The Fountains of Silence (39 page)

104

“I’m feeling fine,
cariño
. You needn’t worry. I’d love to see your photos.”

Daniel shifts to block his parents’ view. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to wait until I have them all organized.”

“They look quite organized.” His mother smiles. “But I understand. I’ll wait for the full exhibit. Are you sure you can’t come to dinner? We haven’t had much time together. We’re celebrating your father’s contract tonight.”

“He’d rather be with the young people, María. He’s made some friends.”

His mother seems surprised. “Really? Who are your friends? Where are you going?”

Daniel struggles to skirt a lie. “They’re friends of Nick Van Dorn’s. We’re having dinner. They mentioned something about a late event.”

“Probably a flamenco show,” nods his mother.

The note slipped under his door said nothing about a flamenco show. It said:

11:00 p.m.–Tom Collins

“What about breakfast tomorrow?” asks his mother.

“Sounds good.” He tries to edge them to the door of his suite.

“Don’t wear those denims tonight. You look so nice in your suit.”

“Yes, ma’am. See you tomorrow.” The heavy door shuts with an answering clasp.

At five minutes past eleven, Ana enters Daniel’s room using her passkey.

“Pretty handy key you have there.”

“I’m sorry for not knocking. I didn’t want to risk being seen in the hall,” she explains. “Turndown service has already been here?”

“Yes. But room service hasn’t. I’m starving.”

Ana stands with her back against the closed door, clutching her purse to the front of her uniform.

“Come in. You’re off duty. You’re here for dinner.”

She looks about the room as if it’s entirely foreign. “I’ve never been in a guest’s room when I’m off duty. I’m breaking the rules.”

“No one will find out. I told my parents I was going out with Nick.”

“I told the staff downstairs that I was going to Puri’s.”

“See? No one will ever know.” Daniel shrugs and smiles.

105

Ana’s stomach tumbles and turns.

“Well, what shall we order?” Daniel holds up a menu.

“Room service mustn’t know there are two people in the room. Nothing escapes the employees. They all gossip, you know.”

“I know.”

He doesn’t know. Attendants and domestics have been part of Daniel’s life since birth. They fade into his background, like Franco’s security guards. They are silent witnesses, seemingly blind and deaf to all conversations and indiscretions. But they are not blind and deaf. Everything is noted. Things in the rooms, in the laundry, within the phone messages, and in the room-service orders.

Daniel’s voice is quiet. “Ana, come and sit down. You can’t stand at the door for dinner.” He holds out the menu.

Ana accepts the menu and moves to the small sofa. Daniel turns on the radio and the rolling voice of Lola Flores soothes the awkwardness, warming the room.

“I don’t know what to order,” she says. “You order for us. Something American.”

Daniel sits down next to her and takes the menu. “Let’s see. What about lobster thermidor and a crab Louie? We’ll share a baked Alaska for dessert.”

“When you call room service, tell them you want to eat a horse.”

Daniel stares at her. “Excuse me?”

“Texans say they’re so hungry they want to eat a horse. And then they order everything on the menu. That will sound entirely normal to the room-service operator.”

“No, it won’t sound normal. Americans say ‘I’m so hungry I
could
eat a horse.’ It’s just an expression, they don’t mean it literally.”

“Thank goodness,” she laughs. “Well, we must hide the fact that I’m here.”

Daniel calls in the room-service order. As he hangs up, Ana removes cutlery wrapped in a cloth napkin from her purse.

“You brought your own fork?”

“I borrowed it from downstairs. We can’t ask for two sets of flatware. They’ll know. I’ll use a glass from the bathroom.”

Daniel shakes his head, grinning. “Please let me take a picture of you right now.”

Ana smiles and laughs, holding up her borrowed knife and fork for the photo. The tension softens amidst the laughter and the radio’s clack of Lola’s castanets.

“So, I’ve given it a lot of thought,” says Daniel. “Ben has to be the one who took the photos. He mentioned he might use them and I wasn’t here to ask.”

“But how would he get into your suite?”

“He once commented that he has connections.”

While they wait for room service to arrive, Ana asks to see Daniel’s portfolio again. They sit side by side on the couch, paging through the album. “This is one of my favorites.” Ana points to an enormous tree with thousands of shimmering lights. “What is it?”

