Smoke Rings in the Dark
Chapter 8
"Voy a llamar cuando estoy en France, Cassie", said Sergio as he waited to board the flight to Barcelona.
"You better, I want to know if the plane got there in one piece. And I will watch the game and cheer you on", she teased.
Sergio laughed and wrapped her arms around her waist, kissing her lips. "Si, espero ese tambien", he agreed.
"British Airways Flight #811 to Barcelona is now boarding", said the voice over the PA, repeating it in Spanish.
Sergio kissed her again before walking over to the desk and showing his boarding pass, walking through the gate and onto the plane. He sent a text to Lionel and put on his seat belt as the plane gradually filled with passengers, glancing out the window. "Hello and welcome aboard British Airways Flight #811 to Barcelona, Spain. We will arrive in approximately two hours, so sit back and enjoy your flight", said the pilot, repeating it in Spanish.
Sergio took out his Lonely Planet guide to the American South, slowly reading the English text. I want to know what her people are like, I don't want her brother or her father mad at me, he thought dryly.
The plane arrived at Barcelona two hours later as Sergio put away his book and prepared to leave. A grin formed on his face when he saw Lionel waiting for him, embracing the smaller man. "Hola, amigo. Que estaba el volar?", he asked in his distinctive north Argentine accent.
"Bueno, no tenia mucho tiempo. And you need a girlfriend, amigo. It's not good to live alone", he teased.
"Si, Kun. I need a wife, I'm looking at the these dating websites, there's a lot of very nice girls all over Argentina. I need a wife", he said with a sigh.
"That's no good, a lot of these sites are scams, Leo. They just want a guy with money and EU citizenship", he chided.
Lionel gave his friend a sad smile as they got the bags from the carousel and and walked towards the parking lot. "Voy a cocinar y bebir cerveza, just like old times", he said wistfully.
"Son bueno, Leo", he said.
Lionel took the bags and placed them in the trunk of the Maserati, turning on the engine and the familiar cumbia music coming from the speakers. He drove towards his house, parking in the driveway of the house. "I'm going to put the steaks on the grill, you want a beer?", asked Lionel.
"Si, gracias", replied Sergio.
He took the bags to the guestroom and sent a quick text to Cassandra before going downstairs. Lionel had fired up the stove top grill and added the steaks, placing baked potatoes in the oven before opening the fridge and taking out two bottles of Schneider Rubia. Sergio nodded in thanks and opened it, the men clinking bottles. "I haven't had one in a long time, they don't have it in England", he said.
"And the English drink a lot of beer. Who is your girlfriend?", asked Lionel, drinking his beer.
"Her name is Cassandra Beckett, she's American from the state of Tennessee. She goes to the University of Manchester and she's studying biology, she's very smart and plays guitar", he said proudly, showing him a picture from his phone.
"Si, she's very pretty, Kun. You are very lucky", said Lionel wistfully.
"Verdad, amigo. You need a girlfriend, not a mail order bride", said Sergio.
"I can't get a wife the normal way, they would only want my money", said Lionel as he drank a large swallow of beer.
"Don't drink so much, Leo. You can't hold your liquor", he teased.
Lionel blushed guiltily as he drained the last of his beer and tossed the bottle in the trash. "Verdad, Kun. I'm short and skinny and Italian", he retorted.
Sergio just laughed as he heard his phone ring, unable to keep the grin off his face when he saw her number. "Hola, Cassie. Que tal?", he asked.
"Son bueno, Sergio. How was the flight?", she asked.
"It was fine. And the flight was bueno, I got here in time. I am at Leo's house", he said.
"Soy bueno, I got it. How long you gonna be there for?", she asked.
"Two days. Then we fly to Paris for the game", he replied
"Damn. You better take pictures and get there in one piece", she teased.
"Voy hacer, Cassie. Vamos a comer ahora, hasta luuego", he said.
"Hasta luego, Sergio", she said, hanging up.
"She can speak Spanish?", asked Lionel, getting out a bottle of wine.
"No mucho, but I'm teaching her. She is very smart, she'll learn in time. But she does have a Southern American accent, me gusta", he laughed.
