It was early afternoon and classes had ended for the day when Raquel went to Nairobi's room and knocked.
"Hi Nairobi, can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Could I maybe borrow some of your makeup? I didn't bring any… you know, since I was on my way to jail before I came here."
Nairobi opened the door further. "Of course. Come on in."
She indicated that Raquel should sit down in front of the mirror and placed her bag of make-up in front of her.
"Use whatever you like."
"Thank you."
As Raquel was rummaging through the bag, Nairobi sat down behind her on the bed, watching her.
"So why are you getting all dolled up?"
"The Professor and I are going out and I'd like to look nice."
"You do know his name, right? Or do you call him 'Professor' in the bedroom too?" Nairobi teased.
Raquel grinned at her. "Sometimes. But yes, I do know his name."
"So whose idea was it to go out?"
"His", Raquel said, then, seeing Nairobi's expression in the mirror: "I know, I was surprised too! He said we should have a real, proper first date."
"Where is he taking you?"
"I don't know", she smiled. "He wouldn't tell me."
"How mysterious."
"I know."
"You can't just go to a restaurant though, can you? You might be recognized."
"Yes, and I'm sure he'll have thought of that, so I have no idea what he has planned for today."
She held out two different lipsticks towards Nairobi. "Which one do you think would suit me best?"
Nairobi considered them for a moment, then said: "The red one."
Raquel shook her head as she turned back to the mirror, smiling softly to herself. "It's so silly. I feel like I'm sixteen again, and getting ready for my first date with the boy I like."
"You really like him, huh?"
She looked up, her eyes shining. "I do. I know it's strange, I know I should focus on the heist. He's just so…"
She sighed, and Nairobi laughed, then threw her a curious look.
"Can I ask you something personal?"
"Sure", Raquel said, applying mascara.
"What's he like in bed?"
She smiled broadly. "I can't complain."
"He just seems so cold and distant."
"Oh, that's just the way he is in public. He's not like that at all in private."
"Then what is he like?"
A dreamy expression appeared on Raquel's face. "He's so sweet. A bit absent-minded at times, sure, he sometimes gets lost in his thoughts. But apart from that he's so attentive, so gentle."
"He seems like such a weird dude to date."
"Well", Raquel said thoughtfully. "I can't deny that he's challenging at times. But he makes up for it in so many ways. I won't pretend that he's perfect, but he's perfect for me."
Nairobi nodded. "Fair enough. I couldn't do it, but I'm glad it works for you."
"He just needs a little patience and understanding", she said gently.
Nairobi laughed. "That's exactly why I couldn't date him. My patience is pretty limited."
Raquel suddenly turned to her. "But you tried to sleep with him, didn't you?"
"Hey", Nairobi said, raising her hands defensively. "That was before I knew you liked him, I haven't given him a second thought since I found out."
"Oh, I'm not jealous", Raquel quickly clarified. "I just meant: you must have found something attractive about him, right?
She shrugged. "Sure, he's handsome."
"So is Berlin. So is Denver. So is Rio. But as far as I know, you haven't tried to sleep with any of them."
"Rio is a child, Berlin is a bastard, and Denver is… well, Denver. So, yes, if I had to choose from the lot, I'd choose the Professor. He's a good guy. I'd sleep with him, but I'd never date him."
"All the better", Raquel smiled, and turned back to the mirror. "By the way, Nairobi, I never properly thanked you."
"What for?"
"For getting us together."
Nairobi grinned. "Yeah, well, it didn't seem like this idiot was handling things particularly well and it looked like you could use all the help you could get. So I just… nudged him in the right direction."
"That was very kind of you."
Nairobi rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I just couldn't stand his sad puppy eyes the day after you had that fight. I've never seen a man so defeated, it was depressing just to watch. Especially since it could be solved so easily."
"I'm not sure he would have come around if you hadn't told him I was leaving."
"He just needed to be confronted with his feelings. I've never seen anyone so blind to what was right under his nose."
Raquel put the last touches to her make-up, then got up. "Well, thank you. And thank you for the make-up."
"Anytime", Nairobi said. "Have fun on your date!"
