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Rio is a well-travelled woman. She has always enjoyed travelling, talking to locals, seeking out adventures and discovering places that others might not notice. That is precisely why the US is the seventh country she has lived in. Puerto Rico, her home, has always provided her with a safe place and a home to which she can always return. After that came Spain, New Zealand, Japan, Egypt, Brazil and now the United States.
She discovered her calling as a teacher at a very young age, when, at the age of ten, she had to help her younger sister with her homework. And the rest, as they say, is history. Rio’s love for languages deepened as she watched Japanese films, discovered Nordic mythology and learnt how the Egyptians told stories using hieroglyphs rather than words. And when she realised the art hidden in the ogival arches of the Alhambra in Granada, whose inscriptions were a mixture of Spanish and Arabic… Her mind was set: understanding the languages of the world made her happy.
Her body is the very embodiment of all those places she has visited and all the experiences she has had: tattoos everywhere adorn her arms and legs, which she proudly shows off in the heat of mid-June.
The latest anti-immigration policies made it clear that any foreigner was only welcome if they came to empty their pockets on the glittering streets of Manhattan. But the woman with wavy brown hair is not put off by first impressions.
So, three years later, she is working in a small town near New York. She combines her Spanish lessons at the high school with a Spanish and Hispanic culture academy in the town centre. Her days are spent moving between the whirlwind of distracted children who pack her classroom every morning and the calm she usually finds in the small groups of Spanish students she teaches in the afternoons.
And that’s how she ends up every Friday with her best friend, Alice, at the queeriest bar in the whole town. That’s an appointment Rio never misses: it doesn’t matter if it’s snowing, raining, the sun’s burning hot, or there are tornadoes or hurricanes – Alice and Rio never miss their Friday nights at the bar. And why, you might be wondering. Fridays are Trivial Fridays.
It might sound silly, but in the States there’s a National Trivial Pursuit League, and that’s precisely the dream of this pair of friends. Rio and Alice gave it their all every Friday at Trivial, followed by a general knowledge quiz, before drinking and dancing until dawn.
That night, Rio is in her third beer and is deep in a quick discussion with Alice.
“The poet Emily Dickinson has a sixth cousin, three times younger, who is famous for writing what are known as ‘pen songs’. Who could it be?” Alice repeated. Rio’s mind was racing, but she couldn’t think of an answer.
“Could it be… Aretha Franklin?” she said, uncertainly.
“It can’t be… if she has to be three times younger… so it can't be her, no?” replied Alice, crossing Franklin’s name off the list she was hastily jotting down on a napkin. She quickly took off her leather jacket and draped it over the back of her chair whilst she thought.
The group ahead of them gets the answer wrong, and Kate – one of the bar managers and the person who usually organises all the venue’s activities – looks at them with a bright smile and gives them the floor. “Alice, Rio, it’s your turn! You’ve got ten seconds to come up with an answer.”
“Oh shit,” the tall woman mutters under her breath. “I don’t know, Al, I can’t think of anything.” Rio glances quickly at the list with random names. Ray Charles, Tina Turner, Etta James, Nicky Minaj, Maria Carey, Doechii…
“Wait…” Alice scribbles down a name that’s just popped into her head. “Whitney Houston might do! She’s one of the greatest singers of all time.”
“Yes! Good idea—”
“And zero! So, girls, what’s your answer?” Kate’s voice pressed.
“Come on, say it!” Alice interrupted her. The bar door swung open, letting a bit of the heat from outside into the room. There was a buzz of people talking.
Rio wiped the sweat from her hands before looking at Kate and saying, “Whitney Houston!”
Silence fell over the room as the girl standing on the small platform that served as the bar’s stage glanced sideways at her tablet. When Kate looked up again, building the tension to the maximum, she spoke in a confident voice. “And that’s another mistake! It’s not Whitney Houston. We’ll pass the turn to Ben and Ralph.”
Rio grimaces, whilst her head is still working through the options, but the clock is ticking and three other teams are unable to get the answer right. The brown-eyed woman took a long sip from her bottle. Two tall figures sat down at the bar, behind Alice and Rio.
“Come on, last chance to score double points! It’s now or never!” Kathie encouraged them, speaking into the microphone. “The poet Emily Dickinson has a sixth cousin, three times younger, who is famous for writing what are known as ‘pen songs’. Who could it be?”
A snort of disbelief is heard from the bar and a second later a voice rings out loud and clear: “That’s easy. Taylor Swift.”
Kate looks over Rio’s shoulder in surprise just before announcing: “Ding, ding, ding! Correct!” A round of applause and cheers rings out across the bar, directed at the woman with the clear, somewhat deep and confident voice.
“W-what?” Alice says, unable to believe it. “It can’t be.”
Rio turns round in her seat and finds herself looking at a woman whom anyone would describe as beautiful. Her blue eyes contrast with her long, well-groomed brown hair and a smile revealing white teeth. As the blue meets the light brown, the woman’s lips curve into a smirk; tossing her hair back, she raises the small bottle towards her and immediately takes a sip of her beer. The woman was dedicating her victory to her.
