His Mystery

Nine

Ximena (Valentina)

My heart was beating so fast that I could hear the thumping in my ears. I have a mix of emotions. I am terrified that Roberto might be here and might have found me, and the way Jacob looks at me gives me the chills. I am between starving and throwing up, if that makes any sense.

The waitress startled me from my thoughts and the inappropriate gawking I'd given Jacob.

I peeled my eyes away from Jacob when the older lady says, “I am so sorry for startling you. Can I get you something to drink?”

“It’s okay,” I replied, shaking my head, “I will have some water, please.” She writes it down on her pad and then turns around, leaving me again to gawk at Jacob. The man screams authority and sēx. The way his muscles move so freely every time he moves his arm, the way he licks his lower lip right before he smirks at me. I shook my head and looked down at my hands. I am trying to rid my mind of the thought that is taking over my mind. He is my boss, and unfortunately, I am still married. Two minutes later, I smell him, a scent I don’t think I will ever forget—the smell of clean laundry engulfs my nostrils.

“Like what you see?” He asked as she slid into the chair right in front of me. I could feel the way my cheeks turned red from embarrassment.

“Everything okay?” I asked him as I dipped my chin toward the sidewalk he was standing in.

He eyed me carefully before picking up the menu from the table. “Everything is perfect.” He replied before raising the menu. I took that as a hint that he wouldn’t entertain any more of my questions, so I grabbed the menu and began reading over the menu options.

“What is your story?” I asked him, not lowering my menu.

“Anything specific you want to know, Valentina?” He asked, enunciating my alias.

“How did you land here? You have no accent. That makes you American.” I said, shutting the menu and placing it on the table. My eyes drifted toward him. He has also closed his menu and is now leaning back on the chair while studying my every move.

“After ending my contract with the military, I went back home to Montana. I went to my neighbor’s ranch to tell them I was back home, since they cared for my cattle and horses. The second I stepped into their house, I saw my ex, my best friend, with her husband and their new bundle of joy. A week later, I sold all my belongings and moved.” He replied, his face void of any emotions. I wonder if he has feelings, or did the military do this to him?

“I’m sorry.” I replied honestly. In a matter of seconds, he had his big manly hands covering my small, fragile ones, the feeling of his warm hands giving me the necessary sparks all over my body. It’s something I know he felt as well as his breath hitched, his mouth parted just a bit before he retreated his hand. I brought my hand to my lap and caressed it with the other one, the corner of my lip lifting as I smiled at the feeling his hand gave me.

“Are you two ready to order?” The older lady came back smiling while looking between us.

“Hey, Gloria. I will have the usual.” Jacob answers without so much as looking at me. So why look at the menu if you are going to get the same thing you usually get?

“She will do the same.” Jacob answered for me, since I could not articulate a coherent sentence.

“Perfect, it will be right out.” She announced, reaching over to grab the menus from the table.

“Thank you.” I muttered before reaching for my glass of water and taking a big gulp. His lip raised in the corner smirking at me.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked as I placed the glass back down and dried my hands against my jeans. I leaned back on my chair, waiting for him to answer my question.

“I am trying to figure out how you look at me. The way your breath hits you every time I glance at you is intriguing.” His honesty caught me by surprise. I was married to Roberto for years, and I don’t think that he ever said anything as honest as the words that Jacob just gave me. I rake my eyes down his arms, not caring that he is watching me. I may be afraid to get involved with another man after Roberto, but I will not seclude myself anymore. I have never been a shy person, and I will sure as hell not start now. Pushing myself from the chair, I rest my elbows on the table and place my hands under my chin. Lick my lips and look at him, it may be a bold move, and he may be my boss, but I am not going to push this connection aside anymore.

“What else are you trying to figure out?” I asked him, lust flashing across his eyes.

“I want to know all of you. Is that something that you can give me now?” He asked and mimicked the way that I was sitting. Our lips were mere millimeters away.

“Not much to know. I am an only child. I stopped talking to my parents the year after I married, and I am dying to talk to them, but I know that if my husband finds out I am alive and have reached out to my parents, he will come for me. I am sure that he will go to the ends of the earth and find me.” I said, nodding my head and catching a lone tear that was ready to fall.

“When was the last time that you saw your husband?” He leaned back on the chair, arms folded across his chest and his jaw ticking.

“I don’t recall.” I answered, shaking my head. I feel so comfortable talking to him that it is only after the words have left my mouth that I regret telling him. “The last time I saw him, he dropped me off in front of the hospital thinking I was dead after he beat the shīt out of me.” He stands up abruptly from the chair, letting it fall to the ground, and leaves the restaurant. He stands, his back facing me on the sidewalk. His hands were resting on his hips, his head thrown back as he breathed in and out. His breathing was so hard that I could physically see his shoulders move up and down. Maybe two minutes pass when he hangs his head down and walks back into the restaurant just as Gloria walks towards us with our plates in hand. Jacob says nothing to me as he grabs his fork and digs in.

He raises his eyes toward me and dips his chin. “Eat, Valentina.”

I shook my head. “What was that?” I pointed toward the door where he had just come from.

“I cant… If he ever comes to find you… You won’t need to sign divorce papers because you will be widowed. He steps a single toe in Italy, and I will ensure that.”