…
He was tying his tie in front of the mirror in his room. For the past few days, his brother's words had kept echoing in his head: a woman like Raquel should be treated right. He felt instinctively that that was true, but he wasn't entirely sure how to go about it, and he just hoped this date would be a good start. Women like strong men, so don't be afraid to take the lead. That would be more difficult, but he would give it a try. He wanted to be the man she wanted him to be. As he gave his tie a final tug, he couldn't help but feel rather nervous – he knew she was looking forward to their date and he couldn't help but feel like a lot depended on it. This would be the first time they went out together, and it felt like anything could happen. In the house, they had their habits and routines, which regulated much of their interactions. How would their dynamic change in a purely social setting? Would she find him lacking in a romantic context? He knew he was venturing into territory that was unknown to him, and he was afraid that he would fail to do things she expected of him, simply because he wasn't aware of the social protocol. A woman like Raquel should be treated right. He so desperately wanted to treat her right.
After one final look in the mirror, he squared his shoulders and went out into the hallway to knock at her bedroom door. She opened it with a smile, and he felt his heart skip a beat. She looked gorgeous. Her eyes were darker and even more compelling than usual, her lips red and so kissable. Her hair flowed down in waves over her shoulders, left bare by the thin straps of her summer dress. He could only stare at her, until she raised an eyebrow and asked:
"Ready to go?"
He shook himself, feeling a little dazed. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you", she smiled, taking her purse and closing her bedroom door.
"So where are we going?" she asked him in the car.
"You'll see", he said lightly.
They drove for about an hour, talking about the heist, which was only about a month away now, and getting closer every day, looming larger and larger. Sergio was starting to feel a twinge of nerves every time he thought about it, but talking to Raquel always helped him regain his confidence. Finally they drove into Madrid. She kept looking around curiously to see where he was taking her, until he parked in front of the fake workplace where they had first slept together.
They got out of the car and she grabbed him by the shirt and kissed him. "So we're spending some more time here? That's perfect, I have some very good memories of this place."
He smiled. "No, I'm just parking the car here, I do have something specific planned for the afternoon."
"What?"
"You lived in Madrid for a long time, right?"
"Yes", she said. "Since my early twenties, after I finished at the police academy."
"Are you attached to the city?"
"Yes, I am", she said. "All my life, I wanted to live here, so I moved as soon as I could. I didn't grow up here, but I built my life here and I feel like it is my city." A sad look appeared in her eyes. "It breaks my heart a little that I'll never be able to come back after the heist."
"I thought so", he nodded. "So I suggest we use this afternoon to go into the city, so you can say goodbye to the places you love the most."
She looked up at him with shining eyes. "I would love that, Sergio. That's so thoughtful of you!"
She kissed him, then said: "But isn't it rather risky for me to go out in public, especially in Madrid?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think I thought of that?"
He took her inside. "It's mostly risky for you if you stay in one place for a while, because then people could recognize you and call the police. But if you just pass people on the street, you'd be long gone by the time the police could get there, so it's not really an issue if someone were to recognize you. But just in case we should pass a policeman, I have these."
He handed her a wig and fake glasses.
She grinned. "I've never worn a wig before, this will be fun."
She went up to the mirror in the bathroom, pinned up her hair, and tried it on. It was a short black wig, with hair that fell just to her shoulders and bangs. She grimaced.
"I look just like Tokyo now. Did you really have to get a wig with bangs?"
"It's the bangs that change your face the most", he argued. "They're necessary."
"I look awful."
"I don't agree", he smiled, wrapping his arms around her, but she pulled back from him.
"Don't kiss me while I look like Tokyo!" she protested laughingly. "I don't want you making those kinds of associations!"
He snorted. "I think I can keep you and Tokyo separated in my mind, thank you very much."
"Well", she said slowly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "In that case…"
She kissed him, and for several long moments they sank into it, her hands in his hair, his hand sliding down her back.
"Are we coming back here after our tour of the city?" she asked him huskily, pressing herself close to him.
"Yes", he murmured. "I thought we'd spend the night here."
She looked up at him in delight. "You mean we're not driving back to the house tonight?"
"No. If you want to stay here, that is."
"Oh, I want to", she smiled. "I'm curious – do you have a particular reason why you want to stay here tonight?"
He hesitated for a moment, then said: "At the house, we always have to be so quiet." He pulled her closer to him and whispered in her ear. "Tonight, I want to hear you moan when I make you come. Again… and again… and again."
She shivered, then looked up at him with such a look that it made his heart beat faster.
"Do we really have to wait until tonight?" she murmured, brushing her lips against his. "The bed is right there…"
Her nearness and the scent of her were clouding his mind, but he tried to stay strong. Women like strong men.
