Mexican Hospitality

Ana sat at the window and stared out. She had gotten Marcus to me a co-owner of the hotel so that she could move with Jordan. She wasnt having second thoughts, just nervous. She hummed an old spanish lullaby to herself and stared out.

Jordan had used the phone his room to call up a few contacts and get a passport and green card for Ana. She had given him all the info he needed and the passport would be coming in on the company plane that he had requistioned in the morning. Lots of favors and a few greased palms were needed to get it all set up, but he was happy to do it. About half way through the arrangements, he considered that she might not be ready for all of this. He reminded himself to talk to her about it and see if she was ok.

Ana stood up and walked into the small kitchen in the room. she pulled out a bottle of soda from the fidge and pulled the cover off. Taking a long drink she felt it began to bubble within her. Then a loud belch escaped her lips. She blushed and covered her mouth, \"Oh pardona me.\"

Jordan hung up the phone. \"Good one.\" Standing up and stretching, he walked over to her. \"Ana, are you sure you want to do this? I want you to come with me, but I just want to make sure this is what you really want.\"

\"I am sure,\" she said stroking his arm, \"I wouldnt have said it if I wasnt sure. Now all I need to do is find something to do once I get there.\"

\"I\'m sure you will find something. If not, you can go to school for whatever you want to do.\" Jordan wasn\'t rich by any means, but he didn\'t have to worry about money either. He wrapped his arms around her. \"Though, you will have to marry me within a year if you want to stay,\" he said, grinning.

\"Marry you?\" she asked a little nervous. She wasnt sure if was ready for that step. She smiled, \"That would be a good thing,\" she said then pressed her face to his chest. Then she finally made a decision, \"That would be a wonderful thing..if you should ever decided on that.\"

Joran smiled at her. \"Well, I can\'t officially ask you, I don\'t have a ring, plus a motel room isn\'t the most... intimate... place to do it, but-\" Jordan took her hands in his and got down on one knee in front of her. He didn\'t know really what he was doing. He had only known her for a couple days, and already he was asking her to marry him? Was he insane? ~Or am I in love?\" he asked himself. \"Ana? Will you marry me?\"

Ana watched him with her mouth gaping open. Was he serious? She was stunned! She only knew him for a couple of days and he was asking her to marry him. \"Jordan I...Yes!\"

Jordan fought the urge to cheer and instead wrapped his arms around her thighs and stood up, picking her up into the air. He laughed into her shirt, then looked up. \"Thank you.\"

She laughed, \"For what?\" she asked

\"For saying yes, silly.\" He let her slide through his arms until she was eye level with him.

\"No need to thank me,\" she said, \"Thank my heart.\"

He scrunched down and buried his head between her breasts. Taking in a lungful of her scent, he said a muffled \'thank you\' to her heart.

She giggled couldnt believe he did that, \"You are something else Jordan,\" she said, \"Think we should celebrate?\"

He brought himself back up. \"Sure, what have you got in mind? We\'d have to go get Angie from Marcus if we go somewhere.\"

\"Ah hon,\" she said, \"I dont live here remember?\"

\"Ok, then you place then. Sorry for the confusion.\" He smiled and threw a discarded t-shirt of his at her.

She ducked the shirt, \"Hey watch where you aiming that thing nature boy,\" she joked as she walked over to him, \"You ready?\"

\"Yeah, I\'m ready. Lead the way.\" He extended his hand towards the door.

Ana left and got into her car. She waited for Jordan to get in before starting the engine. When they stopped infron of Amore someone came out to take the car. \"Come on,\" she said taking his hand. As they walked in the door someone called out to Ann, \"Ricardo!\" she greeted him and gave him a hug, \"I would like you to meet my fiancee Jordan.\" Ricardo\'s mouth hung opened, \"Your what now?\" he asked.

\"My fiancee. Jordan this is my best friend in the whole entire world Ricardo Lopez.\" Ricardo extended a hand to Jordan, \"man you must be something if she is even going to consider getting hitched again,\" he told Jordan.

Jordan extended his hand. \"Its good to meet you, Ricardo. As for a good catch, you\'d have to ask her.\"

Ana grinned, \"We are here to have a private dinner Rick can you set it up?\" The man beamed, \"Can I!\" he said excitedly, \"Right this way Senor Y senora!\"

Jordan let Ana lead while he brought up the rear. The place was nice, with traditional architecture and semblance. Jordan was an architect by trade, so he tended to notice these things.

