A big victory deserves a big celebration.
Earlier that day, Saints were seen in almost every single shop of the city, pissing money away. From the ones that just got canonized, to the veterans, no one was forgotten. Thousand dollar watches, designer heels, and all that bling to compensate for their efforts on the last episode. They didn't count, buying everything that was the best and that Stilwater had to offer. Hard to understand the real value of a five hundred dollar shirt when you think it might get spilled with blood later that same day, or that maybe a bullet will open a hole in this same shirt, putting you out of business forever.
But, no one cared to think about that. Yes, big victories, they deserve even bigger celebrations. What's the fun in life otherwise?
And tonight it was all about that. Celebrate the fact that they prevailed over Ultor, that they were still alive, and raise a toast to honor the dead. The Hideout was turned into a nightclub for the event. Shaundi revealed yet another talent of hers: Planning parties. DJs were hired, strippers showed their goods dancing on improvised poles. The booze was flowing in rivers as members switched places to bartender and serve the long lines of people crowding at the bar.
The music was loud and the atmosphere just fantastic.
Everybody enjoyed it to the fullest, like in every party of the gang, never knowing if tomorrow would be the last day.
Carlos was one of the firsts to arrive, dressed in jeans and a black button shirt that he got at 'Impressions' for tonight. But one unexpected guest seemed to be making this night sour for him. 'Fucking Payne.'
There was the cop, all that's cool, leaning against the bar from the top of his 6 something feet, a glass in his hand. That guy knew how to look so damn cool. Not the phony cool, the real motherfucking cool. And turned out not only the Boss was charmed by his quiet charisma. He saw Max interacting with some tough girls of the gang, five minutes later they were all like, laughing and touching him in the arm. He would be his 'I'm-so-fucked-up-and-even-if-I-am-tough-and-dark-what-I-really-need-is-a-woman-to-take-care-of-me' self, crack a sarcastic joke, or a witty answer, and the ladies would instantly like him.
'Fucking clown...'
Carlos made an effort to look away, and while scanning the crowd spotted The Boss sitting over a speaker. She was rolling a joint, and at the sight of her he smiled, forgetting about Max immediately. She allowed herself to dress very girly, for a change: A flowing red dress, revealing on the cleavage area, and sky high golden heels.
He decided to approach, and thought about asking her to dance, after all, he was a very good dancer.
So Carlos started to make his way towards the crowd, unaware that, from the bar, Max searched the room with his eyes, like if he was looking for someone.
Carlos was about to reach the spot, but then saw Max cross the room faster from his side in that direction, two glasses in his hand. The cop was holding his usual scotch and some fancy, colored cocktail. He placed himself behind the Boss, shaking the cocktail playfully in front of her before she could see who was doing it.
She followed the way up his arms with her eyes and turned over, a slight smile on the corner of her mouth. Max had to lean and speak in her ear to speak due to the noise, as he placed a hand on her bare shoulder.
'What about sex at the beach?'Max said as he approached me.
'Huh?' I asked, confused. Not that I would refuse the offer but he was never so blunt before.
'I mean, the cocktail...' He raised the drink and I got the joke.
'Take your fucking mitts off the Boss, punk! Shake his hand away. Shake his godamn hand away! She is not shaking it away...'
Indeed she wasn't. She was again laughing from whatever joke he said in her ear, tapping her hands on his chest. She removed the little paper umbrella on the cocktail and playfully stuck it between his hair and one of the ears, showing that she had a few drinks on her head too.
'Oh it will be harder to be a hahah funny dude once I cut your dick off.'
Carlos sighed in frustration and waited. Maybe Max would leave.
After a few moments of cheerful chat he did... But took The Boss with him.
They were climbing up the stairs, going outside, presumably to smoke and talk. Alone.
'Shit...'
This was too much, Carlos decided to crash and hang with them until Mr. Perfect would take a hint and piss off.
He moved forward, by then someone just bumped into him, eyes almost crossed from being high, carrying a huge bong in his hand.
