. He had finally listened to her protests. Holding the spoon, she set her head on the table and fought the desperate desire to cry.
***
"I wonder what's happening at home..." I said looking out the plane's window. We had just boarded the plance and were waiting for it to take flight.
"After what you told me... I think they must be just fine. And enjoying a great dinner."
"Yeah... but, you know... Lumi's a little complicated to understand. Victor has realized that she likes him back. But I think she didn't, and she'll fight agaisnt it as much as she can."
"Why?"
"Because... she doesn't trust herself.. and she doesn't trust men either."
"Hmm... And you left her there in the bathroom not knowing he was already in the house...."
Eli looked at me and caught me smiling. Soon, I couldn't hold the laugh. After she left the tub and found him there, she had probably been so angry that had beaten him to a pulp. The image of him on the floor begging her to stop cheered me up. She'd be fine. I leaned to Eli's shoulder and felt the pull when the plane took off.
