Chapter 21
How did he get her number? What technological advances did he have and from whom?
Was that how he got her number? And what did he mean by ‘seeing her around’?
She was going to make sure she never saw Chad again.
When they got back to Leo’s apartment, Esmie would let Samson know his dire mistake in bringing her along for this meeting.
She shuddered at Chad’s text before shoving her phone back in her pocket.
“You cold?” Samson’s warm eyes peeked down at her.
“Yeah, and tired. I want to go back to the apartment and lie down.”
“Here, this should help you.” Samson pulled out the scarf Esmie had been eyeing earlier in the storefront on the way to The Bodega. He wrapped it around her neck. The purple fabric was silky against her skin but kept the chilly breeze from going down her jacket.
“When did you…? How did you…?” Esmie squeezed her eyes shut, enjoying the fabric while also forcing the tears to stay at bay.
“I saw you staring at it, so I called in a favor. I know the one in the window was blue, but I think this color suits you better.” Esmie’s eyes popped open just in time to see Samson wink at her.
He adjusted the scarf, moving her hair from her face, the gentle brush of his warm, rough hands almost made her shut her eyes again in delight.
Esmie locked her knees in place to ensure she wouldn’t melt into the ground.
“Thank you.” Was the only thing she could manage to whisper.
“I think purple is your color.”
“What?” Esmie shot him an incredulous look.
“From where I stand, the color looks good on you, whether you like it or not. Now let’s get you home.” Before Esmie could respond, Samson pulled up the lapels of her jacket, linked her arm within his, and led the way back to the apartment.
The day’s horrible events evaporated the moment Esmie cuddled into Samson’s warmth.
It didn’t seem as cold on the way back. In fact, the walk was more like a quiet, beautiful, normal thing two people in a relationship would do.
Was this a relationship? A small part of Esmie wanted it to be, especially the way Samson looked at her even with the purple on her face.
Yet the other part of her couldn’t forget so easily, his betrayal at surprising her with meeting Chad and throwing her under the bus as his informant.
The sun had already set and the city lit up in its usual neon glow by the time they returned back to the apartment.
Upon entering, Samson helped Esmie take off her—technically his—jacket.
She refused to take off the scarf, its warmth calming her fried nerves.
Samson pulled out some food from the fridge, setting it aside to prep for dinner.
Esmie offered to help, entering the small kitchen, grabbing the onions and chopping them.
Thoughts about what happened earlier crept back into her mind, swirling around like a tempest. Samson’s gesture was thoughtful and sweet, but it was still a far cry from making up for ambushing her with Chad.
Esmie bit her lip. She should bring it up to him, but with their wonderful walk home, she wasn’t sure how.
“So, about earlier. I’m sorry I surprised you with Chad.”
Esmie glanced back at Samson, who stood at the other counter, seasoning chicken. His dark eyes scanned her face. It was almost as if he could read her mind. Well, at least she didn’t have to bring it up. Esmie turned back to chopping.
“Yeah, about that. Being used to force Chad to open up about purple glass wasn’t my idea of a fun afternoon.”
“Esmie, I promise I never intended to use you.” Samson closed the short distance between them, turning her to face him, setting the knife she was using on the counter behind her.
He held her hands within his. “I didn’t realize you actually met him.
I know he stopped by your table, but I thought he was just making his rounds and left afterward.
Your brother told me what happened but didn’t mention Chad was the one with purple glass.
I didn’t put two-and-two together, until he reacted to you. ”
“Why were you meeting with Chad to begin with?”
“He has intel for the case I’m working on.
A case not fully in the books at work so I have to do it on the side.
As you can imagine from the information we heard today, I’ll have to tread carefully around this.
You have to believe me. Had I known, I would never have brought you along.
Not with something and someone this dangerous. ”
“But you told him, I told you about the purple glass and him.”
Samson sighed. “A mistake made out of anger when I realized he was the one who brought the substance into the club which hurt you. It was a rash decision, and for that, I am sorry. I would never use you for gain in a case. Bringing you was also a mistake. I didn’t want to leave you alone in the apartment.
The selfish part of me wanted to spend time with you and didn’t think of the danger it could put you in. It will never happen again.”
Esmie chewed her lip. He did appear sorry, and it could have been an honest mistake.
While she told Leo everything about the other night, she didn’t know what Leo told Samson.
He truly might not have known. And the way Samson was staring at her, begging for forgiveness, she wasn’t sure she could stay mad at him.
Although, she would definitely be more aware what was said to him and what he was doing.
A smile played at her lips. Samson’s eyes hooded at her smile.
He drug a finger down her cheek, caressing it.
She leaned into him until the front door opened.
“Hey, what are you two up to?” Esmie and Samson jumped apart from each other before Leo walked in, carrying a work bag and jacket. His eyes lit up, expectantly.
“Making dinner. You good with sauteed chicken and onions?” Samson didn’t skip a step, pulling out the saucepan from below the counter, as if the same fingers cradling the handle hadn’t been on Esmie’s cheek.
“With white rice?” Leo called from his bedroom.
