Page 8 of One Year Ago in Spain
“I can’t!”
“Yes, you can. Just go easy on theg.”
Claire screwed up her face. Then she took a deep breath and did her best, which she knew was still embarrassingly wrong—“wa-ca-mo-lay.”
Matías swooped her up in a hug and kissed her. “I love when you speak Spanish. And when we get to Madrid, you’ll get to put your lessons to good use.”
She winced. Claire had declared months ago that she was going to learn Spanish, but after an enthusiastic start, things at work had really heated up, and she hadn’t made much progress on the language since.
Plus, she was about to bail on the trip completely.
Claire let herself be held for a moment longer. But then it was time to face the music.
“I have bad news,” she said.
“Oh?” Matías frowned, but leaned against the window ledge, giving her his full attention. He did that every time—set down his phone or magazine or ukulele to listen to her when she started to talk. It was amazing, and at the same time, maddening how incredible he was, because Claire could never be as wonderful back. He set an impossible standard.
“I can’t go with you to Spain.”
“What?” His face crumpled. “Why?”
“This merger I’m in charge of…It’s at a crucial juncture, and I need to be here to manage it. I’m so sorry. But if I nail this, they’ll make me partner. Honestly, I still have to pinch myself that I’m running it all. It’s abillion-dollar deal for Intelligentsia Tech, and I can’t just leave in the middle of it. I’m really sorry, hon.”
“But we planned this,” Matías said.
“I know,” Claire said. “And I thought the timing would workout, but the firm needs me. I’m the linchpin of the whole acquisition.”
“I was really looking forward to showing you where I grew up,” he said. “And for you to meet my family.”
“I’ve sort of met your family on video chats?” she said, trying to be conciliatory.
“It’s not the same.”
She knew how important his family was to him, and how much he’d wanted them to meet in person. Claire leaned against the window ledge, beside him.
“I feel terrible about this.”
“What if you came with me, but we set aside some time for you to work remotely?”
She shook her head. “It’s not the kind of job I can do well if I’m not in the same office as my team.”
Matías was thirty-six and an accomplished artist, but right then, he looked like a boy who’d just lost his favorite toy.
“Hey…Look, Idowant to meet your family. Let’s promise to go to Spain together in the future, okay?” Claire said. “But this time, just go have fun. You haven’t been back home since you came to New York almost a year ago.”
He glanced in the direction of his dresser, and Claire was pretty sure he was thinking about the thwarted engagement.
“Maybe I’ll stay here, too,” he said.
Claire tensed for a second but plowed forward.
“No, don’t do that, Matías. It’s your summer break. You have no classes to teach till August, and you don’t have another gallery show until the fall. You should go to Spain and do all the things I wouldn’t want to do. Oh! What about that trip that Diego, Carlos, Facu, and Leo wanted to go on?”
Matías cocked his head as he thought about it. His childhood friends had proposed a week of jet skiing and skydiving and all manner of risky outdoorsy stuff that made Claire want to hide under a table just thinking about them. Matías had declined his friends’ plans when Claire was coming to Spain, but now that she wasn’t, he wouldn’t have to be held back by her anymore.
“Thatwouldbe a lot of fun,” he said.
Claire rested her head on his chest. “I appreciate you understanding about my job. And when you get back and my merger is done, I promise I’ll make some time for just us. Some sort of romantic getaway—even if it’s only for one weekend.”
