Chapter 4: Chapter 4

We were having a good time looking at all the booths which consisted of crafts, jewelry, and different game booths. It was Patty who suggested that we all eat something if we were to get plastered with booze. Melba and I decided to eat fajita tacos and we settled on drinking beers to chase it down. The day was hiding away and the night was fully approaching. It was very well lighted, so we had no problem walking without tripping. We had guys checking us out as we did them. It seemed that the festival had brought about a variety of men to the city. There were military guys with and without uniforms and news reports who were recording the events. The city had gone all-out making this event memorable. The music they had chosen were very good bands and the people seemed to be enjoying, singing and dancing to them. When they announced that the next singer was Alejandro Fernandez, we stopped chatting and rushed over to the stage. Alejandro Fernandez was a well-known international singer and handsome to boot. We tried to get close to the stage but ended in the middle. It was very crowded and with so many people it made the temperature around us extremely humid. I was glad I hadn’t put on my shirt back. The atmosphere took a drastic change when Alejandro took the stage, men whistled and women yelled. The first opening song was Canta Corazon (Singing heart) which I had heard earlier when I was getting ready at my apartment. We were all mesmerized by him and sang along. We were getting low in beer so Patty and Sara left to get us more. When they arrived Patty announced, “We are going dancing tomorrow.” “We are?” Melba asked. “Where at?” I asked the two girls who seemed preoccupied with the hotties around them. There’s a Tejano Night dance at the Lake Casa Ballroom. We looked at each other and agreed that we’d all be there. We sang along enjoying ourselves. We were running out of beer and I volunteered to go back and get some. Melba joined me. We were talking and having a good time and squeezed through the crowd and back again to our friends. Alejandro began to sing Estuve (I was) and we sang along. We were so crowded that you could feel the people behind you, but drinking and getting a buzz we didn't care. It was when I felt someone close behind me. He was radiating heat against my body. I ignored it, but it was his hand going around my waist pulling me to his chest and slowly lowering his head to have his lips near my ear, and began to sing. “Que no estuve cuando más debía, cuando ella quería sentirse mujer…’ (I wasn’t there when I should have when she wanted to feel like a woman…) Since I was drinking it made my self-esteem feel powerful and brusque. I grabbed his hand and pushed myself away from him and turned around. The girls who were paying attention to Alejandro looked at the commotion I had started. I froze when I saw him. It was, what was his name that news reporter Diego. Oh god, he had his hands around my waist and was very close. I looked at him unsure of his motive but saw that he had two beers in his hand. He held one out for me. I looked around us and noticed people had viewed the commotion and I tried to ignore them and jugged my other beer down and took his. “Sorry”, he said but I saw something in those eyes that I had never seen in any other men. I took the opportunity to look at him. I noticed he had shed his jacket and stood there with a tight white t-shirt with his news company logo. I could now see he was built, he had strong shoulders and abs. Oh God abs, I wanted to rub my hands along those abs. I was brought back to reality when he said. “Like what you see.” He said. I looked up to his eyes. Alcohol gave me the courage, I asked the same. “Do you like what you touched?” I was shocked to hear his reply. “I do.” He said as he tried to get closer. I gasped. I hadn’t expected that. I felt the girls were behind me now. Sara was the one who spoke first. “So you want that interview now.” She said with hope in her eyes. “Sorry, I am off duty, but I would like to stand here with you girls if that’s okay.” He said looking at me and no one else. “Sure,” Sara said quickly and stood beside him. I had no words and just turned and looked up to get lost in the words of Alejandro Fernandez. He was now singing “Te Voy a Perder.”(I am going to lose you) how appropriate. I was lost in the words and sang along not caring that Sara had just taken something that I wanted. “You sing?” Diego asked me as he came closer. “I don’t…” I couldn’t answer him and returned to look at the show.

It was ten o’clock when Alejandro finally finished with great applause and a final farewell to his fans. I looked around to see my friends and expressed my enthusiasm for party time. Sara still stood next to him, but something in his eyes only seemed to look at me. “Let’s go, to the club,” I told them and started walking in the direction it would take us, but not before I paused to throw my bottles of beer in the trash and headed for something stronger. I grabbed a Heineken and jugged it. I needed to get drunk. “Woo! slow down Fio,” Melba said to me. I looked up at her and said “why this is what we came here to get drunk isn’t it.” “Besides I can’t take it with me,” I told her. I had never drunk a Heineken and quickly felt the buzz begin to quicken. I knew I needed a clear head to get to the nightclub, so I threw it away instead. I looked to see where Sara and Patty were and noticed them walking towards us and Diego was still among them. I didn’t know what came into me but figured the alcohol was giving me the bravado to ask the following question. Looking straight at Diego and no one else. “So, are you joining us?” Diego didn’t falter one bit as I had hoped he would. “Am I invited,” he said not looking at anyone but me. There was something about him that even with his words he could pull me to him somehow. I realized he acted like a magnet and I was one of the poles that pulled me towards him. I hadn’t realized I was stepping forwards until Melba held me back. I saw a smile on his face and it just got me pissed. “If you want,” I said dryly and turned around throwing my beer in the trash can. Melba caught up to me. “What’s wrong Fio?” She said” “Nothing” I placed my top back on but left it open. I felt like a woman who found a bit of courage and it only made me feel like a superhero and the night was mine alone.