'Dude, you should definitely try this. Oh God, Shaundi knows her shit.' Bruno said as he passed a friendly arm around Carlos' shoulder. 'Let me tell you, you see that chick over there? Bruno pointed with his head to a hot and young girl at the couch, dressed in a micro skirt. Carlos hardly looked at her. His mind wasn't there.
'She asked me if I knew you.'
'Whatever. Bruno, do you have a cig?'
'Since when do you smoke, maricon?' He asked affectionately, handing him one.
'Later.'
Carlos grabbed the cig and vanished, and if Bruno wasn't so wasted and distracted to dancing right now he would have seen that his friend headed towards the exit and not towards the couch.
'You're not exactly a party animal, heh?' The Boss teased as the two enjoyed a smoke in front of the Hideout.
'Not that I don't like a party. As long they have booze I'm fine.' Max answered, having a sip of his scotch.
'You need to get it out of your system more often. You can't say you had a real party 'till you do it with the Saints.' She said, rubbing her arms from the cold outside.
Max took off his coat.
'May I?' He asked.
'Oh, sure...'
He gently put his coat over her shoulders, adjusting the collar around her neck. They kept silent for a moment, looking at each other dead in the eye.
'Gracias.' She thanked, lowering her head shyly. It felt weird, but in a good way, to have an old fashioned, delicate display of attention like this.
Max got a bit closer, forgetting about their break up for a moment and put a hand at her arm, caressing it through the fabric of the jacket. Then he replied almost whispering:
'You look gorgeous tonight...'
The Boss opened her mouth to answer but there was a loud noise at the door behind them. They turned their heads to see Carlos stepping out, a cigarette in his hand. A few other saints were smoking outside too, but he headed towards the couple.
'Anyone has a light?'
The Boss smiled slightly at Max, while searching for her own lighter in her pockets.
Max was, however, quicker to draw his Zippo, flickering it open in one motion and pointing the flame towards the cigarette.
Carlos just stood there, cig hanging from his mouth as he gave him a less than friendly look. Instead of leaning towards the flame he just grabbed the lighter that the Boss finally had in her hand, using it without breaking eye contact.
Max stood there for an awkward sec, the flame still going and the arm hanging for nothing. He chuckled a bit and said nothing, simply putting the godamn lighter back where it came from. He wasn't here to pick up a fight, but apparently that didn't go for everyone.
The Boss wasn't paying full attention to their interaction, but still felt some tension in the air.
Maybe it had to do with Carlos' dislike of cops, his brother been killed by one.
She felt that she had to keep some conversation going to break the cold silence that now filled the air.
'You remember Carlos right? He is my favorite Lieutenant. And the one who got me out of the big house. If it wasn't for him, I guess I would have been sent to the chair with Gat.' She raised her glass in a toast.
Listening to The Boss speaking of him with high regard in front of Max made Carlos feel a little better, but the rest was far from over.
Max nodded unenthusiastically and answered in a neutral tone. The last he remembered this kid, he was pointing a Glock to his head:
'Hmm... Right. I do remember you telling me something about this.'
'Is everything ok Boss?' Carlos took a drag as casually as he could, becoming a bit red from the huge effort he was doing not to cough it up right away. If there was something he could never stand in his life, it was smoking... Even getting shot was better than that.
'Sure... Sure it is. I was just telling Max I hope working with us will help him having some fun more often.'
Max just smiled at the Boss, ignoring the hostile attitude that was been displayed towards him.
'Your Boss is teaching me how to party the gangster way and I appreciate the effort. I hope I'm not too old for it.' He touched her gently in the shoulder.
'Yeah.' Carlos frowned, his eyes on Max's hand and replied, without looking at him, yet with undeniable hostility. 'But parties at the PD are not so dull, are they. Now that Ultor pays for them.'
Max sighed and sipped the rest of his drink. Obviously this kid had a thing against him.
'Something like that, pal.' He groaned with annoyance.
'Do you have a problem with that?' Carlos moved closer with a threatening attitude.
'Not really, but I could start anytime.' Max replied, starting to run out of patience.
The Boss put one parting hand into each man's chest, surprised, but before she could say anything Carlos threw his cig on the ground and headed inside.
