Calah
I agreed to meet Mateo in the lobby at five and he told me to wear my swimsuit. I’m not sure why a swimsuit is necessary for dinner but for some reason I can’t say no to him. Thankfully I got some new bikinis when I went shopping with Rhea so I put on the one I like best and put a sundress on top.
My sundress matches my swimsuit perfectly, it’s cream with blue flowers. It seems tropical and I’m at a beach resort, it’s not what I’d usually wear but it seems right for the occasion. For whatever reason Mateo seems really into me no matter what I’m wearing and that helps me feel confident. I touch up my makeup and brush my hair until I finally feel like I’m ready.
Mateo is his own type of quirky, he’s dramatic and romantic and he doesn’t even know it so I’m just going to be myself too. My only worry is complicating the deal with a romantic entanglement, but Mateo’s lips feel too good to pass up. He says we can figure it out and I want to trust him and see what happens. I gather my things and put a change of clothes in my bag (just in case) and head down to the lobby.
When the elevator doors pop open it’s easy to see Mateo standing in the middle of the lobby, he’s tall and broad and the way he stands commands attention. I walk toward him and he turns around with a single white rose in his hand. He smiles, and his dark eyes are drawing me in; it feels like I’m floating over to him. When I step close enough he reaches his arm around me and pulls me close. He smells amazing, like a fragrance I didn’t realize I missed, musky and sexy but sweet at the same time.
“Calah, you look beautiful.”
“Thank you, Mateo, you look handsome,” I say and he does, he’s wearing some fitted swim shorts and his shirt is unbuttoned enough that I can see his chiseled chest.
“This is for you,” he passes me the rose, “Don’t worry I clipped the thorns.”
He is so sweet, “Thank you, it’s beautiful.”
“I hope you’ll like what I have planned, I think it’s the best of what Alicante has to offer.”
“I’m sure it will be wonderful.”
“Come with me,” he reaches for my hand and entwines our fingers, it’s familiar but I don’t mind.
“Where are we going?”
“You’re curious or would you like a surprise?” he lifts an eyebrow as if to entice me toward the surprise.
“A little bit of both, I don’t know,” I giggle.
“We’re going to the beach so you can meet someone important to me, then I will cook you dinner and we’ll go for a swim and watch the sunset.”
“Wow,” is all I can manage, he really seems to have put a lot of thought into this.
“Do you know what the white rose means?”
“I don’t, will you tell me?”
“People say different things, but my mother always has white roses on the properties because they symbolize a positive new beginning or everlasting love.”
“That’s beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful; my hope is that this will be a positive new beginning that can turn into everlasting love.”
“Mateo,” I caution him because this is all very complicated, this is just dinner.
“Calah, I know but I can’t stop my heart when it comes to you. It’s true that in general I am a passionate man, but I feel very strongly about you, only you.”
As we step into the sand he turns to face me and holds my gaze while he talks, “Calah, I’ve never felt this for anyone before, you are so beautiful, I am so drawn to you.”
“I feel for you too Mateo, I’m just so scared about the deal. It’s more than just a deal for me, I had to … well I don’t have to go into it all now but it’s really important to me, I can’t let myself get distracted,” I explain.
“Your presentation was wonderful,” he grins.
“Would you tell me if it was awful?” I giggle.
“I would never lie to you Calah. I won’t.”
“I want this Mateo so let’s not talk about the complications any more tonight. Tonight we’re still two people who met in a bar, okay?”
“Like a story…”
“Right.”
“Then I hope you like animals,” he smirks.
“Animals? I mean yes, I love them,” I exclaim.
“Good, come and meet Soleada and Latigo,” he guides me a little further down the beach and we walk around a large rock.
Standing there I see two beautiful horses being held on leads, “Mateo, they are so gorgeous,” I gush.
“Thank you, they are my personal horses, I usually ride Latigo more but they are both wonderful.”
“We’re going to ride them?”
“Yes, have you ever ridden a horse?”
"No but I want to, I’m excited!" I declare.
"Fearless, I like that."
As we approach the horses the larger black one seems happy to see Mateo, he takes the leads and says, "Thank you, Maria, I’ll take it from here." The girl who was holding the leads walks away back up the beach.
"What do their names mean?"
Mateo passes me one of the leads and pets the honey colored mane of the smaller horse, "Oh Soleada means Sunny, like sunshine," he scratches under the chin of the black horse and continues, "And this big boy is Latigo, a whip, like fast as a whip."
"Hi Sunny, you’re so beautiful," I say and she chuffs a little and lets me rub her snout.
"See, she likes you."
"She is so pretty."
"Can I help you up?"
"I’m not sure I’m getting up there without you, I can’t say I’m very athletic," I admit.
"You’ll be fine, put your foot here and I’ll lift you so you can swing your leg over."
"Alright, here goes nothing," I follow Mateo’s instructions and he lifts me by the waist then pushes my bottom up until I'm steady on Sunny’s back.
The touches were a little bit intimate but instead of feeling overwhelmed by it, again I feel aroused. Watching him hop up on Latigo’s back with ease doesn’t help my situation. I’ve never considered myself to be a very lusty or sexual person, but Mateo seems to bring it out of me. He looks so handsome, his dark hair is being highlighted by the sun then he smiles at me and I'm afraid I might pass out for a second.
Mateo clicks his tongue and the horses start to trot, "You just hold on, they know the way."
I hold on tight and soon Sunny is in the midst of a comfortable gallop. When I let my eyes drift over to Mateo my belly fills with butterflies. He does look like a handsome prince with his hair flowing in the wind on the back of a large powerful horse. He seems like a dream, everything people told me that I wouldn’t find, he’s it.
You take a look over and see the sun cast over the water and truly take in how beautiful everything is. This is incredible and you never would have experienced it if you hadn’t stood up to your parents. It sort of feels like you are becoming the person you were always meant to be, you love Spain and you could possibly come to love Mateo, it’s more than you thought possible.