"No, we're going out first."
She ran her fingers through his hair. "Are you sure?"
He closed his eyes and groaned as she stroked the back of his neck. "Don't tempt me, Raquel, you know I can't resist you."
"Then don't", she whispered. "Let's lie down and…"
She started to unbutton his shirt, and he pulled himself together with a supreme effort of will. He took her by the shoulders and firmly pushed her back.
"No! I told you I was taking you on a proper date, so we're going to do this right."
She grinned. "That's very firm of you."
"Yes", he said, carefully keeping her at arm's length. "I'm putting my foot down."
"Alright", she smiled. "Take me on a proper date then."
…
She put on the wig and fake glasses, and they took the subway into the center of the town. He let her decide where she wanted to go, and she seemed happy and excited to show him her favorite spots in the city. They steered clear of the big touristy places, and instead she took him along crooked streets with charming little shops, through shady green parks and to a café in a hidden courtyard where the jasmine crept up against the wall and spread the sweetest scent. She pointed out the shabby, cramped apartment where she used to live in her twenties, and her favorite bar from back in the day, where she used to go out with her friends in the weekends. She took him to a little cobbled marketplace in the same neighborhood, where he bought her a single red rose at a flower stall, and then they threw coins into a delicate trickling fountain and made a wish.
"What did you wish for?" she asked him.
"I can't tell you that", he said. "Or it won't come true."
She laughed. "Really? You're the last person I expected to be superstitious."
"I'm not risking it", he said. "It's too important."
"Well", she smiled. "I think I can guess it, anyway. Seeing as you've got to pull off the biggest heist in history in a few weeks."
Yes, he thought, he probably should have spent his wish on the heist. But as she took his hand and they walked along the sunlit street, he couldn't stop looking at her and he didn't regret his wish for a moment.
They went gradually east, back in the direction of the hideout. As they walked through the literary district, he dragged her along for a short detour past the house where Cervantes died.
"I've never seen it", he said. "And I'll never get the chance again."
Looking up at the house that had once belonged to Spain's greatest writer, Sergio asked her:
"So how old were you when you read Don Quijote for the first time?"
She grimaced. "I have to admit something. I've never actually read it."
He stared at her in disbelief for a moment, then said: "I'm sorry, I'm afraid this isn't working out. I wish you a lot of happiness with your next, hopefully illiterate, boyfriend."
She laughed and punched him on the shoulder. "I mean, I've read fragments of it in school, of course. But I've never actually sat down and read the entire thing."
"Why not?"
"Do you have any idea how enormous that book is? I'm a busy woman, I have other things to do."
"When this heist is over, I'm going to sit you down on a beach somewhere with a copy of Don Quijote and you're going to read it cover to cover."
She smiled. "I would actually really like that."
"Good", he teased her. "Because I cannot tolerate that kind of uncultured behavior near me."
She snorted. "You are unbearably pretentious, you know that?"
"Erudition is not the same as pretentiousness", he said with dignity.
"When you use words like that, you sound like a pompous university professor."
"I have to live up to my name somehow", he smiled.
They went on hand in hand, crossing through the El Retiro park on their way home, with its large monument to Alfonso XII at the edge of a lake. There were some people out on boats on the lake, and when Raquel saw them, she turned to him with shining eyes.
"Let's take a boat out onto the lake", she said.
He looked at her in horror. "Please tell me you're joking."
"No, I'm not! I used to take Paula out boating all the time here, I'd love to do it one more time."
"But it's going to get dark soon", he tried. "They'll be closing."
"They only close at nightfall", she said. "We can enjoy the sunset out on the lake and bring the boat back immediately afterwards."
"I don't like boats, Raquel."
"Aren't we leaving Europe on a boat after this is over?"
"I don't mind big boats, but I can't stand small ones. They make me nervous."
"Why?"
"I don't want to fall into the water."
She laughed. "Why would you fall into the water? I've been on this lake dozens of times, and I've never seen anyone fall in."
When he still looked thoroughly unconvinced, she gave him a sly look. "It would be very romantic. Something to do on a real, proper date."
He laughed. "Oh, that's not fair!"
"Please?" she wheedled.
He hesitated. Women like strong men. He supposed it wasn't exactly attractive to be afraid of little boats.
"Fine", he sighed. "Fine. But I'm doing this under protest!"
