Ric & Haiz

Fan Page Dedicated to Ricardo Gomez and Hailee Steinfeld var sc_project=10764779; var sc_invisible=1; var sc_security="464e7cfb"; var scJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://secure." : "http://www."); document.write("");

[captregina]

EXTENDED

The fact they extended this interview that we ALREADY saw just so we could see him saying He doesn't meet people ONLINE !!! 

https://youtu.be/PMnOTloYJAo

BOOM 

They literally extended this ON purpose today so you all see? HE doesn’t meet people online, you know why? Because public figures DONT do that for their own security 

[ricandhaiz]

Blindsided, Epilogue

Joe’s Diner looked dark on the inside as Nic led Allie to the front door of the place where they first met just a few months before.

“What’s going on?” Allie asked. She had decided to wear a knee-length black floral print dress with tan colored open-toed shoes on her date with Nic to celebrate her surgery’s success. Given the sentimental value it had for them both, seeing it closed was doubling disappointing.

She scratched her head as she looked from the darkened neon sign above the building to the street packed with cars parked alongside it. “I don’t remember seeing a notice or Ellie saying anything about it closing down early tonight, did you?”

Nic shrugged as he peered through the glass and then knocked on the front door, which had a sign that said in large capital letters, “CLOSED.” To Allie’s utter surprise, Ellie quickly appeared and ushered them in.

Once they were both inside, Ellie closed the door and then turned on the lights. Allie gasped in surprise and raised her hands to her face as she watched her friends and relatives in party hats scream “Congratulations!” and lustily blow into their noisemakers. The diner had a large banner hanging on the wall which read, “Congratulations Allie” while streamers of every conceivable color hung from the ceiling. To top it off, a large bouquet of red roses was placed at the head of the table along with a box of Allie’s favorite See’s chocolate truffles.

Nic stepped back to give friends like Nicole and Brandon, who had come from out of town for the occasion, the time and the space to greet and catch up with her. As he watched the happy scene unfold, he felt someone come up beside him. He looked to his left and saw that it was Joe Tibbits, the owner of the diner, standing next to him, arms folded, with a satisfied look on his face.

“She looks great,” Joe said. “Happy, too. I guess that we all have you to thank for that.”

Nic smiled and said, “It was kind of you to close the diner early just for her.”

“Allie’s a very special customer. I wouldn’t do it for just anybody.” Joe cleared his throat, then leaned in and said in a low voice, “A little birdie told me that you were planning on making some kind of special announcement during the party.”

His smile broadened as he nodded in the affirmative. “I asked my padre to come. He should have been here by now.”

“When did you hear from him last?”

“He sent me a text when he landed in LAX earlier this afternoon. He told me that he was going to rent a car and meet a friend for lunch before driving up here. It’s not like him to be late for an event as important as this one. He’s usually very good at letting me know where he’s at, especially if he’s going to be late.”

“Is this the first time your dad and Allie will meet?”

“Yes,” he replied and pulled his phone out to check for messages. “They’ve spoken over the phone a few times, but this is first time that they will see each other face to face.”

“Maybe he just ran into some traffic,” Joe replied and checked his watch. “I think I better see what’s going on in the kitchen and make sure Mel’s not taking a nap back there.”

Nic laughed and said, “Sure. I’ll talk to you later.”

Just then, he felt a tug on his arm. He turned to his right and saw Nicole smiling at him.

“How are you?” she asked and gave him a hug.

“I’m good,” he replied. “I’m glad that you and Brandon could make it.”

“We wouldn’t have missed this for the world.” She glanced over at Allie, who was chatting with Brandon and her cousins, and said, “I’m so happy for her. And it’s all thanks to you.”

“Please don’t—”

“Don’t be so modest. From what she’s told me, you’ve been a model boyfriend and roommate. And you’re also the reason she can see again.”

“All I did was help her get the money to pay for her eye surgery,” he replied with a shrug. “I’m sure that everyone here would have done the same if they could have.”

Nicole shook her head. “I’m not just talking about that. You filled in the gaps when I moved out and were there for her after she lost Charlie. That’s nothing to sneeze at. I’ll have you know that there are a lot of single girls out there who would kill to be with a guy like you.”

“She’s given me a lot too. More than I can ever repay.”

Nicole nudged him in the arm and said, “From what I hear, she has no intention of ever letting you go.”

They were soon joined by Brandon, who greeted him with a slap on the back and a warm handshake. “You’re looking good man.”

Nic smirked. “So are you. How’s work going?”

“Busy. Getting the hang of things. Finding my way around. You know how it goes. How about you?”

“I’m in the final stretch. I have a few group projects to finish up and three finals to take at the end of this semester.”

“Will you be staying here this summer or are you planning on going back to Spain?”

“My plans are still kind of up in the air,” Nic replied. “A lot depends on how things work out with Allie tonight.”

“Oh, okay,” Brandon replied with a quizzical look.

Not wanting to give away the surprise he had in store for Allie, he opted to quickly extricate himself from the conversation. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to make a phone call.”

Nicole and Brandon dutifully stepped aside. He immediately moved toward the glass door and was about to call his padre when Joe informed everyone there that dinner was about to be served and invited everyone to take a seat at the extra-long table that was specially configured for the occasion. While Ellie and a few other servers brought out the food, Nic sat down next to Allie, who was seated at the head of the table. At his request, the seat next to his remained empty.

After a few words of welcome from Joe, Allie, Nic and all the rest of her invited guests happily dug in to their burgers and fries with Joe’s specialty milkshakes and/or sodas. Time passed quickly and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves as they ate and exchanged funny stories about the guest of honor. The only person keeping track of the time was Nic, who was becoming increasingly worried by his padre’s continued absence.

It wasn’t until they were halfway through their meal that Nic finally received a text from his padre. After quickly scanning the message, he excused himself from the table and headed straight for the door.

He breathed a sigh of relief as soon as saw his padre, who was wearing jeans and a black buttoned-down shirt, walking toward the diner’s front door. He opened it for him and gave his padre a hug and a kiss on each cheek. He asked, “Where have you been?”

“There was a horrific accident on the highway,” his padre calmly replied. “The traffic was backed up for miles.”

“Why didn’t you call or text me?”

“My cell phone was acting up and I forgot to pack my charger in my carry on. Is everyone still here?”

Nic nodded. “We’re still eating. I’ll tell them to bring you a plate. Are burgers and fries okay?”

“What do you think I am? A snob? Of course it’s okay.”

He then leaned his head toward his padre’s ear and whispered, “Did you bring the ring with you?”

His padre smiled as he took it out of his shirt pocket and handed it to Nic. “Does Allie have any idea that you’re going to ask her to marry you?”

“No.” Nic replied as he opened the jewelry case holding his mother’s engagement ring inside and gazed at the two-carat diamond set in a platinum band with loving reverence.

“Are you nervous?”

Nic grinned as he snapped the jewelry box shut and put it in his jacket pocket. “Scared to death.”

His father placed a reassuring hand on Nic’s shoulder and said, “If she loves you as much as I suspect she does, her answer will definitely be yes.”

“I hope you’re right. Either way, we’ll know soon enough.”

Nic escorted his padre directly to Allie. He tapped her on the shoulder and said, “Allie, I’d like to introduce you to my padre, Sergio Martinez.”

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you.” His padre bent down and kissed her hand. “I apologize that I wasn’t able to be here sooner.”

Allie looked flustered as she stood up and gave Nic’s padre a hug. “Oh my gosh, it’s so nice to see you. Please sit down.”

Nic’s padre spent the next few minutes regaling everyone present by telling them about all the things he encountered on the way to the diner. Near the end of his tale, he mentioned the fact that Nic had asked him to come to deliver a gift that he wanted to give to Allie. With that said, all eyes fell on Nic.

Allie turned to him, wide-eyed, and smiled. He gazed into her eyes and placed her hand in his. It was time. He gave her hand a squeeze and then stood up to face everyone there.

He smiled as his eyes drifted across the table and said, “I want to thank you all for taking the time to come and celebrate what I think we can all agree is a very momentous occasion in Allie’s life.”

“When I came to Wagner University to get my MBA, the last thing I expect to do was fall in love, but that’s exactly what happened when I came into this diner on a crowded Wednesday last fall. I was about to walk out when Ellie encouraged me to stay and set me down next to this beautiful girl and her guide dog, Charlie. As luck would have it, she just happened to need a new roommate at the time and asked me if I was available to move in with her. I said yes. And then, as the weeks and months past, I found that the bond of friendship that we’d created was turning into something more. At first, I worried that taking that step might ruin our friendship, but then, as my friend Matt so aptly pointed out, what was the harm in trying to see if I could have the best of both worlds. And so, I let Allie know how I felt and asked her if she felt the same. To my surprise and relief, she said yes. And so, without any further ado, I hope you’ll all indulge me while I take this opportunity to ask Allie a very important question.”

Nic pushed his seat back and promptly got down on one knee. Allie placed a trembling hand over her mouth while he took out the small jewelry box from his jacket pocket and opened it. He took his madre’s ring out and reached for her hand as he said, “Te quiero, mi amor. I can’t imagine my life without you, and nothing would make me happier than if you would take this ring which once belonged to my mamá and be my bride.”

Allie quickly nodded and said yes. The room immediately erupted in loud and raucous applause as the newly engaged coupled sealed the deal with a hug and a kiss.

“Now that’s a happy ending,” Ellie said as she stood next to Mel, the diner’s head cook, and their boss, Joe, and dabbed the tears from her eyes with a napkin. “I just knew that he was the one for Allie the minute he walked into the diner.”

“You definitely called it,” Mel replied. “Do you think they’ll want to have their wedding reception here?”

“Why not?” Joe chimed in. “In this life, anything’s possible. Just look at them. They’re living proof.”

The End.

[ricandhaiz]

Blindsided, Chapter 12

After a month-long wait, the time for Allie’s all-important follow-up post-surgery appointment was finally at hand. To Nic’s chagrin, it was set at the same time as his marketing class. Although he’d offered to skip it and go with her instead, she was adamant in her insistence that he not miss it. In was in the midst of this discussion, and others like it, that he formed the distinct impression that she wasn’t being completely forthright with him. Nevertheless, after some thoughtful consideration, he ultimately decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. And so, in the end, he acquiesced without protest or fuss.                                                  

But on the actual day, he began to question whether he should’ve, in retrospect, allowed her to talk him out of coming with her so easily as he grabbed his laptop backpack and headed out of the apartment. He sensed an inordinate amount of anxiety in her during breakfast and got as far as the front door before stopping in his tracks. He turned to her and asked, “Are you sure you’re going be okay with me not coming?”

Allie, who was finishing up her bowl of cereal at the kitchen table, replied, “Go on, you’re going to be late for class. I’ll be fine. Aunt Lara and Uncle Mike should be here any minute.”

Despite this assurance, Nic still had his doubts. He strode to her side and said, “Te quiero,” as he put his arms around her.

She rested her forehead against his and asked in reply, “Did anyone ever tell you that you worry too much?” He frowned and said no. She responded by saying, “Well, you shouldn’t. Things usually have a way of working themselves out. You know that as well as I do.”

He pursed his lips and gazed at her face one last time before turning to go. After walking out the door, he paused a moment before inserting the key into the lock and turning it.

While walking to class, Nic almost ran into several people along the way and barely avoided tripping on the various curbs and ruts in the road. Miraculously, he made it to class in one piece with minutes to spare and took a seat in the back of the room. He powered up his laptop but kept his phone stashed away in his jacket pocket to keep himself from being tempted to check it for messages from Allie during class.

It didn’t, however, take long for him to conclude that he should never have come. His eyes flitted from the clock on the wall to the window and back again like windshield wipers during a torrential storm as the professor droned on and on about sales and distribution management. He groaned inwardly and drummed his fingers against his desk while trying to keep his mind focused on where he was and what he was doing. At the end of class, he looked at his computer screen and saw that it was nearly blank. Disgusted, he slammed down the lid of his laptop and stuffed into his backpack. He pulled out his phone and checked for messages. Nothing. He sighed in frustration as he got up and exited the classroom.

The day was uncharacteristically warm and humid. Nic forced himself to slow down so as not to get overheated in his rush to get home. He stopped at the corner when the light turned red and pulled out a bottle of water from the side of his backpack. He unscrewed the cap and proceeded to gulp down half the bottle. He pressed on as soon as the light turned green. Just a few more blocks.

He could feel the anxiety within him increasing at an exponential rate as each step brought him closer to home. Everything is going to be all right. He repeated the phrase like a mantra to ward off all the negative thoughts that were threatening to overtake him. He came to a dead stop as soon as he turned onto his street and scanned the area for any sign of Aunt Lara’s car. Seeing none, he slowly proceeded forward. After fumbling for his apartment key, he opened the door and spotted Allie sitting alone on the couch. Her eyes looked red and puffy. His heart sank.

Nic closed the door and then walked over and knelt beside her. “How did it go?”

With trembling hands, Allie put a pair of black colored glasses up to her face. A tremulous smile spread across her face as she reached out and placed her hands on his cheeks and said, “I see you.”

He felt his eyes begin to well up with tears. Thank God. She ran her fingertips over his face as she continued to gaze at him. What does she think of me? After a long and drawn out silence, he finally drew up the courage to ask, “What do you see?”

“The man I love,” Allie replied as she leaned in and gently pressed her lips to his.

His whole body shook with relief and joy. It felt like his heart was going to burst wide open as he pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her shoulder. “This is the best news. I am so happy for you.”

“And I owe it all to you,” Allie replied, her voice thick with emotion. “Isn’t it funny how life works sometimes? My old parish priest, Father Oliver, used to tell me that God brings people into our lives when He thinks we need them most.”

“You didn’t need me,” Nic said, shaking his head.

Allie was quiet for a moment, then said, “Nic. I know.”

“What are you talking about?” he blurted out.

She sighed. “Nic, didn’t we promise each other when we decided to start dating that we’d always be completely honest with one another?”

He hung his head and looked away. She knows. “Who told you?”

“To be honest, I suspected fairly early on that you might have had something to do with it. But I didn’t know for sure until Conner told me just before my surgery.”

Nic felt his entire body tense up as his face flushed with anger. “How did he find out?”

“His mother overheard my aunt talking to the parish priest at St. Jude’s about it. He said that he felt obligated to tell me.”

“I bet he did,” Nic said as he got up and sat down beside her. He could just imagine how gleeful Conner must have been to break the news to her. “Are you angry with me?”

“No,” Allie replied and placed her hand on his. “I’m just sorry that you didn’t think you could tell me what you’d done.”

“Would you have agreed to do it if I had?”

“Probably not.” She laughed a little, then said, “I guess you know me too well. I kept wanting to say something to you about it, but the timing never seemed to be right.”

“Was that at least part of the reason why it felt like you didn’t want me to be at today’s appointment?”

“Is that what you thought?” Allie asked, taken-aback. She was quiet for a moment and looked like she was searching for the rights words to say. “It’s not so much that as it was about me not wanting you to see my disappointment if things hadn’t turned out well. I didn’t want you to see me upset or acting in a way that would make you think that I was ungrateful for having been given the chance to see again.”

Nic shook his head and said, “Those kinds of thoughts would’ve been the furthest thing from my mind.”

“You think I’d know that by now, wouldn’t you?” Allie replied with a remorseful look. “I guess I still have a lot to learn when it comes to relationships. Luckily for me, I have a very patient and understanding boyfriend.”

He smirked. “Did you ever think about backing out after you found out that I was the donor?”

She shook her head. “Both you and my family went through so much to make it possible for me to have this surgery that I didn’t think it would’ve been right for me to not go through with it.”

“When I discussed it with my padre, he approved of my plan and told me that he wanted to help me to help you in any way he could.”

Allie cocked her head to the side and asked, “Is that why you didn’t want me to go to L.A. with you?”

He nodded. “I went there to ask him for advice on liquefying some of my assets in order to pay for your surgery. After I told him why I wanted to do it, he insisted on paying for the whole thing instead. And, by the way, don’t even think about trying to pay him back.”

She arched her brow and pursed her lips but made no attempt to protest. “So I guess that’s where you get your stubbornness from.”

He snorted as he pointed to her glasses and asked, “Exactly how does this thing work again?”

“The glasses send signals to the electronic receiver that was implanted in my retina. The signal is then sent to my brain to create visual pictures. Dr. Severin said that there’s a good chance that my current vision will get even better over time.”

“Technology. Isn’t it amazing?”

“Totally.” Allie inched closer and rested her head on his shoulder. “So, what do you want to do now?”

Nic smiled. “It doesn’t really matter, just as long as I’m with you.”

[ricandhaiz]

Blindsided, Chapter 11

It was cloudy, threatening rain on the morning Aunt Lara drove Nic and Allie to Wagner University’s Eye Institute. Nic was beset by conflicting emotions as he held Allie’s hand in the back seat of the car and contemplated what might lay in store for them after her retinal implant surgery. Although he was eager to see the fruits of his efforts finally come to fruition, his fears about the numerous ways it could all go wrong gnawed away at him like a gnat buzzing around his ear.

Nic glanced at Allie, who was biting her lip and twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. He gave her hand a squeeze and asked, “Are you all right?”

“Just a little nervous, I guess,” she replied, her voice tremulous.

“You’re going to be fine,” he said in a reassuring tone. “You’ll see.”

Allie opened her mouth to speak but then stopped herself before uttering a single word. He’d sensed a restlessness about her in the two days leading up to her surgery that he suspected had little to do with her impending surgery. Was it due to something that Conner might have said to her when they’d met for coffee? If it was, Allie was being maddeningly tight-lipped about it and had, thus far, shown no sign that she was at all inclined or ready to divulge that information to him any time soon.

He continued to focus on this train of thought until Aunt Lara drove up to the Eye Institute’s entryway to drop them off. They exited the car and proceeded, hand in hand, to the third floor of the building to check in while her aunt parked her car. One of Dr. Severin’s nurses called out Allie’s name shortly thereafter.

They stood up and embraced. It was an emotional moment for them both. She looked anxious and vulnerable, which was so unlike her normally confident and irrepressible self. He racked his brain for some words of comfort or inspiration to impart to her, but every word or phrase that came to mind sounded too quaint and inadequate to express all that was in his heart and mind. In the end, he simply said, “Te quiero.”

“Love you more,” Allie replied with a faint smile and pressed her lips to his. She then turned to her aunt, who had just walked into the reception area, and said, “It’s time.”

“Just think positive,” Aunt Lara replied, sounding upbeat, even though her eyes and overall demeanor expressed a very different emotion. “Nic and I will be waiting for you right here and will come see you as soon as the doctor gives us the okay.”

Allie hugged her aunt. “Thank you so much for everything.”

Aunt Lara gently patted her back and kissed her on the cheek. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat honey. You know that your uncle and I would give you the world if we could.”

“Miss Jacobs are you ready?” the nurse asked. Allie nodded. The nurse then offered Allie her arm and led her away.

Nic felt a lump in his throat as he watched Allie disappear behind the hospital door. Aunt Lara came up beside him and said, “I’m going downstairs to get a cup of coffee and a snack. Would you like to join me?” Nic said yes even though he wasn’t feeling particularly hungry or thirsty and accompanied her to the elevator down to the first floor.

The cafeteria was near the entrance to the building. It was bland and sterile with white walls and bright lights. Nic snagged a chocolate chip muffin off a shelf and filled a disposable paper cup with steaming black coffee and then joined Aunt Lara at a table by a window.

They said little at first as they sipped their drinks and mindlessly nibbled at their pastries. He wondered if Aunt Lara, like himself, was thinking about the donation his padre had made to the Eye Institute in order to pay for Allie’s eye surgery and mulled over whether she’d be able to keep that fact a secret from her niece for the foreseeable future.

Aunt Lara was the first one to break the silence. “Would you do me a favor?” she asked and pulled a small envelope from her purse. Nic nodded. “Can you mail this card to your father for me? I just wanted to thank him for paying for Allie’s surgery.”

Nic took it and put it in his jacket pocket. “I will. That’s very thoughtful of you.”

“It’s the least I could do,” Aunt Lara replied with an apologetic look. “I wish I had the money to pay him back. Mike and I talk about that all the time.”

He shook his head and waved his hand. “Neither he nor I would ever consider it. He did it out of the goodness of his heart. Besides, he’s made more than enough money as a football player and a vintner to take care of himself and his family many times over. He’s donated both his time and earnings to many worthy causes over the years. He’s an extraordinary man in more ways than one.”

“And so is his son,” Aunt Lara replied as she reached out and patted Nic’s hand. “It’s just too bad that we have to keep your part in making this surgery possible a secret.”

“Your niece is a very proud and independent woman,” Nic said matter-of-factly. “She made it clear to me early on in our relationship that she would never knowingly accept money from a friend in order to pay for this surgery.”

“Do you think you’ll ever tell her what you did for her?”

“I don’t know,” Nic replied slowly.

Aunt Lara paused to take a bite of her chocolate croissant, then said, “She’s talked to me and her uncle about wanting to find out who paid for it. To be perfectly honest, neither of us think that you’ll be able to keep this from her forever. Knowing her like I do, she’s going to keeping digging until she figures out who her donor was.”

Nic furrowed his brow. Aunt Lara was right. The question was, would Allie be grateful or angry with him at that point? In truth, he could see it going either way. “I’ll just have to cross that bridge when I come to it.”

After playing out various scenarios in his head, he asked, “Have either you or your husband talked to anyone other than the doctors at the Eye Institute about it?”

Aunt Lara’s eyes dropped down to her hands while she fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat. He, in turn, felt his blood pressure spike as he gripped his paper cup filled with coffee and waited for her to respond. “I did say something to Father Marcus, my parish priest, about it not too long ago,” she said in a slow and halting manner. “It was after our weekly bible study. He asked me about Allie and it just came out somehow during our conversation. But don’t worry, he’d never tell another soul about it.”

Nic felt far from reassured as he pursed his lips and tapped his fingers against the table. “I don’t doubt that, but do you know if there was anyone who might have overheard the two of you talking?”

“Well, Conner’s mom, Betty, and two other ladies from the church stayed afterward but they all went upstairs to help members of the Youth Group prepare for the annual Easter egg hunt on the church lawn. As far as I know, Father Marcus and I were alone in the main hall.”

Conner’s mom was there? Nic groaned inwardly as alarm bells went off in his head. “Was Conner there too?” Aunt Lara shook her head. He breathed a little easier.

Just then, a little brown-haired girl of no more than five ran past their table. Aunt Lara smiled. “Allie wasn’t much older than that she was when her father died. Has she told you much about her parents?”

Nic shook his head. “She only has a vague memory of her father and has said that she often remembered her mother being sad.”

