Evenings at the Argentine Club Page 14

  Victor packed his suitcase in the quiet buzz of the bedroom. He couldn’t believe he was leaving his home. She had no right to throw him out of his own place. He’d worked hard all his life to pay for this home. And now he was risking it all for them. To give Jaqueline something even better and grander and to make their lives what they’d always dreamed. He tossed a dozen or so pairs of underwear into his suitcase. Well, maybe what he’ d always dreamed. Jaqueline claimed to never have wanted any of it. His heart clenched when he remembered her exact words. All I wanted was you.

  His arms fell to his sides and his throat constricted. What the hell was he trying to prove to himself?

  Victoria stepped into his bedroom and zeroed in on his suitcase. “Where are you going?” she asked.

  “I don’t know,” he said, reaching for a pair of pants so she wouldn’t see the pain in his eyes. “But I have to leave for a while.”

  “How is that going to help? Do you know that she says she’s going to go to Argentina?”

  He snapped his attention away from packing. “What?”

  “You should have done this differently. You should have spoken to her.”

  “She wouldn’t have agreed. It’s a risk, and she doesn’t deal well with risks. But it will pay off for all of us. We’ll never have to worry about money again.” He prayed he was right. That all this was for something.

  “Dad, we don’t worry about money now—”

  “You don’t, but I do.”

  “I could have helped out. You guys just never let me—”

  “No!” Victor shouted. He loved his daughter, but how could she possibly understand that a man didn’t want his children taking care of him? “This will all work out, and you will never have to work again in your life.”

  “But I want to work. That’s what you don’t seem to get. I want to be a productive member of this family. You treat me like I’m incapable of contributing anything.”

  Victor didn’t want to listen to any of this now. He’d already decided his daughter was a grown woman and she could do what she wanted. Except think she was ever going to give him a dime. “We’ve already established that you’re free to do what you like, haven’t we? Now go do it.”

  His daughter’s stubborn chin lifted, and he knew he was going to have another fight on his hands. She could be so much like her mother sometimes.

  “That’s right, Victoria. Go lead your own life. That’s what you want, go do it.”

  “You think I can’t, don’t you? You’re waiting for me to fail. To come crawling back so you can say I told you so.”

  That wasn’t at all what he wanted. He might not understand

  his wife much, but he understood the desire Victoria felt to have something of her own. So he decided to give her the extra push out the door. “You want to show me you’re so goddamn independent? You think it’s easy to go out there and make something of yourself on your own? Then maybe you should be packing your bags, too. When I left Argentina, sweetheart, I left. No one held my hand.”

  Tears filled Victoria’s large expressive eyes, but she nodded. “Fine.”

  “Fine,” he said, and turned back to his packing. Then, as an afterthought, he remembered Jaqueline. If he was leaving, and Victoria was leaving, who the hell was going to take care of Jaqueline? “Wait,” he said, before Victoria could walk out of the bedroom. “Your mother. You can’t leave yet.”

  “You’re the one who’s married to her and the one who needs to stay,” she said in a voice that sounded tired and sad and that almost did him in.

  “But she threw me out.”

  “Then sleep in the garage. It’s your job to take care of this family, remember?” she said with a hint of sarcasm.

  He thought about this for a second. “You’re right. The garage. Good idea.”

  She wiped her tears and turned away.

  “Victoria,” he said, unable to let her go through with this. “Damn it, you can pursue your dreams without leaving home. I… didn’t mean that.”

  “It’s okay,” she said softly. “I’ll start looking for a place tomorrow.”

  His jaw tightened. This was never what he wanted. Hell, he wanted to make things better, and instead his life was falling apart.

  Victoria left him alone in the room he’d shared with his wife since before she was born. How had things gone so wrong? How had he managed to mess up so badly? And he wasn’t thinking of just what he’d decided to do with the restaurant. No, it was the first time Jaqueline had needed him and he’d been too busy. It was the first time he’d felt justified in finding comfort in the bed of another woman because his wife was too tired taking care of little girls to satisfy him. Truth was, even in Argentina, he knew he didn’t deserve a girl like Jaqueline. Hell, she’d always been too good for him. And here they were years later, and he’d let her down over and over again.

