The Beast's Bride

five : cinco

Chapter 5

I stand in front of the closet in just my underwear fresh from a shower. Deciding that my best choice is a pair of jeans and a loose sweater, I pull them on in a hurry. It’s almost seven which means Adrian is coming soon. 

Honestly, I just want to curl up in bed and sleep for several hours. The weather report decides to push through with its forecast and has been raining hard ever since I got back home from the woods. It’s that type of weather where you just want to cuddle up with a soft fluffy blanket and watch Disney movies. The cute romantic comedy ones that make you believe love is real. The only reason I’m going out is to keep grandpa happy. He likes seeing me out with people. 

A car from the gate loudly honks and I hear the household help from downstairs rush to open the gate. It’s too late to cancel now. 

Just because I know my grandma would love it, I apply a light layer of makeup and spray some perfume. Finally, to follow through my promise, I brush my hair using an actual hairbrush and not just my hands. I can already hear her excited squealing as I do. 

I take my time to come down the stairs. Ron is sitting in the living room watching television. He looks up when he notices me and shakes his head.

“Even the rain is telling you not to go.” Ron says sticking his tongue out childishly. 

A loud thunder pierces through the quiet night and we both shudder. “I’m starting to believe you.” 

“Don’t go!” He pushes kneeling on the couch. 

I scrunch my nose up wanting to do just that. “It’s rude and I already said yes.” 

“Since when did you care about being rude? You used to throw loud chaotic tantrums at the market if you didn’t get what you want.” Ron cackles and throws a pillow at my face.

I’m too lazy to avoid the pillow and take the hit like a man. “That happened once and I would appreciate it if you forget about that.” 

We’re interrupted by Agatha who enters the room and frowns at the two of us. “I don’t recall the two of you scheduled to have dinner? Unless I’m being haunted by a ghost, a man is here coming to pick you up.” 

“Maggie was just telling me that she doesn’t want to go out with the ugly arrogant man.” Ron shamelessly tells Agatha while he wags his eyebrows up and down. 

Agatha claps her hands together. “Of course she does! It’s Adrian! Maggie likes him. Your grandma and I always thought you’d marry him one day.” 

At her words, a flash of lighting brightens the room temporarily followed by another loud thunder that shakes the walls of the house. 

“I don’t like Adrian.” I clarify when the sound of thunder subsides. “He’s just an old friend.” 

Agatha and Ron share a disbelieving look. “You spent an awful amount of time with him when we were kids. I remember he was the only person you were willing to leave the woods for.”

I pick up the pillow that he threw at me and with full force whack him. “That’s a lie. Stop lying.” 

“Now, now. Adrian is here waiting outside in the pouring rain. You should go to him.” Agatha advises taking my arm, pulling me out the room and towards the front door where Adrian’s car is parked.

Another household help is waiting for me with an umbrella. A solemn look goes through her face when she sees me. I joined her under the umbrella with the rain pelting down on us hard. 

“Come home early or the weather won’t get better.” She whispers once we make it to the car.

“What do you mean?” I ask perplexed. She’s the same girl that mentioned the good weather.    

The girl looked towards the woods and back at me. “He’s mad.” 

“Yes, I know Ron doesn’t particularly like Adrian.” I try to joke but she just continues to stare at me.

“Don’t stay too out too late.” 

If I wasn’t spooked by her at first, I’m definitely spooked now. I open Adrian’s car door and seat myself while keeping eye contact with her.  To add to my fright, the rain decides to pour harder complete with bright lightning and loud thunder. 

“Hey!” Adrian greets cheerfully despite the horrible weather. 

I share his smile. “Hey, sorry for making you wait.”

“I wasn’t waiting that long. Don’t worry. Ready for your rainy tour of the town?” He waves my apology off and we drive away. 

Sure enough, we could barely see anything. It’s pitch dark with barely any visibility. Adrian drives expertly out of the outskirts where I live and into the heart of the town. It’s livelier and brighter here. 

In contrast to the dark roads of where I live, the town is full of life and filled with bright lights. The awful weather didn’t look so bad here. 

Memories from my childhood come rushing back to me. Everything from the small lamp post that I used to jump over, to the bus stop that I sat on for absolutely no reason and the tree in front of a rundown barn that I used to dare Adrian to climb.

“Remember that tree?” He laughs pointing at it. “You used to tell me that if I climbed on it, I’d finally be a man.” 

I laugh along with him and resist the urge to cover my face in embarrassment. “I was so mean. I’m so sorry.” 

“You were a riot and the coolest out of all of us.” Adrian says fondly. 

I scoff at his words. “I was every adult's nightmare.” 

Adrian flashes me a movie star like smirk. “But you’re everyone else’s star.” 

I roll my eyes. “Flattery will not get me to pay for dinner.” 

He bursts out laughing. “I wouldn’t dare.”

Adrian parks in front of a well known Grill. It’s a restaurant that adults go to. I always wanted to go but there was an internal rule in town that only eighteen and older can eat here. When you turn eighteen it’s a right of passage to eat at this restaurant. 

My excitement rises. I could finally eat here. Actually, my grandpa would cheat the rules. He always had take out food for me and I thought it’s the best thing in the world. I just know it’ll be different when I actually eat the food there while it’s freshly cooked and hot. 

“Are we eating at El Diablo?” I whisper like I wasn’t allowed to say the name out loud. 

