Hot & Wild (De La Cruz Saga) (7 page)

“I wouldn’t blame them if they disappear again before
the night is over,” says Paty.

“I know I would,” says Claudia. “There’s no reason why
we shouldn’t cover for them.  I would love you to cover for me.”

“Yes, that makes sense. We’re adults. Our parents will
not be hurt if they don’t know. I don’t know if
los
primos will cover for us. They are men and still feel that they can do things
that we can’t, even now,” says Bella, smiling.

“I think that we should make a pact to cover for each
other when we know that we have met the one, our alma gemela (soul mate). I
would not want to be hiding to be with the one I love. We all know when that
person arrives. Look at our sweet Erica. She’s shy and sweet, but she still
knew when she met her alma gemela,” says Claudia.

“Yes, especially when we’re engaged. I don’t want to
be aching for my amor, my alma gemela to love and not being able to be with him,”
says Bella, smiling, looking out the window, daydreaming.

“I think that’s good idea,” says Paty nodding. “I know
I will not want to wait until the wedding to be with my amor, my alma gemela. I
have waited long enough. I’m waiting for my amor. When I know I have him, I
know I will not wait. Why should we? We’re adults.” 

“You haven’t said a thing Jessy, what’s up?” asks
Veronica looking at her with curiosity.
You would think that since she’s
engaged and so in love, she would put her two cents in
.

The primas observe Jessy. They wait for her opinion. They
know that she has a lot to say. They wait to hear her input. They expect it to
be a good one.

“I believe that you’re all correct. I feel the same
way. It’s difficult and painful not to be able to be with your amor. We’re
trying not to hurt our padres. Our padres are old school. I would really
appreciate it if you did cover for us,” says Jessy smiling, blushing. She’s omitting
the fact that they have worked around the issue.

“I can see that you have tried to follow the customs. I
for one will not ever mention anything to our padres if you two sneak out,”
says Paty, smiling at her amiga
. I know that they try hard not to alert
anybody on where they’re at. I sense that los primos know or suspect. It’s okay.
They’re adults
.

“Yes, we will,” says Bella nodding in agreement. “I
will expect the same from you when I have the need to be with my amor.”

“We’ll know that he’s the one. We should say he’s the
one, that way we know what’s happening and cover for you,” says Claudia, smiling.

“Yeah, that sounds cool,” says Veronica nodding in
agreement.

“Yes, and we should start with Jessy, Jacki, and Erica,”
says Bella. “We all know that they’re getting married or married like Jacki.”

“Yes, we need to tell Erica about the pact. I think
that she’ll like to know,” says Paty, nodding.

“What about los primos? Should we tell them about the
pact?” asks Claudia.

“Yes, it will make their life easier,” says Bella. “It’s
a relief to know that we all reach the same conclusion.”

“Erica and her hunk just arrived,” says Claudia,
grinning. She looks over at Gabriel.

“Yeah, wow,” says Paty looking at Gabriel. “I want one
of those too.” She’s pouting with wicked eyes.

“I know prima, so do I,” agrees Bella looking at her
brother in law.

Erica and Gabriel are walking towards the table smiling
at each other. Gabriel has his arm around Erica’s small waist, keeping her
close to his side.

“Baby, I want to dance with you. I need to feel your
arms around me. I miss you,” says Erica, looking up into his beautiful blue
eyes.

“Okay, Angel, let’s greet your primos and then we can
go dance, okay?” says Gabriel looking into his sweet angel beautiful eyes.

“Si, baby,” says Erica smiling, flashing her dimples.

“Hi, primas, why don’t you dance?” asks Erica, looking
around the table.

“There aren’t any hunks out there, you took the last
one,” replies Claudia, grinning, taking a drink of her Corona.

“Yeah,” says Paty, looking at Gabriel, smiling.  

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I did take the last one,”
replies Erica, grinning, looking at her baby.

