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Since Natalia managed to make Francisco hers, they spent a couple of weeks barely leaving their hotel room. Some days they entertained themselves by pleasuring each other. Among their plans were to spend between two and four days in each town they visited to stay in motion and not run the risk of being caught by that damn secret society pursuing Francisco. However, after discovering how pleasurable sex was between them soon they decided to remain locked in the hotel room where they were. They decided their vacation would be based on making love at any time and with any excuse. At one point, Natalia began to feel uncomfortable dressed. She enjoyed walking around naked in the room, watching Francisco's erection grow immediately and detecting the look she already knew so well. The one signifying an unrestrained desire.
From the first time they were together, Natalia understood sex between them would rarely be tender. It was good to her. She enjoyed wild sex with Francisco. A couple of times Francisco tried, but they had to stop for a while due to Francisco’s unpleasant memories. She encouraged him to only do what made him comfortable.
“But you are a lady and I want to make love to you as such,” Francisco said on those occasions. “I want to be tender and delicate but”—his demeanor broke down as he thought about the disgusting past he had to live—, “I remember the times I wanted to be the same with the others and I couldn’t.”
Once, the memories overcame him pitching him into a state in which Natalia —for the first time— was afraid to lay next to him. Which said a lot considering he had already tried to kill her in the past. That night, while they were kissing so comfortably, enjoying the heat of their bodies, Francisco sprang away from her and turned his back. She felt him sobbing immediately. She went to him, only to hug him from behind. That’s how they stayed the entire night. The immortal’s weeping either increased or diminished but did not cease. At dawn, it seemed they both were exhausted. Natalia fell asleep only after Francisco was asleep too. When she awoke, Francisco was not in the room.
Natalia panicked. It occurred to her he may have been overwhelmed by his fear and demons from the past. For this reason he left, so as not to hurt her.
Her hands trembled and her mind blanked. She cleaned up as fast as she could, dressing in the first thing she found, and left the room ready to thoroughly interrogate the entire hotel staff.
When she saw Francisco entering the building carrying a bag of what appeared to be breakfast for two and two cups of coffee, her soul lifted and she fell upon him. She hugged him tightly planting kisses on him for everyone to see.
Francisco understood Natalia’s concern. Yes, he thought about abandoning her considering that night it was very difficult to break his chain of thoughts regarding his damn past experiences invading him. She stayed awake all night holding him and as worried as he would have been if he were in her place. He admired her bravery and understanding. He didn’t know if he could endured as much. For that, he was obliged to think about leaving her before things flourished between them. However, taking stock of his feelings, he realized he couldn’t bear the sadness it would provoke therefore making him comprehend —officially— he was in love with Natalia and being without her would be a real hell. Consequently, his fears began to mitigate along with those damn memories regarding the tortures and all the terrible things he had to do to survive.
He recognized it was nothing compared to the fear of thinking that he could lose Natalia. He cried a lot last night because he swore that after that, he wouldn’t anymore. He had done very well with accomplishing his own promise.
No sacrifices.
The simple fact of having her every day by his side ratified him continuing to forget his past that haunted him for so many centuries. He could not let his past contaminate his perfect present.
They became closer that day more than ever. They spent the entire day in bed, naked, but not once did they make love. Although they wished with their total being, on that particular day, they were united by something else. Tenderness and love.
There were large doses of hugs, kisses and caresses that had no other purpose. They watched TV like teenagers. They slept the whole night. The next morning, well, that morning it seemed their desire triumphed and they made love like never before.
Natalia was happy at his side. She could not imagine life without him. In such a short time Francisco managed to become her world. She wanted a future with him. They had already talked about it. She was comfortable with the idea of living together in Caserío but knew they were at imminent risk according to him. She had a feeling this oppression would end soon. She didn’t know how or when, but her instinct confirmed it and that was something Natalia never doubted.
Things seemed to continue normally in Spain. They kept in constant contact with Juan Carlos and Isabel. The couple assured them they had not seen a drone or anyone hanging around the estate.
Isabel told Natalia her grandmother frequently visited Caserío due to her apparently making good friends with Manuel the first time they met for her to teach him how to cook her famous dark roast.
Since then, Rodrigo had been picking Natalia's grandmother up and taking her to Caserío several days a week.
Natalia agreed life was good for them both. Manuel and her grandmother needed company. Why not add a little excitement in their lives. She knew her grandfather blessed them from his heavenly home.
Isabel and Juan Carlos’ would soon arrive in New York. They would arrive on Thanksgiving Day. They had agreed to meet somewhere there so, that day, Natalia and Francisco were going to the place in question by car from Boston.
They would all stay at Carlota and Edward's house since they decided not to sell it. It was comfortable, spacious and they would all be alright there. They would eat Thanksgiving dinner and then, Carlota, Edward and Alicia would return to their tour in Europe. For Christmas, they would celebrate in Spain.
Isabel had planned to stay in New York. They would visit every store possible in order to find the best Christmas decorations to decorate the estate. The idea was to decorate it in such a fashion that it became the main topic of every conversation in the area at least until the following Christmas. Although, due to the decoration’s magnitude, Natalia suspected Isabel wanted to make it into a magazine article. Also make sure no one can ever forget the perfectly beautiful Christmas decoration of the Alcalá Orange Grove estate.
They arrived into the city without any major inconveniences and that was when something surprising happened to Francisco.
He sneezed a couple of times.
“Bless you,” Natalia said as they unloaded the car. It was very cold that day. “I understand your condition, but I get the impression low temperatures with that simple shirt, won’t prevent you from sneezing.”
Francisco sneezed again.
“Are you going to stand there all night?” Natalia asked as she climbed the steps of the apartment carrying her luggage inside.
When she came out again, Francisco looked as if he had seen a ghost. He was pale and sweating as if he had run the New York Marathon.
Natalia ran to him.
“Are you okay? Have you been attacked?” She took his hand. It was scorching. “Oh my God! You're burning up! Let`s go inside!”
She quickly locked the car and, as best she could, hustled Francisco into the house. She left him sitting on the lounge chair and went to get a blanket from the closet. After a couple of minutes, she found it and took it to Francisco who was still in the same hypnotic state.
“Okay, Francisco, you're really scaring me. What's the matter? It's a simple cold... or is it something else?”
Then she realized what she had just said.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
Francisco began to shake from the cold and in a trembling voice he answered:
“This is not normal. I- I- I can’t catch a cold.”
He began to laugh with joy because he could feel something change inside him. Such was the change, he was beginning to catch a cold after more than four centuries of unblemished health.
What did that mean? Did he no longer enjoy immortality?
He reveled in his emotions, the tremors, and the fever that completely overwhelmed him. He would have time to find out what the hell had changed in him.
He would take care of one thing at a time.
For the moment, he would enjoy something he had not enjoyed for a lot of centuries.