9. Cisco
Cisco
M arisol’s apartment was located in the middle of downtown, towering well above the other buildings in the area. A tall linebacker of a teenage doorman greeted him at the entrance and opened the door for him. “Are you visiting, sir?” he asked, voice cracking on the last syllable.
“Picking someone up.”
“Got it. Well, feel free to wait in the lobby. We can ring them if you can tell me their name, and I’ll let them know you are here,” he offered.
“Marisol Roberts.” Cisco already texted her, but in case she hadn’t seen her messages.
He walked over to the small lobby with a few white chairs and a black couch.
A table was set up behind the couch with small glass cups and a pitcher of icy water.
A bowl of fruit, mostly apples and pears, sat next to it.
Cisco hadn’t eaten, opting to get something at the concert or after.
In truth, he couldn’t eat because of the anticipation of seeing Marisol tonight .
He didn’t know what it was about this complicated stranger that intrigued him, but he wanted to peel back every complex layer until he found the core of what made her her. He was surprised he heard back from her, and even more surprised Marisol agreed to join him for the concert.
Tiny had taken the news of not going to the concert tonight pretty well.
She teased him relentlessly about his date, considering it had been a while since he had taken anyone out.
Tiny also demanded he make it up to her by buying her and her friends pizza for their monster horror marathon they were having tonight.
Who knew three tiny teens needed five pizzas?
An elevator chimed behind him, and Cisco turned in time to see Marisol walk out. He thought she looked beautiful before, but the woman approaching him made his heart stop.
She was dressed in all black, a far cry from the outfits he had seen her in before.
Her shirt was an off-the-shoulder crop top that laced up the front.
A red strapless bra peeked through the laces, pushing up her breasts.
The tight leather skirt was almost indecently short, but showed off her tattoo, which appeared to be healing nicely.
It looked damn good too. Her hair was done, mostly straight with a slight curl at the end.
The outfit was complete with black leather booties.
For a second, he forgot how to breathe.
“You look beautiful,” he said in a way of greeting.
“I know,” Marisol said, straight-faced. Her red lips twitched up, breaking the facade. “Thank you. You look really good too.”
Cisco wore black fitted jeans with a dark collared shirt and a brown bomber jacket. The days were warm, but nights in Berkeley had a chill to them. If Marisol was concerned about this, her outfit didn’t show it. He was glad he decided to bring the jacket in case Marisol needed it for later .
“You ready for tonight?”
This time, Marisol couldn’t hide her smile. Her face lit up, showing a more playful side to her. “I’m so excited, but also nervous. I don’t know what to expect.”
“Expect fun. Are you hungry? We can eat before,” he suggested.
But Marisol shook her head. “Too nervous. Can we eat after? I’m also going to need a drink. Or maybe two.”
He nodded once and gestured to the door. “Drink it is, then. Let’s go.”
The venue, Lucky Rabbit, was nestled on the other side of town, about fifteen minutes from Marisol’s house.
Already, the night life was in full swing, forcing Cisco to drive at snail speed so he wouldn’t hit any drunk pedestrians fucking around on the road.
Luckily, the parking lot was policed by a security guy, shooing away anyone not here for the concert.
Cisco pulled up to the valet, tossing the keys to the young man salivating over his car. “This is it?” Marisol asked, her voice laced with uncertainty. Her grip on the door handle turned her knuckles white.
Lucky Rabbit wasn’t much to look at. It was a cinderblock building painted black with an obnoxious pink rabbit smoking a cigarette.
Two bouncers manned the door, checking tickets and IDs of patrons.
The crowd entering Lucky Rabbit varied in age from teenager to middle-aged rocker dads.
The Sinner’s Web was a small band, so the location of the concert made sense and added to the whole indie, grunge vibe the band was known for .
“Yeah, they play here a lot.” Cisco parked the car, leaving it on for the valet driver.
“Oh,” was all Marisol said, not making an attempt to get out. Not until Cisco got out and opened the door for her. He offered Marisol his hand, but she hesitated. He didn’t think it was from not wanting to touch him but being completely out of her element.
Honestly, it was adorable.
“Hey.” Cisco crouched down so he could be eye level with Marisol.
Her large, honey-brown eyes stared back.
