Chapter 5 The Fall

Like a moth to the flame Diego was attracted to Victoria. Now that Carmen was no longer there to distract him, he couldn't stay away from the tavern anymore. After their encounter the day before he needed to see her, although he knew that it was foolish. He sat down at Mendoza table and invited him for lunch to share the latest news.

"Diego, now that the senora de Guadalquivir has left, you want to make up with your old friends again after you have ignored us the last weeks? I never thought you were so unreliable." Victoria accused him.

Victoria was still confused after the meeting with Zorro yesterday and the lack of sleep made her irritable and inattentive which lead to many broken dishes and annoyed customers.

"The senorita is right," Mendoza agreed, "you haven't spent a lot of time with anybody else recently."

"I'm sorry, you got that impression from me," Diego apologized. "What about an extra portion of tamales for our sergeant here."

"That is really graceful of you, Don Diego," the sergeant was easily mollified.

"Don't think you can turn a friendship on or off like that, Diego." Victoria was still angry at him.

Diego followed her with his eyes when she left the table and went upstairs to carry some towels to the guest rooms. She had just reached the top step when a small child suddenly emerged from one of the guest rooms heading straight for the stairs. Startled she let the towels fall when she slipped on the stairs. In vain she tried to regain her balance while she was tumbling backwards. Before she hit the ground, she was caught by two strong arms.

All eyes were directed at the little boy who was crying loud from the fright he had received and nobody paid attention to the fact that Diego had just saved Victoria from a terrible fall.

"Are you alright?" Diego asked her concerned after he had put her down again.

Surprised she looked at him. "I'm fine. Thank you." She was a little shaken and did not realize that his hands were still holding her at the shoulders. "How were you able to catch me when you were sitting across the room?"

Diego said nothing and only stared at her. He raised his hand, but before he touched her cheek, he released her abruptly as if she was a hot iron and headed for the door leaving his food untouched at the table. Puzzled by his odd behavior she looked after him as he crossed the plaza for the office of The Guardian. When he reached the well at the center, he stopped shortly to splash water into his face as if he needed to cool down although it was a chilly day.

At siesta Victoria went to The Guardian's office where Diego was sitting at his desk when Victoria entered.

"Victoria, what can I do for you?" he asked, rising politely to greet her.

"Diego, you left the tavern so suddenly that I didn't even have the chance to thank you properly. You probably saved my life today."

"Well, it was nothing. I just happened to be there at the right time," he tried to sound indifferently, but he stared at her. Frantically he tried to keep himself under control, but simply her sight was erasing his composure by the second.

The longing to hold her in his arms was nearly irresistible, but as Diego he couldn't show his love to her. Today he had been close to reveal himself and kiss her in the middle of the tavern when he felt her in his arms. He didn't know how longer he could stand it and he rather avoided her than being tempted by her presence while she was out of reach for him.

"If there is nothing else then you must excuse me, I have something important to attend to." He turned his back to her and headed for the table with the types.

"Diego, why do you hate me? Where has our friendship gone?" Hurt by his rude manners she turned around with tears in her eyes and stormed out of the door.

"I don't hate you, Victoria," he turned back again just in time to see her hurt look before she left. "I love you," he whispered to the empty door.