Chapter 23 #2
We walk through the gates, where there are dancing lights and loud music playing.
Bad Bunny is belting about taking a girl back to Puerto Rico to show her true perreo, and the scene inside is straight out of the lyrics.
People are perreando against the walls and on the dance floor.
Bodies are still, but hips are dipping and rolling, as my mom used to say, like food inside a liquadora.
I lean and whisper in Luna’s ear, “Ahorita, we come back here.”
“Oh yeah,” she yells over the music, her eyes gleaming.
We move to the back of the room, where a massive double staircase leads to a rotunda at the top.
Tito leads us up one side. There’s a guard who lets us in to the top, and we take a right into the private lounge.
This is where artists can greet each other and talk in a more private setting.
The second we walk in, a tall man steps up and yells, “Llego el nene lindo.”
A smile takes over my face as my friend, Xavier Delgado, known to the music world as El Flaco, crosses the room and hugs Tito and then wraps me in a bear hug.
He’s sporting a buzz haircut and trimmed beard.
His eyes are as warm as his smile. One word to describe him is genuine.
This dude is the real deal, a friend to the end.
“Hermano, cuanto tiempo,” I say, hugging him back.
He looks me up and down and hugs me again. “The setback was only the setup for a comeback, for both of us.”
“You look great.” I step back and place my hand on Luna’s waist and introduce her. “This is mi mujer.”
Xavier’s grin widens, and he leans to kiss her on the cheek. “Mucho gusto. It’s a pleasure to meet the woman who made this man smile again.”
“El gusto es mío. Modo Perreo is still high on my list.”
“You’re going to like the new one even more when it comes out. I’m going back to the roots.” He leans in a little. “You gotta help me convince this one to jump on a couple of tracks.”
Luna looks at me and back at him. “I got you.”
Tito introduces him to Sel, and Xavier greets her. He then says, while pointing between her and Luna, “Las primas that snagged the primos.”
We all chuckle.
The women go for a walk around with Tito while I catch up with Xavier.
“I love to see you doing well, Rio. You’ve come a long way from months ago.”
“Yeah, it was a tough road. The thing with Mami broke me, but the people who care about me helped me get back.” I pat his knee, adding, “Your messages meant a lot to me. I should’ve answered, and I’m sorry I did not, but I read them, and took those to heart.”
“If anyone understands, it’s me.”
His road to recovery from drugs is well known and praised by all in the industry. “How are things going for you?”
He nods. “Good. Album is almost done, and I hope to be on the road like you. You really are winning, Hermano. You’re back, filling arenas, hopefully stadiums again, and you got that belleza with you.”
My gaze finds Luna. She’s talking with a woman almost as tall as her with wavy hair and bronzed skin. She’s super familiar and then I place her. “That’s Belú.”
“Si, La Teniente.”
Luna is very animated as she talks to her. “My girl loves her music. It’s hype and hot, but a call back to the beginnings. We listened to it in the car one day…” I drift off because the idea begins to form in my head along with Luna’s words from the that day.
You and her in a song would be fire.
Xavier points at Belú. “She’s the real deal. I really meant it about doing a collab for the album, and maybe you can come out to one of the concerts.”
“It’s been a while since we’ve done anything together. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” I point a finger at him. “Tell me when and where you want me and when I come back to do concerts here, I’ll bring you out.”
Xavier slaps my shoulder, but my eyes are on Luna and Belú, and I look back at my friend. The idea takes full form. Him, Belú, and me. A marriage of classic and new. A jolt of excitement flows through me.
“Oye,” I say. “We can do something really fire with La Teniente, incorporating her style El General meets Gen Z. Like something that starts with Te Ves Buena segues into 90s reggaeton and mid song flips transitions to Trap and finally Dembow.”
His face lights up, eyes wide. “Oh shit. That’s next level in the making. Starts slowly and then accelerates rapidly. We gotta do this. Not sure if Ficha is looking to push her that fast since she’s still new, but we can try.”
“Do you know her?”
He shakes his head. “I was going to introduce myself, but you came in. She’s been hanging in that corner the whole time.”
“Come on. Let’s go talk to her.”
We head their way, but as we’re a few feet away, Belú turns and walks in the opposite direction.
Luna meets us halfway.
“Where did she go? We wanted to talk to her about a collab—"
“You would have to talk to her manager.” Then she grimaces. “And I hope you remember, she’s represented by La Patrona. Good luck with that.”
“This would be great for the culture,” Xavier tells her.
Luna nods. “Oh, you know I’m here for it, ‘cause I love her. Pero, everyone knows La Patrona don’t play about her clients.”
Yeah, Angela Guerra has a reputation for being tough and intimidating. Maybe that’s why Ficha isn’t pushing Belú like that. Because of La Patrona. The only other person that rivals it is Lucrecia Bravo, my manager. If Angela gets in the way, I’ll let Kresh handle it.
I take Luna’s hand and head downstairs to the dance floor. Dos|Catorce from Rauw Alejandro plays, and I swear this song is made for us.
“We’re like that,” she says with her fingers on my face, pulling me closer. “We can read each other. No words are necessary.”
I press her closer to me. “I was thinking the same thing. I belong to you, Luna.”
“And I belong to you. Nothing and no one is ever going to change that.”
And I crush her mouth with mine, brushing my hips slow against hers, and kissing my way to her ear. “We should probably get out of here before this turns into una porno like the song hints.”
She laughs but abruptly stops and reaches for her purse. The name Victor pops up on the screen. “I have to get this.”
Luna steps out onto the terrace, and I signal for Tito. She’s on her phone as we walk out of the mansion and get in the car. She’s searching for something and then starts typing furiously onto the screen.
“Okay, I sent you a couple of preliminaries. Let me know if you need me to send them too.”
She hangs up and looks at me. “Sorry, work issue.”
“Everything okay?”
She shrugs. “It’s all over social anyway. Adina and Thierry are back together.”
“What does that have to do with you?” I ask.
She rolls her eyes. “The Belmonts want a press release.”
“You don’t work for them.”
“I know, but the owner is Bethany’s friend, so he’s forcing us to do it.”
I measure my words. I swore I would be supportive but this is how people in the industry sneak shit in. They start adding things little by little until you get caught up. “Luna, now you have to deal with the Belmonts. Is that what you really want?”
She shakes her head. “It won’t be forever.”
Just until Thierry creates another fucking mess. But I keep that thought to myself.