Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Tre
“Hello.”
“Hi. It’s Joaquin.”
I didn’t recognize the number, but something compelled me to answer.
He’s the last person I expected on the other end.
It’s been two weeks since that disastrous dinner.
I got the feeling from Toria that he’s been out of town during that time, having left the day after the dinner.
Five weeks in all since we met and had the most amazing night of sex. Then had the most awful morning after.
“Hi.”
Um…
“Alejandro and Toria are going to a movie tonight. They suggested you might enjoy it.”
I wait for him to say more. Like invite me. But the line remains quiet.
“That sounds nice.”
That sounds dumb. But what else am I supposed to say? Did one of them force him to call me? Why’s he telling me this if he isn’t going to ask me to go with him?
“Do you like going to the movies?”
He called to chat?
“Yes. Movie theater popcorn is an indulgence I don’t have often.”
“It’s a comedy. You said you enjoy those the other night.”
“I do.”
This conversation is like pulling teeth. At least he remembered something from that night besides me offering cupcakes the next morning.
“They’re going to the nine o’clock showing.”
Huh?
“Is it their date night?”
“Sort of. They suggested a double date.”
I’m still waiting for the invitation. Am I supposed to ask him?
The conversation—if you can even call it that—lags. This is as painful as dinner. It’s completely different from how easy we were together at the reception. It’s like waiting for a middle school boy to ask a girl on a date.
“Would you like to go, Tre?”
Finally!
“Yeah. That sounds nice.”
Do I sound casual?
“Do you want us to pick you up?”
Us?
For fuck’s sake. He just doesn’t want to be their fifth wheel—I hate it when people say third wheel. That’s a tricycle, which balances. A fifth wheel doesn’t—so he’s asking me to go with them. It’s not really a double date. It’s him not wanting to stand out.
“Sure.”
“I’m looking forward to it, Tre. I—I’m glad you’re coming.”
“Me too.”
We agree on a time for them to pick me up. I glance at my phone’s clock after we hang up. It’s only three, so I have hours to kill. Fortunately, I’m still at work. That’ll take up at least two and a half. Maybe I can convince Sera to go out to dinner with me.
“Would you like anything with your popcorn, Tre?”
Joaquin’s standing beside me, and it feels like a real date.
He came up to my apartment while Alejandro and Toria waited in the SUV.
They were in the third row when Joaquin opened the door.
For a moment, I feared he’d close the door behind me and get into the front passenger seat like he would if he were really their guard for the night. Instead, he climbed in beside me.
He’s definitely not chatty when he’s with a group.
At least not when I’m in that group. But he participated in the conversation on the way to the theater.
I twisted in my seat to see Toria who sat behind me.
My knee brushed against Joaquin’s when I rested it on the seat to be more comfortable.
When he didn’t move it, I figured we made progress.
I waited for some other gesture, especially since it was so dark in the vehicle, but he did nothing.
He held the door open for me when we got to the theater, and he’d already purchased my ticket. He walked close to me as we approached the concessions, and he ordered popcorn big enough for us to share. He practically whispered just now, and it feels intimate.
“No thanks. That’s enough. I’m not that hungry. It’s just a treat. You didn’t have to get all that extra butter.”
“I saw you eyeing that kid’s bucket when we walked up. I know you want it.”
“You did?”
How did he? I swear he was looking straight ahead or at least scanning our surroundings. I don’t know how he noticed what I was looking at.
“Of course.”
That’s not the answer I was looking for. I’m learning that I need to be specific about what I’m asking for with Joaquin. It’s not that he’s purely literal, but he’s reserved.
We join Alejandro and Toria at the drink dispenser, and I fill Joaquin’s cup before filling mine. Just as I snap the lids on, Toria looks around.
“Tricia, you want to hit the restroom first?”
“Good idea. You want to put our stuff down first?”
“We have time.”
The four of us find our seats, the guys bracketing us.
“Alejo, I’ll go.”
I glance over at Joaquin when he offers to accompany us.
I should’ve known the guys wouldn’t let Toria and me go alone.
It should’ve been a chance for me to talk to my friend alone, but that was never going to happen.
Not that I’d ask her anything because she’d immediately be suspicious, and because I know it’d be pointless.
Once again, I push my mission—if you can even call it that, more of a task—to the back of my mind where it grows cobwebs most of the time.
