by Cecy Robson
Chapter Twenty-Two
I checked on the container at my feet for the hundredth time and reached down to adjust the plastic wrap, convinced the flimsy thing wouldn’t keep the stuffed peppers Lourdes and I had made from spilling.
Mateo rubbed my knee. “It’s okay, Evie. Don’t sweat it.”
I glanced up at him as he took the exit into Philly. “Do you think your Uncle Lino will be mad we missed the mass?”
“Nah. Besides, if he asks, I’ll just tell him the truth. He’s a man, he’ll understand.”
Mateo laughed when I covered my face. “You’re not funny,” I told him. His hand tried to wander up my skirt. I pushed it away. “Don’t you dare. This is why we’re late to begin with.”
“Evie. You can’t wear what you’re wearing and not expect me to put the moves on you.”
I pulled down the hem of my dark purple dress. “Sweetie, putting the moves on me is one thing. Luring me into my bedroom is another. Besides, I tried to talk you out of it so we wouldn’t miss church.”
He shrugged. “Maybe you did. I couldn’t understand you when you started screaming.”
“You’re just so hilarious, aren’t you?”
He grinned. “No, I’m just really into you.”
My body warmed. Yeah. Me too.
I rubbed his arm. Damn, he looked sexy. A long-sleeved royal-blue T-shirt hugged his cut form, and tan slacks―the only dress pants he claimed he owned―covered his sweet backside.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“That it’ll be nice not having to work at Excess tonight. My feet still ache from my shift.”
“You worked your ass off last night covering Dee’s table.”
“I know, but her little girl was sick.”
He watched me out of the corner of his eye. “Is that all you were thinking of?”
“No.” I leaned into him. “I’m also looking forward to going back to your place after the party.” Our sex life and relationship had resumed full throttle, and I couldn’t have been happier. We were close—closer, in a lot of ways, than before I’d remembered my abuse.
Mateo winked. “I like you in my bed. Yours is too damn small.”
“You weren’t complaining earlier,” I reminded him.
His sexy grin made me want to pounce. “That’s because we weren’t sleeping in it.”
We were still laughing when he pulled into a street lined with blue-collar row homes and double-parked cars. “Score,” he said angling his SUV into a spot a Yukon had just abandoned.
I slipped out and reached for the glass oven dish.
“I got it, Ev,” he said, coming around.
The chill of the April breeze sent goose bumps racing up my bare arms. I pulled on my white cardigan, worried it wouldn’t be enough. “I should have brought a coat.”
“I have an extra sweatshirt in the back if you need it. But I don’t think you will. Lino said he’d have outside heaters since Sol and her quinceañera party are all wearing summer dresses.”
I adjusted my sweater. “I think I’ll be okay.”
He kissed the top of my head. “Let me know if you’re not.”
“It’s about time you two showed.” Lety’s friendly voice made me smile before I turned around. She rushed toward us in a coral dress similar to mine, except hers had cap sleeves and mine didn’t have any. She looked amazing. The tall blond guy standing in the dress shirt and slacks beside her seemed to think so, too. He watched her kiss her brother hello and kept his eyes trained on her when she greeted me. “Good to see you, Evie,” she said. “I’m glad Teo manned up and brought you.”
She ducked out of Teo’s reach when he made a grab for her. Her date stepped forward when Lety skittered behind him. “Hey, Teo,” the guy said, shaking his hand. “How’s it going?”
“All right. You being good to my sister?”
The guy laughed and made it a point to pat Teo’s beefy shoulders. “Of course. Your threat to my life and my boys went a long way, man.” There was something familiar about his face, but I wasn’t sure what. He did a double take when he saw me. “Evelyn Preston?” he asked.
Lety inched her way between us, her large dark eyes widening slightly. “You know my brother’s girl?”
He laughed again. “Yeah, I know her. She was at my cousin Courtney’s debutante ball.”
“You were a debutante?” Mateo asked me. “That shit still happens?”
“Only among us rich white kids, Teo,” he answered. “Dude, you have no idea how lucky you have it being brown and ghetto.”