"Duly noted", she said, amused.
It took some convincing on Raquel's part, but the man at the boat rental let them take out a boat on the condition that they bring it back immediately after sundown. Raquel walked to the end of the jetty and got down into a boat. Sergio followed her with the utmost apprehension, very careful not to rock the boat as he got into it, but he still didn't like the way it wobbled or how close the murky green water was. He did his best not to show it, though. He took up the oars and, after a little trial and error, he managed to row them out into the middle of the lake, where they drifted peacefully, watching the sky erupt in fiery shades of orange and gold as the sun went down. He had to admit that it was a spectacular sight as the colors were reflected in the still water of the lake. She took his hand and smiled at him, and he forgot all of his discomfort at the sight of that smile.
Still, he couldn't wait to get off that boat once the sun was down, so he set a quick pace rowing them back to shore. In fact, he was so eager to get off, that he stood up as the boat sped the last few yards towards the jetty, ready to jump out as soon as possible.
"No, don't!" she said warningly. "Stay down until…"
But it was already too late. The boat bumped into the jetty, hard, making it wobble like mad, and the next thing Sergio knew, he was in the water. It was shockingly cold, but it wasn't deep, and to his relief his feet quickly found the bottom. When he resurfaced, spluttering, Raquel was bent double, helpless with laughter.
"Oh, yes", he grumbled, as he heaved himself out of the water onto the jetty. "Very funny. Absolutely hilarious. This is so unhygienic – there's ducks and geese on this lake, I've probably caught salmonella."
"I'm sorry, Sergio", she said weakly, taking off her fake glasses to wipe away tears of laughter. "It's just… One moment you were there and the next you were…"
She started laughing all over again. He looked at her as he wrung out his jacket, and his chagrin and embarrassment started to fade. He'd never seen her laugh like that, with such childlike joy, her entire body shaking. Suddenly he didn't mind half as much that he was soaked and cold – it was almost worth it to see her this happy. Almost. Provided he hadn't actually caught salmonella.
He had to help her out of the boat, because she was weak with laughter.
"Ohh, my stomach hurts", she gasped as she took his hand. "I haven't laughed this hard in years."
"Glad I could entertain you, at least", he said drily.
Fortunately, it was only a short walk from the park to the hideout, where a shower and dry clothes and shoes were waiting for him. She kept bursting into fits of suppressed laughter all the way there, and by the time he was clean and dry again and he no longer smelled of duck pond, he supposed he could see the humor of the situation. When he emerged from the bathroom, however, she was waiting for him with a contrite expression on her face.
"I'm sorry I laughed."
"It's okay, I'm sure it looked very funny."
"It did", she said, her face breaking into another smile, which she quickly suppressed. "But I can imagine it wasn't funny to you."
She walked up to him and pulled him close as she looked up at him appealingly. "Can you forgive me?"
He felt something inside him melt as he looked down into her big, dark eyes. Why did she always have such an effect on him?
"Yes", he whispered, then leaned in for a kiss, which she returned with enthusiasm.
"So", she said as they broke apart again, throwing a longing glance at the bed. "Can we move on to the next stage of the date now?"
"Yes", he said, carefully disengaging from her. "That would be dinner."
"Oh, come on", she said, glancing at the bed again. "Can't we just…"
"No", he said firmly. "We have a reservation in half an hour."
"A reservation?" she said in surprise. "I thought we'd just order some take-out."
"Excuse me?" he said indignantly. "You think I'd serve you take-out on our proper date?"
"But we can't go to a restaurant! You said I couldn't stay in the same place for fear that someone might recognize me and call the police."
"And you thought the best solution I could come up with was take-out?"
"Isn't it, then?" she smiled.
"I'm deeply offended that you don't think more highly of my problem-solving skills."
She laughed. "My apologies, Mr. Genius. So where are we going?"
"You'll see", he smiled mysteriously.
…
He took her to a very nice restaurant which was only a short walk away. She hesitated as he walked up to it.
"Sergio, we can't go in there."
"We're not", he assured her. He took out a key and opened the gate next to the main entrance. "Come on."
He led her to the back of the restaurant, where there was a tiny but cozy garden, the trees and bushes hung with fairy lights. A single table was waiting for them there, set for two, with a candle in the middle.
She looked at him in delight. "Is this for us?"