“Her father, Sam, was tall, rugged-looking man with curly brown hair. My sister, Cathy, was an ER nurse and was just coming off her shift when they met. He’d responded to an emergency call and had accompanied the paramedics, who needed an extra hand, to the hospital. He asked her for her number and took her out to an Italian bistro in Little Italy the next day. They hadn’t even been dating three months before Cathy called and told my parents that he’d asked her to marry him.”

“It sounds like it was quite a whirlwind romance,” Nic replied, smiling.

“It was. They flew out to California and got married at St. Jude. They had Allie less than a year later. They wanted to have more kids, but my sister miscarried twice after Allie was born and then…” Aunt Lara paused and brought her coffee cup to her lips. He studied her face as she stared past him and took a sip. She looked distraught. “Cathy was at home with Allie on 9/11. She called us as often as she could to give us updates. As you can probably imagine, the phone connection into and out of New York City was sporadic at best. For days on end, we just kept hoping and praying that Sam was still alive somewhere under all that rubble.” She sighed then as she leaned forward and rested her head in her hands. “It’s hard to believe that it’s already been over eighteen years since it happened.”

An image of a five-year-old Allie crying for her father while her mother frantically waited for news of his whereabouts flashed through Nic’s mind, followed by thoughts of what the last few moments of Sam Jacobs’ life might have been like as he raced up the North Tower’s stairwell with his fellow firefighters. He shuddered as he pictured a sea of concrete raining down on those brave men, then said, “Was that when her mother started smoking?”

Aunt Lara shook her head. “She was only a teenager when she lit her first cigarette. It was the cool thing to do. Both my parents warned her against it, but you know how that goes. In one ear and out the other. She tried to quit a couple of times and swore to me that she never took a puff while she was pregnant with Allie but losing Sam broke her spirit. I think that part of her just lost the will to live after that. She went to counseling and often spoke to St. Jude’s parish priest at the time, Father Oliver, but nothing seemed to help. She was smoking up to two packs a day when the doctors gave her the bad news. She died less than three years after we lost Sam.”

Nic handed her a napkin. Aunt Lara thanked him and dabbed her eyes with it. He said, “Allie’s often tells me how grateful she is for the love and support that you gave her while she was growing up.”

“What else were we supposed to do?” Aunt Lara replied. “That poor child. Losing both her parents at such a young age and then having to deal with losing her sight on top of that. We took her to every eye doctor and specialist we could to see if any of them could help her, but they all said the same thing, that her condition was irreversible. She was tough though and took it all in stride.”

“I doubt she could have gotten through it without you.”

Aunt Lara smiled. “Thank you for saying that, but I can’t take all the credit for who she is now. As you well know, she’s always been a very strong willed and independent-minded young lady.”

“I’ve noticed,” Nic replied with a laugh. “She doesn’t like it when people treat her like an invalid.”

“Poor Conner,” Aunt Lara remarked out of the blue. “I don’t suppose he’ll ever learn, will he?”

Nic chose his words carefully and replied, “It’s not for me to say. You know him much better than I do.”

“That was a very diplomatic thing for you to say,” Aunt Lara said with a snort, “especially after all the things he’s said and done. I know you don’t like him very much, and with good reason, but he’s really not as bad a person as you think he is. Conner’s had his eye on Allie since grade school. His mom, who’s my best friend, loves Allie to death and has probably told him a million times what a nice couple they’d make and how much she’d love to have Allie as a daughter in law.”

Nic cringed inwardly at the thought and knew, based on the numerous conversations that he’d had with Allie about Conner over the last couple of months, that that was about as likely as a snow storm in the Sahara desert. Still, for the sake of propriety, he held his tongue.

Aunt Lara continued. “Imagine what it must have been like for him when you came into the picture. You completely upended his plans. Unfortunately, love doesn’t always bring out the best in people, especially when those feelings aren’t returned. Even so, I think he’s a nice young man who’s made a few bad decisions where Allie’s concerned because he thinks you’ve taken away the one girl he’s always wanted.”

“That makes no sense. How could I have taken away someone who was never his to begin with?”

“That may be true, but my guess is he thought he’d eventually wear down her defenses and get her to give him a second look.”

Nic was quiet for a moment as he tried to put himself in Conner’s shoes. After listening and thinking about what Aunt Lara had said, he almost felt sorry for the guy. But still, he doubted that he would have said and done all the things Conner had if the roles had been reversed. Although he would’ve felt wounded by her decision to be with Conner over him, his pride and his love for her would never have allowed him to do anything but step aside and move on with his life rather than sabotage Allie’s relationship with Conner at every turn.

“Do you think that either he or his mother know anything about what I did for Allie?”

Aunt Lara cocked her head to the side and gazed at Nic with a curious expression. “What makes you think that he would know anything about it?”

“I can’t say,” Nic replied. “It’s just this feeling I’ve gotten ever since Allie met him for coffee on Saturday. I think he said something to her…maybe not about what I did for her necessarily but something else about me that’s given her pause. There’ve been, for example, more than a few times when it seemed like she had something was on her mind but didn’t feel comfortable telling me about it.”

“Well, with the surgery and all, I’m not at all surprised to hear that she’s been a little out of sorts. Wouldn’t you be too? For goodness’ sake, it isn’t every day that a blind person is given the chance to see again. I wouldn’t worry about it too much if I were you.”

“I guess you’re right,” he conceded.

“Can I ask you a question?” Nic nodded. “What made you decide to do it?”

Nic sat back and twiddled his thumbs as he went over the reasons why he’d done it. Although he could have cited a few bases for his actions, he quickly homed in on the one that had motivated him from the moment he’d laid eyes on her. And so, he simply said, “I love her.”

“Anyone with eyes can see that,” Aunt Lara replied with a smile.

Nic continued. “After my accident, I felt like I’d lost everything. My career, my girlfriend, and almost everyone else I’d called a friend or acquaintance, for that matter, except my family. I felt unlovable and guilty that I had lived while my friend and teammate Diego had not. I thought I looked grotesque and felt just as ugly on the inside too.”

“My padre and abuelos did what they could to help me, but it soon became clear to me that there were certain things that I needed to work out for myself. That’s part of the reason why I came here to study…And then I met Allie. She helped me to accept who I am and to make the most of the life that I’d been given. With her, I think that I’ve become a better person. Less selfish, more open and appreciative of the things and people in my life.”

“Do you know what you want to do and/or where you’re going to be after you finish your MBA program?”

Nic tried to hide his smile as he pondered how to best answer the unspoken question Aunt Lara had posed. “We’ve only talked in the most general terms about what might happen in the future. I’d like to think that she’ll be a part of my life for years to come but…”

“But what?”

“Do you think she’d be willing to move to a country where she doesn’t speak the language or know anyone but me?”

Aunt Lara nodded. “Allie’s a practical girl but she’s also got a romantic streak a mile wide. She’s a lot like her mom in that way. In fact, knowing her the way that I do, I think she’d do and try just about anything in order to make things work.”

After finishing their snacks and drinks, they headed back to the waiting room on the third floor. At first, Nic tried to study while Aunt Lara flitted through several magazines. He found it hard to concentrate as he read and reread sentences in the marketing textbook he’d brought with him. He eventually gave up and pulled out his cell phone instead. He played video games and exchanged texts with his padre and friend Matt about Allie.

A few hours later, Dr. Severin, who was still wearing scrubs, walked into the reception area. He came up to them and said, “She’s doing well and is being wheeled over to the recovery room as we speak. The nurses will monitor her there until the effects of the anesthesia have worn off and we’re sure she’s stable enough to be transferred to a hospital room.”

“How did it go?” Aunt Lara asked.

“As well as can be expected at this point,” the doctor replied. “There were no complications or surprises and the procedure itself went according to plan. As I told you before, we won’t be able to assess how much of her sight we’ve been able to restore until we take the bandages off and put the glasses on in a couple weeks. It’s different for each person.” She nodded while Nic stood stoically beside her.

“Give us a few minutes and then I’ll have one of my nurses escort you to her.”

When a nurse finally came for them, Aunt Lara immediately followed. Nic, however, remained where he was. His feet felt like they were rooted to the spot. Aunt Lara turned to him as she reached the hospital door and said, “Are you coming?”

“Yeah,” he replied meekly as his leaden feet slowly carried him forward.

They were led to a rectangular shaped room lined with patient beds partitioned by curtains. Allie had been placed in the middle of the room and still appeared to be unconscious. He placed his hand on the bed rail and remained standing while a nurse hovered over her and checked her vitals. Aunt Lara took a seat opposite him near the head of the bed. He tried to think positive. For good or ill, he knew his destiny was sealed. He’d made his choices and had acted accordingly. So now, he could do little else but wait and see what fate had in store for him.

Once the nurse had moved aside and closed the curtain, Nic placed his hand over Allie’s. She looked so fragile and vulnerable, which was so unlike the woman he knew and loved. He closed his eyes and prayed. Please God, let everything turn out all right.

[ricandhaiz]

Blindsided, Chapter 10

Three months passed. Nic woke up in a cold sweat after a bad dream. Allie’s bed creaked as he sat up and held his bald head in his hands. He reached for his phone on the nightstand to check the time. It was 5 a.m. That’s just great, he muttered to himself and laid back down. He stared up at the darkened ceiling and began to relive the nightmare he’d just had, frame by frame. He cringed when he got to the part where Allie saw his burn-damaged face for the first time and gasped in horror. Even worse was the portion where she accused him of deceiving her for hiding the fact that he’d paid for her surgery. Try as he might, he was unable to block out these humiliating and heartbreaking scenes from his mind.  

Once it had played out in full, Nic looked over at Allie and immediately felt better. Unlike him, she was sleeping peacefully as his eyes slowly skimmed over her body. Her skin was soft and smooth…not like his own, which was rough and mottled in so many places. He yearned to caress her and lose himself in the warmth of her embrace. With her heightened sense of touch, it was hard for him to understand how she could bear to come into contact with those parts of his body night after night without feeling some sense of revulsion. But she did, and for that he felt both humbled and grateful.

He turned away with a sigh and pulled the covers back. Knowing that there was little chance of getting back to sleep, he slid his legs over the side of the bed and was about to get up when he saw Allie stir. He glanced back and watched her as she yawned and stretched.

“What time is it?” Allie asked as her eyes fluttered open.

“Too early for you to be getting up,” he replied with a smile as he climbed back into bed and folded her into his arms.

She rested her head on his shoulder and asked, “Then why are you awake?”

“I had a bad dream,” Nic confessed. “I was trying to get up without waking you.”

“I can feel your every move in this bed,” Allie replied. “You’re not exactly subtle when you shift around at night.”

“This mattress is old and creeky. What do you expect?”

Allie made a face, then said, “Don’t hate the bed. I’ll have you know that I’ve been sleeping on this mattress since I was ten.”

“I can tell,” Nic said with a smirk. “It’s definitely got a broken-into feel to it.”

With lightning speed, Allie reached back for her pillow and swung it at him. They both giggled as they fought for control of it. He wrested it from her grasp after a brief struggle, then threw it aside and straddled her. When she continued to put up a fuss, he leaned in and whispered in her ear, “You’re being a very bad girl. What shall I do with you?”

A mischievous smile spread across her face. “Do whatever you want. I dare you.” He laughed and tickled her in the ribs. She howled in protest and tried to bat his hands away. Eventually, he agreed to a truce and sealed the deal with a kiss.

Minutes passed. As they lay side-by-side in the dark, Nic asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Allie didn’t respond immediately. He got the impression that something was troubling her. Finally, she said, “I was just thinking about the person who donated the money for my surgery.” Another pause. “Don’t you think it’s kind of weird how it all just kind of happened out of the blue?”

He blurted out, “Not necessarily. Rich people donate money to worthy causes all the time.”

“I know, but everything about this just seems so…mysterious. For one thing, it looks like the donor did everything he could to conceal his identity.”

“It could be a she, you know.” Allie nodded. Nic pulled her closer. “Anyway, he probably has his reasons. I wouldn’t worry about it too much if I were you.”

“I just wish there was some way I could thank that person, you know.”

While stroking her cheek with the back of his hand, he said, “If I were that person, I think that knowing that I was giving you the chance to regain your sight would be more than thanks enough.”

Allie was quiet for a moment, then asked, “Are you going to get up soon?”

“I think so,” Nic replied, stretching. “I’m feeling kind of restless and I doubt that I’ll be able to get back to sleep even if I tried.

“Is everything all right with you?”

He lied. “As far as I know. Why do you ask?”

She shrugged and said, “You’ve seemed kind of stressed out and preoccupied lately.”

Images from the nightmare suddenly flashed through his mind. He quickly shoved them aside, reminding himself that there was no way for him to honestly answer her without admitting what he’d done or sounding like a selfish prick who was more worried about his own needs and feelings than his girlfriend’s, who was just two days away from undergoing a life-altering operation. So instead, he deflected. “Don’t worry about me. You’ve got more than enough on your plate without adding my problems to it.”

Allie shook her head. “We’re a team, remember? I’m here for you too. You know that, don’t you?”

“Of course I do.” Nic said as he grasped her hand and raised it to his lips. “So, what are you up to today?”

“My aunt is going to take me out to lunch and I, umm, also kind of told Conner that I’d meet him at Starbucks too.”

Nic frowned. “Why?”

Allie replied, “He called me the other day. He said that he felt bad about the way things have been going between us and wanted to bury the hatchet.”

“Can’t it wait until after your surgery?”

“That’s what I was thinking but he insisted, and my aunt told me that she doesn’t see the harm in meeting him over coffee.”

“I can’t believe that your aunt is taking his side.”

“You gotta understand. My aunt and his mom are like sisters. They confide in each other about almost everything. I’m sure he’s told his mom about how we’ve been on the outs lately. I’m guessing that she talked to my aunt about it and asked her if there was a way to smooth things over between us.”

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Nic replied and shook his head. “He’s probably up to something. You know that, don’t you?”

“There’s nothing he can possibly say that would change my mind about you.”

“That’s not what I’m concerned about, but still—”

“It’ll be fine. I can handle him.” After a brief pause, she asked, “What about you?”

“I was going to do some research at the library and…”

Allie smirked. “Have you ever heard the phrase, ‘All work and no play makes Nic a dull boy?’”

“Is this your way of saying that I’m boring and overly studious?”

“Not at all,” she replied with a chuckle. “You’re tons of fun. But taking a break from your studies and doing something besides hanging out with me might be just what you need right now. It’s been awhile since you’ve seen your friend Matt, hasn’t it? Why don’t you give him a call?”

Nic arched his brow and cocked his head to the side. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“Never,” Allie said as she propped herself up on her elbows. “Just promise me you’ll have some fun and won’t go straight to the library and study all day while I’m out and about.”

“Will do.” He paused, then said, “You know, I think I will give Matt a ring and see what he’s up to.”

“That’s the spirit,” she replied cheerfully and punched him in the arm. “Live a little. You deserve a break.”

 It was mid-afternoon when Nic walked into Jesse’s Saloon. He looked around the dimly lit room with dark wood panels, tables and chairs. It was only half full as his eyes drifted from the front of this establishment, which had a large window with the bar’s name written on it in large red letters, to the back where two guys and a girl were playing pool.  Seeing no sign of Matt, he took a seat at the bar and watched TV to pass the time.

The bartender, an old man with gray hair and a gruff voice, looked at him with a wary eye. He approached him slowly and cautiously. “Are you lookin’ for somebody?”

Nic nodded. “I’m meeting a friend. He should be here any minute.”

He then leaned in and said in a low voice, “I don’t want no trouble.”

Puzzled, he said to the bartender, “Neither do I.”

He pointed to Nic’s face and said, “No offense, but it sure looks like you’ve been roughed up a time or two.”

If you only knew, Nic thought to himself and ordered a beer.

Just then, he saw Matt walk in. His big, burly friend patted Nic on the back and sat down in the empty bar stool next to his. He slapped his hand on the bar to get the old man’s attention and said, “I’ll jus git what he’s havin.” The old man grunted in reply and turned toward the tap to get their beverages.

Nic shook his head in mild disgust at the man’s total lack of grace and customer service, then turned to Matt and said, “It’s been too long. How’ve you been, man?”

“Just livin’ my life and doin’ my thang. What ‘bout you?”

“Studying mostly and working on reports for my classes.”

“Sounds like you been havin’ a grand ole time,” Matt teased. “Betta you than me. How’s yo boo?”

“Good, good,” Nic replied as he cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

He shot Nic an inquiring glance as the bartender handed them their beers. “Lay it on me, brotha.”

“Her eye surgery is tomorrow.”

Matt looked confused. “Dat’s good, init?”

Nic nodded. “Assuming everything goes well, there’s a good chance that she’ll be able to see again.”

His friend scratched his head, then asked, “Then why you trippin’?” Nic pointed to his face. “Oh!” Matt exclaimed with dawning comprehension.

Just then, the bartender placed a bowl of mini pretzels between him and Nic. Nic grabbed a handful and quickly popped a few into his mouth while Matt looked like he was trying to think of something to say.

“You scairt dat she’s gonna skedaddle once she sees yo face?”

“Something like that,” Nic replied as he stared at his beer mug.

For a time, they said little as they watched the Duke Blue Devils play the North Dakota State Bison in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. They ate pretzels and drank beer in companionable silence before Matt finally said, “I think yo blowin’ things outta proportion. From what I seen, she don’t seem like the kinda girl dat would do dat. You know what I’m sayin’?”

Nic agreed. Allie had told him as much on more than one occasion. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only concern that was weighing on his mind.

“Where she at?”

“She went out to lunch with her aunt and is supposed to meet someone for coffee afterward.”

“Who she seein’?” Matt asked with one raised eyebrow.

“It’s this guy, a family friend that she’s known forever.”

“You okay with dat?”

“I trust her,” Nic quickly replied. “Him, not so much, but whatever. It’s complicated.”

Matt furrowed his brow. “You think she’s with him now?” Nic shrugged. His friend replied, “Then why don’t you call and see how she’s doin’?”

Nic looked down at his cell phone, which he’d put on the counter next to his beer and shook his head. “Nah, I can wait.”

“You sure ‘bout dat?” Nic nodded despite his misgivings about Conner and what he might be saying to Allie at that moment. Clearly unconvinced, Matt replied, “I’d do it if I was you.”

“I know you would,” he said, laughing. “But like I told you. We’re good. Solid as a rock.”

“I jus knew you two were goin’ to get together. I saw dat train comin’ a mile away,” Matt said as guzzled down the rest of his beer and stuffed a few more pretzels into his mouth. He promptly requested more of both from the bartender, then asked, “Do you love her?” Nic said yes. “Does she love you?”

“She tells me that at least once a day,” Nic replied with a smile. “Sometimes more.”

“Then you got nothin’ to worry ‘bout. From what I see, yo drivin’ yourself crazy over nothin’.” If only that were true, he thought to himself. For a split second, he toyed with the idea of telling his friend about how he’d secretly paid for Allie’s surgery, but then reconsidered. The fewer people that know, the better, he reminded himself just as his friend said, “Jus’ do yo self a favor and go home to yo woman and live yo life.”

 Nic took a walk around campus and then the park next to his apartment before heading home. Along the way, he walked by small groups of undergraduates, an old couple, and a young mother pushing her baby girl in a stroller. To his surprise and wonder, none of them gave him a second glance as he walked by. Nothing about him had changed…at least on the outside. But then again, maybe he had. It must be the Allie effect, he thought with a smile and picked up his pace.

He made it to the front door just as the last rays of the setting sun were fading from the sky. He inserted the key and turned the lock. As he opened the door a crack, he stopped and sniffed the air. Smells like baked bread and pasta. His stomach growled.

As soon as Nic stepped inside, he spotted Allie standing by the microwave.

“Dinner will be ready in a few minutes,” Allie said without skipping a beat. “My aunt dropped off some chicken linguine when she picked me up this morning. I’m warming up some rolls to go with it.”

“Sounds delicious,” Nic replied as he came up from behind and hugged her.

Allie turned toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck as she placed her forehead against his. “How’s Matt? Did you have fun?”

“Yeah, we had a good time,” Nic said and nuzzled her neck. “But it’s nice to be home.”

“Glad to hear it.” Allie replied in a breathless tone while Nic nibbled and kissed his way from her earlobe to her lips. “We should start eating before the food gets cold.”

Reluctantly, Nic stepped back and said, “You’re right. How was your day?”

For a brief second or two, Allie’s face clouded over but then quickly reverted to the way it had looked before as she sat down at kitchen table and said, “My aunt took me to this Greek restaurant called Zeus Palace that she and Uncle Mike like to go to sometimes. I ordered a gyro while Aunt Lara ordered chicken souvlaki. We each got a baklava for dessert. It was so good.”

“You’ve got the biggest sweet tooth of anyone I know,” Nic replied and joined her at the table.

“What can I say? For me, it’s the best part of every meal. Eating dessert and drinking coffee are two of my favorite pastimes.”

“Speaking of coffee, how did your get together with Conner go?”

“Fine,” Allie replied. “You know him. He always has something to say whether you want to hear it or not.”

Nic rolled his eyes and made a face. He could just imagine all the horrible things Conner had probably said to Allie about him.  “What did you talk about?”                                                                                                                                                  

At first, she seemed hesitant to answer. Alarm bells went off in his head as she reached for her glass of water and took a long, slow drink. Finally, she said, “He kept apologizing to me for the way he’s been acting and swore that he’s turned over a new leaf.”

“And you believed him?”

“He’s a friend of the family, so the likelihood of me running into him on occasion for the foreseeable future is pretty high. It would be a lot easier if we found a way to get along.”

“What else did he say?”

Again, the question appeared to unnerve her. Her hand shook ever so slightly as she brought a piece of her bread roll to her lips and then cleared her throat twice before speaking.  “We talked about all kinds of stuff. School…my surgery…”

“Did he say anything to upset you?” Allie lowered her head and was quiet for a moment.

Nic sensed an inner struggle raging within her. He asked, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

She shook her head. “You’ve already done too much. Believe me.”

He reached out and placed his hand over hers. “There’s no such thing as too much for me where you’re concerned.”

She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. “Oh Nic…”

“What is it? Tell me.”

“I don’t deserve you.”

Nic exclaimed, “What are you talking about?”

She picked up a napkin and dabbed her eyes with it. “Don’t mind me. I guess I’m just a little nervous about my surgery.”

“You’re going to be fine. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

“I know you will,” she replied with a faint smile. “You’ve been like my guardian angel since Day One.”

“I hate to break it to you, but I think most people would say that I look much more like a gargoyle than an angel.”

Allie frowned. “Why do you say things like that? You’re the kindest, most generous person I know. Honestly, I could care less what you look like. How many times will I have to tell you that before you believe me?”

Swallowing hard, he replied, “You say that now, but once you’re able to see—”

“No it won’t. Besides, there’s no guarantee that the surgery will even work.”

“You will see again,” Nic replied matter-of-factly.

