Page 18 of Until You Came Along
“You are insufferable!” I exclaimed, unable to contain myself.
“I see... I'll let you get back to sleep,” he said, and hung up.
I stared at the phone in disbelief at that conversation.
What just happened?,I wondered.
I didn't understand anything. That man had set out to drive me crazy and the worst part was that his call, beyond the frustration from his treatment and hanging up on me, had produced an irrational happiness in me.
I don't even understand myself!,I thought.
And I couldn't go back to sleep. I got up, took a shower and called Serafina to invite her to lunch at my place. I needed totalk to someone about what the irritating Hermes Darwich was making me feel, and no one was better than my friend.
???
Serafina arrived at my place around two in the afternoon. I had prepared a delicious Waldorf salad and for dessert I had chocolate ice cream. Even though the day was beautiful, I preferred not to have lunch on the balcony because I wanted to talk to her about Hermes and I couldn't risk Baco overhearing me. We were having lunch in the living room when my friend began her interrogation.
“You're being very mysterious. Tell me once and for all how it went yesterday with Baco. Did you sleep together?” she inquired anxiously.
“It's not Baco I want to talk to you about. I've told you several times that we're just friends. It's his brother I need to talk to you about.”
“Baco has a brother?”
“Yes, and that man is going to drive me crazy,” I said, resting my forehead in my hands.
Serafina looked at me with such surprise that her eyes seemed about to pop out of their sockets.
“I don't know who your neighbor's brother is, but judging by your face, I think you're in trouble.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, looking at her, afraid of what I might hear.
“Delfi, I've never seen you this worried and confused about any guy.”
“Hermes is not a guy, I assure you.”
“How old is he? Well, it doesn't matter, let's not waste any more time and tell me everything from the beginning.”
I told her about all our encounters, from my accident with his shirt, to his presence in my apartment due to confusion, and our dance at the party and subsequent phone conversation. When I finished, Serafina's mouth was so wide open that I thought her jaw was going to dislocate. I stared at her for a few seconds, but my friend didn't seem to react.
“Can you tell me what you think?” I asked, to snap her out of her concentration.
“How old did you say he is?”
“I didn't tell you, he's 38.”
“Oh my goodness! He's quite a bit older than you. He's a full-grown man.”
“I already know that. Tell me what you think about everything I told you,” I begged, needing an opinion that would shed some light on what was happening to me with this complicated man.
My friend took a few more seconds to respond while I looked at her desperately.
“Now I'm convinced you're in trouble,” she finally said.
“Can you be more specific?”
“Do you want me to be honest?” she asked, looking at me in a strange way, as if she felt sorry for me.
“That's why I'm telling you all this.”
