Hector (16 page)

Wondering if he should encourage Walter to
what more than likely would be a letdown or embarrassment or both, Hector
thought for a moment then felt a small but firm hand slip into his. “Did you
forget about me?”

Turning to see Leticia’s smiling face looking
up at him, he forced a smile. It was a strange and unfamiliar feeling, but he
suddenly worried that Miriam was close behind. Typically he had no qualms about
being seen with one or more girls. Tonight, however, his take on this was oddly
altered. Walter had already made it clear what he thought happened with Hector
and the girls Saturday once they all left together. He’d ribbed Hector about it
the day he showed up at the gym. Hector hadn’t bothered explaining, letting him
think whatever he wanted. What difference did it make?

Now he was glad Charlee hadn’t stuck around
to see him leave with them. She already hadn’t been very discreet about her
distaste for Leticia Saturday night. Hector was sure she wouldn’t have approved
of what almost happened that night, not that he needed her approval. He just
preferred her friendly demeanor to the indifferent one, and he didn’t want to
go back to that.

“I told you I was going to be busy tonight,
sweetheart. He glanced up just in time to see Noah and Gio wave him over.

Nodding, he glanced back at Leticia. “You
remember Walter from Saturday, right?” Walter’s alarmed expression made Hector
almost laugh. “I gotta go, but he’ll keep you company until I get back.”
Walter’s eyes went wide and Leticia’s didn’t even try to hide the disappointed
pout. Any other time, Hector might’ve leaned in and kissed her just to make up
for having to leave her again, but he didn’t. Instead, he just squeezed her
hand before letting go of it. “I won’t be long. I promise.”

He started off toward Noah and Gio purposely
not looking in
Charlee’s
direction. He had to snuff
that flame out before it went wild. Charlee was not someone he should be
getting involved with, aside from the obvious most ponderous reason: Walter.
There were even more reasons now.

For one, she was totally not his type, not
that he really had one, but all he knew was she wasn’t it. She was nothing like
any of the girls he ever hung with, and besides chess, he doubted they’d have
anything else in common. Two, if he thought she’d be like Leticia, willing to
have some fun and then just leave it at that, maybe he could consider it. But
he could already tell she wasn’t. Walter mentioned she was quiet, shy, studious,
and very sweet. Even though she hadn’t been very sweet to Hector so far, he did
see the shy. He’d seen it in her eyes yesterday when he’d nearly kissed her.
That kind of heavy sexual tension was a first for her. He wasn’t even sure how
she would’ve reacted if he had kissed her, but he was certain it wouldn’t have
been like most girls he kissed.

Something about Charlee and those thick red
lashes she’d fluttered so flustered over those deep blue eyes yesterday said .
. . romantic. Hector didn’t do romance. He didn’t have time for it. He learned
from past experiences that you don’t get involved in any way with girls looking
for the real deal without it getting messy, especially ones you’ll have to be
around often. Even considering doing something with Charlee was out of the
question. It couldn’t get any more cut and dry than this. But this was the
first time he found himself having to build such a case against getting
involved with any girl, and it was annoying as hell.

“Congrats,” Roni said as he reached her and
Noah. She held up her camera in one hand and hugged his neck with the other.
“Umm, you smell good,” she said as she pulled away.

“Yeah, yeah,” Noah frowned, taking her hand.
“So he showered.”

Hector laughed. “You’re just saying that
because it’s the cologne you two got me last Christmas.”

Roni’s
eye’s brightened. “Is it really? No wonder. I gave everyone
Armani. I just don’t remember who I gave which to. Gio’s is the only one easy
to remember since it’s his own name. I love all his fragrances.”

“Code something or other,” Hector shrugged.
“I’ve gotten enough compliments. I’ll probably buy another when it’s gone.”

“Your birthday’s coming up. Isn’t it?” Roni
winked. “I got you.”

“Are we gonna do this or what?” Gio asked.
“Because I’m ready to get B on the dance floor already.”

Gio pulled his fiancée, Bianca, to him,
pressing his body against hers, and swayed to the music playing. Bianca swayed
with him, giggling as he kissed her.

Hector rolled his eyes. Those two were
insatiable. “What are we gonna do?” Hector asked.

Abel joined them. “All right, I’m here. Let’s
get this over with. I still have lots of people I need to schmooze with.”

Suddenly Hector knew what was happening and
he nearly groaned. “More photos? Didn’t we already take enough before the
fight?”

“Just a few more.”
Roni smiled at him sweetly. “You guys all look so handsome in
your suits now, and this is for my 5th Street Journey page on my blog.”

Hector’s shoulders slumped in defeat, but he smiled,
putting his arm around
Roni’s
shoulder then kissed
her on the head. “You always get me with that.
Anything for
the journey page.”

She smiled smugly, motioning in the direction
she wanted them all to stand. Ever since the original 5th Street gym had burned
down last winter, Roni had started up the blog about the gym’s journey. Hector
loved looking through all the pictures she posted on it, old and new. So even
though he was an impatient model for all the photos she so loved taking, he was
a sucker whenever she mentioned it was for the blog.

She lined them up against the back wall of
the banquet room. It was a meeting room really and meant for press conferences
that were taking place more often lately as more and more of the boxers
training here were making their way up the ranks. It was big enough for
parties,
especially the exclusive ones like tonight’s that
were kept on a smaller scale.

Nellie,
Roni’s
best
friend and coordinator of tonight’s events, laughed as Roni adjusted the guys
to stand just so. “And you call me the perfectionist,” she teased.

Roni smiled and continued to adjust them,
moving Hector slightly to the right. He took the moment she continued to fuss
over the other guys to allow
himself
to do what he’d
been wanting to do for a while. Casually, he glanced back in the area where
Charlee and the guys from the chess team had been standing. Walter was still
there minus Leticia. She must have ditched him the moment she got a chance.