Allie, however, looked decidedly less certain about the outcome of her upcoming surgery than he did. “But what if that doesn’t happen?”

“Then at least you can tell yourself that you tried. My padre often told me that, in the end, the only things that you will regret are the things you didn’t do.”

“Your dad is very wise man who raised a wonderful son.”

“You think so?”

Allie smiled. “I know so.”

[ricandhaiz]

Blindsided, Chapter 9

A few days later, Nic had his computer and textbooks spread out in front of him at the kitchen table when he heard Allie’s phone ring. The sound of her ringtone nearly made him jump out of his seat. He glanced at Allie, who was sitting on the couch, listening to cases studies she’d been assigned in class through screen reading software on her computer. He watched as she picked up her iphone and tapped it twice before putting it up to her ear. Was it her aunt? Her doctor? He stopped what he was doing and listened in. At first, her responses consisted of long pauses and a maddeningly short series of yeses and umms. But then, near the end of her conversation, he distinctly heard her say, “I can come in and see Dr. Severin tomorrow morning. 9 a.m.? Yes, that shouldn’t be a problem.”  

Nic waited a moment or two after she’d hung up before walking over and plopping himself down next to her. “Who was it?” he asked in as casual a tone as he could muster.

“It was Donna, my eye doctor’s appointment secretary,” Allie replied with a bewildered look. “She said that my ophthalmologist wants me to come in for an evaluation.”

“Why? What’s going on?” he pressed, even though he knew the exact reason why she’d gotten the call.

“She told me that the Eye Institute just received some money from an anonymous donor. That person apparently specified that it be spent on someone it deems qualified to receive retinal implant surgery who would otherwise be unable to afford it. Apparently, Dr. Severin thinks that that person should be me.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I said yes,” Allie replied, her voice quivering. “She asked me to come to his office tomorrow morning for a consultation. She said that he’d give me more details about the surgery itself as well as where and when it would take place.”

“That’s great, isn’t it?” he asked and placed his hand over hers.

Allie nodded. “Oh Nic. Do you know what this means?”

“It’s the chance of a lifetime.” He squeezed her hand.

She scooted closer to him and rested her head against his shoulder. “I can’t believe that this is happening to me.”

“This calls for a celebration. What would you like to do?”

Allie paused a moment to think. “Can we go to Luigi’s? It’s walkable and they’ve got the best coffee and desserts in town.”

“Sounds good to me,” Nic replied as he helped her get to her feet. “My treat.”

“Have you tried their cappuccino or stracciatella gelato yet?” Allie asked as Nic guided her to the front door. “They’re just to die for.”

He smiled and said, “Really? Maybe I will tonight. Just wait for me here. I’ll go and get our coats.”

 Nic and Allie snagged the last available outdoor table underneath the café’s awning after purchasing their drinks and desserts at the counter. A nearby heat lamp kept them warm as they clinked their cappuccino mugs together and then dug into their gelatos with gusto. It wasn’t long, however, before their private celebration was interrupted by Conner, who just happened to be walking by them at the time.

Nic saw him first and alerted Allie just as Conner, who was wearing jeans and a Wagner University sweatshirt, strode up to them and said, “Hi Allie, long time no see.”

“Conner?” Allie’s face fell. “Is that you?”

“The one and only,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s been awhile. How’ve you been?”

“Good, good,” Allie replied. “What are you doing here?”

“I was just dropping off some clothes at the dry cleaners across the street. I saw you sitting there with your…umm…friend so I thought I’d come over and say hello.”

“Well…that’s great.” After a long and awkward pause, she said, “Don’t let us keep you. I’m sure you’ve probably got a million other things do.”

“That’s all right. I needed a study break. I’ve got a pile of textbooks and class outlines that I have to go over when I get back to my fraternity house. All that can wait as far as I’m concerned.”

“Do you mean to tell me that you and your frat brothers actually study?” Allie asked. It was hard for Nic to tell if she was being serious or not. “That’s not the impression I got from your mom the last time I saw her at my aunt’s house. She seems to think that your fraternity’s motto is “All Play and No Work.”

“Have you been checking up on me?” Conner teased. “I’m flattered. You still going the Joe’s every Wednesday?” Allie nodded. “Maybe I’ll surprise you and stop by while you’re there. It’ll be like old times.”

“Nic and I have been doing a lot of stuff together,” Allie replied.

Conner frowned as he shifted from foot to foot. “Just ‘cause you’re with Nic doesn’t mean you have to forget about everyone else.”

“What are you talking about?” Allie shot back. “I’ve been doing no such thing.”

“Then why didn’t I see you at Father Marcus’ retirement celebration? He told me that you haven’t gone to his Thursday evening bible study class with your aunt in months.”

“I’ve been really busy this semester,” Allie replied defensively. “Between my classes and my internship at the Development Services Department, I barely have time to breathe. I’m usually pretty beat by the end of the day. Just ask Nic, he’ll tell you.”

“Then maybe you should cut back and stick around an extra semester or two.”

“No way,” Allie cut in. “I can’t afford to do that.”

“What about your aunt and uncle?” Conner replied. “I’m sure they’d help you.”

“I can take care of myself,” she replied, lifting her chin. “Besides, they have their own kids’ college expenses to worry about without me adding to their financial burden.” At that point, she stood up and said, “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go to the ladies’ room.”

“Do you need me to help you walk over there?” Conner asked.

“God, no,” she snapped. “I mean no thanks. I can find my way there on my own. I’ve been to Luigi’s plenty of times and I have my walking stick right here to help me get to where I need to go.”

Nic stood up and opened the door for Allie. He purposely turned his back on Conner and watched her until she’d reached the back of the café and walked into the restroom. When he turned around, he was dismayed to find that Conner hadn’t moved an inch. He cursed under his breath and braced himself for what he imagined would be a rather unpleasant conversation.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you,” Conner said while Nic sat down and breathed into his cold hands for warmth.

“I think that you made your feelings about me being in Allie’s life quite clear the last time I saw you.”

“And there’s nothing that I’ve seen or heard in the time in between to make me think any differently,” Conner said with a smugness that Nic found irritating to the extreme. “Her aunt says that the two of you are dating now.”

“That’s right,” Nic replied curtly. “What’s it to you?”          

“Allie needs someone stable. Someone she can rely on. No offense, but I don’t think you have it in you to be any of those things for her.”

And you think you do? Nic longed to say but bit his tongue. For Allie’s sake, he simply replied, “I’m sorry to hear you say that.”

“My guess is that you’re probably not planning on sticking around after you graduate. Am I right?” Rather than show Conner that he was getting under his skin in any way, Nic simply chose to stare at his nemesis, his face inscrutable, and say nothing. After a moment or two of silence, Conner continued, undeterred. “What happens to her then? I’ll tell you. You’ll leave her heartbroken while you go on your merry way.”

Nic felt blood rush to his face as he clenched his fists and fought the urge to get back at him somehow. What does this slow-witted busybody know about him or what’s best for Allie? Nothing. With great effort, he retained his composure and said, “You give her too little credit. You’ve known her since you were children but she’s not a child anymore. She’s a smart, independent and savvy young woman who knows what she wants and how to get it.”

Conner retorted, “You don’t think I know that? Allie was doing just fine before you came along. She had everything and everyone she needed until you came along and stuck your nose in her business.”

Nic’s patience was wearing thin. And so he simply to cut to the chase and said, “Look, I’m sorry if I’ve ruined your plans but I think she’s made it clear to you on multiple occasions that she has no interest whatsoever in being anything other than your friend.”

“Of course she’s told you that. Why would she say anything else after you weaseled your way into her life and…and corrupted her virtue?”

Nic blinked, open-mouthed. Did he really just say that? What century did he think they were living in? He took a deep breath, then said, “I’ve tried, for Allie’s sake, to be polite to you even though you’ve been nothing but rude to me. For some reason, you’ve got this deluded notion that she’s going to wake up some day and realize that she’s in love with you. Well, here’s a newsflash for you. That’s never going to happen, so stop acting like you’re some kind of white knight that’s going to come in and save the day. She doesn’t want or need you.”

Just then, Nic felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Allie.

“Conner, I think it’s time for you to go.”

Nic froze. How much had she heard? He glanced at Conner, who was glaring at him. In fact, the guy looked like he was ready to punch him out. But instead, he just shoved his hands into his pockets and said, “Would you mind stepping away for minute? I need to speak with Allie alone.”

She replied, “Whatever you want to say to me, you can say in front of him too.”

“Fine,” Conner said with a disgruntled look. “This guy has trouble written all over him. Why can’t you see that?”

“Because I think you’re wrong, so I guess we’re just going to have to agree to disagree on that,” she replied calmly.

Undaunted, Conner pointed his finger between his eyes and said in a low, menacing voice, “You’re up to something, I can feel it. And when I finally figure out what it is, you’re going to be sorry.”

“Conner, that’s enough.”

“Okay, fine.” Conner raised his hands and backed away. “I’ll see you later.” He then turned on his heel and strode off in a huff.

Allie looked troubled as she slid her hand down Nic’s arm and then gripped his hand. “I’m so sorry. Are you all right? What Conner just did was so not okay. I mean, seriously, where does he get off thinking that he can just come up and bad mouth you in front of me like that?”

“I’m fine. I’ve dealt with worse.”

“I thought he’d leave if I got up and went to the restroom. Guess that didn’t work, did it?” she said with a sigh. “What did he tell you?”

“Do you want to long or short version?”

Allie covered her face with her hands and said, “Whichever you prefer.”

“He basically told me that he thinks I’m a jerk who’s going to use you and then leave after I graduate.”

She groaned in dismay. “What did you say?”

“I told him to buzz off and get a life.”

“Good. I owe you one,” she replied, giggling with relief. She then shook her head, adding, “He’s something else.”

“You can say that again,” Nic replied as he let go of her hand. He leaned forward and picked up the still steaming cup of cappuccino, raising it to his lips. After taking a sip, he placed it back on the saucer and said, “This is pretty good.”

Allie nodded. She looked pensive. He wondered why as he watched her scoop up a mouthful of her increasingly soupy looking gelato.

He patted her on the knee and said, “Talk to me.”

“I was just thinking of how good we are together,” Allie replied while twiddling her thumbs. “On paper, you wouldn’t think we’d have that much in common. On the one hand, there’s you, a worldly ex-footballer from a wealthy Spanish family whose spent his life hobnobbing with celebrities and sports stars. And then there’s me. A working-class girl who’s spent most of her life with people who live paycheck to paycheck and have to scrimp and save so that they’ll have the money to pay a plumber when the water heater goes out or to buy a new appliance when the old one stops working.”

“I like your family. They’re honest, hardworking individuals. Having money doesn’t make you a better person. A lot of those rich and famous people I used to hang out with were actually rather shallow and self-centered. To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t that much different from them at the time. I talked a good game and said the right things in public, but it was mostly an act. I was happy to go with the flow and I rarely stopped to think about the consequences of my actions.”

Allie seemed to shudder at the thought, “That’s hard to imagine. The guy you’re describing sounds nothing like the one I fell in love with. You’re conscientious, loyal and don’t seem at all like the kind of person that would go and do something behind my back.”

Nic flinched. He was glad that she couldn’t see him. He knew he looked and felt guilty. But weren’t his intentions good? In the end, wasn’t that what really mattered? He replied, “Please don’t put me on a pedestal. I’m far from perfect. You of all people should know that by now.”

“Your faults make you human. Just like me,” she said, smiling warmly. “I appreciate the fact that you’ve always treated me like you’d treat anybody else and not like a disabled girl who needs special treatment. It’s also nice to know that I can count on you to have my back.”

“And you have mine,” Nic replied. “It’s not every day that someone can say that they live with a person who’s their best friend, lover and closest confidant all rolled into one.”

Allie blushed as she paused to take a sip of her cappuccino. “I liked you from the start, but, believe me, I had no idea that our relationship would turn out the way it has. It’s been great. Fabulous. But…”

“But what?”

“I think it’s also important to be realistic about things, you know what I mean?”

Her words caught him off guard. Where exactly was she going with this? Alarmed, he asked, “Please tell me that you don’t actually think that anything Conner said was true. Do you honestly believe that I’m just going to go back to Spain and forget all about you once I get my degree?” Knowing that Allie was not one to mince her words or to refrain from speaking her mind, her silence spoke volumes. He said, “Don’t you know what you mean to me? You’ve changed me for the better and helped me to turn my life around. Do you really think I would just walk away from you after all that we’ve been through?”

Allie’s mouth began to quiver as an errant tear slipped down her cheek. She wiped it away and said, “I love you, Niki, so so much. These last few months with you have meant the world to me but I know full well that you had a life before you got here and that you’re most likely going to go back to it. And when that time comes, I want you to know that I’ll be okay.”

“Te quiero, mi amor,” Nic replied in earnest. “I have no intention of going anywhere now or in the future without you.”

“You say that now but what about the rest of your family? I’m as blind as a bat and haven’t got a penny to my name, and I can count the number of Spanish phrases I can say in one hand,” Allie stammered. “What would they think of me?”

Given the lengthy conversations that he’d recently had with this padre about her, Nic confidently replied, “They’d welcome you with open arms and grow to love you just as I have.”

“Do you really think so?”

“They’re big hearted people who are well aware of the physical and emotional pain that I’ve had to endure these last two years. I came out of that car accident a broken man. The doctors both here and in Spain put me back together as best as they could but you’re the one who brought me back to life.”

Allie nodded and then was quiet for a moment. “Then I guess you’re going to be stuck with me for a while.”

“Is that a threat?” Nic asked playfully.

“No,” Allie replied with a tearful smile. “It’s a promise.”

[ricandhaiz]

Blindsided, Chapter 8

“Are you ready to go?” Allie asked and lifted a spoonful of cereal to her mouth. It was a little after eight o’clock in the morning on the day before Thanksgiving.

“Yes,” Nic replied, hoping she wouldn’t ask many more questions about his short trip to Los Angeles to visit is padre. “He’s a very busy man and travels a lot to promote the family’s wine business.”

Allie looked thoughtful as she picked up her glass and drank some orange juice. “How long did you say he’s going to be in the United States?”

He replied, “A few days. But his schedule is going to be packed with meetings and social events with friends who are in the area.”

“Are you going to stay with him the whole time he’s here?”

“It depends,” he said, eyeing her curiously. Where was he getting at with these questions? “At least a day or two, which is fine since school’s out this week for Thanksgiving.”

“Oh, okay,” she replied in a feeble attempt to sound casual and unconcerned.

Nic felt her anxiety growing with each question she posed to him. And so he asked, “What is it? I can tell that something’s bothering you.”

Allie made a face as she tore pieces off the paper napkin in her hand but said nothing at first. Nic waited. Finally, she said, “Are you embarrassed to introduce me to your dad? Is that why you’re not taking me with you to see him?”

Nic was stunned. “Of course not. How can you say such a thing, or even think it?”

“It’s just that you’ve been so evasive about this whole trip,” Allie replied, biting her lip. “Every time I’ve asked you about it, you always try to change the subject. It feels like you’re keeping something from me. Am I wrong?”

No, you’re not, he thought, but said, “There are a lot of personal matters that I need to discuss with him in private. You can understand that, can’t you?”

“I do, but…” She huffed in frustration as her voice trailed off.

Nic knelt beside Allie and took her hand in his. He wanted to reassure her that all was well. “Te quiero mucho. Eres mi chica. You know that, don’t you?” She nodded. “Like I said before, his schedule’s pretty tight, and I actually feel kind of lucky that he was able to fit me in. Besides, if you went with me to L.A., you’d miss Thanksgiving with your family.”

“I guess you’re right,” Allie reluctantly conceded. “And I do have a term paper to work on. I suppose I won’t see you until this weekend then.”

He said yes and asked, “Do you have any big plans aside from school work and going to your aunt and uncle’s house for Thanksgiving?”

Allie shook her head. “Thanksgiving at the Welch’s is an all-day event. We basically eat from sunrise to sunset so don’t be surprised if there’s a lot more of me to love when you get back.”

He laughed. “I’m sorry that I’m going to miss the fun. Maybe next time.” He took his cell phone from his back pocket to check how close his uber driver was to the apartment. He said, “I better wait outside. The uber app is telling me that my driver is less than two blocks away now.”

“Have fun.”

“I will,” he replied as he stood up and then kissed her on the forehead before picking up his backpack on the way out the door.

 Three hours later, the uber driver dropped Nic off in front of the Hyatt Regency near Los Angeles International Airport at around noon. It had been a long and uneventful drive. He’d spent much of the time either surfing the internet on his phone or napping as the car sped southward. Once there, he entered the hotel and followed the signs to the unity la restaurant and found his padre, a distinguished-looking man in a custom-tailored black suit with wisps of gray hair sitting at a square-shaped wooden table closest to the entrance. They greeted one another with a hug and kisses on each cheek before sitting down in light gray padded seats.

“How are you?” his padre asked.

“I’m doing well. I’m getting high marks in my classes so far and my English is much improved.”

“Excellent,” his father said with a smile. “I’ve ordered a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon for us. Go on and take a minute to look over the menu.”

Nic took a sip of water and perused the menu while his padre checked his cell phone for messages. Once he’d decided on ordering the rib eye steak, he asked, “How is everyone back home?”

“Good,” his padre replied as he dipped a piece of bread into a small bowl of seasoned olive oil. “Everyone sends their regards. Your abuelas want to know if you’ll be coming home for Christmas.”

Nic shook his head. “It takes over twelve hours to fly from California to Spain without stopovers. It took me at least two days to recover from jet lag and so the idea of flying back and forth like that for just a two-week trip wouldn’t make sense.”

“Have you driven at all since you’ve been here?”

Nic stiffened and said, “No. My apartment is fairly close to the business school and Allie’s aunt drives us to the grocery store whenever we start running low on food.”

“Do you plan to?”

He hadn’t since the night of the accident and had no desire to do so anytime soon but knew better than to say that outright to his padre. So instead, he replied, “At some point, I suppose. Luckily for me, the rideshare companies and mass transportation system in Hilton City are quite good. I rarely have a problem getting where I need to go.”

His padre nodded, then asked, “Have you gone out much since you’ve been here?”

“Yes. I like to take walks around the park near my apartment to clear my head after class. I also go out with my friend Matt to local sporting events or meet him for a drink at a bar on occasion.  But it’s Allie who’s really had the biggest impact on me since I’ve been here.”

His padre sat back in his seat, looking thoughtful. “She seems to have had a very beneficial effect on you. You look happier and more content.”

“She’s a wonderful girl. I’m lucky to have her in my life.”

“I look forward to meeting her at some point.”

His padre’s words triggered thoughts of the somewhat tense conversation he’d recently had with Allie before leaving for L.A. Although he could have confided this to his padre, he chose not to. Instead, he asked, “How are Monica and Alejandro?”

“They’re well,” he replied. “Your hermano took his first steps last week. He’s growing fast. You probably won’t be able to recognize him the next time you see him.”

“Are you and Monica going to have more?”

His padre shook his head. “I’m getting too old to be running after little ones. Monica understands that.” Their conversation took a brief pause when their waiter, Jose, arrived with the bottle of wine his padre had ordered.

As their glasses were being filled, Nic asked, “Have you visited Mamá’s grave recently?”

“I went there last week and put a huge bouquet of red roses on her gravestone,” his padre replied. “Those were her favorite.” A brief silence ensued. After Jose had taken their orders and departed, he raised his wine glass and said, “To Elena, until we meet again.”

Nic clinked his glass against his padre’s and took a sip. They then spent some time reminiscing and exchanging stories about his madre while scrupulously avoiding any mention of her illness or the heartbreaking months leading up to her death.

“Do you miss her?” Nic asked.

His padre looked pensive as he swirled the wine in his glass and stared at its contents. “I miss her every day. She left us far too soon.”

“Did you know at once that she was the one you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?”

He snorted and said, “Yes, I did. I was at a bar in Madrid with a few of my friends when she walked in with another man. Not that I let that stop me. I was already a fairly well-known goalkeeper for Real Madrid so she and her companion were only too happy to have me join them at their table. I slipped her my number before I left them to rejoin my friends. She called me later that same day. The rest, as they say, is history.”

“What happened to the man she came with?”

“She left him. He was a few years older than she was and rather plain looking. I don’t mean to sound boastful but I think that I was clearly the better choice, don’t you agree?”  

Nic laughed as they clinked their glasses together once again. “I miss her too. I think she would have liked Allie.”

His padre leaned forward and asked, “Tell me more about her. Do you have a picture of her on your phone?”

He nodded and pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket. He tapped the photos app, scrolled through his album and brought up a picture he took of Allie in the park with Charlie. He then handed his phone over to his padre, who took out his reading glasses and studied it carefully.

“She’s very pretty…and that’s quite a dog she has there. What was his name?”

“Charlie. Losing him was very hard on her. They were very close. It’s hard to believe that he’s been gone almost a month.”

“She has you,” his padre replied just as the waiter arrived with their meals. The conversation continued as they ate. His padre talked about his itinerary and invited Nic to join him for a few of his non-work-related events. Nic agreed to some but demurred to others. “I made arrangements to come and see you as soon as I got your text. I apologize that it took me as long as it did to get here. As you well know, my work schedule is fairly hectic and I usually book my business appointments weeks in advance. My secretary had to clear my calendar and reschedule everything this week in order for me to make this trip.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Nic replied. “We could’ve just handled this over the phone.”

“Nonsense,” his padre replied with a dismissive waive of his hand. “So, how do you propose to pay for this retinal implant surgery without Allie knowing about it?”

“If you agree to help me, I plan on going to her aunt and uncle and asking them for their assistance in making some kind of arrangement with her eye doctor so that she will think that the money came from an anonymous benefactor.”

“$150,000.00 is a lot of money.”

“I have more than half of that amount in liquid accounts and easily convertible assets. I just need some help from you to come up with the rest of it. But don’t worry, I fully intend to pay back every penny that I borrow.”

“But Niki, if you do that, how would you live?”

“Papá, you don’t understand. This surgery could change her life. Weren’t you the one who always told me that there’s no better way to spend your money than on those that you love?”

“I did say that, didn’t I?” His padre leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin. “Do you see yourself having a future with her?”

“For my part, yes,” Nic replied without hesitation.

“What about Allie? Do you think she feels the same way about you?”

Nic replied, “She’s told me that she loves me often enough and, in my heart, I know that she’s being sincere when she says it. But…”

“But what?”

“Look at me Papá. I’m hideous.”

His padre raised his eyebrows in indignation. “Are you telling me that you think she might leave you because of the way you look?”

“She’s never done or said anything that would lead me to think that she would,” Nic replied in Allie’s defense. “In fact, she’s made it quite clear to me that he could care less what I look like now. In all honesty, my deformities are probably more of an issue for me than they are for her.”

