C H A P T E R 10
When she finally got around to check her cell phone, she had a text from Dr. Lee reading I hope you are enjoying yourself, and have at least tried the pineapple ;). Marsha laughed and rinsed the dishes off in the sink, still topless. She messaged her new love doctor back, stating simply that It was delicious. She’d also missed a text from an unknown number with a strange area code. It was Andre, letting her know that Dr. Lee had given him her cell phone number, and that he hoped it was okay to use it. Marsha grinned at the thought of him texting her, and felt a little naughty thanks to it, as well. Something she hadn’t felt in a long time. A hot guy was texting her, after all….it felt like dating, though she knew it wasn’t. It was just two hearts taking solace in each other.
The last of the message said that he wanted to take her to the market sometime today, if she would be so kind as to join him. How did he talk like that? Where did he learn that? She had a tiny fantasy while she rummaged through her suitcase for an outfit, she imagined herself meeting Andre’s parents and learning more about what kind of people could raise someone so confident, kind, and polite. And also delicate. He was really hurt by Layla’s leaving, and it made Marsha angry at whoever could cause that poor boy pain.
Boy, she giggled to herself. He’s not a boy, Marsha. Boys don’t dress like that and talk like that.
It was warm already, and Marsha let her head fall to the side as she rubbed one side of her neck with her eyes closed, standing quietly for a moment and allowing herself to get lost in Andre’s eyes. The image had been burned into her memory, as well as his gorgeous smile. His teeth were so perfect and white and when he smiled, it literally lit up the whole room. She was certain it wasn’t just her, everyone else had to feel it, too. Surely.
She texted him back saying that she’d be ready in half an hour, and he responded saying to wear something comfortable. Nothing too fancy, as they’d likely spend most of the day out and about if that was okay with her. Deciding that a shower would be a good idea before heading out for the day, Marsha gathered a lightweight blouse and a pair of shorts and headed to the bathroom. She was considering wearing the blouse with no bra underneath, as she had seen Dr. Lee do.
When she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she laid her clothes down on the counter and turned on the faucet, she smiled again. Her collarbones had some color on them and her whole body from the shoulders up had a light layer of sweat on it. Even with no makeup on this morning and her messy hair, she felt more beautiful than she had in ages. She slipped off her panties and climbed into the shower.
A mere five minutes later, she emerged fresh enough to tackle a day in Mexico. After trying on the blouse with no bra underneath, she realized she wasn’t quite ready to go out on the town with her nipples poking through her shirt. The blouse was so sheer that you could actually see the coloring, and while she may be confident enough to sunbathe naked on the back patio, she didn’t want Andre knowing all of her secrets just yet. Some things were best kept to herself, she thought, as she found a bra.
Amazingly, she skipped the addition of a camisole underneath and just put a bra on, and slid the blouse on over it. The bra was easily visible under it but she’d chosen her prettiest one. She didn’t even realize, when she’d chosen the bra, that this would ever been an option for it. It did, however, look fantastic and carefree. And even though this was a bit risqué for her, she imagined that Dr. Lee would probably wear something like this to a formal gala. The thought made her laugh as she ran her fingers through her hair. Thinking perhaps that it would be okay to just go out with it wet, and might even feel good under the warm Puerto Vallarta sun, she ran some gel through it and shook it out upside down, fluffing it with her fingers. A bit of blush on her cheeks and some lip balm finished off the look, and when she took in her whole appearance in the bathroom mirror, she began to cry.
After all this time, she had no idea that she could ever look like this. Even when she was in her twenties, she didn’t feel this good. That was probably partially due to the fact that when you’re young, you really don’t know how good you have it, body-wise. You just take for granted that everything will stay where it’s supposed to and that your skin looks fantastic. After only a few days in the sun, she was already starting to look like she’d been on vacation. She smoothed some suntan lotion all over her exposed skin and hoped it would at least last until lunchtime before she sweated it off. The lack of makeup would surely help with that.
Not much longer, Andre came knocking on the door of the condo. He handed Marsha a bottle of water and looked down at her feet, where she had put on the pair of sandals she’d worn to the beach the night before. “Do you have any tennis shoes with you?” he asked, lowering his sunglasses. “Just in case?”
She nodded and retreated back into her living space to grab her shoes.
“Just bring them with you, you may need them and you may not. I’m not sure if you’re used to walking, these are just in case your feet start to get tired after the first few hours.”
As she walked past him out the door, he flipped the lock to the condo with one hand, and placed the other on the small of her back as she walked past him. The weight of his hand on her back through her super thin shirt made the pit of her belly feel warm, and she smiled. She knew he didn’t mean anything by it, but it felt nice, just the same.
And Marsha decided that once she returned to San Francisco in a few weeks, she would look for a set of friends who would provide her with this feeling regularly. Everyone needed that sort of non-sexual touch in their lives. People who were married, or successfully married, should be able to get that from each other. A light hand on the small of your wife’s back, a gentle hand on your lover’s arm as you stroll on the beach, all these are things that everyone should have in their lives at least every few days.