Also noticeably gone were Charlee and Drew.
Scanning the room, he spotted them just as
Roni’s
camera began to flash. They were both on the dance floor, dancing with a couple
of guys he didn’t recognize.

“Smile guys,” Roni said as she began to take
the photos.

The guy dancing with Charlee pulled her
closer, whispering something in her ear.

“Hector, the fight’s over now,” Roni said.
“You won, remember? Now can you please smile for me? And I need you to look
this way.” She lifted the camera to her face again.

Hector turned to the camera with a quick
smile before turning back to Charlee on the dance floor. The guy was obviously
taking advantage of the loud music to continue leaning into her neck area and
speak closely into her ear. From her body language, Hector could tell she
wasn’t digging it. The more he leaned in, the more she pulled back.

“Hector!” Both Noah and Abel said loudly.

Hector snapped out of his murderous thoughts
and turned back to them. “What?”

“Turn this way,
burro
!” Abel said with a frown. “She asked you three times. What’s
wrong with you?”

Noah and Gio shook their heads but laughed
like they always did when Abel called him that. Roni winced, promising she was
almost done. As soon as she was, Hector marched over to Abel’s side and held
him by the arm before he could walk away to schmooze. “You know everyone here,
right?”

Abel turned to him then glanced around. “Just
about, except for your friends.”

“Who’s that?” Hector started to point at the
guy with Charlee but dropped his hand when she looked up in his direction and
nearly caught him pointing. “Fuck,” he said, turning in another direction.

“What?”

“Nothing, don’t look over there.” He tugged
at Abel arms, attempting to turn him in a different direction.

“Over where?”

“Just shut up!” Hector squeezed his brother’s
arm before glancing in her direction again. She wasn’t looking his way anymore,
but the horny asshole she was dancing with was at it again, pulling her to him
even as her hand lay flat on his chest, defensively keeping the distance
between them. The song wasn’t even a slow one.

Hector let go of Abel’s arm and started
toward them.

“Where you going?”
Abel asked.

Ignoring his brother, Hector kept walking,
already fisting his hand, slowing only when the song stopped. He stopped
abruptly when they separated and watched them walk off the dance floor. Someone
bumped into him from behind. Hector turned around ready to push whoever it was
off him then frowned when he saw it was Abel. “What the hell?”

“You stopped all of sudden. What’s your
problem?” Abel said
,
frowning right back at him then
glanced in
Charlee’s
direction. “Who is she, and why
do you look ready to kill that guy she’s with?”

Hector attempted to tone his adrenaline-pumped
mood down. “Not ready to kill him.” He lied. “She’s a friend, and she looked
like she might need some help. That’s all.” He took his eyes off Charlee, Drew,
and the two guys with them, who were all headed back to where Walter and the
other guys were and turned back to Abel. “You know him?”

“Nope,” Abel shook his head. “But I think I
saw that other guy with him walk in with the D.J’s crew.”

Great.
Hector turned back to Charlee and the guy. That’s all the D.J’s
guests ever showed up for at these things. They could care less who or what the
parties were for. They were just there for the free booze and to try to get
laid.
“Figures.”

“What figures?” Abel asked.

Hector turned back to Abel again. His brother
had his usual imposing expression going: the one he always wore when he was on
to Hector. “Nothing,” Hector tapped Abel on the arm, “I gotta get back to my
friends.”

He started to take a step away when Abel
caught his arm. The music was so loud Abel had to lean in. “No trouble, right?”

Hector pinched his brows. “No.” Then he
smirked. “Did you see me in the ring today? No one’s starting trouble with this
guy.”

Abel didn’t even flinch nor return the smile.
“I’m not worried about anyone starting trouble with you. You’re the one I’m
worried about.”

Hector glanced back at Charlee just as both
guys walked away from her and Drew then turned back and smiled at Abel. “Dude,
I’m not like that anymore, remember? I’m all grown up now: mature, responsible,
and all that shit.” Finally he got a little smirk out of his uptight brother.
“Relax, I’ll be cool.”

At last free to walk away, Hector grabbed a
beer at the bar before heading back toward Walter, who stood just feet away
from Charlee and Drew. The feeling of ease only lasted so long, because as soon
as he got there, he spotted the two guys on their way back from the bar on the
other side of the room double fisting drinks.

If Hector really wanted to be an asshole,
he’d card them, even though he wasn’t twenty-one yet either. This was his
party, his damn gym. He could call the shots. But then Charlee and Drew weren’t
drinking age either. Walter had mentioned she was about their age—nineteen.
It’d be too obvious if he carded the guys but not the girls they’d bought
drinks for.

He eyed the guys as they walked by them and
stopped where Charlee and Drew stood. Hector didn’t miss it:
Charlee’s
surprised expression when the guy tried to hand
her the drink. “Oh, thank you, but I said I was okay. I’ve had enough.”

The guy held it in front of her. “You’ll be
fine with one more. C’mon, you can sip it.”

Charlee glanced at Drew before taking it with
a strained smile. Hector turned to Walter, trying not to sound as irritated as
he felt. “See what happens?” he whispered. “That should’ve been you out there dancing
with her.”

Walter frowned but said nothing. Instead, he
glanced in
Charlee’s
direction before taking a sip of
the purple drink he was having. Hector had seen it earlier when the waitress
brought it to him with a kiwi slice wedged on the rim and an umbrella. Even
Walter’s fruity looking drink was annoying him now. “What is that?”

Walter looked down at his drink and lifted
it. “It’s called a Fruit Tingle. You wanna try it? It’s good.”

“No, I don’t wanna try it.” Hector didn’t
even try to hide the disgust. “You couldn’t just order a beer?”