Kiss Me, Lynn (8 page)

A
fter weaving their way through the much calmer traffic in Cusco, they came to the hotel,
Costa del Sol Picoaga
, which had a completely different look and character from the
Casa Andina
in Lima. A couple of young boys waved from where they stood in a parking space just past the hotel entrance. Alex tipped both of them after they took the space. Two young women sat near the entrance, holding cards covered with cloth, with what looked like pendants pinned to the fabric. There were dozens of designs. Most of them were silver.

“Miss, you want to buy?
Fifty
soles
! Thirty
soles
! Two for forty
soles
!”

Lynn declined each offer and followed the others inside.
Rudolfo and employees of the hotel busily unloaded their luggage.

Inside,
they gathered in a small area with couches near the front desk. A table against one wall had a carafe of hot water and a large bowl of dried green leaves. Alex suggested they fix a cup of Coca tea, “to help with the altitude.”

Lynn picked up three leaves for her cup.
Alex reached across her to the bowl, picked up half a dozen more and added them to her cup then filled her cup with hot water. Packets of natural sugar filled another bowl. Lynn added one packet to her cup and stirred. She sipped carefully, intrigued by the flavor. It had an earthy green taste she liked a lot.

“
Grácias, Señor.”

“De nada.
Cusco is above 11,000 feet elevation. The people here drink Coca tea or chew the leaves to help them breathe the thin air. While you’re here, you’ll need to drink two or three cups a day so you won’t have awful headaches.”

As far as Lynn could see, they all enjoy
ed the tea. A doorway led outside to the center of the hotel—a large courtyard, paved with bricks. Grass grew between the bricks, and to her delight a dusty-colored lamb wandered around, eating the grass. In the center stood an incredibly beautiful stone fountain, filled with red, yellow, orange and purple flowers. Water cascaded from the top and over the plants, keeping them well-watered.

Lynn looked up
at the second floor, then turned all the way around. Open walkways with beautifully sculpted columns circled the courtyard, creating a classic Spanish home. Off to the right a wide stone staircase led to the second floor. The rooms opened onto the walkways on both levels. This hotel met all of Lynn’s expectations of Cusco.

She realized Alex was standing just behind her.
She turned her head just enough to let him know she was aware of his presence. He took it as an invitation to move closer. He walked around in front of her, watching the door behind them, then reached for her hand, squeezing her fingers gently. “Do you like the hotel?”

“I love it.
I know the rooms will be just as beautiful.”

“They are.
Be sure to ask for a room at the back. Otherwise, the street noise and traffic will keep you awake tonight. During the festival, people stay up all night, celebrating, and drinking more than they should.”

“Thanks.
I’d better do that now.”

He glanced toward the door to the lobby.
“I think Sharon has your assigned room already.”

Sharon came out with keys in her hand.
“Our room is right above the lobby!” She pointed over her head. “We’ll be able to see what’s going on in the street!”

Lynn laughed at her friend.
“That won’t work. There’s going to be a lot of traffic tonight, and people on the streets won’t worry about waking anyone. We need a room on the back if they have one available.”

“Oh.
Okay. I’ll see if they have another one that’ll be quieter.” She hesitated. “How did you know that?”

“Our guide told me.”
She raised their clasped hands.

Sharon grinned a lot more than
she should have, Lynn thought, but somehow it was okay.

“Great guide!”
Sharon gave her a thumbs-up on her way back to the front desk.

“She knows,” Lynn whispered.

“Is it a problem that you and I have become special friends?”

“No!
Of course not,” she said too quickly. She didn’t know how else to answer him. The attraction between them—especially his attraction to her—had been a complete surprise. She still hadn’t decided how she felt about it, other than pleased and flattered. Part of her wanted to explore these unexpected feelings, while another part of her insisted it was an impossible situation. How could two people who lived so far apart ever be able to make a relationship work?

Chapter 8

After they’d been assigned a different room,
Alex watched Lynn and Sharon going up the stairs and around the walkway to the back of the hotel. They were in the back corner, where their sleep would hopefully be undisturbed.

How could he have been so impulsive, holding her hand
at the Larco, then on the plane, then again in the courtyard? Each time, he’d done it almost without thinking, without remembering she was part of a group, a
turista
. His letting her know that his feelings went beyond those for a typical
turista
was completely inappropriate. Yet, it seemed she’d acted impulsively, too. She didn’t seem to be embarrassed, exactly, when he’d asked about their “special friendship.” Only thoughtful, as though she weren’t sure about her feelings. His feelings, though, were becoming more clear to him all the time. She didn’t feel like only a friend. He knew what was happening, in spite of having known her only these few precious days.