His father shook his head. “I’ve never understood your need to punish yourself again and again over something you had no control over.”

“Even you must admit that what happened to Diego and me was at least partially my fault. I’m the one who encouraged him to go drinking with me after we lost the game. Neither of us should have been behind the wheel after all the alcohol we consumed.”

He pointed his finger at Nic and said, “It was an accident. You were a passenger in the car. It was Diego who chose to drive while he was impaired and run that red light, not you.”

“I should have stopped him. We could have called a cab or uber.”

“Niki, there’s nothing to be gained by constantly rehashing mistakes that you made in the past and have no way of remedying now. What’s done is done. You’ve suffered enough. It’s time to move on.”

Although his padre’s view of what had happened was shared by his abuelos and Monica, he knew that was not necessarily true of others. “Then why did so many people turn away from me? I lost everything and nearly everyone around me.”

“Many of those people weren’t your real friends to begin with. Others tried to be supportive, but you shut them out.”

“And Lourdes?”

His padre snorted in disgust. “I never liked her. Neither did Monica or your abuelos. She was a social climber and an attention whore. Consider yourself lucky that she left you.”

Although his words stung, Nic found could find no fault in his padre’s assessment of his ex-girlfriend. But rather than dwell on her, he pivoted, saying, “I felt so alone and angry before I met Allie. I hated going out in public. I thought that I had to cover up and wear a mask wherever I went to avoid being ridiculed and stared at. Being with her changed all that. She’s given me a whole new outlook on life and a reason to be hopeful about the future.”

“It’s good to see you smile again and in such high spirits. For that, I owe her a great debt.”

Nic nodded. “I need to do this for her. I know it’s the right thing to do. But still, there’s a part of me that’s afraid she might—”

His padre raised his hand and cut in. “If Allie is even half the person that you say she is, then you should have absolutely nothing to worry about.”

Just then, Jose walked by their table and asked them if they were enjoying their meals. Nic’s padre smiled and told him to give his compliments to the chef. As soon as the waiter moved on, Nic asked, “Will you help me?”

Instead of providing him with a direct response, his padre asked, “How soon will you need the money?”

“The sooner the better. From what Allie has told me, these procedures are scheduled weeks if not months in advance, so I’d like to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible.”

His padre reached for the wine bottle and poured it into his wine glass, nearly filling it to the rim. He asked, “Would you like more?”

“Yes,” Nic replied and held out his glass to be refilled, his pulse quickening with nervousness as he waited for a definitive response.

His padre said little for the next minute or two as he took another bite of his steak and sipped his wine.  Nic did likewise and did he best to appear outwardly calm even though the suspense was killing him. Finally, his padre said, “I’ll transfer the funds directly into your checking account. $150,000.00. Is that the right amount?”

Nic’s eyes widened in shock. “No, not that much. As I said before, I only need to borrow the difference between what I have and—”

His father raised his hand and shook his head. “I won’t have you emptying all your accounts when we both know that I can cover the amount of money that you need to pay for Allie’s eye surgery.”

“I can’t ask you to do that. What would Monica say?”

“I’ve already discussed this with her at length. She agreed that it would be best to do it this way. And don’t try to talk me out of it. The issue is settled as far as I’m concerned and nothing you can do or say will change my decision.”

Knowing that once his padre had made up his mind about something that he was unlikely to alter it, he simply replied, “Thank you, Papá.”

“You’re welcome, and don’t even think of trying to pay me back. Think of it as an early Christmas present.”

Nic smiled. “Do you think Mamá would approve?”

His padre nodded. “She loved you with all her heart, as I do. If this makes you happy and will significantly improve the life of the woman you love, I have no doubt that she would have given me her blessing to do this.” He paused, then asked, “Do you think that you’ll be able to keep what you’re about to do from her indefinitely?”

“The only people I plan on talking to directly about this are her aunt, uncle and her doctors. The fewer people that know the better. I don’t think they’ll have a problem with keeping this bit of information from her if I ask them to.”

“But what if she finds out later? Will you tell her the truth or try to deny it?”

Nic shrugged and said, “I’ll deal with it if and when that eventuality comes to pass. But for now, all that matters to me is that she be given this chance to see again.”

“I wish you well,” his padre replied. “Rest assured that both you and Allie will be in my prayers.”

 Late that evening, Nic lay on one of the queen sized beds in his padre’s studio suite thinking about Allie. He’d declined his padre’s invitation to join him for dinner and had instead opted to stay in and have room service bring him his meal. He thought about the part of the conversation he’d had with him about what he’d do if she ever found out that he’d paid for her surgery. He guessed that she’d be upset and disappointed, maybe even angry that he’d defied her express wishes. But, in the end, she’d forgive him, wouldn’t she?

He dialed her number. She picked up on the second ring and said, “Hey baby. Are you having a good time with your dad?”

“Yes, we had a couple of hours to catch up before he went out to dinner with some friends. I was tired so I decided to stay in. What did you do today?”

“My aunt picked me up not long after you left. I’m staying with her and Uncle Mike through Thanksgiving. The apartment’s just too quiet without you and Charlie there.” After a brief pause, she said, “I miss you.”

“I miss you more.”

“I doubt that,” she replied, giggling. “Te quiero. Did I say that right?”

“Music to my ears, mi amor,” he replied, grinning. “I love you, too.”

“Come back soon. Things just aren’t the same here without you.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” he replied as he thought about how radically different and much improved Allie’s life might soon be after his return.

[ricandhaiz]

Blindsided, Chapter 7

“Are you ready to go?” Allie asked and lifted a spoonful of cereal to her mouth. It was a little after eight o’clock in the morning on the day before Thanksgiving.

“Yes,” Nic replied, hoping she wouldn’t ask many more questions about his short trip to Los Angeles to visit is padre. “He’s a very busy man and travels a lot to promote the family’s wine business.”

Allie looked thoughtful as she picked up her glass and drank some orange juice. “How long did you say he’s going to be in the United States?”

He replied, “A few days. But his schedule is going to be packed with meetings and social events with friends who are in the area.”

“Are you going to stay with him the whole time he’s here?”

“It depends,” he said, eyeing her curiously. Where was he getting at with these questions? “At least a day or two, which is fine since school’s out this week for Thanksgiving.”

“Oh, okay,” she replied in a feeble attempt to sound casual and unconcerned.

Nic felt her anxiety growing with each question she posed to him. And so he asked, “What is it? I can tell that something’s bothering you.”

Allie made a face as she tore pieces off the paper napkin in her hand but said nothing at first. Nic waited. Finally, she said, “Are you embarrassed to introduce me to your dad? Is that why you’re not taking me with you to see him?”

Nic was stunned. “Of course not. How can you say such a thing, or even think it?”

“It’s just that you’ve been so evasive about this whole trip,” Allie replied, biting her lip. “Every time I’ve asked you about it, you always try to change the subject. It feels like you’re keeping something from me. Am I wrong?”

No, you’re not, he thought, but said, “There are a lot of personal matters that I need to discuss with him in private. You can understand that, can’t you?”

“I do, but…” She huffed in frustration as her voice trailed off.

Nic knelt beside Allie and took her hand in his. He wanted to reassure her that all was well. “Te quiero mucho. Eres mi chica. You know that, don’t you?” She nodded. “Like I said before, his schedule’s pretty tight, and I actually feel kind of lucky that he was able to fit me in. Besides, if you went with me to L.A., you’d miss Thanksgiving with your family.”

“I guess you’re right,” Allie reluctantly conceded. “And I do have a term paper to work on. I suppose I won’t see you until this weekend then.”

He said yes and asked, “Do you have any big plans aside from school work and going to your aunt and uncle’s house for Thanksgiving?”

Allie shook her head. “Thanksgiving at the Welch’s is an all-day event. We basically eat from sunrise to sunset so don’t be surprised if there’s a lot more of me to love when you get back.”

He laughed. “I’m sorry that I’m going to miss the fun. Maybe next time.” He took his cell phone from his back pocket to check how close his uber driver was to the apartment. He said, “I better wait outside. The uber app is telling me that my driver is less than two blocks away now.”

“Have fun.”

“I will,” he replied as he stood up and then kissed her on the forehead before picking up his backpack on the way out the door.

 Three hours later, the uber driver dropped Nic off in front of the Hyatt Regency near Los Angeles International Airport at around noon. It had been a long and uneventful drive. He’d spent much of the time either surfing the internet on his phone or napping as the car sped southward. Once there, he entered the hotel and followed the signs to the unity la restaurant and found his padre, a distinguished-looking man in a custom-tailored black suit with wisps of gray hair sitting at a square-shaped wooden table closest to the entrance. They greeted one another with a hug and kisses on each cheek before sitting down in light gray padded seats.

“How are you?” his padre asked.

“I’m doing well. I’m getting high marks in my classes so far and my English is much improved.”

“Excellent,” his father said with a smile. “I’ve ordered a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon for us. Go on and take a minute to look over the menu.”

Nic took a sip of water and perused the menu while his padre checked his cell phone for messages. Once he’d decided on ordering the rib eye steak, he asked, “How is everyone back home?”

“Good,” his padre replied as he dipped a piece of bread into a small bowl of seasoned olive oil. “Everyone sends their regards. Your abuelas want to know if you’ll be coming home for Christmas.”

Nic shook his head. “It takes over twelve hours to fly from California to Spain without stopovers. It took me at least two days to recover from jet lag and so the idea of flying back and forth like that for just a two-week trip wouldn’t make sense.”

“Have you driven at all since you’ve been here?”

Nic stiffened and said, “No. My apartment is fairly close to the business school and Allie’s aunt drives us to the grocery store whenever we start running low on food.”

“Do you plan to?”

He hadn’t since the night of the accident and had no desire to do so anytime soon but knew better than to say that outright to his padre. So instead, he replied, “At some point, I suppose. Luckily for me, the rideshare companies and mass transportation system in Hilton City are quite good. I rarely have a problem getting where I need to go.”

His padre nodded, then asked, “Have you gone out much since you’ve been here?”

“Yes. I like to take walks around the park near my apartment to clear my head after class. I also go out with my friend Matt to local sporting events or meet him for a drink at a bar on occasion.  But it’s Allie who’s really had the biggest impact on me since I’ve been here.”

His padre sat back in his seat, looking thoughtful. “She seems to have had a very beneficial effect on you. You look happier and more content.”

“She’s a wonderful girl. I’m lucky to have her in my life.”

“I look forward to meeting her at some point.”

His padre’s words triggered thoughts of the somewhat tense conversation he’d recently had with Allie before leaving for L.A. Although he could have confided this to his padre, he chose not to. Instead, he asked, “How are Monica and Alejandro?”

“They’re well,” he replied. “Your hermano took his first steps last week. He’s growing fast. You probably won’t be able to recognize him the next time you see him.”

“Are you and Monica going to have more?”

His padre shook his head. “I’m getting too old to be running after little ones. Monica understands that.” Their conversation took a brief pause when their waiter, Jose, arrived with the bottle of wine his padre had ordered.

As their glasses were being filled, Nic asked, “Have you visited Mamá’s grave recently?”

“I went there last week and put a huge bouquet of red roses on her gravestone,” his padre replied. “Those were her favorite.” A brief silence ensued. After Jose had taken their orders and departed, he raised his wine glass and said, “To Elena, until we meet again.”

Nic clinked his glass against his padre’s and took a sip. They then spent some time reminiscing and exchanging stories about his madre while scrupulously avoiding any mention of her illness or the heartbreaking months leading up to her death.

“Do you miss her?” Nic asked.

His padre looked pensive as he swirled the wine in his glass and stared at its contents. “I miss her every day. She left us far too soon.”

“Did you know at once that she was the one you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?”

He snorted and said, “Yes, I did. I was at a bar in Madrid with a few of my friends when she walked in with another man. Not that I let that stop me. I was already a fairly well-known goalkeeper for Real Madrid so she and her companion were only too happy to have me join them at their table. I slipped her my number before I left them to rejoin my friends. She called me later that same day. The rest, as they say, is history.”

“What happened to the man she came with?”

“She left him. He was a few years older than she was and rather plain looking. I don’t mean to sound boastful but I think that I was clearly the better choice, don’t you agree?”  

Nic laughed as they clinked their glasses together once again. “I miss her too. I think she would have liked Allie.”

His padre leaned forward and asked, “Tell me more about her. Do you have a picture of her on your phone?”

He nodded and pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket. He tapped the photos app, scrolled through his album and brought up a picture he took of Allie in the park with Charlie. He then handed his phone over to his padre, who took out his reading glasses and studied it carefully.

“She’s very pretty…and that’s quite a dog she has there. What was his name?”

“Charlie. Losing him was very hard on her. They were very close. It’s hard to believe that he’s been gone almost a month.”

“She has you,” his padre replied just as the waiter arrived with their meals. The conversation continued as they ate. His padre talked about his itinerary and invited Nic to join him for a few of his non-work-related events. Nic agreed to some but demurred to others. “I made arrangements to come and see you as soon as I got your text. I apologize that it took me as long as it did to get here. As you well know, my work schedule is fairly hectic and I usually book my business appointments weeks in advance. My secretary had to clear my calendar and reschedule everything this week in order for me to make this trip.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Nic replied. “We could’ve just handled this over the phone.”

“Nonsense,” his padre replied with a dismissive waive of his hand. “So, how do you propose to pay for this retinal implant surgery without Allie knowing about it?”

“If you agree to help me, I plan on going to her aunt and uncle and asking them for their assistance in making some kind of arrangement with her eye doctor so that she will think that the money came from an anonymous benefactor.”

“$150,000.00 is a lot of money.”

“I have more than half of that amount in liquid accounts and easily convertible assets. I just need some help from you to come up with the rest of it. But don’t worry, I fully intend to pay back every penny that I borrow.”

“But Niki, if you do that, how would you live?”

“Papá, you don’t understand. This surgery could change her life. Weren’t you the one who always told me that there’s no better way to spend your money than on those that you love?”

“I did say that, didn’t I?” His padre leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin. “Do you see yourself having a future with her?”

“For my part, yes,” Nic replied without hesitation.

“What about Allie? Do you think she feels the same way about you?”

Nic replied, “She’s told me that she loves me often enough and, in my heart, I know that she’s being sincere when she says it. But…”

“But what?”

“Look at me Papá. I’m hideous.”

His padre raised his eyebrows in indignation. “Are you telling me that you think she might leave you because of the way you look?”

“She’s never done or said anything that would lead me to think that she would,” Nic replied in Allie’s defense. “In fact, she’s made it quite clear to me that he could care less what I look like now. In all honesty, my deformities are probably more of an issue for me than they are for her.”

His father shook his head. “I’ve never understood your need to punish yourself again and again over something you had no control over.”

“Even you must admit that what happened to Diego and me was at least partially my fault. I’m the one who encouraged him to go drinking with me after we lost the game. Neither of us should have been behind the wheel after all the alcohol we consumed.”

He pointed his finger at Nic and said, “It was an accident. You were a passenger in the car. It was Diego who chose to drive while he was impaired and run that red light, not you.”

“I should have stopped him. We could have called a cab or uber.”

“Niki, there’s nothing to be gained by constantly rehashing mistakes that you made in the past and have no way of remedying now. What’s done is done. You’ve suffered enough. It’s time to move on.”

Although his padre’s view of what had happened was shared by his abuelos and Monica, he knew that was not necessarily true of others. “Then why did so many people turn away from me? I lost everything and nearly everyone around me.”

“Many of those people weren’t your real friends to begin with. Others tried to be supportive, but you shut them out.”

“And Lourdes?”

His padre snorted in disgust. “I never liked her. Neither did Monica or your abuelos. She was a social climber and an attention whore. Consider yourself lucky that she left you.”

Although his words stung, Nic found could find no fault in his padre’s assessment of his ex-girlfriend. But rather than dwell on her, he pivoted, saying, “I felt so alone and angry before I met Allie. I hated going out in public. I thought that I had to cover up and wear a mask wherever I went to avoid being ridiculed and stared at. Being with her changed all that. She’s given me a whole new outlook on life and a reason to be hopeful about the future.”

“It’s good to see you smile again and in such high spirits. For that, I owe her a great debt.”

Nic nodded. “I need to do this for her. I know it’s the right thing to do. But still, there’s a part of me that’s afraid she might—”

His padre raised his hand and cut in. “If Allie is even half the person that you say she is, then you should have absolutely nothing to worry about.”

Just then, Jose walked by their table and asked them if they were enjoying their meals. Nic’s padre smiled and told him to give his compliments to the chef. As soon as the waiter moved on, Nic asked, “Will you help me?”

Instead of providing him with a direct response, his padre asked, “How soon will you need the money?”

“The sooner the better. From what Allie has told me, these procedures are scheduled weeks if not months in advance, so I’d like to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible.”

His padre reached for the wine bottle and poured it into his wine glass, nearly filling it to the rim. He asked, “Would you like more?”

“Yes,” Nic replied and held out his glass to be refilled, his pulse quickening with nervousness as he waited for a definitive response.

His padre said little for the next minute or two as he took another bite of his steak and sipped his wine.  Nic did likewise and did he best to appear outwardly calm even though the suspense was killing him. Finally, his padre said, “I’ll transfer the funds directly into your checking account. $150,000.00. Is that the right amount?”

Nic’s eyes widened in shock. “No, not that much. As I said before, I only need to borrow the difference between what I have and—”

His father raised his hand and shook his head. “I won’t have you emptying all your accounts when we both know that I can cover the amount of money that you need to pay for Allie’s eye surgery.”

“I can’t ask you to do that. What would Monica say?”

“I’ve already discussed this with her at length. She agreed that it would be best to do it this way. And don’t try to talk me out of it. The issue is settled as far as I’m concerned and nothing you can do or say will change my decision.”

Knowing that once his padre had made up his mind about something that he was unlikely to alter it, he simply replied, “Thank you, Papá.”

“You’re welcome, and don’t even think of trying to pay me back. Think of it as an early Christmas present.”

Nic smiled. “Do you think Mamá would approve?”

His padre nodded. “She loved you with all her heart, as I do. If this makes you happy and will significantly improve the life of the woman you love, I have no doubt that she would have given me her blessing to do this.” He paused, then asked, “Do you think that you’ll be able to keep what you’re about to do from her indefinitely?”

“The only people I plan on talking to directly about this are her aunt, uncle and her doctors. The fewer people that know the better. I don’t think they’ll have a problem with keeping this bit of information from her if I ask them to.”

“But what if she finds out later? Will you tell her the truth or try to deny it?”

Nic shrugged and said, “I’ll deal with it if and when that eventuality comes to pass. But for now, all that matters to me is that she be given this chance to see again.”

“I wish you well,” his padre replied. “Rest assured that both you and Allie will be in my prayers.”

 Late that evening, Nic lay on one of the queen sized beds in his padre’s studio suite thinking about Allie. He’d declined his padre’s invitation to join him for dinner and had instead opted to stay in and have room service bring him his meal. He thought about the part of the conversation he’d had with him about what he’d do if she ever found out that he’d paid for her surgery. He guessed that she’d be upset and disappointed, maybe even angry that he’d defied her express wishes. But, in the end, she’d forgive him, wouldn’t she?

He dialed her number. She picked up on the second ring and said, “Hey baby. Are you having a good time with your dad?”

“Yes, we had a couple of hours to catch up before he went out to dinner with some friends. I was tired so I decided to stay in. What did you do today?”

“My aunt picked me up not long after you left. I’m staying with her and Uncle Mike through Thanksgiving. The apartment’s just too quiet without you and Charlie there.” After a brief pause, she said, “I miss you.”

“I miss you more.”

“I doubt that,” she replied, giggling. “Te quiero. Did I say that right?”

“Music to my ears, mi amor,” he replied, grinning. “I love you, too.”

“Come back soon. Things just aren’t the same here without you.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” he replied as he thought about how radically different and much improved Allie’s life might soon be after his return.

[ricandhaiz]

Blindsided, Chapter 6

A week later, Allie and Nic arrived with Aunt Lara at the Welch residence at noon with Charlie’s cremated remains. Uncle Mike had dug a hole next to the shade tree in his backyard the night before while Aunt Lara had set up a table in the backyard with flowers and framed pictures of Charlie on it. They were greeted by a small group of friends, family members and a few dog owners whose pets had often played with Charlie in the park.

After placing Charlie’s urn on top of the table in the backyard next to Charlie’s photographs, Allie joined in on the potluck set out on the dining room table. Nic and Aunt Lara sat on either side of her while her cousins and Tara Olsen, the woman who had raised and trained Charlie to be a guide dog, sat across from her. For an hour or so, they fondly exchanged stories about Charlie as they ate their meal and expressed their condolences to Allie over his passing.

Once everyone had finished eating, they all gathered around Allie as she stood with the urn in her hands in front of the shade tree. The mood was solemn as Nic and the others watched her place it in the hole in the ground. He looked up at the darkening sky and prayed that it wouldn’t rain.

Allie, who seemed oblivious to the weather and everything else that was going on around her, bowed her head as she sat on the ground with her hands on the lid of the urn and prayed. When she was ready, she stood up and turned around to face everyone. “Thank you all so much for coming,” she said, fighting back tears. “As you can all probably imagine, it’s been a very difficult week for me. Charlie just wasn’t a pet. He was my right-hand man. He was also my protector and best friend. I’m going to miss him.”

With that said, Nic took her hand in his and held it tight as she came and stood by his side. Uncle Mike came forward, shovel in hand, and began to fill the hole with dirt while everyone in attendance paid their final respects before departing.  

Nic and Allie went over to the porch swing directly facing the shade tree and sat in companionable silence for some time afterward as they slowly rocked back and forth.  He had his arm around her while she leaned her head against his shoulder. Finally, Allie said, “Do you believe that pets go to heaven too?”

Nic smiled. “If there was ever a dog that deserved to, I bet Charlie would be at the top of the list.”

“I can totally see my parents spoiling him right now,” Allie replied. “My dad’s sister, Aunt Susie, told me how good he was with dogs while they were growing up. I just wish I’d had more time with him, you know.”

“Do you remember much about him?”

Allie shook her head. “I was only five when he died on 9/11.” She bit her lip, then added, “The only clear memory I have of him is running into his arms after opening all my Christmas presents. Right after he died, Aunt Lara said that she often found me crying while looking through family photo albums with him in it.”

He pictured her as a little girl and wished that he could go back in time to comfort her and tell her that everything was going to be all right. “Tell me about your mother. What was she like?”

“I was only eight when my mom died of lung cancer so even my memories of her have gotten a little fuzzy,” Allie replied with notable regret. “I remember watching her through the screen door while she smoked. She always seemed kind of sad. I don’t think she ever really got over losing my dad.”

