The Convertible - Time of My Life

Jeremy turned to me, "I'm on the clock now, but do you want to meet me for drinks after I get off at 6:00?

"I'd love that!

As he was leaving, he turned to Tia and said "Your niece was so good to me, she turned my life around! She believed in me, found me a good job, kept me straight. I owe her so much; she genuinely wanted me to succeed. After parole ended, I got some experience on cruise ships and eventually I ended up here! I'm working my way up, my goal is to be a sous-chef at a nice restaurant someday, and it's all because Araceli put me on the right path."

A voice from the kitchen called Jeremy's name.

"Oops, gotta go! See you in the lobby bar at 6!" Jeremy went back into the kitchen while I sat down again with Tia.

Tia leaned closer to me, "Well, that was a good-looking man! Why didn't you ever date him?"

I whispered, "Tia, I was his caseworker while he was on parole; a relationship could have cost me my job!"

She frowned, and asked, "Well, is he still on parole?"

I shook my head, "No, he completed his program, like he said. He's paid his debt to society, he's free and clear now."

"What about all those nice things he said you did for him Were they true?" Tia was turning into Sherlock Holmes now.

"I saw some potential is all," I said, "he seemed like a good-hearted man, so I simply gave him the opportunity to succeed, and he did."

Tia gave me the side-eye, smiled and replied, "Hmmmm. A nice, cute and ambitious man who appears to adore you just like my Arthur adored me! Every woman should have one of those, dear." She patted my hand. In mentioning Arthur, Tia had certainly given me food for thought.

When we finished eating (banana & bacon beignets - delicious!), we went to our cabin for the first time and were greeted by a gorgeous bouquet of pink carnations, pink lilies, and lavender. "Well, this is nice," Tia remarked. She looked at the card. "It says, 'Welcome, Officer Ochoa'" She glanced at me, a smile on her face. "I don't think the front desk sent these, dear, I suspect you have an admirer."

I felt my heart leap. Whatever Jeremy was up to, it was working.

With a full belly after a long drive, I took a much-needed nap. I got up at 5pm and freshened up in time to be seated in the lobby bar at 6. Jeremy walked in, now clad in a green polo shirt, khakis, and leather sandals instead of his kitchen uniform. Granted, Alejandro was handsome, but Jeremy looked flat-out tasty.

I was sipping on my vodka tonic; Jeremy sat down and waved at the bartender. "Scotty knows what I drink," he told me. Our server, a shapely 30-something blonde with a nametag that read 'Crystal' brought him a cocktail, giving me a death stare as she walked away.

I mentioned it to Jeremy, "Crystal doesn't seem to appreciate me being here with you, it feels like I'm trespassing. Are you and she an item? Or you and anyone else for that matter?"

Jeremy laughed, "Oh, no, I'm not dating Crystal or anyone else. It's just that staff and guests are not supposed to mix. I'm bending the rules a bit because you and I are old friends. Crystal's just being protective. A lot of staff have had their hearts broken when guests leave, and Crystal's spent a few too many hours consoling them." He stopped for a second, then asked, "We ARE old friends, right?"

I picked up his hand off the table and kissed it, "YES, we are. I hope Crystal is watching and saw me do that."

"Let's just say if she had superhero heat-ray vision, you'd have a couple of holes burned in your back."

"Good," I laughed, "It's been a long time since anyone has considered me a heartbreak threat!"

Amused, Jeremy shook his head, then asked, "Did you get the flowers I sent to your cabin?"

"Yes, Jeremy, that was sweet of you! Tia and I both thought they were lovely. You shouldn't have, really."

"I wanted to, Araceli." He took my hand. "You're a wonderful woman, and I'll never forget what you did for me." He proceeded to tell me about his time on the cruise line, how it was 24/6 work (one day off per week!) but what he learned about serving huge numbers of diners was really helpful in getting him ready for resort work and also for catering events.

I, in turn, told him a few probation horror stories like my dealings with Raoul Moran, ending with my comment, "So you see Jeremy? You were an angel. People like you made my job bearable."

A funny look crossed his face, as if I'd given him the compliment of his life. Suddenly, Jeremy looked at his watch and apologized, "I'm sorry, Araceli, I have to go back to work. We're catering a late-night party in town this evening. I hope we'll see each other again before you leave." He stood to leave.

I stood up as well, giving him a quick hug. "We're here for three weeks, so you can count on it!"