Lety gave him a playful shove. “Stop being obnoxious.”
When her boyfriend laughed again, I realized how I knew him. I pointed at him. “You’re Brody Quaid. You and your friends stole the cake…and Courtney’s shoes…and her friggin’ crown.”
“Shut up.” Lety covered her mouth. “Are you serious?”
Brody shrugged. “We had to. It was a boring party until we livened things up. Besides, Courtney is a real bitch. Ask anyone.” He offered me a slow wink. “Bet you didn’t know a debutante could swear like a sailor during Fleet Week.”
We all chuckled except for Teo. He lifted the dish carefully out of the car and shut the door. I rubbed his back. “What’s wrong?”
He watched Brody and Lety walk ahead of us. “I didn’t know you were a debutante.”
“It’s not a big deal, Teo.”
“That’s what you said about where you grew up.”
I dropped my hand away. “And I meant it. Just like I mean it now.”
I didn’t like how Teo seemed to pull away. I’d taken him to my old home when Lourdes’s cousin had passed along that it had been put up for sale. I imagined my uncles had finally secured it for themselves and wanted to cash in. My goal had been to say a final goodbye to my past. Teo had come for moral support. I just couldn’t have predicted how he’d reacted.
“Is this where you went to school?” he’d asked when he pulled into the massive compound.
He knew I’d attended private school and thought that’s where I’d brought him.
“No. It’s my old house.”
He took in the exterior of the estate. “Damn,” was all he’d said.
“Come on, Teo. We’ve been waiting for you to get here. Uncle Lino wants to start ASAP and Ma’s already pitching a fit about the food getting cold.” Lety and Brody hurried along. He slung his arm around her, but she immediately shrugged him off. “Bro, I told you, you can’t be all lovey-dovey in front of my family. It’s a respect thing.” She giggled when Brody turned her around and tried to haul her back to where we’d met them. “What are you doing?”
“Taking you back to my car. That way I can disrespect you and get it out of my system before the party.” He held his hands up to Teo in surrender when he narrowed his eyes. “I mean that in the best way possible, man,” he told him.
Teo sighed. “You’re lucky you can make me laugh, Bro.”
Lety pulled him back. “Behave.” She waggled her finger at us. “That goes for you two as well. Hands off―Brody!” she said, squealing as he picked her up.
“Last time. I swear.”
I smiled when we passed them and they began their kiss. “They seem really into each other.”
“I guess.” He huffed. “I’m surprised they’re making it work.”
“Why?”
“They’re from two different worlds,” he answered quietly.
And so are we, he’d implied. I didn’t want to think about what went unsaid, considering how much seeing my childhood home had floored him. So instead, I nudged him. “You like him, don’t you?”
He grinned. “Yeah, but I can’t let the little white boy know that. Otherwise, he could hurt my sister.”
“That little white boy is just as tall as you.” I glanced back at them as they finished their make-out moment. “And I don’t think you have to worry about a thing. He’s a good guy―genuine, not like some of the other kids I grew up with.”
“Yeah. He really wanted to see Sofia,” she answered quietly.
“And?”
Lety released Brody’s hand and crossed her arms. “And Sofi got a little shy. It was hard for her to talk to him…no matter how hard Killian tried.”
“Good.”
“Teo!”
“I don’t want Sofia with him, Lety,” Mateo insisted.
“Why?” Brody shoved his hands into his slacks. “The crack he sold me seems like good-quality stuff.”
Teo pressed his lips tight to suppress his grin. Lety smacked Brody’s arm, her body shaking with laughter. “Brody, stop helping.”
Teo cleared his throat. “She needs time, Lety. Just let her have it. With any luck, she’ll become a nun.”
“A nun?” Lety shook her head. “Nice, Teo.”
“That actually sounds hot.” Brody lowered his voice to sound like Batman. “Will you dress up like that for me later?” he asked Lety.
“Brody, you are such a spaz. Evie, do not encourage him,” she said when I laughed.
