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B
reakfast buffet is incredible and has a great variety: from the traditional British breakfast until the Mediterranean. They even have champaigne inside some ice buckets placed in a corner of the room, presented in a fancy mood to set a difference. Who would like to drink champaigne at this time? It looks like the couple next to us would; they seem to be celebrating something. Jorge walks next to them and his eyes look sad. Would he be thinking about Claudia? I try to take those thoughts away by giving a bite to my muffins with chocolate.
“I can see you are very careful with your food” he says while he sits in the table.
“We are on December and this is London, if I were you I would eat more that some kiwis and a coffe” I say pointing with my holder at his tiny dish.
“I do not use to eat much food at this hour.”
“Not good, how will you resist cold the whole day then?”
“With a coat and a scarf?”
“With your own body” and I bite a bit more, quickly chew and say “but this is delicious...”
I cut a piece of muffin and when I’ll take it to my mouth, Jorge surprisingly grabbed my hand and led the holder at his mouth. I wish with all of my strength for an instant, to become that little piece of muffin to be eaten by Jorge in such a delicious way.
“Hey! That was mine!” I remembered to him, trying to release those thoughts while he laughs making an effort to prevent choking “Get your own muffins.”
“You are right, I will go right now to get a real breakfast dish” he said with determination, rising and going to the buffet area to get something consistent. He came back even with eggs and bacon besides a muffin covered by chocolate.
“Now I wonder if that is not a heavy mixure...” I warned him taking a look at his dish. Jorge smeared at his finger with chocolate. I think he’ll take it at his mouth and I am already tasting in my head the side effect it will produce in me but, against every prediction he moved his finger until the tip of my nose tarnishing me.
“Jorge!” I complained as he surprised me although, I recognize that this spontaneous, childish and tender gesture he had, enchanted me.
He laughed having fun while he watches me cleaning my nose with a napkin. I end laughing as well and we spent the rest of the breakfast tarnishing to each other like two small kids who has never enjoyed a buffet breakfast.
“I need to go to Fortnum & Mason, I want to buy some tea, I always buy tea there” I told him when we arrived to Picadilly after a short taxi journey from the hotel.
It seems Jorge doesn’t like to use the subway and when we were going out the taxi was already waiting for us in the door.
“Do you order it through Ethernet?”
“No, I come from time to time to London” I explain.
“How often is from time to time?”
It shouldn’t be odd considering London is very near.
“Well, I don’t know, everytime I feel so... A couple of times at year more or less.”
“That much?” he says in a very shrill tone.
I look at him lost. What do you mean that much?
“That is not too much. Flights are cheap, the year has so many weekends and London is very near.”
“But how much do you use to travel?”
“Everytime I can.”
I don’t pay much attention to the route we are taking. The truth is, I can handle myself pretty well through certain locations in London. Few minutes later we stood in front of Fortnum & Mason.
“But you know the route by heart...” he says opening the door to let me in. I think he is really surprised and I don’t understand why, that makes me blow proud.
“I told you I come by from time to time” and I add: “I love London.”
“So do I.”
And now I wonder how much means to him to get the revelation that I love this city considering his joyful visage.
“Have you lived here before?” I dare to ask as long as we are surrounded by hundreds of jars with different kind of tea with people here and there picking up their favorite taste.
“Yes, but long time ago” he limitates to answer while he watches some kind of honey panels and grabs one of the boxes with his hand, observing it closely “I used to eat this on my breakfast.”
And he completely lost himself, maybe in those days he lived in London and drank honey in this presentation for breakfast. I pick a small box of that honey panels and keep it in the basket with the rest of tea boxes I already picked.
When Jorge saw what I did he came back to the present and smiled.
“Can we pick two, to eat one of them these days for breakfast?” he asks.
I took the box he had in his hands and placed it inside the basket as well, making the smile of my companion to grow wider; so he grabbed the basket I had in my hands just in case five tea boxes and two honey panels are too heavy. At least, so he might think... one pound, too much to anyone.
We spent the morning doing Christmas shopping. We visited Harrods to buy the traditional Christmas teddy bear, gave a walk along Oxford Street to see window displays –there are things that can be seen only from the distant– and when cold makes impossible to continue enjoying our trip, we lead our way to have dinner in Chinatown.
