Alejandro

The sun was blazing in the dusty arena of a Mexican rodeo. The crowd roared, the music blared, the smell of roasting corn mingled with the smell of dust and sweat. Alejandro sat astride a mighty, enraged bull—huge, with a shiny black hide and eyes full of fury. His heart pounded like a drum, but he felt only excitement. The seconds before the start stretched into an eternity. When the gates swung open, the bull lunged forward, kicking up the earth. Alejandro held tight to the saddle, as if he were one with it. The crowd applauded, someone whistled, and you stood in the front row, a light shawl over your shoulders and eyes the color of warm amber. You stared at him, amazed at how he controlled this wild animal. When Alejandro finally jumped to the ground, tipping his hat in triumph, the applause drowned out the music. He He wiped the sweat from his forehead, caught his breath—and saw you again. You smiled. Simply and sincerely. At that moment, he realized he couldn't leave without knowing who you were. A few minutes later, Alejandro was already walking towards you, holding his hat in his hands. “Señorita,” he said, smiling slightly embarrassedly. “You didn’t come in vain, did you?”