Rock Chick Regret by Kristen Ashley
And she was just going to have to do.
Chapter Thirteen
Agent Chavez, oo, Agent Chavez
Sadie
It was mid-afternoon and I was in Art.
Sitting on the edge of my counter was Daisy, legs crossed and mouth shouting her ideas (or, more honestly, her orders) at Ralphie and Roxie. They were both arranging paintings on the floor in the positions they would take on the walls when Ralphie and I installed them on Monday for the opening that evening.
I was behind the counter with Shirleen and Ava, the three of us were leaned forward on our forearms pouring over the final catering menu I had to sign off and fax by three o’clock.
* * * * *
That morning I had breakfast with Hector’s very loud but very sweet family, all three younger sisters, Gloria, Rosa and Elena, and his older brother, Carlos. Carlos brought his girlfriend, Maria, and Eddie did a flyby mostly to show his face, pour warm coffee into his travel mug and he also gave me a one-armed hug and a kiss on the side of the head like he’d known me for years, not days (no kidding!).
During breakfast, I found out that Hector’s Dad had died a few years ago, that Blanca was not happy at the snail’s pace of Carlos and Maria’s relationship (this somewhat alarmed me as they’d only been together two months and Maria was moving in with Carlos that weekend) and that Blanca and Jet’s mother Nancy had made some decisions about Eddie and Jet’s wedding that needed a Reunión de la Familia. Hector explained (by whispering in my ear which, by the way, felt nice) that this was a family meeting and that Blanca called them often.
After they left, Hector took me home and Ralphie was waiting to take me to the gallery. We were going to open late but I didn’t mind. The morning with Hector’s loud, loving family in Hector’s crazy, jumbled house was something I’d never experienced before in my life.
And I liked it. I liked it enough to take the time to memorize it so one day, later, I could take out the memory and savor it.
Before he left, Hector told me he needed to give me something and I waited in the hall while he jogged back out to his Bronco.
I found I was nervous as to what he might give me. He hadn’t had any time to shop; it wasn’t like he was going to produce a bouquet of red roses or anything.
He came back in, stopped in front of me and held up a device. My eyes grew round with excitement.
“This is a –” he started but stopped when my hand whipped out and I snatched it from him.
“It’s a stun gun!” I cried, so excited I was being nearly as loud as his family. “Veronica Mars has one of these!”
I lifted happy eyes to him and saw he was grinning. “Yeah, mamita, but be careful with that.”
“Is it for me?” I trilled happily.
His hand went to the side of my neck and slid up, fingers in my hair, thumb at my hairline.
“Yeah. Keep it in your purse where you can get to it. It’s got fresh batteries. You turn it on, touch the prongs to your target, a one-second touch causes an incapacitating jolt, three seconds it’ll take someone down.”
I lifted the stun gun between us, stared at it in awe and murmured, “Aces.”
I came out of my stun gun euphoria when I heard his soft laughter and my eyes went to him.
“What’s funny?” I asked.
His fingers wrapped around my wrist, pulled the stun gun from between us and he closed in, his other hand sliding to the back of my head.
“You don’t know, mamita, it’ll be more fun to watch you figure it out.”
Then he kissed me, another slow, sweet one (with tongues) that again lasted until I wrapped my arms tight around his waist and melted into him.
Then he was gone.
* * * * *
Ralphie and I went into Art and at eleven thirty Ralphie picked up the phone and dialed.
“Jet, you pretty girl, I’m callin’ in a delivery,” Ralphie said into the phone as I watched in stunned surprise. “Sadie and I will simply expire if we don’t have two of Tex’s specials. Can you send someone over with them? I’d come get them but, see, Double H says I’m in charge of Sadie’s safety during the day. We opened late, we can’t close down just to get coffee and I can’t leave her alone.”
I stood beside Ralphie still staring at him wondering when Hector made Ralphie “in charge” of my “safety” while Ralphie nodded and said in the phone, “Un-hunh, un-hunh,” then, “Oh, ‘Double H’ is Hector, stands for Hispanic Hottie’.” I heard laughter through the receiver, he finished with, “Toodles,” and put the phone down.
Then he turned to me calmly and said, “Daisy’ll be over in ten with two specials.”
At this point, I rewound my life back six weeks.
Six weeks ago, my father was in prison, my days were spent with Ralphie in Art and my nights were spent either at yoga class, a movie (by myself) or curled up with a book in my living room.
I had no excitement except a scary call or a buzz up from one of the Balducci Brothers but that wasn’t good excitement, that was bad excitement.
I was alone and, albeit frightened, my life was my own and my destiny was decided by me. Except for the Balduccis, I was in complete and total control.
Now I was never alone and I made no decisions for myself. When I did, they were circumvented. Ralphie thought he was my bodyguard. Blanca was going to teach me how to cook. Tom thought I was the reunited member of “the whole family”. And Hector was going to put his mouth between my legs that night (and, by the way, the very thought made me shiver).
And then there was the imminent arrival of YoYo the pug who was being delivered tomorrow night.
