CHAPTER TWELVE

     Back at the villa, Santiago paced back and forth at the foot of the broad staircase, causing his shiny shoes to click repeatedly on the marble floor. For the hundredth time in fifteen minutes, he adjusted his jet-black tuxedo and bow tie while glancing anxiously at his watch.

     7:54pm. And the occasion was slated for 8:00pm.

     “Come on, munéquita,” he called out, his voice slightly tinged with frustration. “At this rate, the party will be over when we arrive. And that’ll look bad for me.”

     “Do you ever stop thinking about yourself? Even for once?”

     Santiago spun around to the sound of Lola’s irritated voice, relieved she was finally out. Then the words died in his throat when he spotted her at the summit of the stairs. 

     Slowly and deliberately, her heeled feet took her down the steps. Her silky, black dress flowed to the ground like an obsidian river with numerous jewels embedded in the fabric.  A long slit parted the lower part of the gown, exposing an enticingly great deal of her left thigh. The upper part was both sleeveless and strapless, leaving her arms and shoulders bare as well as exposing a fair amount of cleavage. Long, white gloves covered her hands up to her elbows, and a José’s diamond-encrusted necklace generously adorned her neck and collarbone. Her dark brown hair was held back in an elaborate bun, decorated with a single butterfly-shaped hairpiece placed on the side. As she got closer, he noticed the finer details on her face; little makeup, shaped eyebrows, mascara’ed eyes, transparent lip gloss, and lightly powdered cheeks. 

     Santiago didn’t realize that his heart had quickened its pace, or that his mouth had been slightly open for a minute or so. All he did was maintain a silent, unwavering gaze at Lola until she dropped off the last step. Only then did he realize that he’d been holding his breath. 

     “Well?” she asked with a nervous smile and clasped hands. “What do you think?”

     Santiago’s brain was still in its booting process, still taking in the ethereal sight before him. When Esmeralda and Lola went through the dresses several hours ago, he’d had a good idea of how they'd look on her. But, somehow, she managed to make it appear even better than he’d seen earlier. She looked enchantingly stunning, like her own version of a Disney princess. But Santiago wasn’t eager to give away just how impressed he was; he still wished to take some of the credit.

     “What do you mean ‘what do you think’? I picked the dress and jewelry. The shoes, too. Of course, I knew it would come out perfect.”

     “No, you didn’t,” Lola retorted with a raised eyebrow. “I made the pick. Everything on me was solely my choice. I didn’t even choose this dress until the very last second.”

     “And who do you think approved of the designs Diego made? Or the accessories from José? Was that your choice as well?”

     “Ugh,” Lola groaned, rolling her eyes. “Fine. You win. I don’t even know why I expected you to have a decent opinion. You can be such a handful at times.”

     Santiago wore a mischievous smile. “Of course you’d know about that, doll face. Come on, now. Let’s make quite the entrance.” 

     About ten minutes later, they were nestled comfortably in the back seat of a limousine, cruising smoothly through busy late evening traffic. Santiago was already on his second glass of champagne from the built-in cooler in the back seat, drawing judgmental stares from Lola. She opted for some bubble gum from a candy tray instead, claiming it had soothing effects on her frayed nerves. When the chauffeur drove the limo into a sprawling, luxurious estate, Santiago reached into his suit pocket and produced a small, black box.

     “The missing ingredient,” he announced, holding up the box like an explorer who discovered a rare gem. 

     “Yeah, sure,” Lola uttered absentmindedly, her eyes still fixed on the ring. Like her necklace, the metal band carried diamonds cut into strips around the edge of the silver ring. It was a simplistic yet uniquely clever design that spoke volumes of the creativity of its artist—the crazy-looking José Inacio.

      “You sound dull,” Santiago noted, cocking his head. “Are you alright?”

     Lola nodded slowly. “Yeah, of course. It’s just that… that ring was insanely expensive. So was this necklace. Just like the dress and everything that came along with it. Just how much are you willing to spend to keep this lie afloat?”

     Santiago scoffed. “Allow me to worry about that, munéquita. All you have to do is keep up appearances and play your part. Easy peasy.”

     “Right,” said Lola as the car did a semicircle around a massive, illuminated water fountain. Santiago detached the ring from its box and held her hand in place. Lola, on the other hand, simply watched as he slid the ring on her gloved forefinger, her face void of excitement or emotion.

     “I may have forgotten to mention,” Santiago added casually, “that the potential business partner I’m meeting tonight—who’s also responsible for glamorously hosting us—specifically asked to see you.”

     Lola frowned. “Me? Why?”

     Santiago grinned at the panic in her voice. “It’s nothing to worry about. He simply wants to meet the famous lady who’s apparently stolen my heart. Plus, I saw this as an opportunity to make our engagement look more authentic.”

     “Oh,” Lola muttered quietly as the limo slowed to a halt before the entrance to the mansion. She no longer had the bubblegum in her mouth, but Santiago could tell she wanted to reach for another.

     “It’s nothing to worry about,” he assured again, tilting his bow tie. “I’ll be right next to you. If you’re lucky, you might not have to say more than a few words.”

     The back doors swung open, and Lola stepped out. She was immediately awestruck by the sight of profound wealth all around her. Granite steps led up to elaborately carved oak doors, which opened up to the most spectacular interior Lola had ever beheld. 

     “¡Dios mio,” she muttered quietly.