Chapter Ten: That Second Chance.

Throughout the entire journey, they kept kissing, only pausing to catch their breath and continue, making the other passengers in the car uncomfortable. When they reached the door of the house, he struggled to open it despite having the correct key in hand, as his thoughts were eclipsed by a greater force that dominated his most primitive instincts.

From the beginning, passion had taken over the situation, and neither of them was thinking clearly. As soon as they entered, they fiercely removed their outerwear. Patricia freed herself from the hair tie and continued in her quest to satisfy the desire clouding her judgment.

The passion that overwhelmed them didn't prevent Enric from gently embracing Patricia's torso or slowly kissing her neck. When they reached the bed, Enric's chest was almost completely exposed. She managed to unbutton the last button without looking as they kissed for the umpteenth time.

They laughed, kissed again, and continued undressing. The pink shirt Patricia had worn didn't fall to the floor; it rested on a pile, unnoticed by either of them.

That embrace seemed endless. Patricia slowly slid her hands to his waist, and Enric moved the strap aside to kiss from her shoulder to her neckline. He lay down so she could strip him of his pants without hesitation, and Patricia playfully jumped off the bed, still holding hands. She unbuttoned her jeans, and with slight hops, the garment slid slowly down her thighs to her knees and finally fell completely with a simple touch. She returned to the bed, and they resumed their mutual affection.

The sun had already set on the horizon. The window, closed, had the curtains half drawn, revealing the clear sky of deep blue mid-afternoon. The breeze dancing in the street brought a couple of degrees of cold. In the doorway, a pair of pre-teens played sheltered from the street air. On the landing of the floor, hurried footsteps pushed the doormat against the door.

Their bodies danced under the sheets, mixing gasps and faint moans in a confusing rhythm. When the dance slowed, Enric opened his eyes and looked at her face. She was so different from what he already knew...

Patricia pounced on him and lay beside him.

"I didn't expect to end the day like this."

Enric caressed her face and, taking her by the chin, kissed her on the tip of her nose and then on the lips.

"Me neither," he whispered.

Embraced for a long time, they emptied their minds until sleep overcame them.

They wore only bedclothes, and dawn arrived.

The soft sunlight hit their faces as Patricia woke up. She put on her underwear again and picked up her shirt.

Underneath, she found a teddy bear with a large ivory satin bow and a small brooch of a dart attached to it. As she buttoned up, she observed the toy closely: mink-colored, the large bow was actually a scarf, and the pin could also resemble a rocket. Patricia ignored the déjà vu feeling from those objects, as each separately brought vague memories stored in her mind that she couldn't quite recall.

She went to the kitchen and looked in the fridge. What could she make for breakfast? Eggs, milk, flour... a cake would take too long in the oven, and she remembered New York. She would make American pancakes.

As she mixed the ingredients in a bowl she had taken from the dish rack, she noticed the clothes scattered on the floor and a smile appeared on her face. She couldn't believe what had happened the previous afternoon. She had only tried to free the guy from Ana's snake-like grip. She recalled the actress's face, so confident before she kissed Enric. Although she also considered it a very effective way to get the actor away from her. She glanced toward the bedroom door and saw that Enric was still sleeping like a cute little puppy.

When breakfast was ready, Patricia set the table and began picking up the clothes from the floor, following the trail they had left the day before. She placed the garments in a corner of the bed and sat on a spot she found at the edge of the mattress.

She looked at Enric tenderly. She couldn't believe it had happened. Just over a year ago, she was happy with her job as a bar singer when the owner made advances and she quit. She remembered that same day, upon arriving at her apartment, she was surprised by her actions and liked herself. When she decided to return to Spain, she could hardly believe she had spent seven years in the United States without returning even once to see her family.

She gently stroked Enric's tousled hair, trying not to wake him, and looked at the bedside clock, which read seven fifteen in the morning. As the back of Patricia's hand caressed Enric's face, he half-opened his eyes, blinking.

"Umm... What time is it?"

"Seven..." Patricia grabbed the device showing the time and showed it to Enric, "and fifteen, well, almost."

"Oh no, the office!" He sat up quickly. "I have to be there by eight!"

They were both overwhelmed by the rush. Patricia had no choice but to finish dressing in the clothes from the previous day, while Enric searched among the few things he had for clean clothes.

"I didn't make lunch!"

"Take what I made for breakfast... okay?"

Enric was surprised. He looked at the table and saw how well it was set. With everything one could expect from a small bachelor apartment, but still, it seemed perfect to him.

As they finished dressing and Patricia went to the bathroom to fix her ponytail, Enric packed each of their breakfasts into a container.

"Here, your share," he said, handing her the bag with a smile. "You don't expect me to eat it all myself! Or do you?"

They had managed to tidy up everything in record time, but just at the door, Patricia checked her pockets and purse for the transport ticket and assumed it had fallen in the bedroom when she took off her pants. Enric took pity.

Patricia looked at the bedside clock again, and it was almost seven thirty. She didn't find it at first glance. It wasn't under the bed. She stepped back slightly as she straightened up and accidentally pushed the teddy bear that was sitting on the floor.