The Ink Well Weekly Fiction Prompt #3: Beauty With a Twist/ Quetta and Daniel

Daniel looked at his mobile phone every few minutes to check the time. In the meantime he sipped the beer in front of him.
Forty-five minutes after the appointed time, Quetta showed up.
When he saw her arrive, a smile, which did not disappear all afternoon, lit up his face.
He got up to wait for her as he watched her run towards him like a schoolgirl.
When she reached the table she stopped and curtsied. He reciprocated by extending his hand to her, and Quetta stopped as she took it. And he gazed at her at his ease.

"You look beautiful, you look great in that white blouse". She said in reply, "I'm starving". He burst out laughing, Quetta had the virtue of always making him laugh.

Daniel ordered lunch, he didn't ask his companion what she preferred; he ordered for both, albeit different dishes. At each request to the waiter the woman smiled. Daniel knew her like no one else.
They had a hearty lunch, accompanied by a good wine. "It's your turn to pay for everything since you're earning so well," Quetta told him. Daniel laughed again.
"You pay for the cinema tickets," he said, and she laughed back. "Of course I do, you give me the money and I pay at the box office".

In an atmosphere of laughter and joking Queta and Daniel finished their lunch. Daniel put his arm around her shoulders and they walked to the nearby park.

There they sat on a bench to watch the pigeons and the children hanging out on the swings and slides. Little by little they caught up with each other: they hadn't met for three months and each wanted to know everything about the other.

It was half past four in the afternoon when Quetta's phone rang.
She looked at the screen for a moment and decided not to answer.
"Who is it?" without waiting for an answer he himself answered with another question "Is it your husband?"

"Yes, of course! You must want to ask me about anything silly around the house. Queta's voice sounded amused.
You won't answer him?
No. Of course not. He knows I'm with you. I told him I'd be late.
You're terrible, don't you feel sorry for him? Poor guy! With three little kids!
He's their dad. Isn't he? Let him manage!

Daniel laughed again, pulled her to him and kissed her brown hair.
After a while, Daniel wanted to lie down on Quetta's lap. He was like that, looking at the sky, when the incoming call rang.

You will answer, won't you? Quetta said reproachfully.
Of course I will! I'm not crazy, don't talk, don't breathe, she's my girlfriend!

Quetta watched him talk, she could hear the questions the female voice on the phone was asking Daniel. He answered that he was fine, maybe a little bored... that he was accompanying a friend to run some health errands, that he was currently resting in a park while the friend went to his appointment. That he didn't know yet what time he would arrive... that it depended on the doctor.

After hanging up, she saw him take a photograph of the children playing and send it to his girlfriend. He accompanied it with a voice note telling her that he would call her as soon as he was free.

At the end of the call Quetta and Daniel went into the cinema.

Then they went to the boardwalk to watch the sunset.

At times they were silent, watching the beauty of the sun hiding in the intense hues of the trees. They were unable to distract each other with unwelcome words in front of the beautiful sunset.

An hour later Daniel accompanied her to the bus stop that would take her home. They both took the bus. He would drop her off close to home and return in the same vehicle.

During the half hour ride back they talked about the inability of so many people to understand their long friendship. An affection that was born as children and that they swore to defend, before everything and everyone, when, as very young children, they were told ad nauseam that females and males could not be friends.

We'll see you in three months. Take care, my friend! said Daniel.

It's a deal! Quetta said cheerfully.
I hope your husband isn't too jealous," Daniel laughed.
"He knows that I love him, that he is my husband, but you are irreplaceable to me. You've been my best friend all my life.

From his seat Daniel watched her walk away.
He had never felt so comfortable, so happy and so authentic with anyone as he did with his friend Quetta. Their relationship was full of great beauty.