“Okay, I want to dance with my baby. I have not seen
him all week. See ya later,” says Erica.

Before she goes we should tell her what we have
decided
, thinks Paty. “Prima, can we
have a few words with you, please?” asks Paty, smiling.

“Yes, we promise it will be quick. Maybe Gabriel can
greet los primos,” says Veronica.

Erica looks at her primas.
They want to tell me
something. Okay
. She turns to look at Gabriel. “Baby please, can you allow
us a few minutes,” says Erica, gazing into his eyes.  

“Okay, Angel,” says Gabriel, pulling away to give her
a quick beso.

Erica turns to look at her primas as she takes a seat.
They all hunch and met in the center of the table to talk.

“Prima, we have all just made a pact that will be
helpful to you now,” says Claudia.

“A pact, what kind of pact?” asks Erica, with
curiosity in her beautiful eyes.

“We all decided …… ” says Paty, smiling, explaining
the pact.

“Okay, it’s a pact. We only have to tell the primos
and Jacki. I feel that we should advise the primos as each one gets involved
with their true alma gemela. Case by case basis,” says Claudia, with a smirk.

“Okay, I will be leaving early tonight,” says Erica,
observing all her primas faces. “Okay, primas, I’m going to dance for a little
while with my Baby. I will leave as soon as I want to. Please don’t expect me
to say adios,” says Erica, smiling.

“Okay, Erica, we understand,” says Bella, nodding in
agreement.

Erica turns to look at Gabriel. Gabriel excuses
himself from los primos. He quickly reaches Erica. They walk to the dance floor.
Erica sighs as she steps closer to her Baby. She wraps her arms around his neck.
Gabriel wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her close.

Christian walks in just in time to see Gabriel and
Erica start to dance. He observes them for a few seconds.
Yeah they’re in
love. At least he’s not playing with my little hermana
, contemplates
Christian.
I believe that I know what they feel and what Gabriel went
through. I’m sure that I do love Monique. Can it be possible to fall in love so
quickly?

Christian walks to the primas table and smiles as he
sits down. “Hermana, I just finished spending some time drinking mocha and
talking with Monique,” says Christian grinning, flashing his beautiful dimples.

“Hola primo,” says Jose Enrique, taking Jessy’s hand. He
leads her to the dance floor.

“Hola primo,” replies Christian smiling, looking at
Jose Enrique.

“Christian, you’re for real? Hermano, that was quick,”
says Bella, laughing. “Is she the one, your alma gemela?”

“I believe so,” replies Christian, smiling. “I have a
date with her manana.”

“We wish you all the luck primo,” says Paty, smiling. “Monique
is bella and smart chica.”

“Si primo good luck. I hope she’s the one, tu alma
gemela. It would be nice to see you in love and settled,” says Claudia, nodding.

“Si primo, good luck. Let us know if she’s the one so
we can cover for you,” says Veronica, grinning wickedly.

“What do you guys mean?” asks Christian, with lots of
curiosity. He observes his primas pondering.
What are they up to now? It
appears like they decided to do something not the norm.

“Well, hermano, we have decided that when one of us
have found our alma gemela, the one. We have decided ….”  says Bella, looking
at her hermano with curiosity to see how he will respond to this. He’s, after
all, a hombre.

“Yeah primo, we consider that we’re all adults, and
know what we want. When we meet the one, our alma gemela, we will want to be
with our amor,” says Claudia, looking at her primo.

The primas are something else,
reflects Christian.
They’re correct. We’re adults.
We’re all trying to continue our Mexican traditions and customs. Our padres are
old school. It’s hard to follow those traditions, especially when you’re in
love.

Christian turns to look at his primos with their alma
gemela. He looks at his hermana and Gabriel.
I know that they have been
together. You can see how possessive and intimate they hold each other. I also
know that they’re all getting married. They’re not playing games. I can see
their point
, ponders Christian.
They will be having a hard time to be
together, that’s for sure. I think that the primas have a good idea
.

