Chapter 11

December 23. Hacienda de la Vega.

"Isn't this fun?! Felipe helped us." Lucia cried as she still pointed at something above the door where Diego and Victoria were standing.

All eyes were on Diego and Victoria. On Victoria's cheeks blushes appeared.
Diego was standing frozen and felt lost for words.|
Few seemed to understand why Lucia was having such a good time.

"We put up mistletoe. It is an old custom from Europe. When a man and a woman meet under mistletoe, they must kiss. Otherwise, it brings bad luck." The girl cried out her explanation.

Catharina added. "As long as berries are hanging on the twig. Don Diego must now pick one of the berries and kiss señorita Victoria. Back home, everyone does it."

Lucia made a huff, delighted that her naughty idea of making people kiss worked so successfully.

There were chuckles. Most likely because most people thought it was an amusing idea. And the rebellious tavern owner and the most notorious bachelor kiss was an absurd idea no one ever believed could happen.

Diego felt embarrassed by the situation. He had heard of the custom. In his student days, it was already a tried-and-tested method of young men in love to steal a kiss from señoritas this way.

"What nonsense!" Sputtered Victoria.

Lucia cackled happily on. Her eyes shone with pleasure. "But if you don't do it, it will bring bad luck. And you will never marry." Hopeful, her eyes searched the guests for expressions of amusement and sheer admiration of her daunting plan.

All eyes turned to Diego and Victoria. All guests anxiously awaited what was to happen next. Not kissing would only make matters worse. Diego took Victoria's left hand in his with the idea of giving her a hand kiss. If only to get rid of the hassle. He uttered, ashamed. "It is just a silly custom." He was quite willing to kiss Victoria anytime. It was one of Zorro's and his favourite pastimes. A hand kiss seemed a safe option to him. One that Victoria also would tolerate don Diego given her.

"And it has to be a real kiss. You know, on the lips." Catharina was too quick for him.

"Catharina!" Doña Francisca cried, shocked at so much display of so much insolent behaviour.

Victoria's face turned even redder.

De Soto had watched the scene unfolding, full of amusement. What he had tried to accomplish for weeks, the girl done it in one evening, he thought pleased. Don Diego had captured Victoria's attention, leaving her no option than admitting the weak don was a man. Too bad he hadn't come up with this himself.
He decided to help Diego.
"Come on, don Diego. A man who values traditions as much as you do surely must want to respect them."

Victoria nervously licked her lips.

Diego groaned inaudibly.
Why did she do that? Her full, soft, creamy lips were irresistible to him when they weren't moist and inviting. Now her lips shone even more seductively in the candlelight than earlier. Had Victoria any idea how much strength it cost him to keep his desires and feeings hidden?
Diego stretched out his arm and picked a berry from the twig.
He rolled the white berry between his index finger and thumb.

It could have been worse, whispered that irritating voice in her head that always bothered her when Diego was around.
At least Diego smelt pleasant and wasn't drunk. And he was one of the few caballeros who never tried to force his advances on her, Victoria reasoned. It could also have been the alcalde. A shiver ran down Victoria's spine at the idea having to kiss de Soto. That would be a hundred times worse.|
As Victoria watched anxiously for what was to come, Diego leaned closer and closer to her. His mouth was now so close to hers, she could feel his breath. Don Diego seemed just as nervous as she was. So he didn't want to kiss either?
Of course, Diego didn't want to kiss her, the voice in her head mocked. He had never shown any interest in her, so why start now?
Victoria looked at him somewhat anxiously with wide eyes. She didn't even dare blink. His gaze was so intense it was frightening.

Everyone had their attention turned to them and was waiting for the kiss to happen. No one made a noise. You could literally hear a pin drop.

"It will be fine." Whispered Diego softly so only Victoria could hear him.

Meanwhile, Victoria felt the blush of shame on her cheeks. What a ridiculous tradition. Who had come up with such a stupid idea? Men allowed to kiss women unsolicited? It must have been a man. No woman would ever do such a thing.
Had she suspected someone put up mistletoe, Victoria would have paid closer attention. And she never had chosen to stand anywhere near the bush of weed. Well, unless Zorro was nearby. In any case, she would have dodged Diego or any other man. Darn, why did it just have to be don Diego? That man was annoying enough as it was. There were at least thirty-five other men present. Why couldn't it have been one of them? Any other man would be better, as any man was less terrifying than Diego. Not that she was afraid of don Diego but well…, any men would be better, Victoria kept telling herself.
Had Diego always been so tall? Standing so close by the don he seemed so much longer.

Their lips were so close they could meet at any moment.

It will be fine. It will be just fine, Victoria repeated to herself.
While she knew all too well, it won't be all fine! Not at all!

