Translation of Love

“Wake up!” I hear from a distance. A strong hand shakes me. “Baby, wake up.” The voice is closer now. My eyes flutter open and Victor’s smiling over me. “Hey, sleepy head. You gotta get up. We have to go soon.”

I lift my arms over my head and stretch out. “Mmm, where are we going?”

“Remember when we first met, I told you I was looking for a house here? We never got the chance to take the trip and since we’re here now, I thought we could go take a look at some properties.”

“Oh. Alright, sounds like fun.”

He gives me a quick kiss. “Get dressed. The realtor is meeting us in the lobby in twenty minutes. I ordered you a coffee and some pastries. We can eat them in the car.”

“Yes, sir,” I say, sitting up in bed and throwing the covers off of me. I pick out an outfit to wear, deciding on a simple navy blue sundress which I pair with black flip flops. Victor opts for cargo shorts, a green t-shirt, and baseball cap. He looks super casual and sexy. We make it down to the lobby on time where we meet up with Caroline, the realtor. She’s an older woman, maybe in her early fifties, short and stout but very pretty.

After introductions, Caroline tells us that we’ll be seeing houses in the exclusive community of Star Island. We decide that it would be best to take two cars, so Victor and I follow her in the rental car. After a short drive, we drive down a semi private road and come to a gated community, manned by a security guard. Caroline stops at the gate and speaks to the guard. Moments later, we’re able to drive through. The houses on Star Island are more beautiful than I could ever imagine. This is where the crème de la crème live. Mansions with beautiful views of the Biscayne bay. Most of them have guest houses, pools, and boat slips in their back yards. I think I might pass out at the sight of the house we’re going to look at, as we pull into the huge circular driveway. We get out of the car and I take in the enormous pale yellow mansion with a deep red roof.

Caroline walks up to where we’re standing. “This is the first house we’re looking at. It’s got twelve bedrooms and eleven bathrooms. It’s 11,000 square feet and fully furnished. I’m just going to go get the key out of the lockbox,” she says, walking toward the front door.

It’s almost ridiculous how big the thing actually is. I know that this is where some of the most famous people in the world live but it’s just excessive. I pull Victor’s hand and he comes to a stop in front of me. I shake my head at him. “Babe, twelve bedrooms? Seriously? What do you need twelve bedrooms for? You’re one person.”

“It’s not for me, Ellie, it’s for us. For me and you to escape to, whenever we get tired of Jersey.”

There are too many things in that statement for me to wrap my head around. I don’t know which one to tackle first, tired of Jersey? He lives in New York. “For us? What do you mean for us?”

He tilts his head and stares at me for a moment. “Come on, Love, are we gonna do this back and forth shit forever? Only spending weekends together? Eventually, we’re gonna have to make some decisions. I’ve told you that my penthouse is not a home to me, it’s a place I sleep. I don’t wanna stay there forever. As a matter of fact, I’d like to get rid of it sooner rather than later.”

“Well, what are you gonna do when you get rid of it?” I’m confused. Is he planning on making Miami his full time residence?

He chuckles at me. Apparently I can’t see the bigger picture. “Babe, I’m hoping that when I’m homeless on the street in a few months, that my beautiful girlfriend will take me in. I’ll move to Jersey, get the f*ck out of the city, settle down with you and live my life in peace without f*cking paparazzi constantly taking my picture. I mean, that’s if you want me to,” he says, sounding unsure now.

It finally hits me that he’s talking about us living together. “You wanna move in with me?”

He smiles at me and tugs at my hair. “I mean, it’s the logical next step right? We love each other, we want to be together, so why not move in together? I want us to build a life together, Babe.”

My heart feels like it’s about to explode. The idea of building a life with Victor is a dream come true. “In my little two bedroom shack?”

“I love your house. I guess we can expand when the time comes, although that would pretty much kill your backyard, or we can buy a bigger house. We can get a house on the beach if you want, that’s your dream right?”

“When the time comes?”

“Yeah, we may need to have an extra bedroom or two when we have kids, right?” I may just pass out from all of the information that’s being thrown my way. It’s not that I’m not happy about it, I am, it’s just that in my wildest dreams I never imagined that any of it would be possible for me. Here he is telling me that not only is it possible, it can be a reality, all I have to do is make the choice to accept it.

“I guess I’m not opposed to selling my house eventually, moving to a bigger place if we need to. But this…” I say motioning to the monstrosity of a house in front of us. “This is a bit much, especially for a house we’re not even planning on living in full time.”

“Okay fine,” he whispers in my ear. “But let’s at least look at it. The poor woman brought us out here, the least we can do is take a look.”

“Alright,” I say. He’s right. It would be rude not to at least look at the house. We walk up the driveway and follow Caroline into the house, letting her show us every nook of the palatial house. It really is beautiful with a mix of hard wood and marble flooring, state of the art appliances and large furniture throughout. I just could never see myself actually living here though, it’s just too big. A person could get lost in here for days. It takes a while but we finally see the entire house. Caroline escorts us out and as we walk back to the cars she asks, “So what did you two think of this one?”

