Thanks for beta'ing, MsSchneeheide!
"So, we were talkin' outside at the woodshed, me and Boo. I was tellin' her I really liked Coates, even though he's a creep with a scraggly goatee, and not just 'cause he bought me donuts. Boo asked for an ice cream cake, that was funny," Tiffany remembers aloud as she leans over across the counter to kiss a handsome white man with shoulder length hair. "I'm glad my rapist Coates is finally fuckin' dead now." Her supposed date then takes a swig of his soda, his gaze fixed on the bartender as she makes drinks for Aleida, Leon, Margarita, and RJ.
"Hallelujah!" everyone says in unison.
"Mm-hm! So, guys, welcome back to the Indigo Club! This here's Nathan, he's just moved from Wyoming. He don't care if his dad's an alcoholic and got canned from workin' at the mine for the thousandth time in a row, he wanted to see me again. We reunited over Christian Mingle and agreed to meet at this location!" Each of her customers shake Nathan's hand.
"Wow, that's fantastic!" Leon exclaims.
"Yeah, good for y'all!" Aleida chimes in.
"That's so sweet," Margarita gushes.
"Glad you had some luck on Valentine's Day!" RJ comments.
"Ain't she a beauty?" Nathan steals a kiss from Tiffany and she giggles. "You know we met when we were teenagers?" The others listen in interest. "We were at a party in a parking lot, some of the guests were makin' out, dancin', one kid shot a rifle into the bushes...I was sitting alone on the hood of a blue pickup truck. A blonde guy approached Tiffany with a six pack of soda, she was wearin' a jean skirt, a pink top, and a flannel jacket. She had on pigtail braids, her bangs were blonde while the rest of her hair was brown. Two of her friends leaned their heads on her shoulders."
Tiffany grins. "Good ol' Keighlyn and cousin Sierra. I asked my bestie if she had a cigarette, and Keigh took out a pack stashed inside her shirt. Nathan, that sly cutie, he raised his can in a toast, beamin' at me. I smiled faintly, but turned away. I was smoking. I told that asshole Abe that I accepted Visa, MasterCard, or Mountain Dew. Sucking my cigarette hopefully, I glanced at Nathan. I took the soda from the monster and led him into an abandoned building. I leaned against a window frame, my expression detached, Abe pushed himself into me from behind, my body banged into the windowsill. I got stung by a bee and Abe wanted to keep going since he had blue balls, but I left, and he started to masturbate."
"Oh, Jesus Christ, I know the feeling! Lo siento," Aleida murmurs.
"Then what happened, did Nathan save you or somethin'?" Margarita looks between Tiffany and her man.
"Sorta! Never got to punch his lights out, though, I regret that. Later, I saw her sitting alone on an oil drum, a red welt on her leg. I examined her spider bite or bee sting."
"Thank the Lord he did," Tiffany goes on. "Striding to his truck, he retrieved a first aid kit and headed back to me. I thought he could be gay since he's not wanting sex from me, but nope, his family just camped a lot. You can't blame me for being confused, I've had my fair share of scary douchebags in the past. He sprayed antiseptic, put an adhesive bandage on my leg, and I glanced away uncertainly. He invited me to see a movie and I asked if I had to do something for him in return. He was like, nah, and slapped my leg softly with a chuckle. Walking away, he shot me a grin, and I allowed myself a hopeful smile."
"Cool, that's nice!" Leon states, slinging his arm around Aleida, who rests her head on his shoulder. She pecks his cheek and then their lips touch as they grin at each other.
"Awesome that you two found each other again years later!" RJ gives him a fist bump and Margarita high-fives Tiffany. The couples each share a tender kiss.
"Yep, like some other people we're friends with!" Aleida says.
"Seems to be the theme thus far!" Margarita puts in, sharing a smile with the group, including Tiffany and Nathan.