We turned the corner onto a street that was blocked off and lined with rows of patio furniture. Like Mateo said, warmers had been placed every few feet, raising the late afternoon temperature to a comfortable level.
The huge crowd of Latinos parted when they saw us. People stared. Like totally and completely stared at us as we walked through.
Brody leaned forward and spoke low. “Psst, Evelyn. Want to help me clear a path? On the count of three, yell, ‘Immigration!’ ”
“You’re all sorts of fucked up, man,” Teo said. This time, he couldn’t hold back his deep rumbling laughter, which did nothing to stop my giggles.
Lety covered her mouth, but she still couldn’t quiet. “Brody, stop. I’m serious. You’re going to get our asses beat.”
“No worries, beautiful. These are my people.”
“Brody, your people carry iPads and pack protein bars. Mine carry machetes and pack heat. Behave before Mateo has to throw down to save your sorry ass.”
Brody frowned, appearing confused. “I thought you said my ass was fine, and tighter than―”
“Brody!”
She elbowed him when a portly man in a dark suit hurried forward, his thick mustache trimmed at the edges of his wide mouth. What little hair remained circled the base of his skull. Behind him, a short heavyset woman in a floral dress followed. The dark circles ringing her eyes and her deep-set wrinkles suggested life had beaten her down more than once.
“Hola, Teo!” the man said, throwing his arms around him.
“Qué pasa, Tío Lino? Felicidades.”
“ ‘What’s up, Uncle Lino? Congratulations,’ ” Brody translated for me. “Rosetta Stone,” he added with a wink, making me smile.
Mateo’s cheer didn’t last when he released his uncle and bent to kiss the older woman. “Hola, Mamá,” he said quietly. He reached for my hand and led me gently forward. “This is my girlfriend, Evelyn.”
“Mucho gusto, Señora Tres Santos,” I said, sounding like the biggest white girl on the planet.
“Nice to meet you, too,” she repeated quietly, her expression unreadable.
Uncle Lino was friendlier and offered me his hand. Like Mateo’s mother, he had a thick Spanish accent. “Hello, Evelyn. I’m glad Teo could bring you to our celebration.”
“Thank you. And congratulations to you and your family.”
“Thank you, my child. It is a bittersweet time for a father.” He smiled kindly. “If you will excuse me, it is time to present my daughter. We saved you a place in the front so you can see better. Please, move forward. You are family now.”
Uncle Lino’s words warmed my heart. He disappeared into the crowd before I could thank him for his hospitality, and for reassuring Mateo that I was welcome.
Mateo had wrestled with whether to introduce me to his family. He remained guarded about them and their past, and vigilant about keeping me from harm. I smiled at him, feeling a little more confident, but he was busy eyeing his mother.
Mrs. Tres Santos said something to Lety in Spanish. The happiness Brody stirred had dissolved from Lety’s face the moment she’d caught her mother’s approach. At her mother’s words, the strain heightened between them. Lety released a breath and took the glass dish from Mateo’s hands. “I’ll meet you by the throne,” she said before following in the direction her uncle had vanished.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“The women are put in charge of the food,” Brody muttered. “Mrs. Tres Santos is mad that Lety let Teo carry the dish instead of dealing with it herself.”
“It’s from Evelyn, Mamá,” Teo said. “I only carried it because I didn’t want her to spill anything on her dress.”
“Lety could have taken it from you. She knows our ways,” his mother said. She nodded again in my direction before leaving as well.
I wasn’t sure if Mateo’s mother was one to swear, but she certainly had a gift for saying ‘F you’ without using the actual words. “I’m sorry if I got Lety in trouble, Teo.”
“Don’t sweat it, Ev. My mother’s just big on tradition and expects my sisters to follow our customs.”
I tried to look ahead, but I could no longer see her in the crowd. “Should I follow your traditions while I’m here? I don’t want to offend anyone.”
He linked our fingers. “No. I don’t want you doing the kind of shit my mother thinks is important.”
Brody inched forward, his expression more subdued. “Let’s get to the front. I don’t want to leave Lety alone too long.”
