Chapter 25: First steps
Since a month, Karlsson's case had not advanced a lot. They kept shutting down most of his warehouses, they were too many in the area to close. The days came after another, they worked non-stop and waited for their days off with relief. It was hard but being together almost all nights helped Chris and Jim to find strength and not lose hope.
"Good work, everyone." Hondo told them tonight as they had just finished their shifts. We had just closed the last warehouses in the area. Karlsson has no more way to sell his guns in there. The sheriffs of the other counties confirmed earlier they did their parts too. So he has no other choice than going out of his hideout."
"Any news on Diego?" Chris asked.
"Yeah, the man will be transferred to a smaller prison in the next few days. As he helped us, he could benefit from some advantages but he stays in prison as well."
"Fair enough."
"Hey guys, I was wondering, what about a Luca's videogames night tomorrow night? As we are all off?"
"We don't even ask me?" Street told, pretended to be offended by Luca's offer.
"Oh come on, bro, I know you're in!"
"Of course, I need to show Tan who's the boss of Grand Auto Theft!"
"Calm down, Street. You're gonna bite the dust!"
"What if I beat all your ass?"
"Ohhhhh, our girl is giving the vibe! Can Darryl come? He likes hanging out with you."
"You're kidding, Hondo. Everyone is welcome. Even Nichelle if she wants too. "
Hondo let of a small laugh. "Maybe next time. She has one of her sessions at the center each night this week."
"Deac, you're in?"
"Maybe another time, Luca. Tomorrow night, I'm invited to Lila's first clarinet recital!"
"Oh that's great! You'll send us videos?"
"Of course, Chris!" He winked at her.
Chris grabbed her stuff quickly and left the guys. She was exhausted. Within the minutes she left, she received a text from Jim. She got up in her car to read it. A big smile on his face.
*Would like to spend the evening with you…* She grinned reading those words. Like the stupid girl she was at this precise moment. But she couldn't help the serotonin spreading through her body.
*Come to my apartment If you like but I warn you I'm pretty tired…* She pressed the sending button before thinking too much. She just invited Jim to her apartment. For the first time since they were dating. She felt so confused by what she had just done. It was not her style to be so impetuous.
He answered in the second that followed. *Be there in one hour max with some Italian food *
She kept smiling at her screen like the idiotic woman she was right now. *Sound great*
She put her phone on the passenger seat and started the engine. As she turned her head to check the road, she saw Jim's answer. *Can't wait…* She could wait too.
[…]
Street got home quickly to be there before Luca. He grabbed his bag, opened it and shoved some clean clothes in it. Better be careful if he spent the night at Chris's. As he was seizing his toothbrush, he heard the door open. No time to think, he removed his jacket, kept it in one of his hands and got out of the bathroom.
"Already here, Street? You left in a hurry!"
"Yeah… Sorry I was not feeling well… Big headache. Needed a pill quick… Think I'm gonna sleep early…"
"You didn't eat? I was thinking about ordering some Korean food…"
"Ah aha ha to see the cute delivery girl?"
"Of course not. I love Korean cooking…" He smiled.
"Without me tonight. Not feeling well. A good night sleep will help me see things clearer… And kill this headache for good. Good night, Luca."
Luca looked at Jim vanishing behind the door of his bedroom. He was astonished Jim refused to eat Korean food. He loved this. But he understood, headache could be awful. He dropped his stuff in his room and got to the phone to order bulgogi, kimchi and noodles. He was alone but he was hungry. He hung up and went to the living room and turned the TV on. It was basketball night.
As he heard the TV on, Jim opened his bedroom window and threw his bag through it. He passed through to reach the yard. As he was used to do when he was a teenage boy with Nate to go and see car races. In less than a few minutes, he was on his bike in direction of Chris's apartment.
He parked near Chris's building, grabbed the bags with food from his little trunk and went to her place. As he knocked at her door, he was nervous. Not that he had never been there, but it was the first time he was coming here as her boyfriend. She quickly opened the door.
"Hey!" She grinned at him.
"Hey." He answered softly. "Brought food." He told raising his hand holding the bags.
"Please, come in…" He could hear the uneasiness in her voice. He preferred to remain silent and only nodding because at the moment, he felt awkward. Although they were dating for more than two months, he was still impressed to come here as her boyfriend. And she was also very awkward, judging by the way she was fidgeting her hands.
"Took some pasta to change from pizza and also some panna cotta for dessert. Is it Ok for you?"
He talked to try to push away his stress and soften the atmosphere. There was no need to be anxious about anything. They were together. It had been working pretty well until then and there was no reason it changed. He got out of the bag all little boxes and put them on the table.
"Dinner's ready!"
He saw her coming at him with plates and cutlery. "Might need this!"
"Would be convenient." They sat at the table. Chris was looking at all the boxes with envy. "We can share everything... And I may have taken so much we may have enough to eat for the next few days."
Before he ended his sentence, he realized he had used "we" instead of just "you".
"That means that we'd like to stay and eat with me other times within the week…" She asked softly.
"I mean… If you agree… I could come here… So you know, we could stay… I mean…" He was stumbling on words. The more he tried to say something, the more he was drowning his ideas under centimeters of nonsense.