  He pulled his suitcase off the bed and headed to the garage.

  Chapter Twelve

  Victoria spent half of the next day choosing lighting for Eric’s house. He gave her a budget that was pretty tight, and after flooring, cabinets, and appliances she had little left to splurge on fancy lights. But she drove to the city of Ontario, where she’d located a warehouse that sold most of their discontinued items direct to the public. She was able to purchase a ceiling fan and a great chandelier for the dining room, as well as couple of nice lamps. She would have to pay retail for the rest of the items, like the canned lighting and the bathroom lights, but she was sure she had enough to cover that now.

  She took her finds to Eric’s place and stored them in his garage, which now had a new roof and a new door. Then she went into the house to look for him. His car sat in the driveway, but she didn’t see him in the house. In fact, no one was working, which was bizarre, since he kept everyone jumping and on target.

  She called him and got no response. Frowning, she peeked out of the sliding glass door and made a mental note to ask him if he wanted to replace it with a French door. It would look much nicer. She noticed him swimming laps in the pool.

  Stepping outside, she called, “Must be nice.”

  He lifted his head and swam to the edge of the pool. “Hey! Didn’t know you were stopping by today.” The water began to settle, winking at her here and there as the sun touched it. His dark hair was slicked back. He wiped away drops from his smiling face.

  “I purchased most of our lighting and wanted to drop it off. Where is everyone?”

  “Roofers finished work in the garage this morning. I didn’t schedule anyone else today. Wanna join me?”

  “In the pool? Ah, no.”

  “Come on,” he coaxed with a huge, inviting grin.

  “I didn’t bring a swimsuit. I’m working.”

  He angled his head and offered a wicked sneer. “You don’t need a swimsuit.”

  Victoria smiled and joked. “What kind of girl do you think I am?”

  “I think you’re a sexy woman, not a girl at all. But I wasn’t suggesting what you think. You can borrow a pair of my shorts, and use your bra. Instant swimsuit.”

  “I hate to admit this, but I don’t think I can fit into your shorts. Besides, I’m going to spend the rest of the afternoon going through the paper to look for a place to live. I’m moving out of my parents’ place.”

  He pulled himself out of the pool with strong, tanned arms that were kept in shape by hard work, not by a gym. He took a seat on one of the fold-up aluminum chairs with plastic straps that he’d placed on the deck. “Sit down.”

  She did.

  “What happened? How’s your mom?”

  “Pissed. I’ve never seen her this upset. She’s serious about my dad moving out.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Victoria’s heart ticked a little louder. He was so easy to talk to. “My dad asked me to move out, too.”

  “What? Why?”

  “He was angry; he didn’t mean it. But I decided it’s time. My only concern is leaving my mom alone.”


  He nodded. “What are you going to do?”

  “My dad is going to move into the garage. And I’m going to check in on her every day for a while.” She drew a breath. “God, Eric, I’m worried about them both.”

  He placed a hand on Victoria’s shoulder. His skin was almost dry, it was so hot outside. But his hair was still wet, and he looked gorgeous. “Everything will work out.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “Now, about that swim.” He offered a smile.

  She shook her head. “I told you, I’ve got to look for an apartment.”

  “You can do that tomorrow. Come on.”

  Victoria gazed into his eyes and thought, Why the hell not? She nodded and followed him inside, where he offered her a pair of his swimming trunks.

  “I’ll take a T-shirt, too. I’m not going in there with a bra.”

  “Why not?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Because I’m not.”

  He grumbled but offered her a sleeveless white T-shirt that he’d probably be able to see right through.

  “You’re kidding.”

  He chuckled and headed for the door. “I’ll wait in the pool.”