"Si, ese son Ingles qu no saber", agreed Lionel as he checked on the food.
"You better, I want to know if the plane got there in one piece. And I will watch the game and cheer you on", she teased.
Sergio laughed and wrapped her arms around her waist, kissing her lips. "Si, espero ese tambien", he agreed.
"British Airways Flight #811 to Barcelona is now boarding", said the voice over the PA, repeating it in Spanish.
Sergio kissed her again before walking over to the desk and showing his boarding pass, walking through the gate and onto the plane. He sent a text to Lionel and put on his seat belt as the plane gradually filled with passengers, glancing out the window. "Hello and welcome aboard British Airways Flight #811 to Barcelona, Spain. We will arrive in approximately two hours, so sit back and enjoy your flight", said the pilot, repeating it in Spanish.
Sergio took out his Lonely Planet guide to the American South, slowly reading the English text. I want to know what her people are like, I don't want her brother or her father mad at me, he thought dryly.
The plane arrived at Barcelona two hours later as Sergio put away his book and prepared to leave. A grin formed on his face when he saw Lionel waiting for him, embracing the smaller man. "Hola, amigo. Que estaba el volar?", he asked in his distinctive north Argentine accent.
"Bueno, no tenia mucho tiempo. And you need a girlfriend, amigo. It's not good to live alone", he teased.
"Si, Kun. I need a wife, I'm looking at the these dating websites, there's a lot of very nice girls all over Argentina. I need a wife", he said with a sigh.
"That's no good, a lot of these sites are scams, Leo. They just want a guy with money and EU citizenship", he chided.
Lionel gave his friend a sad smile as they got the bags from the carousel and and walked towards the parking lot. "Voy a cocinar y bebir cerveza, just like old times", he said wistfully.
"Son bueno, Leo", he said.
Lionel took the bags and placed them in the trunk of the Maserati, turning on the engine and the familiar cumbia music coming from the speakers. He drove towards his house, parking in the driveway of the house. "I'm going to put the steaks on the grill, you want a beer?", asked Lionel.
"Si, gracias", replied Sergio.
He took the bags to the guestroom and sent a quick text to Cassandra before going downstairs. Lionel had fired up the stove top grill and added the steaks, placing baked potatoes in the oven before opening the fridge and taking out two bottles of Schneider Rubia. Sergio nodded in thanks and opened it, the men clinking bottles. "I haven't had one in a long time, they don't have it in England", he said.
"And the English drink a lot of beer. Who is your girlfriend?", asked Lionel, drinking his beer.
"Her name is Cassandra Beckett, she's American from the state of Tennessee. She goes to the University of Manchester and she's studying biology, she's very smart and plays guitar", he said proudly, showing him a picture from his phone.
"Si, she's very pretty, Kun. You are very lucky", said Lionel wistfully.
"Verdad, amigo. You need a girlfriend, not a mail order bride", said Sergio.
"I can't get a wife the normal way, they would only want my money", said Lionel as he drank a large swallow of beer.
"Don't drink so much, Leo. You can't hold your liquor", he teased.
Lionel blushed guiltily as he drained the last of his beer and tossed the bottle in the trash. "Verdad, Kun. I'm short and skinny and Italian", he retorted.
Sergio just laughed as he heard his phone ring, unable to keep the grin off his face when he saw her number. "Hola, Cassie. Que tal?", he asked.
"Son bueno, Sergio. How was the flight?", she asked.
"It was fine. And the flight was bueno, I got here in time. I am at Leo's house", he said.
"Soy bueno, I got it. How long you gonna be there for?", she asked.
"Two days. Then we fly to Paris for the game", he replied
"Damn. You better take pictures and get there in one piece", she teased.
"Voy hacer, Cassie. Vamos a comer ahora, hasta luuego", he said.
"Hasta luego, Sergio", she said, hanging up.
"She can speak Spanish?", asked Lionel, getting out a bottle of wine.
"No mucho, but I'm teaching her. She is very smart, she'll learn in time. But she does have a Southern American accent, me gusta", he laughed.
"Si, ese son Ingles qu no saber", agreed Lionel as he checked on the food.