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POV: FINA, early evening
Back in the shop Carmen and Fina stock the shelves in the warehouse. Fina is in her own little world thinking about the recital and Marta and what it will be like and how things will change between them after this.
“Fina, do you need any more lavender soap over there?” asked Carmen. Fina doesn’t respond but keeps restocking. “Fina? Did you hear me?” Carmen asks again a little louder. Fina still doesn’t respond. Carmen goes over to Fina, startling her.
“Ay, mujer. Qué pasa?” asks Fina, a little annoyed that Carmen took her out of her head where she was imagining how the night would go.
“You didn’t answer me. Do you need any more lavender soap?” Carmen asks.
“No, we have enough still back here and upfront. Thanks.” Fina answers back. “Perdoname. I was in my head a little just then.” Fina says apologetically.
“Is everything okay? Is it about your father?” Carmen worryingly asked.
“No, no es nada malo.” replied Fina. “I have plans with my friend, Esther. She’s here visiting her family and came to see me earlier. We met in the cantina for lunch.” Fina said as she smiled. Carmen would understand if I came back late or after she went to bed with that excuse versus anything else I could come up with. Best to stick to the agreement of keeping the opera recital a secret like Marta suggested, she thought.
“Oh, how nice. I know how much you’ve missed her. That must have been nice to see her after all this time.” Carmen said with a supportive tone.
“Yes, it was really great to see her again and hear all about her life in Paris.” Fina says.
“If you want, I can finish up here so you can eat something and get ready for your plans with Esther. I’m sure you’re looking forward to it.” Carmen offered.
“No, no. You don’t have to do that. I can stay and help finish this. Thank you, Carmen.” Fina says sincerely, smiling at Carmen. She’s a great friend to me. So thoughtful and supportive. I’m so lucky to have her as my best friend, thought Fina.
“Anda.” Carmen says back, tilting her head towards the door for Fina to go. “There’s not that much more we have left anyway. Have fun with Esther. Can’t wait to hear all about it when you get back.” Carmen says, smiling at Fina letting her know she shouldn’t feel bad if she wants to go.
“¿Verdad? Gracias amiga!” Fina excitedly says as she hands the box she was holding to Carmen. Fina heads towards the door so excitedly that she nearly forgets her coat. She makes a face like, how silly of me and laughs as she heads for the door waving goodbye at Carmen. Back in her room she couldn’t help but continue to smile as she thought about being with Marta and seeing the recital. She’s never been but has heard that it’s really exciting. An experience she never thought she’d have. Being with Marta and talking with her the past few days has been a dream. She’s never felt as close to her as she had these last few days. She looked forward to getting closer. As she was getting ready she had a pit in the bottom of her stomach forming. What if her dress wasn’t sophisticated enough and she embarrassed not just herself but Marta? What if she didn’t know how to act? What if she talked at the wrong time? Tranquila, mujer. Everything will be okay. Marta saw your mom’s dress earlier and said it was pretty. If Marta didn’t think you could comport yourself properly she never would have asked you to go, she thought. She rolled her eyes at herself and her unnecessary panicking as she headed to the bathroom to shower and put her makeup up. She was finishing up putting on her shoes as she looked at her watch. Better head off to the bus to Madrid if she was going to make it in time to meet Marta outside the Rojas Theatre at 9:00.
POV: MARTA, early evening
Marta is getting things together at home in the office in preparation for Toledo so she can be as efficient as possible so there’s absolutely no chance of having to stay later to look at something. She didn’t want to be late leaving for Madrid. She couldn’t wait to go to the recital. She always enjoys going and especially when she can see the soprano who is a friend of the family. She can’t wait to experience it through Fina’s eyes. She can remember her first time going with her mother when she was younger. How exciting everything was. The voices, the music, the atmosphere. Everyone was so dressed up and sophisticated. She hoped her comment about the dress that Fina had shown her earlier that used to be her mother’s had been received well. She wanted Fina to be comfortable and enjoy herself. She was really enjoying all the alone time she had been getting with Fina. She was surprised that it had taken her until now to realise what an amazing person Fina was. She always knew it but now she was the one receiving her attention and it made Marta’s heart swell every time she discovered something new about her. Like all those times my mother saved Fina bollo suizos from my birthdays. What a sweet fact about my mother I had learned and also another thing I share with Fina. Our desire to own a pasteleria being another, she thought. As she was finishing up in the office she thought about what she would wear. She wanted to look nice but also didn’t want to overdo it since Fina didn’t own any gowns as elegant as she did. She went up to her room and looked at a few options before settling on a floor length black one with lace at the top. She picked out the jewelry she wanted to go with it and packed it up with the rest of her things and headed for the door. She passed Andrés as she headed down the hallway towards the stairs.
“Whoa, Marta. Slow down. Where are you going in such a hurry?” he asked inquisitively.
“Perdoname, Andrés. I wasn’t looking where I was going.” Marta replied, embarrassed.
“Where are you going that you need to wear such a fancy gown?” Andrés inquired.
“I’m going to Toledo to look at some stores and then to an opera recital as a birthday gift to myself. The soprano is a friend of the family.” Marta replied, trying not to show how excited she was about the recital part.