In the meantime, Diane and Charles are at their old stomping ground, the Monte Carlo Room, with a bunch of their friends. Everyone has danced up a storm by now, so they're winding down with alcohol and delicious appetizers such as chili cheese fries and mini hot dogs.
"Say it ain't so, they're on an actual date!" Charles comments, gesturing toward Natalie and Joe, who are a few feet away from them and ordering a drink.
"Who'd have thunk it?" Diane asks rhetorically and they both laugh together. "It'll be nice if they're able to adopt Vanessa!"
"Hell yeah!"
"Happy seventeenth Valentine's Day!"
"Cheers to us!" He taps his cup of beer to her wine glass.
"Yay!" They swig their beverages.
"Is this really where you had your first kiss?" Lourdes asks beside them, and they nod. "Wow, that's romantic!"
"Truly," her girlfriend Celeste agrees.
"Mm-hm," the others concur.
"So, the adoption went through, for Odette!" Claudette says happily.
"Yes, and we're going to add Taystee and Jamaris too," Baptiste puts in.
"Oh, how wonderful!" Red comments. "They get along so well with you guys, and so does their social worker Karen."
"I'm glad you're finding the same joy that Galina and I did when we took in Tricia," Pavel tells them.
Claudette smiles. "Thank you."
"I wonder how many weddings there will be this year," Nadhezdha states. She shares an excited look with her husband Kostya and her best friend Red. "Our Lida and your Vasily's...Karla and Ramón's...maybe Blanca and Diablo's?" Red had been overjoyed when Nadezhda was found again and she and Kostya were discovered to be Lida's biological parents. Diane is so happy for her, and them, too.
"That's right...I'll try not to embarrass Lida during the father-daughter dance," Kostya says. "Or Sonya, when it's her turn."
"Oh, don't worry about it, parents are usually mortifying to their children, no matter what they do," Red mutters. "I'm lucky that I have mama's boys."
"Sí, and hopefully Aleida and Leon will tie the knot sometime soon, if he proposes to that girl and she gets her head on straight and says yes!" Milagros says.
"Same about my son Ilya and his girlfriend Sonya!" Luda chimes in. "Kostya, you could really get him into Gem Society classes?"
Before he can answer, Red shakes her head and wrinkles her nose. "Ilya doesn't seem the type to like diamond-cutting at Zales."
"Has he told you this?" Luda asks, sounding a bit offended. "He's in love with her, whether you like it or not. He's not even your son."
Red puts her hands up in surrender. "Fine, forget I said anything."
Luda turns to Milagros. "My love, I wish we could get legally married."
Milagros gives a sad nod and squeezes the Russian woman's hand while kissing her cheek. "Me, too, querida."
"Nosotras también," Lourdes murmurs, gesturing between herself and Celeste.
Us, too.
"Yes, we just say we've tied the knot in our hearts," Celeste informs them.
The straight couples look on sympathetically. "I hope change happens sooner rather than later!" Lila proclaims.
"It definitely should!" James declares.
They all touch their vodka sodas, wine, beer, and piña coladas together, and take a sip.
At Martin Van Buren High, Elena and Sergio amble off to the side where the refreshments and cookies are. They watch Taystee and Janae twerk directly in front of their dates in the middle of the floor this time, to "One, Two, Step" by Ciara. Taystee lowers herself into a split as Janae and the guys dance above her. Taystee stands up and swats Janae on the butt. "Yo, Elena, I gotta have Poussey explain the cabbage patch to me, 'cause I don't know if either of us got it down right!"
"Nah, we both do a pretty good job!" Elena says.
Taystee continues dancing with her main crew and grinning. "Speak for yourself, homes!"
Elena taps her foot to the beat of the music and she and Sergio both pick up a cookie. They touch their treats together before chowing down.
"So, what'd you do this weekend?" Sergio asks after they've swallowed their food.
