Tension eased as I calmly collected myself. We both felt too much at the wrong time, but it was all over now. "All's forgiven, Juan. I was partly at fault, too." I did kiss him back as fervently as he had kissed me. So yes, I was greatly at fault for responding to his advances.
He let out a long whistle, relief easing his furrowing brows as he beamed at me. "I knew you couldn't leave hating me. We had good times."
"Lucky you." I snickered, not sure to laugh or to be appalled his cockiness.
Oh well, Juan was just being him-crazy playful and one who didn't mask his emotions. How could I hold that against him? He did, after all, treat me with generosity and was somewhat of a gentleman up until that moment in the car.
We stayed until midnight before Juana declared it was time to carry the party on to the next destination. Her real party was held in a rented villa somewhere along the coast.
We rode in separate cars. I stuck with Juana, even though her brother offered to take me. But it didn't feel right. Sure, we had addressed his douchie ways, but it didn't mean we could revert back to how we were in the beginning. Besides, what the past five weeks had taught me was how Juan could get really temperamental once he didn't get what he wanted. For both our sakes, it was best to keep him at arm's length.
"My brother will bring your things to your bedroom." Juana directed me a smile as her and her friends began to get out of her BMW. I sat there for a moment, wondering why I couldn't just do that myself. "Let's go and party up, pretty girl!"
I paused before sighing. "All right, all right." It was her birthday, so I let her boss me around.
The villa was quite similar to Juan's friend's, but a little smaller. Smaller in a grand scale of things.
Juana dragged me into the house and into backyard where a five-tiered cake was a centerpiece, proudly standing next to two almost life-sized like ice sculpted unicorns.
There were about over three hundred people easy. And it seemed the guests kept pouring in.
"Juana! Tenemos un problema!" Ana Maria yelled out at Juana, beyond hysterical.
"Un segundo, Ana Maria!" she hollered back before giving me a reassuring look. "There seems to be a problem; she needs me. Why don't you go around, dance, meet new people. Most guys here are in their twenties; maybe flirting with someone younger will be the cure you need tonight!" She waved me away as she strode away towards her impatient looking friend. Apparently, there was a problem with alcohol shortage.
I was twenty-one years old, yet the thought of hooking up with eighteen, nineteen year-olds didn't appeal to me. Instead, I strolled around the pool area and towards the backyard just to look around.
The massive makeshift wooden dance floor was already filled with people dancing and a string of men ogling the girls who were letting loose. There was a section filled with candies and pastries. And upon seeing it, my stomach growled.
I regarded them as I plucked a napkin and grabbed a brownie and a few of the rainbow colored caramelized yummy looking pastries. It tasted good. Well, except for the brownie. It was borderline disgusting. I shivered as I washed down the aftertaste with a glass of white wine.
"Dance with me?" Juan came up next to me, holding out a hand as he mischievously grinned at me.
"I don't think that's wise." We would most likely end up wanting to choke each other like always.
He threw me one of his signature smoldering looks. "One dance, for the last time? You're leaving; what's the harm in dancing?"
I rolled my eyes before giving in. "All right."
Juan led the way to the packed dance floor. "You should be dancing with these girls. I'm sure they'd appreciate your star power more than I will," I said as I arched my brow, wondering why he was giving me attention at all.
"Juana made sure to put it in her invitation that anyone who would try to flirt with her brother would be banned from her parties in the future." He snickered, amused at his little sister. "So, whenever her friends see me, they immediately leave."
Ah, that explained it. I was beginning to wonder if he was popular at all because no one seemed to request an autograph or a photo op with him. Juana covered her bases. Props for her.
"You're sister's smart. It'd be weird for Juana if her friends dated you."
He laughed. "I'm not too keen on giggling girls."
"Yeah, right." I snorted as he held my hip and we began swaying to the rhythm.
"I like women, not girls. I also like them sassy and sensual. When I take a lover, I need her to know how to please me, too. That's why these girls will never do it for me."