Some Like It Hopeless

XV: "What Do You See?..."

Chapter XV

"He's not home?" I asked the housemaid who opened the front door to Gabriel Martinez's house to inform us of his absence. 

"Yes," she replied with a heavy accent.

"Any idea where he might be?" I asked and she met my gaze with suspicion. "My business with him is very urgent, it simply cannot wait. If you would please just tell us where I could go find him, we'd be on our way." 

The maid simply looked at me, as if lost in a trance. I let out a sigh of frustration, accepting the fact that maybe we're not meant to meet each other. But then, Sandy started talking to the woman in perfect Spanish, as if it was her native tongue. When she was done talking to her, the maid closed the massive gate and went on her way.

"I didn't know you speak Spanish." I commented with new found respect for my lady.

"My last name should've been a dead give away of my heritage." 

"I suppose," I mused and turned my attention back to what we came here for. "Did you get anything?"

"Only that he's not here," Sandy said.

"I gathered that much." I sighed in defeat and was ready to go.

"But I know where to find him." I perked up at the knowledge that she got some information we needed. "He's in Bermuda and staying at one of the resorts. The maid doesn't know which resort but at least we got something to start with."

I quickly pulled out my phone and started dialling my secretary. I feel bad for the woman, but since I wouldn't be around for a while, she gets to relax for a few days. Though fending off a thousand phone calls is not exactly my idea of relaxation. I'll make it my mission to give Grace a generous bonus and a little time off from stress for the work she's done.

Grace got us the earliest flight tickets to Bermuda leaving early in the evening so that leaves Sandy and I a whole day to kill. 

"Have you been to Mexico?" I asked to which she shook her head no. Well, that makes two of us. "At least you speak the language. How about a little adventure before we go?" 

Sandy brightened at the idea of a few hours to tour a country. She insisted on doing it right if we are to tour and refused to hire a private car which means, we're going around the way locals do, public transits. 

What is better than getting lost and asking for directions when google fails to give the right directions. Sandy dragged me to places she wanted to visit ever since she read about them in a book. I was glad I let her talk me into going  when all I wanted was to burry everything and run away. 

I watch her eyes sparkle in amazement and let myself get caught up in her excitement. Seeing the city through my eyes is one thing, but seeing the same city through her eyes almost makes the place magical.

We stayed a while inside the cathedral right in the middle of the city. There was a wedding that occurred and we decided to stay behind once the event was finished. 

"If I may ask, why does Brian call you BJ?" Sandy asked timidly, almost afraid that she's asking a question too personal.

"That was how my uncle called me. When we first met, he teased me endlessly about my initials. I've always hated it but now that he's not around to call me BJ, I'd give anything to hear him say my name that again." Funny how we only learn to appreciate the trivial things once they are taken away from us. Only then do we see the value and learn to appreciate it. 

"It was really hard losing him. I almost lost my head when I woke up to learn that he's gone. And now that I know I'm not even a real Jacobs, it makes me wonder if somehow Arnold knows I'm not his. I don't even resemble him yet the moment I looked at Gabriel's photograph, it was like looking at my own reflection. He told me he loved me before he died, but the relief I'm feeling right now that I know I'm really not Arnold's, it makes me feel unworthy of that love."

"My father loved you, and he'd be hurt if he learns that you'd rather be known as someone else's child." Sandy commented and she's right about that. 

"That isn't why we came here looking Gabriel anyways. I'm only here to give myself the peace of mind that at least, my biological parent knows he fathered a child. As far as I'm concerned Arnold is my father, he's my father." I replied agreeing to her statement. It was Arnold who taught me everything, who raised me, and who stayed by my side despite our differences. 

"Which is why we can't be together." She declared which surprised me. She quickly got up to leave, but I was quicker to stop her. 

"Even if I'm really not Arnold's son?" She nodded her head.

"Even if I'm really not your brother?" She didn't respond to that and saw her hesitation in her eyes. I took that as a good sign, that maybe, maybe we could be happy together. "Imagine, I never doubted you as someone's mistress, that I'm not the reason why our father had a heart failure, that I met you in the perfect world as Blake. Just Blake. What do you see?" I asked and took a step closer to her.

"Cause when I close my eyes and think of it that way, I see the kind of life I'd want to so badly be a reality. A reality with you," I took her face and cupped my hands on her cheeks and waited for her to open her eyes when a lone tear escaped her eye. 

As if the spell was broken, she quickly brushed it aside and broke free from my grasp, much to my surprise. 

"What did you see?" I asked in astonishment.

"Nothing," she briskly replied and gathered her stuff to leave. "Let's go."

"Sandy, what did you see?" I asked again, curiosity eating away at me. 

"Let's go." She repeated with a chuckle and pushed past me heading for the exit that I didn't have much choice but to follow.