After another pleasant night on the hotel floor, Miguel awoke that morning with a relaxed groan. He looked over at the bed; empty again.
"Huh... that is one busy senorita."
Miguel decided to start his day just like yesterday: with a hot shower. Once he was done, he stepped out of the bathroom and looked both ways carefully to make sure Josie wasn't in the room.
"Whew... guess she's still out."
But just as Miguel started to feel relieved, the hotel room door swung open and in stormed Josie. She was on the phone and was looking quite irritated.
"Look, I need you to move that body paint photoshoot to next week! Will you just do it already?! I told you, I'm very busy right now with my Muay Thai training! I'll never make it to Sydney in time with Bruce riding my ass every day! THEN GET SOMEONE ELSE! Sheesh!"
Josie angrily threw her phone on the bed, along with the bags she was carrying. She looked over at Miguel, who was just staring with a strange expression.
"Sorry, I didn't mean for you to hear about all my work drama. Don't worry, they'll move the date. They can't possibly find a replacement for someone as beautiful as me, hee hee..."
"So... you're a model?" Miguel asked.
"Yep. One of the youngest in The Philippines. That's why they like me so much. But whatever! I got something for youuuuuu..."
Josie reached into the back and pulled out a new shirt, pants, and even boxers. There was also socks, shoes, and a new belt with a skull belt buckle.
"No offense, but your clothes are really smelly. I figured you could use a change of clothes since you've probably been wearing those for like, years... OH! I DIDN'T MEAN TO... WHY AM I SO MEEEEAN!"
Miguel facepalmed when he saw tears forming in Josie's eyes. "Hey hey hey hey! There's no need to cry! I... they look good."
Josie's face dried up immediately. "Really! Oooooh, I can't wait for you to try em on!"
Miguel snatched up the clothes and walked to the bathroom, making sure to shut the door. He removed his towel and slipped on the black boxers with red stripes. He slipped on the khaki pants, fastening the belt tightly, yet allowing his pants to sag ever so slightly for sex appeal. He slipped on the short sleeved black shirt with red flames sprouting from the bottom and also on the sleeves.
"Hmm..."
Miguel looked at himself in the mirror after fully buttoning the shirt.
"It just... doesn't look right like that."
With a grin, Miguel unbuttoned the shirt all the way until his ripped, hairy torso was on full display once again.
"Perfecto! Damn, luzco bien..." Miguel said, admiring his new look.
He walked out of the bathroom and leaned against the wall to let Josie get a good look at him.
"Wowee..." Josie said, her face getting a little hot. "So how do you feel?"
"I feel...clean."
"Great! I like to feel clean too. Sooooo why don't you let me get a shower and we can go out!"
"Go... out?"
"Yeah! I don't have class for a few more hours, so today we're gonna go get you a little... stress relief."
Miguel wasn't sure if he liked the sound of that, or the look on Josie's face.
"What kind of stress relief?" Miguel said, his eyebrow raised.
"Tell me, how do you feel right now at this moment?"
"Well... I could really use a drink."
"And how do you feel when you don't have a drink?"
"The same way I feel when I don't have a fix."
"And that is...?"
"Let's see... intense pain, anger, a desire to beat the shit out of somebody..."
"Exactly! We're gonna work on that today."
"How?"
"Every time you feel like you need a drink or a shot of meth, we're gonna go do something fun to take your mind off of it! Today, we're going out for ice cream."
"Ice cream? You really think ice cream is gonna take my mind off of my vices?"
"Well that, and the threat of getting an elbow and/or knee to the face if you get out of line."
"So my options are have fun or get beat up. You're really serious about this, huh?"
"I said I was gonna help you and I mean it. Now be a good boy while I'm in the shower. NO PEEKING!"
Josie gave Miguel a cute wink as she grabbed a change of clothes and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door and locking it.
Miguel plopped onto the bed and looked up at the ceiling. He just couldn't believe what was happening; for the first time since his sister died, somebody believed in him. It was enough to make his cold, wounded heart feel warmth. But deep down, he still felt doubt. What if he DID cross the line? Would Josie be the first victim?
The bathroom door swung open after a while and out stepped Josie. She was wearing a white, low cut, exposed shoulder top and a sky blue skirt that rested a few inches above her knees. She was also wearing light brown stockings and a pair of black, high heeled pumps. Her face was plastered with makeup and crimson red lipstick. She was like a completely different person, save for those exquisite gold earrings that she always loved to wear.
"Soooo... how do I look?" Josie asked in a sultry tone, striking a little pose.
"Well, at least you're not wearing those weird bunny ears." Miguel said, crossing his arms.
"I'll take that as a compliment." Josie said with a frown. "Now come on!"
She grabbed Miguel's hand before he even had time to protest, and the two of them made their way out of the hotel.
"Cmon! We're gonna have fun!"
"Oh, I can hardly wait."
Josie took Miguel to the local ice cream parlor and ordered two of the largest thing on the menu. Miguel was greeted by a mountain of vanilla ice cream, drizzled with chocolate and every type of nut imaginable. To complete the perfect concoction was a plump cherry right at the peak.
