The next morning Alexander woke up early, feeling warm and nicely refreshed. Although he had a tough time restraining himself initially, it turned out to be the best sleep of his life, far better than the one at the ranch. Their confessions last night cleared a lot of ambiguities and got them closer instead. He felt nicer that he had admitted to her he cared for her. It wasn’t a feeling he developed overnight. His feelings for Eva were deeply etched in his heart since the time they were young. He used to care for her the most among all of Alyssa’s friends. Why? He didn’t know the reason himself. Confused by the intensity of his feelings for her, he always refrained from approaching her yet even after a decade, those feelings persisted, only deeper than ever before. He sighed, not wanting to go into their depths again. It was confusing why he cared so much for a single person who wasn’t even related to him by blood. He never desired Beatrix in his four years of engagement, yet one look at Eva, sleeping beside him, wearing a pair of sweatpants and a tee shirt was enough to arouse him to the point of no return.
He gazed at Eva’s serene and beautiful face as she slept in his arms, wrapping an arm around him possessively. It invoked a rebellious side to him that encouraged him to fight for her. He wanted to find out why his family was against her. Why couldn’t he choose Eva instead of Beatrix? He wanted Rotterdams, but not at the expense of his freedom!
Eva stirred and rolled over to the other side, slowly opening her eyes and looking at him. A shy smile tugged at her lips, seeing him checking her out. “Good morning! Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“It didn’t occur to me. I was thinking about other things.” Eva’s jaws dropped at his reply.
“What other things?” she asked with curiosity.
Alexander swung his legs off the bed with an amused grin on his face. “You don’t want to hear them.” Eva’s mouth hung open as she wondered what that could mean. Was he imagining doing the deed with her? Her eyes widened further, and she got up, too.
“Creep!” she glared at him, and picking up her clothes, walked out of the cabin towards the showering facility.
“We’ll be hitting the road right away. So just get ready!” he said, locking the cabin and following her out.
After an hour, they had released the cabin and were on their way to Sedona after a quick breakfast. In no time, they were greeted with their first views of Sedona’s red rock formations. It took them nearly three hours to check out the beauty of the red rock city on a beautiful sunny morning. Afterwards, as Alexander drove on the famous Hermit Road towards the Grand Canyon National Park, they encountered a wide plethora of landscapes, ranging from pine tree forests to desert mountains under sunny skies sometimes interspersed with clouds.
They stopped midway to have lunch as Alexander explained the bear hazards in this part of Arizona. His phone had been buzzing for a long time since they started their journey, and Alexander checked to see fourteen missed calls from Alyssa.
“I wonder what’s up. Lisa isn’t one to call so many times.” Eva was also worried and looked on while Alexander called her.
“Sorry, I was driving. Is anything wrong?” asked Alexander worriedly.
“No, mom and dad are leaving the day after tomorrow. Where are you? Is Eva with you, bro? When are you arriving here in San Jose?” she demanded. Alexander didn’t want his trip to end this soon but now with Eva having heard the conversation, he had no way of stretching the trip.
“We’re on a road trip to Las Vegas. We’ll take a flight to San Jose in three days. Will that do?”
“Oh! Why didn’t you tell me? I could have accompanied you!” she pouted, feeling upset.
“It was a sudden decision. Anyway, you hate road trips, remember?” he reminded her.
“Right, but you have to treat me for everything that I missed out.”
“Deal! How’s grandpa now?” asked Alexander.
“Ever since Beatrix left, he’s better,” Chuckled Alyssa, the hatred evident in her tone.
“Good enough. See you soon.” Alexander disconnected the call and looked up at Eva. “We’ll continue with our plan. Maybe we can cut short our trip a little.”
“Anything you say as long as I can reach on time to report at work.”
“I know how much this job means to you and I’m really proud to see that your hard work is paying off. You’ve achieved this all on your own and that’s truly commendable. I just wish Lisa would learn something from you.” Eva melted at the way he appreciated her! Apart from her close friends, no one else had! It meant a lot for her, coming from the man she loved. She gazed back at him, overwhelmed and choked with emotions she couldn’t control. These were the best moments of her life and she would cherish them forever!
“Thank you, Alexander. I’m sure Alyssa will also realize her aim in life soon. Just give her a little time.”
“You’re right. So shall we get going?” he asked after he paid for their food. Eva offered, but he just waved her off impatiently. They resumed their journey, and it was afternoon when they could marvel at the first sight of the marvelous red rock mountains forming different shapes and waves.
“It’s breathtaking!” said Eva, excited at the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“Wait till you see the stunning Colorado River from the rim.” He drove along and they spend the time taking pictures while watching the sunset and the Colorado River. Alexander drove over to the historic Grand Canyon Village and parked his car, unloading their luggage. Eva gasped with amazement when he escorted her towards a quaint luxury lodge overlooking the south rim of the Grand Canyon National Park.
“Are we staying here?” she asked with wide eyes.
“Yes, for the next two days. The morning views from the terrace are breathtaking. Hope you have adequate warm clothes with you? The temperature will start dropping now,” he advised.
“I have a coat. Will that do?” she asked with wide eyes.
“We’ll go over to the marketplace and buy some warm clothes.” They kept their luggage in their room and walked over to the marketplace. Alexander bought a warm and soft pullover for himself and another similar one for her at her insistence.
“We’d look like twins wearing the same pullover!” chuckled Alexander.
“It isn’t that way at all! Even couples wear!” Eva protested and then clamped her mouth shut, realizing what she just said. Alexander smiled and grabbed her hand in his.
“Are we a couple then, Eva?” he asked softly.
“No, we’re weird. We’re only travel buddies who kiss!” Alexander considered her description with an amused grin on his face.
“What do you want us to be?” he asked in return, but Eva scoffed at his question.
“It’s not a question of what I want, Alexander. It’s what you can offer,” she pointed out, but somehow Alexander could feel a trace of bitterness in her tone. He knew what she meant, but right now, he really couldn’t offer her anything.
“What will you do with a useless person like me? My life is a complicated mess, Eva. My sense of obligation is too high,” he admitted with a sigh as they strolled hand in hand, checking out the products on sale.
“You aren’t useless, Alexander. You’re very intelligent. Why do you need to take favors when you can build an empire like Rotterdams of your own? As for your parents, you can have a heart-to-heart talk with them. I’m sure they’ll see your point of view. After all, your happiness should be their top priority. Don’t you think so?” she asked him as they stopped by the souvenir section.
Her words got Alexander thinking, and he just nodded. She was right, but it was more complicated than that. Eva picked up a coffee mug with a Grand Canyon picturesque print and handed it to Alexander. “I’ll buy this elk and mule mug for you. I want you to use it every day.” Alexander took the cup and smiled.
“Fine. Then you have to accept this mountain lion stuffed toy. Every time you miss me, just cuddle it against your heart and call me. I’ll come over to replace it,” he whispered, leaning towards her. Eva laughed and pushed him away.
“Done!” she agreed. Happy with their shopping, they returned to the hotel for dinner.
As they sat savoring the delicacies in the rustic, cozy fine dining restaurant of their hotel, Eva couldn’t help but wonder if he would again kiss her tonight. Would he again insist on cuddling with her to sleep? What about when they returned home to NYC? How would she forget these moments she spent with him? It would be very difficult to go back to ignoring one another like before.