“I hope that it’s only in force when las primas know
for certain and have a commitment from the special Chico. Then the plan can
start. I don’t want you to be intimate with the incorrect Chico. The one will
be the one, tu alma gemela. You can feel it. You just know it,” says Christian,
observing each prima and his hermana.

“That’s exactly what we thought,” says Bella smiling,
nodding in agreement.

“We’re all waiting for the one,” says Claudia, looking
at her older primo. “Yeah, we will never become intimate with a chico if he’s
not the one,” she looks at her primo with disbelief.

“Si primo, we decided it was only when we know for
certain that it is our alma gemela,” says Paty nodding. She looks at her primo.
“Don’t you feel that Monique is the one?”

“Yes I do,” replies Christian looking at their
reactions.
I can see what they mean. If we become serious, I’ll want to be
with her more. I want to be with her now. It’ll be a while until the wedding
takes place. I know that I’ll not wait. I get what they’re saying. They will
cover for us to be together
, contemplates Christian.

Christian looks at his hermana and primas. They’re
right. “I get it. Okay, it’s a plan that we should all honor. My concern is for
you primas. I don’t want anybody playing with you. You need to be sure that you
have met the one, your alma gemela. Okay?” asks Christian. He sits back to
contemplate
las primas
. Well I’m covering for Erica. It would be the same with each one
,
considers Christian.

“I will cover each one of you when I know for sure
that the Chico is the one. I will talk to that Chico to make sure. That’s the
only condition,” says Christian, smiling wickedly.

“Hermano, you will be told that he’s the one. We are
not
niña
s.
We’re adults,” states Bella firmly.

“Yes, but I also know what the chicos want and do. I
don’t want any Chico playing with my hermana and primas. If the Chico is the
one, he will not be bothered with my questions. I know,” says Christian. “Okay,
I will keep in touch to see where we’re at on this pact. I want to be the first
one to know when the one appears. Okay?”

Christian looks at each one to get their commitment.
Good,
they agree with my stipulation. Now I have to be on alert to make sure that the
one is the one
, thinks Christian, smiling. He leaves to talk to the primos.

“Hola hermano, primo what’s up?” asks Christian,
sitting in the middle of Tony and Alex.

“Just having a drink and looking at the love birds,”
replies Alex, with a sigh.

“Yeah, it looks like our group is slowing getting
smaller. I wonder who’s next?” asks Tony, looking at Christian.

“I have met a special chica. I feel that she could be
the one,” says Christian, grinning flashing his dimples. He takes a drink
looking at his hermano and primo’s reaction.
Yeah they’re upset. Oh well. I
understand now.

“You’re kidding right?” asks Alex, contemplating his
hermano. “Unbelievable, the fever is hitting everybody.”

“Primo I don’t believe you,” says Tony, frowning with
disbelief. He takes a deep drink of his Corona. “All of our fun is going down
the drain. That will leave only Alex and me. Javier is hardly ever here.”

“Well, I’m in love. You will meet her on Monday. She’s
starting to work for the company,” says Christian, grinning.

“You mean the new assistant for Jessy? Yeah, she will
be working closely with Jessy and I. So that means hands off?” asks Tony, smiling
wickedly.

“Yes she’s toda mia,” says Christian, looking at Alex
and Tony. “I was talking to las primas ……. I did agree with the pact.”

Christian looks at his hermano and primo waiting for
their reactions.
I see that they’re concerned. Okay, now they understand. Great
now we can all make sure that the primas and hermana are not played with
,
thinks Christian.

“That’s incredible,” says Alex, taking a drink from his
Corona.

“That can be dangerous,” replies Tony, shaking his
head.

“Exactly, I asked las primas and hermana to make sure
to tell me first when they feel that they have met the one. I told them that I
want to talk to the one,” says Christian, looking at Alex and Tony. He takes a
drink from his Corona.