Nacho Figueras Presents (19 page)

K
at and Georgia had picked out something special for Noni to wear that night. They knew her dislike of skirts and dresses, so they found a simple pair of flowing black slacks and paired it with a scoop-neck black tank top, sparkling with silver threaded embroidery, and a pair of open-toed silver heels to match.

Noni looked in the mirror and sighed happily. Her hair was as lank and unmanageable as ever, and she couldn't decide what color lipstick she should wear, but the glow of the game was still on her face, and for once she actually kind of liked what she saw reflected back at her.

She went to the window and peeked out at the garden in the backyard. It looked enchanted, all lit up with candles, gold and silver paper lanterns strung through the air, and sparkling fairy lights entwined in every tree and shrub. It had been a warm day, and the summer fireflies were out, flitting from place to place, pulsing gold and green as they hovered in all the nooks and crevices of the yard.

There was a knock on her door and Pilar slipped in. The older woman was wearing a long white gown, spangled with curls of gold sequins that twisted in an undulating pattern down her dress. She wore enormous yellow diamonds in her ears and sparkling at her wrist. She sat down on Noni's bed and looked her over from head to toe, nodding in approval.

“
Que bonita
,” she said. “And somehow not a dog hair to be seen.”

The dogs in question rushed over to her, wagging their tails. Pilar smiled begrudgingly and gave them each a pat. “I guess you are not so bad when you are not harassing
mis perritos
,” she said.

Noni laughed. “The garden looks spectacular, Pilar. Thank you so much.”

Pilar waved her off. “Pfft,” she said, “all smoke and mirrors. A few tea lights here, a few roses there. Anyone could do it.”

“No,” said Noni, and she approached the older woman and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Only you.”

Pilar's cheeks flushed pink with pleasure and she gently shoved Noni away. “
Ay, dios mio
, what a fuss.”

Noni laughed and went back to her dressing table, holding up one lipstick and then the other. “You know,” she said, trying to sound casual but wanting Pilar to know just how much this all meant to her, “this is the first time anyone has ever actually thrown me a party.”

At those words, Pilar went very still, and an odd expression came over her face. “Well,” she said finally, “then I suppose it is about time that somebody did.”

Noni smiled and dug through her mess of a jewelry box, trying to find proper earrings for her outfit.

“So, Enzo after all, eh?” said Pilar, watching Noni in the mirror.

Noni blushed. “I don't know. I…I hope so. There is still a lot that needs to be worked out.”

“And Max?”

“I think…I think he might stay with me. At least for a while.”

Pilar smiled. “
Bien
. That is very good news, indeed.” She shifted position on the bed. “You know,” she said thoughtfully, “I used to think that the more a man could hurt me, the more it must mean that I loved him. If someone could make me feel so miserable, it was only because I felt for him so deeply,
comprendes
? Only now, when I've finally been lucky enough to experience something different, do I realize just how wrong that really was.”

Antonia turned to look at her. “My father was not a very good man, was he?” she said softly.

Pilar shrugged. “Your father was a complicated man.”

Noni blinked, trying to keep the tears back. “I'm ashamed to say this, but when I was a little girl, I used to imagine that he would come and…save me. I guess that's the best way to put it. My mother talked about him all the time.” She rolled her eyes and smiled. “Mainly about how he didn't want to see me, of course. How he had abandoned us both. And even though I didn't know you, I…I thought that I hated you. You and Jandro and Seb. I thought that if you all didn't exist, Carlos would be mine, that he would come and scoop me up and carry me off, and I would have a whole different life. Something safe and beautiful.”

Pilar smiled bitterly. “At least you had the excuse that you were just a little girl. I had similar feelings about you, and I was a fully grown woman.”

Noni caught her eye. “But not anymore, right?”

Pilar chuckled. “No,
hija
, not anymore.”

Noni looked down, smiling to herself, and started looking through her jewelry again.

