It was March 3rd, which is an average day to most, but it was very important to one Don Flamenco; it was Carmen's birthday, and he vowed to make it fantastic.
He had it all planned out; after his five o'clock match against Great Tiger, they would go for an evening out at her favourite chilli place, and after their meal, they would return home for a night of her favourite soaps, chocolate, and sweet, sweet passion.
Arriving at the arena, he had an air of confidence surrounding him. And why wouldn't he? He was fighting for his love! Why, in no time, that little kitty cat will be face down on the mat!
"In this corner, we have the rose's thorn, the fastest dancer this side of Madrid, Don Flamenco! And in this corner, we have the roaring magician from far out in Mumbai, Great Tiger! Fight!"
Don hopped into position. He was continuously bouncing on his toes, itching for victory. When Great Tiger tried to throw his first jab, Don countered back with a tough hook. Even though Great Tiger disappeared for a moment after each hit, it didn't stop Don. There is one thing Romeo Alonzo Cabello is not, and that is a coward!
And down went Great Tiger for his first knockdown. At the count of four, he got back up. However, Don had been watching some of his previous matches, and knew that the gem in Great Tiger's turban always blinked before he attacked. Whenever that flash of white came, Don jumped in for a punch.
Now it was Great Tiger's turn to mess with Don. He cloned himself, and he and his clones hopped back and forth to confuse Don. However, Don was wise to his tricks, and knew that the more brightly-coloured Great Tiger was the real one, and jabbed him right in the gem when he came forward to hit him. This caused Great Tiger to blink back and forth into the ring until eventually falling down and blinking away. Knockout.
The audience went wild, and tossed about a dozen roses to Don. Don raised his arms and puffed his chest, adoring the praise he was getting.
When Don made it to the lounge, a handful of other boxers were talking about the match. "Tu étais fantastique," said Joe, shaking Don's hand. (You were fantastic.)
"Gracias," said Don. "Estoy seguro de que mi amor está orgulloso de mí." (Thank you. I'm sure my love is proud of me.) He looked around. "¿Dónde está Gran Tigre?" (Where is Great Tiger?)
"Pierce is still looking for him," said Katrina, not looking up from her phone. "He thinks he may have teleported himself out of the building."
Don looked surprised, but played it off and chuckled awkwardly. "Si no te importa, mi amada Carmen me está esperando." (If you don't mind, my beloved Carmen is waiting for me.) He strutted out of the lounge.
Within a half hour, Don and Carmen were nuzzled into a booth at the chilli place. Carmen laid her head on Don's shoulder, and Don put an arm around her and kissed the top of her forehead.
Soon, their chilli bowls came, and they began to eat. Carmen blissfully savoured the taste. She could pick out almost every different ingredient; tomatoes, beef, beans, onions, with a dash of celery and salt to taste.
A bit into the meal, she noticed that Don was a rather slow eater, and kept putting his fist over his mouth. "¿Pasa algo, cariño?" (Is something wrong, sweetie?)
"Ay, uh…" Don leaned in, clearly embarrassed. "Este chile me está dando gases." (This chilli is making me gassy.) A small burp escaped him, and he went as red as the food in front of him.
Carmen just giggled. "Oh, tú y tu delicado estómago." (Oh, you and your delicate stomach.)
"¡No tengo un estómago delicado!" Don was getting his feathers in a ruffle. "Yo solo... no como chili a menudo." (I don't have a delicate stomach! I just…I don't eat chilli often.)
The moment they got home, Don let up the burp he'd been holding back from the chilli place and on the drive home. Carmen was surprised. "¡Realmente no comes chile a menudo!" (You really don't eat chilli often!)
Don suppressed his embarrassment by drawing her attention towards the television. "Gran Hotel; tu telenovela favorita." (Grand Hotel; your favourite telenovela.)
The two snuggled together to start the show. Don had set out Carmen's favourite kind of chocolates and two glasses of wine, with the bottle nearby ready for refills.
As the night progressed, many laughs were had, and tears were shed. Carmen was falling asleep on Don's shoulder, and so he picked her up and cradled her in his arms. "Feliz cumpleaños, mi amor." (Happy birthday, my love.)