Ana sat down in the chair that Rick pulled out for her, \"Gracias,\" she said and waited for Jordan to sit. \"Would you like anything to drink?\" Ricardo asked. Ana looked at Jordan then at Ricardo, \"Can I have a beer, make it a Bud.\"

\"I\'ll have an MGD if you have one.\"

\"Coming right up,\" Ricardo said then waved to someone. Soon he was gone and another waitor came and handed them menus. \"So what do you think?\" Ana asked.

Jordan looked around the room as he took the menu. \"Its really a nice place. Do you come here often?\"

\"Yah,\" she said glancing down at her the menu, \"I come here every friday. I just dont know how I\'m going to tell Rick that I\'m leaving. He\'s going to take it the hardest.\"

\"Yeah,\" Jordan said to his menu. There wasn\'t any way to make it easy, unfortunately. \"I feel sort of guilty...\" he let his words die off as he closed the menu and set it next to him.

\"Dont feel that way,\" Ana said, \"I\'m a grown woman. And besides, I can always come and visit.\"

He smiled at her. She was taking this better than he would. \"Yeah, I guess. We can visit often. It shouldn\'t be a problem. When are you going to tell him?\"

She took a deep breath as she looked up and saw him walking back. She looked at Jordan then back at Ricardo, \"So does this mean you\'re moving?\" Ricardo asked. Ana stared at him as tears stung the back of her eyes, \"Yah,\" she said, \"But I promise to come back and visit often.\" Ricardo looked away from her, \"I\'m sorry Rick,\" she said standing up to hug him, \"I am so sorry.\" Ricardo looked down into her eyes. She could see sadness there and she started cry. She pulled into his arms and rested her head against his shoulder, \"I promise to come back and visit,\" she said again through her tears. Ricard pulled her up so that he was looking to her eyes, \"I will hold you to that Ana,\" he said, \"You know I love you right?\" Ana smiled, \"I know, and I will call your lovely wife and let her know.\"

Jordan sat still during their goodbyes. He felt for both of them, loosing a best friend is hard, especially to something like this. Jordan would be between them forever more, and that had to make it hard for them. As Ricardo walked off to get something, Jordan looked at her tear stained eyes. \"Are you ok?\" Jordan held out his napkin in case she wanted to use it.

Ana took it and dried her eyes, \"Yes,\" she said, \"He knows when I make a promise I keep it.\" she said, \"Dont worry, you are going to see tons from him.\"

\"I look forward to it.\" Jordan was about to speak up when the waiter returned. He quickly looked over the menu again while he waited for Ana to order.

\"I\'ll have some fajitas with wings please,\" she said, \"And a glass of grape juice.\"

\"Grape juice after a beer? You are more daring than I gave you credit for.\" Jordan said through a chuckle. \"I\'ll have the wet-burrito with chives,\" he told the waiter.

Ana stuck her tongue out at him, \"Well you have a lot to learn about me Jordan.\"

A grin raced across his face. \"And I hope to learn everything about you.. some things sooner than others.\"

She grinned, \"Well,\" she said, \"What do you have in mind for after?\"

\"A little learning about each other. Want to make sure we know what we are.. capable of.\" Jordan realized how corny that sounded, like right out of a B movie. \"Sorry, I guess I\'m getting ahead of myself.\"

She giggled and reached for his hand, \"We are getting married Jordan,\" she said smiling proudly, \"you are allowed.\"

\"Yeah. Just don\'t want to repeat my mistakes from the first one of these I went through.\" The only good thing that came out of his first marriage was Angie... and meeting Ana. \"So, you haven\'t even asked where I\'m whisking you off to.\"

\"I trust you,\" she said looking away from him, \"I\'m sure its nice...By the way, where are you taking me?\" she grinned at him.

Its a suburb of Chicago. I\'ve got a nice house with a large yard. I have a summer place in northern Michigan. All in all, I think you will like it, but we will have to get you a warm coat before snow flies.\"

\"Snow,\" she said and shivered, \"I dont know if I like snow. I\'ve never been in it.\"

\"Its not that bad, Not around Chicago. Though if we go to the place in Michigan the drifts can get as tall as you are, and I\'m not knocking your height, they are that large.\" As he finished talking thier food showed up.