He had to remember that he was, in essence, their employee, hired to make their visit to Peru memorable.
Lynn was only a
turista
, nothing more. How could he have forgotten that? There would be no taking any of it back, but maybe he could keep reminding himself that she lived half the world away. He could never leave Cusco. It was his home! He’d dedicated his life to learning everything he could about Peru and how this country had grown from the land of the pre-Inca to the country it was today—thanks primarily to
turistas
. Peru would always be home to him. He suspected Lynn felt the same way about her country, and Virginia. It was time for him to return to reality.

<><><><>

In the room, which was as lovely as Lynn could’ve hoped, she said very little, embarrassed that Sharon had observed both times Alex had taken her hand. It was one thing to be impulsive and enjoy the attentions of this handsome Peruvian. It was quite another to allow her emotions to run wild and open her heart to him.

After they’d unpacked some of their things, Sharon stood in the middle of the room and stared at
her.

Lynn knew what was coming.
“Just say it.”

“I’m proud of you!”

“Proud? What are you talking about? I’ve lost my mind!”

“
I disagree, my friend. You may have found your mind for the first time in two years! No, make that four years. Bill was never right for you. He didn’t have the personality, the drive, the fire that you have. At least, you had it before you met him. I haven’t seen it much lately. Now, you’ve met Alex—someone who has all those qualities—and you aren’t hesitating! I’m proud of you for going with your heart instead of analyzing everything to death, then backing away! Alex is wonderful! He’s handsome, intelligent, and he’s a history teacher!”

Lynn released a huge sigh.
“But it’s impossible! He lives in Peru. I live in Virginia. End of story!”

“
Where there’s love, there’s a way.”

“Love?
Hardly. Attraction, yes.”

“Love begins with attraction, but not just physical attraction.
Why are you making me tell you all this? You know as well as I do that love never analyzes before blooming in your heart like those gorgeous flowers downstairs in the fountain! Love won’t grow if there isn’t more than physical attraction. Alex has depth! He loves taking tourists all over his country, and I’ll bet he’s a great kisser, too.”

“Now you’re sounding like a soap opera.
I like Alex. A lot! But that doesn’t mean I love him. We’ve known each other less than a week! I couldn’t possibly fall in love in only a week. And neither could he.”

“See?
See! I knew it! The thought has already occurred to you, too!” Sharon hugged her friend. “Just don’t get in the way of your feelings, okay? Explore them a little. Take this handsome Peruvian for a spin! And don’t forget Cher’s advice.”

“Cher?”

She sang, “’If you wanna know if he loves you so…’”

“Enough!
I held his hand! Big deal!”

“T
hree times. He reached for your hand on the plane and in the courtyard, but you didn’t pull away, the way you did at the Larco.”

“You saw that too, huh?”

“Sweetie, I see everything that happens to you. I’ve prayed for this day! I’ve seen how he looks at you! This could be your chance for something incredible. Not just a fling!”

Lynn sat down on the bed and put one hand over her eyes.
“Why did I have to meet him here? Why couldn’t he at least live at least in the same country?”

“Just because you live in different countries
right now doesn’t mean it always has to be that way.”

“Right.
Just pack up and move to Peru.”

“Or, pack up and move to Virginia.”

“What would he do in Virginia?”

“Oh, I don’t know.
Teach Peruvian history maybe?”

Lynn glanced at the clock by the bed.
“We still have some time off before going to the Museo del Pisco tonight.”

“That’s so we can get used to being at more than 11,000 feet.”

“I don’t want to spend our free time in this room. I want to walk down to that little plaza. It’s only a couple of blocks, right?”

“
I’ll go with you. I want to check out some of the shops. Vicki saw a quilt in a display that she wants to look at, and Dorothy mentioned taking photos for Tony to paint when she gets home. Not sure what the others have in mind but I’m betting it will include spending money.”

“So, let’s go!
I just want to sit on a bench and watch people go by. I want to enjoy being in Cusco.”

They met the others in the lobby and set out for the
plaza. The two ladies were still camped out right outside the entrance to the hotel, begging them to buy their silver pendants. One of them hurried over to Lynn the minute she stepped onto the sidewalk. “Please, buy from me! I will make you a good price!”

Lynn told them, “Later.
I’ll buy something from each of you later.”

“We’ll be right here!
Don’t forget!”

Sharon leaned closer.
“How could you forget?”

At the
plaza, the group divided into pairs and headed in different directions. Everyone except Lynn wanted to shop. She wanted to relax and soak up some heavenly Cusco sunshine.

She selected a bench close to
one of the flower gardens. Peruvians obviously loved flowers. They’d seen flower gardens even in Lima, where there didn’t seem to be enough sunshine to grow them. Yet, they’d adjusted to the low light. Here in Cusco, flowers grew everywhere and flourished, lending their subtle fragrances to the thin air. Conversations drifted from group to group all over the plaza, including some couples who had their arms around each other or held hands. Everyone looked happy. She didn’t hear anyone arguing, and she didn’t even hear any babies crying or children quarreling. They ran and played, laughing and happy to be in the plaza. There didn’t seem to be much concern about children wandering farther than six feet away from their parents. Cusco was truly a completely different atmosphere from a metropolitan area in the US—or the gloom of Lima.