“You can’t have Pollo encebollado without white rice, silly. You’ve been away from home too long if you’ve forgotten how to make your favorite dish, el Léon de Andloor.” Esmie teased.
“Don’t call me that.” Leo rolled his eyes, standing at the kitchen counter.
“What does it mean?” Samson scrunched his nose. Esmie laughed at both the explanation she was going to have to give and how adorable Samson looked.
“El Léon de Andloor, means the lion of Andloor. It’s a play on Leo’s name.
I started saying ‘Leo, el Léon de Andloor”’ when I was in middle school whenever he talked about moving here and all the big things he was going to do.
It was mostly out of irritation for continuously bringing it up, but it was also out of jealousy because I wanted to leave with him.
” Esmie stuck her tongue out at her brother.
“We see how great me leaving went.” Leo gestured around at the apartment.
Esmie pointed her knife at him. “At least you left. There’s still a large group from high school who haunt the same spots doing the same idiotic things around where we live. They never left and don’t plan to do anything bigger with their lives.”
“Whatever. Don’t forget the habichuelas.” Leo reached over Esmie’s head, pulling out a can of pink pinto beans from the cabinet above her. Esmie snatched the can from his hand.
“I was getting to it.”
“Oh, before I forget, come over here.” Leo reached into his pocket, pulling out a small container.
“What is it?” Esmie eyed the container.
“It’s a cream to get rid of the purple slash along your eyes, unless you want to keep it.
” Leo stopped in the middle of putting plastic gloves on.
Esmie dropped what she was doing and stood at the threshold, leaning forward.
She caught a glimpse of Samson’s pursed expression before she closed her eyes.
Leo rubbed the cream around her eyes and on her lids. It smelled like mint.
“How long will it take to work?” she asked.
“Within five minutes if I did it correctly. Okay, you can open your eyes.” Leo closed up the container and set it to the side. Esmie thanked him and turned back to find Samson standing in the kitchen with his hands up.
“Well, I seasoned the chicken, but you’ll have to do the rest. I’m not familiar with el Léon de Andloor’s favorite dish.” Samson smirked at them. Esmie threw her head back in laughter.
“Not you too.” Leo groaned, plopping himself on the couch and turning on the tv.
“I hope you don’t mind me watching so I can learn how to cook this and offer any help I can.” Samson leaned down to Esmie’s ear, causing her to shiver. She shooed him away.
“You can watch from a distance but stay out of my kitchen.”
“Oh great, she’s claimed the kitchen now. Just like Mamá,” Leo said over his shoulder.
“Definitely not like Mamá as you both can take it back whenever you like, or whenever I don’t feel like cooking.
Don’t get used to sitting there either, Leo because you’ll be setting out the dishes in a moment and both of you will wash them later.
” Esmie moved around the kitchen with ease, once she found where Leo stored everything.
Explaining to Samson as she cooked, she quickly sauteed the chicken, before adding the onions.
Draining the oil from the pan, she filled it with water, added a bit of caldo de pollo, some more seasoning, and a bay leaf.
Then she pulled out a pot to cook the rice in.
“What’s caldo? You were moving fast, and I couldn’t see.” Samson asked before she started the rice.
“It’s chicken bouillon,” Esmie explained holding up the cube for him to see. He nodded and she continued losing herself to the timeless tradition passed down from her mother and the generations before her.
Cooking her culture’s dishes brought Esmie joy.
Thinking about how her abuela and her bisabuela before her would cook these comfort foods helped Esmie feel closer to them, especially after they passed.
Not having her abuelos around anymore was a loss for her.
She had grown up with them being her babysitters as Mamá didn’t believe in daycare.
In fact, none of their family did. Her, Leo, and her cousins would all be at her abuelos, running around playing, being each other’s first friends. She missed those simpler times.
Now everyone had moved away to different parts of Las Afueras.
Even they hadn’t moved to downtown Andloor as Leo had.
It was an unspoken rule, for none of the Morales’ or Romero’s, her mother’s side, to move downtown.
Esmie frowned at realizing this piece of information popping up from her memories.
“What’s with the frown? Did you forget something?” Samson asked over the counter. Esmie started, forgetting he was watching her.
“Oh no, I was thinking about something from the past. Nothing major.” Esmie smiled to reassure him. His return smile almost made her forget to put the habicheulas on.
“Hey guys, you need to come see this.” Leo called.
Samson furrowed his brow, standing back to let Esmie pass him to walk the short distance to the living room.
They stopped behind the couch watching the tv, Leo was pointing at.
A newswoman wearing a sharp trench coat and holding a microphone, was standing in front of several brick buildings. Esmie squinted at the tv.
“Is that Nightcrawler in the background?” she asked, pointing to the corner where the neon sign could just be seen. Leo raised the volume on the tv. The news anchor’s cool, calm voice floated through the living room.
“This just in, we are here at the edge of downtown Andloor where a body was discovered a couple blocks from this location. We have confirmed the body is identified as non-other than Tyler Brackford, CEO of Genetronetics TMC. No further information, including the cause of death, has been given to us by police. We’ll keep you updated when we receive more information. ”