Homecoming

Lola

The week seemed to roll by sluggishly and without gusto. The snail's speed with which it moved soothed Lola's mood. She wasn't looking forward to the weekend, and she wasn't looking forward to her classes. She had nightmares about seeing me. Darcy again, and she didn't know what to expect from her colleagues. Not after Darcy Moreno outed her.

Lola settled into one chair in the inn and focused on the tele above. There was a reality show going on, and she ogled the hot guys as the cameras rolled. Agnes had gone for her afternoon classes, while Mrs Piper made a quick stop at the grocery store to stock up. It was Wednesday, so Ale was still in school. The inn was not very best, there was just one customer. Lola was left all by herself. All she could do was concentrate on the reality TV show.

"This had to be the best tea I've tasted in history." Lola swung her head toward the voice. It was the old man who had been sitting at the other end of the booth. He was done with his tea and muffin and made his payments. Lola smiled at the compliment.

"Thank you, kind sir. I appreciate your modesty. She got busy with closing his tab.

"Oh, no young one. I wasn't being modest. I really have tasted nothing like it before." Lola smiled at the compliment. She bit down on her lower lip, trying to keep her happiness at bay.

"What's the recipe, little one?" He asked with an air of confidence. Lola could notice that his accent differed from theirs. An unsuspecting individual might not notice, but she had lived in Madrid all her life. She knew he wasn't from around here.

"You're not a local, are you?" She asked, banding him a muffin she had wrapped for him as a gift.

"Oh no, I'm not, doll. From Texas." The southern drawl in his accent was charming. "We love yes where I come from. I have to bring the rest of my family to try this beauty." He tapped the desk and waggled his brows.

"I'll be more than glad to share this beauty with them." Lola replied, trying to mimic his accent. The old man tipped his hat towards her and walked out of the inn. Lola watched him as he opened the door, and as the door bell rang, until the door closed behind him, and she couldn't see him anymore.

The smile she had been wearing still tugged at her lips. She couldn't help but think about her father. He had been a chivalrous man and loved to live on the wild side. This was the sort of thing he would do. Leave his country and hit on a young girl in another country. The thought brought a smile to her face.

Traffic at the inn was slow, so Lola spent her time on the news and on social media. She patiently waited for the morning shift to end so she could hand over to Agnes. The girl was minutes behind schedule. Not that Lola had anywhere to be urgently, she just wanted to study. The bell above the inn door chimed suddenly and Lola looked up. It was Agnes.

"Sorry, I'm late." The girl apologized, rushing to keep her purse and wear an apron over her dress. "I got detention and had to spend the last forty minutes talking my way out of it."

"Is everything alright?" Lola asked.

"Oh yeah. Everything is great." Agnes beamed. Lola eyed her suspiciously.

"So why did you get detention?" She asked.

"You didn't know?" Agnes asked, giving her an unbelievable look.

"Know what?" Lola asked, feeling as confused as ever.

"Supposedly, a son of the soil is returning home and apparently he's already on the flight back home. The gossip mill is buzzing. They think he's going to take over as the most eligible bachelor in Madrid and that no one could ever beat him." Agnes fanned herself dreamily. She got a faraway look in her eyes as if she was imagining the said son of the soil.

Lola felt like a vice had gripped her chest. Suddenly, she couldn't breathe. She sat up abruptly, trying to make sense of what Agnes was saying. Actually, she had a vague idea and could guess what it was about. It had been almost two weeks since the rumor about Luis' return went on air. Lola couldn't quite believe he was the same one Agnes was talking about.

"Who exactly is this most eligible bachelor?" She asked, making air quotes around the words.

"Oh, er, I think Sue said something in the lines of Luis Ortega. I can't quite remember. He's the successor of Tegasol. You know Tegasol right? I never knew they were Spanish. I always thought__" Agnes' voice droned on and on, but it felt hollow in Lola's ears. She turned out the moment she heard Luis' name. All breath gushed out from her lungs, and she felt stupid. She had made plans to use Luis to gain back what she lost, but here she was while Luis was about to arrive in Madrid. She couldn't believe she had been so careless.

Agnes was still rattling about some Cinderella fairytale that could eventually become a reality in her case. Lola didn't care for what she was saying. She glanced at the wall clock and got up immediately. It was almost three pm. He should arrive at the airport any minute. It didn't take over seven hours to arrive in Madrid from New York. She just hoped her calculations were correct.

"Agnes, you're in charge." Those were Lola's last words as she rushed to her living quarters. Her life was just about to begin.

~~~~~

Luis

Hello Madrid. Luis took out his shades and took in the beauty of his environment. It was almost like the colour of the weather had changed and it was like seeing the world for the first time. His heart felt at peace because he was home.

Russo landed at the Adolfo Suarez Madrid Barajas airport. Luis quickly made his way to check out and pick his suitcase from baggage claim. Just as he stood in line waiting for his suitcase, his phone rang. Hurriedly, Luis dug out the cell phone from his pocket. It was his brother. Familiarity hit him and he hit the answer button at once.

"Hey, man." He greeted.

"How was your flight?" Eduardo asked.

"So far, so good. I don't know how to find my way around here."

"Don't worry about that. I've got a guy, Phil. He'll be there at the entrance to guide you." Luis exhaled in relief t that piece of information.

"Ed, you're the best."

"Call me when you're all settled in." Luis nodded, forgetting his brother couldn't see him. They hung up. New strength rocked through him and, with bouncy steps, he walked to the baggage claim.

Luis had his nose stuck in his phone. The sites he wanted to visit during his time here in Madrid popped up and he checked them out, noting everything he was going to do. He planned to have as much fun as he could. Unknowingly, Luis ran into a petite body.

"Ah." The body winced and squat in front of Luis. He quickly pocketed his phone to access the damage he had done. He had bumped into an unsuspecting young lady and now her purse was on the floor and the contents were all over the floor too.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized. Luis bent next to her to help her and pick up her properties. Luis couldn't help but notice there were a lot of postcards amongst her things. She must be a traveler trying to find her way in the world, just like him. The thought fleeted through his head for a moment. He stood up alongside her and handed her the things he picked. He couldn't help but notice how soft her palms were and how delicate her features were. Luis was enamored.

"Thank you." The woman replied shyly, not meeting his eyes. She took the things he handed to her and fumbled through her purse, trying to put everything back. The movements she made and everything about her seemed to strike Luis in a way he couldn't comprehend. For a moment, he thought he knew her from somewhere, but he couldn't quite place it. He was an amnesiac, after all.

"Have we met before?" He asked, peeing into her eyes. Something about the way she stared at him from beneath her lashes gripped his heart. Luis was rocked to the core. His soul left him and returned.

"I doubt that." She replied in a breathy tone, biting down on her lower lip as if she was nervous. Luis noticed she looked like she was in a hurry.

"I'm sorry once again." He apologized, giving her a slight bow. The lady smiled at him and the smile smashed through Luis. He was fucked. Officially. The strange woman turned around and walked into the baggage claim. For a moment, Luis couldn't remember what he was doing in Madrid, and it had nothing to do with his amnesia. He stared after her for a few minutes before recollecting himself and following behind her. He needed to get his suit case from baggage claim after all.