'Thanks for the light.' He grunted at Max.
The Boss gave Max an apologetic look.
'It's ok.' He said holding her by the elbow. 'Don't bother.'
'I will be back, gotta talk to him.'
'Ok, I'm waiting for you at the bar.'
She headed inside and could easily spot Carlos walking dissonantly fast through the crowd as he bumped into a guy, splashing the beer he was drinking all over his clothes and on the floor.
'Hey. Watch out man!'
This was not like him at all.
He headed towards the corridor and the Boss hurried to catch up with him.
'Whoa whoa whoa.' She said, pulling him by the side of his shirt.
He stopped but keep his head down stubbornly, like someone who knows he did something wrong, but it's nowhere ready to admit it.
'Now. What was that about? Max is the Saint's guest tonight. I won't have you insulting him for nothing under this roof.'
He was often the first to follow the Boss's orders, but her lecturing him because of Max only rubbed another sore spot.
'How can you trust that guy? What Troy did to you wasn't enough?' It was all he could find to say.
She sighed. Again, she was surprised to find herself been more patient with him that she would with anyone in a similar situation. He just acted like a brat, but she couldn't find it to be completely mad at him.
'I know what happened to Hector. That's why you can't stand Max, right?'
He swallowed up, feeling a bit guilty that it actually had nothing to do with what happened tonight. However, this was the only way to back up without having to tell the real reason.
'Yeah. That's exactly it Boss.'
'Well. I can understand but if you want to be a Lieutenant you gonna have to put it together and deal with shit even when you're pissed. You can't have a hot head all the time and let it get the best of you. And, you know, he's not bad for a cop.'
He looked up at her feeling ashamed for his behavior as reason was kicking in. But he couldn't tell the Boss: 'You're right. I don't think Payne is a bad guy, if anything I think he is a good one, and it makes me want to put a bullet in him for that alone. Loads of girls like him, what will I do if you like him too, huh? I'm insanely in love with you, it makes me lose my mind just at the thought of him looking at you, let alone touching you. He puts a hand in your shoulder and he asks you to dance. Do you know how many times I pictured my godamn hand on your shoulder, us dancing together tonight? How every fucking night I picture you next to me in bed, and I talk to you in my head? And how I kiss you and love you, and can just fucking hold you for a while? So now, you might get why I'm not so found of some cop guy who is obviously trying to steal you from me'.
Without this piece of info he came out looking like an ass. The only way to fix it was to do the last thing he wished.
'You're right Boss. I'm going to apologize.' He muttered.
She nodded and gave him an affectionate pat in the back.
'I'm going to have a quick check at Shaundi. I saw her and some biker guy heading outside with a box filled with bulbs. I hope she is still alive.' She said, to change the subject. 'Unclench. Go have some fun, the ladies are lining up...'
'Yeah, you betcha. I'm sure I will have a great time tonight getting lifted while I wonder over and over what you two are up to.'
At the bar, Max saw someone approaching in his side vision.
Carlos was offering him an open hand.
'Sorry I was a dick before.'
It was clear that the Saint was having a hard time uttering the words, but there was also sincerity in his tone.
Max shook his hand back, unable to hold a grudge:
'No problem. Can't blame you guys for not been fans of our work.'
'Not your fault, anyway.'
'You're just looking out for your boss, can't say it's a bad thing.'
Man, it was next to impossible to hate this dude...
'Thanks.' He said, actually sincere against his own will. Max's simplicity was disarming.
'Can I get you a drink?'
'A bottle of anything it's fine.'
Max nodded sympathetically.
'Been there.'
As soon as Carlos saw the Boss approaching the bar, he left, bringing the bottle of Vodka along. He didn't want to spend more time with Max and risk to find out more nice things about him. And if he and The Boss flirted again, well, he wasn't sure to restrain from kicking his ass.
A few meters ahead and it was already half empty. It kicked in quickly, just enough to bring a most welcomed numbness.
He felt lonely, but didn't really want to mingle with the party anymore.
He made his way up to the parking lot, not without effort because the booze was really kicking in.
