Sold on You (10 page)

Gabriela stifled the temptation to chortle with sweet revenge.

When they entered the room and were seated, Nicole rose and placed her purse on her shoulder. "I really must be leaving now," she said.

"Aw, but you haven't tasted Abuelita Coqui's dessert," Gabriela said, pretending to be disappointed.

"It's
brazo de reina,
my specialty." Abuelita Coqui beamed. "It's the Latin version of a jelly roll cake, but with
dulce de leche
instead of the jelly. I always—"

"Sounds nice, but I'm watching my weight," Nicole interrupted, patting her flat stomach. "But I'm sure Gabby will be happy to polish it off." She ended her suggestion with a meaningful glance at Gabriela's round hips.

Before Gabriela could lunge at Nicole with the serving spatula, Marcos quickly removed it from her hand and set it on the table.

"Nobody calls me Gabby. My name is Gabriela."

"I'll try to remember that," Nicole said scornfully.

Marcos placed his hand on the small of Nicole's back and propelled her toward the front door.

"Oh, dear, I must get something I left in my room. It was nice to meet you, Nicole. Good night," Abuelita said.

"The pleasure was mine, Mrs. Calderon," Nicole murmured politely from her spot at the door.

When Abuelita Coqui left the room, Nicole kissed Marcos possessively full on the mouth, and then gave Gabriela a spiteful look before leaving. Gabriela glared accusingly at Marcos and was about to say something when Abuelita Coqui returned.

"Oh good, she's gone. That young woman was so unpleasant!" exclaimed Abuelita Coqui.

"She's a real drag," Gabriela agreed heartily.

"Nicole is usually... er... nicer. She must have been tired," Marcos said diplomatically.

Gabriela stared at him, disgusted that he'd chosen to defend Nicole. "
Really?
Tired or just plain—"

"Aren't we having dessert
?
" Marcos cut in, censoring her with a meaningful look.

"Don't mind if I do." Gabriela silently served dessert for everyone and tried not to look at Marcos because she'd surely show her disappointment.

Just as she was about to take her first bite
,
Abuelita Coqui cleared her throat, commanding their attention. "Excuse me, I'll be right back," she said with a cryptic smile.

To Gabriela's surprise the elderly woman scurried to the bedroom and returned with a black velvet box. She handed it to Gabriela. "This is for you, dear. It was a gift from my husband, Alberto, when I turned twenty-one."

Gabriela sat there frozen, racking her brain for the right thing to say, but her lips wouldn't form the words.

"Open it," Abuelita Coqui gently urged.

Her heart aching with remorse, Gabriela raised the velvet lid and drew a sharp intake of breath. "Oh, these pearls are exquisite! The color is so lustrous."

"They're yours now," Abuelita Coqui said.

"No, I couldn't! I mean, thank you for this generous gift. You've truly touched my heart. But I couldn't accept something your beloved husband gave you," Gabriela said, feeling like a rat for the deception.

Abuelita Coqui waved away her objections. "Nonsense. I want you to have them. You've made me very happy as Marcos' future bride." She giggled. "Besides, I'd rather see these pearls on a beautiful young neck like yours, than my wrinkly one. Marcos, please help her with the clasp," Abuelita Coqui said, smiling happily.

Plagued by guilt, Gabriela glanced at Marcos, who seemed to be having a hard time keeping his composure.

"Of course, Abuelita," he said, rising from the table to place the pearls around Gabriela's neck.

Gabriela shivered at the feel of his warm fingers resting on her nape as he closed the intricate flower-shaped clasp of the choker-length pearls. The pearls fit high around her neck, just above her sweater.

"There." His hands lightly rested on her shoulders. "Let me see you."

Trying not to show the desperation she was feeling, Gabriela reluctantly turned around to show him.

"They're lovely on you," he murmured, his burnished hazel eyes glowing as he looked down at her upturned face.

Gabriela couldn't disappoint Abuelita Coqui, especially with the fondness she saw in her wise, old eyes. She leaned forward and kissed her soft, scented cheek. "I'll always cherish your gift. Thank you."

"It's my pleasure, dear. You're going to be Marcos' wife. It pleases me to see you wearing the pearls that hold fond memories for me."

"Gracias,"
Gabriela barely managed to say.

"Welcome to our family," Abuelita Coqui said warmly.

