Summary:

ACT I: BRUNO
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Bruno finds himself back at the bar, where fate allows him to meet her again.

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The theme songs for this chapter: Da Ya Think I'm Sexy by Rod Stewart ft. DNCE and Despacito by Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee

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Bruno had not heard back from Julián about the audition results for the past two weeks.

The dream felt more and more out of reach. It had been hard for him not to think about it, but thankfully, he managed just fine even with near sleepless nights and dazed days. Other work kept Bruno occupied. If he wasn't busy running shifts at the café with Cecilia, he would be doing his modeling gigs on the side. He wasn't a big enough celebrity to get recognized just yet, but he was always pleasantly surprised when some random person on the street stopped him for a photo. Bruno never lets it go to his head, though, for he had even bigger, bolder plans for his life.

Except…why was he back at the bar again?

When night fell, his sense of self-preservation broke and he would always find himself back to where it all began.

"It's like you never learned anything at all, forcing yourself through this…" Bruno muttered to himself as he stared into his glass. The bartender knew him enough by now from his constant visits that even before Bruno said a word, a drink would already be served in front of him.

"Back again, huh, señor?" The bartender asked. Bruno simply shrugged. He wondered if the good man knew why he kept coming back to the same bar, night after night. Not to discredit the bartender's genius — he looked like a skilled craftsman who cared about what he's serving, and it was the reason why the place was almost always packed. But Bruno wasn't there for the drinks. For some reason, Bruno had been sucked into a vice. It was like gambling, the way he would test his mettle. Sometimes he was lucky, sometimes he was not. But even on luckier nights, there was always a feeling close to supernatural that would prevent Bruno from getting to her in time.

Bruno became an addict for her presence, and he had been chasing that high ever since.

"You can't simply rush it, Bruno, that's not how things work." Tomás mused when he told him and Cecilia everything.

"So you do believe in fate then?" Bruno let out a defeated sigh. "Then what's the point of even going forward if it's not meant to be in the first place?"

Tomás' body vibrated, a wide grin set on his face. "I don't confirm nor deny my beliefs, but…I can only tell you this. The more you force things, the more they will run away from you. You may think I'm being cliché and all, and maybe I am, but to preface it with a story of my own…I wouldn't have made it here, met Cecilia too…" He nudged his wife who turned to him with so much love in her eyes. "...if I didn't focus on getting myself to where I wanted to be. There is no use worrying about things you can't control, Bruno. Just trust the process."

Bruno would never understand how Tomás managed to get him to talk. He couldn't even tell his best friend or his sisters when they asked how he was doing.

"That's mi esposo for you," Cecilia beamed when he asked her a few days later about what she saw in Tomás. "I did say he was never a handsome man, but I didn't fall in love with him for his looks."

"So what made you say yes?" Bruno glanced over at her while he worked on an order. "I mean, to everything about him?"

She clicked her tongue, taking the finished drink from his hands. "Hm, looks aren't everything. People grow old. What doesn't change is how someone will treat you, twenty…even fifty years from now. Do you want to know why I fell for Tomás?"

"That's why I asked?"

Cecilia ignored Bruno's snarky comment and continued like it never happened. "I fell for Tomás because of his heart. He always understood me, even when everything in my life didn't make sense. And maybe, I'm not really into very handsome men?" Her eyes twinkled while Bruno took in her words. "What's with that look? I'm just teasing you! But yeah, Tomás is my type. You willingly opened up to both of us because you can sense it too, don't you?"

"Sense what?"

Cecilia gently patted his shoulder as she handed him another ticket to complete. "Ah, Bruno, to be young and naive. You'll understand it soon. Now, when you find this mystery girl of yours, promise me you'd be the kind of man she needs, okay? Sometimes, there's more to people than meets the eye. No matter what, just be honest, and I'm sure she'll feel like she's the lucky one."

He knew better than to argue. Of course, everything they said made sense. And therefore, Bruno wasn't forcing anything by being back here, right?