'I can't just stay here, it's driving me crazy'. He suddenly felt the urge of doing something else, to go somewhere, take his head away from what could be happening right now at that damned party…
In the first line of the vehicles, his purple Compton was parked, it brought to his memory the fact that he was one of the first ones to arrive earlier from a mission, so much he was looking forward to this night.
He leant against the hood, with a small chuckle of defeated irony.
But just then he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. He looked back, and a pretty and young blond was giving him the most inviting smile. The one Bruno showed him, sitting on the couch.
'Remeber me?' She asked leaning foward. 'Kimberly?'
'Ah right, sorry.' He remembered. 'Yeah, of course. I am Carlos by the way'
'I know who you are. So you're cooling off a bit?'
'You could say so.'
He didn't want to be rude and tell her to leave, so they kind of just stood there talking.
She was rather sweet even if he was a tad bored already.
Kim was one of these nice, but overexposed to media ideals and pop culture type of chicks that instead of trying and having her own personality, morphed into something that she thought the guy in front of her would like.
'So, I heard your friend say that you are a hell of a racer.'
'If he says so.'
She kept dropping hints for them to go for a spin (and eventually more)...
Yeah, he was barely in condition of standing, let alone driving. But with a nice lady…
Her attentions sort of boosted his scratched ego, the vodka helping. It's easier to feel confident around someone you don't have feelings for.
'I think it's just what I need right now.'
After 20 minutes of progressing conversation and a very bumpy ride, they were back in the parking and lip locked at the front of the Saints Hideout.
He kissed her over and over. It was good to release it all and have someone's arms around him tonight. He was pretty sure it wouldn't take too much convincing to drag her to his room for the night, and this idea sounded just perfect about right now.
But then, he couldn't help but picturing the Boss at some point. There she was, setting camp in his head, again. And where were she right now? Probably dancing inside, with the party's number one guest. He couldn't even (wasn't proud), think about her while fucking Kimberly, he was just too pissed at her too for that.
So he broke the kiss.
'You know Kim, I know I will regret it, you're a super cool girl, but I'm sorry. Just in the wrong mood to party tonight.' He started, hoping she would catch the meaning of his words and leave.
She seemed disappointed but wasn't convinced.
'Aww, come on. Let's go to Cocks and dance then...'
'Thanks for hanging around with me.' He said. 'Where do I drop you?'
Gat, Max and The Boss were walking around the district to take some air, the three of them crazed out from Shaundi's party favors.
'Are we leaving already?' Max asked.
'Pfff. Leaving? The best part is now. What he had in the flat was just a warm up.' The Boss answered.
'Where are we going then?'
'To start with, lets do some surfing.'
'You mean at the beach? It's a bit cold.'
Johnny and the Boss laughed hard, looking at each other.
'On the top of a car.' They answered in unison.
'Oh, that kind of surfing. Sorry kids I'm an old fart.' Max muttered, a bit embarrassed.
'No problem Max. We will show you.' The Boss pulled him by the arm. 'Come on, it's fun!'
She took off her high heels and waited for a vehicle to pass at reasonable speed and sprinted behind it, jumping at the back and then the roof when it stopped at a red light.
'Come on, there is a Bootlegger coming, it's for you!' She pointed. 'The moment it stops you jump in, don't think, just do it.'
This was easier said than done of course, but he decided not to look like a total square in front of a lady he wanted to impress and climbed in the car, landing on his stomach. Maybe it would have been easier to do that while sober. Although, that is the kind of thing you think twice before you do when you are.
'Ouch!'
'Not bad for a first time, or a cop.' Johnny teased, and jumped at a Go with the most ridiculous ease.
'Now what?' Max asked the Boss, looking as the red light was about to turn green.
'What do you mean now what? You just try not to fall.' She stated in her usual blase way, like his question was surprising.
'Sounds like a piece of cake.' He replied with irony.
She chuckled, opening her arms to get better balance, and said:
'Green! Here we go boys!'
The three cars slowly accelerated. The first seconds were very hard to keep, but then it kind of became instinctive. When the vehicle turned however, you could go from confident to one leg in less than a second.