“How nice. You always enjoyed those, didn’t you?” Andrés said smiling, seeing her excitement for the recital. “I’m glad you’re celebrating your birthday this year.”
Marta smirked at Andrés in reference to the celebrating her birthday comment. She knew it was something that he and others didn’t fully understand about her. Most people like to have a celebration or dinner of some kind to mark the occasion. She never really did and more so after their mother passed. With Jaime away for so many it didn’t make sense to make it a big affair. “If Father asks why I’m not home later tonight, let him know where I am please.” Marta asked her brother. He nodded in confirmation and bid her a good night. As she descended the stairs and headed to the door she decided she would drive herself to Toledo and then Madrid so she and Fina could spend as much time alone together as possible. It would be too awkward to have to explain to Isidro why they went to the recital together. Marta could barely focus in Toledo as the time passed, getting closer and closer to the time she was to meet Fina. At one point she decided she was just better off having a coffee and getting ready than continuing. She was too nervous and excited to focus. She got to the Rojas Theatre about 10 minutes before 9:00 so she could be there to receive Fina. As the minutes slowly ticked by, she found herself so overwhelmed with nerves and excitement she thought about leaving. Luckily she turned around and saw Fina walking towards her. Otherwise she might have left. My god. Fina is beautiful, she thought. Most of her nerves dissipated when she saw Fina and excitement replaced them instead.
Fina rounded the corner and spotted Marta from the back. She stopped momentarily, paralyzed and unable to move forward. She started to get an overwhelming sense of nerves seeing Marta outside the shop and house like this. She was becoming so fond of Marta and all the time they were spending together. Getting to know more and more about her over the past few days made Fina look at Marta differently than she had when she was growing up. She felt less distant from her and sharing confidences with each other had become one of Fina’s favorite parts of her days. She was falling for Marta and every new thing she learned made Fina see her more deeply and as the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life getting to know. As Marta turned around and spotted Fina they both lit up. Fina’s pace quickened and Marta moved closer to Fina. They met at the bottom of the stairs to the theatre. When they got to each other they just looked at one another. Smiling, not knowing who should say something first they both started to talk at the same time. Stopping to laugh.
“You go first.” Fina said, giggling.
“No, you.” Marta said, grinning so brightly. Both smiled from ear to ear averting their eyes from the nerves.
“Usted es tan guapa. Thank you, Marta, for inviting me.” Fina said, beaming.
“Eres preciosa, Fina. I’m happy you could come. You’ll love it.” Marta said, holding back everything in her from reaching out and touching Fina. The two stood there in an awkward silence for a few beats before Marta nervously said, “shall we go in, it’ll be starting soon.” Fina nodded, unable to say anything from the overwhelming urge she had to reach out and embrace Marta. Marta directed her to the entrance and where to put their coats and bags. She pointed out this and that and explaining what everything was. Then they walked to the entrance of the auditorium. She let Fina go first saying what row they were in. With all the new things she was seeing and the excitement of being next to Marta for the next couple hours, Fina accidentally passed their row making Marta reach out and grab Fina’s hand to keep her from passing the row any further. When their hands touched they both felt electricity coursing through them. Marta pulled Fina back by her hand and ushered her into their row. As they took their seats they both let out the trapped breath they had been holding onto from the moment their hands touched. They chatted for a few minutes before the house lights started to dim. Everything was so new and exciting for Fina that as they started to dim the lights she instinctively reached out for Marta’s hand and squeezed it before letting it go. They both looked at each other and lightly chuckled. They turned towards the stage as the musicians came out and took their chairs. Next, a beautiful, young woman came out to sing the first song of the evening. This was the soprano that Marta knew. She leaned over to Fina whispering in her ear, “this is the family friend I mentioned.” She was so close to Fina’s mouth. She looked at her lips before she looked into Fina’s eyes hoping Fina hadn’t caught that just then. They both smiled before Marta leaned back over in her seat. She looked straight ahead unwilling to look anywhere else for fear that Fina could see her face and discover the love for Fina that was written all over her face. Fina had noticed Marta looking briefly at her lips and then nervously turning away from her. Fina breathed in deeply before letting out a soft sigh. She melted into her chair at the thought of being so close to Marta and her lips. If they had been alone she wasn’t sure what she would have done just then. Thankfully the woman on the stage started singing her song and Fina’s attention was diverted. She wanted nothing more than to watch Marta watch the singers. She wanted to experience the evening through her eyes. She loved watching Marta enjoy herself. She had always thought she was so reserved and sophisticated growing up. She often thought Marta was too far away from people. It was so nice to see that Marta experienced things like Fina did. Marta got nervous and overwhelmed like anyone else. Throughout the night they each had moments where they would watch the other discreetly to experience the evening through the other’s eyes. It was a magical night that neither wanted to end. Eventually the night came to a close and the last song was sung. As the crowd erupted into applause and stood up for a standing ovation, both Fina and Marta got a pang in their hearts that this beautiful evening they both would never forget was soon ending and they would have to return to the factory and back to work the next day.
