Acapulco Nights Read Online Free PDF

end the mistakes I’d made in my past, not jump right back into them.  What was I thinking?
    Moving away from Joaquin, I could sense the frown forming between his brows. Was he angry with me? Did he want to know where I’d been all these years? Why I’d never contacted him?
    Then, I remembered Janice. She would keep everything civil. Joaquin managed the place. He wouldn’t want to create a scene right in the very lobby of the hotel where he was employed. Yes, that must be it.
    “So, we are going to dinner, yes?” Joaquin asked, his face blank of any discernible emotion.
    I looked at Janice.
    “He wanted to take us to dinner. Isn’t that fabulous?” Janice gushed. “There’s some place he was telling me about. It looks out over the water.”
    I found my voice, “Yes. Wonderful.”  I could act as if this were a casual meeting of old friends. No need to get overly emotional about ancient history between two old lovers who just happened to be married. Yes, a married couple who hadn’t spent one night together as husband and wife.
    This couldn’t be my life. I imagined starting out dinner with polite conversation and ending with “hey, honey, I want a divorce.” I managed a strained smile.
    “Let me show you the real Acapulco.” Joaquin gave me a cryptic look. The smile returned to his eyes, and he directed a question to Janice. “You both like seafood, yes?”
    She nodded and looked at me.
    “Sure,” I answered.
    My knees were like Jell-o, and my heart raced like a stampeding elephant. I thought about sitting next to Joaquin at a dinner table, drinking wine, sharing a meal. A few hours in a restaurant with friends.
    Friends?
    Oh, I was good about lying to myself. Joaquin had been much more than a friend. How would I manage to make it through dinner and keep our twelve-year marriage a secret from Janice? Would Joaquin keep the past to himself? Maybe he, too, hoped for a more private moment to discuss what happened.
    “My car’s waiting outside. Are you two ready to go?” He gestured toward the glass lobby doors and a car I could see waiting outside.
    “More than ready,” said Janice. “I’m starving. Let’s get a move on!”
    I nodded my head and gave a wan smile.
    I should be able manage two hours of fake smiles and chatter over guacamole and carne asada . How hard could that be?

CHAPTER FOUR
     
    We sat in Joaquin’s convertible with the top down. The orange-red sun setting over the bay mesmerized me. Acapulco was as beautiful as ever—tall palms lined the long curve of the white sand beach, and the sky darkened into a deep navy blue with a sparkling of stars. The sweet scent of honeysuckle rode on the breeze mixing with the salty tang of sea air.
    To keep the awkwardness to a minimum, I insisted Janice sit in the front seat. That spot gave her the best view. Plus, it would keep me from strangling her at keeping such a ‘surprise’ from me all these weeks.
    “I’m taking you to one of the best restaurants in town. Let me make a call to make sure we’re getting the table I asked for.” Joaquin flipped open his cell phone, dialing and driving with deftness.
    We skirted along the stretch of road that hugged the bay, working our way toward the northern edge – the same lip of land Janice had pointed to earlier on the beach. I would rather be paddling that distance alone in a kayak, than be riding there with Joaquin in a candy apple red convertible with leather seats.
    I doubted Janice thought the same. She was radiant and smiling, taking in the view, the breeze, and the night air. For her, Acapulco was a dream.
    Joaquin spoke some rapid Spanish into his phone, and a moment later he smiled. “It’s all taken care of. Best table in the house.”
    “Oh, Joaquin,” Janice said. “You didn’t have to go to so much trouble just for us.”
    At that moment Joaquin looked pointedly at me in his rear view mirror. “I would move heaven and earth for you ladies.”
    I looked away, the intensity in