"A lot! It was pretty busy, actually...on Friday, I...I went to therapy to support mis amigas...and Saturday, it was Ceci's birthday, and Sunday, Señora Córdova's baby shower, so those were fun! Since there happened to be no school on Monday, Mami and a bunch of her friends were able to go out Sunday night! I hung out with some of the gals at Poussey's house during that time. I had so much fun...until that ugly old gringo pig Herrmann decided to rap on the Washingtons' door, scaring the bejeezus out of us, he said there was a complaint about our noise level...but we weren't being overly loud...all we were doing is watching Netflix movies, dancing to music, and singing...then I gave him a fake apology, and he proceeded to...to, um..." Elena gulps, mentally preparing herself. She lowers her gaze. "To make a long story short, he sexually harassed me, like, with his slimy words. He said he'd do it with me when I got to be eighteen and commented on my body, so gross! I must have been harassed for three minutes, but it felt like a much longer time than that. Tengo mucho miedo de que me viole si alguna vez me ve sola..." She cringes. "His breath was nasty, he was way too close to me for comfort when he whispered more disgusting things into my ear."
I'm very afraid he will rape me if he ever sees me alone...
Sergio frowns. "Ugh, hell nah, fuck the po-lice!"
"No one wants to!" She snickers at her own joke, and then he joins in.
"Really, though, lo siento. Did he touch you?"
Elena shifts her weight from one foot to the other. "Nah, but his staring was spooky. I told Mami, mi abuela, y Señora Córdova, pero we weren't able to get him thrown in the slammer. Él solo ha sido suspendido."
He's only been suspended
"Discrimination really sucks...you know that would never happen to a bunch of white girls partying. He'd just give a five second warning and leave after someone said they were sorry."
"Mm-hm."
"I went for a job interview and felt like my being Latino was the reason I didn't get it. Bastard seemed racist."
It's her turn to scowl and grimace. "That blows!"
"I thought you should know I'm in a gang," he tells her in a hushed voice. "Los Reyes Mansos."
"The Gentle Kings," she echoes him softly in English. "I hope that means you ain't dangerous."
"Nah, only to our religious freak rivals, Los Señores," he confirms. "I'm Catholic too, but not as far as them. We're more all about protecting citizens de la calle...especially women and children! I promise we ain't thugs, we sling H, but none of us are addicted."
of the street
Elena grins, bobbing her head up and down in understanding. "Oh, good, a vigilante group, then! Just be careful you don't get caught for possession of illegal drugs...are those boys you always sit with at lunch, in it?"
"Yeah, but I'm the ringleader, I call all the shots. So, they were just teasing me in light fun, since they're used to me being tough and also, missing out on the dances held here, except prom, of course. I had a girl for that last year."
"What made you say yes to taking me here?" She presses her lips together to stop an anxious giggle from coming out. She'll never forget the compliment he'd given her earlier today and that time he praised her singing.
He licks his upper lip and bites his bottom one while smiling. "I feel you're into me and I vibe that. I like a chick who ain't afraid to ask me out."
"I needed Ceci to be the icebreaker," she admits timidly. "I-I couldn't...I've never, like...even kissed a boy because I'm so shy to start a relationship, and dudes don't seem to dig that, so my crushes don't go anywhere. Plus, I hate my growth spurt...I wish I were shorter como mi hermana. I'm like a weed...already passed Mami...five feet, seven inches, and probably still a couple more 'til I reach my adult height. There's probably a lot of guys taller than me...like, you are, but a lot of 'em don't even stand up straight! I'm rambling...lo siento..." She pauses to whip out her bright reddish-pink cherry-flavored lip gloss and use the compact mirror she pulls from her purse to coat her mouth with it.
"It's okay, no te preocupes, I just gotta know you more, Elena," he says confidently, fixing his posture slightly. A faint smile plays across his lips. His smoldering gaze upon her, he guides her back into the group of dancing teenagers as a slow tune begins to play.
It's undeniable
That we should be together
It's unbelievable
How I used to say, that I'd fall never
The basis is need to know
If you don't know just how I feel
Then let me show you now that I'm, for real
If all things in time, time will reveal
(Yeah, yeah)...