Diego leaned further towards Victoria and had to restrain himself from pulling her in his arms to kiss her the way he longed to kiss her. His nose filled itself with the smell of the rose perfume Zorro had given her. for her birthday.
He had to restrain himself. Hide his emotions. Kiss the woman he loved without letting on how he was trembeling. It took all his strength to pretend it didn't affect him. Who helped the girls hang the mistletoe? Was it his father's doing? His father never wanted to miss out on any opportunity to get his son interested in any woman.

Only doña Francisca had a hardened expression on her face, showing disapproval.

He had to kiss Victoria. Already it took too long. Should he wait longer, people would start questioning what took him so long.

Victoria felt his breath caressing her cheeks. It made her even more nervous. She held her breath. Waiting for the inevitable.
She squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't bare to look at Diego.

Diego crossed the final half inch between his lips and Victoria's.

Suddenly it happened. Victoria felt his lips burn against hers.
O god! Don Diego was kissing her!

How he did it, he didn't know. But Diego did manage to swallow back a moan.
Immediately afterwards, he quickly withdrew. He had kissed Victoria and kept his emotions in check. Diego felt relieved it was over.

In the background, Lucia and Catharina clapped their hands enthusiastically. "Oh, this is so much fun. And we hung twigs in all the places."

Many caballeros immediately scanned the parlour, hopeful for a sprig of mistletoe and to see if, by chance, anyone was under it.

Victoria stared at Diego. It had happened. In front of a salon filled with guests, she had kissed don Diego. Well, kissed. The kiss Diego had given her could hardly be called a touch. It hadn't lasted for more than a second.
Yet, Victoria felt his touch till down to her toes. And his kiss had not been an unpleasant feeling.
It was...,
It felt...,
It..,
It was...,bad.

So bad.
It had felt nice. Actually, it felt better than nice. It felt rather pleasant. And strangely, the kiss also had a familiar feeling.
It almost had felt as if Diego had kissed her before, which was utter nonsense. The only man she had ever kissed was Zorro. Apart from her father, her brothers that was. Her brothers and father didn't count. It hit Victoria she had kissed Juan Ortiz once. That didn't count either. It happened when both were children.
She had kissed don Diego!
Oh, God! Why did it give her all these strange, disturbing sensations? It had been just one stupid kiss. Forced upon her by some stupid tradition. It had happened. It was over. And all she had to do was forget it ever had happened.
It had been one stupid kiss! Not even that. Just a pair of lip meeting for a mere second because some obnoxious girl had played a trick on everyone.

If there was nothing to it then why did it feel like, when she kissed Diego, the earth had stopped spinning? The way her body reacted to the kiss reminded Victoria of how she felt when Zorro kissed her. It was preposterous because Diego wasn't Zorro. And she loved Zorro. Diego was a friend. She liked Diego. Yes, in the past, she felt attracted to him. But that was years ago. One kiss shouldn't bother her so much.
Careful, Victoria glanced at Diego. He was averting her and seemed relieved it was over. See, he was glad it was over, and so was she.
Why? As far as Diego was concerned they were just good friends.
Victoria wanted to shake off that nerve-racking feeling. Something had happened during their kiss. But what? As by itself, her fingers went to her mouth and touched her lips. Victoria could still feel the warm, soft and gentle sensation of his lips burning against hers.

Then it hit her. What she had felt was love. Was Diego in love with her?
No, he was her friend. Just a friend. Don Diego didn't love HER!
But then why did it feel like it was?
He was her friend! Nothing more, nothing less.
All the air got sucked out of her lungs. Victoria couldn't breathe.
The thought of Diego loving her was too much.
What was she to do? Diego loved her! That was impossible. He had never shown any interest in any woman he even met. Don Diego…, LOVED... HER! In what world was that even possible?

Around her, people begin to resume what they were doing earlier. For some reason, de Soto made a small cheer. Don Alejandro takes a new glass of wine from the table. Lucia and Catharina started bickering with Magdalena insisting she should play something on the piano to dance on.
Doña Francisca shrieks to her daughers to stay away from doorposts.
She had to get out of here. Victoria turns to the garden doors and runs outside.

No one is paying attention to him and Victoria. Except for de Soto, who is encouragingly gesturing with his hands that he should go after Victoria.

Diego finds Victoria leaning against one of the pillars of a porch. She is breathing heavily.
He is not sure what to say. Something happened during the kiss. That much he had felt. But what this meant and what Victoria could deduce from it was a mystery to him.
Victoria seems to have the same problem. She does not look at him and makes a aggitated impression.
Diego clears his throat. He has to be careful not to give away something she doesn't already know.
"We have to...",

"Why did you..." Both started talking at the same time.

Diego utters. "You go first."

.

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