"We could sleep the whole night together… I'd love that…"
At this moment, the woman in front of him wearing large camel pajamas, with wet hair and Uggs to her feet was the most beautiful thing that could have happened in his life. "Sounds like a plan, then…"
"It is." She told him with a shy smile before lowering her head towards the plate. He didn't add a thing and chose to change of topic. What was just happened was already huge and he didn't want to force his chance.
"Not a single chance you beat me tomorrow, Long Beach, I'm gonna crush your ass tomorrow!"
"Show me tonight, then?"
"Nope, because first I will not reveal my skills before tomorrow and second because I'm so exhausted I only dream about going to bed."
"Excuses, always excuses." He answered with a mischievous tone. She laughed.
"Good night, Street." And she vanished in her bedroom.
He took some time to clear the table. Dinner time was over. A very special dinner. He smiled only to think about Chris inviting him to stay at her place. Each day, he was falling more and more for this woman. She had this effect on him, the one you couldn't explain but he felt different when she was around. He took a shower and went to Chris's bedroom. She was half asleep upon her book.
"Shall I?"
She shook her head and raised it from her book. "Be my guest."
He sat next to her and placed his legs under the blanket. Both excited to be there and intimidated.
"Glad you're here…"
"Me too… Our first full night together at your place. Even if I have to go early tomorrow to enter the house before Luca wakes up…. Worth it."
"Guess so." She took his hand and pressed it in hers. "Just sad I can't enjoy the night more… These last days literally broke me."
"You mean the last days we spent running all over the warehouses of the county or the last days we spent in countless briefings with the sheriffs of the area?"
"Could it be both?" She let out a laugh before yawning. "Like talking with you, Street but I really need to sleep to be at the top notch of my Grand Auto Theft skills tomorrow night. Sweet dreams."
Before turning on her side, she dropped a soft kiss on Jim's cheek. It felt good to be there. She rolled on her side and curled up. She was already asleep. Jim remained awake for maybe fifteen more minutes, watching her chest lifting up and down at each breath. She seemed peaceful.
Then he looked around him and stared at Chris's room. It was exactly as it had imagined it: pics of her family – he recognized her cousin Thomas and her uncle Sarzo, Auntie Elena he saw once years ago when Chris took him to her family's food truck – books and her clothes and baskets all over the place. What was more surprising was the amount of beauty products on her chest of drawers. He smiled. After all, Chris liked to take care of her despite all she said. He laid down and turned the light off. His eyelids were so heavy that he felt asleep within a minute.
[…]
When she opened her eyes, the sun was lightening the room. And Jim was still here. She rolled against him and enjoyed stroking his muscular chest. "Good morning."
"Hey! Good morning to you too. It was nice to sleep all night with you."
"Sad you can't have breakfast with me…" She raised her head to see the time on the alarm clock. "Because it's 9:30AM?!"
Jim jumped in the bed. "Whaaaat?! How is it possible? Damn it, I felt asleep before I turned on the alarm clock."
He rushed out of the bed and got dressed quickly. Street came back in the bedroom with his bag on the shoulder.
"You don't think the bag will be suspicious if Luca sees it?" He remained silent and pouted. "What if you let some of your stuff here for next time… And I bring your empty bag tonight. Will let it in my car, you could go and grab it while everyone is busy playing or talking…"
"So they'll really be other times here?" Street calmed down in the middle of his freaking out moment.
"Of course. Why not? Except next time you won't forget to get up in time." She giggled as Jim reminded of his situation. "Just tell Luca you've been running on early morning and enjoy the beach for yourself. Sure it'll work."
"Someone has ever told you that you had an answer for everything?" He told her before kissing her on the mouth. "See you tomorrow… Already counting the hours, Miss Alonso."
And he was gone. The apartment felt empty without him. She thought about their first night in her apartment. It had been so normal, so obvious. Like a normal couple. She felt the fear inside her, she had been fooled so often in the past that she didn't want to enjoy the moment too quickly. But she felt that things were easier with Jim. Like an evidence.
She decided to focus on her day. Her beauty routine first, then some tidying. But she needed to run to clear her mind. She ate something quickly, got dressed and left her apartment for a run session.
[…]
Jim got home quickly. Thanks God, the traffic was almost normal this morning. He got into the house and ran to his bedroom, hoping for Luca not having seen or heard him. Before he could have removed his shoes, he heard a voice coming from the kitchen.
"Is that you Street?"
"Damn" He whispered, urging to change his jeans for a Bermuda and his shirt for a large tank top. He took the bottle of water on his nightstand and moistened his tee shirt, his neck and face, faking sweat.
"Hey Luca!" He made him jump as he got out of the kitchen. "Sorry I didn't mean to scare you!"
"No guy. Don't worry! Glad you're feeling better than yesterday!"
"Yeah, yeah…Way better. Funny how a good night sleep can change things so quickly…" He answered a little embarrassed. He didn't like to lie to Luca who was like his big brother but it was necessary. Chris didn't want to reveal the truth about them because it was only the beginning of their relationship and they needed to be sure before they confronted the truth and all the consequences it would imply. In a sense, she was right. But he also knew for sure the day it happened he will be happy to yell at the whole world he had the most awesome and beautiful and badass girlfriend.
"You were not there this morning…"
"Oh yeah" He said as he got a grip on himself. "I woke up very early and I went running to Griffith Park and enjoyed nature and calm. If you excuse me, I need to take a shower now. I'll be back after to help you just after." He tapped his shoulder and ran as fast as he could in the bathroom. He hoped he had convinced Luca with his story.