Devils and Angels

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I found her. The words echoed in my mind as I held my composure. The girl I was born to protect was in my arms. She had literally fallen on me. Now she was just staring at me open mouthed in shock and probably some awe.

Dammit! I cursed at myself. She's seen me, now I can't use my glamour on her. Nice going Angel.

The girl was hot, that part surprised me the most. Both her temperature and her appearance, she felt like she had a high fever. When I imagined my charge I never actually thought she would be drop dead gorgeous, pretty maybe, beautiful sure, but not she's-so-hot-that-your-popsicle-is-gonna-melt.

She was short, at least a foot shorter than me. Long dark hair to her waist, thick and curled. Soft Indian skin the color of milk chocolate, a slim waist bared by her short top, long legs, and tiny little bare feet. Her face was heart shaped, high cheekbones, a devilish little mouth that was hanging in a perfect 'O', and gorgeous amber eyes framed by long curled lashes and slim eyebrows.

Hot damn, I got so lucky. "Hola," I said with a smile. "¿Estás bien? You okay?"

That seemed to snap her out of her trance. She blinked and stepped back. "Yeah, fine. Thanks for saving me back there."

"No problem." I said as another dancer bumped into her and she tripped and fell on me again. I caught her and laughed. "Are you always in this much danger, chica?"

Her face burned pink under her dark skin. "No, I'm just clumsy."

I laughed again. She's so cute when she's embarrassed. I thought. "Well let's get you out of here before you fall again. I know a great shop around the corner, I don't know about you but dancing makes me hungry." A complete lie, but humans need to eat food and she would find it strange if I never ate.

"Sure." She said excitedly. Clearly not thinking about the consequences of walking away with a total stranger. Pobrecita, I thought. I'm glad I found her so I can protect her from stupid decisions like this.

I pulled her out of the square and walked with her to a small café, holding her hand without thinking. After not finding her for so long I still couldn't believe she was here, I feared that if I let her go she would vanish. She was my charge, my girl.

We sat down at an outside table. She stared at me in amazement as I flagged down the waiter and spoke our order rapidly in Brazilian. My girl didn't seem interested in the menu, so I guessed she couldn't read in Brazilian, maybe not even in Spanish.

When the waiter went away with our order, she blurted, "how do you do that?"

"Do what?" I asked.

"Talk to them so rapidly? How can you speak their language so fluently when you are so good at English?"

Well that's an odd question. I raised an eyebrow. "Spanish is my first language señorita, English is probably my fourth." Another lie, Spanish was my second language to Latin, the language spoken in heaven, but Spanish was my favorite so I learned it and all of its sisters.

My girl's eyes bugged out of her head. "Four? What languages can you speak?"

I smiled at her enthusiasm. "Spanish, Portuguese, Brazilian, English and Italian."

"Who are you?" She asked.

Now that was an interesting choice of words. Normal people would ask my name which is easy to answer, but who am I? That's a more difficult lie.

I folded my hands on the table. "I am a traveler I guess, been all over the world and back again."

She smiled a wicked smile. "So have I. But you didn't answer my question."

I sighed with a smile. "My name is Angelo."

"Angelo. Where are you originally from, Angelo?"

"Puerto Rico." I lied. "Where are you originally from?" I asked, as fascinated about her as she seemed to be about me.

My girl shrugged her dainty shoulders. "I'm not really sure, moved around so much that I never really had a permanent home."

That's a lie. I frowned. "You're lying."

Her eyes narrowed. "So are you."

We stared down for about two seconds before our food arrived. Then her amber eyes lit up as she stared at all the steamy food. Our staring match forgotten.

I let it go. My girl could keep her secrets, I'd find them out eventually.

She admitted to never trying this kind of food which shocked me and I launched into a game of taste test. Making her try every dish.

This girl loved the spicy foods, "there's fire in my mouth!" She exclaimed in excitement, and started eating more of it.

She was not a fan of the fish, octopus and squid. I didn't blame her, the fish was slimy and didn't have much flavor.

Anything fried she loved. She was taking fried mushrooms and papusas and covering them with salsa and eating them with the delight of a child at Christmas.

Eventually I had to stop her.

"Why?" She pouted. "This is so much fun!"

I laughed. "I don't know, would you like desert?"

My girl pursed her full lips and thought about it for a minute. I tried so hard not to laugh watching her weigh desert against the main meal.

"Alright. I'll do desert."

I chuckled and waved over the waiter. He took our plates away and I ordered Mexican chocolate cake and fried ice cream.

She loved the chocolate cake, saying it was different than other cake, spicier. Which is the point because Mexican chocolate is often made with chilies.

Her reaction to the ice cream was odd.

Her face pinched and then her eyes snapped open and she shrieked through her nose, then she shivered and swallowed it. "Bleck! What is that?"

"Ice cream." I said, trying to hold back my laughter.

"It's cold!" She scoffed with disgust.

I couldn't take it anymore. I laughed so hard my chair tipped backward and I fell over.

Now we were both laughing. Her laugh was a loud hearty alto sound that might make my sister angels jealous.

I got up and took her hands, pulling my girl out of her chair. "Who are you, señorita?" I asked her in amazement.

That devilish grin came back. "You don't want to know, trust me."

I pulled her closer and tilted her chin up so her face was tilted at mine. "And what if I truly want to know?"

She laughed, and reached a hand up to trail her over heated fingers down the side of my face. "Maybe someday I will tell you."

Then the clock tower in the church rang and the city of Rio cheered at the stroke of midnight.

My girl cursed under her breath. "I have to go, my brothers will be worried." And just like that she ran off.

I ran after her. She was fast but so was I. I followed her to the graveyard before I caught her arm.

"Wait!" I pleaded. She looked back at me, torn between me and whatever was past the graveyard.

"Can I see you tomorrow?" I begged. I didn't want to lose my girl again.

She sighed. "Yes. Meet me at this spot tomorrow morning." She started to go again.

"Wait!" She turned. "If you cannot tell me who you are, then tell me your name."

She smiled that devilish smile again. "Eve. My name is Eve." And she ran off.

Eve. How funny. This girl as beautiful as an angel with the smile of mischief, named after the mother of humanity. Eve.

I will not lose her again.