Royals in Toledo

Chapter 11

Maya and I were so exhausted from work that we ordered take out for dinner when we got home. Her apartment had a small TV and, thankfully, there was free cable. We watched a movie and it was a comedy. Somehow, I was able to relax while watching it.

"Carmen said you met a handsome guy at the market."

"Oh, you mean Luis? Haven't I told you about him?" I replied without enthusiasm.

It's been over a month since the incident at the market. I haven't gone back there because someone else is now assigned to do the grocery shopping. Aside from work, I don't have anything else to do. I'm about to start my online classes soon, and I've been reading e-books as well. At least I didn't have to worry about tuition fees. Mom made sure it was covered.

"Not yet. Will he be at the market tomorrow?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. He told me he's just here for vacation. He may have left already because it's been over a month. Normally, workers only have a two-week vacation, right?"

"Sometimes it's three weeks. Sometimes it's a month. I haven't heard of anyone taking longer than a month unless maybe it's an authorized leave from the company."

"Then he must be gone by now. It's been over a month. Why do you ask?"

She focused on me and forgot about the movie.

"Well, I was thinking we can invite him to the carnival tomorrow. You're new here, and it would help if you had other friends aside from co-workers. And if it's true what Carmen said, you should ask Luis out. It's a pity he has already left."

I frowned. Shouldn't it be the guy who asks the girl out? Why should I be the one to initiate? If he didn't ask me out, maybe that's because he has a girlfriend, or I'm not his type. Worse, maybe he's already married. Although he wasn't wearing a wedding ring.

"What's the frown for? You mean you never ask a boy out?" I looked at her dumbfounded. "Oh boy, you really haven't?" I shook my head. "Well, if we see Luis tomorrow you should ask him out. You have to experience that at least once in your life. You're young. You're supposed to enjoy life and not stress about it." Maya winked at me as if she had given me the best advice in the world.

"I don't know. I'll think about it."

"Listen girl, there are things that need careful consideration, and there are things that you just do. And this is one of those things. You just do it. Take a leap of faith and believe that you need to do it, or you'll be left with nothing but regrets."

"What if he rejects me?"

"So? Then you move on. It's his loss. You're smart, beautiful, and kind. Anyone would be lucky to have you."

***

The next morning...

Maya and I woke up early to go to the market. She was surprised to see me already awake and dressed. Not only that, I even cooked our breakfast. It was just a simple one: eggs, sausages, and toasted bread.

"Let's eat first, so we don't have to buy food outside. We should save money for the carnival rides instead," I said to Maya.

She smiled at me. "Yes. That's correct. Thank you for the breakfast, by the way. I slept so well that I have just woken up now. I can take a quick shower, so we won't be late for the market after this. I will be fast, I promise."

"It's okay. We're not in a hurry anyway, and the carnival starts in the afternoon. By the way, do you really think they will come with us?"

Maya took a sip of her freshly brewed coffee. "If Sir Aaron says he will come, he will. He may be grumpy and arrogant sometimes, but he keeps his word. Why? Don't you want him to come?"

"It's not like that. I just feel embarrassed. It's like he doesn't belong there."

"Well, we didn't force him. And if he doesn't enjoy it there, he and his friends can always go home anytime. We don't need to wait for him or ask for a ride back. There is public transportation available."

I just nodded and didn't say anything else. After we finished eating, I volunteered to clean up, so Maya could take a shower. I washed the dishes and the pans I used, so they wouldn't harden. It would be harder to wash them later.

***

We waited ten minutes for the bus, and because it's the weekend, there are a lot of people out. Some with kids or just with their significant other. When we reached the market, we first went to the sweet shop that Luis recommended. It's owned by his aunt. Luis wasn't there. I felt shy to ask if he had already left or if he was still in Toledo. I guess it's just not meant to be. We just bought his merchandise and left.

"That's too bad. Why didn't you ask if he was still here?" Maya asked while we were shopping for vegetables.

"It's embarrassing. His aunt owns the store."

Maya didn't comment further until we got home. She cooked our lunch, and when it was around three-thirty, I suddenly felt anxious. Aaron will be arriving soon. I don't understand why I feel nervous in his presence. Is it because this is a personal outing and not work-related? You should relax. Today, he is not our boss. He's simply there to have fun with his friends. We'll just ride along with them," Maya said.

"Maybe we should have just said that we'd wait there, so he wouldn't come here to pick us up."

"He was the one who offered. Also, think of it as saving money on transportation. We can use that money to buy snacks on our next day off." She winked at me, and I just shook my head.

Ten minutes before four, I saw his vehicle parked. I can't be mistaken. His SUV was parked in front of our apartment. I waited for them to come down and watched them from the window.

Aaron was wearing black shorts and a white shirt. He paired it with flip-flops, and they were all dressed similarly. Lionel also joined them. When he noticed me at the window, instead of waving, Aaron furrowed his brows, which made me grimace. Carlos even nudged Aaron and pointed at me. That's when he started to walk towards our apartment door, and I soon heard a knock.