Nic replied, “I was thirteen when my madre died of breast cancer. She was diagnosed when I was twelve. She underwent a mastectomy and did a round of chemotherapy. Afterward, the doctors told her that she was cancer free. But then, when she went in for a checkup a year later, they discovered that it had spread to her other organs. She died less than six months later.”

It felt good to tell her this. Outside of his padre and abuelos, he’d largely kept these painful memories of his madre to himself. But with her, it was different. He felt like he could talk to her about anything without judgment. He was also firm in his belief that she would keep his secrets in the strictest of confidence and would never use them against him.

“I don’t think you ever really get over losing a parent,” Allie said. “I used to get so jealous of all the other kids at school when I would see them getting picked up by their mom or dad after school. Don’t get me wrong, my aunt and uncle have been awesome and did everything they could to make sure I felt safe and loved, but...”

“You don’t have to explain. I had similar feelings when it came to my madrasta. I think that the English word for it is stepmother. Monica was gracious and kind from the first moment my padre introduced her to me. Even so, part of me resented her presence in our lives and worried that she might diminish the place my madre held in my padre’s heart.”

“Did that happen?”

“No,” Nic replied. “She has treated my madre’s place in our lives with the utmost respect and consideration. My padre was devastated after she died. Monica gave him a reason to smile and showed him that it was possible to love again.”

Allie was quiet for a moment, then said, “I miss Charlie.”

Nic kissed her forehead and pulled her closer. “You’re going to be okay. Just give it time. We’ve both been through this kind of loss before. Maybe when you get your new guide dog—”

“That’s the thing,” Allie cut in. “I don’t know if I want to do that.”

That was news to Nic. Although Allie had shown him in the last few days that she was perfectly capable of getting around campus on her own, he’d assumed that she’d get another dog once she’d finished grieving over Charlie. He asked, “Why not?”

“I’ve been thinking more and more about that retinal implant surgery my ophthalmologist, Dr. Severin, told me about. He’s said that I’d be an ideal candidate for the procedure. To be eligible, you need to be over the age of 21, have little or no light perception in both eyes and have had previous sight.” She then paused and shook her head, adding, “I just wish that I could afford to do it.”

“How much money are we talking about?”

Allie sighed and said, “$150,000.00. Even if I start working full-time right after I graduate, most of my take home pay is going to go toward food, rent and repaying my student loans. Social workers don’t exactly get paid the big bucks. It might take me decades before I’d be able to save up the money for it.”

“How much of your sight would this procedure restore?”

She furrowed her brow in thought, then said, “I don’t think I’d be able to see as well as you can. The know-how’s just not there yet, but Dr. Severin did say that the technology involved in the most recently FDA-approved retinal implant procedure would likely give me the ability to see full images and read print,” Allie replied, the excitement in her voice palpable. “I’d be able to see you and get around without having to use a cane or a guide dog. Imagine that.”

Although the idea of her seeing his mangled face filled him with anxiety and dread, he kept those thoughts to himself. Instead, he asked her, “How long would the surgery take?”

“About four hours, I think. And then, a couple of weeks later, I’d be outfitted with a pair of high-tech glasses that would work together with the implant to give me my eyesight back.”

A brief lull in the conversation ensued. During this time, Nic calculated the amount of money he had in liquid and near-liquid assets in his head and how long it would take to transfer it into his checking account. All in all, he estimated that he had about $100,000.00 that he could easily access. He asked, “Would you say to a friend if he gave you the money to pay for it?”

“No,” Allie replied flatly. “I would never ask someone I knew to shell out that kind of money for me. I just don’t think that I’d feel comfortable accepting it.”

Her reply reminded him of her reaction when he’d recently offered to pay for Charlie’s vet bills. Despite her flat-out refusal to accept any assistance in this regard, he inquired further. “But what if that person had the means and the desire to do it and made it clear to you that he or she didn’t want nor expect anything in return?”

“I’d still say no. It’s my problem, no one else’s, and I would never ask a friend to shoulder that kind of financial burden on my account.”

“So, you’re telling me that there’s no way you’d do the surgery unless you paid for it yourself?”

After a brief pause, she replied, “The only way I could see myself doing it with someone else’s money would be if it had been donated to the university’s Eye Institute for patients like me who need this type of surgery. But I’m not going to hold my breath for that to happen anytime soon.”

For a little while, they said little as they continued to swing back and forth, each lost in thought. Nic, for his part, found the part of himself that wanted to do whatever he could to help her see again to be increasingly at odds with his fear that she might be repulsed by the way he looked once her sight was restored.

Allie spoke up first.  “You’re awfully quiet. What’s on your mind?”

“I was just thinking about what you said…about seeing my face.”

“And?”

“Most people who have have either had a big laugh about it at my expense or recoiled in disgust.”

“I wouldn’t. You know that, right?”

“If you actually knew what I looked like, you might think differently.”

Allie frowned. “It’s what a person’s like on the inside that counts. The man that I’ve gotten to know is funny, intelligent and kind. You’re someone that I can count on and confide in. Do you have any idea how much your friendship has meant to me?”

“I’d do it again,” Nic confessed as his chest tightened with emotion. For you, anything.

“I know you would,” Allie replied. “And I’d be there for you too.”

Nic paused, then said, “I sometimes wish you could have known me before…when I was still whole.”

“Nicole told me that you looked hot in the pictures she saw of you on the internet,” Allie said with a laugh. Nic smiled. “But I doubt that that guy would have looked at me twice.”

“That’s not true.”

“Is it?” Allie bit her lip as she twirled strands of her hair around her fingers. “I bet you had girls falling all over themselves for your attention. Nicole said that your ex-girlfriend looked like a goddess. I could never have ever competed with a woman like that.”

“You’re nothing like her, and that’s a good thing. You’re beautiful inside and out, and…” Even though he longed to say, “I can’t imagine being with anyone else but you,” he instead opted to say, “I’m glad we’re friends.”

Allie looked pensive. Nic wondered what she might be thinking. Finally, she said, “Do you ever think about us being more than that?”

Although the question had been running through his mind for some time, hearing it come from her mouth still caught him by surprise. After a moment or two of agonizing indecision, he decided to be forthright and tell her the truth. “Yes, all the time.”

“And when were you planning on letting me in on your little secret?”

“I was waiting for the right time,” Nic replied. “I guess I was afraid it might scare you away if I did and you didn’t feel the same way about me.”

She teased, “We’ve only been sleeping together for the past week.”

“Allie, there’s sleeping together, and then there’s sleeping together,” he said with a smirk. “Cuddling and treating me like a human security blanket doesn’t count.”

“Ouch,” Allie exclaimed with mock offense. “I’m hurt. I never once thought of what we’ve been doing in that way. I thought you knew me better.”

Nic snorted. “You needed me. I was there for you. That’s what friends do.”

Allie furrowed her brow. “Do you think we should try?”

“I’d like to,” Nic replied slowly.

“So would I,” Allie said without hesitation and gave his hand a squeeze.

Just then, Aunt Lara popped her head through the screen door and asked, “Are you kids ready to go yet?”

Allie smile as she nudged Nic in the ribs and said, “Yeah, let’s go home.”

 Later that day, Nic approached the front door of the apartment with almost giddy anticipation. He’d gone out and picked up a pizza and bought a dozen red roses at a nearby convenience store for Allie after her aunt had dropped them off. He fumbled and dropped his keys on the ground before inserting it in the lock and opening the door. He called out to her and put the flowers and pizza on the kitchen table. When she didn’t answer, he walked over to her room and peeked inside. She wasn’t there. He pulled his cell phone out, which he had set to silent mode while at the Welch’s residence, and checked for messages. Nothing. Where did she go? he wondered as he stepped into his room. He dropped his wallet and keys on his desk and then decided to take a shower.

He undressed, leaving his clothes on the bed, and headed toward the bathroom. He turned on the faucet and stepped into the shower. As the water cascaded down his face, he thought of her and became aroused. He immediately lowered the temperature of the water and lathered up.  After rinsing off, he happened to glance at the fogged-up mirror as he was getting out. He moved toward it and rubbed away some of the condensation with his hands. Feelings of anger and resentment quickly welled up inside him as his eyes traveled from his bald head and mangled ear to the rough and discolored skin on his right arm and chest. The flinched at the idea of Allie touching those parts of his body. He hung his head and walked away.

He had just put on a clean pair of jeans and a blood red polo shirt when he heard the front door open. He slipped a foil packet in his jeans pocket along with his cell phone and went out to the living room. He caught Allie smelling the flowers he’d bought for her. He smiled and said, “Do you like them?”

Allie nodded. “They smell heavenly.”

Nic came up behind Allie and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned against him and sighed contentedly. His body stilled as she turned to face him. She placed her hands on the sides of his face and gave him a kiss. Once their lips had parted, he asked, “Where did you go?”

“I went to the park across the street. I was feeling kind of restless after you left so I decided to go out for a bit and stretch my legs. I ran into an elderly couple whose dog sometimes played with Charlie. We had a nice chat. They told me that he’d be missed.”

He rested his forehead against hers. “Are you sure you want to do this with me?”

“Are you having second thoughts?” she replied.

“No, no. It’s just that—”  

Allie placed a finger on his lips and said, “Don’t ruin the moment. Just go with it.”

Nic’s eyes widened in amusement. What should he do next? He wanted her…now. But a voice inside him urged restraint. Take it slow. Don’t rush.

She sniffed the air and said, “I could smell the pizza the minute I walked in. Are you hungry?”

“It’s only five o’clock, but we can eat if you want to.”

“It is kind of early. So, is there something else that you’d like to do instead?”

Nic suddenly felt tongue-tied. “Well uh…we could…umm…”

Allie giggled as she nuzzled his neck and said, “Come with me.”

Nic willingly followed, besotted as she led him to her room. When they reached her doorway, he stopped and watched with bated breath as she moved toward the bed and undressed. She was slender with long, shapely legs and creamy white skin.  His mind went blank with desire as she pulled the scrunchy from her hair and beckoned him to come closer.

Was this really happening? She slid under the covers ahead of him. He fumbled with his clothes and then threw them aside as he climbed in after her. But the moment her hand touched his bare and partially mottled chest, he recoiled as if stung by a bee.

“What’s wrong?” Allie asked, taken aback.

“I’m sorry,” Nic replied. “It’s been almost two years since I’ve been intimate with someone and…and no one besides that doctors and nurses that treated me have ever touched the parts of me that burned. My skin is discolored, uneven and rough there. I’m glad you can’t see it.”

Allie replied, “I love you, Nic. Every part of you. The good and the bad. Inside and out. You got that?”

Nic felt his heart swell with love as the import of her words sank in. She loved him, scars and all, without condition or reservation. What more could he ask for? Nothing. She was everything he could have ever wished for and wanted in a partner, and more. With trembling hands, he reached out and stroked her cheek. He told her he loved her too and pulled her close as he asked, “Do you believe in fate?”

“I guess,” Allie said, looking slightly puzzled by the question. “Why do you ask?”

“Because there’s a part of me that thinks that my meeting you might not have been an accident. Maybe God felt sorry for me and thought that you were the one person that could help me move on with my life and live again.”

Allie smiled. “Have I done that?”

Nic placed the tips of his fingers on her chin as he leaned in and kissed her. “Yes, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than right here with you.”

After weeks of indecision and uncertainty, they were now on the verge of making the leap from friends to lovers. He shifted her onto her back before rolling his body atop hers. He was determined to make love to her slowly, completely. He wanted to make sure that it would be a night that neither one of them would ever forget.

He explored her body with his lips and hands for some time before reaching for the foil packet he’d placed on the nightstand. After making his way into her, he reveled in the pleasured sounds she made as their bodies quickly found their rhythm.  For him, it was so much more than a physical act. It was a means to express the depth and breadth of his feelings for her in a way that mere words could never have adequately conveyed. Each kiss and caress came with a promise that this was only the beginning and that he would be hers, body and soul, for as long she would have him. And when she cried out again and again as her body clinched around him, he quickly added his voice to hers while reaching his own earth-shattering release.

Afterward, their bodies remained entwined long after the heat of passion had cooled down to a low simmer. Allie drifted off to sleep. Nic, however, remained wide awake as he stared at the ceiling and considered his options. He wanted her in his life for the foreseeable future. Of that much he was certain. But whether she would be willing to uproot herself for his sake and live in a country where she knew no one and didn’t speak the language was very much an open question. The more he thought about it, the more complicated and fraught with roadblocks the path to achieving his goal of having her in his life long-term became.

Another issue that occupied his mind was his desire to help her find a way to pay for the retinal implant surgery she needed in order to see again. Unfortunately, he quickly surmised that the biggest obstacle in that regard was going to be Allie herself and her insistence that she pay for the procedure herself. After mulling things over, he formulated a plan and then pushed back the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He picked his pants up off the floor and took his cell phone out of a back pocket. He tapped on the text message app, typed in his father’s telephone number and sent him a text asking him for his advice and assistance in liquidating his assets. He then slid back into bed beside Allie and wrapped his arms around her once more. She purred like a contented cat as she curled her body around him and rested her head on his chest. He kissed the top of her head and brushed her cheek with his finger.

I will find a way to help you see again, whether you want me to or not. You don’t have to carry this burden alone. It’s my problem too. But don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.

[ricandhaiz]

Blindsided, Chapter 5

It was Friday night and the air was crisp and cool as Nic and Allie strolled side-by-side with Charlie under the night time sky. They had just finished eating dinner at a nearby bistro and were headed home. The sidewalks were teaming with university students jostling one another as they came in and out of the numerous cafes, restaurants and clubs in the area. Allie, who was wearing black leggings and a lavender cardigan over a white blouse with open-toed sandals, took it all in stride while Charlie slowly and carefully maneuvered around the various obstacles and people in their path.

“Happy anniversary,” Allie said cheerfully as she tugged on Nic’s arm and waited at an intersection for the walk sign to cross.

Nic smiled. “Has it really been a month since we moved in together?”

“It doesn’t feel like it, does it? I guess time does fly when you’re having fun.”

“I think so too,” Nic replied with satisfaction. Although in recent weeks he’d often thought about the possibility of their relationship taking a romantic turn, the reality was that he’d done almost nothing to date to turn that idea into a reality. He kept putting it off, making excuse after excuse as to why the timing just wasn’t right. He did it even though he knew full well that there would come a time in the not so distant future when his desire for her would inexorably drive him to do it.

“Nicole’s instincts were right on target. Having you as a roommate has been great. I couldn’t have asked for a better replacement for her than you.”

“Glad to hear it,” Nic replied. “I’m not exactly the tidiest person in the world but I’ve really tried hard to keep all the places we share, like the kitchen and bathroom, neat and clean for you.”

“I know you do.” After a brief pause, Allie said, “I’ve always kind of wondered why you didn’t rent a bigger and nicer place for yourself when you first moved here. As a professional footballer, I’m guessing that you probably earned a six-figure salary, so it’s not like you had to live as a boarder with the Wilsons or needed to have a roommate like I did.”

“I incurred a lot of medical expenses as a result of the accident. Besides, money isn’t everything, and it almost certainly can’t buy happiness. My parents taught me that a long time ago.”

Just then, the crosswalk signal turned green and beeped. He started forward, then noticed that Charlie hadn’t moved.

“Come on, buddy,” Allie gently urged and pulled on his harness. The dog hesitated, then whimpered softly as he slowly got to his feet and began to move.

“Is he all right?” Nic asked.

Allie furrowed her brow. “He’s been more sluggish than usual today and hasn’t had much of an appetite. I was thinking about making an appointment for him with the vet on Monday. It’s closed now and won’t reopen until then. What do you think?”

“Maybe you should, just to be safe, especially since you rely on him so much to get around.” Allie nodded in agreement.

They arrived at their apartment shortly thereafter. Allie gave Nic a quick peck on the cheek before heading off to her room with Charlie in tow. Too restless to go to sleep, he decided to plop on the futon in the living room and surf the internet through his iphone. Before he knew it, he’d drifted off to sleep.

 It was midnight when Nic heard Allie cry out. He sat bolt upright and hurried over to her room. The door was closed. He knocked and called out to her.  

“Nic, oh Nic, please come in.”

He turned the doorknob and stepped inside. Her bedroom was pitch black. He felt for the light switch and flipped it on. The room filled with light. He caught sight of Allie hovering over Charlie in one corner of the room. He rushed to her side and knelt down.

“Something’s wrong with Charlie,” Allie stammered, red-eyed and shaking from head to toe. He looked down at the dog, who looked like he was having a seizure.

“What do you want me to do?” Nic asked.

“Can you hand me my phone? I need to call my aunt.”

“Sure. Where is it?”

“On my nightstand. Please hurry.”

Nic quickly retrieved Allie’s phone and handed it to her. She dialed her aunt’s number after activating the voice command function. Aunt Lara answered on the second ring.

“Charlie’s really sick,” Allie said, her voice unsteady. “Can you take us to the emergency pet hospital on Grover Street?”

“Of course, honey,” Aunt Lara replied.

“Do you think Uncle Mike would mind if you brought over his SUV over rather than your car? That way, we could just carry Charlie to the car in his bed and slide him in through the tailgate. I think that would be a lot easier than trying to get him into your backseat.”

“I agree. Anything else?”

“No, I think that’s it.”

“Just try to stay calm and hang in there. I’ll be right over.”

As soon as Allie got off the phone with her aunt, she asked Nic, “Can you help my aunt bring Charlie to the car when she gets here?”

“Absolutely. Would you like me to come with you?”

Allie nodded and then leaned her head on Nic’s shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her. She started to cry. She looked so fragile and scared. He wanted to do more. But what? He didn’t know the first thing about providing first aid to an animal in Charlie’s condition. He grimaced in frustration as he thought of his padre, who always seemed to know what to say and do in every situation, and wished that he could have been more like him at this moment.

When the doorbell rang, Nic let Aunt Lara in and then led the way to Allie’s room. He stayed by the door and watched as she placed her hand over Allie’s and gently patted the top of Charlie’s head. She looked at Nic and said, “We better get going. The sooner Charlie gets seen, the better.”

Nic came forward and slowly lifted one end of the dog bed while Aunt Lara lifted the other. She led the way to Uncle Mike’s SUV while Allie stayed behind to change out of her pajamas. When they got to the car, Aunt Lara opened the tailgate and folded one of the second-row seats down before she and Nic lifted Charlie inside. They positioned him so that Allie could be right by his side. Allie was already by the front door with her purse and walking stick in hand by the time Nic went back for her. He locked the door and then walked with her to the car. He helped her in and then he slid into the front passenger seat while Aunt Lara started up the engine.

They arrived at an emergency veterinary hospital less than ten minutes later. Veterinary personnel went out to the car and placed Charlie on a stretcher. He was whisked away to be evaluated by a triage nurse in the assessment area while Allie and her aunt checked in with the receptionist at the front desk.

Nic took a seat in the waiting area. He sat in a padded chair and looked around the nearly empty rectangular shaped room with its baby blue walls and tiled floor. It was adorned with large portraits of dogs and cats. He reached out and picked up a magazine off the end table entitled “Modern Dog” and flipped through its pages until Allie and Aunt Lara joined him.

A short while later, they were escorted to a hospital room and informed that the on-call veterinary doctor would be in to see them within a few minutes. It had an examination table extending from the wall, wooden cabinets, a computer on a portable workstation and a medical stool. Nic remained standing while Allie and Aunt Lara sat down.

A petite woman with short, bobbed hair came in wearing a lab coat a few minutes later. She pulled the stool over to where Allie was sitting and said, “Good evening. My name is Lucy Wilks. I’m the on-call veterinary doctor.”

“How’s Charlie?” Allie asked in a choked voice. “Is he going to be okay?”

Dr. Wilks paused, then said, “I’m afraid that I have some difficult news to share with you. Per your authorization, we ran a number of tests and did an MRI. Based on the results I obtained as well as the physical examination I conducted, I believe that Charlie’s suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke.” Allie gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

“Will he recover?” Aunt Lara asked as she put her arms around Allie.

Dr. Wilks replied, “We put him on intravenous fluids to help his brain maintain oxygen and to flush out any waste products from the area. It might be a couple of hours, maybe more, maybe less before I’ll be able to give you a more definitive prognosis.”

Allie nodded. “Can I see him now?”

“We had to sedate him before we did the MRI, but I’ll have one of the nurses take you to him as soon as he wakes up,” Dr. Wilks replied.

“Can my aunt and Nic come too?”

“Yes.”

“Dr. Wilks, is there any way you give us an estimate of how much all this is going to cost?” Aunt Lara asked.

“I can have Cindy at the front desk run the numbers for you.”

“Don’t worry,” Nic chimed in. “I’ll take care of it.” He then turned to Dr. Wilks and said, “Please do whatever you think is necessary to save Charlie.”

Allie shook her head. “I can’t let you do that. It might cost hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars."

“This is no time to argue about money,” Nic replied firmly. “Charlie’s life is at stake. I can’t just stand by and let him die when we both know that I have the means to pay for the care that he desperately needs right now.”

Allie’s lip quivered as a fresh round of tears threatened to spill from her eyes. “I’ll agree to it one condition.”

“What is it?”

“That you agree to let me pay you back.”

“Come on, Allie. You don’t need—”

“My dog, my responsibility,” Allie cut in and proudly lifted her chin.

Knowing that she would never agree to it otherwise, he reluctantly acceded to her terms and then followed her and her aunt back to the waiting room.

Less than an hour later, another nurse informed them that Charlie was awake but had taken a turn for the worse. She then escorted them to the animal hospital’s intensive care unit.

Aunt Lara guided Allie to Charlie, who was being attended to by Dr. Wilks and a nurse. After she had finished giving the nurse instructions, the doctor turned to Allie and gently touched her arm as she said, “He hasn’t got much time left. I’ll leave you now to say your goodbyes. I’m so very sorry.”

Once the doctor had drawn the privacy curtain around them, Allie kissed Charlie’s snout and said, “Hey, buddy. I just spoke to the doctor. She tells me that you’re going to be leaving me soon. I guess I probably should have listened when the rep from Guide Dogs of America told me to retire you, but I just kept putting it off. I told him ‘Charlie’s doing just fine. Maybe in another six months.” She paused to wipe a few tears away and then reached out for her aunt and said, “I don’t think I can do this.”

“It’s now or never sweetheart.” Aunt Lara gave Allie’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Just tell him what’s in your heart.”

Allie nodded and placed her hand on Charlie’s back. “I’m going to miss you. You came to me when I was at my lowest and showed me that losing my sight wasn’t the end of the world. You always looked out for me and made sure I got to where I needed to go. And you asked for so little in return.” She covered her face with her hands and choked back a sob. Nic’s heart broke for her as he watched her shatter into a million pieces while the canine who had faithfully served as her second set of eyes for so many years slowly slipped away. Once she’d regained her composure, she concluded by saying, “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay. You just rest now…Goodbye Charlie, I love you.”