  She put on the shorts and the T-shirt over her bra, then met him outside. She climbed into the cold water, shivering slightly at the temperature difference. He swam over and watched the water soak into the T-shirt.

  “You kept your bra on.”

  “Of course. What did you expect?”

  He smiled at her question. And she had to smile, too.

  “Sure you don’t want to pull the T-shirt off, then? It’ll be easier to swim.”

  “I’m fine. Race you to the other side.”

  “Okay.” He splashed her and performed a perfect backstroke. Effortlessly, he made it to the opposite end of the pool. They swam up and down the length of the pool about a dozen times. He paused, stood up, and leaned back against the edge of the pool. “So Victoria, I’d really like you to take one of the rooms in this house. Seems kind of foolish for you to go rent an apartment when I’ve got this big empty house available.”

  Victoria tried to control her breath as she stopped beside him. Would she ever get in shape? She hadn’t had any sugar for over a month, and she’d cut all her portion sizes. For all her effort, she’d lost very little weight—maybe ten pounds. “Thanks, but I’ll need to get an apartment eventually, anyway.”

  “So take your time looking for one, and in the meantime move in here. We’re about a month away from completion. Then we’ve got to sell it, and that’s when I’m really going to need your help with staging. You might as well move in.”

  She turned around in the pool and rested her arms on the edge. She lay the side of her face on her arms as she watched him. He was beyond sexy. “Why didn’t you ever get married, Eric?”

  A corner of his lips hitched up. “Never met the right girl.”

  “How many have you lived with?”

  “Zero.”

  She continued to look at him, blinking away drops of water that fell on her lashes. They shared a special relationship. One that never got a chance to blossom past friendship. And she wondered if maybe life… fate… was giving them a new opportunity. “Come here,” she said.

  He leaned closer.

  “Be honest. Are you asking me to live live with you? Or are you offering me a room?”

  “I’m offering you a room, no strings attached. But… I’m totally and completely interested in you as a woman, Victoria.”

  She hadn’t forgotten his words about being attracted to her. Or the kiss. Yes, she believed that he was interested. Without thinking, she leaned in closer. His breath seemed to catch and his gazed dropped to her mouth before he gently, hesitantly, touched his lips to hers. The kiss remained sweet and exploratory, ending much too quickly as he pulled back with a smile.

  “We shouldn’t do this, you know,” she whispered.

  He shrugged. “If you’re taking about sharing the house, it’s no big deal. If you mean the kiss, it feels right. Being home feels right.” He ran a hand down her back to her waist. “You feel right.”

  “I’m not sure if it feels right to me. But I’m in the mood to do a few things that don’t feel exactly right.”

  He chuckled. “It’s settled, then. Move in.” He eased back, swam away, got out of the pool, and disappeared. He returned with a couple of towels.

  She followed him out, took a towel, and dried off.

  He brushed her wet hair back with his fingers. “Offering you a room is just because you’re a friend, Vicki, and it’s business. Nothing more, I promise. ”

  “Got it. You’re not doing it to have sex with me. You’re just being nice.”

  His fingers froze, and his voice seemed lodged in his throat as he cleared it. “Ah, I’m not saying that, either.”

  She laughed, enjoying the fact that she felt comfortable enough with him to loosen up and be flirtatious.

  He caressed the side of her face as he slowly pulled his hand back from her hair. “Victoria,” he said.

  “Eric.”

  “What you said at the club last night about our parents being friends, and all that. I want you to know… I understand what you meant.” He touched her lips with his thumb. “But maybe their friendship shouldn’t have anything to do with you and me.”

  She eased her head back from his touch, because it was distracting. “It’s not just them. Lately, there’s so much going on in my life. I feel like I’m just getting to know who I really am.”

  He dropped a kiss on her forehead. “You want me to back off?”

  “Maybe not completely.”

  He smiled. “Okay. Good. I’ll take your lead, then.”

