His hand came to the side of my neck to stop further retreat but his body wasn’t close anymore and my fuzzy brain became sharper.
I looked up at him and said in all honesty, “I can’t deal with this now.”
Hector stared at me a second and I had no idea what he saw but thankfully whatever it was made him nod. His hand squeezed me affectionately at my neck.
Yes, that’s right, affectionately.
“We’ll get the other’s statements,” he told me. “Eddie called a squad car, they took Harvey in. You can come in and press charges in the morning.”
I nodded even though I wasn’t going to press charges not in the morning or any time.
Clearly the Balducci brothers weren’t going to leave me alone while they waited for me to play my card but I couldn’t think about what that meant right now. I’d think about it later when Hector’s hand wasn’t at my neck, I hadn’t survived the latest Balducci Brother Attack and I didn’t have five lemon drops and three shots coursing through my system.
I felt his hand loosening like he was going to let go and quickly, before I lost the courage, I asked, “Are you going to get into trouble?” I paused then went on, “For choking him?”
Hector’s head jerked ever so slightly at my question like it surprised him and his eyes narrowed.
He stared at me again for what seemed like a long time then his face cleared and, I could swear, he was fighting back a grin.
“So that’s what’s in your head,” he murmured as if he was talking to himself and as if whatever he thought was in my head pleased him a great deal. I wasn’t going to think about a pleased Hector until later either.
“Well?” I prompted less quickly and a bit more annoyed this time.
I watched him continue to fight the grin as he replied, “I think I might get away with getting physical when I caught Harvey Balducci in the middle of a kidnap attempt.”
I sighed quietly but with relief. Well, at least that was good news.
Then I asked, “Will Daisy get into trouble for attacking him?”
He shook his head. “As far as any of the witnesses were concerned, Daisy Sloan was simply in on the rescue and, maybe, her nails slipped a bit.”
My eyes got round as I repeated, disbelief dripping from my words at his stunning prevarication, “Daisy was in on the rescue and her nails… slipped a bit?”
It was at that Hector stopped fighting back the grin and let it happen.
I stared. His grin was nearly as good as his smile. Who thought that could even be possible?
Then, before I could answer my own question, his head dipped.
Then, seriously, no kidding, his lips touched mine in a barely-there kiss.
After that, while I was blinking rapidly and trying to remember how to breathe, his head came up and he said, “Time for you to go home.”
All I could think was; he was so right. It was time for me to go home.
Tomorrow I’d think about all of this. Tonight, I was done. So done.
“Time for me to go home,” I agreed.
His grin turned into a blinding, white smile, he leaned in again but only to kiss the top of my head this time.
He took my hand in his and he walked me back into the bar.
Chapter Six
It’s My Lip Gloss
Sadie
“He’s here, he’s here, oh my God, he’s here… and he looks good!” Ralphie chanted, dancing around by the window.
Oh my God.
Hector was here. It was seven o’clock and Hector was here.
I looked at the display on the DVD player. No, it was seven-oh-two.
But Hector was still here.
To take me out to dinner.
And he looked good!
And we were going to “talk”. I knew we were going to “talk” because Hector called Art in the early afternoon and told me so.
I didn’t want to talk. I didn’t even want to go to dinner!
How did this happen?
Oh… my… God.
* * * * *
That afternoon at Art I unwittingly answered the phone (as you do when, say, you run a business) and without even a hello Hector said in my ear, “I’m standin’ in the Station, Eddie’s with me and he says you haven’t come in yet.”
Oh my.
“Well –” I started.
He interrupted me, “You don’t come in they gotta let Harvey go.”
I tried again, “I just –”
“They let Harvey go and you don’t tell them what Ricky did to you I still got four Balducci brothers to deal with rather than bein’ down to two.”
My body went tight and I stared unseeing at the counter unable to process his words.
“What?” I asked.
“I think you heard me,” he answered.
I heard him all right.