And since Marsha didn’t know if Blake was going to pull his head out of his ass in the foreseeable future, she decided to take matters into her own hands and make plans to develop these kinds of friendships. Even a group of girls who could sit around and gab with each other for hours would be better than nothing. After all, she had spent all of her free time with Blake, for years. They would sometimes go out to lunch or dinner with people, but that was usually for business or networking and not really to build a friendship.
“You look beautiful,” Andre said softly as they walked down the path to his car, his hand still on her back.
“Thank you,” she answered. “I actually feel beautiful.”
“That’s a first for you, eh? You don’t look nearly as stuffy as you did when we first met. And I think you should know by now that I don’t mean that as an insult. Only as a compliment to the work you’ve done on yourself in the last three days. You seem to be a lot more comfortable with yourself.”
“I am, yes. A very solid observation.” Marsha smiled.
“I’m okay at reading people.” Andre grinned. “Maybe I’ll have a future as a Love Guru.”
Marsha laughed as he held the car door open for her and closed it behind her. She thought for a moment, but only because it seemed like a healthy fantasy, about Andre joining her back in San Francisco and working with her full time. She watched him circle the front of the car, slipping his glasses over his gorgeous eyes and checking traffic as if it were the most natural thing in the world to be that beautiful. She imagined him waking up with her every morning and having pineapple on the back porch. By the time he slid into the driver’s seat, she had mostly successfully wiped the silly grin from her face and had her eyes focused forward.
“Where to, my lady?”
“You’re the boss. Follow you anywhere.” Marsha slid her own sunglasses down out of her hair and enjoyed a lovely ride to the main market.
“We’re going to hit Pueblo Viejo, first. Get an idea of what you want to stock your pantry with. Then we can grab some lunch and maybe hit the municipal market.”
Marsha turned her nose up and Andre shot her an inquisitiv
e look in response. “No?” he asked.
“Well, municipal doesn’t really have that sexy of a ring to it. But I guess everything in Mexico can’t be sexy.”
Andre laughed, “You’ll love it, I promise. It’s sexy.”
Pueblo Viejo market, which was an old town artisan market, was one of the most interesting things Marsha had ever seen. She wasn’t sure if it was actually more intriguing than any place that she’d visited with Blake on vacation, or if it was just that she was taking it all in only for herself this time. It shocked her how interesting a place like a market could be, and she couldn’t remember ever having seen anything like it before. Andre told her that it was only a few blocks from the municipal market, so whenever she tired of this one, they could head to the next one.
Even after thirty minutes, though, Marsha had only been in one shop. There were so many things to look at that she was afraid if she left the one shop, she’d surely miss something. The childlike part of her wanted to purchase every single tiny trinket in the shop, with its traditional Mexican colors and happy spirit. Each piece brought her joy as she picked them up and handled them, then replaced them.
“If you start buying them all now, we won’t have anything else to look at.”Andre crooned in her ear, nestling her elbow in the palm of his hand. He rubbed it gently and waited for her to put the little figurine she held in her hand back on the shelf.
“But we’ve been in here so long,” she said, wrapping her fingers around his bicep unconsciously. She felt like a school girl who’d be caught for stealing. “Won’t they be upset if we don’t buy anything?”
Andre laughed and put his hand over hers, which was clutching his arm. Only then did she realize where it was. She blushed a little, and he could tell that the small act made her uncomfortable. In response, assuring her that there was no harm in a simple touch, he took her hand in his and ran it down the length of his own arm. When it reached his hand, he wrapped their fingertips together and swung them between their torsos. The sweet gesture made Marsha smile and her shoulders relaxed. She squeezed his hand as a way of saying thank you, and he squeezed hers in return, giving her a wink with his perfect eyes.
They were just two adults, sharing a moment together, and Marsha grew more comfortable sharing a bit of herself with him. In the hours that followed, she barely thought of Blake at all. And when she did, it was more along the lines of seeing something that she thought he might like. In her mind, at least for the afternoon, she was able to categorize him as a friend that she knew, rather than her husband who had just left her. It made the pain more manageable, to be able to separate it like that. As did having an understanding partner on her arm. Maybe Puerto Vallarta was a good idea, after all.
C H A P T E R 11
After another half hour in the next shop, the pair of broken lovers found a steady pace to walk that both gave them time to see most of the stalls and also get through more of the market. The only way Andre convinced Marsha to stroll faster, was by assuring her that they could visit the market every day if she wanted.
At one stall, Marsha eyed the beautiful handmade jewelry so long that she was surprised she didn’t spend a day’s wages on only necklaces. They were all so beautiful, and with all the colors, would go with practically everything she owned back home. These lovely necklaces would have added a pop of color to everything, and she vowed to think about the purchase and come back another day to pick her favorite one. Something pretty to remind her of this pretty place, and her pretty tour guide.
As they strolled away from the jewelry stall, Marsha slid her hand back into Andre’s and strung the other one around his arm, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Thank you,” she said, her eyes closed in a big smile. “For letting me look so long.”