Pilar stood up. “
Basta
. I cannot stand watching you rooting through that mess. Here, I have an early gift for you.”

She handed Noni a small silver box. Noni took it gingerly.

“Pilar, you already created this beautiful party. You didn't have to get me a present as well.”

Pilar shook her head impatiently. “It's not really a gift from me anyway. It's something that is rightfully yours. Open it.”

Noni slid off the top of the box and gasped. Inside were a pair of glimmering black opal earrings, set in an intricate platinum filigree, and next to them was a ring to match. The stones were easily as big as walnuts and flickered with an eerie fire.

Antonia looked at Pilar, speechless.

“Go ahead. Put them on.” Pilar nodded. “They will go very well with your outfit.”

Pilar watched expectantly as Noni fastened on the earrings and slid the ring onto her middle finger. It fit perfectly.

Pilar nodded firmly. “
Bien
. They never looked right on me, but they were made for you.”

She approached Noni and touched her chin, delicately turning her head this way and that. “For the longest time,” she said, “all I could see when I looked at you was Carlos's eyes. It was like a bad joke. He finally dies, I am finally free of all his treachery, and you turn up, like a mirror of his gaze.” She shook her head. “I hated looking you in the face. You were like a terrible reminder of all the parts of him that hurt me the most.”

Noni looked down. “I'm sorry,” she said softly.

Pilar tugged her chin back up and looked her in the face. “It was not your fault,
hija
. And the stupid thing that I was too blind to see was that your eyes were really not Carlos's at all. Actually, they were his mother's, Victoria's.”

Noni blinked slowly. “My grandmother?”

Pilar nodded. “
Sí, tu
abuela
. Who, by the way, was the most remarkable woman I have ever known. Hell,” she laughed, “she was the most remarkable
person
I have ever known, man or woman.”

She smoothed a lock of Noni's hair back from her face.

“If Carlos had any good in him at all, it was because of her. You not only look just like her,
niña
, but you also remind me of her. You have her warmth and her strength and her humor. Having you here these past weeks has almost been like having
mi madrasta
back.”

She smiled softly, touching the jewels at Noni's ears.

“These were hers. She would have wanted you to have them. They were meant for a woman with eyes like yours.”

“Oh,” said Noni, throwing her arms around Pilar's neck, “now I'm crying! And it's all your fault!”

Pilar smiled and gently patted Noni's back. “
Ay
, such a fuss.”

Enzo, back in his good suit, sat in the corner of the garden, nursing a vodka and soda and watching the crowd while he waited for Noni.

There were his teammates, David and Lachlan, who were talking to Valentina Del Campo, Alejandro's daughter. She had flown out from San Francisco this afternoon and arrived just after the game.

Valentina was all grown up now, with her curly black hair pulled back in a tasteful bun and the ramrod posture of a dedicated ballerina. She was the principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet, last Enzo had heard.

Lachlan was obviously doing his best to get her attention, but it was David whom Valentina had locked eyes with, reaching down to brush an invisible something off his shirt.

Enzo smiled at Lachlan's frustration and the stunned look of luck on David's face.

Raj was at the buffet table with Benny, who was wearing a spectacularly short skirt. Even Enzo, with his mixed feelings about Noni's mother, had to admit she still had the legs to pull it off just fine. Liz, looking very professional in a white chef's coat, was on the other side of the table, which was absolutely groaning with delicacies. Liz smiled over at Raj and reached up to feed him a bite of something out of her hand. The big man rolled his eyes in appreciation and grinned down at the pretty little chef while Benny frowned petulantly off to the side.

Camelia, who used to be a groom for the Del Campos and was now Mark Stone's wife, was standing with Kat and Sebastian, waving her hands animatedly as she told them a story that made them all roar with laughter.

Alejandro and Georgia stood together at the edge of the garden. Jandro was slowly rubbing his hand over his wife's lower back. Georgia, wearing a red dress that was stretched to the max, looked beautiful, content, and particularly pregnant tonight.