As Marta and Fina exited the auditorium Marta was starting to feel nervous again hoping that Fina had enjoyed herself. They grabbed their coats and bags and headed outside. As others passed by them they slowed their pace and removed themselves from the flow of exiting patrons. They went to the side of the theatre and stopped. Marta couldn’t stand it anymore and blurted out, “what did you think?” before laughing a bit, surprised at the force in which she had said those words.
Fina giggled at Marta’s nervousness saying, “fue maravilloso!” with just as much energy as Marta had in asking the question. They both laughed which helped break the tension and nerves for both. “Muchas gracias, Marta! It was the best night I’ve had in a while.” Fina said earnestly. They both looked at each other so intensely trying to hold back the growing feelings inside themselves to reach out and embrace.
After what seemed like several minutes of intense staring, Marta asked Fina “shall we walk to the car and return back to the factory?” not knowing what else to say to extend the night.
Fina immediately without thinking said, “I think we should walk around Madrid for a bit before returning. I don’t want the night to end just yet.” This made Fina blush as she felt this showed her true feelings too much and didn’t leave enough mystery behind the reasoning for them. “I mean, that is if you want to as well.” she interjected before Marta could give her reply, giving Marta an out in case she had expressed her desire to return with her last question.
“I would like that as well. We could get a coffee if we come across a place.” Marta said as an option to further extend the night. Neither ever wanted this night to end. They wished they could stay in this memory forever. As the two walked and recounted the night and their favorite things about the recital their distance lessened and lessened until they were occasionally brushing hands as they walked. Each time this happened they wanted to reach out and grab on to the other’s hand and hold it tight. At first, each giggling and excusing the “accidental” touching. They came across a cafe along their walk and ordered a coffee, sitting at one of the outside tables needing the fresh air to keep their heads from exploding with their thoughts of love for one another.
After they finished their coffees they got up and headed back in the direction of the car walking as slowly as possible to extend what little time they had left. By this point there were hardly any people left on the street except a person here and there that would walk by. As they were nearing an alleyway Fina stopped momentarily like she was unable to move forward until she said what she wanted to say. “Marta,....” Fina started before Marta grabbed Fina’s hand and pulled her into the alleyway. Marta didn’t know what Fina was going to say but she couldn’t wait for Fina to finish the thought. She had an overwhelming need to kiss her and as she had the thought she found her body taking over. Marta pulled Fina into the alleyway and into herself all as one fluid motion before their lips connected. It’s as if the world stopped for Fina and Marta when their lips touched. The softness in Fina’s lips and warmth of her breath was unlike anything she had experienced with Jaime. The whole night was. She didn’t know just how much Marta needed Fina until they kissed. It was like Marta had been asleep her whole life and now she was finally awake. Fina was so surprised by this that she broke the kiss. She looked at Marta trying to find in her face the reasoning behind the action. All she saw looking back at her was a shocked face that slowly started to realise the result of her actions. Fina felt bad and instinctively pulled Marta into a secluded entryway pushing Marta up against the bricks. She took Marta’s face in her hands, entangling her fingers in her hair. Fina kissed Marta with such force and passion that Marta let out a soft moan. Neither could believe what was happening but knew they wanted it to continue. Fina pressed her body into Marta’s making Marta grabbed at Fina’s waist so Fina couldn’t move from the spot. Marta’s hands traveled up Fina’s back caressing it as they moved. The way they melted into each other, it was a mystery how their legs didn’t give out. The need for both to be as close to the other was such a strong pull that they continued longer than they should before checking their surroundings to make sure no one was around. Marta finally broke from the kiss only because her head was swimming and she needed to breathe. They both stood their panting, looking at each other. The desire for each other was plain as day on their faces. The shock at what had just transpired was almost paralyzing until Fina went in for another kiss this time leaving her lips to kiss Marta’s neck. Marta opened her eyes quickly scanning their environment to make sure the coast was clear before giving into Fina and taking Fina off her neck to kiss Fina’s instead. Fina let out a sound of pleasure at this that made Marta smile. They tasted the coffee in each other’s mouths which was very seductive to Marta. After a back and forth of kissing on their necks and lips Marta had to put a stop to it before it went any further. They were tempting fate at this point if they continued out in the open like this. Fina understood. She took her finger and wiped the lipstick she had deposited all over Marta’s neck and mouth as Marta intensely watched Fina. Fina quickly pecked Marta’s lips as an end to the fixing which made Marta crack a smile. She did the same to Fina to remove any evidence of this encounter.
As they walked the distance from the alleyway to the street, to continue towards the car, they held hands only breaking once they got to the street. They entered the street and walked until they got to the car. Marta opened the door for Fina and helped her get in. As they drove back to the factory they drove in silence both too stunned at what had happened in that entryway to say anything. Fina reached out and held Marta’s hand until they entered the gates to the factory. Marta idled the car for a few minutes before she turned to Fina and said,”buenas noches, Fina.” coyly smiling at her.
“Buenas noches, Señora.” Fina said charmingly, smiling at Marta as she closed the door and walked into the dormitory building.