Anais

Today was Sunday which was Esteban's only day off.  I washed the dirty breakfast plates, begging Esteban's mom rest. She had done all the cooking and prepping for us all morning.

Esteban comes behind me, kissing the cusp of my ear before grabbing a towel and helping me dry. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

I shrugged, rolling my eyes before looking at Esteban.  "Do I have to go?" He had invited me to tag along his press conference at the prestigious El Lujo hotel. It was an all day affair and I wasn't sure if I wanted to tag along. Only 4 days remained until his big matador match. It was the first time I would be at an lucrative event like this.

"Anais, I want you there. Plus you have to meet all the sponsors. They like seeing the El Niño's and their girlfriends."

I place another plate onto the counter before meeting his eyes. "Okay. I don't have practice until 6pm on Monday. Do you think the conference will be done by then?"

"I think so. It's from 8-4pm. I'll drive you to the studio after"

I wash the last two plates and place them on the counter before moving to the cabinets to stack them away.

"But I need something to wear? What do I even wear to a conference?"

"We can go into the city and shop? Or?"

"Or?"I ask, turning to face him.

"You could just ask my mother for something? You and her are the same size?" He suggested.

"I feel bad. I never returned her other red dress she lent me. Remember what happened to it" I squinted reminding him of what we did in it. It was the first time he ate me out.

"She doesn't hate you for it" he smiles boyishly, walking over and pulling me into his arms. "Plus, you looked so good in that dress. It would have been a crime to pass up a snack like you that day" he teased, pulling me into his lips. We kissed passionately until I broke.

"Go. I'll finish up in here". I nodded and walked over to the stairs, making my way to Mrs. La Renta's room.

"Mrs. La Renta??" I shouted, pressing my knuckles against the surface of her open door.

"Anais stop! Call me Gloria." She shouts, carrying a heavy pile of clothing and dropping it to the floor. "Just trying to do some laundry." She blushed, excusing the mess in the room.

"Esteban has his conference tomorrow and he said to maybe to ask you for something to wear for the conference tomorrow." I smile awkwardly. Although Esteban's mother and I were warm to each other, we were not that close.

She leaned against her bed, looking at my figure before snapping. "I have the most perfect outfit!"
She walked over to her closet, ruffling through the hangers of her spacious walk in.

"Here it is!!" She announces, pushing a soft white off the shoulder dress into my hands. "It's what I wore attending meetings and conferences with Esteban's father. You know he spent the last bit of money he had so I would look nice at the press conferences? He wasn't the famous matador Spain knows and loves today."

I smile, listening to the sweet tale. "How sweet!"

"He was a true romantic." She went over to a box on the floor of the closet carpet and took out a small photo. "Look this was the photo from that day. It was his most famous match since it was his first."

I take the photo from her hands and smile. His father smiled and held her close as they cheesed for the camera. He was the spitting image of Esteban. Tall and handsome with a wild set of curls expect his were black and slicked back.

There was another where Gloria was in front of the curtains of the room, an indifferent expression painted her face.

(This Book takes black in late 1950s. So the style and pics will reflect that!)

She pulls out more pictures in the box, laughing and smiling while pushing them into my palms. "That was when he finished his 3rd match. It was a hot day." She said.

"Oh and this one is when Luiz Cristofa met. Cristobal idolized Luiz. It was actually he who gave him the nickname El Conquistador." She smiled, admiring the pictures.

"You took all these Gloria?" I gasped, amazed at the precision and clear images. She nodded, blushing as she took another from the box.

"I used to hate this picture but now I catch myself reaching for it. I always told him to stop smoking! Scolding him one day it would kill him" she frowns, a soft trail of tears rested in her ducts.

I took her in, feeling sad at her statement. You could tell that she really admired him.
It wasn't fair that he was taken out from the world so early.

"I know you must miss him Gloria" I frown, pulling her hand into mine. It was the only thing I could do to help her feel sane.

She looked at my palm and smiled, intertwining her fingers into mine. "Every day I miss my Cristobal but that is the consequences of the game. One day they are here and the next, they are not." She cursed.

My stomach lurched as I heard the sentiments but nodded. "I suppose it is. Accepting the reality will be the hardest part" I admit.

"You have a heart Anais. Like me, I see your resilience. I see your strength. Only a certain kind of woman can deal with this lifestyle. No matter how many women Esteban have brought, and he has brought a lot" she chuckled looking over at me, "he has never brought one like you. They didn't have the spark. But you?" She nodded approvingly, looking into my eyes.

"What made me different than the rest?"

"It'll sound silly when I say it" she chuckled.

"Say it" I chuckled along.

"It was when you stood up for a Esteban in front of your Abuelita. I am sure you know of Esteban's playboy antics. Many girls accept it as their reality but you defended him...knowing he has changed"

I took relish in her praise and hugged her. We shared a moment of admiration before I chuckled again. "I thought I was crazy defending the famed playboy of Espana! I used to hate him but he has really changed... he doesn't sneak around..he tells me everything he treats me like a princess? I don't if I'm overthink his actions or not? I feel like one day he'll get tired and leave or maybe I'll get tired?"

"No don't think that Anais! He loves you and you love him?"

"Very much" I sighed blushing for even thinking of my emotions.

"Then let love guide your life. I know it sounds like a line from a fairytale but it has helped me many times before."  She smiles, looking at me with warm regard. I truly appreciated her advice and hugged  her. "Thank you Mrs. La Renta." I break from her and lift the dress to my body, "Can I put it on in here and show you?"

"Please! I'm excited" She clapped excitedly before pointing to the bathroom in her room. I run and skip to put on the dress.

Carefully I step out and walk to the middle of the room, She beams, nodding in approval. "You look better then I did."

"Stop Gloria! You looked like a model!  You still do" I assured her. I could tell she had Esteban young. She was a beautiful woman who certainly kept the features from her youth. She was an effortless beauty with the body to match.

She smiled at my praise and hugged me, pushing the box so I could sit on her bed. I see the other box of mementos and frown at the picture in the bottom half of the box.
She was in a matador jacket, standing by a young bull. "You fought?"

"Only a little. There was a time I had dreams to fight but I met Cristobal and had Esteban.... He insisted I photograph instead of fight."

" I want to be the first female torerra, well in Spain  at least"

"And who is stopping you?"

"Something always comes up. I tried to before but I had to dance then Esteban said he would train me but we had a disagreement and" my words trail off.

"Hmm so that explains the pictures in the city" she suggested.

"He thought I was dumb for wanting to be a torerra but not wanting to kill the actual bulls so I went out and partied."

She chuckled but nodded her head in understanding. "It is something unheard of. A torerra who doesn't slay her bulls"

"Just because it is unheard of, doesn't mean it's unattainable. I believe in you Anais. You can do anything you set your mind to"

Just as we looked at another picture, Esteban came in and observed the scene.

"What are you two doing in here?" He teased, pulling me into his arms arms before letting himself onto the bed. He pulled the scattered pictures and smiled, beaming at the images of his father.

They each reminisced, laughing and filling me in on important milestones that I wasn't there to witness. We laughed for the rest of the Sunday, enjoying each other's company.

Author note:
You guys know when things are going to well...
Well nvm 👀