As Allie said those words, Nic could have sworn that he saw Charlie’s tail wag just a moment before he took his last breath. At first, they all just stood there in shocked silence while the reality of his passing slowly sunk in. Allie bent over Charlie and began to weep aloud while Nic and Aunt Lara stood on either side of her and patiently waited until she was ready to go.

Once they left the ICU, Aunt Lara gave Nic her car keys and asked him to take Allie to the car while she spoke with the animal hospital’s representatives about the bill and the disposition of Charlie’s remains. He discretely handed her his credit card before taking Allie outside. Once they’d reached the car, he asked her where she wanted to sit. She asked him to sit next to her in the back seat.  He readily agreed.

The ride home was quiet. When they reached the apartment, Aunt Lara gave Allie a hug and asked her if she needed anything. When Allie said no, she turned to Nic and thanked him for coming with them to the hospital. After wishing them both good night, she got into the SUV and drove away.

Nic walked with Allie to the front door of their apartment and asked her if there was anything else he could do for her.

Allie shook her head and said, “Thanks for everything. You’re the best.”

“We’re friends, aren’t we?” Nic replied as he closed the door and flicked on the switch to the living room. “It was the least I could do.”

Allie nodded. “You going to bed? You must be exhausted.”

“I’m fine, really. Don’t worry about me. You just take care of yourself.”

“Will do,” Allie replied weakly and headed toward her bedroom. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

Nic watched her go. He wished that there was something more he could do to ease her pain and wondered if she was going to be okay sleeping alone tonight. As he passed by her door on the way to his room, he was tempted to knock but didn’t. He told himself that she needed to rest and that he’d see her in the morning. And so he kept moving instead until he reached his room and closed the door behind him. He took off his jeans and sweatshirt and dragged himself to bed. The emotional and physical toll that the last few hours had taken suddenly hit him. He closed his eyes and was on the verge of drifting off to sleep when he heard a knock on his door. Allie? He said, “Come in.”

He listened with anticipation and concern as he heard the door handle turned and watched the door creek open. Allie looked anxious as she stood by the door wearing a gray t-shirt and shorts. She said, “I can’t sleep. Can I stay with you tonight?”

This unexpected request caught Nic totally off guard, rendering him temporarily speechless. After quickly considering and dismissing the idea of the two of them lying together in his twin sized bed, he replied, “Your bed’s bigger than mine. It might be better if we stayed in your room instead.”

Allie looked relieved. She nodded and said yes. He followed her to her room and watched with nervous anticipation as she pulled back the bedcovers and climbed in. She slid over to give him some room to join her. He slipped his left arm beneath her head and pulled her close. She buried her face in his chest and started to cry.

“I’m here for you, Allie.” Nic gently brushed her lips against her forehead. “Go ahead and cry as much as you want.” He wanted to take her pain away and make it all better. And although he had never considered himself to be a particularly religious man, he said a prayer asking God to help him to be the best friend and companion possible in her time of need.

When her tears finally ebbed, she said, “I’m sorry for the way I initially reacted when you offered to pay Charlie’s bills.”

“There’s no need—”

Allie shook her head. “It was wrong of me to act that way. It’s just that I’ve never been the kind of person to ask for help…or money. I was always taught to stand on my own two feet and pay my own way for things.”

“It’s a very admirable trait and, to be honest, it’s one of the things I like most about you.”

Allie paused, then said, “I hope you didn’t take it the wrong way when I insisted on paying you back.”

“That’s really not necessary. It’s not like I need the money.”

“Don’t you see? It’s the principle of the thing. I hated it when you told me about all those people who acted like they were your friends or wanted to date you because of what they thought they could get out of being seen with a rich and famous footballer. That’s not why I wanted to be your friend or why I asked you to live with me.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Nic asked. “You’re one of the most selfless and giving people I know.”

“And I want you to keep thinking of me that way. So please, promise me that you won’t try to do something like that ever again.”

“Allie—”

“Because I’d say no. And don’t even think about trying to change my mind about this.” Nic looked at Allie with exasperation but said nothing. He was glad that she couldn’t see the look on his face or read his mind. After a moment of awkward silence, Allie was the one who tried break the tension in the air by tentatively placing her hand on his chest and saying, “Don’t be mad, Nic. It’s for the best. You’ll see.”

He couldn’t have disagreed more, but knew better than to try to argue with her further. So instead, he simply said, “It’s late. Go to sleep now.”

“Good night Nic,” Allie said as she yawned and snuggled up against him. “Sweet dreams.”

“Buenas noches, querida.”

[ricandhaiz]

Blindsided, Chapter 4

Nic had just finished packing away his clothes, textbooks as well as a few other miscellaneous items when his friend, Matt, an outgoing and jovial-natured African-American man in his mid-twenties, arrived in a full-sized black pickup truck to help him move his stuff over to Allie’s apartment.

“I took my old bedroom furniture out of storage and put it in the back of the truck for you,” Matt informed Nic as he picked up a garment bag and suitcase by the front door. “It’s nothin’ special but it’s still in pretty good condition.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Nic replied and followed Matt out the door while carrying his laptop and two Bankers boxes. “I could have just bought a futon and desk at Walmart.”

“Dat’s what friends are foh.” Matt placed Nic’s suitcases on the ground and lowered the truck’s tailgate. “Besides, why waste yo money when yo prolly not even gonna use it all that much.”

Nic arched his brow as he stood by and watched Matt load his suitcases onto the truck bed. “Are you implying that you think that I’ll be sleeping—”

Matt interrupted, “You told me yoself that you’d date her in a heartbeat. And now that you’re movin’ in together, I just assumed—”

“It’s not like that with us,” Nic cut in, shaking his head.

“At least not yet,” Matt replied with a wink. “Unless…there’s somethin’ else yo not tellin’ me.” Nic blinked and stared blankly at his friend. Matt lowered his voice as he leaned in and said, “The fire didn’t…umm…mess with your boom stick, did it?”

“My what?”

For a second or two, Matt looked like he was puzzling over what to say next. He then replied, “Your man parts. You know what I’m sayin’?”

Nic jaw dropped and his eyes widened like saucers. After a short and awkward silence, he stammered, “I’m fine…there. No worries.”

“You sure ‘bout dat?”

Nic was mortified. He replied, “Can we please talk about something else?”

“Whatever you say,” Matt said with a laugh. “You know me. We’re bros, right? Just tryin’ to look out for ya.” He paused, then said, “You know how that ol’ sayin’ goes, ‘You gotta use it or lose it.’ It’d be a damn shame to let the best piece of machinery that God gave you go to waste and get all rusted up.”

“Why don’t you just worry about your pipes and I’ll worry about mine, okay?”

Just then, Nic’s landlady, Mrs. Wilson, an elderly woman with slumped-shoulders and snow white hair, walked up to them and said, “Is there something wrong with the plumbing in your apartment? I know a great plumber you can call if you need one, and he’s cheap too.”

Matt turned his head to the side and pretended to cough into his hand while the unburned portions of Nic’s face quickly turned bright red.  Nic replied, “That’s okay Mrs. Wilson. We were just…umm...talking about that kind of stuff in general.”

To Nic’s great relief, Mrs. Wilson promptly changed the subject. “Well, it’s been a real pleasure having you as a boarder. Mr. Wilson and I were just talking about what a nice and polite young man you are.”

Nic smiled. “I can’t thank you enough for your kindness and hospitality.”

“Don’t be a stranger now. Be sure and pay us a visit from time to time.”

“I will,” Nic replied and shook her hand.

Matt asked, “Do you think we got everything in the truck?”

Nic said yes as he slid into the passenger side seat and buckled himself in.

Once Matt put the truck in gear, he said to Nic, “I’m gonna be meetin’ some friends at a sports bar to catch a Raiders game. Wanna come?”

“Thanks, but Allie’s aunt and uncle are having a backyard barbecue at their house this afternoon. She asked me to go with her.”

“Oh, did she?” Matt replied with a knowing look. “Have you met ‘em yet?” Nic shook his head. “You know that she prolly asked you just to give her peeps a chance to check you out.” Nic made a face and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Matt wagged his finger and said, “You betta play it safe and be on yo best behavior ‘cause, believe you me, the last thing you wanna do is git on her family’s bad side.”

“I know,” Nic replied as he pulled the baseball cap on his head down further and slumped in his seat.

“And don’t wait too long to make yo move. The soona, the betta, unless you wanna be friendzoned for the rest a yo life.”

 Later that day, Nic and Allie stepped out of the back seat of Nicole’s Honda Civic with Charlie in tow.  They, along with Nicole and Brandon, headed to the Welch residence, which was located in a working-class neighborhood lined with cookie-cutter houses. The gray, one-story house had a white picket fence with a wooden gate and a well-kept short front yard. The path to the house’s front door was lined with geraniums, sage and other aromatic plants whose scent filled the cool September air.

They were greeted by Allie’s aunt, Lara Welch, a soft-spoken woman with slight features, who was wearing a lavender shirt and white capri pants and sandals. She escorted them all to the back of the house where her uncle, Mike Welch, a large bald-headed man with a goatee, was holding court in front of an outdoor grill.

The large, square-shaped backyard was enclosed by a wooden fence lined with shrubs and plants. Portable tables and chairs had been set out in rows on the grass for the guests. Large coolers packed with soda, beer and water were placed on the concrete patio underneath a table filled with chips, dip and other snacks while an adjacent table contained paper plates, plastic utensils napkins and condiments alongside freshly cooked hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad and corn on the cob.

Allie’s uncle called out to her as he put the pair of tongs and spatula he was holding down and wiped his grease-stained hands on a towel. The handful of men standing around him dutifully stepped aside to make way for his niece and Charlie. She giggled and squealed as he scooped her up into his arms and twirled her around. He then hugged Nicole and gave Brandon a firm handshake before turning his full attention to Nic.

Nic did his best to hide his anxiety as he extended his hand to Uncle Mike and said, “Hello, my name is Nicolás Martínez. Most people just call me Nic. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Uncle Mike nodded and clasped Nic’s hand with an almost crushing grip. “Lara and I have been very anxious to meet you.”

Nic had to fight the urge to openly wince. He replied, “She’s a wonderful young woman. I am very fortunate to have met her.”

“On that, I think, we are in complete agreement,” Uncle Mike replied slowly. “But I’m sure you can imagine how surprised and concerned her aunt and I were when we heard that she’d asked you, a man she barely knows, to live with her.”

“Uncle Mike,” Allie chimed in.

Her uncle waved his hand with a stern look and said, “Nic’s a grown man. I’m sure he’s more than able to speak for himself without your help or interference.”

While this brief exchange between Allie and Uncle Mike was going on, Nic tried to think of what he could to say to allay her uncle’s concerns. The moment Uncle Mike’s attention was again focused on him, he said, “I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.”

“I appreciate that,” Uncle Mike replied. “And, believe me, I intend to hold you to it. But for now, why don’t you just go on and get something to eat with the others. There’s plenty of food for everyone. We can talk a little later once you’ve had the chance to fill your belly and settle in.”

“Yes, of course. Thank you,” Nic replied, grateful to have been given a momentary reprieve.

After making his way to the buffet with Allie and the others, he filled his plate and followed his friends to the first open table that they could find. Nic and Brandon volunteered to get everyone’s drinks while Allie, Charlie and Nicole remained seated and dug into their meals.

Nic picked up two plastic cups for Allie and himself and was about to pour some punch into one of them when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw a sour-faced Conner standing behind him with his arms folded. He braced himself as he put the ladle down and waited for Conner to speak.

“You’re the guy I met few weeks ago sitting across from Allie at Joe’s Diner,” Conner said as he lowered his arms to his sides and clenched his fists.

Just then, Brandon stepped between them. He slapped Conner on the back and said, “Hey buddy, what’s up?”

To Nic’s relief, he felt the tension in the air noticeably lessen as Conner turned to Brandon and said in reply, “Nothing much. How about you?”

“Nicole and I are heading out to L.A. right after the barbecue. We rented a U-Haul and packed up all our stuff in it this morning. Nicole’s going to be driving her car while I drive the truck.”

“What about your car?” Conner asked.

“It’s already in L.A. It’s parked in front of my brother’s place.”

Conner glanced at Nic, then said to Brandon, “No offense, but do you honestly think it’s a good idea for Allie to be moving in with him?”

Brandon smirked. “From what I know, he seems like a pretty good guy and Allie really likes him. That’s what’s important, isn’t it?”

“I guess,” Conner shrugged. “But—”

“But nothing,” Brandon cut in. “You have no say in the matter. It’s her call, capisce?”

Conner scowled and rounded on Nic. “You may have found a way to weasel your way into her life but don’t for a second think that I’m just going stand by and watch you ruin it. You make one wrong move and I’ll be on you like a ton of bricks.”

Brandon shook his head. “Seriously dude, you need to chill out. If you keep this up, don’t be surprised if Allie loses it and decides to whack you over the head with her walking stick.”

Conner pointed his finger at Nic as he said, “I’ve got my eye on you,” before turning on his heel and walking away.

Brandon nudged Nic in the arm and said, “I wouldn’t worry about him much if I were you. He’s all bluff and no action.”

“Does he honestly think he has a chance with her? Allie shudders every time his name comes up in conversation.”

“He’s wacked, plain and simple. Don’t pay him any mind. Not worth the effort.”

Nic responded with a wry smile. “I’ll try not to. But, to be honest, he’s not the one I’m really concerned about. Did you see the look Allie’s uncle gave me when I introduced myself to him?”

Brandon snorted. “Big Mike loves Allie like she was his own daughter. Think of it this way, if you were in his shoes, wouldn’t you be worried too?” As much as Nic loathed to admit it, Brandon had a point. He was no saint, not by a long shot. “Just treat Allie right and everything will turn out fine.”

Nic and Brandon then rejoined Allie and Nicole and set the drinks down on the table.

“What took you so long?” Allie asked. “I was beginning to think that you and Brandon had fallen into the punch bowl.”

“I probably would have, if Conner had had his way,” Nic replied. “He made it perfectly clear to me that he doesn’t approve of our living situation.”

Allie frowned. “Ugh, he can be so annoying sometimes. What else did he say?”

“Nothing worth repeating,” Nic replied and took a sip of his drink. “It’s fine really. Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.”

Allie reached out to him. He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. She said, “I’m sorry about all the fuss Conner and Uncle Mike are making about you living with me. Just so you know, I’ve already told my uncle point blank that there’s nothing he can say or do that will change my mind.”

“I bet he loved hearing that.” Nic puffed his cheeks and then blew the air out slowly. “I can only imagine what he’s going to say to me once we sit down and have that man-to-man talk.”

“It’ll be fine. He just wants to feel you out and say his peace. I know he can be blunt and intimidating at first, but don’t let that gruff exterior fool you. He’s a teddy bear at heart.”  Knowing there was little more to be said about it at that point, he let the matter rest.

As the afternoon wore on and the number of people present started to thin out, Nic found himself growing increasingly more nervous about the prospect of talking with Allie’s uncle. And although she’d never come out and said it, he knew that that man’s opinion mattered to her a lot. Because of that, he especially felt the need to make a favorable impression on him.

When the time finally came for Brandon and Nicole to go, Allie, Nic and Charlie saw them out.

“Call me as soon as you get to L.A. and let me know that you guys made it safe and sound,” Allie said in a tearful voice while giving Nicole a hug.

“Are you sure you don’t want us to give you guys a ride back to the apartment?” Nicole asked.

Allie shook her head. “My aunt told me that she’d take us home once all the guests leave and Uncle Mike’s had the chance to talk to Nic.”

“Good luck with that,” Brandon said to Nic and patted him on the shoulder. “Better you than me.”

“Thanks, I think.”

Allie twined her arms with his. “Like I said earlier, my uncle’s all bark and no bite. I think he’s going to like you a lot once he gets to know you. Just like me.”

“I hope you’re right,” Nic replied. “Or you might find yourself having to look for someone else to live with you.”

“Don’t say that. Don’t even think it.”

“I agree,” Nicole said and then bent down to pet Charlie. “I’m gonna miss you buddy. Just keep doing what you’re doing big guy.”

“He will,” Allie replied confidently. “He’s got a few years left in him yet.”

“It’s hard to imagine you without Charlie and vice versa. You guys have been together for as long as I’ve known you.”

“And we’ll be here to welcome you back the next time you and Brandon come and see us.”

Nicole hugged Allie one more time and then turned to Nic and said, “You’re going to have a blast living with these two. I couldn’t have asked for better roomies. Take care of them, okay?”

“I will,” Nic replied.

“We better get a move on,” Brandon said as he checked the time on his cell phone. “It’s getting late and the weather app is predicting rain.” He gave Allie a hug and shook Nic’s hand before he and Nicole headed toward their vehicles.

Nic placed his arm around Allie’s waist as they stood by the front porch and watched their friends drive off.

“I’m going to miss them,” Allie said with a sigh as she leaned her head on Nic’s shoulder.

“It’ll be okay.” Nic replied. “You’ve still got Charlie and me. That’s something, isn’t it?”

Allie tilted her head up toward his and smiled. He longed to kiss her but didn’t dare, especially now in front of her aunt and uncle’s house. And so instead, he simply rested his cheek against her head and held her close.

Once Brandon and Nicole’s vehicles disappeared from view, Allie said, “We better go back inside. Uncle Mike is probably chomping at the bit. We probably shouldn’t keep him waiting much longer.”

“If you insist,” Nic replied in a resigned tone.

As they turned toward the front door, it opened. Uncle Mike appeared at the entrance with the last few guests at the party. He shook their hands and bid them good night. When he motioned for Nic to follow him to the backyard, Nic dutifully complied.

“Take a seat son. This shouldn’t take long.” Uncle Mike pulled up a chair and sat down.

Nic sat down directly across from him and folded his hands on his lap.

“I hope you understand both my wife and I’s concern about you living with Allie. She’s a very special girl, in more ways than one. And even though I know that she’s a fully-grown woman with a good head on her shoulders, there’s a part of me that still sees her as that vulnerable and scared little girl with pigtails and glasses that my wife and I took in after her mother died.”

Nic nodded sympathetically, then said, “Were I in your position, I would likely have the very same concerns that you have about me. I’m a complete stranger to you, and a foreigner to boot.”

“From what Allie’s told my wife, she says that the two of you are just friends. Is that true?”

He hesitated a moment before answering. “Yes, but I think that I would be lying to you if I denied that there’s a possibility that that could change in the future.”

“I see,” Uncle Mike replied and rubbed his hands together. “I appreciate your honesty. Now I think it’s my turn to be perfectly frank with you.” Nic held his breath. Uncle Mike continued, “I don’t have a problem with your living situation per se, but I think that she deserves to know up front how far you think your relationship with her might go.”

“Please believe me when I say that I have nothing but the best of intentions as far as Allie is concerned. Meeting and getting to know her over these past few weeks has been the highlight of my time here so far. She’s a wonderful person and I like her very much. I’m more grateful than I can possibly express for her friendship and it is my sincere hope that our relationship will only continue to grow and develop in the months ahead.”

Uncle Mike looked thoughtful and paused for some time before speaking again. Finally, he said, “I guess that’s good enough for me for now.” He sat up. So did Nic. “Although I could say more, I think I’ll just leave you with this: Treat her right, that’s all I ask. You do that, and you won’t have a problem with me.”

“I will,” Nic replied, looking him directly in the eye. Uncle Mike appeared satisfied. He shook Nic’s hand and then walked back into the house. The meeting was over.

When Nic stepped into the kitchen, Allie was sitting on a bar stool with Charlie at her feet while her aunt was loading dishes into the dishwasher. He gently placed his hand on Allie’s shoulder and sat down next to her. She leaned toward him and quietly asked, “How did things go with Uncle Mike?”

“Nothing I didn’t expect,” Nic replied. “He cares for you very much, that’s plain to see, and he only wants what’s best for you.”

“Glad to hear that my uncle didn’t scare you off.”

Nic patted her knee and said, “I don’t scare off easy, especially where you’re concerned.”

“I’m counting on that,” Allie replied as she reached out and touched his face. “Are you ready to go?”

He said yes. He was more than ready to go home; their home. He liked the sound of that. It made him smile and gave him hope that maybe, just maybe, things would be different, better from here on out.  

[ricandhaiz]

Blindsided, Chapter 3

The day was warm and sunny with a slight wind as Nic made his way to the university’s main plaza to meet Allie. Given the burned portions of skin’s hypersensitivity to the sun, he’d opted to wear a long sleeve denim shirt and jeans with a baseball cap. While navigating through the throng of students coming and going to campus, he noticed that most of the people gathering for the men’s acapella group’s lunch time performance were women. He spotted Allie and Charlie sitting on a patch of grass underneath a large jacaranda tree not far from the arched gateway separating the upper and lower portions of the plaza. Charlie wagged his tail and barked in acknowledgment as he approached them.

“Nic, is that you?” Allie asked.

“You weren’t kidding when you told me this show was popular with the girls,” Nic replied as he sat down next to her. “I’m surprised there aren’t more men here. This place is practically swarming with women. I think I’m outnumbered three to one, which are great odds for any single guy who’s looking to pick up a girl.”

Allie smiled. “You think so?”

“Absolutely,” Nic replied as he thought about what his pre-accident self would have done in this situation. “It’s their loss, I guess. Lucky for me, I’m already sitting next to the prettiest girl on campus.”

“Wow,” Allie exclaimed, giggling. “You do have a way with words. My B.S. meter is usually pretty good at spotting a player a mile away but the way you just said that almost sounded believable.”

“You think I’m lying?” Nic replied.

Just then, a petite brunette wearing a red t-shirt and jean shorts arrived with arms laden with food and drinks. She greeted Allie with a warm hello as she bent down and handed her a can of Coke and a tuna sandwich. She turned to Nic as she sat down next to Charlie and said, “You must be the guy that Allie’s been talking my ear off about. You’re Nic, right?” Nic glanced at Allie, who was blushing. He nodded. She extended her hand to him and said, “Hi, I’m her roommate, Nicole.”

He shook Nicole’s hand and said, “I can’t imagine what she could’ve said about me. I’m really not that interesting.”

“Oh please,” Nicole replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Your name rang a bell as soon as she mentioned it, so being the overprotective and nosy friend that I am, I took the liberty of looking you up on the internet. You’re one of the Spanish soccer players who got into that horrific car accident in L.A. two years ago, right?” Nic nodded again, feeling decidedly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking. “It was all over the news.”

His face fell as he recalled all the news clippings about the accident that his abuela had shown him when he had first returned to Spain. “Have you talked to anyone else other than Allie about me?” Nicole shook her head. Relieved, he added, “I’d appreciate it if you could keep what you’ve learned about me to yourself. It was a very painful period in my life and it took a long time for me to come to terms with what happened. I had to undergo months of physical and psychological therapy to get to where I am now. During that process, I decided that I needed a fresh start. That’s why I came here to study.”