“I heard you. I just don’t know what you mean.”
“I mean,” he explained but I could tell he was losing patience, “if Ricky and Harvey are out of commission, I just gotta go after Marty and Donny.”
I kept staring at the counter. “Why are you after the Balducci Brothers?”
Silence then a soft, “Mamita, are you shittin’ me?”
Quietly I answered, “No.”
More silence then, still soft, “Tonight, after dinner, we’re gonna talk.”
He gave me an opening, my back went straight and I took it.
“Hector, about dinner –”
“Seven o’clock, you aren’t there, I’ll find you.”
Disconnect.
I kept staring at the counter and tried to decide if Hector could find me.
Then I decided Hector could very likely find me.
Then I spent the next six hours alternately having panic attacks and letting Ralphie talk me into things. Things like closing down the shop. Things like going to Cherry Creek Mall. Things like buying a new outfit for my dinner with Hector. Things like buying that new Coach handbag I did not need. Things like agreeing it was a good idea that Ralphie bought the cute doggie food and water bowls even though I knew Buddy would lose his mind. Things like trying on everything Ralphie threw at me in thirteen different stores without losing my patience or calling on the Ice Princess (not even once).
* * * * *
“Ralphie, calm down,” Buddy said to the still dancing Ralphie.
Ralphie was in no mood to calm down. He rushed to me and grabbed my arms.
“Sweet ‘ums, your outfit is perfection. He’s wearing jeans, a shirt and a leather jacket. Thank God we didn’t go OTT with that slutty top from Bebe.”
There was no way on earth I was ever going to buy that slutty top in Bebe that Ralphie forced me to try on. Of course, I didn’t tell him that in Bebe or now.
The doorbell went, thoughts of slutty tops flew out of my head and all the breath went out of lungs in a whoosh.
Then without looking at Ralphie or Buddy, I turned on my stiletto heel, rushed to the powder room and slammed the door.
I looked at myself in the mirror.
Ralphie talked me into keeping my hair loose and giving it what he called “just a wee bit more volume” so there was tons of it falling in waves and ringlets around my face, on my shoulders and down my back.
I went light on the makeup mainly because heavy looked, well, heavy. The scar on my cheek was still too angry to hide without looking like I was trying to hide something. Anyway, my hair did the work a heavy makeup job would do (as I mentioned, there was loads of it) and I also had my signature MAC lip gloss on, a soft pink with a gentle shine.
I loved that lip gloss.
I had on a silvery-purple blouse with a mandarin collar, rows of soft, generous ruffles floating down in a V at the bodice and little ruffles making up the short sleeves. I paired this with my new Lucky jeans, a thin silver belt and silver strappy sandals. Finally, I was wearing my diamonds-in-platinum tennis bracelet and my diamond stud earrings.
I stared in the mirror thinking maybe I was st
ill OTT.
Did one wear diamonds and platinum when one went out with the ex-DEA agent that put one’s father in prison?
Did one wear a silver belt and silver strappy sandals ever?
Was one absolutely mad that one was not climbing out the window right now?
A sharp knock came at the door and I jumped.
“Sadie! Hector’s here,” Ralphie called unnecessarily as I knew Hector was there, just two seconds ago, Ralphie was chanting it.
“Coming!” I shouted back and then realized Hector would know I was in the powder room. If I stayed in there very long Hector would wonder what I was doing. I didn’t want to go out there to have dinner with Hector but I also didn’t want Hector to wonder why I needed a long bathroom break.
“Blooming heck,” I said into the mirror. Then I pulled in a deep breath and whispered, “You can do this Sadie, it’s just dinner, a talk. You can talk to Hector. You’ve had boyfriends, you’ve had lovers. Okay. They didn’t stick around very long because your father warned them off but you aren’t a frightened little virgin. You’re a grown woman. An experienced, grown woman. An experienced grown woman who can take care of herself. You can talk to him, tell him you aren’t interested. Get him to understand and back off. You can do it. Right?” I leaned in closer and repeated, “Right?”