Looping her arms around his neck, she rests her cheek against his shoulder, and then he places his hands on her hips as they move together as one. "Mido seis pies y dos pulgadas de alto."
I'm six feet two inches tall.
"Nice!" The way he says her name and how he's so interested in her has her dying of happiness inside. She just listens to the gentle melody of "Back at One" by Brian McKnight as she and Sergio dance, pressed up against each other.
One, you're like a dream come true
Two, just wanna be with you
Three, girl, it's plain to see
That you're the only one for me, and
Four, repeat steps one through three
Five, make you fall in love with me
If ever I believe my work is done
Then I'll start back at one
(Yeah, yeah)...
"What's your favorite subject, besides lunch?"
"Uh..." He thinks for a moment and her insides tingle at the vibration of his voice against her cheek. "Woodshop! How about yours?"
"Spanish. It's easy as pie and Señora Córdova is my favorite teacher. Also, Drama is really fun!"
"Yeah, those maestras are cool."
"Mm-hm..."
"I'm into football, wrestling, horror movies and shows, comedies, science fiction books...how 'bout you?"
"Bailando, cantando...leyendo novelas románticas, y mirando películas y programas sobre personas que encuentran su verdadero amor."
Dancing, singing...reading romance novels, and watching movies and shows about people finding their true love.
It's so incredible
The way things work themselves out
And all emotional
Once you know what it's all about (hey)
And undesirable
For us to be apart
Never would've made it very far
'Cause you know, you've got the keys to my heart, 'cause...
"I'll be your bodyguard on the streets...like if we're out doin' somethin' and we pass some shady motherfuckers, I'll make sure nothin' bad happens to you. That piece of shit comes near you again, you tell me, I'm just a phone call away, and the Kings'll take care of him," he lets her know in a sincere tone. "Or you can scream out loud, we may be nearby."
"Oh, Serge..." She closes her eyes, feeling extremely safe with him. "Muchas gracias."
"De nada."
One, you're like a dream come true
Two, just wanna be with you
Three, girl, it's plain to see
That you're the only one for me, and
Four, repeat steps one through three
Five, make you fall in love with me
If ever I believe my work is done
Then I'll start back at one
Say farewell to the dark of night
I see the comin' of the sun
I feel like a little child, whose life has just begun
You came and breathed new life
Into this lonely heart of mine
You threw out the lifeline
Just in the nick of time...
The chorus repeats a third time, he twirls her twice, and then the song ends. She glances up at him again, mesmerized and beaming so hard her cheeks hurt. He flashes a grin and her brain is in a fog once they lock eyes. "I like your smile," he murmurs, moving one hand to the small of her back. He tucks a lock of hair behind her ear with the other.
She blinks a few times, dazed at his touch. "Me too...tu sonrisa is dazzling."
"So is yours!" Dropping his head, he brushes his stubbly cheek against hers and she has to force herself to breathe. "¿Te importa si beso tu mejilla?"
Do you mind if I kiss your cheek?
"No," she says faintly. "Go ahead."
So he does, and she's swooning, seeing stars, even after he draws back from her. His lips are so warm on her skin, and she never wants to wash that area again. "Can you believe we're at this lame dance? Let's get outta this place."
"It's okay, I enjoy being here with you."
"You don't wanna make out in your car or nothin'? It's fine if you do...we don't need to be just friends, there's way too much chemistry between us."
"Lo sé, pero quiero ir lento en lo que sea que suceda entre nosotros. Can I take you into the city next weekend? Or maybe the movies?"
I know, but I wanna go slow on whatever happens between us
"Mm-hm, either location is good!" She nods. "¡Será divertido!"
It'll be fun!
Then, they pose for a picture with a backdrop of a red satin curtain, their arms wrapped around one another.