Gabriela's response died on her lips when the phone rang. "I hope it's not the hospital," she said, watching Marcos answer it.

"Marisol, how are you?" he boomed into the receiver. "Abuelita Coqui's fine, sitting right here at the dining room table. Gabriela prepared a feast for us, and we're just finishing Abuelita's
brazo de reina.
" He nodded his head. "I know you want her to visit you, but we're enjoying her company. So soon?" he asked after a pause. He turned to look at his grandmother. "Abuelita, Marisol wants to speak with you."

Abuelita Coqui started to rise, but wavered on her feet and sat back down abruptly. "
Ay,
I feel lightheaded,
"
she gasped. With a bemused expression, she fanned her knitted brow and took a quivery breath.

"I have to call you back, Marisol," Marcos said urgently. He hung up and rushed to his grandmother's side. Holding her wrist, he checked her pulse. "Are you dizzy?"

"Yes, and warm. I don't know what came over me," Abuelita moaned, "and now I have a slight headache."

Marcos studied her with keen eyes as he felt her forehead. "You don't feel hot. Has this ever happened before?"

"No, it might have been the wine. I'm not used to drinking more than one glass." She pressed her pale, blue-veined hands against her face.

"Stay there and don't get up. I'll get my kit to check your blood pressure."

Marcos returned shortly and knelt beside Abuelita Coqui. After taking her blood pressure, he removed the stethoscope. "Your blood pressure is a bit low, but not enough to make you faint. Have you had any other symptoms?"

Abuelita Coqui shook her head and gave him a shaky smile. "Don't worry about me. I feel better."

Looking unconvinced, Marcos studied her with a creased brow.

"What did Marisol say?" Abuelita asked.

"She wants to come on Wednesday and take you back with her."

"That soon?" Her shoulders slumped with disappointment.

"She misses you and wants you to have time with the twins. But I'd like you to stay longer." Marcos ignored Gabriela's cough and continued, "At least until the end of the week so I can run some tests on you."

"No tests! I'm here as your
abuela
, not your patient," Abuelita Coqui huffed.

Marcos paused after her vehement protest. It was obvious he was still concerned, but he didn't want to push the issue and upset her further.

"All right, but if you feel like this again, you'll have to heed my advice," he said, his tone gentle but firm. "When was your last checkup?"

"I had a complete checkup before I left. Sonya insisted on it."

"Well, I'm glad Mamá was thinking sensibly, for once," Marcos muttered. "Are you taking any medicines?"

"Just the one I've taken for years for my cholesterol."

"Would you like to rest while I clear the dishes?" Gabriela asked.

"I'll help Gabriela if you'll go into the living room and relax on the sofa," Marcos said, smiling persuasively at his grandmother.

"But I don't feel like resting," she protested.

Marcos shook his finger at her. "Don't be stubborn,
viejita
" he said, calling her "old woman" in Spanish with gruff fondness. "Do as I say or I'll carry you into the living room."

"Don't be disrespectful!" Abuelita Coqui admonished, unsuccessfully hiding a grin.

"Gabriela and I can make short work of putting things in order. Right,
amor
?
"
He winked at Gabriela.

Gabriela nodded, even though she didn't particularly look forward to like being in the kitchen with Marcos, minus Abuelita Coqui's presence as a buffer.

"Very well," Abuelita Coqui conceded with a grin. "I can see I'm not needed in the kitchen." She allowed Marcos to escort her into the living room, where he turned on the TV to a Spanish
telenovela.
He raised the volume a bit, then joined Gabriela in the kitchen.

Gabriela didn't turn around when she heard him slide the pocket door behind him.

He peered over her shoulder. "You already rinsed the dishes and loaded them?"

She sensed his surprise. It was obvious Marcos wasn't used to doing domestic chores. "Yes, but these pans are going to take a bit longer."

"Just leave them soaking. My housekeeper, Carmen, will wash them tomorrow."

"Okay." Gabriela ordinarily wouldn't have left dirty pans in his sink, but she was anxious to get away from Marcos, especially after the horrid evening they'd spent entertaining his dear Nicole. She dried her hands on the dishtowel, then hung it up. Of their own will, her fingers crept up to touch the pearl necklace. "Marcos, I feel horribly guilty about accepting these pearls. I'll return them to you when this is over."

"She wanted you to have them."