“Ellie, what did you think of this one?” Victor asks, throwing me right under the bus.

I glare over at him, then turn to Caroline with a smile. “It’s beautiful, Caroline, we just think it might be a little too big for us.”

“I see. I have a few other properties I can show you. There’s a nine bedroom, a seven bedroom, and a five bedroom available.”

Victor chimes in, “Let’s see the 9.”

I roll my eyes at him. “Too big. Let’s look at the five bedroom.”

He laughs at me. “Too small, Baby. What about when our families come to visit? We’ll look at the seven bedroom.” It’s a compromise that I can live with.

“Okay, the seven bedroom,” I agree.

Caroline smiles at us. Clearly she gets a kick out of our debating. “Great, just follow me in your car. It’s right up the street.”

We follow her up the road to a beautiful gated house. As we drive up the beautiful, tree-lined driveway, I take in the lush landscape. The house is stunning. Spanish style with a tan exterior. We park in front and follow Caroline to the front steps.

“This one was built in 1928 but it’s been recently remodeled. It has seven bedrooms, six bathrooms and just under ten thousand square feet.”

As soon as we step foot in the house, I’m in love. It’s more intimate than the last house but also it’s just prettier with an old world charm. It has a mix of hard wood, marble and stone floors, the living room has a gorgeous fireplace and vaulted ceilings. The kitchen is state of the art, with granite countertops, dark cherry wood cabinets and stainless steel appliances. It’s even nicer than Victor’s kitchen in New York.

“Why don’t you two go and take a look upstairs without me. That’ll give you a chance to discuss it in private.” She can tell we like it.

Victor and I go upstairs and explore all of the bedrooms and bathrooms on the upper level. We make it to the master bedroom which has beautiful hardwood floors throughout the room with two French doors that lead onto a large balcony that has the most stunning views of the bay.

“What do you think Ellie?” he prompts.

I take a minute to look around the room, walking over to the double doors and staring out at the amazing views. “I love it. It’s beautiful, Babe,” I say, turning to face him.

“Really?” he questions with excitement in his voice.

“Yes, really. This place feels more like a home and less like a museum.”

“I agree.”

I can picture us in this house. The thought of being here with him excites me. “Are you gonna buy it?”

“If you love it, I’m gonna buy it.”

“Just like that? I don’t even know what to say,” I say turning back to take in the view one last time. He sweeps my hair so that it lies over one shoulder, presses himself into my back and places a gentle kiss on my neck.

“Don’t say anything,” he whispers, pushing my dress up over my hips so that it exposes my panties.

“Victor,” I whisper, feeling his hardness on my behind.

“Shhh, I wanna christen our new house, Babe.” Before I can protest, he rips my panties in half leaving me completely exposed. “Put your hands up on the glass,” he commands. The sound of his voice alone turns me on, leaving me ready for him. I do as he asks and put my hands on the glass. I hear the sound of a zipper coming undone and then I can feel his manhood on me. “Spread your legs.” I spread my legs, knowing that this is going to be hard and fast, since Caroline is downstairs. The possibility of getting caught is actually a turn on and by the time I feel him at my entrance, I’m more than ready for him. “Stick that pretty little ass out for me, Babe.” Victor’s never spoken to me like this before but holy shit I’m loving it right now. I do what he asks and as soon as I do, he impales me, hitting all of the right places. I cry out at the feel of him as he starts thrusting. “Shhh. We have to be quiet, Love,” he says, never letting up or slowing down. I try to control my urge to scream from the delicious sensations that are taking over me. His hands start to roam underneath my dress, finding my breasts. He pulls the cups of my bra down so that my breasts are exposed and he starts rolling and gently tugging at my nipples between his fingers. I throw my head back and try my hardest not to make any sounds.

After a few moments, he releases my breasts and brings his hands down to my hips. “Oh, f*ck, Baby, I need you to come,” he says, gripping my hips tighter, pulling me into him. I bite my bottom lip in order to keep from screaming as the powerful orgasm rips me apart. My knees start to buckle and I’m afraid I’ll fall to the ground. Victor instinctively wraps his arm around my waist, holding me upright as he comes, grunting against my shoulder trying to minimize the sound.

“Shit, Baby, that was hot,” he says, kissing my shoulder. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I think so,” I reply, coming down from the rollercoaster. He turns me around so that we’re face to face. He bends down, picking up my torn panties from the floor and using them to clean me up.

He grins up at me. “I think I owe you a new pair of underwear, Babe.”

“You think?”

He nods. “In the meantime, you’re gonna have to go commando.”

“I’ll manage,” I say, biting back a smile.

He tucks the tattered underwear in his back pocket and readjusts his pants. Once we’re both presentable, we make our way downstairs and find Caroline on the phone in the kitchen. She hangs up as soon as she sees us and smiles. “So, what do you guys think?”

