With her breathing finally back to normal she picked up her phone and saw she had two texts. One from Joey and one from Rose. She read the one from Joey first.
Hey, sweetie. I talked to Rose and she told me you’re taking a nap… in the day...AGAIN. You’re not fooling anyone. You’re still not well. Call me when you wake up!
Graces eyes were still leaking from her cough attack, and her throat burned, but she still had to smile. She clicked over to her next text, from Rose.
Vince is here! =) We’re downstairs in the bbq area and we’re not going anywhere I promise so don’t worry. He could only stay until 7:30 I’ll be up when he leaves. Thanks again sissy! Love you!
Grace frowned. That text was a little too syrupy for someone who was just spending time with a friend. And to think, he’d be here all summer. As if she didn’t have enough on her mind to deal with already. She walked over and peeked out the window. She had a perfect view of them sitting on one of the picnic tables with their feet on the bench, talking. Grace wondered if Rose had done that on purpose—sit in plain view of their bedroom window so that Grace could see they were doing nothing wrong.
She watched them until Vincent laughed, his smile reminding her so much of Sal it nearly choked her. Clearing her throat, she walked away from the window and decided she’d call Joey.
Before she could, there was a soft tap at her door then it opened and her mom stuck her head in. “Oh Good, you’re awake, mija.”
Grace waited as her mother stepped all the way in closing the door behind her without responding. The word mija from her mother’s lips was never a good thing.
“Ever since we got back from Laughlin, unless we’re out looking at real estate, you’ve done nothing but mope around and sleep. You need to get out. It does youtv height="ou no good to be locked up in here.” She sat down next to Grace on the bed and put her hand on her knee. “There is a new place that just opened up, over by the marina. It’s supposed to be really neat. My friend said it’s all Mardi Gras style. What do you say we go there this Friday night? You can invite Joey and Taylor.”
Grace began to shake her head. She just wasn’t ready for going out yet—wasn’t sure she’d ever be. “I don’t really feel like doing anything like that.”
Her mother frowned. “Now Grace I’m not taking no for an answer. Besides.” She cleared her throat. “Frank is going to be here this weekend—”
“No mom.” Grace turned to her with a scowl. She knew it. Her mother’s concern about her wellbeing should’ve been her second clue after the word mija. “I’m not doing anything—”
“Graciela.” Her mom squeezed Grace’s knee. “He is our business partner now. He’s putting a lot of money into this restaurant not to m
ention our new home. The least we can do is show a little gratitude.” She stood up as if there was nothing more to discuss. “We were his guest when we went out to Laughlin now he’ll be ours.”
“He’s staying here?” Her mother was beyond ridiculous.
“No. Don’t be silly. But he’ll be in town and I agreed we’d entertain him while he was here.” Her mother stopped at the door before walking out. “This really will do you some good, Grace.”
She walked out closing the door. Grace took a deep breath and made that call to Joey. No way was she spending the evening on a double date with her mom, Ruben and Frank. This might actually work to convince Joey she was feeling better, even though she wasn’t. “You don’t have any plans for Friday night do you?”
“No. Why?”
“Perfect. We’re going to Mardi Gras.”
CHAPTER 31
This was the first night since Grace was gone that Sal had sat out in his backyard. He hadn’t wanted to enjoy the view without her. He sat staring out into the city lights and the ocean, feeling a deep emptiness.
His heart literally ached. Finally he understood how powerful depression could be. All those times he’d read about people who felt such despair that nothing, not any amount of money, fame, success could lift them out of it, he never understood it. Now he did, because at that moment, staring out into the distance not really focusing on anything in particular, the anguish weighed heavier than he’d ever felt it.
Everything, especially around the restaurant remindeoutv g in pd him of Gracie, but nothing was a more painful reminder of her than his backyard. She loved it out here—could spend every minute at his house outside. Memories of the times they’d made love on the very lounge chair he sat on now, strangled his heart, forcing him to gulp back the tightness he’d begun to feel in his throat.
His phone ringing on the patio table pulled him momentarily out of his world of pain. He stood, breathing deeply. The name on his caller ID rattled him. It was Vincent and he had no idea what to expect.
“Hey, Vin. What’s up?”
“She didn’t say a whole lot, Sal. Only that Grace has been sick.” He was quiet for a moment and Sal waited for more as the image of Grace sick only intensified the pain in his heart. “She hadn’t told me before but she did tonight. I know why you guys broke up.” Again there was silence and Sal braced himself to hear about Grace hating him. “That’s pretty fucked up, Sal. Rose said she’d never seen Grace so broken up. Not even when her grandma died. I thought you really liked Grace, man.”
“I did. I do.” Sal sat down resting his elbow on his knee and squeezed his temple. He hadn’t thought he could feel any worse. But hearing this nearly did him in. “I didn’t do it intentionally.”
“What? How do you not—”
“Look it’s a long story. I don’t have time right now. Did she say anything about Laughlin?”