Little did he know what tonight held in store. He scanned the crowd when the music started, and there she was again. His palms began to sweat when their eyes met.

Has she finally realized his existence?

She smiled.

Que carajo.

Bruno slammed down his Carajillo in one gulp and the bartender suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He placed a cocktail glass in front of Bruno. "On the house."

"Uh, thanks…?" Bruno blinked at the suspiciously pale green liquid. "What's this?"

"An Absinthe cocktail. It's part of our secret menu." The man said coolly before walking away. Bruno gave the bartender a questioning look when he added further. "Good luck."

Good luck?

Bruno observed the drink and lifted it close to his nose to take a whiff. The cocktail looked like a gin martini, except it has the same distinct scent as his go-to guaro. Nothing looked worrying about it that he could detect, and the drink came from the bartender himself. If there was anything unusual, the man would have lost business a long time ago. Bruno decided that there was no harm in trying. "Bottoms up, then."

It went down too easily, which was a good thing, because the moment he finished, the lady in red heels was already on her way to him.

Panic settled itself in. He wasn't ready.

He pretended to not notice her when she took a seat next to him at the counter. Even with the deafening music, strangely, he could hear her loud and clear. The way she sounded was almost, if not exactly, as he imagined it to be. "I've noticed you've been checking me out." She teased.

Say something! Bruno tried to speak, but the alcohol hadn't kicked in, and…

"José tells me you're here almost every night." She murmured with a lilting tone as she folded her hands onto her lap. "You sometimes go big or go home and it's interesting, to say the least. Why is that?"

"José?" Bruno finally managed to find his voice. His mouth fell slightly agape when he noticed what she was wearing. Her caramel skin was complemented by a pretty red dress, one that would be sensual and sexy but still respectable enough to twirl in. His eyes followed the curve of her leg down to those heels that he couldn't keep his mind off since the first day he saw her.

"Oh, yes, José's the bartender. Good man. Did you know this bar was a gamble? He thought it wouldn't last very long, but I told him that he's too much of a genius for it to fail…um, excuse me, my eyes are up here."

Bruno immediately whipped his head up to meet her stare. Green, just like his, but maybe a little bit darker, close to olive or hazel. It was kind of hard to tell. "Ah, lo siento, I didn't mean to…"

"I'm just messing with you!" She laughed. "But, I've got to ask, why are you here every night? You're not some raging alcoholic, are you?"

The absinthe thankfully kicked in.

"Me? No, no." He waved a hand. Then before he could filter his thoughts, he went right into the offensive. "I'm sorry. I hope I don't sound like a creep, but I've seen you dance before and I was immediately smitten with you."

"Sounds like something a creep would say. Is that your pickup line?"

Bruno motioned to the exit. "Was that a terrible one? Sorry, should I go back out and head in again?"

Her whole body shook as she tried not to break into fits. "You're funny. I like you."

"Thanks, I try." Bruno grinned. His heart swelled with pride when he heard her words. This was his chance. "¿Me das tu número?"

She pursed her lips, lightly drumming her fingers on the counter. "Hm, I don't know. I don't hand it out to every cute guy that looks my way…but maybe, if you buy me a drink, I'll reconsider?"

The girl blinked in surprise when Bruno called José's attention. "Maestro, a drink for this lovely señorita, por favor? Whatever her poison is. Make it two."

José's lips twitched upwards in amusement. He arrived with two Mojitos moments later, handing one to Bruno and the other to her. "Play nice, okay?" He clicked his tongue at the both of them before leaving them be.

If this was a dream, please don't wake him up. He would not want to wake up.

They spend the first half of the night talking, getting to know each other. She hadn't told him her name yet, but it didn't matter. Conversation flowed easily between them and it felt as natural as breathing. Bruno's heart beat in anticipation the entire time. Here he was, finally talking to the girl of his dreams. Don't mess this up. Knock on wood.