“We love it. Draw up the paperwork, we’ll go in a million under the asking price, but let them know it’s a cash sale. That should sway them.” I love how in control Victor sounds as he makes his demands. Caroline looks like she’s just seen God, not to mention a fat commission check. We leave the house and I wait in the car while Victor finalizes some things with Caroline. When he finally joins me in the car, he looks uncomfortable and I’m wondering what has happened.

I look at him questioningly. “What’s wrong?”

“I just got a call from my mom.”

“Oh boy, what now?” I ask, scared to hear the answer.

He shrugs his shoulders like he’s dumbfounded. “She says that she wants to have lunch with you. She wants to apologize for jumping to conclusions about you. She said that you two got off on the wrong foot and she would like to spend some time with you.”

I don’t know if I’m buying this repentant act of hers, the woman is a beast, she’s proven it time and time again. “Well, that’s a complete about face.”

He lets out a sigh. “You do not have to go, Love. I want you to be comfortable and if the idea makes you uncomfortable, then you shouldn’t go.”

“Well, if she’s asking, I probably should go. I mean, what if she really is trying to bury the hatchet. I probably shouldn’t piss her off.”

“Alright, but if it gets out of hand or you feel uncomfortable, you call me and I’ll come get you. I’ll have Rob drive you to the restaurant so you don’t have to ride with her.”

“What are you gonna do while I’m gone?”

“I think I’ll just take a nap and wait for you to get back.”

I nod, and then turn my head to look out the window. My instincts are telling me that I shouldn’t trust what she told Victor but what am I supposed to do, she’s his mom and if I plan to be in his life, I have to at least try to get along with her. It would just make it so much easier for everyone involved if we could co-exist.



By the time we get back to the hotel, it’s just about time for me to leave to meet Victor’s mom. I freshen up a bit, put on a new pair of underwear and reapply some make up. Rob is waiting for me in the lobby and drives me to the restaurant where Lucia is waiting for me.

Once I’m inside, the hostess walks me over to the table where Lucia is already seated with a cocktail in hand. I square my shoulders preparing myself for battle just in case, giving her the most genuine smile I can muster as I take my seat across from her.

“Hello, Mrs. Garza. Thank you for inviting me to lunch.”

“Hello, Elizabeth. Thank you for agreeing to this.”

“You’re welcome.” The waitress comes and takes my drink order. I want to stay clear headed so I order a soda. Not the most sophisticated choice, I know, but I really don’t care. Once the waitress is gone, Lucia speaks.

“As you know, I’ve been managing Victor since his career began. I know my son and I know that he cares for you. I just hope that you understand any issues I have with your relationship are purely out of concern for my son’s future.”

I can hear just a hint of animosity in her voice. Instinctively, I put my defenses in place. “Of course, I understand how you must feel, but I was under the impression that Victor’s future as a singer is limited.”

She snickers at me. “Yes, well, why is that Elizabeth? Why would a young man who’s at the prime of his career just decide one day that he doesn’t want to do it anymore? Why would he give it all up, the women, the fame, the money?”

I control the urge to roll my eyes. “So you think that I’ve somehow managed to convince him to retire?”

She tilts her head. “Haven’t you?”

“No, ma’am, I haven’t. Victor’s been talking about retiring since I met him. It’s what he wants and that has nothing to do with me. He’s tired, he wants to settle down and set up a recording studio with Alex.”

She sucks her teeth and rolls her eyes at the mention of Alex’s name. “Alex has always tried to lead Victor astray but not until he met you has he actually acted on it.”

I sigh, not knowing what else to say. This conversation is disintegrating quickly and I need to do something before we battle it out here in public. “Look, Mrs. Garza, I don’t want to fight with you. I love your son, and I’ll support whatever he wants. If he wants to record ten more albums or do nothing at all, I’ll support him. I would never try to stop him from doing something that makes him happy.” The waitress comes back with my drink and I hope that maybe her interruption will be enough for us both to calm down. Once the waitress is gone, Lucia speaks again.

“If you want to do what’s right for Victor, Elizabeth, you would leave him alone.”

I shake my head. “I won’t do that! I love him.”

She smirks at me. “Just like you loved Brian?”

I can feel the heat rising, filling me with anger. “Brian? What does he have to do with any of this? That relationship ended years ago.”

“I’m prepared to make it worth your while. I will write you a personal check for two million dollars if you leave tonight and leave my son alone.”

My eyes nearly bug out of my head. “Are you crazy? I don’t want your money! My God, this is your son you’re talking about. How could his career be more important to you than his happiness?” I push my chair out, preparing to leave.

“I have worked too hard to take my son to the top. I will not let some little gold digging whore take it all away from him.”

I want to get up and smack the shit out of this lady but I have more respect for myself than that. “I’m sorry that’s how you feel about me. You couldn’t be more wrong.”

“This was a one time offer, Elizabeth. If you leave now, I will not offer you the money again.”

“My answer will never change.” I get up and leave as quickly as I can, nothing but anger coursing through my veins.