I have seen so many colorful lights especially in the last portion of Regent Street, and I have the Christmas spirit so high that I wouldn’t mind to finish the journey here anyway.
We got into one of the woks that are placed in the main street. My hands were so cold that I couldn’t hold the stick in spite of my gloves. Jorge doesn’t stop laughing and messing with me as the sushi falls again over my dish. So I choose the easy path, I put the sticks aside and grab the food with my fingers.
“Will you eat the entire dish this way?” he asks me while he keeps laughing.
“Well yes, what’s wrong with this? My fingers are not working and I am hungry.”
“And, will you drink the soja sauce or should I ask for a soup spoon?” he says mocking me, crossing his arms and supporting them over the table.
I make clear I am in a remarkable Christmas lights wave and euphoria has taken over me. The thing is, I extened my little finger until the soja sauce tiny pot, I tarnished it and take it to my mouth in a sensual mood tasting it with my eyes closed. When I opened my eyes, I had an astonished Jorge in front of me with his mouth ajar.
“Laura, I try to behave next to you but, you are making it difficult in this moment...”
Feel what I feel every time you say good bye with a kiss in my hand! I extend my finger to the tiny pot again, I tarnish it and when I am moving it to my mouth, Jorge catches my hand and introduce it into his mouth, staring at me while he taste it, making me chill from head to feet passing along every nerve ending of my body. Jorge can turn something simple into erotic without proposing it so, when he proposes like now...
He smiled satisfied watching my reaction.
“Now, we both are in peace, right?” and he continues eating his dish like nothing happened.
I am still petrified there, in front of him and suddenly hunger has disappeared. At least about Japanese food...
We found a little cousy establishment in the way to the hotel, where we noticed there are some high quality imported absinthe as fast as we got in. We both looked at each other and walked to the bar to ask for two shots in order to get some hit.
“I haven’t drunk absenthe since college” I say while I still taste the flavor I just took.
“Then, I think I haven’t since you were in college.”
“What do you mean since I was...?” I ask him with no comprenhension of the simple sentence he just did.
“Yes, I remember a party in Garamond, I don’t remember the purpose. A boyfriend of your, had tickets and you gave a pair to Claudia and I.”
“Oh! I remember; you are right.”
“That day Claudia had to go earlier as usual. She was bored, she said. So, before I leave I approached to you to say good bye and you asked me to take a shot with you before I went home.”
“Do you remember that?”
I can’t believe he remembers a concret situation after so long. If I remember, it will turn regular, I have recorded in steal every single moment I have lived with Jorge, no matter how insignificant they might be to him. But him...
“Of course I remember. I saw how you took the shot in one move undisturbed. Your hair moved with the movement of your head ...” in that moment, he extended his hand to pass his fingers through my hair. Like he was waking up from a dream, he stands an order another pair of shots to the bartender. When those were delivered to us, he raised his shot at me “For the past which made possible to have this present with you.”
I remember I felt like making a toast as well so, we ordered another shots. But, some time after I was completely drunk unfortunately. Were those... four shots? I lost my training... the age...
Jorge had to hold me by my waist to help me keep the balance during the walk we did to let me recover myself. When we made it to the hotel, I walked through the hall as dignified as I could while Jorge was holding his laugh when I intended to say good evening but, my words were dragged; forcing to the reception guy to hide behind some papers as he couldn’t hold his laugh either. I didn’t look that funny for them to act this way.
I am exhausted. We have been walking the whole day practically and, although I am wearing comfortable shoes, I can’t feel my feet that’s why I took my shoes off inside the elevator, I can’t take it anymore.
“I see you are some tired” Jorge says smiling, helping me to stay balanced after the shaking move he recently saw while I took my shoes off.
“Uf... more than that... Let me sleep in the elevator...”
I holded my head over his shoulder and closed my eyes.
Next thing I remember was Jorge carrying me over his arms until my room.
“Laura...” he whispered “Tell me where do you have the card of your room?”
“Mmm... I think...”
I tried to reach my purse but, Jorge catched it before I make any move that could lead me to a catastrophic fall.
And I closed my eyes again while I remain embraced at his neck, perceiving that unique perfume that he has.
He always smells so good...