Chapter One
“You should’ve seen him over the summer, Heaven,” Beatriz said, fixing her friend’s hair up into a cute ponytail.
“Who? Clark?”
“Heh, no. Not everything is about Clark,” Beatriz said with a laugh. “By the way, I’m still mad at you, you know.”
“Awww why?” Heaven asked, though clearly she knew the answer.
“For making me go to those soccer games.”
“They couldn’t have been that bad—”
“They’re so boring. I would have fallen asleep if Bennett hadn’t shouted at me to wake up, threatening to kick the ball at me in the stands. And no, I wasn’t talking about Clark.”
“Then who are you talking about?” Heaven asked, looking at her reflection in the mirror. She enjoyed the sight, her new bangs brushing against her pale brows as the smooth ponytail flowed down her back.
“Jason,” she said, rolling her eyes. “What an ass.”
Heaven’s expression tightened a bit. “Oh, him.”
Beatriz started dabbing some cream in her hands to smooth some flyaways from her friend’s delicate face. “He’s so grumpy, he makes Bennett look like…” she trailed off, thinking hard.
“Like an amazing guy who deserves a second chance?”
“That would be a no,” Beatriz said, lightly tugging on Heaven’s ponytail. “I’m just saying that Jason seems to be as annoying as ever. His face looked so bitter that I thought he was constipated.”
Heaven stifled a small laugh. “He can be a little grumpy.”
“A little grumpy?” Beatriz blurted out. “A little grumpy would be fine. In fact I don’t mind it when a guy is a little grumpy. It makes him attractive—”
“Like Bennett?” Heaven tried again.
“Ugh,” Beatriz said. “You know what? If Bennett and Jason could somehow be combined into one man, then maybe that would be okay.”
“What are you talking about?” Heaven asked. “That sounds horrible.”
“You’re thinking about it wrong,” Beatriz said, coming around to sit in front of her, pulling a few stray eyebrows away with her tweezers. “One of them never talks.”
“Jason. OUCH!”
“And the other one is constantly flapping his gums,” Beatriz said.
Heaven giggled before letting out another pained scream. “OUCH! Bennett. Okay, I’m still following…sort of.”
“All I’m saying is that the two of them combined would be an interesting combination. Maybe they would balance each other out to create something tolerable.”
“What about their faces?” Heaven asked. “Would you want this ideal man to look like Bennett or Jason? And you can’t say both!”
“I wouldn’t choose either. I’m not looking for an ideal man.”
“What about an ideal sparring partner?”
“I know what you’re implying,” Beatriz said, quickly plucking a few more strays from Heaven’s eyebrow. “I’m not interested in dating anyone right now.”
“Because of college?”
“Not all of us can afford to go to college,” Beatriz said.
“Bea, I’m sure that you’ll find a way to go—”
“The point is I’m not looking right now.”
“You should find a guy before it’s too late,” a voice said from the doorway. “I swear Bea, are you ever going to allow yourself to just get caught up in the moment without analyzing it?”
“Andrew!” Heaven cried out, jumping from her seat and into her older neighbor’s arms. “I missed you yesterday!”
“Yes you did,” Andrew said, returning the hug after spinning her around for a moment. “Wow! I heard the summer treated you well, but I wasn’t expecting you to look so tan. You’re so tan that your face is full of freckles.”
Heaven blushed, stepping away from him. “We were outside most of the time, I couldn’t help it.”
“You want me to cover them up?” Beatriz asked, pulling out a heavy foundation.
“No, don’t!” Andrew and Heaven blurted out at the same time.
“No?” Beatriz said, eyeing up Andrew. “How did you even get in here?”
“Leo let me in.”
“Leo should know better than to let strays into his home.”
“Nothing less than a charming response from you, Bea,” Andrew replied. “I see your wit is as painful as ever.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“No one is going to want to talk to you if you’re always on the defensive,” Andrew noted, smiling.
“I don’t care. I don’t need the approval of others.”
“She’s too strong-willed to reason with,” Heaven said. “OUCH! I thought that we were done tweezing.”
“It was a stray hair,” Beatriz said innocently as she set down the tweezers. “I wouldn’t want you to look like you belong to the Bert and Ernie comedy show when you walk around with Clark.”
“Clark doesn’t look like Ernie!”
“I agree. With his lanky shape and vacant expression, I would say that Clark is more Bert than Ernie,” Beatriz chuckled, watching as Andrew joined in. “And you…” she said, giving him a once over, “I would say that you are more of a dog than a man, following your master Leo’s orders to keep watch on his daughter.”
Andrew’s face flushed. “Leo isn’t my master,” he said defensively.
“So why are you here right before she’s about to go on a date? Did you want to make sure that she looked all right?” Beatriz asked.
“No,” Andrew said, his further reddening cheeks working against him.