After jamming to "I'm With You" by Avril Lavigne, the girls and women sit down to eat the pesto pizza with salami and tomatoes that Alex has just ordered. "Nah, I'm having fun!" Ceci insists sincerely as she gingerly takes a slice from the open box and puts it on her plate. Poussey can tell she's being genuine, the way she's not faking her bright smile or glancing away uneasily. "I'm just thinkin' a little about mi hermanita...I hope Sergio doesn't break her heart. Or he'll have me to deal with!"
"Yeah, us, too!" Maritza agrees, gesturing to herself and Flaca.
"Mm-hm," Katie, Poussey, and Franziska agree in unison.
"This is delicious, by the way!" Maritza exclaims after chowing down some of the dinner. "We appreciate this."
Flaca eyes Debbie, Nita, Alex, and Michelle. "¡Muchas gracias for buying, todas!" The other teenagers agree.
"You're welcome!" the adults tell them in unison.
You're cynical and beautiful
You always make a scene
You're monochrome delirious
You're nothing that you seem
I'm drowning in your vanity
Your laugh is a disease
You're dirty and you're sweet
You know you're everything to me...
Everything you are
Falls from the sky like a star
Everything you are
Whatever ever you are...
I wanna kick at the machine
That made you piss away your dreams
And tear down your defenses
'Till there's nothing there but me
You're angry when you're beautiful
Your love is such tease
I'm drowning in your dizzy noise
I wanna feel you scream...
As "Iris" by Goo Goo Dolls plays, Poussey and Franziska recount their time in Germany. "So, we were both naked and straddling each other on the bed," the blonde German girl says as the couples dance. "We moved together as I closed my eyes, but then I wanted to stop because scissoring is uncomfortable. We laid down on our sides and I wrapped my arms around Poussey."
"Whoa, sounds hot!" Maritza squeals.
Flaca beams and shares a giddy smile with her girlfriend. "That's gonna be us tonight." The two pairs of ladies in the corner seem to be in their own bubbles with each other, thankfully oblivious to this conversation.
"Spare us the dirty details," Ceci says with a wink. She raises her brow at Poussey and Franziska. "You, too."
"Please," Katie murmurs.
"I'll do my best. So, Franzi propped herself up and leaned her head down to kiss me. She told me she was thirsty." Poussey smirks. Lying on her back, she grabs a glass of water and holds it to Franziska's lips. The clear liquid drips down her chest. Poussey licks the water from the buxom blonde's naked chest. Franziska begs for more, and Poussey begins dropping kisses down her stomach. The blonde uncrosses her legs to give Poussey more access to her center. Her face falls and she rolls her eyes. "Just as we were really gettin' into it, though, a light went on. A stern faced man in a German military uniform with his mouth open stood in the doorway, it was her dumbass dad, he caught us. I hid my head as my girl scrambled to cover herself!"
Let me be your hero...
Would you dance, if I asked you to dance?
Would you run, and never look back?
Would you cry, if you saw me cryin'?
And would you save my soul tonight?
Would you tremble, if I touched your lips?
Would you laugh?
Oh, please, tell me this...
A Latin pop song, "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias, starts as their slow dance goes on. Flaca and Maritza burst into peals of chuckles. Franziska groans. "It wasn't funny!"
"Sí, but ain't you ever gonna look back on it and cackle hysterically?" Maritza asks.
"Oh, god!" Ceci exclaims. "Wow..."
"Clam jam much?" Katie asks rhetorically. The girls give her confused looks. "I've heard Alex say it before. It's when some asshole butts in while two chicks are doin' it, or flirting." They nod in understanding.
"You got away, at least, that's the bright side!" Flaca points out.
"That's right, you're here now, boo!" Poussey kisses Franziska's lips. "So, anyway, that's why she got emancipated!"
"Cool!" they chorus.
Now, would you die for the one you loved?
Hold me in your arms tonight...
I can be your hero, baby
I can kiss away the pain
I will stand by you forever
You can take my very breath away...
Would you swear that you'll always be mine?
Or would you lie?
Would you run and hide?