Sal had told Vince not to probe too much but ever since he’d mentioned Laughlin, it killed him to think her mom might still be trying to set her up with the casino owner. He’d given Vince strict instructions to find out anything about that specifically. The more info Vince got him the more generous Sal would be with the use of the car. He didn’t even feel rotten about bribing the kid. The past few weeks had been torturous not hearing anything about Grace. At this point he’d do anything for even the tiniest bit of information about her, especially about this.
“All she said is that it was a vacation Grace needed. They did the usual vacation stuff, swam, went to the lake, rented jet skis. She didn’t say anything about the casino guy until…”
“Until what?”
“Sal, I feel like a jerk telling you, because she specifically asked me not to say anything to you about Grace.”
Normally Sal would agree that prying like this was wrong. But nothing had been normal in Sal’s life since Grace had walked into it. His entire world had shifted and it would never be the same again. He stood up, feeling his patience thinning. The thought of Grace with the casino owner burned him up. “You wanna be able to use that car again, outside of to and from work?”
He heard Vince sigh. “This isn’t right.” There was a muffed sound then Vince spoke again. “She texted me on the way home. And yes I waited until I was home to read it.” He sighed again, cutting deeper into Sal’s patience. “I guess that guy’s coming out this weekend and Grace is going out with him Friday night. She said Grace felt guilty about leaving her home alone since her mom and step-dad are also going so she actually suggested Rose and I do something Friday night.”
A slow heat started up inside him and Sal welcomed it. The past few weeks had been nothing but agonizing pain mixed with guilt. Hearing that Grace was going out with this guy this soon after their break up, at least lessened some ofsseslow heat that guilt. Even if Grace thought she was only entertaining him having a few drinks and dinner with him for her mom’s sake, Sal saw the way the guy looked at her the night he came by to pick her up. He was expecting more. And now that she was free for the taking and more vulnerable than ever he wondered if she’d give in.
“Did she say where?” His words were as coarse as they felt coming out.
“No, but she did say Grace said it was a business date, so you don?
??t have to get all pissed about it.”
Sal didn’t even know why he was asking. What was he going to do—show up enraged and demand to know why the girl whose heart he trampled on was on a date?
Still, she was his not too long ago and as far as his heart was concerned she still was damn it. The truth was even though the choppy memories he had of his night with Melissa gave every indication that he had slept with her, there was still no proof of it.
Hearing about Grace from such a close source after not hearing anything about her for weeks had rekindled that feeling inside him. That feeling Taylor had snuffed the day he’d gone back to their apartment again, willing to beg for her forgiveness. Walk away. Taylor had said. Let her be. As if it were really that simple.
“Anything else?” Sal paced back and forth on his patio, feeling more determined by the second.
“That’s it. So you think I can use the car Friday night to hang out with Rose?”
Sal pinched the rim of his nose, closing his eyes. “What do you plan on doing Vin? I know you don’t expect me to be okay with you going over and hanging out at her apartment when no one else is there.”
“Nah, man. I keep telling you. She’s not like that. We can go grab something to eat, then maybe catch a show. Which brings me to my next request.”
Sal still didn’t open his eyes. “What’s that?”
“Can I get an advance on my pay?”
A chuckle escaped Sal, even though his lips could barely form a smile. “Yeah, but our deal still stands.”
Vince exhaled heavily. “You better never tell her I told you any of this. Rose would be so pissed if she knew. It’s just not right.”
Sal walked into his house. “Save that conscience of yours for when you’re alone with Rose and you get any funny ideas, Vince. You’re gonna need it if you wanna stay in La Jolla for the summer.”
This time it was Vincent who chuckled. “Trust me. After seeing her tonight, I ain’t doing shit to risk getting sent home.”
Sal knew that last sentence was meant to give him reassurance that Vincent wasn’t going to step over any boundaries with Rose, but it did just the opposite.
***
Friday morning Sal got the call. It had been two days since Romero had any news for him—two days since Vince had told him abou to
“Good morning, Melissa.”
She didn’t speak for a moment. His civil voice obviously took her by surprise. “Good morning, Salvador.”
If she’d made any attempt to conceal her slurred speech, it was a very poor one because she butchered his name. Sal wondered if she was drunk this early as she’d often been in the past when she left him messages or if it had anything to do with the heavy meds Romero had mentioned she was on. “Are you okay?”
“Of course I’m okay.” The slurring was less prominent, until she spoke again. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”
“Just asking,” he said, careful not to sound condescending. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
She giggled then hiccupped and Sal deduced that it must be liquor making her slur, but this early on a weekday morning? She did have a job. “I was just thinking about you… about us. I just never understood why it didn’t work out for us. We were perfect for each other.” She stopped and he heard her sniffle. “Can you just tell me what I did wrong?” On that last question her voice had been reduced to a high pitched whine.
If there was ever a moment to try to get the truth about that night in Vegas it was now and Sal sat up straight. “Sure I can tell you but first I’d like you to tell me something if that’s okay.”
She sniffled again then her voice was a near squeak. “What?”
