As Ella and Carmen walked back in the room, Felix gave the rest of them warning looks, but he gave Hector a special one. One that said if he so much as mentioned any of what they’d all just said in front of Ella Hector might be sporting the Quasimodo look for a few days.
To his relief, Drew pulled out a notebook and started that informal interview she’d mentioned back at the gym. Felix sat quietly, trying not to appear as interested in some of Ella’s answers as he really was. He was still insisting even inwardly that this was nothing more than a professional interest.
He did, however. wonder if—even hoped that—Drew might touch on some more personal topics such as who the cop was who dropped by from time to time to see Ella at the gym.
Chapter 6
Ella
Ella couldn’t have been more relieved to have Drew go straight into her interview questions when they got back from the restroom. The topic of Sonia’s rape and the toll it took on her family was not one she enjoyed reliving, but for the sake of the self-defense classes, she was willing. It was important to get out there how necessary it is to be prepared and give yourself at least a chance against a would-be attacker before you have a tragic or near-tragic incident.
Her eyes met with Felix’s for a moment. “Ironically, it was the night of one your fights,” she said to Felix as he stared at her. His brows came together slowly. “It was the one where you knocked out Villareal. My dad had people over for the fight, and my brother was supposed to have been there. He’d gotten a call before I even got home from work, and my dad said he’d just stepped out. When the fight was over and he hadn’t come home, I started worrying. The idea of getting the fight on pay-per-view had been his to begin with. Then we got a call from the police that he’d been detained. It wasn’t until we got to the station that we found out he’d beaten someone unconscious and why.”
She took a sip of her beer, swallowing with it the emotion that overwhelmed her as she remembered her brother’s anguished cries that night about having walked in on his girl being raped and the torment in her father’s eyes as, once again, their family was being tested in the cruelest of ways.
This wasn’t something she’d shed another tear about. She’d stepped up in her mother’s place and taken charge, assuring both her brother and dad that, like everything else they’d been through, this too would pass. It was over and they’d all move on. She explained how during the investigation, after the guy Memo had beaten died of his injuries, she decided it did her no good to sit around and worry.
“I couldn’t just sit around and wait, and I kept thinking there had to have been something Sonia could’ve done.” They were all staring at her now, even Carmen, who knew the whole story. She shrugged. “So I started looking into the self-defense classes, but they were all so expensive. I knew most people in my neighborhood wouldn’t be willing to pay that kind of money for them. Most considered themselves street smart enough.” She frowned, shaking her head. “Sonia grew up in the area and considered herself street smart too.” She sighed then continued. “This is why these classes are so important. Just looking as if you are aware of your surroundings and not like easy prey can make the difference between whether an assailant decides to attack you or not.”
Charlee and Drew, along with the rest of the 5th Street owner’s wives, had all taken the self-defense classes. So Ella knew Drew and Charlee were aware of this spiel. Still, she wanted to make sure that this made it into the documentary.
By the third or fourth question, her nerves had calmed considerably. Her sudden trip to the ladies’ room had everything to do with the increasing thumping of her heart, which had doubled over with Felix’s compliment. It was a simple and innocent enough compliment, and the manner in which he’d said it was more of an observation. But the way he’d been staring at her lips and the intense way he’d held her gaze even as she took a desperate drink of her beer had done it.
With Carmen along, she couldn’t do her usual and pray for her mom to help her get through this. There wasn’t even anything to get through really, aside from the fact that her legs went limp each time Felix’s eyes looked deep into hers then fell to her lips. She was well aware that Felix wasn’t just a famous boxer. In spite of his troubles with the law and other media scandals, he was still one of the most sought after sports celebrities around when it came to endorsements. It wasn’t just for his boxing skills either. He was a sex symbol, so the endorsements came from everywhere.
The Calvin Klein ads he’d done last year went viral when the photos were leaked days before they were supposed to be revealed. Many speculated it was a publicity stunt. If it was, it was very well executed. For over a week, it was all anyone could talk about. And for weeks, those photos of him in his underwear were everywhere Ella turned. The man’s body was an absolute dream.
