Kiss Me, Lynn (9 page)

“Of course!
Let’s see now. What if Lynn were to be the heroine? Would that be all right with you?”

“Of course.”

Lynn felt her cheeks blushing. Alex’s cheeks were a bit red, too. “Cathi—”

“Time to get back to the hotel!”
Cathi closed her notebook and led the way across the plaza. The others followed, leaving Lynn and Alex blushing by the bench.

Alex whispered, “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you.”

Lynn shook her head. “It wasn’t your doing. I’ll have to have a talk with Cathi.” Her smile told him she’d been amused by Cathi’s “plotting.”

They caught up with the others
, who cast happy glances back at Lynn. When Sharon flashed her traditional sappy smile, Lynn narrowed her eyes at her friend, but had to smile back. She’d been right. Everyone knew they’d become “special friends.” But even Sharon didn’t know how special Alex had become to Lynn.

Back at the hotel, Sharon asked Alex,
“Do we need to dress up tonight?”

“If you want to.
Cusco is very casual, though. Wear whatever is comfortable.”

“Will there be dancers tonight?” Barb asked.

“Only loud music.” Alex told them about the Pisco tasting and making the Sours.

“Uh, Alex,” Sharon said.
“I read somewhere that when coming to high altitude it’s best not to drink too much until you’re used to the thinner air.”

“That’s true.”

“So why are we going to a drinking party our first night in Cusco?”

He looked sheepish.
“You’d have to ask Andrew about that.”

Barb perked up.
“Andrew?”

“
He planned your tour.”

“Will he be there tonight?”

“Absolutely. He never misses a tasting party. He’s from England. He came to Cusco on vacation and loved it so much more than the rainy part of England where he was from that he stayed here, bought a house, and started a touring company. It’s thanks to Andrew that I’ve met you.”

“
We’ll definitely have to thank him. I’d better get started,” Sheila said. “I know I brought my face with me, but I’m afraid it’s in the bottom of my suitcase. I may look a little lopsided tonight.”

“We’ll all look lopsided by the time we leave the Museo,” Vicki told her.

Lynn told Alex good-bye then went with Sharon to their room. Inside, she lay down on the bed to catch her breath. “No elevator! At least it’s only one flight. And there’s no need to say anything!”

Sharon rummaged through her clothes.
“I can’t wait to see what flavors of Pisco they have tonight.”

“Me, too.
I hope they’re serving food along with the drinks.”

“Tapas.
It’s in the itinerary.”

“After that late lunch, I won’t be hungry for another hour.”

“We’ll drink for an hour, then we’ll eat!”

Lynn rolled to one side.
“You know what happens to people who drink at extreme altitude. Do you know what happens to me when I drink brandy? Put the two together—”

“I can’t wait to see it.
Just promise me you won’t push him away. And don’t worry about the others knowing about your little fling. They already know.”

“
Gee. You think? What gave you the first clue? Cathi’s hero named Alex, or her heroine named Lynn?”

“They’re as happy for you as I am.
Give yourself a chance, sweetie.”

Lynn swiped some tears from one cheek.
“Okay. We’ll give this little fling a chance. But that’s all it is. A vacation fling.”

“That’s the spirit.
Now get dressed! Wear something sexy!”

“I didn’t bring anything sexy.”

“It won’t matter what you wear. Alex will think you’re beautiful.”

“Enough already!
We’re late!”

Sharon disappeared into the bathroom to change.
Lynn went through the clothes she’d brought and chose a hot pink knit top with “sparklies,” as Sharon called them—something she’d picked up from an animated movie with some sort of crazy crow—and her black jeans with matching “sparklies” on the back pockets. Might as well go for broke. The pink top had a matching sweater that would help tonight when it got cooler.

Lynn thought about checking e-mail, but decided she’d check it tonight, after they got back, or tomorrow.
She knew her father would call if the situation were extreme. She wanted their first full day in Cusco to be carefree and fun. So far, it had met all of her expectations. Her mother’s illness, whatever it turned out to be, was going to mess up her life beyond repair, no matter what her father had said. This could be the last vacation Lynn could take for years. She’d know by the end of this tour if sprucing up her unit on Machu Picchu would be the ultimate result, or if it would be something much more complicated. And heartbreaking.

Chapter 9

They walked to the
Museo del Pisco.
Almost everyone had worn something more dressy than they’d worn during the day for touring, but they’d all chosen nice jeans. When Alex saw Lynn’s hot pink top with the “sparklies,” his eyes sparkled, too! Lynn reminded herself she couldn’t have more than two Pisco Sours tonight.

They heard the music before they ever opened the front doors.
The front room of the
Museo
was small and packed with people obviously having a wonderful time. A few tried to dance in the small space, but most simply sat in small groups with food and drinks covering the tables.

A bald man, tall, lanky, holding a drink in one hand
and flashing a huge smile, called to Alex from the top of a short flight of stairs on the left side of the room. “Alex! Up here!”

