Page 44 of Pretty and Loco

I took a couple deep breaths. I remembered thinking that it was nothing that Leah could do to shake me. But playing with my brand? Fucking up the business and costing me millions? That was worse than tapping my house. If anything could piss me off, this was it.

“You didn’t cancel a damn subscription. Leah, you impersonated me, terminated a multi-million-dollar business relationship, and cost me my biggest sponsor. You are going to prison! That’s identity and communications fraud. I just got off the phone with my attorney.”

“Okay, so what? And I would do it again. I told you last night that it was a bad deal. But you didn’t want to listen. I wasn’t trying to hurt your brand.”

She yelled, crossing her arms, and returned the same anger that I had given her.

She didn’t get it; I literally couldn't get through to her. I backed her against the wall. I could see her chest rise and fall as she looked up at me without an inch of regret in her eyes.

“Leah, stay the fuck away from me. This shit is over; it’s done.”

“You’re in my house, Ricardo. I’m not in yours.” She shot back. The same smug look on her face that let me know she thought this shit was a game.

“BECAUSE YOU FUCKING—you know what, you’re right.” I calmed down, backed away from her, and walked toward the door. I didn’t put my hands on her or call her out of her name. But I had to get away from her before anger convinced me to say or do something I couldn’t take back.

Before I could make it there, she grabbed my arm.

“Rocko…”

I pulled away and yanked the door open.

She came behind me; I could hear her bare feet slapping against the floor.

“Rock! I’m not apologizing for protecting you. If I wanted to ruin your life, you’d know.”

I stopped in my tracks and glared at Leah. I mean, I really took a good look at her. Not in the way that I normally did when I noticed how naturally pretty she is. Or took in her body, her eyes, and the smile that got turned me on without her trying.

But I mean, I really looked at her and thought about all the things that finally made sense.

Everything that I liked about her. Her energy, how she always had the answers and never gave the fuck about the odds as long as it made sense to her. Everything that I thought was confidence was pure fucking delusion.

I had spent the last few months trying to talk myself out of falling for her, when the scariest part was her falling for me.

I didn’t respond to her, just hopped in my truck and called my attorney back.

“Jim.” He answered.

“That email address that I asked you about earlier? Send a cease-and-desist to it.” I said as I pulled away from her house. I hadn’t given Jim the full details, only that someone was pretending to be me.

“I was actually already on it.” He said.

“Appreciate you.”

I thanked him, and then we got off the phone. As I rode home, I tried to relax so that I could have my head ready for practice today. But it didn’t look good.

Leah had no idea how much I was sparing her. A part of me still had that Compton mindset that didn’t want to call the police on her. But now that I’m at a different place in life, I had to move differently, so she was going to force my hand. I hoped this cease-and-desist would let her know I was done playing with her.

This is why I didn’t date. I needed to stay focused and keep my head in the game. Attraction could make a man stupid. But Leah had just made sure that mine wore off.

Ihave no regrets.

Rocko

3 Years Later

“Baby, you need to sleep off that alcohol while I take Rocki down to the pool. We’re going to give you a minute to get it together.” My wife laughed as she wobbled over to me and put her hand on her hip.

I leaned down and kissed her lips and put my hand on her belly, rubbing it. She was only seven months pregnant but looked like she was ready to bust any minute now.