"Mmm mmm, this is what I wish I could eat every day! Josie said with a smile. "Now I expect you to eat every last bite of that, and we're not leaving until you do."
"You're joking?"
"Nope! By the time you finish it, you'll be so sick you don't even wanna take a sip of alcohol!"
The two of them sat there for nearly half an hour, racing to finish the huge pile of ice cream in front of them. As big as Miguel was, Josie was surprisingly way ahead of him.
"So tell me about yourself." Josie said, breaking the silence and monotony.
"Everything I told you yesterday is the whole story." Miguel grumbled as he took another bite.
"Really? So... hasn't anything GOOD happened to you?"
"Nope."
Miguel took a few more bites and suddenly, an intense pain engulfed his head. It was more painful than any headache he ever had.
"AGGHH! Madre de dios, this is why I hate ice cream!"
"Ha ha ha ha! That's what you get for eating too fast."
"Shut up! Uh... tell me about YOU then, since I had to spill my guts!"
"Ah, there's not much to tell. I was a little girl, then I grew up, then I was scouted by a modeling agency. And here I am now."
"So, what made you wanna take Muay Thai classes?" Miguel asked as he rubbed his head frantically.
"I thought it would help me burn some calories. Plus, I wanted to be able to defend myself. It's not easy to be a pretty young girl all alone in this world. But I don't have to worry about that now."
"Why?"
"Because you're with me."
Miguel looked over at Josie, who was staring deep into his eyes. Suddenly, a rush of heat engulfed him and his brain freeze melted away.
"Uh...right..." Miguel managed to utter. He looked away and scratched his head a few times. He decided to take advantage of this momentary pause to shovel more ice cream into his mouth and catch up with Josie.
"H-hey! Oh no you don't!" Josie began shoveling ice cream into her mouth as well, and the race was on once again.
About an hour later they walked out of the joint, Josie with a triumphant smile and Miguel with a small pout.
"There! Now wasn't that fun? You feel way better, don't you?"
"Well, I definitely feel sick." Miguel snarked.
As soon as they got to the hotel room, Josie grabbed a set of clothes and went to the bathroom to change. When she came back out, she was wearing foot wraps and a short pair of red shorts with a blue stripe. She also had on a red sports bra and a headband.
"Welp, class starts in about 20 minutes! Gotta work off that ice cream. I'm leaving the key with you." Josie said with a smile.
"So... you're just gonna leave me here?" Miguel asked.
"You promise to be good?"
"Yeah."
"Then I trust you. See you later!"
Josie started for the door, but then she turned around and walked up to Miguel.
"By the way... I had fun." she whispered, then gave him a tiny peck on the forehead. "BYE!"
Miguel was silent as she gave him a wave and walked out of the room. He stood there for a few more minutes, still processing the situation.
"That was...nice." Miguel muttered. He still had his hand on his forehead, right where she kissed him.
As night fell, Miguel started to get kind of restless. The ice cream was good and he had fun and all, but he still had the urge growing deep inside him. It was slowly welling up, growing like a cancer. Soon, his entire body would be engulfed with an unstoppable and agonizing temptation.
"Maybe just a sip wouldn't hurt..." Miguel whispered to himself. He got off of Josie's bed (which he commandeered since she was gone) and decided to take a stroll through the cool night air.
As he walked down the street, his hand began to twitch. It started off small, but soon it became uncontrollable. Miguel's entire body started shaking, his heart rate quickened... he was losing control, and fast.
"It's been two days too many." Miguel grunted. His body started moving instinctively as he made his way to the first liquor store he could find. He was like a robot following its sick, twisted programming.
Miguel barged through the entrance and walked straight up to the same shelf he had visited so many times in the past. He snatched a bottle of the same brand of tequila that had kept him company through many long nights.
As he made his way to the exit, the clerk stood in his way.
"Oh no you don't, Rojo! You're paying, whether you like it or- AUUUGH!"
The man's courageous stand was cut short by a fist to the face, breaking his jaw with a loud snap. Miguel walked out of the liquor store with a devilish smile, ignoring the screams and terrified faces of the other store goers.
Miguel hurried back to Josie's hotel room, making sure he wasn't followed. When he was all alone, he slammed the door and looked around... thank God she wasn't here. He hurried to the bathroom and slammed the door. He opened the bottle with his trembling hand and took a deep, long stare at it.
"Am I really about to do this? That girl Josie will... she'll be so disappointed. Agh, what if she cries?"
Miguel shut his eyes and swallowed whatever saliva was left in his throat. His hand started trembling harder and harder. With every ounce of his being, Miguel was fighting it. As he sat there holding the bottle, all he could think of was Josie chewing him out.
"I can't... I'm trying to change, dammit! I'm... CHANGING!"
In one quick motion, Miguel opened the lid and dropped the bottle in the toilet. He slammed the lid down and stormed out of the bathroom, not looking back.
"Sorry, old friend... but the pain I'm feeling now is nothing compared to what Josie can dish out."
Let's give a big hand to Miguel for overcoming the temptation of the bottle! Unfortunately, he still has to go to group therapy next chapter.