Page 37 of Paco
Without looking at her, he turned off the television and stood up. “Let’s go.” Taking the keys from the dresser, he walked out of the room.
“Wait up. I have to go to the bathroom.”
“I’ll meet you downstairs.” His voice echoed in the hall as he disappeared down the stairs.
Throwing off her T-shirt, she picked up the cute lavender sweater Lucy had loaned her and slipped it on, then went into the bathroom and swept up her hair in a low messy bun, pulling out small strands of hair to fall around her neck. A swipe of glittering mauve gloss and a final look in the mirror and she was ready to join him.You’re being silly.Maybe it was the giddiness of freedom that made her want to act like a normal woman who didn’t have years of baggage in her past. She wasn’t really sure what she wanted from Paco, but all she knew was she felt safe and protected with him.
When she entered the main room, Lucy stood close to Paco with her hand on his forearm and her mouth close to his ear. For a split second, a flash of anger tore through her. “Oh,” she gasped under her breath, surprised at her reaction. The only thing she’d ever been jealous of was other people’s freedom. Her day-to-day existence didn’t allow for any emotions other than fear, shame, and anguish; anything else was a luxury she’d been rarely afforded.
Paco glanced at her and smiled, and it warmed her all over. In his black T-shirt that fit like a second skin and his tight jeans, he was all kinds of sexy. She’d noticed his tattoos before, but in the afternoon sun, they appeared more dangerous, fierce, and they enthralled her.
Pulling away from Lucy, he motioned to Misty. “Let’s go.” His silver earrings swayed with his movements, and she thought he must be the most perfect-looking man she’d ever seen. She dashed toward him, ignoring the stares from the other women, and went out into the brightness.
“Do you always ride your motorcycle?” she asked, walking toward it.
“Mostly. You gonna get a lot of shit, ’cause if you are, then we better take the truck.”
“I thought we were going to go for clothes another day.”
“Me too, but since we’re going out, you might as well get everything you need.”
“I didn’t bring enough money. I’ll have to go up and get some more.” She turned around, but his strong arm held her back.
“I thought you said you didn’t have any money.” His brow wrinkled.
Blood rushed to her head.Dammit. I fucked up.“I meant I don’t have a lot of money. I was able to take a few bucks.”
“Don’t bullshit me, sweetheart. A few bucks isn’t gonna buy you squat.” He laughed. “You think I want your money? I don’t. What I want is for you to quit lying to me.”
Chewing on a thumbnail, she gave a half shrug. “I’m not in the habit of sharing stuff with people. I do have some money I took when I left.”
“First off, I’m not ‘people,’ and secondly, this lying shit stops now.” He leaned back on the heels of his boots as his eyes tracked up her body. “Stealing from your pimp took guts. I like that.”
“I have to go back up and get some more money for the clothes.”
“No worries. I’ll cover it. I told you I would.”
“That was before you knew I had any money. I’m not into handouts.”I still have some fuckin’ pride left, even though Bobby tried to beat it out of me.
“I know that. You can pay me back later.”
He opened the door for her and she slipped past him, the scent of black pepper, myrrh, and leather warming her senses like hot tea infused with spices. The aroma sent a current of electricity through her entire being, and she gripped his arm to steady herself as she settled on the passenger seat.
“You okay?” His deep voice made her tingle.
“Yeah.”You’re acting real dumb. This gig is only temporary. You need to focus on what you’re going to do, not on him. Besides, men just want to hurt you.And she believed that wholeheartedly because the past had proven it to be true.Given any power, men will cause great suffering.
But Paco confused her. He was nice, caring, and the way he looked at her told her that he was attracted to her, yet he kept his distance. He hadn’t forced her to do anything. Part of her wanted to believe he was different from Erik, Bobby, and all the men she’d serviced over the past eight years, but old thoughts and fears were hard to rewire.
“You good with going to Walmart? There’s one about thirty miles from here.”
“I love that store.”
He switched on the radio and they drove in silence until he turned into the store’s lot. She jumped out of the truck, secured a cart someone had haphazardly left in the middle of a parking space, and they went into the store.
For the next two hours, she tried on clothes, looked at makeup, sprayed on a variety of scents, and picked up some Cheetos, Hershey’s Kisses, and peanut butter. Those were the items Bobby never let her have. He’d told her it was because she had to keep her body at a certain weight, but that wasn’t it. The reason he wouldn’t let her have them was out of sheer meanness. One night when she’d been rented out to a party, he’d torn through all her things, looking under the mattress, the bed, and every corner in her room, and he’d come across her journal. That night, he’d beaten her with a chain, and she was still surprised she’d survived it. In her journal she’d written her thoughts about him, Erik, her life, what had happened, and about her favorite snacks she missed the most: Cheetos, Hershey’s Kisses, and peanut butter.
“Do you like this?” Paco picked up a bottle of eau de parfum.