“Of course,” Nicole replied contritely. “Mum’s the word.”

“Have many people asked you about your accident?” Allie asked as she popped the tab on her soda can.

Nic paused, then said, “It hasn’t really come up in any of the conversations I’ve had with my professors and classmates. I think they’re savvy enough to realize that it’s a sensitive issue for me and have chosen to respect my privacy in that regard.”

“Allie tells me that you’re in an MBA student,” Nicole said in a tentative voice. “Do you know where you’re going and what you want to do after you graduate?”

Nic sensed that her question had a lot to do with her concern for Allie and where a possible relationship with him might lead. In an attempt to assuage her concerns, he replied, “My family has been in the wine business for generations. Naturally, my papá would like to pass the business on to me once he retires but nothing’s set in stone. I could decide to stay here after I graduate. It’s too early yet for me to say for sure one way or the other.”

“Some of the articles I read said that your father also played professional football,” Nicole said.

“Yes, he did,” Nic replied, grateful that the focus of the conversation had at least temporarily shifted away from him. “He was one of three goalkeepers chosen to be a part of the Spanish national football team at both the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cups. He played for Real Madrid and Barça for years before he retired in the early 2000s.”

“Is he the reason why you decided to be a footballer too?” Allie asked.

“In part, but it was mostly because I loved playing the game too. My madre told me that I was playing with footballs even before I learned to walk.”

Allie then asked him, “Did people often compare you to your father?”

“All the time,” Nic replied as he reflected on his padre’s storied football career. “I didn’t mind. Most of the time, it just motivated me to work harder, especially since I’m two inches shorter than he is. Most goalkeepers are usually at least six feet tall.”

“Was he very involved in your sports career?” Allie asked.

Nic reflected on her question, then said, “He only gave me advice when I asked for it. He made it clear to me early on in my career that he wanted me to succeed on my own merit.”

“I bet your mom’s mighty proud of what you’ve accomplished,” Allie said. “Not many people have the skill or the talent to make it to the professional level of football like you did.”

“I’m sure she would have been,” Nic replied slowly. “She died of breast cancer when I was a teenager.”

Allie gasped in surprise and bit her lip. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

“There’s no need for you to apologize,” Nic interjected. “You didn’t say or do anything wrong.”

After a brief pause in the conversation, Nicole leaned in as she placed her hand on Allie’s shoulder and said, “Well, now that Nic’s in the picture, maybe Conner will finally take a hint and go and find someone else to bother.”

“It doesn’t sound like you like him much,” Nic chimed in.

“No, I don’t,” Nicole replied matter-of-factly. “And neither does Allie but she’s just too nice to tell him to buzz off.”

“Is that true?” Nic asked.

Allie sighed. “He’s all right, but what irritates me most is his tendency to treat me like an invalid who can’t do anything for herself.”

“He’s such a tool,” Nicole said, shaking her head as she took a bite of her ham and cheese sandwich. “I know he’s a family friend and all, and that your aunt and his mom are close but that doesn’t mean you should feel obliged to put up with him like you do.”

“I know,” Allie said. “But it’s not like I haven’t tried to—”

“But nothing,” Nicole cut in. “You need to stop beating around the bush and tell him to back off, especially now that I’m not going to be there to help run interference for you.”

“You’re leaving?” Nic asked.

“My boyfriend recently got an advertising job in L.A. and asked me to go with him. I graduated this past spring and have been working as a nurse at the university hospital. I’ve already got a few interviews lined up so I don’t think I’ll have much of a problem landing a job.”

“It’s a great opportunity for both of them,” Allie said with a touch of sadness in her voice despite her obvious effort to sound upbeat. “Nicole’s been dying to move to a big city like L.A. ever since we met my freshman year here.”

Nicole nodded. “Hilton City’s alright for a college town but I can’t see myself living here long term. I need to be in a place with a faster pulse, you know what I’m saying?”

Nic glanced at Allie and said, “What does this mean for you?”

Allie shrugged and patted the top of Charlie’s head. “I can’t afford the apartment we live in on my own so I’m probably going to have to move back in with my aunt and uncle for a little while. I’d rather find another roommate but that’s tricky, especially with me being blind. Nicole’s the best. It’s probably going to be near high impossible to find someone like her on such short notice.”

“Where do you live?” Nicole asked.

“My friend, Matt, helped me find a room in a house just two blocks from the south side of campus. I live with an elderly couple whose son recently moved out. They rented out his room to me as a favor to Matt.”

Nicole’s eyes seemed to widen in apparent excitement. He wondered why. She asked, “Are you obligated to stay there for the entire school year?”

“No,” Nic replied.

She quickly followed that up with a few more questions. “Do you smoke or drink?”

“No, and a lot less than I used to.”

“Are you neat? I mean, like, do you tend clean up after yourself or are you the type that leaves his stuff lying around the house?”

“I’d like to think so.”

“Have you had roommates before?”

Nic shook his head, then swiftly added, “But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be a good one.”

Nicole paused, looking thoughtful as she tapped her finger to her cheek. “Would you mind having to share space, like a bathroom with someone, if you had to?”

“What’s with all the questions?” Allie cut in.

Nicole nudged her in the ribs and said, “Isn’t it obvious? I’m trying to find out if Nic would be a good replacement for me.”

“What?” Allie asked, appearing utterly confused.

“Can you just see it?” Nicole replied, clapping her hands together in delight. “Trust me. I have a sixth sense about these things.”

For a moment or two, Nicole’s suggestion rendered both Nic and Allie speechless.

“Well, say something!” Nicole said. “You know I’m right.”

“Umm…I don’t know. My aunt might not approve of me living with a guy.”

Nicole rolled her eyes and said, “Your aunt needs to bring herself into the twenty-first century. People of the opposite sex live together all the time. Isn’t that right, Nic?”

“Yes, I suppose so,” Nic replied cautiously.

“What do you think?” Allie asked.

“I don’t see why not.” Nic replied as his eyes darted back and forth between Allie and Nicole. “But I’d only do it if you’re one hundred percent okay with it.”

“Really?” Allie asked, sounding slightly off-kilter. Nic was finding it hard to gauge whether Allie agreed with Nicole’s assessment of the situation or not. But then she said, “Before you commit to anything, you ought to come by our apartment and take a look around first.”

“Are you doing anything this afternoon?” Nicole asked expectantly.

“I have an accounting class at two o’clock, but I could drop by any time after that,” Nic replied.

Nicole answered, “Why don’t you swing by at six? Allie and I will make spaghetti.” She patted Allie’s knee, adding, “Sound good?”

“Are you sure?” Allie asked, furrowing your brow as she turned her head in Nic’s direction. “We’re just getting to know each other. The last thing I want to do is make you feel like I’m pressuring you into moving in with me out of some misguided sense of obligation or pity.”

Nic placed his hand over Allie’s and gave it a squeeze. “Believe me, if I do agree to do it, feeling sorry for you definitely won’t be the reason I say yes.”

Just then, a member of The Warblers spoke up. He thanked the crowd for coming and then announced their opening song, “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Nic was grateful for the diversion. As the very real possibility of living with Allie began to sink in, he couldn’t help but think of this unexpected turn of events as the best stroke of luck that he’d encountered in a very long time. Although there was a part of him that was wary of being exposed to possible disappointment and heartbreak, the desire to love and be loved was much stronger. And so, he decided to keep an open mind and see how things would pan out later this evening.

 It was five till six when Nic looked up at the number on the white door and compared it to the piece of paper upon which Nicole had scribbled her and Allie’s apartment number and address earlier that day. It had been a pleasant and relatively short walk from the university library to their two-bedroom ground floor apartment. He’d stopped and sat on a park bench for a little while so as not to arrive too early and amused himself by watching children feed the ducks which were congregating at the edge of a small pond.

He knocked. A tall, sandy-blond haired man wearing a black t-shirt and shorts opened the door. For a second, Nic wondered if he was in the right place and was about to take a second glance at the paper in his hand when the man said, “Are you Nic? I’m Brandon, Nicole’s boyfriend. Come on in.”

Nic smiled and waved at Nicole and Allie, who were in the kitchen with Charlie, and followed Brandon to the living room. He was immediately struck by how neat and tidy the apartment looked. He glanced at an assortment of flowers in a glass vase on the coffee table and saw numerous pictures of the girls with friends and family hanging on the walls and side tables. He thought these things gave the place a decidedly homey feeling. Brandon motioned for him to take a seat on a red futon which had multicolored throw pillows on each corner.  As he sat down, his eye fell on a picture of a man in a fireman’s outfit holding a little brown-haired girl in his arms.

“That’s Allie and her dad,” Brandon said, following Nic’s line of sight. “I think Nicole told me that that picture was taken just a week before he died.”

“What happened to him?”

“He was one of the hundreds of firefighters who died on 9/11 at the Twin Towers. Allie was five.”

Brandon asked Nic if he wanted a beer. He said yes. The sound of pots and pans clanking and clattering in the kitchen filled his ears as the smell of freshly baked bread and pasta wafted through the air. He glanced at the forty-inch flat screen T.V. against the wall directly opposite the futon and the bookcases on either side of it which were filled with even more pictures, textbooks, audiobooks and CDs.

After returning to the living room with a beer in each hand, Brandon handed one to Nic and plopped onto a white bean bag next to the futon. “Nicole tells me that your thinking about moving in with Allie.” Nic nodded. “She’s a sweet girl, and Charlie’s the best. The neighbors are all right and the landlord’s usually pretty responsive to the girls whenever they’ve had a problem. Personally, the only thing that I think is kind of annoying about this place is how thin the walls are.”

“I’m a pretty deep sleeper so that shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Good. I was told that dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Would you like to see Nicole’s room?”

Nic shook his head. “I can wait. I wouldn’t want to do that without her being right there with me.”

“Not a problem. She’s the one who told me to ask you.” Brandon stood up and motioned for Nic to follow. “Let’s go.”

Brandon led Nic down a short hallway and then flicked on the light to the room furthest back. He stepped aside to give Nic a chance to take a peek inside. It was small bedroom with a closet which contained a twin bed, desk and dresser. He pointed to a door opposite the closet and asked, “Where does that lead?”

“The bathroom,” Brandon replied. “Did the girls tell you that you’re going to have to share it with Allie?”

No, not exactly, he thought as he tried to recall everything that Nicole had said to him earlier that day. He replied, “We really didn’t have much time to talk particulars before The Warblers’ set began.” After a brief pause, Nic asked, “Do you think Allie will have an issue about living with a roommate of the opposite sex?”

Brandon shrugged. “I doubt she would have asked you in the first place if she did. But…”

“But what?”

“Her uncle, Big Mike, might look at you sideways and give you the stink eye at first, but I’m guessing that even he’ll come around once the dust settles and he gets to know you better.”

Wonderful, Nic thought as he leaned against the doorframe and stuck his hands in his pockets. Just then, he heard light footsteps heading in his direction. He turned and saw Nicole coming toward him. She patted him on the shoulder and said, “I’m so glad you’re here. Allie’s been beside herself ever since I opened my big mouth and suggested that you move in with her.”

Nic frowned. “Is she having second thoughts?”

“God no. Just the opposite. She’s worried that I might’ve scared you off and that you’re going to say no.”

“Nicole has that effect on people,” Brandon chimed in, grinning. “Is dinner ready?” Nicole stuck her tongue out at Brandon before answering in the affirmative. Brandon replied, “Let’s get some chow. I’m starving.”

Nic sat down next to Allie, who was already seated at a square shaped wooden dining room table. Her long, wavy brown hair was down, and she was wearing a floral summer dress with sandals. Nic reached out for Allie’s hand and said, “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.” Allie blushed.

Brandon placed a large bowl filled with spaghetti and meat sauce in the middle of the table. Nicole came up behind him holding glasses of champagne. She placed one in front of each person, and then looked over at Nic and asked, “So, what do you think?”

Nic felt Allie’s grip on his hand immediately tighten. She leaned over to Nic and said in a low voice, “You don’t have to decide this very minute if you’re still not sure what you want to do.”

Nic smiled and said, “I think your apartment is very nice and I can’t think of a single reason why I shouldn’t say yes.”

Allie beamed. Nicole let out a cheer, then said, “Just give me a sec. I’ve gotta run back and get the champagne.”

When Nicole returned, she promptly filled every person’s glass to the brim. Brandon stood up and said, “A toast, to roommates old and new.”

Everyone clinked their glasses together. As Nic raised his glass toward his lips, he felt profoundly grateful to be in the company of these down to earth and friendly people. While the others filled their plates, he glanced at Allie and then up at the ceiling. He silently said a prayer of thanks. After more than a year of self-imposed isolation, he finally felt that now was the time to take a chance and let someone special into his life and heart.

[ricandhaiz]

Blindsided, Chapter 2

Nic headed back to Joe’s Diner a week later. In the intervening time, he thought about Allie often as he settled into his new surroundings and prepared for life as a full-time graduate student. In fact, the mere idea of seeing her filled him with eager anticipation and caused him to consider the possibility of dating again. His prior relationship with Spanish fashion model Lourdes Reyes had fizzled out once it became clear that his injuries had left him permanently disfigured and unable to pursue his burgeoning career as a professional football player. Aside from leaving a bitter taste in his mouth, the experience had made him wary and cynical about whole idea of love and romance. But now, here he was, making his way to a diner on the chance that he’d see someone who couldn’t have possibly been more different from his ex-girlfriend if she’d tried. Nevertheless, a voice in his head urged him to be cautious and to not get his hopes up. Who was he now, anyway? A has-been footballer with half a face. A nobody, in short, that’s who.

As the diner came into view, Nic stopped to check the time and discovered that he had arrived half an hour earlier than last week. What if she’s not there yet? or What if she’s with someone else? He began to second-guess himself and thought about turning around. He took a peek through the eatery’s large windows to see if she was there. He cupped his hands above his eyes and pressed his face against the glass. Is she there? Not that he could see. He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked toward the street as he considered his options. Should he wait? If so, how long? And where?

Nic was distracted from these thoughts by the sight of his visage in a nearby car’s side mirror. He recalled Allie’s suggestion that he forego covering up the parts of his face that had burned. Should I do it? Slowly, he raised a hand to his face and placed his fingers on the mask. He took a deep breath and willed away the panic that threatened to take hold of him before pulling it off and putting it away in his backpack.

It was then that he spotted Allie and Charlie standing on the other side of the street waiting to cross. She was wearing a white T-shirt underneath blue denim overalls with white sneakers and had her hair in a ponytail. Feelings of relief and apprehension quickly set in. Should he approach her now or wait and pretend that he’d just come in for a bite to eat once she was seated? He quickly became frustrated with himself for his indecisiveness as he watched her cross the street. Pull yourself together. You’re acting like a lovesick schoolboy whose never been on a date in his life.

He waited until Allie was just about to pass him by to call out to her and say, “Hey Allie, it’s Nic. Do you remember me? We met last week.”

She came to a dead stop. He held his breath. She turned to him and smiled. “I was hoping I’d see you again. Do you have time to join Charlie and me for lunch?”

“Absolutely,” Nic cheerfully replied as the tension that had built up inside him began to ebb away. “How have you been?”

“Great,” Allie said.

Nic moved ahead of her and Charlie and opened the door for them. Ellie immediately motioned for them to come up to the host stand.  As he made his way up there, he kept his eyes fixed to the floor while walking past the other patrons who were already waiting in line.

“Welcome back,” Ellie said with a smile and a wink at Nic. “Follow me.”

The waitress led them over to the same booth they’d occupied the week before. Once they were seated and had ordered their food, Allie asked Nic, “How have your classes been going?”

“I just started this week. So far, so good, I think. Since it’s my first semester, I’m required to take core courses like statistics, accounting and economics.”

“Oh,” Allie replied, wrinkling her nose. “Sounds interesting.”

Nic chuckled. “Yeah, I get that reaction from a lot of people. You’re not alone.”

“I’m sorry,” Allie replied. “That wasn’t very considerate of me, was it?”

“I don’t mind. I think that most of my classmates probably get that kind of reaction from friends and acquaintances when they tell them about the classes they have to take for the MBA program.”

“Do you think of me as a friend?” Allie asked with a tilt of her head as she rested her arms on the table.

“Yes,” Nic replied slowly. And maybe more…in time. “I’m new in town and don’t know may people besides Matt and my classmates. Looking the way I do and not being a native English speaker has made it difficult at times for me to socialize and converse with others.”

“Your English sounds pretty good to me,” Allie declared. “I only wish I could say the same about my Spanish.”

“Hablas español?”

Allie shook her head. “Muy poco y mal. Some people even complain about the way I speak English sometimes.”

Nic smiled. “What would you recommend that I do while I’m here?”

“It depends on what your interests are,” Allie replied with a shrug. “If you’re the outdoorsy type, there are lots of places where you can go hiking, fishing and camping. But if you’re more into art and music, you’ve also got plenty of options to choose from. There’s a whole street lined with art shops and galleries downtown and the university’s got an orchestra, choirs, and a pretty good theater arts program.”

“What do you like to do?”

“Besides eating?” Allie replied with a smirk as she leaned her head against her hand. “Hmm…let me think. Charlie and I go to the park across the street from my apartment every day, rain or shine. I usually chill out on the bench and listen to music or audio books through my Bluetooth while Charlie lets loose and runs around with his buddies. I also like to hang out at a gelateria and café called Luigi’s with my roommate Nicole. What else? Oh yeah, and you can almost always find me at the main plaza on campus during lunchtime on Fridays listening to The Warblers. They’re the university’s men’s acapella group.”

“Are they any good?”

Allie’s face lit up. “They’re awesome and pretty good-looking, at least that’s what Nicole tells me.” Nic winced as he thought about his mangled face and said a silent prayer of thanks that she couldn’t see what he looked like. “You should totally come and check them out for yourself.”

“Will they be at the plaza this Friday?” Nic asked.

“Uh-huh,” Allie replied as Ellie stopped by to drop off their drinks and give them an update on the status of their meals. As soon as Ellie moved on to the booth next to theirs, Allie said, “The Warblers start their set right at noon. Nicole and I usually bring a sack lunch and park ourselves under a nearby tree. We like to get their at least fifteen minutes beforehand. It can get pretty crowded at times. I’d be happy to save you a seat if you’d like.”

“Are you sure?” Nic asked. “I wouldn’t want to cause any problems between you and your boyfriend.”

Allie looked perplexed. “What boyfriend?”

“Umm…I just assumed that that guy I met last week…”

“You mean Conner?” Allie replied, making a face.

He replied, “Well…yes,” even though Ellie had told him that she didn’t think Allie was seeing him or anyone else at the moment. But still, he wanted to hear her say it. He had to be sure.

“In his dreams, maybe,” Allie said flatly. “Our families have been trying to set us up since we were kids. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve already told him that I don’t see us as ever being anything more than friends. Honestly, if Conner and I were the last people on Earth, the world would probably go extinct ‘cause I just can’t…He’s just so—”

“Okay, okay, I get the picture,” Nic replied. “So, you’re completely unattached?”

Allie nodded. “What about you? Do you have a significant other?”

“I used to,” he replied slowly. “We broke up after my accident.”

“Were you together long?”

“About a year,” Nic replied. “We saw each other whenever we could. It wasn’t easy though with our hectic schedules. During football season, I was often on the road traveling to tournaments while my ex’s modeling agency had her flying to London, Paris or New York for photo shoots and runway gigs.”

“What was she like?”

“She was beautiful, and she knew it,” Nic replied with a tinge of bitterness as a mental picture of Lourdes, a tall and model-thin brunette, suddenly came to mind. “She definitely turned heads wherever we went. She loved the attention, the money and the perks. She ate it up. Couldn’t get enough of it.”

Allie made a face. “I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but it sounds like your ex was kind of shallow and materialistic.”

Nic snorted in amusement. “No offense taken. You’re not the first person who’s thought that. My abuela warned me not to get too serious with her and kept urging me to keep my options open. She often told me, ‘Why don’t you go and find yourself a nice girl? You can do so much better than that one.’ I just laughed it off and told her not to worry.”

“What happened?”

“I think that Lourdes lost interest in me once she realized that I was going to be more of a burden than a boost to her lifestyle and career. She never came to visit me while I was in the hospital in the United States and broke up with me via a text message while I was at the airport waiting to board a flight to Madrid. She claimed that she needed some time and space to think things over. I instantly replied and told her flat out that she needn’t bother. I also erased her name from my contact list and deleted every picture I had of her on my cell phone. I haven’t heard from her since.”

“Wow, that’s awful.” Allie shook her head in disgust. “It’s her loss, you know. If I were you, I’d say good riddance to bad rubbish.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more. But I was no saint either. I knew what I was getting into when Lourdes and I started dating. We enjoyed each other’s company when we were together but neither of us were under the illusion that it would lead to something long term.”

“Oh, I see.”

They paused their conversation to eat the moment Ellie arrived with their orders. He wondered what Allie was thinking as he picked up his double cheeseburger and took a bite. Had he said too much? Did she think that he was just as shallow and petty as his ex? He wouldn’t have blamed her if she did. But still, there was a part of him that desperately wanted to let her know that the accident had drastically changed his perspective on life and that he was not the same man that he’d been before.

As he pondered and fretted over these issues while eating his lunch, she asked, “Do you miss it? I mean the way things were before your accident.”

He seized on the opportunity to present himself in a more favorable light and promptly replied, “Yes and no. I miss playing football and being able to look in a mirror without wanting to cringe, but there was also a lot about the lifestyle I was living that I didn’t necessary like. I met and dated a lot of women who were only too happy to be seen with a professional footballer, but it wasn’t until after my accident that I realized how superficial my relationships were. I didn’t take long for me to find out who really cared about me versus those people who only wanted to be seen with me.”

Allie looked thoughtful as she took in his words. “I know we just met, but it’s hard for me to imagine you hanging out with people like that. I mean like, who does that? I never would.”

“I know you wouldn’t,” Nic said matter-of-factly.

“Good,” Allie replied with satisfaction. “You seem like pretty level-headed and thoughtful guy to me.”

“You think so?” Nic replied as he dipped a French fry in some ketchup before popping it into his mouth.

Allie nodded. “Everyone makes mistakes. The important thing is to learn from them and do better. That’s what I always try to do. I think we’re a lot alike in that way. I know it early yet, but I have a feeling that we’re going to get along great.”

“Me, too. But—”

“But what?” Allie cut in.

“What about Charlie?”

Allie grinned. “Oh, him. I think he can stand the competition. Isn’t that right, buddy?” She bent down and patted the old dog’s head. “And like I said before, giving him belly rubs from time to time when he’s off the clock wouldn’t hurt if you really want to make a good impression.”

