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- 03/20/2022
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
ARROW - 24. Chapter 24
As I was getting dressed, I told Colin that this night was payment for putting up with my museum tours. “I know seeing so many museums can be a pain for some people, and the cliche of seeing one museum is like seeing all museums could have been your comment. You haven’t seemed to be bored at all. So tonight, I have arranged for you to have a great dinner and a surprise.”
“Are we going back to that restaurant where we had Paella?”
“No, tonight we are going to a four-star restaurant.”
Leaving the hotel, we took a taxi to the Corral de la Moreria. I could see the confused look on Colin’s face. Entering the restaurant, I told the Maitre’d our name, and he led us to a table close to the dance floor.
I had selected our dinner from the menu, which was in Spanish. I ordered coca as a starter, which was a puff pastry filled with vegetables, goat cheese, and a rosemary flavored Romesco sauce. For the main course, I ordered salmon served with crispy corn croquettes and sweet potato puree with boiled semolina. Dessert was five textures of chocolate. Along with our meal, I ordered a bottle of wine from their wine list.
Sitting at our table, our waiter filled our water glasses with mineral water, took our order, and left.
“Armand, what did you order?”
“I ordered a specialty of the house. You’ll like it.’
Our waiter brought our first course; I watched Colin cut into the puff pastry, one bite, a smile, and nothing needed to be said. The smile on Colin’s face said it all. I wonder what he will think when the show starts.
Colin’s smile grew with each course, or it seemed to grow. If he thought dinner was great, wait until the show begins.
I ordered another bottle of wine as the lights dimmed and spotlights lit the dance floor. The music started, and then the dancers began to dance. I knew that only the best flamenco dancers would be featured at this club. I waited for Colin to say we could do that at our club, but he didn’t.
Going back to the hotel, that’s all he could talk about, the food, the wine, and the dancers. Getting out of the cab, he tried to dance as they did. With all of the wine he drank, he stumbled more than anything else. He was funny, and I was glad he had a good time.
Sleep came quickly that night. He wasn’t wholly undressed when he fell on the bed and was sound asleep. I finished undressing him, tucked him in, then I joined him.
In the morning, we made up for last night. “It’s fun traveling with you, and I’ll visit all of the museums with you for a night like last night.”
“Get dressed. We are leaving after breakfast.”
Breakfast was bread and coffee, we packed our suitcases, took a taxi to the train station. I bought two tickets to the south of Spain, called a hotel on the coast and booked a room for three nights.
“Where are we going?”
“We are taking a break, and this was supposed to be our honeymoon, so we will enjoy a few days on the coast. We can go swimming, lay in the sun, and enjoy the south of Spain.”
I got a kiss on my cheek for that. I wanted to create a summer for Colin that he will never forget.
Arriving on the southern coast, we checked into our hotel. “We need swimsuits, and let’s see if there is a store where we can buy them.”
I stopped at the hotel desk and asked about a clothing store. The receptionist told us to make a left when we exited the hotel, and there would be several stores that sell clothing. Thanking him, we followed his instructions.
As we walked along the street, we would bump into each other and then laugh. Colin was relaxed and smiling, and I could see the love in his eyes when he looked at me and hoped he could see the love in my eyes.
We found a store that sold men’s clothes. I asked about bathing suits, and the clerk led us to a table with a selection of suits. There were a few plastic torsos wearing the trunks so you could judge what they looked like. We bought the same color swimming trunks in our sizes.
Returning to our hotel, we changed into our trunks. That took longer than I thought it would, but I’m not complaining.
Walking to the beach, we brought towels from the hotel, and we sat there watching the waves. “Let’s go swimming. Last one in must give the other a massage.”
I made sure I was the last one in. I love to give him a special massage.
For the next few days, we spent at the beach. I bought some suntan lotion at the hotel, and I never thought applying suntan lotion to someone could be so much fun.
On the day we were to leave, I checked the train schedule, and I found several trains leaving the coast toward Barcelona, our next stop. We had a leisurely breakfast, took a walk along the beach, and then checked out of the hotel in time to catch a train to Barcelona.
The train was a local stopping at various cities along the way. “Are you ready for a late lunch?”
“Yes, why?”
“We are going to get off the train at the next stop.”
On my previous trip, there was a restaurant that only served lamb, and it was so popular that you had to wait outside until they had an empty table. I had stopped here often, and I knew this would be a treat for Colin.
The train stopped, we took our luggage and left the train. The restaurant was a little way out of town. But we were young, and the walk wasn’t that difficult. As we neared the restaurant, we could see the people outside waiting for a table. We joined the crowd.
“This restaurant serves only lamb which they raise. You’ll like this.”
A young man came out on the porch and asked for a party of four. I didn’t need to translate for Colin as the young man spoke both Spanish and English. At first, I didn’t recognize this young man, and then it dawned on me, this was Carlos. The last time I saw him, he was eight years old, but that was over six years ago. I watched as there were no parties of four, so he asked for parties of two. Two couples were there before us, who raised their hands. He asked them if they would agree to share a table which they did.
Carlos escorted them inside them came back out to count the number of people waiting. That was when he saw me. In Spanish, “Armand, is that you?”
I just laughed, but before I could answer, he was hugging me. “Come, Mom and Dad must see you.”
We followed him into the restaurant and ended in the kitchen. You would think we were family they hadn’t seen for a long time. They insisted we sit at the family table in a small room attached to the kitchen. Then it was question and answer time.
I had the train schedule, so I knew when we would have to leave. Carlos asked where we were going, and I told him Barcelona. “You can stay here and leave in the morning.”
That was all his parents needed to hear. We made the decision we would stay the night. Colin picked up a tray and started to clear the table in the dining room. Carlos’s parents said no, but I knew Colin felt that he should do something to help if we stayed the night.
“Carlos, do you still have that drawing I made of you when I was last here.”
“Yes, I’ll get it.”
He brought the drawing of Carlos holding a lamb, and he had another lamb lying at his side. “Carlos, if you give me this drawing, I’ll return it and maybe a special gift.” I noticed his mother nodding yes.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to paint this and send it to Carlos.”
“You going to sign it?”
“Yes.”
In the morning, we left to catch the train to Barcelona. Saying goodbye, I remembered the last time. It is always hard to say goodbye to friends, knowing you will probably never see them again.
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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