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SURF CENTRAL
Antonio stepped out onto the balcony inhaling a deep breath of the warm ocean air. He’d enjoyed a nice evening with Ashley despite the fact that they didn’t share a goodnight kiss. The moment was slightly awkward; it had been quite a long time since their lips last met. With a shy smile, she had told him goodnight and slipped into the house. Antonio had never been one to rush things with Ashley and he wasn’t about to start now. He laughed as he remembered how all his friends in high school were always bragging about how far they had gotten with their dates over the weekend and had given Antonio such a hard time for not getting any from Ashley. He could have lied and told them they had slept together, but he cared too much about her to tarnish her reputation that way. All their friends knew they were a steady couple and most of the guys had a bet running on whether Antonio would get lucky by the prom. Antonio always just laughed them off and let them give him hell; he never told them that it was his decision to wait as well as hers. Antonio and Ashley had made a promise to wait until they were married to make love; as a good Catholic boy, Antonio never pushed her or made her feel bad about her decision. They fooled around as much as the next young adolescents, but the ultimate act of commitment would wait until they were husband and wife in the eyes of God. Antonio’s thoughts drifted once again to the night Ashley came to him and told him she was leaving for school. She had been so unlike herself; so distant and cold. They always told each other everything; their honesty was what kept them together. He always knew when she wasn’t being honest. She had kept something from him that night; something that he tried in vain to find out for a long time after. Something that would have to be resolved if he were even going to think about a new relationship with her now. Gabi opened the front door to Surf Central and walked quietly inside. Antonio’s car was outside, so she knew that he was home. The lights downstairs were off and she stood in the dark straining to hear any sound coming from upstairs. Her heart pounded in her chest as she listened for any indication that Antonio and Ashley were up in his room. Upon hearing nothing, she heaved a sigh of relief. Tossing her purse on the couch, she went into the kitchen to search the refrigerator. Finding nothing of interest, she turned hastily to head upstairs to bed and nearly screamed out loud when she found Antonio standing in the doorway. Antonio had seen Gabi get out of the car and by the way she snuck inside, he knew she was up to something. "What are you doing here, Gabi?" he asked as he eyed her suspiciously. "Why aren’t you at the loft?" Gabi noted the hint of sarcasm in his question. "Ricardo and I had a fight," she offered succinctly, holding her chin high. "About what?" Antonio walked over and leaned against the counter. "Your terrible behavior tonight?" "Excuse me?" she snarled, still jumpy from her self-imposed argument with Ricardo. "My behavior?" "Your behavior, Gabi. It was appalling." Antonio was not at all happy with the way she had treated Ashley. "Ashley’s an old friend Gabi…of Ricardo, Maria and me." "And," she drawled with irritation. "And," he repeated, "you looked at and spoke to her like she was completely unwelcome. You weren’t very friendly, Gabi." "She seemed to be more a friend to one for you than the others," Gabi prompted him. Antonio felt his face flush and folded his arms in front of him. "Why don’t you just ask me, Gabi, if that’s what’s bothering you?" "Ask you what, Antonio?" Gabi feigned ignorance as she went back and opened the refrigerator again. He always did know what was on her mind. "Ask me about Ashley. About my relationship with her." Antonio paused to see if Gabi would dare to admit that he had hit the mark. When she didn’t answer, Antonio pressed on. "She was my high school girlfriend, Gabi, if that’s what you were wondering." "I wasn’t wondering?" Gabi squeaked as she shut the door and turned to Antonio. "And besides, why would I care?" "I think you do and that’s why you acted the way you did toward her," Antonio offered. "What way I acted?" she said as she flipped her hair and began twisting her necklace. "You were rude to her," he answered without hesitation. "She was nothing but nice to you and you just brushed her off. That’s not like you, Gabi." "I didn’t know I was supposed to be her new best friend, Antonio," Gabi retorted. "And anyway, she’s leaving town, isn’t she?" "I don’t…Gabi, that’s