Enzo turned his head just in time to see Jacob arrive. Max came rushing over to him and flung himself into his father's arms, enthusiastically pointing at this and that in the garden and chattering about how he had helped Pilar put the whole party together.

Enzo wished that Noni would hurry up and get there. He felt that he was going to pieces without her. He did not yet know what the kiss on the pitch had meant. While it was happening, it had felt like a declaration, a glorious promise, an expression of all that was unsaid between the two of them. But now that time had passed and his emotions had cooled, he wondered whether it had just been an impulsive moment of celebration on Noni's part and nothing more.

Because, he thought, looking over at Max as he pulled his father by the hand, excitedly leading him to the three-piece jazz band, here was this child.

This child whom Noni loved so much.

This child who had a father. And that father was here tonight as well.

Jacob turned at that moment and caught Enzo's eye. Enzo gave him a little half smile and a lift of his drink.

Jacob bent to his son's level for a moment and whispered in his ear. Then he left Max and walked over to Enzo.

“Pretty impressive spread,” he said to Enzo. “I guess the Del Campos know how to do it up right.”

Enzo nodded and took a sip of his drink. “Pilar lives for this sort of thing,” he said.

Jacob nodded at the empty place at the table. “Do you mind?”

“Be my guest,” said Enzo as Jacob sat down next to him.

“So,” said Jacob, “has Noni talked to you about me at all?”

Enzo looked at him carefully. “I guess she has told me enough.”

Jacob nodded slowly. “I need a drink,” he muttered, looking around.

“Bar's over there,” said Enzo, gesturing to the other end of the garden.

“Look,” said Jacob turning back to him. “I'm sure you think I'm an asshole. I won't deny that I've done some stupid things. But I need you to know, I'm not just using Noni. I really do care about her. And Max, well, he adores her.”

Enzo went still. A cold trickle of fear ran down his back. “Okay,” he said, trying to keep his face impassive.

“So whatever happens—”

They were interrupted by Noni's dogs, which were suddenly at the table and doing their best to climb into Enzo's lap.

“Hello, boys.” Noni appeared next to them, a vision in black and silver with glimmering gems dangling at her ears that set off the stars in her dark gaze.

“
Niña
,” murmured Enzo, “you look
increíble
.”

Jacob stood up suddenly. “I'm going to get that drink,” he said, and hurried away.

Noni watched him go, a frown on her face. “What were you guys talking about?”

Enzo shrugged. “I am not sure, honestly. He didn't finish what he started to say.”

Noni raised her eyebrows and sat down next to him. She took the drink from his hand and stole a sip, and then adjusted the lapel of his suit jacket and smiled. “Well, hello, Javier Bardem.”

He smiled back crookedly in return.

“Isn't this beautiful?” she said, indicating the garden.

Enzo nodded. “Very.”

“You know, I just had the most amazing conversation with Pilar,” she began.

Suddenly he couldn't stand it anymore. Enzo still didn't know if he was going to lose her or not, but he did know that he couldn't just sit there and make small talk with her like they had all the time in the world.

All he knew for sure was that he had her with him now and that he was going to make the most of it.

“Dance with me,” said Enzo, interrupting her.

The strains of “You Belong to Me” were playing softly.

“Oh,” she said, blinking, “but no one else is dancing yet.”

He took her hand and pulled her up with him. “I don't care. We can be the first.”

She smiled and let him lead her out to the dance floor. “Okay, then. Let's be the first.”

E
verything was nearly perfect. The party. Her new place on the polo team. Max happily playing with Tomás at the edges of the garden as the boys leaped about, trying to catch fireflies. The soft music…

And most especially, the man in whose arms she swayed, her head against his chest, breathing in his sweet and earthy scent.

Noni felt like she was home at last.

She shifted even closer to him, and their bodies seemed to melt together. She felt him throb against her and pressed even tighter in response.

