Flipping back to what she was supposed to have been doing, Charlee chewed the inside of her cheek and pretended to be looking up show times on her laptop. Drew had suggested they go catch a movie tonight. She was leaving to meet with her dad and his new girlfriend in Seattle the next morning and needed to get her mind off it. Drew had actually wanted Charlee to come with her, but Charlee had a presentation she had to make that Monday in school. Even though Charlee hadn’t brought it up in a while, she was still considering going back home. She had to keep up with the big stuff in her classes like this presentation to make up for whatever she might miss while she was gone.
Drew would be gone overnight and wouldn’t be back until Monday afternoon. As much as Charlee wasn’t looking forward to being alone, she just couldn’t miss class Monday. All this time while Drew had been on the phone finalizing her arrangements for her trip then jumped in the shower, Charlee should’ve been deciding what movie they would see, but as usual she’d veered off to read a website she’d recently come across.
Of course it had everything to do with 5th Street, but it wasn’t just the stuff about Hector that had drawn her back to the site time and time again. The wife of Hector’s partner Noah had put a blog together chronicling the history of the gym. Charlee was sure Drew would find it hard to believe, but she really was visiting the website for the articles and story about the gym. The photos of Hector that went back to when he was much younger until now were just an added bonus. Charlee really found the story behind the making of 5th Street by one man alone to what it had now become, extraordinary.
Drew walked in with a towel on her head. By now, Charlee should’ve had the show times memorized for her, but she hadn’t even looked them up yet.
“Anything good playing?”
“Umm,” Charlee said, typing quickly. “There’s that baseball one with DiCaprio.”
It was the first thing that popped up. She started reading off the others as soon as the list came up.
Drew made a face, plopping down on Charlee’s bed. “Don’t they make any good movies anymore?”
Actually, a few of the ones Charlee read off did sound good. She had a feeling this might be Drew’s way of starting up on her talk of going to a club again tonight—something Charlee refused to do. After last week, she’d just as soon lay low for the next forever weekends.
Charlee’s phone buzzed next to her laptop. She picked up the phone, frowning when she didn’t recognize the number. With one tap she sent it to voicemail. She was in no mood for student surveys or telemarketers.
“Who was that?” Drew asked.
“I dunno,” Charlee said, staring at her laptop screen. “Maybe we can just go grab some grilled-cheese sandwiches instead.”
“Again?” Drew asked.
“But it’s so good!” Charlee turned to her with a pleading smile.
Her phone buzzed again. Glancing at it, she saw the same number she hadn’t recognized the first time. Because of the area code, she knew it was a local number. So she knew it wasn’t anybody from back home. It had to be one of those never ending surveys she’d been suckered into before. She hit the ignore button once again and looked up at Drew who was staring at her wide-eyed. “What?”
“Nothing,” Drew cleared her throat. “I was just wondering why you’re not answering your phone.”
“Because it’s no one I know.” Charlee shrugged, bringing her attention back to her laptop screen. “Or we can go to Hollywood.” Charlee glanced up at Drew whose expression was a strange one. “But not to any clubs. I mean we can go sightsee. We can check the Mann’s Chinese Theater, or I know . . .”
She started typing when her phone buzzed again. This time it was a text from that same number that had called twice. Curiously, she clicked on the envelope.
Are you busy?
Certain whoever it was had the wrong person, she almost put the phone down, ready to just ignore it, but then it buzzed again.
This is Hector by the way.
Feeling her eyes widen as her heart started thumping, she read it again then looked up at Drew who was chewing on her pinky fingernail and staring at her. Her stomach immediately did that funny thing it did every time she was around him, and for whatever reason, Charlee felt the need to whisper. “It’s Hector, and it’s the same number that called twice.”
“Really?” Drew smiled. “What does he want?”
“He’s asking if I’m busy.”
Her initial reaction was to respond to ask him how he’d gotten her number. Her pessimistic side wanted to be sure it was actually him. But he wouldn’t have called her first if it were anyone else. She’d know immediately by his voice that it wasn’t him. Plus he might think it rude or that maybe she was mad that he had her number.
“Well, respond!” Drew urged.
Her insides were already doing all kinds of crazy things as she typed in her response.
Chess Hector from 5th Street, right?
Okay, so she couldn’t help giving into her pessimistic side. Before she got too worked up over this, she had to make sure. But this was less rude sounding. His response was immediate.