She saw several dogs wandering through the plaza.
Two of them flopped down to sun themselves and sleep. Lynn decided they had the perfect idea. She leaned back and closed her eyes for a few moments. When she realized she was in a shadow she opened her eyes. Alex.

“You look contented.”

“Are you still on duty? What can you tell me about this plaza?”

“No,
I’m not on duty. I have some time off, too, before we go to the Pisco tasting. But I can tell you about the plaza if you wish.”

“Tell me about
the
Museo
.”

“The
Museo del Pisco
has dozens of flavors of Pisco, made in different ways. You’ll learn how to make a basic Pisco Sour, and you’ll get to try some of the flavored Piscos.”

“Sounds yummy.
Will I be able to walk back to the hotel tonight after all the tasting?”

He laughed
, sat beside her, and reached for her hand. “I will make sure you get there safely.”

She had no doubt about that.
“Want to take a walk?”

“Of course.
Which way do you want to go?”

“Doesn’t matter.
I just want to see all the flowers.”

They wandered hand in hand except when Lynn stopped to take pictures.
Alex asked a woman walking behind them if she would take their picture together in front of the flowers. Happily, she complied. Alex put his arm around Lynn and pulled her close to him. The woman took their photo with Lynn’s camera, then with Alex’s phone.

“Now I have a picture to remind me of you after you go home to Virginia.”

“And I have one of you.” Lynn found it difficult to smile, so she took his hand and they finished their circuit of the plaza. The bench where they’d sat before was still empty, so they sat there again.

Alex started to push Lynn’s hair back from her face, so he could see her better, then thought better of it.
“You seemed upset earlier, when you got the phone call.”

“Yes
, I was. My mother is ill. She might have a disease that takes away her memories and makes her forget important things.”

“Alzheimer’s.”

She nodded.

“My uncle had this awful disease.”
Alex stared across the plaza at an old man sitting on a bench, surrounded by several children who chattered at the same time. “That man reminds me of him. He never had children of his own, but he loved his nieces and nephews more than life itself. When the disease took him, he forgot their names, then their faces. Very sad.”

“I’ve never met anyone who hasn’t had a parent, a brother or sister, aunt or uncle, or a friend who had Alzheimer’s.”

“Neither have I. It is tragic when someone you love forgets who you are.”

Lynn had to take a deep breath with that thought.

“I’m sorry. I made you sad.”

“My mother has
n’t been diagnosed yet, so I hadn’t really thought about her forgetting me someday. But if that’s what it is, I know she will.”

“Will you have to go home early?”

“No, my father is taking care of her. He called to let me know he’s decided not to work any longer so he can stay home with her.”

“Your father is a good man.”

“Yes, he is, but my mother is beginning to forget that, from time to time.” She told him what had happened the day before.

Tears came to his eyes.
“
Tío
Roberto did the same thing with my mother—his sister. She took him some fresh tortillas one day and he tried to pay her for them. He didn’t recognize her.”

Impulsively, Lynn hugged him.
Every day she found something new that they shared.

Sharon called to them.
She and the others approached carrying bags and packages from their shopping spree. “Hey, you two! You missed some great buys!”

Alex stood to make room for some of the ladies on the bench.
Cathi, Sheila, and Sharon plopped down beside Lynn. Vicki, Dorothy, and BJ were taking photos of flowers.

“I’m saving my money for the market at Machu Picchu
,” Lynn said. “What did you buy?”

They took turns showing her tote bags, purses, shawls, t-shirts, and a poncho Barb had bought for her nephew who lived in New York.
“He’ll love this when it snows six feet—once a week—this winter!”

“Vicki, did you buy that quilt?”

“No, but I took a picture of it after I asked the shopkeeper if it was okay. It gave me some great ideas for a quilt I want to make to celebrate this tour!”

Lynn told Alex, “Vicki is an artist when it comes to making quilts.
She has photos of a lot of them. You’ll have to get her to show them to you.”

“I would love to see them.”

“Barb is a librarian, and she and Sheila are teachers and writers. Dorothy’s husband, Tony, is an artist. He’ll be painting Cusco for months to come, thanks to Dorothy’s busy camera! She’s a writer, too, and so is Cathi.”

Cathi was writing frantically in her notebook.
Lynn gestured toward her and told him, “I don’t think there’s any doubt where Cathi’s next story will be set.”

Cathi scribbled one more sentence then gave Alex a wide grin.
“Want to be in my book?”

“Of course!
I can be the tour guide!”

“That’s the idea!
Want to be the hero?”

“The hero?
But I haven’t done anything heroic!”

“Cathi writes romantic stories, with a hero and a heroine—a man and a woman—falling in love.”

Alex nodded. “I definitely want to be the hero in your book. Will I get to kiss the heroine?”