A Summer Romance

Sitting on a sun lounger out by the deserted pool with her phone in her hand, the sun having long since set behind the horizon, and her thoughts wandering all over the place, Elina jumped about a foot in the air as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“People have got to stop sneaking up on me,” she stated annoyed as she looked over at the woman she easily recognised as her mother.

“Sorry,” Marie smiled, although she didn't look very sorry as she sat down on the lounger next to the one her daughter was sitting on. “What are you doing out here?” she asked softly, she’d seen her sitting out there from the balcony of their room.

“Nothing,” Elina tried to brush off, knowing it was most likely not going to work, but a girl’s gotta try.

“It’s got to be something if it’s gotten you this jumpy,” Marie noted knowingly. “Not to mention that frown line between your eyebrows,” she added, nodding towards her only daughter who proceeded to quickly reach up and run her fingers over the one tell she had. Whenever she got sad, or down, or stressed, or simply had too much to think about, the line between her eyebrows deepened to the point that it didn't disappear for days.

“You know that Fernando wanted me to have dinner with him tonight,” Elina commented, having told her earlier in the day as an explanation for not being able to join them for dinner that evening.

“Yeah...” Marie looked at her expectantly.

“He wants me to meet his brother and his girlfriend,” Elina revealed with a sight. “His brother’s girlfriend,” she was quick to clarify as she realised the double-nature of the words she’d spoken.

“That’s alright, isn't it?” Marie said softly.

“I'm scared out of my mind,” Elina admitted softly, a slight blush tingeing her cheeks.

“Why?”

“You know how I am at meeting new people,” Elina rolled her eyes at herself. “I'm a blundering mess of blushing and stuttering.”

“You met Fernando here,” Marie pointed out.

“He kicked a football into my stomach,” Elina smiled widely. “No weird first impressions needed.”

“True,” Maria laughed softly, it was a meeting she would have paid to see.

“I know that it’s totally irrational,” Elina began slowly. “I mean, I barely know Fernando and we’re here and...” she trailed off. “I’m meeting his brother!” she exclaimed.

“That is usually a big step,” Maria had to give her that. “But as you said, we are here, we’re on vacation, and from what you’ve told me, so is he. Normal rules don’t apply.”

“I'm nervous,” Elina admitted sheepishly.

“Come here,” Marie smiled softly, wrapping her daughter in a hug.

“It’s crazy, right,” Elina looked up at her mother. “I mean, we’ve only known each other for days we’re going to be leaving soon and I'm meeting his family...”

“He likes you, like you like him,” Marie told her simply. “From what you’ve told me, and from what I’ve heard from him, family means a great deal to him. Of course he wants you to meet them, he’s met us,” she reminded her, before pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Now don’t worry so much, you're going to get wrinkles before you reach thirty,” she joked once she stood up from the lounger.

“Gee, thanks mom,” Elina replied dryly, rolling her eyes and shaking her head slightly.

“Remember, one step at a time,” Marie stated before leaving her daughter alone again. She’d uttered those exact words at a number of occasions during the years, and Elina would be lying if she said they hadn't helped her once or twice...

Sighing softly, she ran her fingers through her loose hair and cursed under her breath as her phone vibrated in her hands, causing her to jump in fright for the second time in less than an hour.

Looking at the small screen, she couldn’t keep from smiling as she saw the name of the caller. “Hi,” she said softly as she pressed accept and moved the phone up to her ear.

“You sound good too,” Fernando stated, and she couldn’t practically hear the smile in his voice.

“What?” she laughed slightly, not really getting what he was on about.

“Well, I know that you look good, and now I'm simply telling you that you sound very good too,” he stated simply.

“That sounds...slightly creepy,” she commented, not really succeeding in keeping a smile off of her lips.

“I made you smile,” he pointed out.

“How do you know I'm smiling?” she asked curiously, gently running her fingers through her soft hair.

“Just a hunch,” he said simply. “I also know that you look very cute when you’re chewing on your nail, and when you're running your fingers through your loose hair...”

“Where are you?” she questioned as she immediately removed her hand from her hair once again.

“Why would you think that I'm anywhere near you?” he asked teasingly.

“Because I know that you are,” she retorted as she stood up and looked around the area, trying to spot him.

“Wrong way, darling,” he smirked as he continued approaching her, smiling widely when she quickly spun around and her bright blue eyes landed on him.

“That was mean,” she smiled as she looked at him, moving the phone from her ear as he crossed the last distance between them.

“I know, but I couldn’t resist,” he smiled at her before greeting her with a kiss and close hug.

“You weren’t supposed to be here till nine,” she pointed out, knowing it was still seventeen minutes till then.

“I couldn’t wait to see you,” he said with complete honestly, not missing the blush that flared back up on her cheeks. “You ready to go?”

“No,” she shook her head slightly. “But I will anyway,” she smiled slightly, looking up at him.

