2. el diablito: la borrachera and slutting accident

by jennifer

1. el encuentro

the following weekend another late summer party. this one was an outdoor dinner on the expansive lawn of an historical bed and breakfast. round white tables graced the bottom of the lawn's slope as the daylight waned. all we could drink wine, beer, and water located at the top.

i was enjoying this last part of the texas summer reuniting with friends during these muggy and slow evenings.

over the previous week, i'd found a new crush. to divert my attention. frank and i shared friends. he was cute in a nerdy kind of way, single. i hadn't decided if he was slightly shy, socially awkward, or not interested.

i would take my chances.

i chose my seat next to frank, though i noticed alejandro and his cat eyes at a remote table.

food was abundant, white wine flowing, and mosquitoes nipping through our open-toed shoes. the wine emboldened to me to flirt with frank. laugh and tease and flutter my eyelashes while my friends rolled their eyes, she's at it again.

as the evening progressed, frank declared an early morning and made an early exit along with some other people. tables converged and soon alejandro was sitting in my circle. by this time, i was happy and clumsily drunk, still enjoying the company of friends.

alejandro stood up and interjected into ongoing conversations, "does anyone want any more beer? wine?"

"i need some water," i declared. "i'll go with you."

standing for the first time in a while, i realized that i had lost some equilibrium. zigzagged toward him. he held my arm gently and helped me walk up the slope toward the beverage shed.

"did you come here with frank?"

"nope!" i said, flirting sloppily.

he grabbed a beer and handed me a glass of water, which i drank quickly. "thank you," i said, smiling in what i hoped would be a demure yet suggestive manner.

it was suggestive enough.

he placed his beer on the table and kissed me, tentatively at first, gauging my response.

"i thought you were here with frank," he insisted, between kisses.

"no. we're just friends."

"so you're not with him?"

"no," i said, emphatically.

no more talking. just slow and dizzy kisses.

"i like your dress," he said, kissing my bare shoulders.

"thanks." i had chosen the dress with him in mind, even though i'd planned to ignore him. it was brown fitted textured material that looked like eyelet lace, spaghetti straps and scalloped edges.

"let's get out of here," he whispered.

"nononono. i can't just leave." i was not that drunk.

"come on." he tried to convince me with long kisses.

"let's just stay."

"somebody is going to see us."

"see what?" i couldn't see anything. it was dark and my eyes were closed. and i was dizzy and drunk with wine and kisses.

all of a sudden my reverie was broken.

"MV? are you up there?"

i opened my eyes slowly and was able to focus on two of my girlfriends walking up the grassy slope.

"we're leaving now," they announced.

"ok," disentangling myself from alejandro's embrace. i didn't know what else to do; he didn't either.

"well," i said, looking at him sleepily, "bye!"

my friends guided me away from him toward the getaway vehicle.

"he's soooo sexy," i slurred.

they agreed only by reminding me that he was known for his conquests.

my roommate helped me as i stumbled into the car. then, at home, helped me stumble into bed.

i fell instantly into a dizzy sleep, a sleep interrupted an hour later by my ringing cellphone.