CHAPTER ONE #3
And, of course, because she was a Salazar. Everyone knew of that family, even if they were in the big city of West Bay instead of Puckins. Was she going to shoot me?
I looked around. “Are, um, any of your brothers here? Or your daddy?”
She snorted and tossed her long, silky black hair over her golden shoulders. “What, are you scared?”
“Yeah.” When I’m nervous, I can’t lie. I mean, I’m not real good at it when I’m not nervous, either.
She laughed. “At least you’re honest.”
“You’re friends with Jessica?” I asked, still half expecting handsome men with guns to jump out from behind the trees and start shooting everyone. The entire state of Georgia knew the Salazars of West Bay. They were…not mafia, exactly, but they were shady for sure.
“Lord, no. I went to school with her, but we’re not friends.”
I frowned. “Then why are you here?”
“I’m recruiting members for my sex club.”
I swallowed funny and started choking on nothing.
Carmen Salazar rolled her eyes. “Get it together, girl. It’s not that big a deal.”
“Really? Cause it seems like kind of a big deal to me,” I said.
She let out an enormous sigh. “This trip wasn’t worth it, anyway. I’ve only gotten a couple of leads. I can’t give a card out to just anyone. They have to be rich. And hot. And not terribly old.”
“What’s a sex club?” I asked, eyes wide.
“It’s a club where people have sex.”
Um…I got that much. “Okay.” I started looking around. Maybe I should get away from this woman. “I should probably go serve these appetizers…”
“What’s your name?” Carmen Salazar interrupted and turned appraising dark eyes on me as she looked me up and down.
“Nadine Walker.”
“God. That’s hideous. Ever think about changing it?”
I blinked. “My name?”
“Yes, Nadine, your name.”
“No. I mean, once when I was in kindergarten I lied and told the teacher my name was Sharon, but other than that…”
“Oh my God. Stop talking.”
I did.
She did another sweep of my face and body. “You’re exquisite. Have you done pageants?”
“Yeah, I won some, but only the kind that didn’t have a talent portion.”
She frowned. “Why?”
“Cause I don’t have any talents.”
“That can’t be true,” she said dismissively.
“I did some pageants with talent but got disqualified because my dance moves were too… sexy,” I admitted.
She grinned. “Really? And sexy dancing was your only talent?”
“Well, Mark and a few of the other guys at school said my talent could be giving head, but I didn’t think that was what the judges were probably looking for.”
Carmen stared at me for a moment and then burst into laughter. It was real and loud. I had the sense that she didn’t do it often. “Honey, I bet those judges would’ve gotten down on their knees and thanked the good lord above for you to demonstrate that talent.”
“Maybe,” I grinned. Maybe I liked Carmen Salazar after all.
She took another puff of her cigarette and blew out the smoke.
I thought smoking was horrible. Mama had smoked for a long time but finally gave it up.
She said listening to my anti-smoking speeches was worse than the withdrawal.
I didn’t think Carmen would want to hear any of my anti-smoking speeches, though.
Carmen’s eyes narrowed at me. “I only smoke when I’m really bored,” she said, as if she’d read my mind, “and this pathetic excuse for a wedding is about as boring as it gets.”
I nodded, wishing I could find it boring instead of trying to catch glimpses of Mark.
She grabbed the tray out of my hands and set it on a table that was full of people. “Come on, Nadine. We’re getting out of here.”
“We are?” I frowned.
“Yep.”
I turned and looked over my shoulder. Mark was staring after me. And I knew that look. He knew he’d made a mistake. I smiled. He did love me after all. Well, that was satisfying. Maybe he’d leave Jessica for me.
“Don’t believe it.”
“What?” I looked at Carmen, startled.
“He just wanted your pussy, honey. That’s all. Your body and her money. If you stay in town, he’ll be after you again as soon as he’s back from the honeymoon.”
I mistook her meaning and got excited. “Really? You think so?”
“As his mistress, Nadine. Nothing else.”
“Oh.”
“But you’re not going to stay in town.”
“I’m not?”
“Hell, no. You’re too good for this place. Where do you live?”
“North Country Trailer Park. But it’s not in the north of town. It’s in the west part.”
She gave me a look. “Of course it is.” She walked up to a guy wearing an ill-fitting tuxedo on his lanky frame.
“Oh, hey Bones,” I said to him and gave him a little wave.
“Hey, Nadine,” he grinned at me. “You back on the market now that Mark’s married?”
“No,” Carmen said rudely. “Get my car. It’s the…”
“Red lambo. I remember.”
Carmen turned to me. “I’m going to take you home with me. Nadine, you’re going to pack a bag. Then you’re coming with me to West Bay. You’re going to work at one of my clubs.”
I started giggling nervously. “Is this about what those guys said about me giving head? Because I think they might have been exaggerating about how good I am.”
She laughed again. “God. You crack me up! No, you can wait tables at Sugar—that’s my strip club—or maybe even strip if you have slutty dance moves. And I’m thinking of putting you in the auction.”
“Auction?”
“Do you know what that is?”
“Um…yeah?”
She rolled her eyes. “Did you graduate high school?”
“Yes,” I said, offended.
“Not by much, I’m guessing.”
“Hey!” It was true, but she didn’t need to know that.
Bones was listening to all of this, his head going back and forth.
“Anyway, I’m going to change your life, honey,” Carmen said to me.
“For the better. All you have to do is look pretty, and when a hot, rich, billionaire buys you in my auction, you have to make him feel very, very good.” She winked at me, walked around the car, and got in.
She sat there a minute with me staring at her.
She started the engine and rolled down the passenger window. “Get in, Nadine,” she said.
“Oh, okay.” I opened the door and got in her beautiful car. “Bye, Bones,” I waved.
“Bye, Nadine,” he said to my boobs.