“
Mi corazon
,” he murmured hoarsely.

She looked up at him. He was so beautiful. “I love you, Enzo,” she breathed.

He froze, stopped dancing, and his arms clutched her just a bit tighter.

“Why are you telling me this?” he finally said.

She laughed. “Wow. Just what every girl wants to hear after getting up the nerve to say that for the first time.”

He took a step back from her. “I mean, are you telling me this because you want something more? Or are you telling me this because you are…saying goodbye?”

“Oh,” she exhaled, “I thought you understood.”

His eyes were wild. “I do not understand, Antonia. I need it explained.”

She laughed. “I said I love you because I…love you. Because I need you. Because when I'm with you I feel strong, and warm, and happy. Because I know you would never hurt me. Because I know for a fact that what is between us is true, and real, and rare. Because I want something more from you, Enzo. So much more.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. A soft, slow kiss. Then she opened her eyes and looked at him. “Now you say it back.”

He stared at her for a moment, wonder in his eyes. “
Te amo, niña
,” he finally murmured. He pulled her back in for another kiss, all but crushing her in his arms.

Then he pulled away again. “What about Max?”

She nodded. “It's complicated. I have a whole crazy story to tell you, but I think he'll be staying with me for a while.” She looked up at him, suddenly worried. “With us, actually, if you're willing.”

He embraced her again. “Of course, of course,” he said. There were tears in his eyes. “I would be so lucky to have you both.”

Noni felt she was overflowing with happiness. It was a perfect moment on a perfect night.

And then her mother tapped her on the shoulder.

“Darling,” she rasped. “Oh, daughter of mine.”

Noni cringed. She could tell, from the soft slur in her voice, that Benny had already been overserved.

She turned and forced herself to smile. “Hi, Mom.”

“Hello, Benny,” said Enzo.

Benny ignored him and smiled brightly at Noni instead, tugging her away. Noni made an apologetic face at Enzo as she was being pulled across the floor, and he laughed and waved them off.

Benny stopped over by the bar. “I'm sorry to break up your little tête-à-tête, Antonia, but I haven't seen you at all tonight, and I just wanted the chance to say happy birthday to my girl.”

Noni smiled. “Thanks, Mom.”

“You know it's my birthday, too.” She grinned. “I mean, quite literally, right?”

Noni laughed agreeably. “Absolutely. And thanks for that, too.”

“Now, listen, darling.” She started to rummage through the enormous purse she was carrying. “I have your birthday present in here somewhere…”

Noni watched her mother searching and smiled. Benny looked amazing. No one over thirty should have been able to pull off the tiny leather micro-mini Benny was wearing, but her mother was absolutely rocking the thing. Over that, she wore a body-skimming black CBGB T-shirt and a dark green kimono jacket. Her hair was loose and long. Six-inch stacked heel booties completed the outfit. The only way someone would have guessed her age would be if they noticed her hands, which were gnarled and scarred from years of working with kilns and forges and doing the detail work of her art.

Noni smiled to herself, wondering what her mother would think if she told her that she found her hands to be the most beautiful part of her…

“Ah,” Benny said as she finally pulled out a wrapped parcel about as big as a slice of bread, “here it is. It's not much, but I thought you might like it.”

Noni took the gift from her mother. “Should I open it now?”

She waved her hand. “Yes, yes, go ahead.”

Noni carefully unwrapped the plain brown paper to reveal a small oil portrait that her mother had painted of the two of them. Noni as a little girl and Benny as a young mother.

Noni hugged her mother, truly touched.

“Mom, I love it. It's beautiful.”

Benny leaned in, eager to show her daughter all the details of the work.

“You see here? I had to use the finest little brush to get that line. And see the color of your shirt? You remember that shirt? I had to mix paints a whole afternoon to get that color right.”

It was one of the best things her mother had ever done, and yet Noni felt a twinge of sadness looking at it. There was something about the expression on both of their faces that seemed a little…lost.