not the point." Antonio pushed off the counter and stepped toward her. "She didn’t deserve your bad attitude. She’s a very nice person and she happens to be a friend." "A friend?" Gabi remarked softly dropping her eyes to the floor. "How good of a friend?" Gabi was jealous of Antonio’s relationship with Ashley; much the same way he was jealous of her relationship with Ricardo. The only major difference being that he and Ashley had been together a long time ago and were not currently engaged. The tables have turned, he realized rather sadistically, awakening an unsettling desire to make her understand just what she had put him through these past months. He overruled his good-natured conscience deciding it was only fair for her to feel jealous now; he ruthlessly charged on. "A very good friend, Gabi." He studied her reaction, which registered somewhere between angry and hurt. "A long time ago, I wanted to marry her." Gabi was shocked to hear him say those words. She had never heard him speak of being in love with anyone before her, let alone in love enough to marry. "Married?" she murmured. "Yes," he replied, "married. She and I were supposed to be married." "Supposed to be…you mean, you were engaged?" Gabi’s heart was breaking more by the second. "Yes, Gabi." He could see that what he was telling her was hurting her and from the darkest depth of his soul, he wanted to punish her; punish her for loving and choosing Ricardo. "Ashley and I were very much in love and we planned to get married as soon as we graduated high school. I was going to work for her dad and we were both going to go to UCLA." Antonio could see the tears sparkling in the corner of Gabi’s eyes and knew he was getting to her. Gabi felt daggers pierce her heart and she had to take a breath to keep herself from starting to cry. "You never mentioned her to me before." "No," he stated simply. "Antonio? If you…loved her so much, why didn’t you get married and why did you become a priest?" She was amazed that in all their conversations, the subject of Ashley had never come up. "It’s a long story, Gabi." Antonio turned away from her and walked to the window. Gabi could tell he didn’t want to talk about it but she wasn’t about to let it drop. "Is that what Ricardo was talking about tonight when he asked you about being with her again after what happened?" Gabi’s voice was soft and caring; she wanted to help to her best friend. Antonio couldn’t help himself; when she spoke to him like this, he couldn’t be the mean, vengeful ex-lover anymore. "Yes." It was all he could manage to say as he sensed Gabi step closer behind him and reach her hand out stopping just short of his back. He closed his eyes and waited for her to touch him; at this moment, his entire body craved it. "What did she do to you, Antonio?" Gabi’s fingers lightly grazed Antonio’s shoulder and his body shuddered but he didn’t answer. "It hurt you very deeply. I don’t know how she could hurt you, Antonio. You’re such an amazing man; loving and caring." Her hand rested gently on his arm and he wanted to push her away but he couldn’t. "I don’t want to see you hurt by her again. You don’t deserve it." Antonio’s body stiffened at her words. How could she stand there and say she didn’t want Ashley to hurt him when she herself had hurt him? Anger bubbled up inside and her touch instantly began to burn his skin. Ripping his arm from her grasp, Antonio swung around to face her. "Don’t worry about me, Gabi," he instructed her, his eyes cold and distant. "I can take care of myself." There was a short pause and Antonio took a deep breath. "You have your own life to live and so do I." "You’re still my friend, Antonio. I still care about you." She started to reach for him and he stepped back. "Don’t do that, Gabi," he sighed miserably. "Okay?" "Do what, Antonio?" she questioned him. "Be your friend? Care about what happens to you?" "I can’t do this," he whispered as he walked past her and out of the kitchen. Gabi heard him head up the stairs and slam the door to his room. She started up the stairs after him just as someone began knocking at the front door. Hesitating for a moment, Gabi glanced up the stairs then reluctantly answered the door. "Ricardo!" she exclaimed. Antonio paced his room, angry with Gabi for feeling that she could blame Ashley for hurting him, but not herself. He wanted to settle things with her once and for all. He pulled open his door and started down the hall to Gabi’s room. He was almost at her door when he heard Ricardo’s voice downstairs. Antonio backtracked down the hall and stopped at the top of