Page 60 of That Last Summer

“I don’t think that sounded the same in my head as it did in yours. And isn’t that what married couples do?”

“You know what I mean.”

“The honest truth is that I don’t, and I’m trying, believe me. My point is: cut this unresolved sexual tension and everyone goes home happy. That’s it.”

“There is no sexual tension.”

“Damn, Pris, there’s sexual tension everywhere in this fucking town,” he says looking intently towards my brothers, although Adrián’s still nowhere to be seen.

“And you leave Adrián alone.”

“Why?” he asks, looking away from the rest of my brothers.

“Because he’s straight, and even if he wasn’t, it would be weird if you slept with both.”

“Both? What do you mean with both?” he says, startled.

“Adrián and me,” I answer in a whisper.

“Oh. Okay, but I don’t think it’s weird, I believe love is—”

“Yeah, I know, I know,” I cut in. He’s sung this song so many times before, but my brother is completely off-limits. Jaime is bisexual. He falls in love with the person, no matter their gender, but not with my brother. It’d be weird.

I sip my beer only to discover my glass is already empty. We order another round and down this one just as fast, then wander around the beach bar. I have to admit, my eyes drift to Alex. Alex, who spends the whole evening talking and laughing with Brave One—I can’t see the other one. He talks to others too, pretends he doesn’t know me. When we’re near each other he doesn’t even look my way. It’s as if I don’t exist.

Every time I see Alex and the redhead together, I can’t help but imagine them naked, rubbing against each other, moaning, having fun... God, I need to stop reproducing those images in my mind, I haven’t done it for a long time now and I don’t want to go back to that, not again. I have no idea what kind of relationship those two have. The only thing I know for sure is that they’re not an official couple. Marcos told me that. Alex doesn’t have a girlfriend. And I guess if they were, I’d have heard of it from someone. I haven’t seen them kiss either, not once all evening. But maybe that’s because they’re hiding it—after all, Alex and I are still married. It’s possible that, although in public they’re just good friends, in private they sleep together. Or none of the above, I don’t know. Maybe they’re not together anymore.

After another beer, I feel the impending need to go to the toilet. I apologize to Jaime and go to the restrooms behind the beach bar. When I’m done, I see my best friend is back at the counter for another round and as I move toward him I glance sideways, looking for Alex’s group. But he’s no longer there and suddenly I crash against someone’s back. Shit, I completely miscalculated; I didn’t realize I was so close to the bar.

“Are you drunk, Queen of the Desert?”

Again: shit. What’s with my bad luck? Of course I had to bump into Alex. And since telling him that I didn’t see him there precisely because I was looking for him somewhere else is embarrassing as hell, I just lie. And while I’m at it, I decide to tell him that other thing that’s eating me alive. “Yes, I’m drunk and ridiculous.”

Jaime turns around next to us, looking startled.

“Excuse me, what?” Alex asks, confused, pausing with his beer halfway to his mouth.

“The bow in my hair. It’s huge,” I say, pointing at my head. “It’s the biggest I could find.”

“Fuck, it is big. I didn’t notice.”

What? He didn’t notice? Is he kidding? How is that even possible? Does he not look at me at all? This ribbon takes up practically half of my head!

I erupt into crazy laughs.

“Excuse her,” Jaime says. “She has no filter when she drinks.”

“She has no filter, period. It has nothing to do with drinking.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. He knows you, Pris.”

“He knew me.”

“Yeah, okay... I’d better leave you two alone so you can fix your... unfinished business.” Jaime winks at me and then makes a very obscene gesture with his fingers. I glare at him.

“What was that?” Alex lifts his chin toward my friend’s retreating back.

“Nothing,” I say with indifference.