Instead of reveling in this which I should be doing, I was planning to disappear.
For a second I wondered if I was crazy. Then it hit me that I wasn’t.
First, a lot of people were going out of their way to make me safe and that wasn’t right or fair. They had better things to do and furthermore, they barely knew me.
Second, even though they all appeared to like me no matter who sired me, I’d never forget and I’d always know I was the odd girl out.
Last, because Hector was a good guy (maybe even the best guy ever born), when he found someone, she should not be a Belinda but she should also not be a drug dealer’s daughter.
And she certainly shouldn’t be the tawdry, broken, throw-around toy of the Crazy Balducci Brothers.
I knew I had to ride this out, keep my plans to myself and, when things were all ready, I’d sit down with Ralphie and Buddy and explain. Then I’d sit down with Hector and explain. Then I’d go and let them get back to their normal lives being good people and having nothing more to worry about than their Z Gallerie credit cards (not that Hector had a Z Gallerie credit card, more like Home Depot).
Daisy and Ava showed with the coffees, taking me out of my unhappy thoughts.
They stayed and gabbed.
When I said they “gabbed”, I meant they filled in the gaps as told by the reporters and they shared with Ralphie and I the stories of how Indy got together with Lee. Indy was somehow mixed up with why Terry Wilcox disappeared. I knew Terry; he was a contemporary of my father’s. He was creepy and I was glad he was gone (and my father had been super happy when he disappeared) but I was sorry he made Indy’s life a misery before he left.
Then they told me how Eddie and Jet got together (Jet had nearly been raped too, but, luckily, she was saved at the last minute).
Roxie “popped” around (said she was shopping at 16th Street Mall and she had about a dozen bags to prove her story correct). She found out what we were gabbing about and then she shared how she and Hank got together. She’d been stalked by an ex-boyfriend, he found her at Hank’s house, beat her up and took her for a wild ride across three states before Vance, or Native American Hottie, found her and eventually her ex got his hand shot mostly off (again by Vance) at one of Daisy’s society parties (I’d heard about it, but, obviously, hadn’t been invited).
Then they shared how Va
Finally, Ava shared how she and Luke got together. I found out she knew Ren too and I also found out that Ren’s cousin, Dom (who I knew too, but not as well as Ren, Dom used to be kind of a jerk but I’d heard that he’d turned into a rather keen family man). Ava’s story was kind of confusing, had to do with con men and somewhere along the line she’d been violated too. Though not as bad as me, still, did one put degrees on these things? Violation was violation, simple as that.
I already knew about Stella and Mace.
After they were done talking, I was seriously weirded out but I also had food for thought. Mainly because it would seem I wasn’t the first girl to catch the eye of one of the Hot Bunch who caused some significant worry, out-and-out scares and visits to the hospital.
While I was thinking this, Daisy, Ava and Roxie took off to The Market to get us sandwiches.
They came back with Shirleen who was taking her lunch “hour” (an hour that lasted two) and they chipped in to help with the final touches for the opening. I asked Roxie for Jet’s number and called her to warn her about the Reunión de la Familia (because that was the nice thing to do). She muttered some choice words, thanked me in a way that seemed very genuine (and even relieved), we hung up after agreeing to meet up sometime and then I turned to the catering menu.
* * * * *
“You need some pigs in a blanket,” Shirleen advised, casting a critical eye over the menu.
“You don’t have pigs in a blanket at an art opening,” Daisy said to Shirleen.
Shirleen’s head popped up. “Sure you do. You just make ‘em with those little, baby sausages.”
“It’s an art opening you need vol au vents or shit like that,” Daisy said.
Shirleen turned back to me. “Ask ‘em if they have pigs in a blanket. They wanna make it fancy; they can wrap ‘em up in Pilsbury crescent roll dough rather than biscuit dough. Trust me, people full of champagne and pigs in a blanket’ll buy a lot of paintings.”
“How do you know?” Ava asked.
“Because I’d buy a painting if someone gave me a glass of champagne and a non-stop supply of pigs in a blanket, especially if it was wrapped up in that crescent dough. Have you tasted a Pilsbury crescent roll?”
Ava nodded and smiled. “Yeah, there was a day when I’d bake and eat a whole tray of crescent rolls all by myself.”
“Not hard to do,” Shirleen muttered with the voice of experience.
The gallery’s phone rang and I was so wrapped up in thoughts of Pilsbury crescent rolls, and wondering how hard it was to make them, I didn’t even think when the operator asked me if I’d accept the collect charges.
I just said, “Yes.”
“Sadie?” my father said in my ear.
My torso snapped up and my mind shut down.
He’d been calling for months, the gallery and my apartment. He had to call collect and I never accepted the charges. A few months ago, Ralphie received a call, put his hand over the mouthpiece and asked if he should accept but I’d shook my head “no”.
At the time Ralphie didn’t ask questions now, obviously, he knew.
“Sadie?” my father repeated.
Shirleen and Ava had come up with me. I felt their eyes on me as well as Daisy’s. I couldn’t do anything, my mind was still shut down.