She got it. He was sexy, and he was likely used to every conversation with a woman being a flirtatious one. Maybe he didn’t even notice how damn sensual a gaze alone from him could be. Whatever the explanation, just like all those girls waiting outside and any girl who knew of him, clearly Ella wasn’t immune to his allure either, as she was trying so desperately to pretend she was. Now that she could admit it, since it’d be ridiculous to try and deny it, she at least knew what to do about it.
Nothing.
There was no way she could allow herself to give into that fantasy, the fantasy she was certain so many other girls would give into in a heartbeat. No way could she go along with it when she thought he might be flirting and then jump at the chance of a once-in-a-lifetime fling with a living legend—not to mention sex symbol—if it ever got that far.
It wasn’t in her to be able to do something like that and then just never look back. Her parents hadn’t raised her that way, and she was certain her mother wouldn’t approve. As crazy as it sounded, she needed to be on speaking terms with her mother. And to think there could ever be anything beyond just that with Felix—a fling—she’d be fooling herself as much as she’d been when she told herself she wouldn’t lose her cool around him.
“Okay,” Drew continued diligently with her questions. She held a slice of pizza in one hand and her pen in the other. “So your mom lost her battle with breast cancer when you were seventeen?”
Ella nodded, noticing once again how closely Felix watched her. He smiled that amazing smile when she glanced at him, and she had no choice but to smile, hoping he didn’t notice how deeply it made her inhale and exhale.
“How old are you now?” Drew asked, bringing her back to reality.
“I’m twenty-one,” she said. “Just turned twenty-one a few months ago.”
“And can you believe she’s never gone out to celebrate her twenty-first birthday the proper way,” Carmen said.
“I did,” Ella reminded her.
“Dinner with your family and boyfriend doesn’t count.” Carmen began to roll her eyes; then it seemed to come to her and nodded quickly. “Oh you mean when Grayson took you out alone for a more romantic dinner? That still doesn’t count as proper. You’re supposed to go out with your girlfriends and get wasted for your twenty-first. At the very least go see some hot stripper show.”
Ella felt her face warm, and if she could’ve leaned over and swatted her friend with the rolled up paper menu she’d absentmindedly been fidgeting with, she would have.
“So Grayson is your boyfriend?” Drew asked before Ella could respond to Carmen’s comment.
“No,” she said quickly and, for some reason, not at all comfortable getting into this topic.
“He was then though, right?” Carmen said, nibbling on her pizza.
Ella was going to kill Carmen. She should know this was not a topic she wanted to get into around this group. It was too personal and had nothing to do with her work at 5th Street.
“Yes, but not anymore” was all she offered.
Putting down the pen for the first time since her interview questioning started, Drew smiled. “He’s not anymore, but only a few months ago
on your birthday he was? Sounds juicy. Do tell!”
“Is he that cute cop I’ve seen you talking to outside the gym a few times?” Charlee asked suddenly, looking and sounding just as curious as Drew.
It was the only time Hector had pulled his attention away from the basketball game on the TV monitor mounted on the wall. He took a swig of his beer and glanced at Charlee, lifting a brow. Charlee smiled, pecking him softly on the lips then turned back to Ella.
Ella concentrated on tearing a piece of pizza away from her slice but hadn’t missed the way Felix was now peering at her curiously as if waiting for her response. “Um,” she cleared her throat but nodded. “Yes, that’s Grayson.”
“Grayson huh?” Drew said as if savoring the name. “And he’s a cop?”
“Same guy from earlier today?” Felix asked as he reached for another slice of pizza.
Unlike earlier, he wasn’t gazing deeply into her eyes. He wasn’t even looking at her, too busy trying not to take the other slice of pizza that was stuck to the one he’d reached for.