Suddenly Benny went still. She reached over and touched Noni's ring.

“What's this?”

Alarm bells went off in Noni's head when she heard the brittle edge in her mother's voice.

“Oh my goodness!” Benny's voice rang with false excitement. “Those, too,” she said, touching one of Noni's earrings. She squinted at them. “Those can't be real opals, can they?”

Noni's hand went to her ear protectively. “Pilar gave them—”

“Pilar?” said Benny. Her voice went up a pitch. “Pilar gave you this jewelry?”

“Well, not really,” said Noni. She knew she'd said the wrong thing as soon as Pilar's name had come out of her mouth. “I mean, they were Victoria's, Carlos's mother? So really—”

“I know who Victoria is,” her mother snapped. She yanked the painting out of Noni's hand. “I feel like an idiot. Why would you want this when you've already been given something like that?”

“No, Mom, don't be ridiculous. I love your painting.”

Her mother snorted. “That ring alone must be worth tens of thousands.” She looked at Noni, her eyes glittering. “I suppose even that doesn't mean much now that you're worth hundreds of Carlos's millions.”

“Mom,” said Noni, “that's not fair. Please, give me back the painting.”

Benny shook her head. “No,” she said as she shoved it back in her purse. “I'll get you something better later on.”

She grabbed a glass and a spoon from the bar and clinked them together.

Ting ting ting.

“Hello?” said Benny.

Noni felt herself suddenly go stiff in dread.

“Helllooo,” said Benny, hitting the glass again, this time a bit louder.

The band quit playing and the crowd quieted.

Benny laughed silkily, waiting for all eyes to be on her.

“So,” said Benny, smiling a big smile, “for those of you who don't know me, I am Benny Black, Antonia's mother.” She laughed and toyed with a lock of her hair. “Obviously, I had her very young.”

There was polite laughter. Noni stood next to her, frozen. From across the room, she saw Pilar. The older woman was standing half in darkness, watching Benny with an unguarded look of pain on her face.

“Anyway, I just wanted to thank the Del Campos—and most especially Pilar—for putting on this lovely little party for my Antonia's thirtieth birthday.” She turned and smiled sweetly at Noni, a glimmer of danger in her eyes. “I'm sure it's better than any soiree I've ever thrown for you, wouldn't you say, darling?”

Noni started to open her mouth to speak and then shut it again, knowing there was no right answer.

Suddenly, from her left, she felt Enzo's presence. He placed a comforting hand on her waist.

Benny picked up her glass and took a large gulp. “I mean, just look at this place,” she said, sloshing her drink as she indicated the garden. “Carlos always used to tell me that he was absolutely dying to leave Pilar. That he couldn't wait to get out from under her controlling thumb. But who could give up such beauty? Such gracious living?”

Suddenly the crowd was even quieter than before. Everyone was frozen in place.

“Mom,” gasped Noni. “Mom, stop.”

“I mean, why not live in a sham of a marriage when there was all
this
to hold you here, right? Twinkle lights and delicious champagne and roses and lanterns. Life is beautiful here. Why would you ever leave?”

Alejandro and Sebastian quickly moved through the crowd, joining Noni and Enzo.

“
Señora
,” began Alejandro, “that is quite enough.”

Noni put her hand on her mother's shoulder. “Mom, please.”

Benny shook her off and gave Noni and her brothers a wolfish grin. “Aw, look, Pilar's boys have come to defend her. That's so sweet. What good kids. And look, my daughter is defending her, too. Because,” she said loudly, appealing to the crowd, “because Pilar has managed to buy my daughter just like she bought her husband.” She turned back toward Noni. “Show them your birthday jewels, Antonia.” Her smile twisted and an angry sob tore through her. “Show them how Pilar is going to steal you away from me, too!”

Noni stepped in close and took Benny by the arm. “Come on, we're going inside.”

