“We need to work on your definition of ‘ugly.’ Your brother is fine as fuck. And he fucks so fine.”
“Lalalalala!” I chant, plugging my ears.
“Oh, come on. It’s not like I was telling about how amazing his long, thick—”
“Katherine Knox, I will throw you the fuck out of my house,” I threaten, slamming my makeup bag onto the chest of drawers with a mirror above it. She laughs, very proud of herself, before raising her hands as a sign of surrender. “Seriously, you hoe. It’s weird enough to know you’re banging him. I don’t need details.”
“Alright, I promise I’ll behave. But honestly, you can’t blame me for looking at Lex. Like MC always says, when God gives you eye candy, the least you can do is appreciate it.”
I finish my abuela’s saying with her, touched that she remembers that one.
“Have you been to see her?” I ask, feeling bad for not making the time to drive down to Portland.
“Yes, Rafa and I go every evening. She’s heading home tomorrow. They’ve cleared her. Everyone is very optimistic about her recovery.”
“Yeah, I heard. For now, the only unknown variable is her head injury.”
“I’m sure she’ll be fine, Dee. If there’s ever one woman with a thick skull, it’s her.” I laugh, liking the fact that it is yet another thing I have in common with my abuela.
When I mess up my eyeliner for the third time, she extends her hand to take it from me. “Sorry,” I wince. “I haven’t done my makeup in two months.”
“It shows. Face up, eyes closed,” she instructs once I’m done cleaning up my mess.
She does one side, and I hear the bathroom door opening. When I look, Lex is coming out of it, his towel resting higher on his hips, up to his navel. Good boy. That trail of hair going down and those deep V lines are for my eyes only.
“Chop chop, you slut,” I urge Kate, closing my eyes for the second side.
When Lex comes out again, my face is done, and he’s wearing black suit pants and a crisp white shirt, with the sleeves rolled up his toned forearms. I haven’t seen him dressed up in a long time, and it definitely does something to me. That’s my man. And he’s as intelligent as he’s handsome.
The intercom’s ring fills the space again, and I check the time on the nightstand. Well, given how early it is, it’s probably Mason, who is early for the first time in his life, eager to discover the inside of Lex’s home.
“Let my late birthday party fucking start, then,” I tell Kate, offering her my arm.
“About damn time. We could have done that two months ago, as planned. So stupid of you to get shot,” she says as we walk out together.
“I know. I rate that experience zero out of ten. I would not recommend it.”
“Silly girl. All those superhero movies made you think you’re bulletproof, didn’t they?”
“I know you’re kidding, but my mom actually blamed my dad for putting those ideas in my head.”
“She did?” Kate asks, turning to me. “What a dramatic queen. I love her.”
“Mason is coming up,” Lex announces as we join him in the living area.
“Speaking of dramatic queens…” I turn to Kate and say, “You’ll love him. He’s a whole vibe, you’ll see.”
“I’ve heard so much about him, I can’t wait to meet him.”
“I’ll get the margaritas started,” Lex offers.
“Perfect, thank you, baby.”
This little distraction will be a lot of fun, won’t it? I’m not sure I even realized just how much I needed that, needed to see my friends and have some fun. And tonight, I’m determined to have as much fun as possible.
Our future is uncertain, and until we solve our little problem, I’ll live with one motto in mind.
Carpe fucking diem.