Another sharp rap at the door.
“Sadie!” Ralphie snapped.
“Coming!” I shouted, whirled, yanked open the door in full snit and stomped out, glaring at Ralphie. “For goodness sake, Ralphie, can a girl fix her lip gloss without her crazy, gay roommate banging down the door?”
“No,” Ralphie shot back. “Not when Hispanic Hottie is waiting to take her out to dinner.”
“Stop calling him Hispanic Hottie, his name is Hector,” I returned.
“I call ‘em as I see ‘em. He’s Hispanic…” Ralphie lifted one hand and then continued. “And he’s hot.” He lifted the other hand then he shoved them together like he was squeezing an accordion. “Hence, Hispanic Hottie.”
“You could argue about this all night,” Buddy called from down the hall. Ralphie and my heads swung in that direction and we could see both Buddy and Hector “Oh my God now for a different reason” Chavez standing there, by the door, both of them watching The Ralphie and Sadie Show. “But Hector’s waiting and Ralphie, we’ve got a reservation,” Buddy finished.
I didn’t hear the last part of what Buddy said. I was staring at Hector who was looking like he was trying not to laugh and not succeeding very well. It was a full on, light up the room, beyond amused, glamorous smile.
Couple that with him being clean-shaven, his hair still an unruly mess but now a slightly less unruly still sexy as ever mess, wearing a black, tailored shirt, a pair of jeans, a black leather jacket, black cowboy boots and a fantastic, wide, black belt with a heavy, matte silver square buckle… well, I not only could no longer hear, I couldn’t speak or move.
I could only see.
Oh my.
The answer was yes. One could wear diamonds and platinum with the ex-DEA agent that put one’s father in prison.
I wasn’t OTT. I needed a lot more sparkle and glitter to go out with a man that was just, plain beautiful.
“You ready?” Hector asked and I jolted out of my stupefaction.
No. I was definitely not ready.
“Yes,” I lied and walked toward him.
He watched me walk and the way he did it made me acutely aware of everything about me, every tiny movement, every last hair on my head.
“Okay kids,” Ralphie said, trailing me. “Don’t be too late. Don’t do any drugs, drive smart and even if all the other kids are doing it, think twice. If you’re going to be over your curfew then make sure you call your Daddies or we’ll get worried.”
I stopped in front of Hector but turned to Ralphie.
I leaned up to kiss his cheek and then whispered, “Shut up.”
He grinned at me.
I turned to Buddy, he helped me on with my to-the-hip, black trench coat, handed me my deep-green, patent leather Lanvin bag with the chain link strap and then I kissed his cheek too.
“Seriously, Sadie, you’re gonna be late, you phone,” Buddy said to me but his eyes were on Hector.
“I’ll phone,” I promised.
With that, Hector took my hand and we were out the door.
Darn.
Here we go.
Hector walked me to the Bronco so fast I nearly had to run to keep up. Once there, he opened the passenger door, helped me in then slammed it when I settled. He rounded the front and got in the driver’s side but instead of turning on the truck, he twisted toward me.
“Give me your cell,” he demanded.
I blinked because everything was happening really fast.
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“Your cell,” he repeated.
Confused at this strange start to a date, I pulled out my cell phone and handed it to him. He took it, flipped it open, punched numbers into it and then hit the green button.
In a second, I heard his cell phone ringing. He pulled it out of the inside pocket of his jacket and flipped my phone shut. Then with me still silent and watching him, he hit buttons on his phone, loads of buttons. My phone rang; he flipped his shut, mine open and returned his to his jacket pocket. Then he started to hit buttons on my phone, loads of those too, even more than what he did on his phone.
“Do you,” I tried to be polite after he kept on hitting buttons, “mind telling me what you’re doing?”
He flipped my phone shut and handed it to me, his eyes coming to mine.