How many Hectors do you know?
That made her smile silly.
“What?” Drew scooted closer to her. “What did he say?”
Charlee showed her then wrote back.
Only one, but I wasn’t aware he had my number.
Drew wiggled next to her, seemingly as excited as Charlee felt. She hit send. “Where do you think he got it?” Charlee asked, turning to Drew.
Drew stopped smiling and the wiggling ceased. She shook her head. “I don’t know, but it’s pretty easy nowadays to get anyone’s number.”
Charlee was just beginning to think about that when her phone buzzed in her hand again. She and Drew read it together.
He does. And he wants to talk to you. If he calls you again, will you answer this time?
Charlee brought her hand to her mouth. She and Drew stared at each other. “What do you think he wants?” she was whispering again.
“I don’t know,” Drew whispered back then giggled. “But say yes and find out.”
Charlee did, and less than a minute later, her phone buzzed with Hector’s call. She stood up, not sure what to do with herself. For a second, she thought of going and sitting in her closet to take the call then had a flashback of doing the same thing when Danny had called her last year a few times. So she decided she’d just answer right there in the middle of the room. To her surprise, Drew smiled, waved, and then walked out of the room, giving Charlee the privacy she didn’t even realize until that moment she wanted.
With a deep breath, she answered. “Hello?”
“Hey.” The tone alone in that one word gave her visions of the beautiful smile he must’ve been wearing. “It’s Saturday night. What are you up to?”
She blinked a couple of times, her head soaking in that deep resonate voice until she recovered enough to realize he’d just asked her something. “Oh . . . I’m not sure yet. Drew and I were supposed to go out.”
“Really? Where to?”
Just then Drew stuck her head in her bedroom and shook her head. Charlie covered the phone mic with her finger. “What?” she mouthed.
“I’m not feeling so hot after all.” Drew whispered loudly. “I think I might take some meds and hit the hay early. I’ve got a long day tomorrow.”
Charlee stared at her then heard Hector’s voice again in her ear. “Hello?”
Nodding quickly at Drew, she focused on Hector again. “I’m sorry. Drew was just saying something to me.”
“That she’s cancelling whatever plans you two had?”
Charlee was quiet for a second then sat on the bed. “Actually, yes, how’d you know that?”
She heard him laugh softly. “Wishful thinking, I guess. So now that your plans are shot, can I pick you up?”
Charlee glanced back up to her doorway, feeling a familiar stir deep inside her. Drew was gone now, and she was free to say what she wanted to say so badly. Yes, yes, yes! But she hesitated, gulping instead. “Pick me up?”
“Yeah,” he said in the most casual tone. “I was hoping we could talk. I’ll behave. I promise.”
She smiled and wished she were brave enough to tell him he didn’t have to. His voice alone had her envisioning his amazing kisses already. But that was her heart and her raging hormones talking. Her brain annoyingly reminded her to be careful. She was having a hard enough time moving forward. This could be a major setback. What could he possibly want to talk to her about? “I live all the way in Burbank.”
“That’s okay. You’re worth the drive.”
Again she could almost envision him smiling, and it was enough to set the swarm of butterflies she’d been trying to keep calm loose in her belly. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand. “What time?”
“Now,” he said immediately. “I can hardly wait.”
That set cannons off inside her now. What did he mean? Wait for what? “Oh.” The single-syllable word escaped her lips without thought. This was so unexpected and bizarre, and exciting and frightening all at the same time.
“So you’re good with that?” he asked. “’Cause I’ll leave right now if you are.”
His voice was so deep—so perfect. She was almost afraid to speak again, but she had to. Shaking her head, she tried to snap out of the trance he so easily put her in and gathered her thoughts. What exactly did he have in mind and should she be excited or worried? She’d just admitted what little plans she had this Saturday night were cancelled, and as nervous as this made her, she had to admit she was more than curious to know what he wanted to talk about. “Um . . . okay. So we’re just going somewhere to talk? I can wear what I’m wearing now—jeans?”
“Yes. Whatever you’re comfortable in is fine. Text me your address, and, Charlee?”
“Yes?”
“Did I mention I can hardly wait?”
Surprised by the laugh that escaped her, she brought her hand to her mouth. Okay, she didn’t care anymore if he were anxious about talking to her or stealing another few meaningless kisses. Suddenly she couldn’t wait either. “The curiosity is killing me now.”
