Hector

  Seeing an opportunity, Hector took it to get away from Leticia and Miriam. “Hold on. I wanted to talk to you guys before you leave. I’ll be out in a minute.” Walter and the guys nodded and kept walking toward the door. He turned back to the girls, pulling his hands loose from their hold and lowered his voice. “Yeah, I’m kind of taken tonight, ladies.”

  Immediately their smiles faded, and Leticia lifted her brow. “I saw her leave.”

  Not wanting to be rude and remembering he did invite them there with the insinuation that they’d finish what they started last week, he took a deep breath. “I’m meeting her somewhere else. But you two are welcome to stay as long as you want.”

  He made a mental note to never insinuate anything to these two again.

  “Will you be coming back in after you talk to your friends?” Miriam asked then smiled wickedly. “Or do we say goodbye to you now.”

  Hell no. Hector wouldn’t even be having another beer until he savored the very last lingering hint of Charlee in his mouth. “No, I’ll be back.” This would be the ideal time to wink, but he dared not. Instead, he started walking away. “You two go on back in.”

  Visibly disappointed, the two girls walked back toward the banquet room. He never would’ve thought he’d be so thankful to see Walter in his life. Smothering the life out of the guilt that began to fester, he walked outside to talk to the guys for as long as possible.

  Chapter 12

  With the memory of Hector still so clear in her head, Charlee could very easily visualize Hector lying over her, touching her where her fingers touched now. He was sliding in and out of her wetness, not her secret toy she had to hide deep in the box with the other stuff she mailed herself from home.

  The idea that this may not be the only pleasure she’d have of this nature ever was no longer an impossible one. It usually took longer than this for her to start trembling when Drew was home, because Charlee was terrified of turning it on for fear her friend would hear it and know just what a freak Charlee really was. But tonight was different. Just closing her eyes and remembering Hector’s kisses so vividly, the way his tongue slid all around like silk in her mouth, her fingers and her toy, even without power, were all she needed.

  Burying it deep inside herself just as her entire body began to quiver, Charlee felt the spasms shoot through more intensely than she’d ever had before and struggled to refrain from moaning as she squirmed under her blankets still sliding it in and out. As the spasms slowly calmed, her heart still pounded uncontrollably. She lay there for a moment breathing hard, still thinking about the possibility that one day maybe Hector would do this to her. For so long, she truly believed deep inside that she’d never open up her heart to anyone again. But her urges had always been so insatiable—so much so it was the one thing she never shared with anyone. Not even Drew. She really believed she was destined to only experience this kind of pleasure alone.

  ***

  Even after one of the best damn orgasms she’d experienced to date, Charlee still had lain awake most of the night, thinking of Hector and everything he’d said to her. She should’ve been a zombie this morning. Instead, she felt strangely invigorated. She would’ve liked to say it was the excitement of getting to work with the kids today, something she enjoyed so much. But she knew it was for an altogether different reason.

  She’d been almost embarrassed last night to admit to Drew that she’d let Hector kiss her, even after seeing him with those two girls. Of course, Drew not only hadn’t passed judgment she helped reassure Charlee she hadn’t made the biggest mistake of her life. Drew made her promise one thing: if nothing became of it, she wouldn’t let this take her all the way back to that dark place she’d once been.

  “People make out at parties all the time, and nothing comes of it, Charlee.” Drew had said then dramatically gasped and added. “Many do way more than just make out too, you know. So please promise me that if this is all it was for him you don’t freak out okay? If, and I’m not saying it will, but if this turns out to be just that, then we’ll go out and celebrate. You got your first time out of the way.”

  Charlee agreed, not wanting to argue, but she wondered how many of the people that did stuff like this had to face their one night stands every day. The school chess labs weren’t mandatory every day, but they had to do a lab at least twice a week. Then there was the U.S. team. They met less often, but they’d even be traveling together eventually. Things could get very awkward. She finally decided she wouldn’t do what she normally did and worry about something that hadn’t even happened yet.