Joaquin walks behind us, fully on guard duty now rather than my date.
I appreciate he’s conscientious about his new cousin’s safety.
I even appreciate that he’s attentive to mine.
But I don’t love feeling like a duty rather than his date.
I can even admit I’m jealous that he prioritizes being a bodyguard over being my date. I shouldn’t be, but I am.
“We won’t be long.”
Toria speaks over her shoulder as I pull open the restroom door.
Only two of the six doors are closed as we walk in.
It’s silent, so Toria and I both take a quick peek for feet in the two stalls with locked doors.
Nothing looks unusual, so we each step into a stall.
I hear a toilet flush a couple minutes later, but I don’t know if it’s Toria or someone else. Mine flushes right after it.
There’s a woman at the sink. In the mirror, I see her eyes shooting daggers at me.
I have no idea who she is, but she isn’t pleased to see me.
My gaze meets Toria’s in the mirror as she steps out of her stall.
We could use sinks next to each other, but we separate.
We ensure there’s an empty sink on each side of the woman before we wash our hands.
The woman’s attention is solely on me, but I pretend to ignore her until I turn to get paper towels.
“Heard that psycho’s fucking someone new.”
I continue to ignore her, but I keep her in my peripheral vision. Toria steps behind me as I move to let her dry her hands too.
“He usually prefers bigger tits. Then again, he also prefers the easy type.”
Neither Toria nor I say anything as we throw away our paper towels. But the woman blocks our way to the door.
“I’m talking to you, bitch.”
I lift my chin but shrug as I move to sidestep her. Of course, she doesn’t move out of the way.
“My breasts are what they are.”
I have to say something, but I won’t take the bait.
“You’re just his date so it isn’t obvious he’s guarding his cousin’s newest piece of ass.”
You could see Toria’s engagement ring from the moon. You could see her wedding ring on the sun. I’m sure they show up on satellite images of New York. Anyone can see she’s married, and since she’s always with Alejandro, there’s no doubt she’s not some piece of ass.
“Why does it matter to you?”
Did he get tired of fucking you?
I want to know the answer to that far more than I should.
“You’re both betraying our kind.”
Our kind? What the fuck?
This isn’t a woman Joaquin or Alejandro was involved with in the past.
“Move. Our movie’s about to start.”
Toria takes a step forward, and I match hers. Neither of us has our purse with us, so neither of us has a weapon. But we know each other’s fighting style, so I’m confident we can take her.
“No. You’re not leaving here to go watch a movie with those spi?—”
“Oh, fuck no. Move the fuck out of our way.”
I know what pejorative for Latinos she was about to use. I’m not having it. Toria and I step close to her, and she finally realizes she’s underestimated us. She takes a step back. When she does, her shirt collar shifts enough for me to spot a tattoo.
I don’t know if my friend recognizes it, but I do. She’s part of The Brand—the Aryan Brotherhood. No wonder she’s got something to say about us both being with Latino men. I don’t know how things stand between the AB and the Cartel, but I can’t imagine it’s friendly.
Back home, my family’s kept their distance from them.
My uncle can’t stand them on principle, and he doesn’t trust them in business.
My father warned me away from their motorcycle clubs when I was a teenager after a member approached me at the grocery store.
One of my guards told him. I hadn’t realized who—or rather what—the guy was.
I thought Dad’s head was going to explode.
I got a deep dive into the AB’s past, purpose, and structure.
It made my skin crawl. After that, my brother, Tristano, and my other cousins kept a close eye on me for a month because they were worried the guy would approach me again.
I didn’t see him again, but I overheard them talking one afternoon.
The guy tried to, but Dante and Rocco, two of my cousins, stopped him.
Apparently, the guy couldn’t ride his bike for a couple months because he couldn’t hold onto the handles with ten broken fingers and two broken wrists.
Why this bitch needed to say shit to us doesn’t matter to me. Instead, I’m wondering if she’s a distraction. Could there be guys out there waiting for Alejandro and Joaquin to come looking for us? Could someone already be in Joaquin’s face like this bitch is with us?
“Make me.”
She’s bigger than Toria and me, but she’s not bigger than the two of us together.
When she lunges at me, I grab a handful of her hair and shove as hard as I can.
Her head slams into the metal paper towel holder.
Her hands go to my shoulders as she tries to push me away.
My other hand comes to her face, my fingers like claws. I rake them down her cheek.