Alex directed them up the stairs to where the man waited with arms wide.
He hugged each of them in turn, then directed them to a room at the top of the stairs. When Lynn got to the room, the others were finding stools around a tall bar in the corner. Off to the right were tables and a corner booth, with a door leading onto what looked like an open hallway. There was no one else in the room, but that didn’t mean the room was quiet. They could still hear music and conversation from downstairs. Alex closed the door after they were all inside, which made it possible to hear what the bartender—Sergio—told them about the different kinds of Pisco. Lynn sat close to the left end. Alex eased onto the stool next to her and leaned onto the bar, as interested in what the bartender was saying as though he were hearing it for the first time.

“
Pisco is a type of brandy made from white grapes. Many people who come to Peru compare the taste to tequila, and a Pisco Sour to a Margarita. But you won’t find Margaritas in Peru.”

“Why not?”
Cathi asked him.

“Because they had a contest years ago to see which drink everyone liked
best. The Pisco Sour won! Tonight, you’ll see why. Have you already had a Pisco Sour?”

That brought nods
and smiles.

“I’ll bet you haven’t had
Pisco in different flavors, though, have you?”

Lynn scann
ed the labels on bottles behind him on shelves. Cinnamon and strawberry caught her attention right away.

“Before trying the flavored
Piscos, I’m going to let you try four different types of Pisco.” He placed four glasses in front of each of them, then reached for a bottle under the bar. He poured a small amount into the glasses closest to them, then invited them to taste it.

Lynn recognized the taste immediately from the
Pisco Sours she’d already sampled in Lima. Truly, the brandy tasted a lot like tequila, but it had a sharper flavor. She took small sips.

Sergio poured a second type of
Pisco into their second glasses, then followed with the third and fourth.

Lynn didn’t like the second one at all.
It had a smoky taste. The third and fourth were equally different. Her favorite was definitely the first. Most of the group liked the first one best, too, but Dorothy and Sheila chose one of the others.

“Now, it is time for you to learn how to make a
Peruvian Pisco Sour!” Sergio announced. “There was also a contest between Chile and Peru to see who made the best Pisco Sours. Peru won!” He pulled several more bottles from under the bar then demonstrated step by step how to mix the drink.

First, he poured three ounces of
Pisco (the first one, that everyone agreed was really good) into a martini shaker. Then, he added an ounce of “simple syrup” which was sugar and water, followed by an ounce of lime juice, and one egg white. Last, he added three ice cubes, clamped the top on the shaker, and shook it vigorously. With a sharp pop of the heel of his hand on the side of the shaker, he removed the lid then poured the mixture into a short glass. The egg white had created a frothy foam on top. Into the center of the foam, he carefully added three drops of Angostura bitters.

“Who wants to taste it first?”

Barb raised one hand while taking the glass with the other. Her expression after sipping the drink said it all, but she said it anyway. “The best one I’ve had since we got to Peru!”

Instead of making more, Sergio surprised them.
“Now, you are going to make your own Pisco Sours, using any of the Piscos we have on the bar, or on the wall behind me. Please come around in pairs, through the short little door that opens into the area behind the bar, and decide which kind you want to make.” He pulled out a second shaker.

Dorothy and Cathi went first.
They chose to make the classic Sours. Next, Sheila and Vicki chose flavored Piscos from the wall, followed by BJ and Barb.

By then, with each pair passing their creation down the bar for everyone to taste, Lynn didn’t notice which flavors they were choosing.
They were all delicious, and the Pisco was creating a marvelous whirl across her forehead and between her eyes.

The last to duck under the short door were Sharon and Lynn.
Lynn went first.

Sharon bumped her head.
“Not my fault! It’s the Pisco!”

They were all laughing by this time.
Lynn got to choose the flavor for hers. “Strawberry.” Sharon had difficulty getting the top of her shaker off, but Lynn’s came off the first try. Everyone cheered. When she glanced at Alex, she wasn’t surprised to see him sitting quietly, sipping the last of the third Pisco to be passed around the bar, smiling with pleasure at the fun she was having. No, she corrected herself. At the fun they were all having.

Lynn tasted the strawberry
Sour. Talk about delicious! She closed her eyes, savoring it, then reluctantly gave it up for the others to try. Sharon finally managed to get the top off her shaker and poured the frothy Sour into a glass, Lynn reached for it.

“
Nope!” Sharon told her. “This one is mine.”

Sergio handed Lynn the bottle of strawberry Pisco so she could make another for herself.

“And this one will be mine!” she announced to boisterous cheers.

When the bar had been wiped clean and tips had been stuffed into a glass on the bar for Sergio, Andrew led the way down the stairs.
The music seemed louder than when they’d come in, an hour before. Andrew kept going when he got to the front room, though, down a second flight of stairs into the basement. To the left was the kitchen. Around the corner from the staircase was a long C-shaped booth with a low table in the center. They threaded their way around the table, until they’d filled the booth completely. It wasn’t a surprise that Alex eased into the corner beside Lynn.

A new server appeared and introduced himself as Sergio
.

Dorothy frowned.
“But the bartender upstairs—”

“—was Sergio.
I am Sergio, too.”