“Yes, that was Grayson,” she had to admit. “It just didn’t work out. But as you can see, we’re still friends. There are no hard feelings.”
“How long were you with him?” Charlee asked.
“Forever,” Carmen answered for her.
Now Felix studied her, and the questioning continued no thanks to her blabbermouth best friend. Ella was seriously going to have a talk with Carmen when they got back to her car tonight.
“No, not forever,” she explained. “I’ve known him for a long time. He was the officer who detained my brother when all that happened, and he was really helpful during the whole ordeal. He even got us in a touch with a good lawyer.”
“Oh, wow,” Drew said. “What an interesting way to meet a boyfriend! I’m almost kind of sad it didn’t work out. Imagine the stories you could’ve told your children. Proof that, at even one of the darkest times in your life, you can still find the silver lining. In your case, the incident might’ve put you in touch with love of your life.” She shrugged, sipping her beer. “Well, you never know, right? Maybe it’s just a temporary fizzle. If he’s still coming around to see you, then he obviously hasn’t lost interest.”
Charlee put her arm around Drew’s shoulder. “You’re such a romantic, Drew.”
“Yeah”—Drew rolled her eyes—“that’s why I’m still single, right?”
“No, it’s just that you haven’t met Mr. Right. But he’s out there.”
“What happened to you being allergic to assholes?” Hector asked as Ella let out a slow relieved breath, glad that the conversation had now shifted to Drew’s love life.
“What?” Charlee asked, laughing.
“It’s what she told me a long time ago, only the asshole she was referring to”—he turned to Charlee—“was me.”
Now Drew laughed, bringing her hand over her mouth. “I didn’t think you’d still remember that after all this time.”
“Trust me. I’ll never forget. But apparently you’re not allergic to them, because the last two or three guys you dated were assholes.”
Ella saw Charlee nudge Hector. “Babe,” she warned.
“No, he’s right,” Drew agreed quickly. “But there is you-know-who.” She gave Charlee a look. “And he’s a really sweet guy.”
“Poor sap.” Hector laughed. “He doesn’t stand a chance, then.”
“Not true,” Drew retorted. “He’s actually really starting to grow on me, so we’ll see.”
Thankfully, the conversation stayed on Drew for a while; then they got back to the interview. By the time the pizzas and pitchers of beer were gone, Drew said she had all she needed, and they started wrapping it up.
Ella wasn’t sure if it was the three mugs of beer she’d had or if, as the time had passed, she felt a little more at ease with all of them. She had a feeling it was a mixture of both. That and Carmen hadn’t said anything else to make her cringe or feel uncomfortable since her comments about Grayson.
The restaurant had apparently closed off access to the back alley to anyone but employees and Felix’s party. So when they walked out they were spared having to face the mob of reporters.
“Oh you know what?” Carmen said to Ella just as Felix opened the back door of his car for her. “Since I live right around the corner, if Felix drops me off, then you don’t have to come back this way from 5th Street. You can go straight home from there.”
Felix closed Carmen’s door after she’d gotten in then turned to open Ella’s door. He was so close she could smell his cologne again and feel the warmth of his body. He smiled as he opened Ella’s door, making her insides melt once again.
“I can do that.”
His words were practically a murmur, but Ella chided herself for even going there. Clearly, she was being delusional now. She refrained from gulping because he stood so close she was certain he’d hear it. So she nodded, not sure if she should be thanking Carmen this time or threatening to kill her the moment Felix closed Ella’s door.
Her insides were going nuts, knowing she’d very soon be in a car with Felix—alone—then Carmen’s mouth was right behind her head, speaking rapidly again as soon as Felix closed the door.
“I know you’re gonna say I’m crazy, Ella,” Carmen whispered, “but I think maybe Felix is digging you.”
Ella’s eyes shot open. “What? No! Shh!” she said all at once, looking out at Felix as he walked slowly around the front of the car.