“You’re programmed into my phone, I’m programmed into yours,” he told me. “You got my cell, my house, the office and the control room at the office. The control room is set as the top choice in your phonebook. You ever have a situation, any situation, you call there. Someone is there twenty-four, seven and they’ll take care of you. Got that?”
Slowly, not certain sure how to react to Hector giving me his cell phone and home phone and office phone and offering me twenty-four, seven access to someone who would “take care of me”, I nodded.
“Now,” he went on, his voice softer, he was leaning closer and I wasn’t keeping up. “I’m gonna kiss you, because, mamita, the way you look right now, I gotta fuckin’ kiss you.”
Oh my.
I guessed Ralphie was right, my outfit was perfection.
He got way closer, his fingers slid into my hair at the side and they cupped my head.
“You all right with that?” he asked quietly, eyes looking into mine.
Again, slowly, I nodded though I also wasn’t certain sure I was “all right with that”.
“Thank Christ,” he muttered.
Then he kissed me.
It started soft, sweet and then I put my hand to his shoulder and felt the heat there. I liked it and moved in closer so I could feel the heat from his body.
His arm slid around my waist, bringing me even closer right before his tongue touched my lips. I opened my mouth at the touch and that was it. It was rewind to my father’s study.
I curled my arms around his neck, pressed my body to his and the kiss went from soft and sweet to hot and wild.
Within minutes, he pulled me out of my seat, twisting me so I landed in his lap and both his arms went around me, one locked at my waist, the other one sliding up my neck and into my hair.
I kissed him back like I couldn’t exist without my lips on his, his tongue in my mouth. I was out-of-control and didn’t even care.
Then he tore his mouth from mine and buried his face in my neck. For a second, we both just sat there, breathing heavily.
“You taste better than I remembered,” he said into my neck and his voice sounded deeper than normal.
I swallowed and closed my eyes tight. My heart was beating wildly. I felt safe and snug in his lap with his arms around me. I was excited in a good way. And his heat was seeping into me everywhere and I liked it.
I liked all of it.
His head came out of my neck and he looked at me. “And the way I remembered it, you tasted fuckin’ great.”
My rapidly beating heart tripped.
“It’s my lip gloss,” I said stupidly.
A slow smile spread on his face. “Mamita, trust me, it isn’t your lip gloss.”
I didn’t answer mainly because I was in his lap, I just made out with him (again) and he was smiling at me close up.
Where was my Ice Princess now, I ask you? There were moments I could still use her. What was she? On vacation?
“Time to feed you,” he told me.
Thank God.
Relief from full on Hector, his mouth, tongue and heat. I could use that quite desperately. I needed to get my head together. This was not going well mainly because it was going well.
It wasn’t supposed to go well. It was supposed to be a disaster.
“Okay,” I agreed but didn’t move.
He kept smiling as he leaned in and gave me a brief kiss then twisted me back in my seat. He started the Bronco, I put on my seatbelt, he put on his and we took off.
Considering how the first ten minutes of our date went, I was a little worried about the rest of the night.
* * * * *
Hector parked on a residential street in the Highlands.
I looked around thinking maybe there was a corner restaurant or something. He got out, I threw open my door but he was there before I could alight. He took my hand, helped me out and kept hold of my hand.
“Where are we going?” I asked as he walked me up to what looked like a house.
“Dinner,” Hector replied.
I stared at the house. It was a nice house, small, neat yard, cozy.
Then, because it was a house, I began to panic.
“Is this your house?” I breathed as we made it to the front door.
Hector pulled open the heavy security door, stepped in, turned the knob to the front door and looked down at me.
“No. Es mi mamá’s.”
Blooming heck!
His mother’s?
Someone, please tell me Hector didn’t live with his mother.
He pulled me to him, put his hand to the small of my back and guided me into the house. Once in, he shut the door, took my hand and we walked into the living room.
Rock Chick Regret Page 11