++++++++++

That old saying about the way to a man's heart being through his stomach? Well, the way to a Filipina's heart is though her feet. A majority of Filipinas really love to dance, (with the exception of a certain frumpy ex-parole officer), so Tia and I were excited about our first ballroom dance class at the resort the next evening.

When we arrived, we were instructed to gather in the main ballroom. A slim, handsome man with the nametag 'Nicholas' stood in the center of the dance floor with a microphone.

"Welcome to the historic Mountain House Resort, we're so glad to have you here! As we conduct our lessons, you'll be dancing on the same floors that Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze danced on back in 1987! So, as we begin, let me say I truly hope each of you has the time of your life!"

I had to admit, Nicholas's speech was a little cornball, but he seemed nice, and was very handsome. He had a dancer's body, 6 feet and slim, all of it muscle. He had deep blue eyes and black hair, but with a couple of streaks of gray; it was difficult to pin an exact age on him, he could have been anywhere from 25 to 45.

He asked, "To start things off, I'd like to assess your skill levels. Who'd like to have a dance?"

Tia Maria Regina stepped forward, "I think I can dance a little bit."

"Excellent. Tell us your name, and what kind of dance would you like to do."

"My name is Maria Regina, and I think I'd like to try a cha cha, if that's all right."

Nicholas raised his eyebrows, obviously impressed. "Excellent choice, Maria," he exclaimed, turning to the rest of the class. "The cha cha is one of the most popular dances, and it can be a lot of fun to do! You can perform a basic cha cha step to any upbeat song in 4/4 time. As you start to feel comfortable, you can switch up your dance by adding in a side-step, and you'll be dancing like a pro in no time!"

He pointed at the assistant teacher standing at the CD player and gave the thumbs up, "Brent, let's hit it!" Tia handed me the modest shawl she'd been wearing, and I heard a couple of women openly gasp at what it revealed; a shiny blue sleeveless dancing gown with a halter neckline, an enticing open back, and a floor-to-mid thigh slit in the skirt. I'd bet every man in class was doing his best not to drool.

The music started and it didn't take long before student Tia had teacher Nicholas sweating bullets. He was expecting to instruct a timid mouse; instead, he discovered he had an apex predator as a partner.

Tia Maria Regina was now in her element. Watching the two of them was like watching a dance contest on television; he was relentless, and as he danced, she matched his moves perfectly. I was reminded of an evenly-matched bout of boxing where you couldn't be sure which boxer was going to win.

The music ended, and the class applauded. Nicholas had sweat on his brow, but a smile on his face and fire in his eyes. When he raised Tia's hand to his lips and kissed the back of it, his desire was palpable.

After that exhaustive demonstration, Nicholas took a break while Brent and the other instructor began working with the other students. I waited patiently, in no hurry to demonstrate my clumsiness. By the time it was my turn, Nicholas reappeared just in time to be my partner. We started with a slow and easy one; when it came to dancing, I enjoyed it but was certainly no match for Tia.

As we danced, he asked me a little about myself.

"Well," I told him, "I'm 33, and had been working as a parole officer for the last 10 years until I reached a saturation point and resigned. Now I'm taking a vacation with Maria Regina to decompress and have a little fun. I invited my boyfriend to join us here in a few days, but I'm not sure he'll show up."

He then asked, "What about your sister? Does she have a boyfriend?" I was inwardly amused at his attempt at being so nonchalant after their fiery exhibition of dance.

"Maria Regina is my aunt, not my sister. We're very close, though. She's widowed and lives alone, but as you saw, she really loves to dance. I thought it would be fun if I invited her to come with me here so we could take dancing lessons together."

Nicholas frowned, as if he'd tasted something unpleasant. "Oh, is she one of those rich widows? We get a lot of those women as guests here, they can be rather unpleasant."

Feeling wary and suddenly protective, I lied, "No, Maria Regina doesn't have much money. I invited her along to cheer her up, but I'm paying for the trip."

Nicholas relaxed a little, and his scowl disappeared. "Good. Rich widows drive me crazy. They expect everyone on the staff to jump when they bark orders, just because they have money. Plus, when it comes to the male staff they're as bad as sorority girls on spring break, always making inappropriate comments and grabbing instructors' bottoms."

My eyes wide in shock, I shook my head. "Oh, no, even if she had money Maria Regina wouldn't be like that, I can assure you."

His expression turned serious now. "I'm really not supposed to do this, but if you don't mind me asking, is she seeing anyone?"

I couldn't believe my ears! "No, after Uncle Arthur died, she never dated again."

