“Hey, no fair. If you warn her, I’m at a disadvantage,” Adan said.
“I doubt that you’re ever at a disadvantage,” I said, perhaps too quickly, maybe because I had finished my mimosa and begun sipping the wine. I felt the flush in my face.
Adan’s father laughed, and Adan smiled. I looked at Fani, but she was in her own conversation with a man to her right. Adan turned his attention completely to me. He told me more about himself, the work he did with his father, and some of the traveling he had done.
“If my father gets the nomination and wins the Senate seat, I’ll have to work harder,” he said, “so I’m torn between hoping he wins and hoping he doesn’t.”
“That’s selfish,” I said.
He shrugged. “He knows. We don’t keep secrets. I suppose I’ll be proud if he wins, not that I’m not proud of him now. He’s always been a successful man.”
“He’s a good example for you to follow, then.”
“I know. Now, tell me about yourself and especially this war between you and your cousin.”
“It’s not a war, exactly,” I said, laughing.
“Oh, I know about women. It’s a war,” he assured me.
“It will take a long time to explain it,” I said, hoping to change the topic.
“Fine. I’ll pick you up tomorrow night, and we’ll continue the story at dinner.”
Fani was listening to us now, a soft smile on her face.
“Oh, I can’t. We’re going to a big party tomorrow night,” I said.
“That’s all right. Adan will go with us,” Fani said. “Won’t you, Adan?”
“If I’m invited,” he said.
“Of course, you’re invited,” Fani told him.
How could she invite someone to someone else’s party? Wouldn’t he feel strange being invited that way?
“There,” he told me instead. “See how easy it is when you’re in Fani’s hands? If anyone can guarantee that you won’t be an overnight Cinderella, it will be Fani.”
“She doesn’t need my help, Adan. She’s quite capable of taking care of herself, even with you.”
He laughed and said, “Sure, go ahead and gang up on me. Two against one.”
“Nosotros solo tratamos de hacer una lucha justa. Right, Delia?” Fani said.
“Sí, absolutamente,” I said.
“Hey, that’s definitely not fair. You know I don’t speak Spanish that well,” Adan said.
“It’s your own fault. Your father has tried to get you to learn.”
“Well, what did she say?” he asked me.
“She said we are only trying to make it a fair fight.”
“Ha-ha. Haven’t you two ever heard the saying, all’s fair in love and war?”
“Oh, we’ve heard it, Adan. We know all about it,” Fani said. “And we plan on practicing it as well.”
“I’m in trouble,” Adan said, and drank some more wine. “But I have the feeling I’m going to like it.”