"Yes", he said, smiling at the look on her face. "I convinced the restaurant to let us use their garden for the evening. Do you like it?"
"I love it", she said, kissing his cheek. "This is really shaping up to be quite a decent date. Sunset on the lake, dinner under the stars. You really know how to charm a lady."
He felt a warm glow of pleasure at her words. He had so badly wanted to do this right.
A waiter came out and took their order. Raquel frowned at his retreating back as he went back inside.
"What if the waiter recognizes me?"
"He's been thoroughly bribed", Sergio assured her. "He'll be discreet."
The food was excellent, and the wine even better. Sergio was starting to feel pleasantly relaxed as they talked over dessert and coffee. Then she shot him a smile.
"You know, a few days ago I borrowed a magazine from Nairobi, and there was an interesting article in there."
"Really?" he said vaguely. "What was it about?"
"Some guys at Harvard have developed three questions that will determine if a relationship has a good chance of succeeding in the long term."
He suddenly felt very alert as he sat up a little straighter. "What?"
"There's three questions, and if you both give the same answer to all three of them, the relationship has a better chance of success than if your answers differ." She grinned. "Do you want to try answering them?"
"No, I don't!" he said, alarmed. "What if we don't answer the same thing?"
"Don't tell me you of all people would take this sort of pseudo-science seriously", she scoffed.
"I don't", he said. "But I believe in the power of suggestion, and if our answers differ, that might make you question if we're really compatible and then who knows where that would lead?"
She gave him a soft smile. "I'm not going to like you any less if our answers differ."
"I'm not risking it", he said stubbornly.
"But aren't you curious?"
She had him there.
"Yes", he admitted reluctantly.
"Then let's answer them!"
"You really want to do this?"
"Yes!"
"Alright… you go first, then."
She laughed. "No way! Then you'll just copy my answer. I'm going to ask the question, and then we answer at the same time."
"Fine", he grumbled.
"The first question is very simple: do you like horror movies? Answer on three. One… two… three."
"Not really", they both said at the same time, and Sergio felt a surge of relief. That was at least one point in favor of compatibility, then.
"What a strange question to test for romantic success, though", he said.
She nodded thoughtfully. "I think it might measure levels of empathy, but I'm not sure."
"What's the next question?"
"The second one is an objective question about your past, so we don't have to answer at the same time. Have you ever traveled in a foreign country on your own?"
"Yes", he said. "Often. You?"
"Yes", she replied, and he felt another surge of relief. "When I was twenty, I was going to go on a trip with a friend, but she got sick at the last minute and I decided to go without her. I didn't think I was going to enjoy it, but in fact I met a lot of interesting people and I had a great time."
"Alright", he said, tensing again. "What's the last question?"
"That one is a lot harder to answer, so let's take some time to think it over. I'm going to quote it literally as it was formulated in the article: 'Wouldn't it be fun to chuck it all and go live on a sailboat?'"
He didn't really need to think about that. He'd go live on the damn moon if that's where she wanted to go.
"You answer first", he said.
"Yes", she smiled. "I think that might be fun, at least for a while. To sail around the world and see new places and cultures. I'd like that."
He gave her a serious look. "Then let's do that when this heist is over."
"We can't", she shook her head. "Paula has to go to school."
"In the holidays, then", he said. "We can rent a boat and learn to sail it."
She laughed. "Are you sure you want to get back on a boat after today?"
He grinned. "I'll stay in the middle of the deck at all times."
"So does that mean your answer is yes, too?"
"Yes", he said thoughtfully. "The sailboat part isn't entirely necessary for me, but the thought of 'chucking it all' and living a carefree life somewhere? Well, yes. That's kind of what I'm doing this heist for. To escape the system."
She gave him a radiant smile. "Looks like we're compatible then."
He heaved a big sigh of relief. "Thank god."
"Were you worried?"
"A little", he admitted.
She gave him a soft smile. "I wasn't."
He returned her smile. She was so amazing. As he paid the bill and they got up to go, he could feel himself really relax for the first time all day. Their date was almost over now, and – aside from the little mishap on the lake – everything had gone smoothly. All that was left now was to return to the hideout and take her to bed, but he wasn't really worried about that part. As they left the restaurant garden hand in hand, she was humming slightly and he felt like he'd passed an important boyfriend test. Their first date had been great – and now there was nothing that could go wrong anymore. He felt like humming himself as they walked into the fragrant summer night.
To be continued…