Heartless by Alison Gaylin

Author:Alison Gaylin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2010-03-01T05:00:00+00:00

THIRTEEN

Warren drove through the arch and into the parking lot of Las Aguas, which, save for one pickup truck, was completely empty. “I can’t believe you reserved the whole place for us,” Zoe said.

Warren winked. “I’ve got influential friends.”

As Warren opened the door, a very thin Mexican man sauntered out to greet him. He was probably in his mid-sixties, small boned and benign, except for the enormous, mean-looking hawk that sat on his shoulder. “Buenos noches,” said the man in a deeply soporific voice—he could have been a jazz deejay, Zoe thought. Then the hawk screamed, causing Zoe’s nerve endings to freeze solid. She backed up until she was more or less hiding behind Warren.

“This is Xavier,” said Warren. “The hawk . . . ¿cómo se llama?”

“Pio.”

“Pio is the hawk’s name. It means pious.”

Zoe stared at the daggerlike beak, the eyes trained on her like bullet tips. “Thanks for telling me that,” she said. “I feel much closer to him now.”

Xavier spoke to Warren in rapid-fire Spanish. Warren smiled and nodded. “¡Claro!” He turned to Zoe. “We can go on in.”

They followed Xavier and Pio out of the parking lot, Zoe lagging a few steps behind for fear the hawk might suddenly decide she was crowding him and go straight for her eyes. “Don’t worry,” Warren whispered. “Pio is very well trained.”

“He’s a predator,” said Zoe. “How do you train a predator?”

An odd look passed through Warren’s eyes. “Good question.”

Xavier flicked on a flashlight, and led them through a dewy green lawn that, like Warren’s and Vanessa’s gardens, had no place in a desert region. “Take your shoes off,” said Warren, and they both did, the grass soft and cool and sensuous against the soles of their feet.

At the edge of the lawn were a series of stone steps leading down the side of a hill to a landscaped area—bright pansies circling fragrant patches of sage, oregano and cilantro. Xavier raised his arm and there was a great flapping of wings as Pio took off for the trees. They walked down, padding on more soft grass until finally they reached baths.

Zoe had expected something like the Russian steam rooms on the Lower East Side—clinical and therapeutic, surrounded by white tile. This was more like the season finale of The Bachelor. A long, narrow natural pool wound into a cave, reflecting the moonlight, candles flickering around its edges. It was achingly romantic.

Warren said, “The water in the mineral baths is very warm, and if you swim in them naked, it’s believed to make you young forever.”

Xavier left, as if on cue. Zoe looked at Warren. “Should we test that out?”

Warren pulled her to him, hooked a finger through one of the straps of her tank top and said, “No. No, I don’t think that would be right.”

Zoe grinned. “I agree.” And within moments they were submerged in the soft, warm, soothing water, all their clothes—including Zoe’s ACE bandage—at the water’s edge.

Enough had been said for the evening, so Zoe and Warren used lips and tongues and hands, but not voices.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.