He leaned his head a little towards me, speaking in a low voice now. "I hope you don't mind me saying this, but in addition to being a fine dancer I find Maria extremely attractive. Do you think she'd object if I asked her to have coffee with me?"

"I think she'd be delighted, Nicholas, but her name is Maria Regina, better make sure you call her by her full name. In my family it's a sign of respect."

The final notes of the song played, so I left Nicholas and hot-footed it quickly over to Maria Regina. I was so excited I had to make a real effort to keep my voice down. "TIA, get THIS! Our instructor Nicholas wants to have coffee with YOU!"

She smiled, her eyebrows raised in surprise. "Really? I would have thought he'd be interested in you, not me. Aren't I a little old for him?"

"It doesn't matter how old or young he is, Tia, he thinks you're hot! You have to say yes to him!" I felt like a teenager telling my best friend in high school she was about to be asked to the prom, I was so excited!

Maria Regina sighed, "Well, I guess if it's just for coffee it can't hurt."

I leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "One other thing -- pretend like you don't have any money. He has this thing where he doesn't like the rich women who come here and act like they own the place. I lied and told him I was paying completely for the trip."

"Well, back when we lived in Zamboanga City your father and I were dirt poor, so I think I can manage that." She laughed, and I kissed her on the cheek.

"Good! You're so pretty, Tia, I just knew there would be men who'd be attracted to you! Here he comes, so be cool, but say yes!" I gave her a quick hug, then dashed away. I caught Nicholas' eye and surreptitiously gave him a thumbs up as he walked up to Maria Regina. He grinned back at me.

After the class was over, I found I'd worked up a little sweat. Since Tia and Nicholas seemed locked in conversation, I left them alone to have their privacy. I decided to go outside and enjoy the nice evening air. That's when I saw Jeremy again, walking down a path wearing his kitchen whites.

He obviously wasn't expecting to see me; his face lit up. "Araceli, what a surprise!"

"Hello, Jeremy, I just got out of a dance class! Where are you going?"

He apologized, "Sorry, force of habit. I just got off work and was heading back to my cabin to crash, like I do every night." He looked up and saw the moon had risen. "There's a full moon tonight. Would you like to stroll around the lake with me?" This was too good to be true! I'd never been asked to take a moonlight stroll before. Deliberately or not, Jeremy was certainly making all the right moves.

"I'd love to!" We set off on the shoreline path. Jeremy took me by the hand, and I liked it. It felt right.

As we walked, he said, "You know, the other night you asked me, but I didn't get a chance to ask you, are you seeing anyone?"

I hesitated on how to respond because my relationship with Alejandro was tepid at best, so I tried being diplomatic about it, "Well, I've been dating this one guy -- he's a policeman I used to work with -- but we're not serious, it's just nobody else has shown an interest. I'm not exactly on a lot of men's radar, I gu-" I didn't expect Jeremy's kiss, but it was nice, soft and gentle. The fact it was by a lake in full moonlight made it the best kiss I'd ever had.

When it ended, Jeremy held me in his arms. "You've been on my radar for a long time, Araceli. Every single time we had a parole meeting, and believe me," he whispered, "that kiss was worth waiting for." Something was fiercely pounding -- it was my heart. A happy chill ran up my spine, and I could feel a funny warmth between my legs; even my nipples were tingling.

"Wow," I whispered, "I never had any idea!"

"Yeah, there was no way for me to tell you. It wasn't like high school, where I could slip a note in your locker." He stopped speaking, as if something had occurred to him. Taking a pen out of his tunic pocket, he looked around and found a crumpled piece of yellow paper in the weeds next to the path. He scrawled something on it, folded it, then handed it to me. I unfolded it, and in his scrawled handwriting it read:

"Do you like me? Check one: _____Yes _____No"

I laughed out loud. This silly pícaro actually made me laugh! It was then I realized this was something Alejandro had never done. Thinking it over, in the last few weeks my boyfriend had made no effort whatsoever to charm me; it was like he was taking me for granted, waiting for his carnal reward. This rogue in his chef's clothes, on the other hand, seemed to ooze charm naturally.

Tia's words came back to me: "Before your man can taste the wine, he's got to tend the vineyard!" Alejandro really wanted to drink my wine, but he'd neglected my vineyard. And now here was Jeremy, a virtual viticulturalist, making me feel like I was his whole world. Damn!

