Chapter Four
"Mmm, I don't know what I smell but it's definitely yummy for my tummy."
I came walking down the stairs, all dressed and ready to go. Carlos was standing in the kitchen. When I walked in I saw he was making pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream.
"Yummy for my tummy? You're still saying that!" Carlos laughed at my choice of words.
"What's wrong with that?" I asked him, while I took a seat at the kitchen table.
"Nothin' just that you've been saying that since you could talk, and that's like 18 years ago."
He sat down too and started to pile up some pancakes on our plates. I looked at him. I just couldn't believe that people were afraid of him. I mean, okay he was big, muscular and he was a Latino, but that doesn't make him scary. Or does it? To me, my brother was just this big teddy who you want to hold all day long.
"So, what are you planning to do today?" He snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Planning to go shopping." I said with my mouth half full. "You seen how many clothes I have here? Well, I should say how 'less' clothes I have here."
"Hmm… that many huh?" He laughed, giving me another pancake. "Well, if that's the plan you should ask Mia and Letty to come with ya. They know every mall around here."
"Aight, that's cool. I'll walk over to them after breakfast. I was thinking, maybe I should get a job. You know, to earn some extra money."
Please say yes, please say yes!
At that moment Dom came walking in. I smiled at him.
"No."
I knew it, stupid asshole!
"What! Why not?"
"You've seen LA? You'll get robbed here on every corner of the street! There is no way you're gonna get a job somewhere else than the garage."
"Carlos, I've lived in Boston remember. And why only at the garage?" I looked at him with disbelieve.
"Cause that's the only place where I can watch you, so you don't get hurt." Carlos stood up and cleaned the table.
"I can not believe you! Look, I may be younger than you, but that doesn't mean I can't look for myself."
"I know you can, but still there is no way you gonna work somewhere else. It's your choice, working at the garage on not working."
I knew he made up his mind on this one and if Carlos made his mind up on something there is no way he's gonna change that opinion.
"You… yugh! I think that it's still my decision where I'm going."
"No it's not." Dom suddenly said.
"What?" I was surprised. How could he say no too?
"Carlos is right. You ain't working nowhere else than the garage. And don't give me that look. Carlos is my brother so that means you're my sister and there is no way for you to win of us both."
I couldn't believe him. He too? What was this place? One brother is a pain in the ass, but two! That's just sick.
"So?" Carlos looked at me.
"So what?" I said looking from him to Dominic and back to Carlos.
"So you working at the garage or not at all?" Dom finished it.
I slipped down in my seat and crossed my arms. I knew I couldn't win this and I had to make some money.
"Fine." I said, rolling my eyes. "Dom do you have any idea where I could find Mia and Letty?"
I stood up and walked towards the backdoor.
"They're both having breakfast. Why?"
"Planning to do some shopping." I walked out and crossed over.
"Hey guys." I said, walking inside.
"Hey girl, sup?" Letty said, drinking her coffee.
"I was wondering if you guys feel like shopping. I just found out how less clothes I've got here. Then Carlos told me that you would know where to go, so…."
I leaned against the wall and looked at them.
"You need to ask? Course we feel like shopping. Just let me finish my coffee and we're off." Letty said and Mia nodded with her mouth full.
"I know just the place for you. You gonna love it."
I smiled and stretched myself out. They were so nice. No wonder that Carlos loved this place. It was like I knew them my whole life. Never thought that I would meet people who were actually nice, without fake. Maybe LA would be a lot more fun than I always thought it would be.
"You ready?" Letty and Mia stood up and placed there plates in the sink.
"Yep."
"Well then, let's roll."
We walked over to a pink Skyline. She was so beautiful. Reminded me of my plan to buy a car myself.
"So, what kind of clothes do ya have in mind?" Letty asked while we got in.
"Don't know something not to far from my own style. Ow and we have to go to a place where they sell Nike Airs. I'm dying for those shoes. I had like over four pair but left them behind." I said while Letty started the car and drove of.
"I'm feeling you on this one." Letty said turning on the music. It was Pitbull.
"Ow God! I'm so in love with Pitbull." I said leaning to the front.
"Join the club. This guy is so hot. Especially Culo. That song is killing it!" Mia turned around, smiling at me.
Now I know for sure that LA is way better than I thought. First they have the sweetest ride and then they love Pitbull. And above all they ain't afraid of my brother cause theirs is just as big as mine. Never thought my life would end this way. Actually, that it would start this way. I mean, it's a new start here, trying to stay real, trying to stay of the street, away from the feds. At least… for now.
"Here we are." Mia said as Letty parked the car in front of a huge mall.
"Damn, this ain't no mall, this is a village." I said getting out of the car.
"Naw, it's not all that. It's pretty big but not that big."
"Girl, what ya complaining about? The bigger the mall, the longer we stay, the less work we got." Letty threw an arm around my shoulder. "And just for ask, how much can we spend."
I laughed.
"As much as we want." I pulled a credit card out of my pocket.
