Chapter 5 #2
I came back from my inner ramblings and noticed he and I were back to our own devices while Ted, Priscilla, and Carmen continued to solve the mysteries of the universe. So, I got my shit together and decided I was going to make conversation.
“Tell me about these friends you went to the library with.” Nesto, who had been looking at me with worry, immediately smiled and relaxed his shoulders.
This was clearly the right thing to ask. He shifted his body as he talked, turning all his focus on me.
“Oh, those are my boys. My best friends. We grew up together in the Bronx and we’re still pretty tight.
There’s Juanpa and Patrice, those two I knew from the day I moved to the neighborhood.
Juanpa’s grandpa was our landlord, and he and his family lived across the street from us.
” He shook his head and smiled. “Patrice and his mom lived a few blocks away, but we all went to the same elementary school. The day my mom and I moved in, I went outside to scope out the block and found them fighting over what to do with the five dollars they’d earned doing yard work for Juanpa’s grandpa. ”
As he spoke I had to work hard to keep my eyes on his face. There was so much of his body I wanted to take a closer look at.
“They had me break the tie between Italian ices or Bubble Tape, and we’ve been close ever since. Camilo, we didn’t meet until the summer before eighth grade when he and his mom came up from Miami and moved to the neighborhood.”
I nodded as Nesto talked, even smiled, trying to show him how much I wanted to hear all about the people in his life.
“Patrice’s mom knew them from when they first came to the States from Haiti.
So Patrice brought Milo around and the bossy little shit has been trying to run our lives since.
” He grinned at the memory. And yeah, that grin was trouble.
“They’re the inspiration for OuNYe. Juanpa’s dad is Puerto Rican, Patrice is Haitian and Camilo’s folks came from Cuba and Jamaica, and I and Mamí came from the DR. The GA Crew,” he said with a wistful smile.
“What does the GA stand for?” I asked.
He laughed and shook his head. “Umm, evidence that despite our running our mouths and fronting like we were hardcore, we’re just big nerds. GA is for ‘Greater Antilles.’ The biggest islands in the Caribbean-Hispaniola, the island the DR and Haiti share, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Cuba.”
I looked at him and smiled. The affection for his friends, and the obvious pride for who he was and where he came from were pretty damn sexy.
“Will you miss them while you’re here?” I asked, curious. He lifted a shoulder.
“Sure, I mean, we’ve been apart before. Juanpa and Camilo left the city for college.
Juanpa went to USC in Cali and Milo to Temple in Philly.
Patrice and I stayed local. I went to Fordham and he did his thing at Columbia.
Dude is still there finishing up a PhD.” The admiration for his friend’s accomplishment was clear in his voice.
“Anyway, after college everyone made their way back home. It’s been good, having them close all this time.
I’ll miss them a whole lot, but I think we’re all at the point where we’re looking for what we want to be, you know? ”
I was nodding again. “I definitely know.”
My body kept reacting to Nesto. Everything he said was charged with such passion. Like he meant every word.
His face turned serious for a moment. “We’ve been working, doing our thing, and now we’re feeling like we want to lay down roots, figure out what we want for the long run.
Or I don’t know, maybe that’s just me.” His smile was rueful, like he was a bit unsure of what he meant by that.
“They’ll come and visit, though. They actually drove up yesterday to help me move, but they went back already. ”
I nodded, remembering Carmen said his mom lived in town. I was about to ask a question about her when my very meddlesome best friend and Priscilla moved closer.
Carmen looked like she was about to do something I’d regret, so I braced for it.
“Hey, babe, so Ted is beat and has to head to the city early in the morning for a talk he’s giving down there.
” With that she turned to Nesto. “So we were wondering if you could give Jude a ride. He doesn’t have his car today and we were going to take him home, but Pri mentioned your sublet’s in Trumansburg.
We figured it wouldn’t be too much trouble,” she finished, looking infinitely pleased with herself.
Standing next to her, Ted had the resigned expression of a man who knew when to just play along.
Pri looked like she was waiting for her turn to deliver her line, and as if on cue, stretched up to give Nesto a kiss on the cheek. “Hey, primo, so I’m going to get a ride up with them since I left my truck up on campus. I’m so glad I got to see you before I went back.”
Nesto looked like he knew exactly what those two were up to but obliged his cousin with a kiss goodbye. We waved them off as they walked out of the bar. Nesto sat back on the stool and pulled me by the hand, so I was standing over him.
“So I guess we’ve been left on our own so we can proceed to fall in love and fulfill their plans for us, huh?”
I laughed and shook my head. “Carmen is incorrigible.”
“Priscilla is no innocent either, believe me,” he said as he finished his drink.
Nesto cleared his throat, took my empty glass, put it on the bar and sat up. He grabbed my hips tight and looked down at me with a smile. I stepped closer into the vee of his legs and when I pressed against him, I felt him harden.
“So, am I really taking you home?” The hoarseness in his voice was incredibly hot and for once I quit trying to hold back. I looked at him, not hiding how much I wanted him.
“Lead the way, Ernesto.”