My love
Luis G. Torres Bustillos
“My love,” says Laura.
“I´m sorry? ” Replies Vicente distractedly.
“Pay me attention,” insists Laura, making an offended face.
Vicente takes his eyes off the screen. Then he looks at it again, presses a button on the keyboard to save his information, and turns around on the caster chair to face Laura.
“Finished? ” Laura insists. She is definitely annoyed.
Vincent stands up and approaches her, trying to hug her. She closes her eyes and stands still.
“Laura, I’m finishing this job. What happened? “
“My love,” Laura repeats, her voice softening now, “I’ve been here all afternoon and you don’t listen to me. You said you’d only work on it briefly to send it to your boss, but you’ve already taken too long. “
“My love…” Vicente repeats, closing one eye and smiling at her, returning to work.
Laura met Vicente at a party to which they were invited by Janet, their friend. Janet works as a secretary in the same office as Vicente. He is a business administrator and has had a good position in the import business for a few years. Janet has known Laura for a long time, through one of her sisters, who was Laura’s classmate at the Pitman Business School downtown.
Laura never stood out at school for her performance, but she did stand out for her pretty figure and her light eyes. She is a well-mannered girl, dresses well, and always says the right words, with that sweet little voice of hers. Things have not come for free to Vicente. He studied at university with great difficulty, sometimes leaving aside parties and distractions, to achieve the best grades and to be able to start working, even before he graduated. The work in the office is not easy, but he has stood out for his confidence, dedication, and people skills.
“My love,” says Laura again, “if you don’t pay me attention, I’m going to leave. I had an invitation from the girls to go for ice cream this afternoon, but as I was supposed to see you… “
“I won’t be long now,” Vincent assures her without even looking at her.
“All right,” says Laura very quietly, so that even Vincent, who is close by, can’t hear her.
A few minutes pass and she gets up from the armchair she was sitting in, straightens her skirt, takes her trench coat, puts it on, and puts her mobile phone in a pocket. She approaches the door without Vincent hearing her footsteps on the carpet. When she is close to the door, she opens it and goes out, closing it behind her without making a sound.
Vincent then notices what has happened, stands up, and goes to the door. He stands in the doorway and sees Laura walking slowly towards the street. Then he calls out to her.
“Laura, come here, don’t do this to me!”
She stops and turns to look at him. She is satisfied with the effect of her abrupt departure but wants to make the situation even more tense. She fixes her hair and from where she stands, she says to him:
“I don’t think you have time for me. Better we see each other another day, my love. “
“Laura, come here now! ” Shouts Vincent, already a bit out of control. It is difficult for him but he knows he has to calm down. He breathes in and out.
Vincent then remembers when he was a child and his father would come home angry and tired. He would take his anger out on the first person who got in front of him, whether it was his mother, him, or any of his siblings. Things at home never went well. The problem always had to do with money. It was common for fights to start because there was no money to buy the essentials. Because the debts piled up and there was no way to resolve the situation. Vincent suffered every time his father came in and shouted at his mother.
He would hear everything from the adjoining room and his reaction was to squat down and cover his ears with his hands. Such scenes were common at home.
Vincent breathes again, and looks at Laura who has started walking again, but very slowly. Then with a very different voice, he asks her to come back.
“My love, come here, we can talk, can’t we? “
Laura hides her sense of success and starts to walk towards Vincent, whose face is distorted. He is tense and his eyes are still pleading. She knows she is in control. Vincent is a good boy, but she has to show him who’s boss. As Laura approaches the house and Vincent, she relaxes and smiles, that wide, fake smile she has used so much with her boyfriend.
Vincent hugs her, closing his eyes. She looks away, cold, calculating, triumphant, telling him:
“My love… “
Luis G. Torres Bustillos was born in Mexico City in 1961. Now retired from teaching and research, he lives in Cuernavaca, Morelos. He has recently published in some thirty electronic magazines such as ZOMPANTLE, PLUMA, KATABASIS, LETRAS INSOMNES, and LETRAS INSOMNES.
He published three books of stories: Pequeños Paraísos perdidos, Sin Pagar boleto, and Inquietante. He is a graduate of the Escuela de Escritores Ricardo Garibay, in Morelos.
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