"So, Mojitos, huh?" Bruno questioned. He knew he should stop drinking soon before he even got too hammered. He was now in his third drink for the night, but common sense be damned, it was future Bruno's problem. "Let me guess. You travel a lot, have a tattoo or two, and like being mysterious?"

She covered her mouth to hide a smile. "Do you judge people's drink orders for a living?"

"Not really. Am I correct?"

Bruno's cheeks heated up when she playfully tapped him on the shoulder. "How would you know that? Amazing. I am indeed an avid traveler, and I do have tattoos." She shows off the delicate tattoo of a clef note on her wrist as she says it. He whistled in appreciation.

"That's just one tattoo, though. You said, 'tattoos'."

She pulled her hand back and fluttered her lashes. "It's a surprise where my other tattoo is. I have two." He blushed at the thought and his mind started reeling from all the possibilities. "Anyway, my turn to guess. Are you…a coffee snob?"

"Me?" Bruno sputtered. "I'm not even drinking coffee right now. What would make you say that?"

"Oh, you've got a reputation here. I've heard you only ever order Carajillos…that, or you'd take the whole bottle of Amarillo and slam it down. So, maybe not a coffee snob…you're a full-on hipster!"

His eyes grew wide and she finally broke into laughter at his reaction. God, even her laugh sounds melodic. "I'm not a hipster!" He huffed indignantly, making her laugh even harder. What kind of people would be gossiping in a bar? Still, he was flattered that she took note of his favorites. "I…I just happen to appreciate a good cup of coffee, and when I want to get blackout drunk, the traditional is the way to go! At least, that's how we did it back in my hometown."

"Oh, you're from the countryside, are you?"

"I am." Bruno had some sense to keep his true identity a secret, even if disclosing it might earn him some points with her. He smoothly redirected the conversation away from him. "But enough about me. What about you? Besides the wanderlust and the ink and the way you're making me curious, wondering if you're flirting with me, what do you drink when you want to party?"

"Is it not yet that obvious?" She leaned forward with a cheesy grin. "I'm flirting with you alright."

The mutual attraction was obvious from the get-go, but Bruno wasn't sure earlier if she was interested in him. Now that she confirmed it, it made his thoughts go haywire. He'd be damned if nothing else happens. Bruno gulped, hanging on to every word she said. Was he turned on by the way she slowly took a sip of her drink before she continued?

Maybe.

"I don't drink often, but tequila all the way. Then, of course, I follow it up with some dancing!" Right on cue, the DJ pumped up the music and her eyes immediately sparkled. "Oh, I love this song! Do you dance?"

"Who, me? No, no, no, I'm not a good dancer like you." He flustered. "I only dance when no one's around."

She boldly took his hand and Bruno's heart dropped to the floor. He had to remember how to breathe. "Just one dance with me, and I promise, I'll give you my number."

Do not let her go again.

"Okay, okay, I'll hold you to it. But fair warning, you won't be able to keep up with my moves." Bruno joked as she led him onto the dance floor.

"I think I'll manage. Do you know they call me the dance queen of Bogotá?"

"Are you looking for a king then? I'd gladly fill up that position."

She grinned as the beat overtook them both. "Maybe. Come on, show me what you've got."

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Glossary of terms (in order of appearance in-text):
Guaro - a popular slang term in Colombia for aguardiente.
Que carajo - What the f*ck
Absinthe cocktail - a classic, old-school cocktail found in many bartending books, including Jerry Thomas' "Bartenders Guide" from 1887. It is considered one of the purest ways to enjoy absinthe.
Gin martini - another classic cocktail that only requires a few key ingredients, but the main stars are gin and dry vermouth.
Me das tu número - Can I have your number
Maestro - Master
Mojito - a traditional Cuban highball. It is popular as a summer drink.
Tequila - a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily found in the area surrounding the city of Tequila and in the Jaliscan Highlands of Mexico.