I remove the lid on my coffee on autopilot, still submerged in my visions, blowing on the top to cool the caramel-colored liquid as I take another drink from my cup.
“Mmm,” I hum in appreciation.
Ramón breaks me from my trip down memory lane, and I look at him, realizing he said something. “What was that?” I ask.
He places his chess pieces on the board and lifts his chin toward the guy who gave me his phone number.
“I’d throw away that number away if I were you,” he says nonchalantly.
I cross my arms over my chest defensively, look at Mateo, and then back at him. Sitting back, I kick one foot out in a relaxed pose.
“And why is that, Ramón?”
He sits forward as if he has some secret to tell me, and I find myself leaning forward, mimicking his position as if he is one of my friends from high school.
“I saw his wife with their baby in here the other day…” He lets that sink in, and I immediately sit up straight, my nostrils flaring.
“So he’s a cheater?”
He places his hands up defensively.
“Hey, I don’t know if it is his wife, but it sure seemed like it, especially when she left with the kid waving its little cute chubby hand in the air, saying, ‘Say bye to Daddy.’”
Mateo almost chokes on his iced coffee, and I glance at him, daring him to breathe another word.
“Geez, calm down. I wasn’t going to call him, but now I’m annoyed that his name and number are on my cup.” I point at the offending cup with my hand. I look at the scribbled marker, and a thought comes into my mind of taking his number and giving it to an escort service who…
Mateo has his hand on my arm, stopping me from plotting and scheming the downfall of Dylan, the barista.
“Evie, whatever you are thinking, let it go.” His penetrating gaze reminds me so much of my sister’s. She would give me a similar look when I wanted to take revenge on someone or get even. I nod once and smile up at him.
“No problem, Mattie. It’s already forgotten.” I glance over at Ramón.
His look tells me he isn’t so sure, but he nods at the chessboard and speaks to Mateo. “Are you ready to lose, buddy?”
After Mattie and Ramón played a few games resulting in Ramón sweeping Mattie best two out of three, we say our goodbyes, and make plans to get together again soon. We are in the car driving to our apartment, which resides between the beach and the city. It was a compromise for both of us because we knew where we wanted to be and where we had to be. Conflicted, we opted for the halfway mark, much like we do with everything in our lives. Breaking the silence engulfing the car, I look toward Mateo, his expression one of contemplation.
“Mattie?”
His eyes crinkle in confusion as I pull him away from wherever his mind is. “Yeah, Eves?”
I fidget with my hands. “I like your friend. He, um, seemed… nice.”
His eyes soften. “Well, he seems as lonely as we are, so I thought maybe we could all get together and maybe not be so lonely together.”
I nod in understanding.
He takes his eyes away from traffic again, sparing me a quick glance. “You look like you want to ask me something.” He poses this as a statement when it’s more of a question.
I swallow, done with the motions and vulnerability, deciding to take a chance. “I’d really like to see Jameson.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know, Evie. He’s friends with Eduardo. The whole point is to keep you hidden, to keep Emma safe.”
I attempt to bite my nails in frustration but just end up stabbing my lip. I look down at them and frown—maybe a little too pointed. I flick my hand out, admiring my filing job. “Okay,” I almost whisper.
He pulls my hand away from my mouth. “Maybe wait a little while longer, yeah? See if he can be trusted. Maybe feel him out by talking to him first. The holidays are coming, so get to know him and size up his character.”
I smile, now having something to look forward to for the first time in a very long time. “I could do that.”