Lynn was really glad Dorothy had asked!
Thanks to the whirling in her head, she thought she might have gotten completely mixed up in the space of five minutes.

After a brief welcome,
Sergio told them he’d be bringing tapas for them to sample—and more drinks—whatever they wanted.

Vicki asked if they
’d ever made a Pisco martini.

“Of course!
You’ll love it!”

Lynn looked at her glass, which had only a sip left.
She finished it, then ordered another. “I shouldn’t, but they’re so delicious.”

Sharon lifted her glass, drained it,
then ordered another one. “Why not? We aren’t driving tonight! And getting one of these in Virginia will probably be impossible!”

Lynn began to wonder if she’d be able to walk!

The tapas arrived one at a time and they all sampled them. Lynn’s favorite by far was the shrimp skewer—three shrimp grilled in some sort of delectable sauce. “I could eat a dozen of these,” she murmured.

Alex motioned to Sergio to bring four more skewers
of shrimp for Lynn and handed him some money from his pocket.

Lynn tried to repay him, but he refused her offer.
“I am pleased to give you something that makes you so happy,
Querida
.”

Lynn thought she knew what
querida
meant.
Yo
quiero
meant “I like.” Or was it “I want?” The way Alex had used the word, it must mean “friend” or “someone I like.”

He reached for her hand and kissed her fingers, just as he’d done before.

She didn’t feel the least bit like blushing.

By the time Lynn had eaten
half a dozen more shrimp and sampled the other tapas, her head had cleared nicely. As tempted as she was to order another strawberry Sour, she declined Sergio’s offer to bring her a third and had more shrimp instead.

Some people across the room decided it was time to dance
. They stayed near their tables, but were in sight of everyone at the booth.

Alex got up and danced
next to their table. Vicki, Cathi, and Barb joined him. The others cheered. When Alex held his hand out to Lynn, inviting her to dance, too, she laughed and shook her head. “Not tonight!” So, he invited Dorothy and the others to join him, but only Sharon got up. Lynn loved watching them, and wished she were more coordinated. In college she’d enjoyed dancing. She hadn’t danced since… It took her a minute to remember the last time. It was before she’d met Bill. He hated dancing. But she hadn’t!

Lynn finished her
Pisco Sour and got up to join them. Alex laughed when he saw her trying to imitate their movements—and failing. But she had a great time and no one seemed to worry that she wasn’t that great at whatever dance they were doing.

Alex took her hand and twirled her around, then pulled her closer, then away.
When the music ended, he hugged her, then the others. She could hardly catch her breath!

Andrew
took the opportunity to excuse himself because he had a meeting scheduled early tomorrow. “At ten. That’s as early as I do anything in Cusco!”

Everyone thanked him for including the
Museo
on their itinerary and for assigning Alex as their guide. Andrew beamed with pleasure. “Everyone loves Alex!” He bid them all good night.

T
hey agreed they’d better get back to the hotel. Alex assured them, “I promise you’ll enjoy the tour tomorrow, and we don’t have to leave the hotel until 8:30.”

Sharon groaned.
“Why didn’t you tell us that sooner?”

Lynn told her, “Because he’s a good guide.
He wasn’t about to let us leave early when we were all having such a good time.”

“
Es la verdád
.”

They made their way upstairs, through the front room, which showed no signs of people leaving, and outside into the crisp air.
Lynn shivered and pulled her sweater around her shoulders, with Alex’s help. They let the others go ahead of them.

“Are you warm enough?”

“It isn’t far to the hotel. I’ll be fine.” She shivered again.

Alex put his arm around her and pulled her closer.
“I promised to see you safe and warm back to the hotel.”

“Yes, you did.”
She loved the warmth coming from him, and the warmth in his expression while they walked across the plaza then down the street to the hotel entrance.

“
I guess the two ladies who were camped out here earlier gave up waiting for us to buy something,” she said.

“They haven’t given up.
They’ll be here first thing in the morning. Don’t forget that they expect you to bargain with them on the price.”

“I’ll remember that.”

By the time she and Alex went inside, the others had already gone to their rooms.

“The courtyard is empty,” Alex said quietly.

“I like the music they’re playing in the lobby. It’s almost like the music is coming from the fountain.”

“Would you dance with me
again?”

Lynn stopped suddenly.
“Dance? I don’t have the energy to dance the way we did at the
Museo.
As you saw, I’m not very good at dancing.”

“You don’t have to be.”
He took her in his arms and guided her slowly, expertly around the courtyard.

Her head began to whirl again, but not from the
Pisco. She relaxed against him and rested her head on his shoulder. He pulled her even closer.

When the music ended, Alex slowed and stopped, then waited for her to look at him.

She knew what to expect.

His lips touched hers ever so gently, softly, again and again, until she leaned toward him and
kissed him just as softly.

“I had a wonderful time tonight.”

He leaned back. “I hope you sleep well,
Querida
.” He led her toward the stairs and they went to the second floor, then around toward Lynn’s room.