“Were they fighting already?” Mateo tensed as if he already knew the answer.
Brody offered a one-shoulder shrug. “No. But the friction’s been growing between them since we first saw her at church. It won’t be long before they go at it.”
“Shit,” Mateo muttered. “Come on, let’s go.”
—
I wasn’t familiar with a quinceañera. Wiki only explained so much. But to see it was totally amazing. Fifteen of Sol’s besties, along with fifteen partners and an additional one for Sol, made up her attendants. The girls all wore long pale pink gowns, including Sofia, who was among those in Sol’s party.
Sol’s dress was a deeper shade of pink and more elaborate, making her stand out among the sea of lighter tones and simpler gowns. The presentation, which was more wedding party than birthday celebration, also included a little boy and a little girl who carried Sol’s shoes and crown on satin pillows. Through happy and proud tears, her parents placed her crown on her head and helped her into her shoes. I’d just met Sol, but I couldn’t help welling up when I saw the love her parents showered her with.
“Damn, baby.” Mateo held me closer and kissed the spot near the base of my ear, trying to be sweet and comfort me. Brody didn’t seem to believe in “sweet” or even “comfort”―humor was his BFF.
“Evelyn, start screaming like you saw a ghost―or better yet, someone’s dead grandma,” he whispered. “It’ll give me and Teo time to swipe the shoes and crown.”
“A ghost?” Lety repeated. “Really, Brody?”
“Your people believe in all that mystical shit, and damn it, Teo and I need a distraction!”
“Ohhhh, so now they’re my people.”
“Up until the dinner bell rings, doll.”
“Shhh,” I whispered, trying not to giggle.
The father-daughter dance was followed by more dancing by Sol and her attendants. My mouth fell open. Each dance was carefully choreographed and all revolved around Sol. The whole thing was more complex than a dance recital, intermixing traditional and modern music. “How long did they prepare for this?”
Although Mateo was supposed to keep his displays of affection to a minimum, he hadn’t. My back rested agai
nst his chest and he adjusted his hold on my waist. “Several weeks. When you’re asked to be in a quinceañera, it’s a huge investment of time and pricey as all hell. You meet to practice the dances at least twice a week with someone who specializes in this kind of thing.” He scoffed. “We’re outside, on the street, and my uncle and aunt still dropped a few G’s.”
“Wow.”
Sofia’s partner spun her. Her movements, while well learned, seemed rigid. She wasn’t relaxed around the young guy she danced with. He was cute and respectful, and I could tell that he liked her by how he smiled at her and tried to meet her eyes.
Sofia wouldn’t smile back. She seemed indifferent and a little skittish. Given her past assault, I could sympathize with her behavior, but I tried not to focus on it. “Sofia looks beautiful. I like her hair up like that.”
“Yeah. Baby girl looks good.”
I covered Mateo’s hands. “You paid for her dress and jewelry, didn’t you?”
“Lety helped, and shelled out a few bucks for someone to fix her hair.” He placed his chin on the top of my head. “It was important to Sofi to be in it. She didn’t get a quinceañera. Neither of my sisters did.”
“It’s not a big deal,” Lety said, although I could tell that it was.
Brody stroked her back. The gesture was subtle, not like the way Mateo held me, but it was Lety their mother shot a warning glare to.
“Jesus,” Lety muttered, putting some distance between them. “Sorry, Brody.”
“Don’t worry,” he whispered. “I’ll let you do naughty things to me later to make up for it.”
Lety’s giggles earned her another scowl from her mother. I touched her shoulder, trying to show her I was on her side. Lety shook her head. “No worries, Evelyn. That’s just how she is. I should be used to it by now.”
The music ended. After a long applause and a thank-you from Sol and her parents to their guests, it was time to eat. Brody left us and walked over to a crowd of older women gathering to uncover the food on the sprawling buffet. I wasn’t sure what he was doing and tensed a little when Lety covered her face. “Oh, no, Brody, no,” she said.
With no shame whatsoever, Brody lifted his hands over his head and yelled, “Mi familia!”