Am I in too deep?
Have I lost my mind?
I don't care, you're here tonight...
"At the party before that disastrous moment, we were having a joint rolling competition...I won, but Franzi didn't mind...we made out afterwards," Poussey remembers aloud with a grin. "Later, I saw Jürgen Mertensacker, who's a bald, middle aged, Christian man, by the way...he believes in conversion therapy and wanted me out of the country because I love his daughter. I approached him on a Thursday at this dessert place." She can recall her face crumbling at the moment he'd disgustingly told her to leave. "With his jaw clenched, that snake looked straight at me and I insisted I wasn't goin' anywhere...I began to grab a gun out of the back of my pants, but my pops rushed up to me from behind and stopped me. He hugged me with one arm and glared at Franzi's dad, who was pigging out on ice cream."
"Poussey was so brave...she told me to leave and that it was between her and my father, but he ignored her like a rude son of a bitch. She kicked the underside of the table and told him to go fuck himself with tears in her eyes. She was drinking as she yelled at him emotionally, and he deserved the onslaught! Idiot actually thought Poussey was confused on her feelings, but her dad is a good guy...he accepts her for who she is."
"Damn right!" Poussey declares happily. She and Franziska spin each other around, as do the remaining couples. "I still wanna punch him to this day, though...like, you're afraid of your dad and quiet around him and shit."
"Yeah, I don't blame ya! I'm just glad to be confident in front of you."
"Same here, baby!"
I can be your hero, baby
I can kiss away the pain
I will stand by you forever
You can take my breath away...
Oh, I just wanna hold you
I just want to hold you, oh, yeah...
"I'm sorry if I never told you before, but I love that purple polish on your nails, and your lipstick, and your hair in two French braids...the way you run like the wind in track, god, you could almost beat Janae, you're so fast, and your singing blows me away! Just...so many things about you are beautiful, Ceci. My pretty girl..."
"Aw, gracias, you're too sweet!" Ceci brings Katie in for another kiss. "I adore your laugh, your smile, your voice, your eyes, how you dance, dios mío, you're so perfect."
They grin at each other and hug.
"Aaaawww!" Flaca and Maritza gush, their hands pressed to their hearts. Franziska and Poussey exchange a knowing beam.
The next part of Blanca and Diablo's date is under the stars. He wants to be romantic with her there, too. Diablo used to feel like he didn't know enough about this elegant woman, such as the reason that her wrists had red lines on them or why she was bleeding. He had no idea how to ask her without being nosy. Blanca has white scars now. It breaks his heart being aware that she used to cut herself, along with being abused by someone who was supposed to love her. Her fresh wounds from being homeless are just starting to heal, so that's a good thing. Diablo takes Blanca's hand in his as he starts his truck. As he glances at her, she looks over at him, and they share a smile. "Hey, cutie," he murmurs. "You good?"
"With you? Sí, pero gracias for asking! ¿Y tu?"
"¡Muy bien!"
He's surprised at how small Blanca's hand is compared to his. It's no secret that he's big, but her hand is as tiny as Gloria's, but her fingers are longer, because she's taller than Gloria. He notices that she appears to be so fragile and delicate, like if she got hurt, she'd shatter into a million pieces of fine crystal. She's much stronger than she looks, though. He pulls up to the lawn in front of their complex directly beneath a bunch of shining stars and helps her out.
On the drive home, Elena is beside herself with happiness. At each red light they come to, Sergio holds her hand over the seat divider, occasionally rubbing his thumb along her knuckles. They sing to the Spanish music that blasts from the radio and after hugging each of her friends good night and waving them off, Elena is finally alone with him. He's coasting through each neighborhood and she craves his warm touch again. She feels like she needs to use the bathroom, but she knows she doesn't. She's never experienced such a deep yearning in this particular location before. It's wet for a reason she can't understand.
He stops at the curb by her lit-up apartment complex and gets out at the same time she does. "I'll walk you to your front door, okay? Just show me where it is."
