The Spanish Love Deception

In Lina’s apartment, she systematically goes through her dresses, trying to decide what to wear to Aaron’s proposed charity event—which she knows nothing about. She ends up wearing a fuzzy pink robe as she decides what to do. She does not have Aaron’s phone number, so she sends him a cryptic email that sounds like a business message: “I’m still waiting for you to disclose the details of our upcoming meeting” (89). He writes back that he will arrive in one hour. Lina panics. It takes her the full hour to get her apartment straightened.

When Aaron arrives, Lina is still wearing her pink robe; his tuxedo stuns her. They converse about what she should wear, though his physical presence distracts her. She picks an unworn dress that could be mistaken for a formal gown. She goes into the bathroom and takes 45 minutes to get ready. Aaron knocks on the bathroom door twice before opening it. Indignant, Lina says she could have been naked. The pair leave the apartment for the charity event.

As Aaron drives, a frustrated Lina finds herself recognizing his appeal: “So far I had somehow been able to overlook how attractive Aaron was. Not that I hadn’t noticed he was good looking.