"Damn girl, you only gotta say that once."
We walked in and started with the shoe store. Just as I said, I wanted Nike Airs and this place got them in every color.
"Can I help you?" A girl who worked there asked us.
"Yeah, I want to try those green with pink Nike Airs." I said looking at the colors they got. "Oh, and do you guys want a pair of shoes too?" I looked at Mia and Letty.
"What do you mean? You gonna pay for them?" Letty and Mia looked at me.
"Yeah, it's cool."
"You crazy?" Letty still looked at me.
"Yeah, so choose some."
She shook her head and they both looked at the shoes.
"I kinda like the pink with black." Mia said pointing at the shoe.
"I'm into the black with white ones."
"Okay, so what sizes?"
"9."
"9."
"8½."
The girl went to the back to get our shoes.
"Girl, you sick. Buyin us all shoes." Letty said as she sat down next to me.
"Yeah, how are you gonna pay for all of that?"
"Mia, don't worry bout it. I told ya, I got the money." I smiled at her worried face.
The girl came back with our shoes. We tried the shoes on and bought them. Next up was clothes. We went through the whole mall and when we were done we walking around with over 10 bags filled with shoes, clothes and jewelry.
"Okay, I'm tired." I said when we sat in the car.
"Me too." Mia said.
"But it was worth it. A day shopping instead of working. Wanna do that more often." Letty started the car drove of.
The car was bumping on Pitbull when we came at the garage. Still singing we came out of the car and walked inside.
"I suppose you'll had a good day?" Dominic said looking up from a Cadillac Escalade he was working on. Letty smiled and gave him a kiss.
"Angel Eyes, come over here for a sec." Carlos said from under a Mazda Mx-5 MPS.
I walked over to him and looked at him from the hood.
"So you bought clothes?"
"Yeah, a lot."
"Good. You know, tonight we gonna race. You coming too?"
"Hell yeah! Course I'm coming." I smiled down at him.
"Okay, now get your ass down to the back and put on an overall out of the closet so you can help me out under here."
I shook my head and walked to the back. In the closet I found an overall in my size. Quickly I changed and walk back to Carlos.
"Now that's more like it." He smiled and kissed my forehead. "Okay, you gotta help me out. It's unloading when you make speed and I've got no idea how to solve it."
"Look." I said pointing to a tube from out of the motor. "It has a hole so you probably just have to change it and than the problem is solved."
Carlos gave it a closer look and then shook his head.
"I don't know how you see it but let's change it."
We got started and after half an hour it was replaced and ready to go for a test-drive.
"I'll do the test-drive." I said cleaning my hands. Carlos just laughed and gave me the keys.
"Hold on girl, I wanna see how ya drive." Letty said and stepped in the car too. I started the car and drove the car out of the garage. The car felt so good in my hands that I forgot that it wasn't mine and I just pushed the gas and sped off.
"You ready for some speed?" I looked at Letty with a grin.
"You do your thing." Letty smiled. You gotta say that only once.
"Woohoo, girl you got it!" Letty laughed with me while we were racing a couple of blocks.
"And now my favorite part: parking." I looked at the garage coming closer.
"What do ya mean?"
"You'll see."
With enormous speed we made the turn. Suddenly I pushed the brake and turned the wheel. We made a U-turn and ended up precise in the parking lot in front of the garage.
"Oh my God. You gotta teach me that one!" Letty said as we came out of the car.
"Kyra Juanita Sanchez, what do you think you're doing!" Carlos came storming out followed by the rest of the team.
"What she do?" Letty looked from Carlos to me and back.
"What she do? She almost got the two of you killed! That she do!" Carlos crossed his arms looking at me.
"No I didn't. You think that I would do that without knowing what I was doing? Course not. Did that one like over a billion times." I smiled at Carlos.
Carlos shook his head and a smile came on his face.
"You crazy, you know that?" He said giving me a hug.
"Guess who I got it from."
We walked in where I sat down on the worktable and drank a Corona. Suddenly I saw Leon looking at me.
"What?" I asked looking back.
"Nothing." He said smiling.
"Oh okay." I smiled back.
He was kinda cute, Leon. And he got a gorgeous body. Especially now that it was all sweaty and shit.
And still I got the feeling that I know ya.
"Kyra, get ready. We're leaving in half an hour." Carlos said as he walked outside.
"Okay." I stood up and walked to the back. Inside I started to stretch myself. My back, arms and most of all my neck. Cause I was doing that I didn't hear someone coming in.
"You okay?"
I turned around and saw Leon standing against the door, smiling.
"Yeah, just stretching my neck." I smiled back at him.
"Good. I'm just getting the keys to my car." He quickly said and walked to the desk. He got his keys and turned around.
"You coming tonight?"
"Definitely, I ain't missing that."
He nodded and walked back. When he passed me, he touched my arm just a little. He closed the door and I shook my head laughing.
"Showoff."
I quickly changed and drove back with Carlos.