Benny pulled away, but before she could say more, Pilar had crossed the garden and stood defiantly in their way.

“Why did you never cash the checks, Benny?” she said quietly, ice dripping from her voice.

Benny looked at her and then looked away. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

She started to walk away, but Pilar grabbed her by the arm. “The checks that Carlos wrote you every month. Every one of them came back uncashed. My lawyer explained this to me after Carlos died. From the sound of it, you and Noni could have used the help. So why didn't you cash them?”

“What checks?” said Noni.

Benny shook her head. “Why would I do that?” she said. “Why would I give Carlos any reason to take away my daughter?”

Noni felt dizzy. “Mom?”

Pilar raised her chin. “Whatever he felt about me, or you, I know Carlos would have never abandoned his child. She was his daughter, too. She needed help and you refused to take it.”

Sebastian and Alejandro drew in closer to Noni, exchanging questioning looks.

“We were fine!” said Benny. “We didn't need his help. If I'd taken his dirty money, I'd have been playing right into his hands. It was hard enough, keeping ahead of him, moving every few months to make sure he didn't catch up. That money would have led him straight to us.”

“Wait, he was looking for me?” Noni felt like the floor was tilting. “You told me he wanted nothing to do with us, that he didn't care.”

Benny looked at her pleadingly. “He would have taken you away. Don't you understand? And now,” she said, sobbing, “he has. He left you all this money and he delivered you right into the hands of his family. I mean, just look at you!” She flailed her hands at Noni standing with her brothers. “And now,” she sobbed harder, “I'm going to lose you just like I always knew I would!”

She was starting to get hysterical, but Noni wasn't sure she really cared. She could only stand and stare.

“
Niña
,” said Enzo softly, “I am going to take your mother out now, okay?” He looked at Pilar and the Del Campo brothers. “You've got Noni?”

They nodded as Enzo gently put his arm around the wailing Benny and led her through the crowd into the house.

Noni looked at her brothers. “Did you all know?”

Sebastian and Alejandro shook their heads.

Antonia looked at Pilar. “Why didn't you tell me?”

Pilar shrugged. “She is your
madre
. I did not want to come between you. It was not my secret to share.”

Noni nodded, understanding. She took a deep breath and laughed rustily. “Oh God, I'm so sorry, you guys. That was horrible.”

Pilar took her hand. “It is nothing. Come, let us get something for you to eat.”

Noni nodded and then looked around. “Where's Max? Tell me he didn't see all that?”

Sebastian shook his head. “No, I'm sure he missed it. I saw Jacob take him inside the house before it all began.”

Enzo gently took the drink from Benny's clutched hand, passed her a tissue, and waited patiently while she blew her nose.

They were in the sunroom. Enzo, hoping to calm her down, had led her in and shut the door behind them.

The sunroom was a long room that ran down the south side of the house. Instead of walls, it was made up of floor-to-ceiling leaded glass windows and had a magnificent view of the barn and the polo field beyond. On one end of the room was an enormous stone fireplace, almost big enough for a man to stand in. On the other end was a fully stocked bar. Pilar had furnished the room with comfortable antique green-painted wicker. A tastefully worn pink and green oriental silk carpet covered the brick floor. There was a large iron and glass coffee table with a top that folded back like a jewelry box, and inside Pilar displayed a revolving collection of bird nests, feathers, pretty seed pods, and other natural ephemera she had picked up around the farm. There were also several antique wrought-iron
étagères
that held Pilar's extensive selection of orchids and ferns.

Benny flopped down on a chaise lounge and glared at Enzo. “I suppose you think I ruined the party?”

Enzo raised his eyebrows and chuckled. “Well, there's still the cake. Perhaps that will help.”

Benny's mouth quirked briefly at one side, but then she frowned again. She sat back in her chair and closed her eyes and sighed heavily.

“Fuck,” she said, “I'm a horrible mother.”