Chapter 5

It was Friday, and Rodrigo was working the morning shift. At about 11:00, Mom got up from her lounge chair by the pool and went and sat at the bar. I kept my eye on her. I knew Rodrigo wasn’t charging her for all her drinks, and he talked and laughed with my mother every chance he had.

A little after noon, Mom came over and told me. “Rodrigo and I are going to grab a quick lunch, and then we will be going up to our room. Do you think you can find something to do for a few hours?”

“What do you mean by a few hours?” I asked.

Mom thought for a moment and said, “Four o’clock should be safe, and then we can get ready and go get dinner.”

“That’s four hours, Mom!”

Mom shrugged, smiled, and returned to the bar to wait for Rodrigo.

The waitress came over and asked, “Would you like a drink, James?”

I know I sounded downcast as I answered, “Yeah, I really could use another beer.”

The waitress sounded like she knew more than I wanted people to know, “I see Rodrigo is going with your mother again. This is good. He had a wonderful time the other night.”

I felt my neck get red as I confronted the waitress, “What the hell did he tell you about the other night?”

She smiled at me, “Only that he made love to her.”

I was getting angry. “Does Rodrigo tells you everything about my mother?”

“Ci, I am Maria, his sister. He cannot stop telling me how wonderful the American lady is. How beautiful she is and how sexy she is. That no one can compare to her in bed, it’s exhausting at times.”

I was starting to calm down, “Crap. He’s not spreading this all over the hotel, I hope. I will kill him if he is. My mother is not a floozy or a slut. This is my mother’s first time with a man since my father died.

Maria shook her head emphatically, “No, no, Rodrigo would never do something like that. He is smitten with your mother and would never do anything to hurt her.”

“Damn it. It’s all my fault for getting my mother to buy a bikini and teasing and encouraging her.”

Maria laughed. “That is probably the best thing you have ever done for her, Mr. Connelly. She would not be with my brother right now if she wasn’t enjoying herself. She is on vacation and putting her grief aside. Let her have this happy time, and when you go home, your mother will again know what an attractive woman she is and maybe find someone to marry her and make her happy. Men are not the only ones that need the reassurance of their attractiveness to the opposite sex.”

Maria gave me some more good advice, “Let Rodrigo and your mother have their little affair. While you are here and when you go home, assure her that what she is doing is what you want for her. You are her son, and if she thinks you will think less of her, she may never reach out to a man again for fear that you will be disappointed in her. Mothers are like that. They will sacrifice their happiness for the sake of their sons.”

“I think you’re right, Maria. Thanks.”

Maria patted my hand, “There you go, Mr. Connelly. Keep encouraging her, and for God’s sake, smile.”

“Thanks again, I will.”

“It was nice talking to you, but I have to get back to work. I will get your beer.” Maria left me with a lot to think about.

I tried to keep my mind off what my mother and Rodrigo might be doing by swimming in the pool and walking on the beach. It seemed like the longest four hours of my life.

It was a little after four o’clock when I went to our room. Remembering what Maria said, I tried to remain upbeat. Mom was freshly showered, dressed, and fussing with her hair while looking in the mirror over the dresser.

Mom greeted me no differently than if she had just returned from a four-hour shopping trip, “Hi, Honey. Take a shower and get dressed. I’m all set. I don’t need the bathroom anymore.”

“Okay, Mom, I won’t be long.”

Dinner was uneventful. After dinner, we stopped at one of the clubs, had a few drinks, and danced. Mom was enjoying herself, and so was I. We laughed as we tried a couple of line dances the MC encouraged folks to do as he demonstrated the steps. There were even a few slow dances where Mom held me tight and would kiss my cheek. I kissed her cheek, and she hugged me tighter.

It was around 1:00 a.m. when we got back to the hotel. Mom went into the bathroom to change into her shorty pajamas. I just stripped to my boxers and went to bed.

Mom came out in her pajamas with her clothes in her hand and put them away. She got in bed. “Thanks for taking me dancing, James. I enjoyed being with you tonight.”

I thought about Mom’s afternoon affair with Rodrigo, “Are you having a good time, Mom?”

“Oh yes, I’m having a wonderful time.”

Just the way my mother said those words let me know she had no regrets, “I’m glad, Mom. I’m happy for you and Rodrigo. I think he is just what you need right now. I talked to his sister Maria this afternoon. She is convinced he is smitten with you. He thinks you’re the best woman he has ever been with.”

Mom sounded pleased, “She said that?”