“It won’t be for too long. I promise.”
After hanging up, she didn’t even have to go fetch Drew. Her best friend was obviously doing what Charlee suspected she’d been doing ever since she’d stuck her nose in the door at the most opportune moment to tell her that she was cancelling tonight. She was standing somewhere very nearby, listening in, and as soon as Charlee said goodbye, she rushed in the room.
“So what happened?”
Charlee smiled at her suspiciously. “I think you already know.”
Drew’s smile flattened. “Why? What did he say?”
“Oh, that’s right. You couldn’t hear him.” Charlee smiled big, patting the bedspread right next to her for Drew to have a seat. “I don’t know what to think, so I’m not going to. He wants to talk to me, and I have no idea what about, except he said he can hardly wait.”
Drew’s smile slowly resurfaced. “So why didn’t you just ask him?”
Charlee thought about that for a moment. That seemed so simple. Why hadn’t she? “I don’t know. I guess I was just too stunned. I didn’t even think to ask him how he got my number. But he’s on his way now.”
Drew jumped to her feet instantly. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get you ready!” She grabbed Charlee’s hand, tugging her to her feet too.
“He said to dress casually. We’re just going somewhere to talk.” Charlee might as well have been talking to the wall because Drew was already hauling her down the hallway toward the bathroom. “And I thought you weren’t feeling well. You were going to take meds and go to bed.”
Drew turned to her with a telling smirk. Her best friend hadn’t been sick for days. “First things first. It’s time to get you looking casually gorgeous. I can sleep later.”
Charlee decided for once to kill the stubborn pessimist in her and just go with it. He could be making excuses to get together with her because he was just looking to have some fun on a Saturday night, and while her head reminded her what a bad idea that was, her heart kept saying, “How bad can that be really?”
They got to the restroom, and she stared at the self-conscious girl in the mirror while Drew searched the cabinets for the straightener and box of combs and brushes—her “weapons.” The corner of her lips twitched into a smile. To hell with it! Whatever happened today, she’d enjoy it for what it was worth. She’d likely regret it later, but for now she could hardly wait either.
~*~
It was almost funny how hearing his phone announcing that he’d arrived at his destination made his stomach turn. Hector parked in front of the house and turned off the engine, taking a deep breath. As certain as he’d been earlier that this would be easy, he wasn’t so sure now. What the hell was he supposed to do? Ask her to be his girlfriend? Did people even do that anymore? That seemed so high school.
He got out of the truck, muttering under his breath, but as annoyed as he was with himself for not thinking this through a little further, it didn’t take from the excitement of knowing Charlee just might be in his arms very soon. Seeing her at the door took away any misgivings he was beginning to have about this. She was beautiful, and soon she’d be all his—he hoped.
“Hey,” she said, opening the door and stepping out.
The outfit she wore looked comfortable enough. Like she’d said, she wore jeans, but they rode low on her hips, and the short, tight, baby-blue hoodie made the outfit sexier than anything he’d ever seen her in. The shirt she wore underneath was a tiny bit longer but just barely. If she lifted her arm even just a little, Hector would get a glimpse of her bare midriff for sure.
Hector smiled, trying not to swallow up every inch of her with his eyes, but it was difficult. “You look very nice.”
She glanced down at her clothes and shrugged, obviously not getting what was so nice about it. “You said comfortable.”
“Yeah, I did.” He smiled, tearing his eyes away from the sliver of milky white skin showing just between her shirt and jeans. “You ready?”
She nodded and walked to the edge of the porch stairs before he could walk up them. He reached his hand out and she took it. Just like that, they were holding hands already, and they hadn’t even begun to talk. This might be easier than he thought. “You hungry?” He asked.
To his surprise, she turned to him, eyes wide open, and smiled. “You like grilled cheese?”
This excited her? He laughed. “I guess. We don’t eat too much of that at my place, but I had it in high school a lot when they served it for breakfast.”
“Oh no, this doesn’t even compare to high-school grilled cheese. And Drew doesn’t care for it much, so I don’t get to go there as often as I want.”
“What is it, a grilled cheese restaurant?” He opened the door for her.
“No. A food truck.”