Jeremy took me back into his arms. "I'm not the greatest planner in the world, in case you hadn't noticed. I tend to follow my feelings. When I got arrested, it wasn't intentional. A woman was being harassed by some asshole, I stepped in and told him to knock it off, we got into a fight and boom, I'm convicted and end up on parole. Am I sorry? Well, yeah, jail sucked, but I also got to meet you. And you changed my life."

Whatever else Jeremy had to say, I cut him off by kissing him, a little longer this time. Only two kisses in, and already I could picture myself in this man's bed. Not that I wanted that at the moment, but I could definitely picture it. "I only did what I thought was the right thing to do."

He looked at his watch. "I never want this walk to end, Araceli, but my workday starts at 4am, so I should walk you back to your cabin."

When we reached the cabin door, Jeremy and I kissed one more time. I asked him, "Can we do this tomorrow night?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," he replied. "I'll meet you after your dance class." And with that, he was off.

I entered the cabin, but it was dark, Maria Regina was nowhere to be seen. I undressed and got ready for bed. As I came out of the bathroom, I heard a key in the lock. Tia came in, a soft smile on her face.

"Tia, you were out late," I teased. Then I noticed her perfectly coiffed hair was in disarray and her perfect lipstick was smudged. "Have you been a naughty girl?"

Instead of answering me, she asked me a question of her own, "Have you ever noticed, sobrina, how magical it is to be kissed in moonlight?"

I laughed and nodded, "¡Sí, tía, lo sé!" I couldn't have agreed more.

+++++++++++++

About a week later there was a knock at our cabin door late in the afternoon. I opened it, and to my chagrin it was Alejandro! "Surprise!" he said, a goofy smile on his face, "I'm here!"

He tried stepping in, but I put my hand squarely on his chest. His failure to accept my invitation had left a bitter taste in my mouth. I scowled, "What are you doing here, Alejandro? You told me you weren't coming!"

The shocked look on his face indicated this was not the reception he was expecting. "Well, I kind of felt bad, so I changed my mind!"

"You rejected my invitation, then a week later with no call, no apology, you just show up like everything is fine?" I could feel my temper building.

"Aw, come on, Araceli! You said you wanted me here, I just drove five hours to be with you!" He took another step to come in, and I blocked his entrance again.

"Sure, I wanted you here until you turned me down! On top of that, you didn't even notice I'd bought new clothes and had my hair done! Sorry, Alejandro, since leaving on vacation I've had plenty of time to think about us, and as much as I hate to say it, you're a lousy boyfriend. Sorry you had to drive five hours to learn that. You could have called and saved yourself a lot of time."

It was Alejandro's turn to be mad. "You have a lot of nerve, Araceli! Before me, you had nobody! You should have been grateful just to have me, but you carried on like you were royalty."

"Wait, you're telling me I should have had sex with you out of gratitude? ¡Eres un pedazo de mierda!"

Just then, Jeremy came up the steps to the cabin door, a basket on his arm. It was his day off, and we were going to have a picnic by the lake. "Hey, Araceli, are you ready to go?"

Alejandro erupted, "Wait, who's THIS asshole? Are you CHEATING on me?"

I fired back, "It's not what it looks like! Jeremy works here, he and I knew each other before I met you. We're getting reacquainted."

'Yeah, right. Where did you meet him?"

As bad at it as he was, Alejandro was still my boyfriend for now so I wasn't going to lie to him. "Jeremy was assigned to me when I was a parole officer."

Alejandro was shouting, he was so furious. "Oh, great, Araceli! Or should I just call you Norma again? You'd better make up your mind! I'm the guy with the future and no criminal record, he's some washed-up ex-con!"

He wasn't finished, "To think I tolerated you holding me off for three months! Now I get here only to see that despite all that time you acted like you had ice between your legs, you're ready to give it up like a puta to some dishwasher?"

That set me off, and full-on Filipina rage erupted, "How DARE you call me a whore, Alejandro? ¡Vete a la mierda, bastardo! I offered you an opportunity to come up here so we could be together, but did you take me up on it? NO! You stayed at home with your fantasy sports buddies like some mariposón!"

I took a breath, but I wasn't done, not by a long shot. There was blood in my eye; I could feel the Zamboangueña DNA on fire in my veins. "Jeremy Garrison is a good man, he paid his debt to society, and I respect the hell out of him for it. Yes, I've kissed him but frankly, Alejandro, it's none of your damned business if I kiss him, shake his hand, pat him on the back or fuck his eyeballs out because you and I are THROUGH!