Hector (15 page)

Hector motioned to one of the passing
waitresses, and in the next second, she was there. “Let’s get another round of
whatever everyone is having here,” Hector said, smiling even bigger now.

With the same twinkle she’d seen in just
about any girl’s eyes that looked at Hector, the young waitress smiled, nodding,
and pointed quickly at everyone to make sure she remembered what each of them
had ordered previously. She did and she rushed off to get their drinks.

Charlee wasn’t sure she should have a third
glass. She was already feeling a little light-headed. That last drink, or maybe
it was seeing him finally and the fact that he was being pleasant, had her
feeling much better now.

“Did you guys see the fight?” Hector
addressed the group in general, but Charlee had begun to notice what Drew had
been talking about.

The guys commented on the fight and how
awesome his win had been. Even as he answered their questions and continued
talking to them about boxing, he kept doing it—his eyes would go full circle
and pause on her every time. At first, Charlee thought maybe she was just
imagining it, but it kept happening. The wine had given her the courage to not
look away this time like she had last Saturday and all the times he’d looked at
her yesterday.

Was this his thing? Was this how he seduced
women by giving them that burning heavy lidded stare? Charlee stood up
straight, lifting her chin. She wouldn’t give him the upper hand, not
tonight—not again. Her heart fluttered as their eyes met again for a moment.
Okay, maybe this wasn’t going be so easy, but she was determined to at least
try.

The waitress arrived with all their drinks,
and Charlee took hers but made it a point to take tiny sips now. The times her
eyes and Hector’s were meeting were becoming increasingly longer each time. She
sensed something was off. Did he intend to do to her again what he had
yesterday? Humiliating her once hadn’t been enough?

All the more reason to slow down on the alcohol.
She didn’t think it possible that he’d look even better than all
the times she’d seen him before. While he looked athletic and sexy before, she
could now add sophisticated perfection to the list. And here she’d argued with
Drew about being too dressed up. She was just glad her pushy best friend was
the most persuasive person in the world now. If not, she might’ve worn jeans
like she first intended to.

Drew had talked her into wearing a dress.
She’d even used her power of persuasion to get Charlee to wear one of Drew’s
sexier dresses—something so unlike Charlee. Or maybe Charlee was just a
pushover. Just like yesterday, she was so ready to condemn Hector before he’d
walked over to
them,
and now here all he had to do was
smile at her and lift his beer her way and she was ready to swoon.

“To an incredibly impressive win,” she heard
herself say and lifted her glass toward him.

Gulping hard and unable to believe what she’d
just done, she put her glass to her lips after everyone else lifted their
drinks as well.

“Mine?” he asked, flashing that amazing smile
before taking a drink of his beer. “Or do you mean yours yesterday?”

The guys all chuckled, and suddenly she had
what she’d always hated—everyone’s attention. Even Drew was smiling, very
pleased and looking at her.

Taking a bigger sip than she should have, she
smiled back with a shrug. “I was talking about yours, but you have to admit
mine was pretty impressive too.”

She held her breath, waiting to see if that
breathtaking smile went flat, but surprisingly, he smiled even bigger. Then
after glancing at Walter, his smile waned a little. He did his own version of a
shrug, lifting and dropping his big shoulder. “I can admit it. We were
impressed. Right, Walter?”

Walter smiled. “That was a heck of a move. I
didn’t see it coming either. I thought he had you.”

Some of the other guys agreed, saying they’d
thought the same thing. Charlee did her best not to freak out about being the
center of attention for a few minutes. Thankfully, it didn’t last too long. The
topic switched to talk about Abel.

“So your brother is really gonna fight
Hammerhead McKinley?” Dempsey asked.

Hector nodded proudly. “Yep, it’s official.
He’s gone pro and he signed earlier this week. Next year, Vegas baby.”

Hector
clinked
his
bottle against Dempsey’s. Dempsey was still hesitant looking. “Isn’t he afraid?
McKinley’s in his prime, man. His last seven fights in a row he’s won by way of
knockout.”

Hector shook his head, his face souring a
little.
“But why?
Look who he’s fought.
Nothing but bums.
Why do you think they signed my brother so
quick? He thinks Abel’s a bum too.”

His eyes were back on Charlee every few words,
and she was done even pretending to drink her wine for fear just the smell
would make her feel even braver than she already did. She couldn’t look away
now, and she’d stopped making an effort a long time ago.

“I’ll tell you what,” he continued. “This
guy’s in for a big surprise.” Once again, even though he was talking to Dempsey,
he kept glancing at Charlee. A smile escaped her after the third time. She
couldn’t help it. She was enjoying the attention. “Abel . . .” he stopped and
smiled at her, too, then shook his head and glanced at Walter. He turned back
to Dempsey, speaking a little faster. “The guys Abel’s been fighting are just
as much bums as the ones McKinley’s knocked out, and you know what? Abel’s been
knocking ’
em
all out too.
Bad.
The last guy had to be taken out on a stretcher.”

Seeing his big chest puff even bigger and his
smile brighten made her smile bigger too. “You really think he has a chance
then?” she asked.

Just like that, she had Hector’s attention
again. She was beginning to feel a little like the attention whores across the
room standing with his brother. Already, she was getting so used to having his
eyes on her, that the moment he turned them away from her, she mustered up the
nerve to ask a question again so that she would have his attention again.

Breathing in deeply in reaction to his big
smile, she waited for him to respond. “I don’t just think he has a chance,
Charlee. I know he’s gonna win.” His smile turned into that sexy smirk she’d
witnessed so often yesterday when she’d been sure he was flirting with her.
“It’s what happens when you catch your opponent sleeping. You know all about
that, right?”

Charlee gulped hard again. This was the
second time he’d referenced yesterday’s game, and both times he’d done so with
a smile. Maybe he didn’t hate her after all. But what the heck happened to
her
hating
him
?