  She gazed into his eyes and they were warm. With him she felt comfortable. He seemed to understand her like no one else. What a wonderful, unexpected thing to feel understood and accepted. She pulled his head down and kissed him with all her heart.

  Victoria got up early the next morning and went for a two-mile walk. When she got back home, she took a shower and began packing.

  Jaqueline walked in with a plate of fresh fruit and placed it on Victoria’s two-person table, which she used as everything from desk to craft table to dinner table when she didn’t want to intrude on her parents’ alone time. Not that either of them ever cared to share a romantic dinner alone, but Victoria wanted to give them the opportunity if they wanted it.

  “Thanks, Mami,” Victoria said. “That looks wonderful.”

  Jaqueline sighed and took a seat at the table. “I don’t understand why you have to live with Eric in that broken-up house. Victoria, we didn’t raise you to live with a man. It’s not right.”

  “Mami, we’re working together. It’s just easier if we’re both there.”

  “It’s just as easy if you drive there in the morning.”

  Victoria got up off the floor, where she was folding clothes and deciding which she wanted to put in her suitcase. She sat across from Jaqueline. “I’ll get my own place soon.”

  “But why do you have to do that? This is your house. If your father doesn’t manage to lose it, it will be yours and Carmen’s.”

  Victoria placed a hand over her mother’s. “Dad won’t lose the house. I won’t let that happen. That’s why I plan to work with Eric and save money. If the bank takes this house, I plan to buy it right back. It’s your house.”

  Jaqueline shook her head. “It doesn’t feel like my home anymore with you girls grown. Especially if you move out. And with Victor gone.”

  “He’s in the garage. You can ask him to move back in anytime.” The detached garage sat at the end of the driveway.

  “I’m not going to do that. In fact, I want him gone farther than the garage.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  She stood. “If you’re determined to leave, I guess I can’t stop you. But you’re making a mistake, Victoria.”

  She probably was, but she didn’t care. She was excited and looking forward to the future.
When had she ever felt that?

  “You can leave whatever you want until you get your own place,” Jaqueline said. “You don’t have to take all your things now.”

  “Thanks.” Victoria’s stomach grew queasy, and not just because she was always hungry.

  Jaqueline left, and Victoria felt alone in her big bedroom. This was home. This was safety. She knew it was normal to feel trepidation when facing an unknown future. Everyone who left home probably felt exactly the same way. But the knowledge that she wasn’t the only one to ever go through this type of anxiety didn’t make her feel any better. She pushed aside her fears and continued to pack her suitcase.

  Beside her closet, she had a plastic trash bag for all the clothes she never wanted to wear again—sizes 18 and even 20. She’d worn them for a while one particularly horrible year when she couldn’t seem to stop stuffing things into her mouth. That had been when she dropped out of college and had to tell her father she couldn’t handle all those classes on statistics and business writing. She’d pick up venti mocha cappuccinos and extra large muffins on the way to class. Ate king-size Butterfingers between classes, then doughnuts and more coffee before heading to the restaurants in the evenings. Then her mother would offer her a huge steak before she started work, and she’d accept it and eat a baked potato loaded with butter and sour cream. Every night.

  Ugh. She tossed the clothes in the plastic bag and vowed never to fit into those again. Even her current size 16 she planned to discard as soon as possible. She loved food, but life was too short to hate the way you looked every time you looked in the mirror. And lately, she didn’t feel so much like stuffing herself with things that were bad for her. Especially when she was around Eric, who looked so healthy and vibrant. Because he knew what he wanted and went for it, she decided. That’s what she wanted for herself.

  A couple of hours later, she had two suitcases packed with clothes, shoes, belts, and other accessories. One bag full of makeup, brushes and combs, her blow-dryer, hair straightener, curler, lotions, creams, deodorants, toothbrushes, and birth control pills. She’d been taking those since she’d turned eighteen, and at times she asked herself why she bothered. Her face warmed now as she wondered if she would need them soon enough.