  Last night, Drew had watched her very closely as Charlee gave her the blow by blow of her make-out session with Hector. Well, Charlee’s version of the blow by blow. She’d kept a few things to herself, like how incredibly aroused she’d been. She’d never felt anything like it. Finally she understood what the big deal about sex was, and she hadn’t even had the real thing yet. Last night had been just a precursor, and it’d been amazing.

  She really should slow down with the fantasies. Charlee should be happy that they were not so farfetched anymore. Even now, she could still easily close her eyes and vividly remember, not just imagine anymore what it felt like to be kissed by him, feel his tongue on her neck, making the most private of places tingle in reaction. But as much as she promised Drew she’d take it all in stride, things had already changed. Even after last night under her blankets, her fantasies had also gone now from the most sexual in nature to replaying his words and the look in his eyes when he’d said them to her over and over in her mind.

  “Trust me, Charlotte. I know you’re different. So different. So sweet.”

  Hearing the sound of her own name had never left her so breathless. But the most breathtaking of all, and she closed her eyes once again to relive it, was his telling her she was beautiful. Only one other guy had ever said that to her before, and she’d thought for sure he’d ruined that compliment forever. But she’d been so wrong. Hearing Hector say it had been completely different. She’d seen the sincerity in his eyes—felt it in his kisses.

  “Charlee?”

  “Um hmm?” She didn’t open her eyes in response to Drew, simply continued to picture Hector’s intense eyes looking deep into hers when he’d spoken to her.

  “Please tell me you’re just resting your eyes because you’re tired and that lovesick smile on your face isn’t what it looks like.”

  Charlee opened one eye and glanced at Drew who was driving. “It’s not.”

  She closed her eye again, hating that she was cursed with a best friend who was so damn discerning. The girl never missed a thing. It was a wonder Drew hadn’t foreseen last year’s debacle before it happened.

  The rest of the day, Charlee managed to keep her mind on her volunteer duties for the most part. It wasn’t too hard. They kept her busy. But inevitably, she’d find herself daydreaming and even feeling her body quiver at times with thoughts of Hector’s kisses and the mesmerizing way he gazed at her all night—that amazing smile.

  Of course, each time she’d fall too deeply into it, Drew had caught her, and each time she seemed a little more concerned about Charlee getting her hopes up too high. Drew’s subtle reminders that Hector hadn’t asked for Charlee’s number and that he’d shown up with two girls, began to get annoying.

  Charlee didn’t even bother trying to explain what he’d said about how the girls had just so happened to show up at the same time he’d been ready to walk in. She knew it would only further Drew’s worrying because it would sound as if Charlee were making excuses for him already. The fact remained, whether he’d showed up with them or not, that it didn’t take from what they’d seen him do with those same two girls last week: the very thing he’d done with Charlee last night at the gym, except he’d clearly done much more with them since those girls had gone home with him.

  The whole day had been a roller coaster of emotions. Charlee would begin to scold herself for getting so carried away when it could very well have be
en just a onetime thing for him, something he probably did all the time. She was sure he wasn’t obsessing about it today like she was. More than likely, he had plenty of plans with other girls this weekend already.

  With that thought in mind, she’d move on to convincing herself that if that was the case she’d be fine and would not freak out. She’d be stupid to fall apart again when she should be thankful like Drew said to have gotten her first onetime make out with a guy out of the away. And of all guys to have gotten it out of the way with, it had been Hector. She’d be happy that she got to at least experience what it felt like to be kissed by him, especially after fantasizing about it for so long.

  Remembering his kisses would only take her full circle again, replaying the way he’d stared at her all night, the possessive way he’d held her on the dance floor, how he’d held her face in his hands, and those kisses. How in the world could she just shrug away such an amazing experience? The most amazing experience she’d had with a guy ever. And she’d be back to square one, worrying that there’d be no way she’d get over this as easily as Drew thought she could or should.

  As much as she tried to convince herself it was just an infatuation with him, that she didn’t know him well enough or even remotely enough to be so hung up on him this soon, she knew better. She’d been in tears after what happened on Thursday at their chess meeting, and he hadn’t even touched her.