Chapter 9

The timing couldn’t have been
better. Even though he managed to catch
himself
every
time so far, Hector was beginning to lose control—stumbling off his train of
thought time after time. So he couldn’t have been more relieved when everyone’s
attention was called to the small podium at the front of the room.

Hector took advantage of the distraction to
regroup and gather his thoughts. He had to get a hold of himself. Why couldn’t
he have stayed angry like he’d felt the entire time he showered and got ready?
Even as he’d been interviewed by the local media and the Spanish radio
broadcaster over the phone, he’d been tense. Dealing with that would’ve been
easier than what he was dealing with now.

He’d wondered the whole time if she possibly
could be here looking to confront him: tell him off about yesterday—a
confrontation that couldn’t wait until Monday. Then Miriam and Leticia had
walked into the gym just as he was wrapping up his final interview. They’d been
a slight diversion from his ongoing speculation about
Charlee’s
unexpected presence here tonight, but the diversion from those thoughts had
been fleeting. The moment he entered the party, he saw her. He’d hoped to be
there for a few minutes before having to see her and have a few drinks to calm
the irritation he’d begun to feel just thinking about what she might be up to
this time.

After his fight when he’d spotted her in the
crowd, it was her hair that stood out. His eyes had been drawn like a magnet to
the almost-glowing crimson locks in the crowd. It was more than that now. He
was sure his eyes weren’t the only ones being drawn to her. She looked
spectacular. When he’d walked in and gotten a closer look at just how different
she looked tonight, he couldn’t dump Leticia and Miriam off with his brother’s
group fast enough. He was getting this over with now—the sooner the better.

He’d walked over to where she and his other
chess teammates stood with one purpose only—to face off with her. Then to his
surprise, she’d been nice, more than nice. Even when she congratulated him on
his incredibly impressive win, it came off genuinely sincere. To make matters
worse, she’d been playful. And if he weren’t mistaken, she was having just as
hard a time of keeping her eyes off him as he was keeping his off her.

Hector knew he was treading dangerous waters
here, and he could already feel it. If he got some time alone with her, even
just a moment, he might do or say something he shouldn’t.

Glancing at Walter, who was listening to the
exclusive announcement of Abel’s signing as the next contender for the
heavyweight title, he was hit with reality again. Walter was making the first
real effort in his entire life to get into shape, and he was doing it for
Charlee. As hard and as embarrassing as Hector knew it had been for Walter, he
bit the bullet and asked Hector for help.

The big guy had nearly collapsed yesterday
from the workout Hector gave him. But he said he’d be back today to work out
again alone before Hector’s fight, since Hector wouldn’t be able to join him.
Surprisingly, Hector had seen him in there before his fight, pushing hard on
the treadmill. Being a part-time trainer, Hector knew the enthusiasm a client
has when they first start working out is what keeps the momentum going. Nothing
would kill Walter’s momentum faster now than to stomp on his motivation.

Who knew? Maybe if Walter did drop a lot of
weight, he just might have a chance with Charlee. The two did have a lot in
common. Both were brainy and very good at chess. And while Hector couldn’t be
sure, because he didn’t know too much about her, Charlee seemed a bit shy like
Walter. At the very least, she was far more reserved than any of the girls
Hector usually hung out with.

Unable to help himself even after he’d pretty
much mentally made a case for why he should put any further thoughts of
pursuing anything with Charlee to rest, he casually glanced in her direction.
Like everyone else, her attention was focused on the front of the room where
Abel was now speaking about next year’s bout for the title. Hector should
really be paying attention to his brother. This was huge. But he already knew
all about what Abel was letting everyone else in on, and at the moment he
couldn’t tear his eyes away from
Charlee’s
dress.

It was a simple enough dark blue wrap around
that came together at her small waist with a thick belt. It was similar to the
one Leticia wore so boldly that same night. Only as he’d observed before,
Charlee’s
was far more reserved. While Leticia’s was
shorter and tighter and boasted a plunging neckline,
Charlee’s
was a bit longer, and though it was snug enough to show off her cute but
breathtaking little figure, it wasn’t quite as body hugging as Leticia’s.

The neckline of
Charlee’s
dress wasn’t nearly as low as Leticia’s, but it was low enough to indulge
Hector’s probing eyes with a nice tease of her milky white skin. Visions of the
perky bare breasts just under the soft fabric of her dress inundated Hector.
They’d be just as white and feel just as soft as he imagined the skin his eyes
now traced from the open neckline up her delicate neck to that stubborn but
sweet chin would be. His eyes stopped at her lips, the very lips he’d been so close
to tasting yesterday, and he gulped. As his eyes traveled upward, they met hers.
She was watching him size her up, and surprisingly, the corner of her lips
curved ever so slightly.

Hector knew he should look away—at least try
to save face. He had no idea how long she’d been watching him, but her tiny
smirk was all too telling. She’d seen enough, and as cold as she’d been toward
him up until tonight, she seemed amused. Was it possible that what he’d thought
he picked up on earlier was actually happening? Was the ice princess actually
coming around?

Noticing the tinge of pink that colored her
cheeks, he broke their stare. He had to. Abel was done talking and the music
was back on.

“I changed my mind,” Walter whispered,
leaning into him.

“About what?”
Hector asked, turning full circle and away from Charlee.

Walter rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
“About asking Charlee to dance tonight.”

Hector had forgotten all about that. When
they talked about the party yesterday and Hector mentioned ways of making the
most of it, one of the things he mentioned was they’d have a D.J. and a dance
floor. Hector had even demonstrated the simple two-step he could do to any
tune. Now that the announcement was out of the way, the lights had been dimmed,
and people were already making their way onto the dance floor.