'The Horse Farm' - Part Seven

The water felt warm and exhilarating as it sprayed onto the back of Louise's shoulders and ran down the length of her blond hair. She stood motionless, eyes closed, cleansing body and soul and letting her concerns wash down the drain. She knew that she wasn't innocent, but she wanted to be, and for a moment it felt possible.

From the day that Antonio arrived in her office the chemistry was obvious. His soft voice and gentle nature put her at ease and intensified the impact of his sculpted features. Louise was cautious; she realized that any woman could be attracted to a man of Antonio's appearance, his looks, his confidence. But when he began to hint that he had feelings in return, the signals became impossible to ignore.

At first they interacted as colleagues. They attended meetings and engaged in brief moments of small talk. Occasionally, they met for lunch, but not often. Regular lunch dates would have caught the eye of the office gossips.

It was a Thursday when Antonio first suggested that they go out for a drink. Louise refused the invitation; she had made plans to see Walter that evening. They rescheduled for the following Tuesday, and that's when she and Antonio first kissed.

'Oh, that was a mistake!' Louise recalled. She was a wreck for a week. She couldn't look Antonio in the eye and actually concocted an excuse to avoid a meeting where he was to give a lengthy presentation. Eventually they had a candid discussion, and things returned more or less to normal.

Walter was out of town when Antonio proposed dinner at the Argentine steakhouse. It sounded nice, a taste of authentic South American culture. The dinner was cordial, but when they danced to the sad, sweet music of the bandoneon, Louise was transported to another place and time.

Antonio held her tenderly as they glided across the floor. She felt herself melting into his embrace. Minutes turned to hours, the songs blended together, evening stretched until morning, and there was no going back.

It wouldn't last. Antonio returned to Uruguay when his assignment was completed. There was no discussion of continuing the affair. They were from different worlds and they knew it. He called twice and they shared some emails, but it wasn't the same. At Christmas, she received an impersonal e-card and never heard from him again.

'The Horse Farm'

Copyright © 2013 Daniel R. South

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