Most of the evening, I flirted with Pilar, who was very open to my attention, and as the wine flowed, and the excellent food kept coming, I found her more and more enchanting.
“Tell me more about Buenos Aires,” she begged, while offering me a taste of the mysterious food on her plate.
“The downtown is incredible. Avenida 9 de Julio is a full block wide, it must have 20 lanes. Of course the oldest buildings there would seem brand new in your beautiful city.”
“They say it is very beautiful, very Spanish.”
“In some ways it is. It is many cities, rolled in one. La Boca, downtown, is like a piece of Italy, where Italian is spoken, and the restaurants are like stepping into Rome. And the steaks, unbelievable.”
She sighed, “I joined the military to see the world. And yet, I’ve hardly left my home town. Someday I’d like to see the great cities. Paris, Buenos Aires, Rio, Washington, London, New York.”
“I’m sure you will. When you come to Washington, I’ll show you around. It is a fascinating city, so open, so many parks and museums. You’ll love it.”
She was flirting outrageously, accepting my caresses and returning them in kind. “I’d love to have you show me around.”
Her raven tresses reminded me of Ana Isabel, but her petite body was very different. Small and rounded, with abundant curves that promised wonderful experiences to anyone so fortunate to explore them. Her eyes were so dark they were almost black, and it was easy to get lost in them.
I knew we had intended to return to Madrid that night, but wondered if that plan had been changed. It was close to midnight and things were still going strong.
I turned to my Madrileno companion. “Pablo, what are the plans? Are we still flying back tonight?”
He looked surprised. “Impossible. If you wanted to return tonight, you shouldn’t have done so well getting everything working. Too many happy people tonight. We’ll be staying at the Hotel Tibur; we passed it walking here. We’ll return in the morning. I thought you understood.”
“Is Chris aware?”
“Certainly. She was asking if it had private baths. So many of the downtown hotels share bathrooms.”
With that information in hand, it was time, I decided, to see if Pilar was interested in continuing our tour.
“Do you live nearby?” I asked her.
“Oh no. I live on the base. It will be a long lonely drive back tonight,” she said.
“Perhaps you’ll join me in a night-cap at the hotel, afterward.”
She looked a little surprised. “Senor Jack, I’d love to but I think you should know that I have a fiance.” She leaned closer, rubbing my arm. “You are here tonight, very charming and handsome, but tomorrow you’ll be gone. And Miguel will still be here for me.”
“Miguel is a very lucky man,” I told her, sincerely.
“And is there no special woman in your life?”
Amazingly, I found myself opening up to her, and on the long walk back to the hotel, where about a dozen of us stopped in the bar for nightcaps, I told her far more than I intended about my living situation at home.
She was wonderful to talk to, curious and easily amused, teasing me about sleeping alone in Spain, with all those women waiting for me at home. “You tempt me, Jack. What kind of man can keep two women happy?”
“A very luck one,” I admitted.
Our Madrid contingent was at the bar, along with a few late night lingerers. The Colonel was monopolizing Chris’s attention, no surprise there, and Pablo seemed to have landed his cute young escort. Ana Isabel was being entertained by two of the brass, but it looked awkward, like they were trying to hard to be interesting and charming, and she was letting it all pass her by. The locals, minus Pablo’s friend, left en masse, all headed back to the base, leaving the rest of us to snatch a few hours sleep before catching an early flight back to Madrid.
Chris and I had no bags, and had to get toiletry basics from the main desk. The Colonel and Pablo each claimed to have everything they needed in their briefcases. Ana Isabel seemed to be ready as well, and wished us all good night as we split up for our rooms.
I was feeling lonely, without the opportunity to hunt down Chris in the night, if the Colonel’s intentions were what I believed they were. No adjoining rooms for us. We weren’t even on the same floor. I noticed that the Colonel was right down the hall from her.
In my room, I made my call home, catching Debbie. Beth was out but would return shortly.
“I miss you,” I told her.
“Not as much as I miss you,” she said softly.
I talked a bit about our day, and our evening tour.
“Was your Major the guide again?” she asked, carefully.
“Hardly spoke to her all day. A lovely young lieutenant kept me company most of the night, but she’s returned to her fiance, leaving me alone, once more.”
She laughed. “A country of beautiful women, and poor Jack sleeps alone every night. What would your buddy’s think?”
“They’d think I’m the luckiest man in the world to have you waiting for me at home. Just two more days.”
A few minutes later Beth picked up the line and made me go over my activities once more. “Hurry home, Jack. We’re lonely. All the toys in the world can’t fill your place in our bed.”
“I swear, I’m tempted to let Chris handle the rest of this and jump on a flight tomorrow, if I didn’t think it would get me fired.”
“Don’t worry, baby. We’ll survive, and I promise you, we’ll make it all up to you,” Beth said.
I said my goodbyes, pleading tiredness and a need to get up in about 6 hours.
“I’m almost sorry your lieutenant had a boyfriend. It might have made for an interesting story,” Debbie teased.
“Deb! Stop that! He has all he needs waiting for him right here. Even Jack can last a week without. Can’t you Jack?”
“As long as I know it’s you I’m coming home to,” I assured her before ending the call.
I was undressing when the phone rang.
“Jack? I’m not waking you am I?” I heard Ana Isabel say.
“Not at all. I was just getting in bed.”
“If you have a few minutes, I thought we could talk.”
“I’d love to, anything in particular?”
“Perhaps you’d come to my room. I’m in 510.”
That was an offer no man in his right mind could refuse. “Give me just a couple of minutes and I’ll be right there.”
I cleaned up a bit, threw on my pants and shirt, and slunk off to her room. At the first knock she opened the door, peeking out from behind the chain, then closed the door for a moment before letting me in.
“I hope you’re not mad at me,” she said stepping back from the door, as I closed it behind me.
How could I be mad? She was wearing another knock-out lingerie combination that instantly elicited a response in me.
“Mad? At you? Never,” I assured her, stepping closer and reaching behind her neck, gently touching her.
She spun away from me and sat on the bed. “The General is an old family friend, and I didn’t want too many tongues wagging,” she explained. She giggled, “Sorry about Pilar. I thought you might like her, but I knew she’s still in love with her young pilot. I’m surprised she stayed as long as she did.”
“She was nice, and very easy to talk to,” I admitted, sitting beside her on the bed.
“I believe so. You certainly seemed to be opening up to her,” she giggled.
“And was my favorite Major eavesdropping?” I asked.
She leaned back on the bed, looking devastating. “Just a little. Am I really your favorite Major?”