"Gracias. I will." She leans against his van and he strolls around it after locking up the vehicle. He takes her hand and they maneuver through the parked cars and ride the elevator until they reach her place on the seventh floor. "This is it...seven-o-four."
"Buenas noches, Ellie." She melts when he calls her that in his slow, sexy voice. His back pressed against the concrete wall, Sergio looks at her with a guilty expression on his face. "Sorry, I gotta go before my tío yells at me again for missing curfew."
"Gracias...for everything. I had a really nice time," Elena murmurs. He's staring into her eyes, making her breathless. He wraps her up in his lean, muscular arms and she lays her head against his strong chest. As he strokes her hair for a few seconds, her heart is pounding at full speed, a mile a minute. Her face is flushed and she's gasping in and out. Warmth emanates off both of them.
"I did too. It was the best date I ever had." Be still my heart, she thinks. She concentrates on breathing even after they've pulled away from each other. "So, you've really never been kissed by a guy?"
"No...you wanna try it?" she asks cautiously.
"Okay!" Sergio leans down. They exhale and it shows in the frigid air. He tips her face up, his finger under her chin. She gasps shakily with the fragile way he's treating her. "You don't have to be nervous," he whispers, his lips inches from hers.
"Is it okay if I am? I never done this before…with a dude."
"Entiendo...we don't gotta, it's your prerogative."
"Quiero…" she breathes out. "I'll try it."
"¿Sí?" They're staring at each other's lips for a moment before moving closer, as if drawn together by some unseen force.
She nods, closing her eyes as he places his palms on her cheeks. She revels in his touch.
At first, it's small and fleeting; chaste, like they're in mixed company, but it's immediately followed by a passionate, hungry kiss that she's only read about in romance books. She moans softly into his mouth as he continues capturing hers with his own. He pants heavily in response. If not for him holding her, she would've fainted. She really is helpless when it comes to him. Excited sparks shoot through her and her head spins as she blinks, still swooning. They're beaming at each other and she giggles. "That was amazing!"
"I enjoyed it, too!"
"Well...I better get inside, since I told my abuela I was on my way home." She knocks on the door and Milagros opens it a minute later. "Hola..." They embrace each other.
"Hola, Elenita, is this the young man your mamá told me about?"
"Sí, he was my date this evening."
"Did ya get to cut a rug?"
"Mm-hm."
"It's nice to meet you, ma'am," Sergio tells the older woman as they shake hands. Elena stands back. She can't stop smiling.
"You too, Sergio. Gracias por traer a mi nieta a casa de manera segura. I trust that you treated her well the whole night?"
Thank you for bringing my granddaughter home safely.
"I did! De nada." Sergio turns to her, flashing another one of his cute grins. "Goodbye for real, Elena. Hasta mañana." He lifts his hand to her mouth and pecks it, then toys with her hair a bit. She guesses making out again, this time in front of her religious abuela, wouldn't be the best idea.
"Okay, ¡adiós!" They wave at each other. She squeals with delight after she watches him go into the elevator. Upon racing into her bedroom and shutting the door behind her, she sinks down against the wall and floats on Cloud Nine. She's never felt this much euphoria since she got buzzed at the Indigo Club, but he tastes so much better than alcohol. Leaning her head back in a daze with her insides going wild, she laughs blissfully.
Later, the chilly night air whips through Blanca's curls and all around her body, making her shiver and creating goosebumps wherever her skin is visible. "Brrr," she mumbles, rubbing her hands along her upper arms.
"You're cold." Diablo takes off his black peacoat. "Here." He wraps it around her shoulders and she slides her arms through the sleeves. She feels so snug now.
"Oh, that's much better, gracias."
Slowly they sink into each other's comforting arms, tenderly at first, oblivious to the glittering stars above; but slowly, even the golden moonlight quivers as their lips passionately seek each other.
Thank you for reading and reviewing, Juliette45 and MsSchneeheide!