“I’m serious,” Carmen insisted, still whispering rapidly. “I thought I’d noticed earlier the way he looked at you when you two were talking, but after Drew asked you about Grayson, it was like he couldn’t keep his eyes off you. But it wasn’t just him looking at you; it was how he did it.”
“Stop!” Ella said, completely panicked as Felix reached the door.
The door opened and he got in. “So just tell me the way,” he said, glancing back at Carmen.
He’d turned on the car even before he got in it, so he started pulling out now. Ella stared straight ahead, trying desperately not to put too much weight on what Carmen had just laid on her.
There was no way.
If anything, she might believe what she’d begun to think earlier. That it was just in his nature to come across a bit flirtatious with any girls he spoke with. It was also quite possible that he didn’t even realize the sensuality he exuded with a simple gaze—murmur. And that was likely what Carmen had picked up on too.
It wasn’t until Carmen was dropped off that Ella finally allowed herself to glance at Felix. Even then she did what she’d tried so hard not to do earlier—look away the moment their eyes met and give away how nervous he really made her.
“Something wrong?” he asked, visibly picking up on her unease.
“No.” She shook her head, smiling and meeting his eyes again, this time holding the eye contact.
“You haven’t said a word since we left the pizza place. Did the reporters spook you?”
The reporters may’ve spared them in the alley, but they were right there flashing their cameras the moment the car came around the corner to exit through the front. Ella had barely noticed them. She’d been so busy lost in her thoughts about what Carmen had said.
“No, no, not at all,” she assured him with a smile.
“There’s that smile,” he said sweetly.
And there was that gaze again, the one she’d been treated to so often tonight. The same one no doubt Carmen had picked up on. The one that rendered her speechless now and made her feel as if she were in a trance.
Almost as if he’d caught himself, he looked away quickly and out at his side mirror as he pulled away from the curb. “I just . . . I wasn’t sure if it was the horde outside that place that had you so quiet. I know it can be daunting especially for someone who isn’t used to it.”
Ella laughed softly in an attempt to make light of the awkwardness she was suddenly feeling. “It’s a good thing I don’t have to live that way.
I can’t imagine what that would be like. But you’re used to it, right?”
Felix glanced at her for a moment then looked back at the road. “I don’t think anyone ever really gets used to that. You just learn to deal with it.” They reached a stop light and he turned to her again. “It’s not always that bad. I do get some privacy every now and again.”
His chuckle felt forced, almost as if he were trying to convince her that the paparazzi wasn’t so bad. But Ella knew better. If she had dime for every time she’d seen the guy on the tabloid shows or cover of magazines with some outrageous headline, she’d be as rich as he was. She almost felt bad for him.
They drove into the 5th Street parking lot. There were a few reporters just outside the gate that surrounded the parking lot. Their cameras flashed as they drove in, but luckily for Felix, they weren’t allowed into the parking lot with their cameras. No reporters ever were unless they were invited. Nellie called it the guys’ safe haven. It was the only place even Felix could hang out without being mobbed, unless, of course, they were doing a special event in which fans were allowed into a very controlled environment to get their autographs and meet with them. Any reporter allowed into the gym was under strict orders of what was allowed and what wasn’t, and they followed the rules. They had to if they ever wanted to be invited back.
“This is me,” Ella said, pointing at her very unimpressive older model Nissan.
“Your back tire is low,” Felix said as he pulled his car up next to hers.
“It is?” She stretched her neck out to see with a frown. “I can get my dad to look at it when I get home. I’m sure he has something to put air in it.”
“You live close by?”
“About fifteen minutes from here.” Ella opened the door and got out.
To her surprise, Felix turned off his car and got out with her. “You really shouldn’t be driving with it that low.”
Chewing on the corner of her lip, Ella examined the tire. It was low. She wondered how she hadn’t noticed, but then she was bad when it came to her car. Half the time she was driving on fumes because she put off having to stop and gas up. Not the smartest thing for someone so hell bent on being safe. Her dad got on her often, telling her she should never have less than a quarter of a tank.
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