Gabriela shook her head vehemently. "No, she wanted your
future wife
to have them," she corrected. "Now that I've gotten to know Abuelita Coqui, everything has taken a different turn. I've never felt so ashamed of myself!"

"I'm not feeling very proud of myself either. Especially after seeing how frail she looked when she almost fainted." His anxious gaze darted toward the sliding door. "This isn't the time to talk about it. We'll discuss it tomorrow."

He was right. They could hardly come up with a resolution with his grandmother within hearing distance. Reluctantly, she nodded. "I'm leaving then. I have to get up early in the morning."

"What time do you wake up?"

"Six A.M. I'm planning on walking the beach at sunrise before I head to work."

"Where do you walk?"

"Near the pier in North Naples. Will you be checking in on Christy tomorrow?"

He smiled. "Yes, of course. I'll see her during rounds and if everything's in order, she can go home."

"Good. She was a little upset today because she hadn't heard from her family. Her mom called just as I was leaving, but her father and brothers hadn't come by to see her."

Marcos shook his head in disgust. "That's a shame. Hopefully, they'll come around soon. She's going to need a lot of support."

"I'll say."

"Thanks for preparing such a great meal tonight. I'm sorry you had to play hostess to Nicole, but it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't invited her to join us."

"I thought you would like it," she fibbed.

"Well, I didn't. You two are like oil and vinegar."

"She was vinegar all right!" Gabriela felt a fresh wave of anger toward Nicole, just recalling the brazen woman's territorial behavior toward Marcos.

Marcos ignored her suddenly sharp tone. "Are you really planning to take Abuelita Coqui sightseeing tomorrow?"

She gave him a look that made it clear she kept her promises. "I said I would, didn't I?"

He reached into his back pocket and extracted his wallet.

Gabriela recoiled, insulted that he would attempt to pay her in the kitchen as if she were hired help, like his cleaning lady. She stayed his hand. "You don't have to pay me yet."

"I wasn't going to. Here's my Saks card. You'll need some more clothes for the week."

She should have realized that seeing Nicole again had reminded Marcos that Gabriela's unglamorous appearance needed help, "Your grandmother seemed to like me just fine tonight, even though I was wearing glasses and my hair was pulled up," she challenged, her chin jutting out in defiance.

He smiled at her and tapped her nose. "Yes. She thinks you're beautiful. She told me so this morning."

"Oh. That's nice of her." Marcos's warm smile disarmed Gabriela, and she suddenly felt defenseless. Part of her ached for him to say that he found her beautiful, too. But this was just a game for Marcos and she needed to remain impersonal—like him. Against her better judgment, she found herself wanting to attract him, even though she wasn't the type of woman he ever dated. He'd only chosen her because she was Latina, with old-fashioned values, a woman his grandmother would like, not him. That had been painfully obvious tonight when she'd observed the farewell kiss Nicole had given him.

The witch!

Gabriela refused to take his card. "Keep it. I'm sure I can find something in my closet that won't embarrass you." Eager to leave, Gabriela reaches for her purse, but the shoulder strap got caught on the seat. Flustered, she yanked on it and caught Marcos watching her.

"You're mad at me," he said with a sigh. "Can't say that I blame you."

"I'm mad at the situation. So mad, I can't stomach it."

Marcos flinched. "I hate lying to her, too."

"Especially during Christmas. It doesn't seem right." She tried to shake off the guilt, but it covered her like a shroud. "Well... I'll see you tomorrow night."

"I'll walk you to the car."

She shook her head and looked away from his shining, earnest eyes. "I'd rather you didn't."

Gabriela slid open the kitchen pocket door and found Abuelita Coqui had fallen asleep on the living room sofa. She looked so peaceful Gabriela didn't have the heart to awaken her.

Leaning over, she lightly kissed the elderly woman's soft, wrinkled cheek and felt another sharp stab of guilt over lying to her and falsely raising her hopes. She felt ashamed for taking part in a plot that would sadden his grandmother and ultimately destroy her trust. Gabriela shook her head to dispel the rising recriminations in her heart.

She was disgusted with herself over how easily she had accepted when Marcos had offered her five hundred dollars a day. But it had all seemed like a game then. Now she doubted if she could carry on this charade for another day, let alone a whole week. She gazed at Marcos and noted the bemused expression on his face. Without uttering a word, she waved good-bye and walked toward the front door.