  By the end of the day, she was spent. She’d gone full circle with this whole thing more times than she cared to think about anymore. All she could do now is wait and hope that, worst case scenario, she’d be strong enough to deal with it and get over it faster than the last time she’d been crushed.

  ~*~

  Friday night, Hector stayed out in front of the gym for as long as he could with Walter and the guys. He kept hoping he’d see Leticia and Miriam walk out and leave, preferably with guys so they might not be too pissed at him. Not that he cared one way or another if they were, he just didn’t want to deal with any drama in case they’d gone in and kept drinking, which he knew was probably the case.

  His new chess buddies busted his balls about being quite the ladies’ man. Hector laughed mostly because he thought only people over fifty used that term anymore. They were all under the impression that Hector would be leaving with two girls that night, and for some reason, this delighted them. Apparently, Walter had filled them in on last weekend when he’d seen Hector actually leave with them.

  Not wanting to disappoint them, he neither confirmed nor denied it would be happening again that night. Obviously, a topic of that nature was not one any of those guys had ever had the pleasure of discussing. Usually, he would’ve cut it short. He wasn’t one to kiss and tell. But that night he stood out there and let them have their fun, bouncing their brows, making stupid faces, and coming to their own conclusions about what Hector would be doing with the two girls that night.

  Hector cringed the few times Walter made reference to what a lucky guy he was to be able to have any girl he wanted.

  By the time they finally left, he’d been out there with them for nearly an hour. His plan had worked. When he got back to the party, Leticia and Miriam were both on the dance floor with two different guys. And judging by the way they were dancing, they’d had plenty more to drink. Hector took advantage of their distraction and snuck out.

  The next morning, he went into 5th Street to cover for Gio since he’d be at that marathon—just another thing that brought continual thoughts of Charlee. He’d actually been tempted to ask Abel to take over the youth-training class so that Hector might take a little drive to Long Beach. He was still kicking himself about forgetting to ask for her number. He’d been that close to doing it too, and he was sure Abel wouldn’t have minded, but then Walter walked in. He was there to work out and all gung ho about it.

  Walter hadn’t actually discussed a schedule for his workouts. Hector just assumed they’d start out slow—a few days a week, especially after that brutal first workout Hector had given him. But apparently Walter was going to work out daily. He told Hector he’d be back again on Sunday, and he seemed pretty damned determined.

  Another thing Walter let Hector know he was also more determined now to do was whatever it took to impress and get to know Charlee better. He said after seeing how beautiful she looked at the party Friday night he was even more motivated now.

  Annoyed, Hector reminded him what a contradiction that statement was to how hard Walter actually tried at the party. With the most pathetic expression Hector had seen on Walter, and he’d seen quite a few on him already, he told Hector all about the insecurity issues he’d faced all his life. As if that weren’t enough of a guilt grenade, he then added how being harassed all through school only made things worse.

  Sunday, Hector had to once again hear about Charlee the whole time Walter worked out. She was the typical main topic of conversation for Walter, but after what happened Friday night, Hector could hardly stand it anymore. A few times he told Walter to shut up and concentrate on his workout. It was killing him. How the hell was Hector supposed to do anything more with Charlee when she was all Walter talked about? He felt like a total asshole all over again for not having been able to hold back kissing her.

  It was still hands down totally worth it, even if he was drowning in guilt all over again. He just had no idea how this was going to work. Walter was going to hate him again and for good reason. He’d trusted Hector.

  When Walter was finished with his workout, he approached Hector before he left. “You have a minute? I wanna show you something.”

  Hector looked at him curiously. “Sure. What is it?”

  “It’s in my car. I don’t want to bring it in here.”

  They walked out into the parking lot where it was already getting dark. Beverly, a girl he’d hung out with in the past, walked in and smiled at Hector knowingly.

  Walter smirked as she walked past them, shaking his head. When she was far enough away, Walter glanced back. “I can’t even imagine what it must be like to be you.”