“So you’re not looking at her?” Beatriz asked. “Has college made you picky?”
Andrew was becoming flustered. “I didn’t say that.”
“So you are looking at my girl?”
“Beatriz,” Leo said, coming to join Andrew in the doorway, “must you give all my guests a hard time even though this isn’t your home?”
“It’s all right,” Heaven said, “she’s only ribbing him.”
“Tickling my ribs, you mean,” Andrew said, miming a knife to his chest. “Bea, don’t you wish someone else would partake in your oh so delightful humor?”
“Someone does,” Heaven said.
“Who? Who on earth could tolerate her?” Andrew asked.
“Bennett,” Leo and Heaven said at the same time, causing Beatriz to frown.
“Shut up, the both of you,” she said, returning to her work.
“In that case you should go out with him,” Andrew said. “If for no other reason than he puts up with you.”
“What kind of reason is that?” Beatriz said.
“As good as any,” Andrew said.
“I’m…I’m not interested in Bennett anymore.”
“Anymore?” Andrew asked. “Are you saying there was a time when—”
“There was a time when Bennett and I…” she said, her voice softening as she looked over at Heaven, “but that time has passed. Besides, he’s something of a mystery lately. He’s no longer a boy but he’s well short of a man, so I have no idea what I would do with him.”
“Let whatever happens, happen?” Leo suggested.
“I still don’t think I’m ready to forgive him for what he’s done.”
“Well I hope that someone will have the patience to deal with you again one day,” Andrew said hopefully.
“I don’t want to be dealt with,” Beatriz said, dusting some blush over Heaven’s high cheekbones. Damn, did she have to be so freaking perfect? “But you,” she said, reaching out and pulling Heaven’s chin so she could look over her work, “you were meant to be loved, and loved well.”
“Thanks, Bea,” Heaven said over the sound of her father’s sudden cough. “I’m so nervous I could puke.”
“Nervous about Clark?” Andrew scoffed. “Now I’ve heard everything.”
“For the last time, Andrew, he’s all right,” Leo said defensively. “I
wouldn’t consider this if he wasn’t. However, Heaven, if he asks you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable—”
“Dangit, dad,” Heaven said, “please don’t you dare give me the talk again. Not in front of Bea and Andrew.”
“Your dad’s right though,” Beatriz said, releasing her chin and growing somber again. “Clark may very well be a nice guy, but just remember that he’s still a guy, all right? Romance is a dance best experienced on your feet rather than on your back with a man staring down at you.”
“Could you sound a bit more old-fashioned?” Heaven asked, though it was obvious the words bothered her.
“Don’t scare her,” Andrew said, narrowing his eyes.
“I’m not trying to scare her,” Beatriz said. “Heaven knows what I’m talking about. Always leave a guy wanting more or otherwise he will not want in the first place. What good is a hamburger to a guy who’s already seen another guy take a bite from it?”
“Or tossed it in the trash because it wasn’t cooked right,” Heaven said, giggling.
“Or lent it to a friend to taste it,” Bea laughed.
“You two are crazy,” Andrew said.
“Despite her crude wording, Bea’s right,” Leo said, trying not to look embarrassed. “Bea, are you going with her?”
“I am.”
“Then you know that I’m expecting you to watch over her—”
“Dad!” Heaven blurted out. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
“I’ll watch her, Mr. George,” Beatriz said. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
“You should worry about your outfit,” Andrew said, looking over Beatriz’s clothes. She was dressed outlandishly as always in a too-large lime green sweater with purple leggings and silver shoes.
“I’ll wear what makes me happy, thanks,” Beatriz said, pulling up Heaven into a standing position. “See what I mean?” she said to Leo. “This is why I want nothing to do with a man. Even when you have no tie to them, they feel they have the right to tell you how to dress.”
“I didn’t mean—” Andrew began as the doorbell rang from downstairs.
“They’re here,” Heaven said. “I’m…I’m not ready! Tell them to give me a few minutes.”
“You just want a grand entrance,” Beatriz said. “How adorably old-fashioned of you.”
“Shut up, Bea,” she said, shoving her out the door. “And go! I’ll be down in a few.”
Andrew, Leo, and Beatriz left the room so Heaven could primp in the mirror. Beatriz had done a good job on lining her eyes with brown liner, bringing out the blue and emphasizing her cheekbones. Her hair looked sweet, though a touch sexy with the bangs and the long ponytail. She heard Bennett’s voice immediately starting something with Bea, who was quick to respond, causing Donnie to laugh.
And then Clark joined in the laughter.
Hearing his throaty chuckle brought a smile to her lips. Reaching over to grab her ivory cashmere sweater, she tucked it under her arm, happy to hear that her father and Clark were also talking quietly. It was such a good feeling; she was on top of the world.
Nothing could ruin this moment.