Read Online Translation of Love by Alice Montalvo-Tribue - Free Book Online

a short while.
    I made plans to meet Victor at his hotel. I’m tired from a long work week and the thought of going out to dinner tonight is not appealing to me. If someone would have told me a week ago that I would be volunteering to meet a hot guy in his hotel room, I would have thought they were crazy. Yet, here I am standing in a hotel elevator doing exactly that. The elevator dings, alerting me that I’ve arrived on the top floor. My heart rate spikes when the doors slide open. My feet are like cement blocks weighing me down. The fear is like a vine slowly wrapping around my limbs, keeping me rooted to my spot. I can tell it’s the beginning of a panic attack. I haven’t had one in so long, I’d forgotten how they felt. I do the breathing technique my old therapist taught me a few years back. Breathe in for three seconds, hold it for three seconds, release for three seconds. I do this a couple of times and slowly the panic starts to rescind. I regain control of myself and realize the elevator doors have closed. After a few more breaths, I push the button to open the doors again.
    Moments later, I’m in front of Victor’s door, hoping that I’ve managed to calm down enough that he won’t sense something’s wrong. I give myself a mental pep talk and lightly knock. Victor opens the door and the sight of him causes my breath to catch. Instantly, the panic that threatened to cripple me just moments ago is gone. The smile on his face tells me that everything is going to be okay. I’m not sure why he has a calming effect on me but it’s a welcome surprise.
    “Hi, Babe,” he says. Instinctively, I walk into his arms. He wraps his arms around me, kisses the top of my head and asks, “Ellie, you okay?”
    I tilt my head back so that I’m looking at his warm eyes. “I’m good. I’m glad you’re here,” I say softly.
    He gives me a tight squeeze. “Me too,” he replies, loosening his hold on me. “Come on in. You hungry?”
    “Starving,” I say with a nod.
    “I am too. Whatcha in the mood for?” he asks like he actually cares. I’m not used to men caring about what I want.
    “How about Chicken Parm?” I’m surprised that I’m even willing to offer a suggestion. My usual reply would be, “Whatever you want.”
    “Chicken Parm, it is then.”
    Victor saunters across the room. I can’t help but notice how his blue t-shirt hugs his chest. The dark wash jeans he’s wearing hang a little low. He sits on the couch next to me after our dinner has been ordered. I notice the air of confidence around him, how he carries himself with ease. He’s in control of every movement of his body, it’s almost graceful. He knows exactly what he’s doing and I wonder if it’s from years of putting on a performance in front of an audience. Whatever it is, it’s definitely a good look on him. He reaches over and pulls my hand into his. It makes me smile because I’ve come to expect this gesture from him in the short amount of time I’ve spent with him.
    “You sure you’re okay?” he asks, bringing me out of my semi daze.
    “I’m okay, why?”
    He pushes a strand of hair behind my ear. “You just seemed…I don’t know upset maybe, when I opened the door.”
    Fuck. He did notice that I was off earlier. “I’m sorry.” I divert my attention from his eyes down to the ground. “I’m fine, really. I guess I was a little nervous.” It’s true, I was nervous, but it was much more than that. I was on the verge of a full on panic attack, though I would never admit that to him.
    “Hey,” he calls softly, pulling my chin up with a gentle tug of his hand on my chin. “You don’t have to be sorry. I was a little nervous too.”
    He seems like such a good guy, the kind of guy who will do whatever it takes to make sure that you feel safe. The kind of guy who will calm your fears and hold your hand through the hard stuff. A guy like my dad was with my mom. A guy that I was sure a few days ago was impossible to