Page 25 of Cartel Devil
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.
