CREDITS:

Story by talitavasconcelos

Traduction by Gabriela Silva

 It was at a party, without ice or Cuba Libre; and the turntable wasn't even playing "Whisky a Go-go." In fact, it wasn't even a turntable, but a modern DJ setup where the DJ was mixing 1990s rock classics. He was sitting at the bar, slowly savoring his second scotch of the night, while watching her on the dance floor. She didn't seem to notice the looks she was attracting. She was at ease, moving her body in a rhythm that seemed to interact directly with the bloodstream of that guy who couldn't take his eyes off her for a single moment, delighting in every movement of the red fabric sliding over her skin as she moved, and not missing a single nuance of that sinuous dance that the club's spinning and colorful lights cast on her.

The girl next to him had been following his gaze for a few minutes since she realized he was no longer listening to what she was saying.

— Careful — said the girl. — You're going to end up drooling into your glass.

He made a gesture to respond but stopped when he saw a green-eyed guy approach his muse and start dancing with her.

— Yeah... You should have gone over there when you had the chance — mocked the girl at the bar, noticing the crease between his eyebrows and the noisy way he clenched his teeth.

The guy who was now dancing with the girl in red brought his lips close to her ear and said something that made her nod, and then he began to move away, walking towards the bar.

— Do me a solid, and I'll give you whatever you want — he proposed to the girl next to him at the bar.

— I don't go out with men, and you know that — she replied.

— Two minutes! — he insisted. — And I'm not skimping.

The girl took a good look at the guy approaching, now a meter away from them, heading for the empty space next to her at the bar. Then, she glanced at the woman in red, smiling casually.

— It'll cost you, buddy — she joked.

— Send me the bill, and I'll gladly pay.

Winking at her, he downed the rest of his whiskey in one go, placed the glass on the bar, and stood up. The girl held him back for a moment by the arm and whispered in his ear:

— You better get something with her, or else I'll try my luck myself! — And she gave him a discreet wink before turning to strike up a conversation with the green-eyed guy who was waiting for his drinks beside her.

He ran his hand through his hair and started walking towards the woman in red, moving his body discreetly but increasing the rhythm as he got closer to make it seem like he was dancing. Pretending to be distracted, he allowed himself to bump into her back.

— Sorry — she said, her soft voice ringing like a bell in his ears.

He laughed, now facing her, and continued dancing as if they had been together since the start of the song.

— No... I did it on purpose — he admitted. — I was there watching you dance, and I couldn't resist getting closer.

The brown eyes of the girl in red locked onto his, as if diving into deep waters. Her attraction now mirrored his.

— Wow! You're honest, huh! — she commented, dancing more slowly, in a rhythm they had both already got lost in.

— No, I'm not honest at all. I'm Eduardo.

She laughed, and her ivory teeth captivated his gaze.

— Where's your date? — he asked.

— I... don't know... — she replied, slightly disconcerted, discreetly looking around but seemingly not very eager to search for anyone in the crowded room.

— But I do — said Eduardo. — The girl who was with me is dancing with the guy who left you waiting.

Frowning, she quickly scanned the room until she spotted the green-eyed guy dancing with a pretty blonde girl. Not giving much importance to the fact, she returned her gaze to the stranger who had informed her of her date's absence.

— And I bet you had nothing to do with it — she speculated, with irony.

— Of course not — Eduardo said casually, subtly wrapping his arm around the waist of the girl in the red dress and pulling her closer. — It's just your destiny giving me a little help to make my move.

Feeling flustered both by his words and his hands on her waist, she hissed:

— You say the craziest things...

— Maybe I should stop talking then... — And he gently took one of her hands, slowly caressing it, interlacing her fingers with his.

She didn't pull away and placed her other hand on his shoulder. With a satisfied smile, Eduardo added, — When we find what we've been looking for, the words don't make any sense anymore.

She felt her face flush. — I think you've found the wrong person... — she said, biting her lip lightly.

— I'm sure I haven't — he asserted with conviction.

She took a step back, without letting go of him and without him letting go of her, just enough to look at him better, and said, — I don't go out with a guy I just met.

— So, let's do this... — he proposed, releasing her for a moment. — I'll set my watch two weeks ahead. — And he pretended to quickly adjust his watch, then wrapped his arm around her waist again. — There! Now that you've known me for two weeks, you can go out with me...

She laughed, and the sound of her laughter sent a pleasant shiver down his spine.

— Everything is so easy for you, isn't it?

— Life is easy! — Eduardo said. — We're the ones who complicate it.

— And you oversimplify everything!

— I'm straightforward. By the way, I've known you for two weeks, and you still haven't told me your name...

She hesitated for a moment, diving back into Eduardo's eyes when his hand once again wrapped around hers.

— Luísa.

— Beautiful name. It's a shame it took me two weeks to get you to tell me.

She let out a low laugh, sending another shiver up his body, and teased, — You're crazy, aren't you?

— No, why? — he asked, laughing too, and pulling her closer. — We already know we're going to end up together... So why not start now?

His head tilted towards her slowly, Eduardo's lips brushing softly against Luísa's.

— Aren't you afraid that my date will ditch your friend and come to confront you for cutting in on his fun? — she asked, barely moving her lips a centimeter away from his, and making no real effort to stop him.

— He gave up two minutes ago — he informed, not backing away. — And he just gave the drink he went to get for you to another blonde on the other side of the bar.

Luisa gave a half-smile, without turning to check.

— And left your friend hanging?

Eduardo shrugged.

— She did her part — he said. — Now she's out of sight. But she's probably after a brunette.

Luísa's eyes sparkled in surprise.

— So...

— That's the difference between men like him and men like me — Eduardo said, touching her neck with his fingertips, tracing up to her nape. — He was looking for options; I was looking for you.

And he leaned in again to kiss her. Luísa sighed, a second before receiving him with pleasure. The music ended and started again; people came and went around them; but Eduardo and Luísa were no longer there.

To her, perhaps, he was just a handsome guy with a charming pick-up line. To him, however, she could be much more than a conquest. But neither of them was in a hurry to find out. After all, they still had some time until all the clocks in the world caught up with Eduardo's...

And suddenly, he might be right: if they're going to end up together, then why not start right away?

Just like that.