She tried to remain stoic, but the way her eyes darted from side to side and the tight grip on her purse gave her away.
He didn’t think Lucky Rabbit was a place she was accustomed to.
It made him wonder exactly how glamorous a life she lived.
If her condos were any indication, he could guess.
“Are you uncomfortable?” Cisco asked.
“This just isn’t a place I would normally go. It’s…different,” she said, confirming his suspicions. “The places I go don’t look like this.”
“I imagine it’s very different. But it could be a fun different.” Cisco offered her his hand. “Want to be different together?”
That made Marisol smile, and Cisco wanted to capture that moment. It made him feel like he just won an award and was gifted with a trophy. “You’re convincing,” she said and took his hand.
Cisco coaxed her out like a timid dog. She stayed glued to his side as he led her to the entrance. The bouncers knew him on sight, and Darrell—the head of security—nodded at him before letting him and Marisol through.
“Hmm, didn’t realize I was out with a big shot. ”
Cisco knew Marisol was teasing, but he still shrugged. “I’m part-owner.”
“You own this place?”
“Partly.” Cisco laughed at Marisol's stunned expression. “I like music. I can’t sing worth a shit, but I can provide a venue for those who can.” Plus, the cash flow was nice and allowed him to provide for his extended family.
“A tattoo shop owner and a music venue owner. Should I know anything else?” Marisol asked.
“I once owned a hot dog stand, but then my cousin crashed his car into it. That business didn’t last long.” He earned a laugh from Marisol. It was a sweet sound he wanted to hear again.
The moment they stepped through the entrance, they were greeted by the smell of cigarettes and weed.
Already a large group of people had arrived.
This was a sold-out show, so by the time the concert started, the number of people would double.
There was standing room only, no places to sit on the main floor.
Marisol seemed to notice this as well and pursed her lips together.
“It’s a big crowd,” she said, gripping Cisco’s hand tighter. She hadn’t dropped it, even though they were inside now. Not that he was complaining.
“I take it you don’t want to be in the pit?” Cisco mused.
“The pit? What the hell is the pit?” Color drained from her face. He felt bad for how uncomfortable she was, but he hoped he could make tonight more enjoyable for them.
“I’ll show you later. Let’s get a drink, and I’ll take you to my favorite spot.” When she nodded, Cisco led her to the bar and ordered whatever local beer they had on tap. He offered one to Marisol, who immediately took the glass and drank down half its contents .
Damn. She was more nervous than he thought. Was it a crowd thing? Or something deeper?
Still, he kept faith that the spot they would be watching the concert from would ease some of those nerves.
“This way.” He pulled her past the bar and back toward a closed-off area.
The bouncers there let them pass without a second thought but stopped the two drunk men who tried to follow them in, claiming they were with “the dude with the brown jacket and his hot chick.”
He felt the urge to turn around and smash his fist against the drunk man’s stupid face for calling Marisol the “hot chick,” but he didn’t think that would make a good impression on a first date, no matter how good it would make him feel.
Ignoring the drunks behind them, Cisco gestured for Marisol to go up the stairs while he followed behind her.
The second story balcony was small, overlooking the first floor and giving them the perfect view of the stage.
There were a few high-top tables with chairs, but the best thing was that no one else was on the balcony.
The only other person who could have been up here was his cousin, Santiago, who was the co-owner of Lucky Rabbit, but he and his partner were in Vegas for their five-year anniversary.
This VIP section was equipped with a fridge full of drinks and snacks, as well as their own private bathroom.
Back in his teenage years, Cisco would have thought being on the balcony was the worst thing ever because he wasn’t in the middle of the pit, jumping and swinging his fists with the rest of them.
But as a thirty-three-year-old man? That sounded like a fate worse than hell.
There was no amount of pain meds that would make him feel good the next day.
Ah, the joys of aging.
The tension that had been coiled in Marisol’s shoulders seemed to ease once they escaped the overwhelming press of the crowd.
Her grip on her purse loosened, almost as if she were letting her guard down.
Cisco wanted her comfortable so she could enjoy the concert without always looking over her shoulder when someone got too close.
She took a deep breath, letting the quiet of the empty space settle over them before scanning the area.
Once she seemed to realize they were alone, she placed her purse down on a nearby table.