“It’s the big pecan tree in Highland Park. Each year around Christmas there’s a ceremony to decorate it.”

They arrive at the photo of the Texas garden party.

“The mansion, this is where you live?”

Daniel nods.

“And that’s Laura Beth,” says Ana, pointing to the glamorous girl blowing a kiss to the photographer.

Daniel’s surprise is audible. “How do you know about Laura Beth?”

“Your mother mentions her a lot. And Laura Beth has sent telegrams to the hotel. Remember, the staff sees everything.” Ana looks to Daniel for response.

“It’s over, but it didn’t end well. My mom still doesn’t know. Laura Beth couldn’t accept me as I am. As soon as she discovered that I wasn’t going to change, she started kissing other guys. She broke things off and claimed my family was ‘too ethnic.’”

“I don’t understand. What does that mean?”

“My mom is Spanish. It makes our family different.”

“But
Señora
Matheson is beautiful.”

“Yeah, but she’s different from Dallas society women. She raised me differently. We speak only Spanish together. We listen to Spanish records on the hi-fi. Some of her jewelry and clothing are different. She eats dinner late and starts the day late. We celebrate Spanish holidays. Just like Americans seem strange here, I seem strange to Laura Beth and her family. But it’s okay. We had nothing to talk about. Everything was difficult. I just didn’t realize
how
difficult until I came to Madrid. The first day you took me to Miguel’s shop I wanted—”

The knock at the door launches Ana to her feet. She grabs her purse and runs to the bathroom to hide.

Ana stands against the bathroom counter, heart trampolining within her chest. Why did she ever agree to this? She’s breaking every rule. She could get fired, or be issued a yellow card. She recognizes the waiter’s voice. It’s Guillermo, a server from Catalonia. She breathes a sigh of relief. Guillermo is quiet, unconcerned with the business of others. She hears the clink and plink of dishes on the rolling cart being wheeled into the room.

Ana looks in the mirror and adjusts her hair. It’s pinned up. Should
she have let it down? She pulls one strand loose, letting it spiral against her face. Daniel’s shaving kit sits open on the counter. A blue bottle with a white top says,
Arrid Men’s Spray. Stops perspiration odor on contact
. Lorenza says American men wear perfume under their arms. Is this what she was referring to? Daniel smells so good it sets her heart fluttering.

She hears the door close but doesn’t dare move. Is the waiter still in the room? She stands still, unable to identify the sounds. A few moments pass until Daniel’s voice emerges.

“Should I wheel the tray in there?” he asks.

Ana opens the door.

The lights are dimmed. The sheer pearl curtains sway amidst the soft music and quiet breeze from the terrace. The room-service table sits in the middle of the room topped with a pressed white tablecloth, silver cloche domes, and formal serving pieces. Positioned in the center of the table is a single shimmering candle.

Daniel stands next to the elegant table, entirely relaxed in his jeans and dusty boots. He’s not looking through a camera lens. He’s looking at her, directly at her. He sees her.

“Ready, Ana?”

Her field of vision narrows. Daniel stands at the end of the long tunnel she has so long been walking.

She is not in the hotel.

She is not a maid.

She is on a date with a gorgeous boy.

A boy who likes her.

Threats, yellow cards, war, fear, and silence fall like leaves from a tree abandoning its season. She lets it all flutter away. One night. She will allow herself this one night.

She looks at Daniel and utters the word that sings in her heart.

“Yes.”

106

4
:00 a.m.

Empty plates. Abandoned table. Thumb of a flickering candle.

Daniel’s boots are tossed on different locations of the carpet. Plaid shirt peeled to his white T-shirt. Ana’s hair hangs loose around her shoulders.

They sit on the floor in front of the sofa, facing each other.

Daniel trails his fingers along Ana’s hand. “That very first day, on the sidewalk.”

“The sleeping tourist. We both saw the photo,” says Ana.

“Exactly! Then you took me on the Metro. You were standing so close. I was sweating,” laughs Daniel.

“Your Arrid wasn’t working?”

“Not in the slightest. I kept thinking, holy cow, who is this girl? And then at the dance.”

“What about the dance?” she asks.