“You sure?” he checked, not wanting her to do something she wasn't comfortable with.

“You’ve met my whole family,” she pointed out. “It’s only fair that I meet yours too,” she reasoned simply. “Besides, they seem nice, you haven’t said anything to make me too scared of them,” she smiled widely.

“Great,” he smiled, kissing the tip of her nose. “Cause, well, Natalia and Jorge are already making dinner back at the house and they’re excited to see you,” he told her.

“Then,” she took a deep breath before taking his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together, “let’s go.”

Simply smiling at her, he stole another kiss from her before they walked across the dimly lit pool area and out onto the boardwalk, heading towards the house where he was staying with his brother and his girlfriend.



Approaching the house she’d been in once before, Elina tried with all her might to ignore the illogical amount of nerves coursing through her body right then. Sure, she was sort of shy when meeting new people and she had a tendency to blush and stutter like no tomorrow when she did, but she had lots of friends, that she hadn't known since forever, and she’d never had that much trouble meeting their parents, much less their siblings.

Not to mention, it wasn't like when she’d met her ex-boyfriend’s family. They’d been together for months when that happened, things were getting serious and she and Fernando...well, they weren't even boyfriend and girlfriend. The amount of nerves she was feeling was not proportional to the kind of relationship they were having and that was probably what was freaking her out the most.

“You okay?” Fernando whispered against her cheek as he stepped up right behind her when she hesitated going up the two steps leading to the front door.

“Just a bit nervous,” she admitted softly, feeling him slip one of his arms around her waist and place a soft kiss on her cheek.

“Don't worry, it’ll be fine,” he assured her before nudging her forwards and up the stairs before he reached around her and turned the handle, pushing the door open.

Allowing him to all but push her into the house, she followed him as he lead the way through the house that looked almost exactly the same as when she’d last been there, the only time she’d been there before. Walking through the living room, she could hear the voices coming from out on the terrace and her nerves about doubled.

Forcing herself to swallow the lump that was threatening to form in her throat, she took a deep breath as Fernando sent her a slight smile before walking out through the doors that were open as far as they could go.

Wiping her suddenly sticky hands on the back of her white skinny jeans, she slowly followed in his wake and stepped out on the stone-floor terrace where, as she remembered, a large table and comfortable looking chairs were placed along with a large grill just by the doors leading to what she guessed was the kitchen.

“¡Hola,” the dark haired woman she figured was Natalia greeted the two of them with a wide smile as she caught sight of them over her shoulder.

“Hey,” Fernando replied with a smile almost as big, as he slipped his hand under the hem of Elina’s top and rubbed gentle circles over the warm skin in the small of her back, hoping to ease the nerves he could see reflected in her blue eyes.

“Hi,” Elina smiled, a sudden bout of shyness washing over her like a tidal wave as she looked between the two people, the woman who was your average Spanish beauty and the man whose relation to Fernando was obvious.

“This is my brother Jorge and his girlfriend, Natalia,” Fernando introduced softly. “And this is Elina, whom I’ve told you about,” he continued as he could see the blonde’s cheeks heating up.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Elina smiled softly as she reached out and shook their hands.

“You too,” Jorge told her with a smile almost identical to Fernando’s before he turned back to what was cooking on the grill. Whatever it was it smelled delicious...

“If you're even half as interesting as Nando makes you sound, you and I are going to get along great,” Natalia smiled as she picked up two glasses from a table just inside of the doors leading to the kitchen and handed to them before motioning for them to take a seat at the large glass-top table that had already been set.

“What has he told you about me?” Elina asked curiously, sending a half-smirk in Fernando’s direction as she took a seat in one of the large dark-coloured wicker chairs and crossed her legs beneath the table.

“Only good things,” Natalia smiled, pretending to not notice how her future brother-in-law reached out beneath the table and loosely laced his fingers together with Elina’s.



“Did you have fun?” Fernando asked softly as he was walking Elina back to her hotel, their hands loosely intertwined.

“Yeah,” she nodded slightly, her loose hair brushing against her bare shoulders, “they’re really nice,” she looked up at him with a smile. “Natalia is hilarious,” she told him frankly. “They’re both really nice, Jorge didn't scare me half as much as I thought he might,” she admitted sheepishly.

“I told you not to worry about it,” he smiled before leaning over and stealing a kiss from her.

“You did,” she couldn’t argue him on that. “I shouldn’t have doubted that.”

“Just don't do it again,” he grinned as she bumped her hip against his, causing his stride to sway slightly before he dropped her hand and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

“What are you doing?” she questioned with a laugh as he blew a raspberry against the side of her neck.

“Nothing,” he shrugged as he continued leading them down the narrow sidewalk of the old streets.

“Right,” she rolled her eyes at him but didn't resist him as he stopped, causing her to do the same, and pressed his lips against hers.