8 - The First Date
Annie stared at Ricardo for a few seconds before she spoke.
"Do you know what you're saying, Ricardo?"
"Yes," he said, "I do."
"But Gabi-" she said bewildered.
"I don't love Gabi, I never did," he said. "I was in love with being in love, not with her." "But the wedding-" Annie protested.
"I've always been a ladies man. I wanted to have something different. I wanted to know what it was like to have a family, a *wife*."
"But why Gabi?" Annie asked.
"She -she was there. I did the same with Paula -but things didn't work out."
"I can't believe this," said Annie. "You -you like me."
"It's true" he said.
"But -but how do I know that Ricardo? You just said yourself that you were a ladies man. How do *I* know that I'm not just another Paula, or a Gabi? Or what about all the other women before them? And Ricardo, you're still getting over Gabi's betrayal. I care about you too much to do that to you. It's too soon. "
"Does that mean-?" he began.
Annie started backing towards the door. "Look Ricardo, I can't risk having another relationship like I did with Gregory. I need you to prove to me that this time it's real."
She exited, leaving Ricardo to mull over his thoughts.
Eric grinned at himself in his bathroom mirror and sprayed another few drops of his cologne. "You look, *good*," he said. He glanced over at the flowers waiting for Maria. "I'm going to sweep you off your feet Maria, just like you deserve."
Maria looked in the full-length mirror in her bedroom at Carmen's. She adjusted her sky blue dress. "Why am I making such a fuss over how I look?" she wondered. "I'm just going out with Eric to talk about Ricardo." She shook her head, not allowing herself to think any more thoughts as Benjy came in.
"Maria," said the little boy, still getting used to calling her that "You look pretty."
"Why thank you, Benjy" she said.
"Are you going on a date?" he asked.
"Umm.. not exactly, honey," she said.
But Benjy smiled at her with a knowing child's intuition.
Eric and Maria had just ordered. As the waiter went away Eric laughed.
"I bet you thought I would pick you up in the police car."
"Well the thought did cross my mind that you would 'arrest' me," said Maria not realizing how flirtatious she was being.
"I wouldn't mind keeping you all for myself."
Maria blushed and ducked her head. Suddenly a violinist appeared.
"Let's dance," said Eric taking Maria's hand.
Surprised, and charmed, Maria complied.
"You know, Maria," Eric said as they danced, "I know it's very soon after your divorcee from Ben, but I have to tell you that I'm attracted to you."
"I'm attracted to you, too Eric -and I can't believe how fast it's happening," said Maria.
"Neither can I," he said and they turned around.
Maria couldn't believe what she had just said. It was all true. *But I should keep fighting it she thought. I can't allow myself to be hurt again*. "Eric I can't do this, "she said sitting down.
"Maria," he said following her. "We don't have to rush into anything I know it has hasn't been long."
"I *can't*," she said stubbornly as she grabbed her things and ran out of the restaurant.
Eric ran after her, just as the waiter arrived with their food.
Annie stared at Ricardo for a few seconds before she spoke.
"Do you know what you're saying, Ricardo?"
"Yes," he said, "I do."
"But Gabi-" she said bewildered.
"I don't love Gabi, I never did," he said. "I was in love with being in love, not with her." "But the wedding-" Annie protested.
"I've always been a ladies man. I wanted to have something different. I wanted to know what it was like to have a family, a *wife*."
"But why Gabi?" Annie asked.
"She -she was there. I did the same with Paula -but things didn't work out."
"I can't believe this," said Annie. "You -you like me."
"It's true" he said.
"But -but how do I know that Ricardo? You just said yourself that you were a ladies man. How do *I* know that I'm not just another Paula, or a Gabi? Or what about all the other women before them? And Ricardo, you're still getting over Gabi's betrayal. I care about you too much to do that to you. It's too soon. "
"Does that mean-?" he began.
Annie started backing towards the door. "Look Ricardo, I can't risk having another relationship like I did with Gregory. I need you to prove to me that this time it's real."
She exited, leaving Ricardo to mull over his thoughts.
Eric grinned at himself in his bathroom mirror and sprayed another few drops of his cologne. "You look, *good*," he said. He glanced over at the flowers waiting for Maria. "I'm going to sweep you off your feet Maria, just like you deserve."
Maria looked in the full-length mirror in her bedroom at Carmen's. She adjusted her sky blue dress. "Why am I making such a fuss over how I look?" she wondered. "I'm just going out with Eric to talk about Ricardo." She shook her head, not allowing herself to think any more thoughts as Benjy came in.
"Maria," said the little boy, still getting used to calling her that "You look pretty."
"Why thank you, Benjy" she said.
"Are you going on a date?" he asked.
"Umm.. not exactly, honey," she said.
But Benjy smiled at her with a knowing child's intuition.
Eric and Maria had just ordered. As the waiter went away Eric laughed.
"I bet you thought I would pick you up in the police car."
"Well the thought did cross my mind that you would 'arrest' me," said Maria not realizing how flirtatious she was being.
"I wouldn't mind keeping you all for myself."
Maria blushed and ducked her head. Suddenly a violinist appeared.
"Let's dance," said Eric taking Maria's hand.
Surprised, and charmed, Maria complied.
"You know, Maria," Eric said as they danced, "I know it's very soon after your divorcee from Ben, but I have to tell you that I'm attracted to you."
"I'm attracted to you, too Eric -and I can't believe how fast it's happening," said Maria.
"Neither can I," he said and they turned around.
Maria couldn't believe what she had just said. It was all true. *But I should keep fighting it she thought. I can't allow myself to be hurt again*. "Eric I can't do this, "she said sitting down.
"Maria," he said following her. "We don't have to rush into anything I know it has hasn't been long."
"I *can't*," she said stubbornly as she grabbed her things and ran out of the restaurant.
Eric ran after her, just as the waiter arrived with their food.