He stared at her bright blue eyes for a moment before closing the door. Walking around the truck, the reality of how different this girl was from any of the ones he was used to beginning to set in. Taco trucks in East L.A. were more than abundant. Hell, there was one parked on every corner. And while the idea of them making grilled cheese wasn’t unheard of, he’d never once seen anyone order one, much less get this excited about a food-truck grilled cheese.
“So it’s a truck,” he said as he climbed in and turned the ignition on.
“Yes, well, it’s sort of a specialty truck All they serve is grilled cheese—a bunch of different kinds. When Drew and I first got here, we went to see a game show being aired at NBC studios. Her dad gets all kinds of tickets from his friend. We heard people talking about the food trucks just outside the studio, so we tried the grilled-cheese truck, and I’ve been hooked ever since.”
Hector nodded, pulling out into the street. “All right, that makes more sense.”
“Why? What were you thinking?”
“Never mind,” he said, laughing inwardly.
He wouldn’t tell her he was back to thinking of her as a bit of a snob who walked up to a taco truck with all kinds of greasy Mexican food on the menu and ordered a grilled cheese.
When they got there, he was surprised to see the amount of people standing around the big yellow truck. Obviously he’d been way off. This wasn’t just any grilled cheese. Once they got to the small park just around the corner from the truck where Charlee told him she and Drew ate every time they came here, Hector discovered just how off he’d been. Since he’d never been, he asked Charlee to order for him. Charlee watched him intently as he took the first bite of his grilled cheese. She looked so damn cute. If his mouth weren’t full, he’d just go for it and kiss her.
His thoughts were suddenly on the party going on in his mouth, and he chewed slowly, savoring all the incredible flavors. Looking down at the grilled sandwich he’d barely paid any attention to as he bit into it because he was so into Charlee’s excited eyes, he had to know now. “What’s in this?”
“That’s by far my favorite of theirs,” she said with a very satisfied smile. “It’s mac and cheese and pulled pork with caramelized onions. Isn’t it to die for?”
Hector nodded, taking another bite. It really was incredible. If he weren’t so anxious to talk to her, he would’ve gone back for another when they were done. He gathered up their trash and walked it over to the nearby trash can. On his way back to the picnic table, he saw Charlee spray something in her mouth, and then she turned bright red when she realized he’d seen her. He couldn’t help laughing. “Why does that embarrass you?”
She shook her head and began putting it back in her purse, but he reached out her hand. “Let me have some of that.”
Without making eye contact, she handed it to him. He read the bottle, “Cinnamon Binaca. I didn’t know people still used breath spray.” He sprayed some in his mouth then smacked his lips, sitting down next to her. “Damn that’s strong.”
He handed it to her, and even though the color was gone from her face, he asked her again. “So why did that embarrass you?”
Her cheeks tinged but not nearly as much as the first time, and she shrugged, focusing on the things in her purse. “I just didn’t want you thinking that . . .”
From the moment he’d seen her at the door of her place, the smile had been a permanent fixture on his face. With her getting so excited over a damn grilled cheese and now this, his face was going to start hurting soon. He touched her hair, leaning in closer to her, and she turned to him. With her lips inches away from his now, he couldn’t help himself. “You didn’t want me to think you were getting ready for this?”
Leaning in slowly, wondering if she’d pull away since she had said this couldn’t happen anymore, he was relieved when she didn’t. He pecked her softly, and he was supposed to stop there, but unlike with other girls, with Charlee he had no self-restraint. His greedy lips and tongue couldn’t get enough of her, so he parted her lips with his tongue and went in for more. She allowed him to indulge for a bit longer before pulling away a bit breathless.
“Hector,” she began then stopped. She seemed almost upset.
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly.
“No. Don’t be.” She frowned, shaking her head. “I just wish I wasn’t so damn . . .”
She stopped, and he waited for her to continue, but she didn’t. Instead, she looked away.
“So what?” he asked confused.
Turning back to him, she licked her lips, and that’s all it took to distract him. Then she spoke again. She glanced away, clearly not wanting to make eye contact when she spoke. “I was going to just go along and enjoy today and not think about the consequences, but it’s impossible. I can’t.”
Beginning to understand what she was saying, he slipped his hand in hers. The nerves he felt as he drove to her house today were back in full swing. “That’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about.”