“Sadie! Jesus! Are you there? I don’t have all fucking day.”
“Daddy,” I whispered.
I hated calling him “Daddy”. I always hated it but it was the only thing he allowed.
At my word, the room electrified.
Shirleen’s arm shot toward Daisy and I saw her fingers snap repeatedly but Daisy was already digging through her purse. I watched as she pulled out her cell.
“There’s talk,” my father said in my ear.
“Talk?” I repeated.
“Talk. We’ll get to that in a minute. Where have you been and why have you refused my calls?”
I blinked.
Was he nuts? Did I play my role that well that for twenty-nine years he actually thought I was the dutiful daughter? I’d always thought my father was smart (he even told me he was smart, he told me this loads) but it seemed apparent he was pretty fucking dumb.
Daisy jumped off the counter, phone to her ear and as she stepped away Ralphie and Roxie got close.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Visiting days, Sadie. Christ, I have things to go over with you. I’ve been here for months, there’s business to attend to, where the fuck have you been?”
“Working,” I replied, wheels had begun to turn in my head as I heard Daisy talking quietly on her cell.
“Working,” his voice was terse, angry and disbelieving. “Your father is in prison and you don’t…”
My back started to go straight and, as my eyes focused on Ralphie’s concerned face, my father’s voice kept on in my ear but I didn’t hear a word he said.
Something strange was happening in my chest. Something hard and hot was forming there and I realized it was anger.
In a flash, my mind reactivated, I lifted my chin and a New Ice Princess, one I’d never met before, one that had a whole different way of dealing with things, slid with a decisive snap into place.
“Excuse me,” I cut into my father talking, my voice dripping icicles.
“What?” he asked.
“I said excuse me. You were talking but I didn’t have any interest in what you were saying so I wanted you to stop speaking so I could ask you why you’re phoning. I have an opening in a few days and work to do.”
My father was silent.
“Hello?” I called.
“Sadie, now’s not the time to be funny,” he warned.
“I’m not being funny. I’m being perfectly serious. Now tell me, is there something you need or is this a social call?”
“Have you lost your mind?” my father exploded.
“No,” I replied shortly.
A brief pause then with soft menace, “It’s true. You’re fucking him.”
I blinked in confusion. “Pardon me?” I asked.
“Chavez. You’re fucking Hector Chavez.”
I wasn’t “fucking” Hector but it was close enough for my body to start shaking.
How could he know?
Obviously word got round, even in prison.
New Ice Princess replied for me, “I can’t imagine why that would be any of your business.”
“You’re joking.”
“May I ask, father, why you’re phoning when you hear I’m fucking Hector and you didn’t phone when I’m sure you probably heard that Ricky Balducci beat me senseless, broke multiple bones and raped me?”
My father displayed a one track mind and his response made my heart squeeze painfully.
“Hector? You call him Hector?”
“Well, I can hardly call out, ‘Agent Chavez, oo Agent Chavez,’ when he makes me climax, now can I?” I snapped, New Ice Princess gone, Attitude Sadie in her place and I heard Roxie let out a surprised giggle.
“Sadie, you little –”
I broke in before he could finish. “We’re done,” I snapped. “And I mean that. We’re done. Don’t call back, don’t write and don’t come looking for me on that sorry day when they let you out.”
With that, I took the phone from my ear (even while he was still talking), I pressed the off button and slammed the phone down on the counter.
My gaze swung around my audience. Uncertain faces watched me, Daisy was back amongst the crowd and all their eyes were on me.
&n
Instead, Shirleen’s hand touched the small of my back. At her touch, I lifted my hands, put them over my face and burst into tears.
Shirleen turned me into her arms and pulled me into her body. “Get it out, child, get it out.”
I pressed my face into her shoulder and cried, hard, fierce, body-wracking sobs.
I wanted a “Dad”, someone like Tom. Hell, someone like Tex would be fine by me. Both of them cared more that I was raped than my own fucking father did.
And I wanted my Mom back.
“I want my Mom back,” I said into Shirleen’s shoulder and realized that, somewhere between her pulling me in her arms and that moment, we were joined by the others in a group hug.
“Sh, child,” Shirleen said and someone’s hand stroked my hair.
“I really hate him,” I whispered.
“Sh,” Shirleen responded.
The air changed and the change was so strong, my head come up.
The door had opened and Hector was there. He looked about ten times more angry than he did that morning when I’d been stupid and let Ren hold me a shade too long – not that I could have even thought that was possible but there it was, written all over him.
Alaskan Hottie was with him.
Hector stalked toward me and the girls and Ralphie disbursed. I stared and wiped my eyes as he crossed the room in long, angry strides.
“What did I do now?” I cried when he was close.
I put my hand up, he walked right into it and his arms went around me.
“I heard the call,” he said, looking down at me, face still full of rage.
I blinked (yes, again!). “You did?”
“We bugged your phone.”
Of course. They bugged my phone.
“Your father’s slime,” he continued, his voice vibrating with anger.
I couldn’t refute him, he spoke fact.
“You okay?” he asked.
“No,” I answered.