'This is kind of fun!' Max admitted. 'Yeah!' He was starting to be more at ease with the moves, but then he heard the driver say 'Shit, it's doing that noise again' and step hard on the break.
'Wooah!'
He dived forward, rolling over the asphalt.
Johnny and the Boss jumped out of their cars immediately, seeing one man down and rushed to where he was.
'You hurt?'
But Max didn't answer. He was lying on his back and laughing his ass off.
'I think I broke a rib, but it was worth it.'
The Boss leant over to him smiling, raising an eyebrow in defy:
'Wanna try another one?'
'Hell yeah!'
He grabbed the two friendly arms that were now at his disposition and got up, to his surprise having fun like he hadn't in years.
They waited at the traffic lights again, having a drag of Vodka from Johnny's flask. It wasn't long before some more cars appeared.
The Boss and Gat were fighting like two kids for the first one, chuckling and cursing each other in their friendly way.
This time they were quicker to grab their positions, but something was wrong.
Funny, inside the car some young guys in Skeeters uniforms were talking to each other, window to window. And they were burning the tires... Could it be a...?
'Race!' Johnny warned. 'Fuck, jump!'
A few minutes later the trio was sitting on the sidewalk, still laughing and chatting.
Gat took another flask from his pocket, taking a solid drag.
'I'm going to get back. I'm out of vodka.'
Max gave The Boss a meaningful look.
'Hmm, I'm staying a bit longer.' She said. She knew Gat wouldn't tell anyone.
'Suit yourself.' He said, and then turned to Max. 'You better not do anything stupid to her, a friendly warning, just in case.'
He started then to make his way back to the crib, thinking:
'Hell, she has the right to have her fun, but, does it have to be with a cop? Couldn't be someone from the gang for instance?'
Bruno waved at Carlos at the entrance of the mission house.
'Whoa. I saw you guys making out, dude. Niiice...'
'I dropped her home. Nothing happened. Is this soda?' He pointed at the plastic cup at Bruno's hand.
'Yeah, I don't mix my drugs.'
He grabbed it and had some, all the liquor made him thirsty.
'Ah, cabron, I see you made a bad decision here.'
'I know. I can't believe I ditched this girl.'
'I saw The Boss talking to the cop too, I knew you wouldn't like that. But, come on, don't you feel at least a bit better now?'
Carlos shook his head.
'No I don't. I know she is inside having fun with Max and I know I am the last thing she has in her mind right now. And all I can think about it's...' He chuckled bitterly, amazed at the sentence. '...It's that I hope the Boss won't find out what I did. Like she was my fucking girlfriend! Man, this is fucked up.' He pulled Bruno down with him, sitting clumsily on the floor. 'I like her, I do...'
'Yeah, you and half the gang.'
'This girl was perfectly nice, but, but, she is not the Boss. I like her because she is different. You can find two, ten, twenty Kims. But you can't find two of her. I never met anyone I could do more than just lust after. She likes me for what I am, she respects me. I want her to love me. From the day we met, I knew, fuck, this is the woman I've been waiting for.'
'Easy. You are drunk man.' Bruno said as they landed. 'Ok, I get it. You love her. Can I give you a piece of advice?
'Please. Anything will do.'
Bruno, who always thought The Boss was way off Carlos' league, said simply:
'Forget about it. Never gonna happen. If she ever gets together with anyone of the gang it will be Gat.'
'Oh shut up. You're talking nonsense. Gat isn't over Aisha. Besides, I can fucking remove this feeling and toss it away.'
'Then stop your bitching and do something about it.'
'I can't. She is my... Our...'
'...Boss, yeah, I know that. But tell her how you feel. If you don't someone else will. Look at the cop. He knows she is a G, who could, you know, kill him. But does that stop him? No! Because the guy is thinking with his dong and not with his head. You should do the same, if you listen to reason you're never going to do a thing. Really man! Do you want to keep wanking and wiping around like this forever?'
Suddenly the roles were inverted and Carlos felt that, ironically, Bruno was the wise one for a change.