“What do you mean? You kissed me.”

“Are you sure?” says Ana. “Maybe you’re mistaken. What did it feel like?”

Daniel leans in toward her neck and ear. “It felt like this.”

Knocking sounds at the door. Ana’s body pops with fear. Daniel pulls her into him and puts a finger to his lips.

“I know you’re in there,” calls a voice from behind the door. “I hear the music. Open up.” The doorknob rattles.

Ana jumps up in a panic and runs to the bathroom.

Daniel heads to the door. “Go away. I’m sleeping.”

“Nice try. Want me to wake your parents?”

He opens the door a crack.

Ben leans against the doorframe, shaking his head. “Did you really think you’d get away with it?” Ben pushes past him and enters the room. “It’s one thing if you want to be stupid, Matheson, but you’re on dangerous ground with—” Ben jerks to a halt as if he’s hit a wall. His eyes read the romantic table, the purse on the sofa, and the last of the trembling candle. A grin appears.

“Bad timing?”

“Really bad timing,” whispers Daniel. “Why are you here?”

“Because you made off with the press pass!”

“Come back tomorrow. C’mon, Ben, please.”

Ben nods, chuckling. “It’s Ana. The girl from downstairs. Am I right?”

Daniel pushes him toward the door. Ben grabs a piece of bread from the table on the way. “Your life, Matheson. What I’d give to be you right now.” They arrive at the door and Ben puts a hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “You realize it, right? Soak it all in, cowboy. You’re going to return to this summer for the rest of your life.”

“Let me return to this night right now.”

Ben exits and turns in the hallway. “By the way, great job today. Your photo—”

Daniel closes the door. He locks it.

Did Ben’s interruption ruin the moment? He doesn’t want her to leave. They still have two hours. “Ana, he’s gone.”

She emerges from the bathroom.

“It was just Ben.” He walks toward her. “Sorry about that, where were we?”

Ana leans back against the wall. “I think we were here.” She pulls Daniel in and kisses him. Her hand reaches for the light switch.

They stand at the door, fighting the pull of the evening and the push of the coming day.

“It’s six thirty. They’ll expect me downstairs soon,” says Ana.

Daniel says nothing. Just nods, staring at her.

“Are you tired?” she asks.

“Not a bit.”

“Me neither.”

“So don’t go.”

“I have to,” she laughs. “Maybe I can pick up your breakfast dishes.” She gives him a kiss and tries to pull away toward the door.

“Wait, I have something for you.” Daniel goes to the closet and returns with a book. “I visited the Sorolla Museum like you suggested.”

“Isn’t it wonderful?”

“It is. I got you this.” He hands the book to Ana. “It has pictures of all the paintings, including the ones you love of the seaside. Now you can visit the museum anytime you want.”

Ana opens the cover. She sighs, touching a finger to his lips.

For Tom Collins From Robert Capa—x DM 1957

After much swaying and many long goodbyes, Ana finally leaves, stealing down a staircase to another floor. Daniel leans against the door and pulls a breath, holding close to their unbelievable night together. He feels Ana all around him. And it feels incredible.

He sits on the balcony, watching night retreat to light. The plan falls swiftly into place. He’ll attend university in Madrid. He’ll work
with Miguel. He’ll enter the photo competition as planned. If he wins, maybe Ben can get him a job in the Madrid Bureau of the
Tribune
. Or perhaps Mr. Van Dorn can get him a press job at the embassy.

The sun is up. He returns to his room and passes the photos on the wall. He needs ten for the contest. Ana and Miguel will help him choose. He’ll think about it later once he learns what Ben needed the photos for.

He’s sleeping so soundly he barely hears the noise. How long have they been knocking? Is it Ben? Hoping that it’s Ana, he pulls on his jeans and walks shirtless toward the knocking. He yanks open the door with a smile.

His parents, smartly dressed and full of energy, stand smiling in the hall.

“Why, Daniel, did you forget? We agreed to have breakfast.”

Daniel runs a hand through his already tousled hair. “Sorry, I’m pretty tired.”

“Well,” says his father. “We have a surprise that will wake you up.” As if on cue, his parents step apart.

Standing behind them in the hallway is a familiar face.

It’s Laura Beth.