"No."
Her panic paused for a moment. Was there going to be more to follow that definitive thought?
There was nothing. But she knew what it wasn't going to be so that left her with the position of determining how personal things would be. She wasn't good about being personal, but this was important.
"Elon I don't think you should be embarrassed because of your attraction to me." Maria said hurriedly as she tried to keep up with Elon's fast pace.
He stopped.
"I know I am considered beautiful and I'm flattered that you think so as well and I'm not offended by it.
Elon looked back, "There can never be anything intimate between us!"
"Why?" Maria asked hesitantly.
"I made a promise a long time ago that I have to keep."
Elon turned back to continue on, but Maria spoke out more boldly than she felt inside, "My purpose here with you isn't to torment you or much less to be a source of temptation to lead you away from any promise that you've ever made."
Elon turned around and it was quite apparent that he was very angry. So much so that Maria wanted to back away, as he came toward her, but she didn't.
"And just what pray tell is your purpose?" Elon said, as his hot breath washed out over Maria's face.
Feeling like she was staring down a lion Maria softly said, "A gift."
"What!!! What kind of a gift?" Elon stormed out with in question.
"A gift from God to you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I stared incredulously into her eyes, but found no lie there. She was serious!
"You're for me?" I asked trying to clarify what she'd said.
She nodded and I thought of the toy shop owner who'd made me take the doll claiming I'd have a daughter and then six more children after that. I thought of all the women I had passed by from Queens to milkmaid sirens to finally come to this moment that I had been sure would never happen. Was God really giving me what I had always desired?
"The hotel incident?" I asked leadingly.
Maria nodded somehow knowing as to what I was referencing and said, "It's hard to obey some things. Being given away as a gift to a man is not something I ever expected to be asked of me. It's not something I would've ever conceded to on my own. No offense meant."
"None taken." I said just as softly as she had spoken.
I saw a bench beside us and I sat down feeling overwhelmed inside and very confused.
"You don't understand it either?" Maria asked.