“Good to know,” Nic replied with a wink at Allie’s four-legged friend. Charlie gazed at him with what looked like a smile as he wagged his tail.

“Have you ever owned a pet?” Allie asked and took a bite out of her burger.

“Yes.” Nic took a sip of his drink and then sputtered and coughed after it went down the wrong pipe.”

“Are you okay?” Allie asked, looking concerned.

“I’m fine,” he replied and attempted to compose himself. “When I was younger, my padre had a German Shepherd. It died when I was a teenager. Once I was old enough to live on my own, I thought about getting one but decided against it given my work and travel schedule.”

“That was very considerate of you. I’m sure that there are more than a few people that wouldn’t have thought twice about getting a pet and then leaving it alone in an apartment all day long.” Allie took another bite of her burger, then asked, “Do you think that everything you’ve had to go through since your accident has made you a better person?”

Nic paused to consider his response. “I’d like to think so, but I guess that you’ll be able to gauge that for yourself as you get to know me.”

Allie arched her brow and exclaimed, “You aren’t trying to scare me away, are you?”

“No, not at all.” That was the absolute last thing he wanted to do. He sat back and said, “Sometimes I wonder if my accident was God’s way of punishing me for the way I’d been living my life.”

Allie’s jaw dropped. “Please tell me you’re joking. No one deserves to go through what you went through. It was just bad luck. Besides, God doesn’t work that way, at least not the one I pray to every night.”

“I suppose you’re right. Forget what I said.” He paused to wipe his mouth with a napkin, then asked, “If you don’t mind my asking, what do you pray for at night?”

A wistful smile crossed Allie’s face. “To see again.”

Nic’s eyes widened. “Do you think that’s possible?”

“My doctors have told me about surgeries involving retinal implants that have given people like me who’ve lost their vision due to retinitis pigmentosa the ability to recover some or most of their vision.”  

“That sounds promising,” Nic replied and took another sip of his drink.

“Yeah, I guess,” Allie said. “The problem is that I don’t have the money to fork over to do it. There’s no way my insurance company’s going to foot the bill for an experimental procedure like that.”

“How much money are we talking about?”

“More money than my family and I have ever earned in a year,” Allie said ruefully. “It’s all right. If it’s meant to happen, it will. In the meantime, I just have to make the best of the life that God gave me.”

Allie’s right, he thought with admiration. “Do you think that some of your optimism might rub off on me if I hang out with you enough?”

“Aww…just give it time. You’ll get there.”

Nic thought about all the crazy turns his life had recently taken and how they had led him to this moment. They continued to chat until they’d finished their meals. Once he’d cleared his plate, he pulled his cell phone from his back pocket and checked the time. He couldn’t believe how quickly the last hour had past. He didn’t want it to end or to see her go.

As soon as Ellie had taken their plates away, he asked, “What time should I meet you at the plaza on Friday?”

“Would 11:45 work?” He said yes. She replied, “That should give us enough time to find each other and settle in before The Warblers begin their set.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“So am I.” Allie raised her glass of soda in the air and said, “To friendship.” Nic took his empty glass and reached across the table to clink it against hers.

When Ellie came back with their checks, Nic insisted on paying for Allie’s meal as well as his own. She protested at first but then relented after he told her that she could pay for their lunches next time. Once he’d squared away the bill and given Ellie a generous tip, he accompanied Allie and Charlie out of the diner and walked with them up to the street corner.

“Where are you off to now?” Allie asked while waiting with Charlie for the walk signal to change.

“I was going to swing by the university library before my next class. What about you?”

“I need to go to the grocery store with Nicole. Our frig is nearly empty and Charlie needs more dog food.”

Just then, the crosswalk signal turned green and began to beep. He wanted to say goodbye to her with a hug and a kiss on each cheek but felt at a loss as to how to communicate his desire to do so without sounding forward and overly blunt. Given her blindness, the use of non-verbal cues for that purpose was out of the question. So he instead simply said, “You better get going before the light turns red.”

But rather than heeding Nic’s words, Allie instead moved toward him with outstretched arms. He happily reciprocated while pedestrians walked by and around them to cross the street.

Although he didn’t want the moment to end, he didn’t want to press his luck either by overstaying his welcome. And so, with great reluctance, he dropped his hands to his sides and took a step back.  As he did so, Allie smiled and said, “I don’t think our meeting was an accident. My parish priest once told me that God puts people in our lives when we need them.”

He felt a lump in his throat as he gazed into her hazel-colored eyes. For all intents and purpose, she was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. “Do you really believe that?”

Allie put her hand on his chest and said, “You’re here, aren’t you?”

Placing his hands over hers, he replied, “And so are you.”

Charlie began to whimper and tug on Allie’s arm through the harness as soon as the crosswalk again signaled that it was okay for them to cross. After giving Allie’s hand a gentle squeeze, he bent down and whispered in Charlie’s ear, “Take care of her for me, okay.”

“He always does,” Allie replied with a smile as she stepped onto the crosswalk with Charlie.

Nic felt a tightness in his chest as he watched Allie and Charlie walk away.

Is this what real love is supposed to feel like?

he thought as he headed in the opposite direction and began to count the days until he’d see her again

[ricandhaiz]

Blindsided, Chapter 1

Nic hurried into Joe’s Diner, a no frills burger and fries joint on the corner of Cyprus and Laverne Street, for some shelter from the rain and a bite to eat. He’d been told by a friend and fellow burn unit patient, Matt Royce, that this was the place to go in the small college town of Hilton City, California, for a cheap and hearty meal. He’d just come from an orientation for Wagner University’s incoming Master of Business Administration (MBA) students and was feeling irritable and shaky from lack of food.

He looked around. The place was packed and the line to the host stand was nearly out the door. He thought about leaving. He glanced through the window and saw that it was pouring outside. He sighed inwardly and decided to stay. He zipped his jacket all the way up to his throat and kept his eyes down as he pulled his baseball cap down further. He then raised his hands to his head to make sure the black mask that he wore to cover up the burned portions of his face was securely in place.

After waiting patiently behind a group of college students, an elderly couple, and a mother with a crying baby, he walked up to the counter and asked the red-haired and freckled-faced teenage hostess for a single seat.

The girl replied, “It’s going to be at least a 30-minute wait. The counter’s full and so are the booths.”

Just then, one of the waitresses, Ellie, a stocky woman with gray hair and a twinkle in her eyes, walked by. She glanced at Nic, then said, “You alone?” He nodded. She replied, “Give me a sec. I’ll be right back.”

As Ellie walked away, Nic turned to the girl, who shrugged her shoulders and motioned for the man standing behind him to come forward. Nic moved aside and looked to his left. He saw a little girl at a nearby table staring at him with a curious expression. His mouth suddenly went dry. He wondered how many other people in the room had also taken notice of him. His body stiffened as he pictured her screaming in terror at the sight of his unmasked face. He eyed the front door and was sorely tempted to bolt despite the rain when Ellie reappeared and said, “I’ve got just the spot for you in one of our corner booths. That is, if you don’t mind sharing it with one of our regulars.”

Ellie motioned for him to follow her lead. He stopped in his tracks the moment his eyes fell upon the pretty girl with wavy brown hair sitting in a red upholstered corner booth and the large yellow Labrador at her feet on the black and white tile floor. He thought about what the people around them might think and whisper among themselves when they saw him sitting across from her. What’s that freak doing with her? Who does he think he is? These were only some of the many negative things that came to mind. He flinched and was about to back away when Ellie turned to him and said, “That’s Allie Jacobs. She comes here every Wednesday, and that handsome brute at her feet is Charlie, her guide dog.”

Guide dog? Nic thought as he gazed at Allie, who was wearing a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt with the university’s mascot and name emblazoned across her chest in large bold letters. “That’s okay,” he stammered in a thick Spanish accent. “I wouldn’t want to impose…”

“Don’t be silly,” Ellie said cheerfully. “Allie’s a sweetheart. Come on, don’t be shy.”

After a moment’s hesitation, he relented and then watched with nervous anticipation as Ellie tapped Allie on the shoulder and said, “Hey girly, girl. I’ve got this nice young man standing behind me who needs a place to sit. Would you mind if he joined you and Charlie for lunch?”

Allie cocked her head to the side and said, “Sure. Why not? The more the merrier.”

Ellie pointed to the booth seat opposite Allie’s. As soon as he was seated, Ellie handed him a menu and said that she’d be back in a few minutes to take his order.

Nic promptly introduced himself to Allie and glanced down at Charlie, who was staring up at him with large, soulful eyes. The dog looked old and slightly overweight, with lots of gray and white hairs around his snout.

“May I pet him?”

“Go ahead,” Allie replied. “Charlie especially loves belly rubs but I’d wouldn’t recommend that you do that now. This place is packed, and I wouldn’t want anyone to trip or step on him on accident.”

He started to nod but checked himself and said yes instead before reaching down and patting Charlie’s head. The dog yawned, looking decidedly unimpressed. He chuckled as he looked at Allie and asked, “How long have the two of you been together?”

“Eight years next month,” Allie said with obvious pride. “I got him when I was fourteen years old. An elderly woman had him for about a year before he was assigned to me. A representative from the nonprofit organization that put us together, Guide Dogs of America, has been hinting lately that it might be time for me to retire him and get another one but it’s hard, you know. We’re a team.”

“I can see that,” he replied, then immediately regretted his choice of words. “I’m sorry…I meant to say—”

Allie smiled as she cut in and said, “No worries. So, tell me, where are you from? You don’t sound like you’re from here. Are you an exchange student?”

Just then, Ellie arrived with a pen and pad in hand. “What would you like to order?”

“I…umm…actually haven’t gotten the chance to look at the menu yet.”

Ellie arched her brow and snorted with amusement as she glanced from Nic to Allie and back again. “Take your time honey and be sure to ask Allie for suggestions. She knows the menu backwards and forwards. Isn’t that right?”

“She knows me too well.”

Ellie put the pad of paper in an apron pocket. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Just water, thank you.”

She nodded, then asked Allie, “Do you want a refill?”

Allie shook her head. “I’m good. I’ll spoil my appetite if I drink too much soda before I’ve even gotten halfway through eating my burger and fries.”

“Got ya.” She then turned to Nic and said, “Feel free to flag me down as soon as you’re ready to order.”

“I will,” Nic replied as he picked up the menu and began to peruse its contents.

“Are you planning to answer my question or are you going to keep me guessing?” Allie asked in a teasing tone.

He paused a moment as he tried to recall her question, then said, “Oh yeah, sure. I come from Spain. I’m enrolled in the MBA program.”

“Aren’t you a long way from home? What made you decide to come here to get an MBA?”

“A good friend of mine, Matt, said that Wagner University has one of the best MBA programs in the United States. I also needed a change of…scenery. What’s your story?”

“I’m a senior in the social work program. I just finished a summer internship with the local Regional Center. It’s an organization that helps disabled kids. I was lucky. I had a family who loved and cared for me. There are lots of kids who are mentally and/or physically disabled out there that don’t. I want to do what I can to help them.”

“That’s very selfless of you,” Nic replied as Ellie walked up and placed a glass of water in front of him.

“Ready yet?”

Nic felt abashed as he looked over at Allie and asked, “What do you think I should get?”

Tapping her finger on her chin, Allie replied, “Hmm…You really can’t go wrong with Joe’s double cheeseburger and fries. That’s what I always order. You should also try the double chocolate shake here. It’s to die for.”

Nic licked his lips and then looked up at Ellie as he said, “Sounds good. I guess that’s what I’ll have.”

“Great choice,” Ellie said and took his menu. “Told ya Allie wouldn’t steer you wrong.”

As soon as he thought that Ellie was out of earshot, Nic leaned forward and said in a low voice, “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Allie replied. “What else can you tell me about yourself? I’d like to know more.”

What should I tell her? The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became. He drummed his fingers on the table while considering his options, and then slowly replied, “Like what?”

Allie shrugged her shoulders. “I dunno. Do you play sports, an instrument or are you one of those artsy fartsy kind of people?”

Nic sat back in his seat and thought about what his padre, ex-Spanish football star Sergio Martínez, would say. Growing up, he had always been taught to be honest and forthright. And so he felt compelled to reply, “I used to play professional football. I think you call it soccer in this country. I was pretty good at it too until…” He stopped midsentence as memories of the car crash suddenly flashed through his mind. He shuddered and closed his eyes.

“What happened?” Allie asked and reached out her hand to him from across the table. He met her halfway and placed his hand in hers. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

Her hands felt warm and reassuring. He immediately thought about what it would be like to sleep with her. A rueful smile spread across his lips as he pictured what his old self would have said and done to lower her defenses and reel her in. Back then, he always managed to get whatever girl he wanted. It had all been so easy. But that was before the accident, when he was whole. Still, he felt himself becoming more and more aroused as he let his imagination run wild. He wanted to run his fingers through her hair and kiss her lips. If only…He bit his lip to rouse himself from his errant thoughts and let the reality of his current situation sink in. Not going to happen.

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “My former therapist would have heartily disagreed with you. He thinks that holding things in is unhealthy and only makes matters worse.”

She paused to eat a French fry or two, then said, “I don’t think there’s a person out there who hasn’t been scarred in some way by someone or something that’s happened to them. I just think that some people are better at moving on with their lives than others.”

Allie was right. As he looked over at her, he got the sneaking suspicion that she probably was in the former category while he, on the other hand, fell in the latter. “How did you get so wise?”

She smiled. “Tell you what, you show me your wounds, and I’ll show you mine. Whaddya say?”

Nic took a deep breath, then said, “I was in a car accident. My friend ran a red light. A van slammed into the sports car we’d rented for the night while we were in the intersection. It rolled over and was hit a second time by another car coming from the opposite direction. It burst into flames. My right knee got crushed and half my body got burned. I was in the hospital for weeks. That’s where I met Matt, the guy who recommended that I come here.”

An audible gasp escaped her lips as Allie covered her mouth with her hand. “When did it happen?”

“Almost two years ago,” he replied. “The doctors did what they could to repair the damage to my body. I underwent more skin grafts than I can count and underwent months of physical therapy. That was hard, but I think the psychological trauma of going home and coming to terms with the fact that I’d suffered life-altering and career-ending injuries was worse. I became depressed and shut everybody out. Nobody knew what to say to me. One by one, my friends stopped coming by and even my girlfriend left me.” The ease with which he’d just confessed his innermost feelings to this complete strange surprised him.

As he pondered this turn of events, Ellie arrived with his food. They paused their conversation while she placed his plate and a few extra napkins on the table. She asked him if he needed anything else. He said no.

The moment Ellie moved on the booth next to theirs, Allie leaned toward him and said in a low voice, “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Eager to change the subject, Nic replied, “I kept in touch with Matt while I was back home. We talked about what I was going through and kicked around ideas about what I might do going forward. He suggested that I come here to get a graduate degree in business administration after I told him that my padre wants me to work with him and then take over the family business once he decides that it’s time for him to retire.”

“How do you like it here so far?”

“It’s fine, and the other students in the program have been friendly enough. I especially liked the fact that no one stared at me or asked me why I was wearing a mask at this morning’s orientation meeting.”

Allie was quiet for a moment, then said, “You shouldn’t feel like you have to hide behind a mask.”

“Too many people would stare. Others have actually cringed in my presence or shied away from me because of the way I look now.”

She shook her head. “It’s because they’re small-minded and ignorant people whose opinion shouldn’t matter to you anyway. You are who you are. Don’t let other people make you feel like you have to cover yourself up in order to make them feel more comfortable.”

“Maybe I will,” he said as he straightened up and rolled his shoulders back. “What’s your story?”

Allie slurped down what was left of her soda, then said, “I wore glasses for as long as I can remember but it wasn’t until I was 10 that I started noticing that I was having trouble seeing things at night. My ophthalmologist ran some tests and then told me that I had retinitis pigmentosa. My vision stabilized for a few years and then deteriorated again when I was 14. All the colors faded to black and white. I had to learn how to read braille and was taught how to get around with a cane. It took some adjusting but I my aunt and uncle did all they could to help me.” She bent down and patted the top of Charlie’s head, adding, “But it wasn’t until I got this big guy that things really started to pick up for me. Life’s been pretty good ever since. No complaints.”

Nic admired Allie’s positive outlook and fearless nature. He also liked the fact that she hadn’t let her disability get in the way of living her life to the fullest. Maybe someday, he thought, I’ll be able to do that too.

For a little while, they sat in companionable silence and focused on their meals.

“You know what, this burger is pretty good,” Nic exclaimed and dabbed his face with a napkin.

“Told ya so,” Allie replied, laughing. “You’ll never want to go to another burger joint in your life.”

Just then, Nic caught sight of a blond-haired college-aged guy in jeans and a gray polo shirt coming toward them. He walked up and patted Charlie’s head as he looked over at Allie and asked, “Who’s your friend?”

Allie frowned. “Oh hi, Conner. This is Nic.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Conner said with a nod. Nic, for his part, hated him on sight. He’d seen his like before. Sanctimonious and judgmental, he’d made a point of keeping his distance from such men. Was he Allie’s boyfriend? He hoped not, for her sake. Not that it was any of his business.  “How’d the two of you meet?”

“The diner was full, so Ellie asked me if Nic could sit with me.”

“Always the good Samaritan,” Conner replied with a smile and placed his hand on Allie’s shoulder in a possessive way.

To Nic’s surprise and delight, Allie shirked away and said, “What are you doing here?”

Conner looked flustered as he quickly withdrew his hand and stuttered, “I ran into your aunt at the grocery store. She told me that she was going to pick you and Charlie up to go to the vet. She looked tired, so I volunteered to take you instead.”

Allie shook her head. “That really wasn’t necessary. Charlie and I could have taken the bus instead.”

“When you can hitch a ride with me? Why would you do that?”

Sensing Allie’s growing exasperation with Conner, Nic chimed in, “Maybe you should have asked her first.”

For a moment or two, Conner looked utterly aghast, but then replied, “Allie knows that I always have her best intentions at heart. Isn’t that right?”

“Yeah, sure,” Allie replied in a deadpan voice. Nic had to suppress the urge to laugh out loud. The guy was making a fool of himself and alienating Allie at every turn. He briefly considered telling him to just cut his losses and leave but concluded that it was probably best to just leave things well enough alone.

“We should probably get going now. Isn’t Charlie’s appointment at 2 p.m.?”

“Seriously, you don’t have to take us. The vet is just a couple of blocks away on foot and less than five minutes away by bus.”

“Come on, Allie,” Conner pled. “I promised your aunt that I’d get you there safely and take you home.”

Allie sighed in defeat and stood up. Conner immediately offered her his arm. She pushed it away as she turned to Nic and said, “It was nice to meet you. Maybe I’ll see you again sometime.”

Unable to resist the urge to pour more salt into the wound, Nic replied, “I’d like that a lot. Do you come here often?”

“Every Wednesday around this time for sure,” Allie quickly replied.

Nic smiled. “Then maybe I’ll see you again next week.”

“Really,” Allie said, sounding pleasantly surprised. “Cool beans.” She then urged her guide dog, Charlie, to get up. He yawned and sluggishly rose to his feet. Just as Conner was about to offer her his arm, she bent over and patted Charlie on the back and said, “You lead the way buddy.”

As Allie, Charlie and Conner walked away, Ellie came up to him and said, “Seriously, that boy needs to get a clue. Poor Allie.”

Nic chuckled as he watched them go. “I guess that means he’s not her boyfriend then.”

Ellie looked horrified. “Goodness, no. She’s free as a bird as far as I know but—”

“But what?” he cut in.

“I could be wrong. But if I’m right and you play your cards right, she might not be for much longer,” Ellie said with a wink. “You seem like a nice enough guy. I sensed that right off when I saw you walk in. And Allie’s a great girl.”

Nic sat back and eyed her curiously as he wiped his grease-stained hands with a napkin. “Do you do this often?”

Ellie arched her brow. “What do you mean?”

“Matchmake your customers,” Nic teased.

A knowing grin spread across her face. “All I did was make the introduction. The rest is up to you.” Nic nodded. “Can I get you anything else?”

“No, not right now.” But as Ellie turned to go, he added, “Thanks for finding me a seat. You won’t regret it. I promise.”

[ricandhaiz]

Blindsided, Prologue

Team Spain’s goalkeeper, Nicolás Martínez, wiped his sweaty brow and looked up at the game clock. There was less than one minute to go in the first half of the match between Spain and the U.S.A. in the knockout round of the World Cup. He glanced over at his coach, who was scowling on the sidelines. Team U.S.A. had already scored two unanswered goals when his friend and teammate, defender Diego López, tripped a Team U.S.A. forward in the penalty area. Adrenalin rushed through his veins as he stood in front of the goal while keeping his eye on the player from Team U.S.A. who had been designated to make the kick. As the opposing player’s foot made contact with the ball, he dived to the left and then watched in dismay as it sailed passed his outstretched hands into the goal. As the largely American crowd in the stadium erupted in loud cheers, he knelt down on one knee and bowed his head in disappointment and shame.

Hours later, a highly inebriated Nic slid into the passenger seat of Diego’s rented black sports car. He reclined the car seat and closed his eyes as Diego pressed his foot on the gas and jerked the wheel onto the wet and slippery street. It had been raining nearly nonstop in the hours that Nic had spent downing beers with his teammate at a dive bar. Despite his drunken stupor, his coach’s biting criticism of his performance earlier that day still rung in his ears. His team had lost the game 3 to 1. “You were f—king awful,” and even more hurtfully, “You’re only half the player that your padre was.” Try as he might, he found it hard to push these negative thoughts aside as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and slouched down further in his seat.

The light was yellow as Diego wiped the fogged over windshield with his hand. He pressed the accelerator pedal and crossed into the intersection just as it turned red. Within an instant, a large white van smashed into the driver’s side of the car. Nic’s eyes shot open as it rolled over and was struck by another vehicle, which caused it to spin in a counterclockwise direction before coming to a complete stop in the intersection. He cried out in pain as a crush of metal slammed into the right side of his body and shards of broken glass flew all around him. He looked over at his friend, whose blood-stained face was resting limply against the steering wheel. He heard people shouting nearby. One man leaned down and asked him if he was okay. The engine ignited before he was able to reply. It wasn’t long before the car was engulfed in flames. He let out a blood curdling scream as his skin burned and his hair caught fire. Mercifully, he lost consciousness then and remained so long after his broken and charred body had been pulled from the wreckage.

[ricandhaiz]

Picture posted by @alreg50 on Twitter for the Epilogue of the Ricardo Gomez and Hailee Steinfeld inspired romance, Blindsided on September 8, 2019,

[ricandhaiz]

Picture posted by @alreg50 on Twitter for Chapter 12 of the Ricardo Gomez and Hailee Steinfeld inspired romance, Blindsided on September 8, 2019,