  Gritting his teeth because he already felt like a big enough dick, Hector pushed the thoughts of being with Charlee on Friday away. “It’s not as glamorous as you may think.”

  “Shit!” Walter laughed. “Glamorous or not, I’d trade places with you any day.” He stopped and pointed his finger in the air just as they reached his trunk. “But only for a day at most. I think I’m finally gonna start liking my life.”

  He opened the trunk, and Hector froze, feeling every hair on his body stand. Staring at it for a moment, he wasn’t sure what to say or why Walter would bring it to him now. Could he possibly know about Friday? Had he maybe talked to Charlee?

  Finally able to put a few words together, Hector began to speak. “Is that . . .”

  Walter picked up the robot and held it with a smile. “Can you believe Charlee read about this thing before she even knew me? She had no idea it was me who built it but said she remembered reading about it online.” Walter slugged Hector’s arm with the biggest goofiest smile. “I fucking impressed her, man!” The laugh he let out next was too happy, too genuine for him to know anything about Friday night. “And get this; she said she’d love to see it. So I brought it down from my garage this week for the first time since . . .”

  Walter paused, meeting Hector’s eyes, his expression falling but only momentarily before he was smiling again. Hector tried to match Walter’s enthusiasm, but all he felt was the same suffocating guilt he felt when he heard Walter’s robot hadn’t been entered in the national event, even though Mr. Sifuentes, their Science teacher, was certain Walter was a clear front-runner to win the whole thing. Hector remembered feeling horrified, his first thoughts being that Walter must’ve taken his own life.

  The one thing that had given him hope was that when Hector had Googled Walter’s name, the only things that ever came up were stories about his chemical-detecting robot.

  “Anyway,” Walter continued with his story, “I wanted
to work on it a little before showing it to her, so I did. I’m thinking of asking her to come over this week.” His uppity mood suddenly swayed and he looked nervous. “You think it would be too much if I order pizza or something then maybe ask if she wants to hang out and watch a movie?”

  Hector stared at him, suddenly knowing all the bullshit mental lists he’d made up this whole weekend of reasons why it had been okay for him to move in on Charlee had just blown up in his face. It wasn’t okay. It would never be okay, no matter how much he tried to justify it. No matter how unlikely it was that Charlee would ever be interested in anything more than a friendship with Walter, Hector owed him that much: the decency and respect of staying away from the one girl that could make Walter this excited.

  I think I’m finally gonna start liking my life.

  “Too much, huh?”

  Hector didn’t even realize he’d been shaking his head until Walter’s question brought him back to earth. “What?”

  “Asking her to hang out and watch a movie.” Walter winced. “Maybe just the pizza?”

  “Nah,” Hector finally responded with a weak smile. “The pizza’s cool, and it wouldn’t hurt to ask if she wants to hang out. Worst thing she can say is no, right?”

  Hector couldn’t stand to even look at the robot anymore, so he was glad when Walter set it down in his trunk again and closed it. But he had to ask. He wasn’t sure why. He just had to. “So how come you never entered it in the national event? Sifuentes said you were a front-runner.”

  Walter’s cheerful expression went flat again, and he shrugged. “I just lost interest in it. That was a real bad time for me, and I stopped caring about everything.”

  Feeling like total shit because it’s what he’d suspected all along, Hector did what he said he wouldn’t do anymore. “Listen, Walter, I am so fucking sorry about—”

  “Nah, nah!” Walter shook his head adamantly. “It wasn’t just what happened that day, man. There was a lot of other stuff going on. My parents were talking about getting divorced. I pretty much knew it was coming, and it was hard and all, but I still had this stupid robot to keep my mind off things. Then my uncle, the one who helped me built it,” he frowned now, looking more irritated than dejected like he had a moment ago, “he was a science teacher over at Union High. He got arrested for getting involved with one of his underage students. It was just one of those times when everything happened all at once, you know? So the day that happened at school, I just said screw everything.”