“Absolutely,” he answered. “It looked like you really found something you liked.” Marsha walked beside him, her eyes still closed, completely blissful. “You looked like a kid at Disney World, it was a great treat for me to experience that with you. Here, can you stop for a minute?”
Marsha stopped in her tracks and Andre circled around behind her. Before she could ask him what he was up to, he’d slipped a beautiful red and orange beaded necklace around her neck. She immediately pulled it up closer to her face to admire it.
“Andre!” she half-shouted. “It’s…it’s even more beautiful on than it was on the rack!” She turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you,” she beamed.
“I really love that giant smile on you, actually. It’s a really great look for you. And to think I put it there…” Andre smiled, and kissed her below the forehead, right between her eyes. It was the sweetest thing in the world and made her so happy. “You look lovely.” He swung his arm over her shoulder, and rested it there. With his other hand, as they walked, he sneakily handed her a brown sack with a little handle on it. “And these are to go with it.” He never broke his gaze from the horizon, but the slightest smile played at the corner of his lips.
Marsha’s mouth actually fell open, then turned to a girlish smile that went from ear to ear. She opened it, and ran her hand around in the bag. It was completely full of necklaces!
“Wow!” was all she could manage. She honestly just didn’t know what to say, and with Andre, she didn’t feel the need to say anything, which was a first. When Blake gave her gifts, they always had to be acknowledged. With Andre, she felt like that first thank you was enough. She wrapped her left arm around his waist and leaned into him as they walked.
“Hungry?” he asked, rubbing her shoulder lightly.
“Famished.” she smiled. “How about something on a stick?”
Andre laughed. “Your wish is my command, fine dining it is.”
The two of them, their arms wrapped around each other in a gesture of friendship, strolled along the market stalls looking for the best-smelling thing they could find. They only got distracted a few times to pull skirts off the racks and hold them up to Marsha, looking for a brightly colored one that would fit her perfectly. They found two, and she purchased them both.
“It really isn’t excessive if you’re going to wear them while you’re here.” He assured her.
From one vendor, they purchased some fresh guacamole that was made for them right when they ordered it, along with a heaping pile of chips that were so hot they couldn’t be touched right away. The two of them sat at a dirty little table off to the side of the market and enjoyed their snack, along with two cold bottles of soda. It took the edge off of Marsha’s hunger, and made her crave something sweet. All the smells wafting together in the air at once reminded her of the fairs in the fall back in the states. Except at the fair, everything smelled of grease and sugar. This was a much more satisfying array of smells. It smelled….satisfying. It smelled like life.
They tried some sweet dough covered in cinnamon and sugar next, and ate it so quickly that Marsha wasn’t sure her tongue would ever recover from the hot snack. By the time they walked past the vendor who had chunks of meat, neither one of them were hungry. They laughed and decided to try it next time. It comforted both of them to know there would be a next time.
“So what do you think,” Marsha asked Andre while they walked back to his car, “is the most difficult part of spending this time with me, for you? Or is there a most difficult part? I mean, how do you feel about it? Is it therapeutic?”
Without hesitation, which she attributed to his above average confidence, Andre told her. “I don’t really find any part of this odd. Do you? And before you answer that, I want you to, uh…not answer that. Because the answer doesn’t really matter.”
Marsha looked at him, trying to let him finish and not wanting to interrupt. She was taking time to try and figure out just what he was trying to say. The same respect she would give a true friend, she imagined.
Andre continued, occasionally gesturing with his hands, which were now carrying her bag of necklaces and two bright skirts. “You’ve only been here a few days, and already I’ve found a c
onfidant. And more valuable than you being a confidant, someone who I could truly tell all my secrets and feelings to…is that I don’t have to. You don’t seem to need to know them, you’re just here by my side, going through this with me. And I can appreciate that. We seem to have a sort of understanding that two people don’t always get the privilege of having. I understand you, you understand me. And so we…are. We exist, together. And your existence feels like a warm light to my soul.” He kissed her once more on the forehead before he helped her into the car. “Your soul feels like a hug, and I really thank you for that. It’s just what I needed right now.”
Andre placed the bag and skirts in the back seat of the car and shut the door, then squatted down on the ground next to the open passenger door where he’d just put Marsha. He balanced well on his toned, tanned legs, and lifted his sunglasses into his hair so that she could see his eyes when he spoke. Reaching out both of his hands, he placed them gingerly on her leg. “The fact that you’re here, the fact that you’re not some twenty-year-old bimbo that I’m trying to drink away my worries with, means a lot to me. I’d considered that, honestly. Taking up drinking and clubbing. But that never suited me before, and the thought kind of sickened me. I didn’t want to be a different person while I go through this valley. And as you know, it’s a dark, dark valley to try and figure out why someone that you’ve poured your heart and soul into doesn’t love you back, all of a sudden. I’m really glad that Dr. Lee matched us together, and gave us the incredible gift of helping each other heal. That, to me, is worth at least ten bimbos.” He smiled hugely and winked at her, watching with pleasure as her soft facial expression turned to laughter in an instant. He stood quickly, touching his forefinger to her chin before he closed the door. “Thanks for being you, is what I’m trying to say.”