“It looks like we’ve got two new players– welcome, girls.” Kate continues speaking once the applause dies down. “As you’ve got it right, you’ll get six points! And you’re now third in the ranking.” More applause. “Let’s move on to the next question.”
Agatha never thought she’d end up on a random Friday in a little pub playing a quiz. But it seems Jennifer had other plans that afternoon, and she didn’t really mind having to drag her friend all over town until they ended up there, competing to win some pointless brainiacs’ contest.
The biologist would rather be anywhere but here. She’d much rather be at home, with a good bottle of wine and a film. But here she is. Agatha is many things, and being competitive is one of them. Although she finds the questions far too easy, she helps Jen score as many points as possible. She knows Jen is interested in one of the girls at the table on the right, a young woman with Asian features and jet-black hair tipped with red.
However, Agatha had also spotted someone else; the only person in the whole bar who could rival her. That woman had a style that caught her eye: loose-fitting dark trousers, paired with a tight pistachio-coloured strappy top that revealed her toned arms and a glimpse of her midriff. Her denim jacket rests on the back of her chair.
Agatha mentally approves of her outfit whilst feeling comfortable on her own. She is wearing a lilac summer dress, tied at the waist with a belt, and a dark jacket; smart yet casual.
Agatha returns her eyes to Kate who is now reading the next question, but feels as if she is being watched. She moves back the attention to the table on the right and sees that the brunette is watching her closely. Agatha expects the woman to turn back around after a couple of seconds.
She doesn't.
Instead, those warm brown eyes remain fixed on her with open curiosity, as if she is trying to solve a riddle. There is no annoyance in them—only surprise, and perhaps the faintest trace of admiration. No admiration no. Recognition. She is seeing in Agatha a challenge.
Interesting, Agatha thinks.
Jennifer leans sideways until her shoulder bumps against Agatha's, breaking the staring contest they have. "You know her?"
Agatha lets out a quiet chuckle, looking back to her friend. "I've never seen her before."
"Hm." Jen glances towards the brunette again. "She's been staring at you for... a whole minute."
"I'm aware."
"Are you gonna flirt or just keep exchanging meaningful looks?"
"Oh, you read my mind, Jen! I was going to ask you the same thing.” Agatha says with a mock tone. “She appears to be the friend of that crush of yours.Make a move. Besides, I answered a question."
"You showed off."
"Naaaah. That's different. The questions are way too easy." Jen rolls her eyes so dramatically that Agatha almost laughs. Before either of them can say anything else, the quiz continues.
"What is the only mammal capable of true flight?" Kate asks through the mic. There is a silence that only lasts the total amount of five seconds before two voices speak up.
"The bat," Agatha and the brunette answer at exactly the same time.
Kate points between the two teams. "Correct. One point each."
“JA!” Alice cheers. Rio high five with her and then immediately looks at the woman at the bar. Smirking, she picks up her beer towards the woman with blue eyes, mimicking her own gesture.
Something in the chestnut eyes has changed, and Agatha could see right through them. If she thinks she can challenge Agatha, then Agatha, of course, will fight back.
She smirks back, but not politely, challenging. The tall woman lets out a quiet chuckle and nods.
Mmmm, this is about to go down, Agatha thinks. Good. Challenge accepted.
************
The night air is blissfully cool after the heat trapped inside the bar. Rio left her jacket inside but not her beer, which she takes with her. As soon as she steps out, she sees her.
Agatha stands just outside the entrance, leaning against the brick wall with one ankle crossed over the other. The orange tip of her cigarette glows in against the pinkish sky, as she exhales slowly, watching the smoke disappear into the summer night.
Behind her, laughter spills through the open door every time someone walks in or out.
"Mind if I join you?"
She recognises the voice before she turns. Tall, well dressed, chestnut eyes, messy ponytail. The brunette from the quiz. Up close, she's even taller than Agatha first thought. Her pistachio-green top is the colour that makes her olive skin look brighter.
Agatha smiles knowingly. "I was beginning to think you'd never come."
Rio lets out a surprised laugh, and almost spills her beer. "HA! So you were waiting for me."
"I didn't say that." Agtaha says way too quickly.
"You implied it." Rio responds immediately.
Agatha snorts. "I'll let you believe whatever helps you sleep tonight."
Rio shakes her head, amused. She takes a few steps closer and hold out her hand. "I'm Rio."
Blue eyes lock into brown ones. "Agatha."
Agatha after a few seconds shakes her hand with Rio’s. The moment skin meets skin, a shiver runs through her, making her warm.
"So..." Rio says, rocking slightly on her heels, suddenly nervous as if she had felt the shiver as well. "Congratulations."
Agatha hums as she takes a drag of her cig.
"You beat us. by. one. point."
"I'll take every victory I can get." Says Agatha, smirking.
Rio groans dramatically. "I knew answering Taylor Swift that fast would come back to haunt me."