the stairs. "Ricardo, what are you doing here?" she snapped as he made his way into the room. "I came to apologize," he smiled sheepishly as he stood next to her and slipped his arms around her waist. "For being such a jerk. I shouldn’t have said what I did." "Gabi glanced over his shoulder, anxious to finish her discussion with Antonio. "It’s okay, Ricardo. It wasn’t all your fault." "I should have realized I hurt your feelings, Gabi," he said apologetically. "I didn’t mean to say that you would never dress like Ashley." Antonio’s head popped up. So, Gabi and Ricardo’s fight was about Ashley? "It didn’t come out right." "I know, Ricardo. It’s just…I wonder what men find so attractive about women like her." "Some men find that sophisticated, worldly, career-woman thing sexy," Ricardo stated matter-of-factly. "But as far as I’m concerned, you’re the only woman for me…ever." Antonio closed his eyes knowing that the silence accounted for an apologizing kiss. "Ashley’s not my type, Gabi. I swear," Ricardo promised after breaking their embrace. "I know. But you think she’s Antonio’s type?" Gabi inquired meekly, piquing Antonio’s curiosity from upstairs. "I guess so," Ricardo answered. "Hey, why don’t we just let Antonio worry about himself? He’s a big boy, Gabi; he can make his own decisions about women." Ricardo kissed Gabi on the nose. "Besides, I want my little brother to be happy and it seems like Ashley might be the one to do that." "I don’t think so," Gabi answered quickly. "Oh yeah, why not?" Ricardo queried with interest. "I just don’t see them together," Gabi said determinedly. "She’s not the type of girl I see him with forever." "You have a type of girl in mind for him?" Ricardo laughed. "Yes," she acquiesced softly. "I do." "Well, I’m sure my little brother would be more than happy to meet her," Ricardo retorted. "Why don’t you introduce them?" Gabi just smiled and Ricardo pulled her into a big bear hug. Antonio sat on the top step with his elbows resting on his knees and his hands in his hair. "Are you coming back to the loft with me or am I going to spend the night here with you?" Ricardo growled playfully. "I don’t care where, I just want you beside me tonight." Antonio felt that familiar pain in his heart hearing Ricardo speak to Gabi so intimately; especially after hearing what Gabi had just told him and knowing exactly what she meant. Gabi turned her head to the stairs and looked back at Ricardo. "We can go back to the loft," she sighed knowing he would put up a fight and eventually end up in her room. She would have to finish her discussion with Antonio later. Ricardo grabbed her purse off the table and pulled open the door. "Good girl," he smiled as she moped outside and he closed the door behind them. Antonio was exhausted as he stood up and went back to his room. Gabi had fought with Ricardo about Ashley? Why? It wasn’t like Ricardo was making passes at her. Ashley was with Antonio, after all; and Gabi was with Ricardo. Antonio lay down on the bed and folded his arms behind his head. Trying to make sense of all the evening’s events, he drifted off into a wonderful dream. They were standing underneath the shower on the beach. The cool, refreshing water ran over his body, invigorating his senses. Her back brushed up against his taught muscular chest as she leaned her head back to rinse her silken hair of the salty ocean residue. As she leaned against him, she could feel his excitement growing against her back; she shivered at how quickly he responded to her touch. She turned around to face him as he leaned his head back and raked his fingers through his thick hair. Running her nails seductively up his chest, her arms wrapped around his neck; fingers entwining in the hair at his nape, she roughly pulled his head forward. Eyes closed, their lips met in wild, passionate frenzy as her tongue slid deftly into his mouth searching for its playmate. His arms engulfed her in a tight embrace almost pulling her off her feet. Her breasts pushed against his torso as his fingers sought out the tie of her bikini top. As he undid the soft fabric and pushed her free of it, his hand slid with firm but gentle pressure across her hard nipple. She moaned his name softly sending his blood running hot through his body. He wanted her now; he had to have her. As he opened his eyes, he saw her face. Antonio sat up with a start; his heart pounding, his body soaked with sweat, his erection aching. He sighed heavily as he eased himself back against the pillow and whispered her name into the darkness.
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