Now her big baby blues were staring at him, and if he thought she’d let him, he’d kiss her again and again. Instead, he focused on what he’d come here to say to her. “You said it before, and I think it’s what you’re saying now. You can’t do this because you need more than just this.” He squeezed her hand. “I can’t stop thinking about you, Charlee. I’ve never done anything more than just this. I never needed to, but now I . . .” He kissed her hand because his lips needed to be on hers, and he didn’t want to kiss her lips again until he knew she was okay with it. “Now I need it. I need you, and I’ll probably suck at the relationship thing at first, but if you give me a shot—if more is what you want and it’s what I need to give you in order to have this, then you got it—I promise I’ll try real hard to get this right.”
She looked almost alarmed now as what he was saying seemed to sink in but said nothing. He waited for her to respond, because he wasn’t sure if he’d said enough or worse said too much. Apparently, he’d stunned her into silence, and he wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.
“I don’t know what to say,” she finally said.
“Say yes!” He laughed nervously.
She began to nod, relieving for an instant the knot that formed in his stomach halfway through his declaration, and then she stopped. “I need to know what I’m agreeing to exactly first. You say you’ll probably suck at it. I don’t want you to mistake me needing more to mean more often. At the risk of sounding greedy, I have to be completely honest. I’ve never done the relationship thing either, but I know now I can’t do the open kind.”
“Open?”
She nodded, clearing her throat. “I’m not sure what you’re proposing exactly, but you have a lot of girl . . . friends. I can’t do a relationship where we’re seeing each other but will still see others on the side.”
What she was saying—thinking he might be proposing—hit him suddenly. “Hell no! I don’t want that either.” He leaned his forehead against hers, taking her face in his hands. “Have you not seen my reaction to you with someone else already? I think I’ve made it pretty clear that I’d definitely have a problem with an open relationship. And, of course, that would go both ways.” He kissed her softly. “I meant I might suck at the formalities: remembering anniversaries, being romantic and saying the right things when I’m supposed to—that kind of stuff. But if I’m doing this with you, then it’s only you.”
Finally, the hesitant expression gave way to a smile. “Okay,” she said softly.
The smile was once again plastered on his face. He’d never felt so relieved in his life. He kissed her again a little longer this time then brought his leg over the bench to straddle it. He then pulled her leg over too then over his thigh and pulled her closer to him. To his surprise, she lifted her other leg over his other thigh also and brought her arms around his neck. She was now straddling him, and he was only glad her behind was still on the bench or she might feel just how turned on this made him.
“So how does this work?” he asked, leaning against her forehead. “Do we like wear matching outfits and give each other nicknames?” She laughed so heartily and sweetly he had to laugh too. “Well, I don’t know.” He feigned feeling slighted by her laughing at him. “I’ve never done this.”
“I’ve never done it either,” she said, still laughing.
“Really? That surprises me. Never? Not even come close like seeing someone or something?”
She wasn’t laughing anymore and even looked away for the first time since they tangled up the way they were now. He rubbed her back. “All right, this is good,” he said, feeling his muscles getting a little tense already. “I may’ve never been in a relationship before, but I’ve been around people who have and have a couple of close friends who are in them. This is a huge thing for them and will be for me too, okay? Honesty. Complete honesty.”
He lifted her chin because she was looking down again, avoiding his eyes. When he had her full attention, he spoke again. “The closest I’ve ever had to a relationship was with a girl I thought I was falling for, but she moved away, and even then we kept it up via texts and phone calls. Turned out she wasn’t nearly as serious as I was, because she started seeing someone else.” He’d take this honesty thing a little further to make a point about how serious he was. “It was the same girl you saw me with at the fight, the one that sat with me in the front row. But we’re just friends now, and she was just out here visiting.” Charlee lifted an eyebrow and he kissed it. “I sent her packing that night to go look for you, remember?” That reminder seemed to ease her a bit. “Now.” He pulled her even closer to him so her legs were practically around his waist. “Your turn.”
Staring at her, he tried to understand why she seemed so uncomfortable suddenly when she’d been laughing so happily just moments ago. What difference did it make if she had been in a relationship in the past? As long as it was just that—in the past.
She was sitting so close to him with her arms and legs around him that he could feel how tense this conversation was making her. Whatever it was, he was getting it out of her now because he didn’t like how whatever it was had changed the mood so abruptly. This could be someone she wasn’t over yet, and he braced himself, his muscles going even tauter as that thought sunk in.