She grinned, \"are you calling me large?\" she asked pretending to be angry, \"Men.\"

Jordan shook his head. \"Not large, short.\" He waited until she dug into her food then he followed suit.

She only shook her head and hung her head to hide a smile, \"You are something else,\" she said, \"So will you warm me up at nights when I am cold?\"

\"I think that can be arranged, yes. In fact, I\'ll warm you up whenever you need it, not just at night, and not just when you are cold.\"

\"Good answer,\" she said smiling and chewing, \"mmm this is good.\"

Jordan dabbed his napkin on his mouth. \"Yes, the food is good. My compliments to the chef.\"

Ana began pushing her food aroun don her plate. Something in the back of her head was nagging at her. She hated that.

\"Something wrong, dear?\" Jordan set his fork down and leaned over the table towards her.

\"Nothing,\" she said placing some food in her mouth, \"Nothing is wrong. At least I dont think so.\"

\"You look like something is nagging at you. I just wondered if I could help with anything.\" He put one hand out on the table next to her, palm up, hoping she would take it if she needed it.

Ana watched his hand then placed her hand into it. She hoped he would squeeze. That would make her feel that everything was going to be alright. That she was doing the right thing. That she loved him enough.

Jordan gave her hand a gentle squeeze, not hard enough to be firm, but not weak enough to make him seem like he didn\'t care. He loved Ana, and it hurt him to see her like this, knowing that it was him that had made her that way. \"You... we.. will be ok.\"

She looked up to him to meet his eyes. She smiled, \"Then buy met hat sweater and prepare to keep me warm.\"

Jordan smiled at her. \"Consider it done.\" With a final squeeze, he let her hand go and picked up his fork. He had a little pang of regret that he was going so quick with her, but he couldn\'t help himself. It felt so right. \"We should hurry and get back to your place. I suppose you have some packing to do.\"

She nodded, \"Yes,\" she said taking a drink from her juice, \"Not much though.\"

Jordan finished the last of his meal and pushed his plate away. Picking up his beer, he took the last swig out of it.

Ana wiped the corner of her mouth then looked around for Rick. She caught his attention and waved him over.

\"I\'ll be right back.\" He decided to go to the bathroom while they talked. They didn\'t need him around right now. Goodbyes are hard enough without the reason for the goodbye sitting across from you while you did it.

\"Yah,\" Ana said. Ricardo sat down in Jordan\'s seat and took her hand. \"Its not too late to change your mind you know,\" he told her. Ana smiled, \"I know,\" she said, \"but I love him and I love Angie.\" Ricardo looked at her closer, \"What does Angie have to do with this?\" Ana smiled, \"Thats her father,\" she told her friend, \"Kathrine kidnapped her from him and brought her here. He has papers showing he’s her legal father.

Jordan came out of the bathroom and saw them talking, instead of walking over to the table he went out onto the patio. The night was cooling off, but there was still a warm breeze blowing. Jordan looked out over the land, finally seeing what Ana saw in this place, what he couldn\'t see until this moment. ~I almost wish I could stay here.~

Ana squeezed Ricardo\'s hand. She then reached into her purse and paid for their dinner, \"Look Rick, keep an eye on the place for me ok,\" she said. He nodded, \"I promise.\"

He pulled out a locket, it was Angie\'s. It was left in the hurry when Katherine took Angie from him. Opening it, he saw a picture of Katherine and himself. WIth the tip of a finger, he pulled out the picture of Katherine. Finishing out a lighter from his pocket, he struck up a flame and put it to her picture. Watching it burn, he felt something leave him, some terrible pressure on his shoulders. It felt like he was being set free, or maybe he was freeing Angie from Katherine. In time, Angie would want to know why he took out Katherine\'s picture, but he hoped to put a picture of Ana in it soon.

Jordan closed the locket and walked back towrds the door to the restraunt.

Ana looked up as Jordan came back. She stood up and hugged Ricardo. She then fished a piece of paper from her pocket and wrote her email address to it along with her cell number, \"I will be changing the area code for it but i will let you know keep in touch.\" Ricardo smile, \"You bet.\"

\"Are you ready to go Ana?\" Jordan asked gently, not wanting to interrupt.

Ana kept her eyes on Rick, \"Yah,\" she said, \"I\'m ready.\" She took Jordan\'s hand and walked out with him. Waving over her shoulder at Ricardo.