The grin on Adrian’s face widens considerably. “Yes. I figured you never got to have your eighteenth birthday here.” 

“This is already the best dinner I’ve ever had. I’m sure of it.” I swear to him taking off my seatbelt. 

We both get out of the car and run for cover at the entrance of El Diablo. The outside is already climatic. It gives nothing away but the name and the feel of the restaurant inside. 

Red neon lights show off the restaurant’s name. There’s even red lights that show off the huge wooden doors with interesting looking engravings on them. I’ve never in my life been this close to El Diablo before. 

“I can’t believe I’m an adult that can go to El Diablo.” I tell Adrian who’s staring down at me with the biggest smile. 

Adrian leans down until he’s hovering near my ear. “I heard you cheated. Your grandpa would take home food for you to try even before you were eighteen.” 

I gasp leaning away from him. “Who told you?”

“Ron.” 

“That traitor!” I groan running a hand through my hair. “When did he tell you?”

The smile on his face doesn’t waver. “Earlier. Ron asked me where I was taking you. I told him to have your first taste of adulthood and he said you already had it years ago.” 

“Snitches get stitches.” 

He lifts his hands up in mock surrender. “Don’t shoot the messenger.” 

I looked back at the door and it felt like I was about to enter a forbidden area. There’s a rule that you aren’t allowed to take photos inside so no one but the people that can go to the restaurant have seen what the inside looks like. I share a look with Adrian before pushing open the doors.

The first thing I notice is the landscape. It’s a big grotto, a stone like artificial cave tunneling downwards which resembled large receding steps or stairs. It’s an open space with a big tent covering us from the rain. The only lights are coming from lit torches that are lined around the stone walls and on tall sticks wedged on the ground. 

Tables are placed on the flat surfaces between each step and at the very bottom of the cone-like landscape is a live band playing inside a circle surrounding a moat. The moat itself has little colorful lights flashing from time to time like a pool. 

“I’m never leaving this place.” I announce to Adrian.

He shrugs his shoulders like he never planned to leave anyway. “Let’s never leave then.” 

Adrian takes my hand, guides us down the stone steps and stops half way down. He picks a table lit by a lantern and sits us down.

“Whoever designed this place is a genius.” I say, my eyes still looking around with wonder. I don’t know what I was expecting but it certainly wasn’t this and I’m glad. It’s straight out of someone’s wild imagination. 

“The owner is kind of crazy. He said he takes inspiration from the home of woodland spirits or some weird crap like that.” Adrian mocks clearly not believing the owner.

I wasn’t a believer too. “How did he know what it looks like?”

“Apparently he fell into it and escaped by wearing his clothes inside out.” He says with a shrug. Adrian calls for a nearby waitress and starts to order, ending our conversation.

Our drinks come first. They’re in ceramic carved glasses that looked like tikis. What I liked most about it was the colorful neon straw and banana leaves decorating it. 

I certainly appreciate the details he put in his restaurant. It’s no wonder the entire town likes going here. It had this forbidden feeling about it that shows off the town’s superstitions regarding the woods. 

Our food comes next and it’s even better than I remember it. Adrian switches our drink from juices to cocktails. I can take alcohol pretty well and didn’t mind it much. 

We talk about school in the city and we agree that as much as we appreciate our time there, it’s nothing like home. 

“I thought you of all people would love it there. You’re the adventurous one.” He says while tipping his head back to finish the rest of his drink. The banana leaf poking at his nose. 

I finish off my own drink. “It’s not for me. I like it here better.” 

He places his hand over mine. “It’s good to be back together.” 

“Yeah...” I look down at our hands and have the urge to pull it away. 

Adrian doesn’t seem to notice my discomfort. “Did you ever have a boyfriend in the city? Do you have a boyfriend right now?” 

I cough at the question. “No. No boyfriend.” 

Many have asked especially in college but no one was interesting enough. I’ve gone on plenty of dates yet I never agreed on a second date. 

Not a single person in college stood out to me. Maybe because when I was there, all I could think about was going home. My firsts there were all fun but they were all things I wouldn’t do again. 

“No one’s good enough for the town’s star, eh?” Adrian teases ordering a refill on our drinks. 

I shake my head and laugh. “It’s not that. I just have other priorities.” 

“You were always unreachable, Maggie. And I don’t mean your house being far away.” He stares at me and purses his lips. “You were always on the go running to the newest adventure or climbing the highest tree. You had the best grades, the best family and the best looks.”

“Go on. Tell me more about my looks and I might pay for dinner.” I joke pretending to get my wallet from my bag. 

“I’m serious. Not even the principal could stop you when you decided to save the baby turtle from the pond.” 

“He could get eaten there.” I argue remembering that day very well. We were ten. It was lunch break at school and I was with Adrian eating by the pond. Pigeons were flying around trying to catch the baby turtle. Without thinking twice, I jumped into the water and saved the turtle. My grandma gave me an earful but I was just happy to save the little guy. 

“Everyone thought you were a hero.” 

I shake my head, a smile playing at my lips. “Really? My grandma called me a reckless heathen.” 

Suddenly, Adrian’s face turns red. “Maggie?” 

“Yeah?” I answer, picking at a plate of peanuts. 

“Did you know that I had a crush on you back then?” He scratches the back of his head in embarrassment.

My eyes widen. “What?”

The blush on his cheek darkens. “I had- have a crush on you.”