“That night in Vegas is still foggy for me. I really wish I could remember more of it. Can you refresh my mind about exactly what happened? How did we end up in my room together?”
More sniffling and Sal held his breath wondering if she’d be honest. “You’ll probably never remember, you were so drunk.”
Sal feigned a weak laugh. “I know, I was feeling it for days after. That’s why I was surprised I was able to text Grace that night but even more surprised when you said I’d been amazing the next morning.”
Silence.
Sal gave it a few more seconds before speaking again. “Melissa?”
“It’s your turn to answer my question, Sal.” She was doing a better job of hiding the slurring, or maybe that last comment had sobered her up.
Sal squeezed the steering wheel, feeling a rage in him like none he’d ever felt, but he was too close to blow this. Had she really played him and concocted the whole thing? He had to stay calm—had to keep her talking. “I think maybe it was bad timing for us.” It was a struggle to not speak through his teeth and he gulped big chunks of air to try and stay focused. “Maybe we can try again another time.”
“What about Grace? Why wasn’t the timing wrong for you and her?”
He recognized that venom in her voice. It was the same one from when she’d shown up at his place. He had to calm her down too if he was going to get anything more out of her. more o hev height="Oh, it was. Things didn’t work out for us either. It’s this whole expanding the business thing. It has me real tied up right now. But tell me, Melissa. That night in Vegas… was I really that amazing or were you just saying that to make me feel good?”
The silence was like thunder. It took everything in him to not yell into the phone what he wanted to yell at the top of his lungs now. His life had been torn apart by what had happened in Vegas and now here was near proof that nothing had happened.
“It’s okay, Melissa. You can tell me the truth. Maybe I could make it up to you.”
“Really?” He could almost picture her smiling.
“Yeah, really. Just be honest.”
“Well, I actually don’t remember either, but since you’d always been amazing before I just thought—”
“Nothing happened. Did it Melissa?”
More silence followed by a nervous laugh was her response. Before she could say anything he added what he’d held in for a better part of their conversation. “You made the whole thing up didn’t you?” His words were harsher with every breath he took. “You made me think I slept with you, so I’d break things off with Grace and when I didn’t you made the pregnancy thing up too, didn’t you?”
“You’re crazy!” Her attempt to sound offended fell flat.
“No you’re the crazy one.” His heart nearly slammed through his chest as the reality of it really set in and he was yelling now. “Anyone that would go to these lengths has got to be a fucking crazy as shit mental case! And that’s what you are!”
The line clicked and for the first time in all the times he’d talked to her over the phone she actually hung up first. He sat there trying to catch his breath, the rage burning through him at how stupid he’d been to fall for her shit. Not even what should have been delight at knowing he hadn’t actually betrayed Grace did anything to calm him. Out of nowhere he heard a growl and he realized it had come from deep inside him.
Images of Grace’s agonized face and thoughts of all the pain she’d gone through and for what? For nothing. Deep inside he’d known it all along. He could never do anything to hurt Grace. Not even in a drunken stupor. But even now this wasn’t proof and that’s what he’d need if he even had a prayer of Grace believing him because he knew Melissa sure as hell would never admit the truth.
After taking a few minutes to calm himself he did the only thing he could think of—called Romero.
~*~
Between her mother, Rose, then Joey and Taylor, Grace had been talked into letting her hair down and dressing up for her night out. She now sat nursing her drink in the bar area with all of them except Rose at The Voodoo Lounge, the neat nightclub her mother had told her about, in a tight little bla ghte now sat ck dress and three inch heels.
Taylor and Joey had done a number on her hair and makeup and though she’d argued she was overdone, they’d been right. She fit right in
with all the other sexy-as-hell, single women at the bar who were there to find a man. Only in her case that was the last thing on her mind. And though she might look the part she certainly wasn’t feeling it.
Frank had yet to arrive and Grace hoped he’d be a no show. Of course her mother had made sure the chair next to Grace was the only one available for when he did arrive.
She took tiny sips, careful not to stir up any bad vibes in her stomach like she had earlier and had to rush to the ladies room, but it’d turned out to be a false alarm. As the music around her blared and the flashing lights bounced all over the walls, Grace was still trying to get over the annoying fact that she was at her first night club with her mom and Ruben.
Doing a double take she turned to see Frank walking toward their table. It was almost as he’d had a makeover as well. Instead of the usual drab colored suits he wore he was in black jeans with a dark long sleeved, firm fitting cotton shirt. He’d cut his hair to shorter, much more stylish ‘do. It was amazing how a few changes could make someone look so different. He even looked younger.
As he got closer, Grace noticed he carried two red roses. He handed her one as he reached her then gave the other to her mom. “You look fantastic, Grace,” he said, taking the seat next to her. Even his cologne was alluring although he wore a bit too much.
“Thank you,” she said softly then introduced him to Taylor and Joey. They shook his hand. Joey bobbed his eyebrows at Grace when Frank turned away to say hello to Ruben.
She smiled but he had to know any interest in a romantic relationship with anybody would be the furthest thing from her mind for a long, long time.