Agatha laughs—a genuine one this time. "You should've known that question."
"I did know it.” Rio declares dramatically only to deadpan: “About three seconds too late."
Agatha snorts and tries to hide it with her cigarette, "Three seconds can make a difference."
"I've noticed."
Again blue locks in brown. Rio feels this push-and-pull, this energy between them and she does not care what her friend thinks. All she can think is how she wants to dive in this weird challenge. "So... are you always that competitive?"
"Only when someone keeps answering before I do. " Agatha snaps, “or when men thinks they’re better than me and they fail terribly.”
Rio lets out a laugh, and needs a few seconds to take some air to her lungs. Agatha can’t help but think she wants to keep hearing that laugh.
"Ok, so, you're blaming me for being quicker than you?"
"I'm saying you were excellent motivation."
Rio grins and finishes her beer "Nice one. I'll take that as a compliment."
"It wasn't-." Agatha says but her voice is cut by Rio laughing again. Agatha rolls her eyes.
"You are a terrible liar. It definitely was a compliment."
The brunette groans, faking being annoyed. She takes another drag from her cigarette. "You know..." she says after a moment, "you've got an impressive collection."
Rio follows her gaze before realising she's looking at the ink in her arms. "Mmm! Each one of them has a history behind them. Most of them come from places I've lived."
"I guessed they weren't random."
"They're not. They all have special meanings. They were sometimes things so important that I thought that they should come with me everywhere I go. Just to remind me where I come from and what I've learned."
One thing Rio loves is yapping about her tattoos. And another thing she likes? Showing them off in front of a beautiful woman. And sue her, she was standing in front of a goddess with blue eyes.
"This one's from Kyoto." She points to a delicate tattoo of two koi fish intertwined in an eternal dance. One of them is drawn in blue and yellow and the other one has red and pink.
"And this one from Granada." An intricate geometric pattern which combines blue, black, green and orange.
"This..." She smiles softly. "is my abuelita's house in Puerto Rico." A silhouette of a typical house near the beach. Agatha studies every piece with genuine interest and without realizing it she steps closer, almost touching Rio’s arm.
"They're beautiful."
"Thank you."
"And painful, I imagine."
Rio smiles. "Worth every second."
Agatha stubs her cigarette out against the ashtray beside the door before slipping off her jacket. The movement reveals the black ink curling over her forearm.
Rio's eyes immediately drift towards it. "A raven?"
Agatha nods."My first tattoo."
Rio smiles, knowingly. “My first one was my favorite constellation.”
"It seemed very dramatic when I was twenty-three."
The tall woman snorts. "And now?"
"...Still dramatic." They both laugh.
Just as Agatha is fishing her beer, Rio sees it. Below the raven there is a tattoo of a butterfly
No way, Rio thinks.
Without thinking, she reaches for Agatha's wrist. "Can I...?"
Agatha hesitates only briefly before turning her arm over. There, beneath the raven, is another tattoo. A fine black line disappearing around the inside of her wrist. Intertwined thread woven through the design. A beautiful butterfly
Rio feels the air leave her lungs. Impossible.
Her own fingers tremble as she pushes back the sleeve of her jacket. The same impossible design of her favorite butterfly. “Parnassius apollo.” She says touching Agatha's skin.
“Yes… how do you know that species? It is very rare, they only live…”
“in the tallest mountains, I know.” Neither of them speaks, the sounds from inside the bar fade into nothing. Then Rio focus on the fine letters above the butterfly design and reads them. “Las mariposas son el espejo del alma…”
Agatha stares at Rio. “You know spanish.”
Rio stares back at Agatha, eyes wide with surprise. “Yeah, of course. It's my mother tongue. That… that is what my abuela used to tell me when I was young and liked to go with me to the science museum.”
Agatha feels herself feel warm with the memory of the other woman. "It sounds beautiful with your accent".
Rio, who was again watching carefully the tattoo, snaps at her. “What did you just say?”
Agatha raises an eyebrow but repeats. "It sounds beautiful with your accent".
Rio’s eyes go wide again and then shows her left wrist. Agatha stares from Rio's wrist to her own and back again. She has said the exact same words Rio has tattooed in her wrist. This has to mean…
"...What the-… It is you?… I did not think it could happen to me."
Rio can barely whisper.
"I..." Rio has has travelled across seven countries and learnt five languages. Met thousands of people around the globe and somehow she finds her soulmate on a random Friday night in a tiny quiz bar. Because of Taylor Swift. Agatha lets out one disbelieving laugh.
"You've got to be kidding me... You truly are my soulmate?"
Rio meets her eyes. "I think so. No. I know it, I feel it. We are soulmates." For the first time that evening, neither of them cares who won the quiz. “And that somehow explains why I am so drawn to you and I can only think how bad I want to kiss you.”
Agatha grins and takes hold of Rio by the top of her top and pulls her towards her. Their lips meet in a warm welcome, sealing a pact that the universe has forged without them realising it.