Page 14 of Loving Smoke

“No issues.” Blood waited a beat. “Why don’t you ask me what you really wanna know?”

“What?” I shrugged really trying to sell my indifference.

“Shit, you are the worst fuckin’ liar. You wanna know about Marisol.”

“Who?” Maybe that was overkill.

Blood rolled his eyes. “Marisol, the female bartender who can’t tell time.”

“Oh her, yeah, how’d she work out?”

“Fine,” Blood deadpanned. “Anything else you wanna know?”

“No fucker, just asking a question.”

“Hmmhmm, I saw the way you were eyeballin’ her all night. You’re not as cool as you think.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Just don’t go getting your dick twisted up again. You wanna screw around, have some fun, fine, but please for fuck’s sake don’t take it any further.”

“I said like three sentences to her and you’re getting all up my ass.”

“And you and I both know when it comes to you getting with a woman there’s a pattern. They’re usually already taken, way outta your league, or they’re screwing every guy in sight while telling you you’re the only one.”

“Sounds like you got me all figured out.” I couldn’t keep the edge off my voice, but the annoying fucker was right. I had a dangerous habit of always picking the wrong woman.

“Two years ago, you were hanging out with that whore Melanie who was ballin’ every guy with a dick and when you caught her you went so crazy you ended up in the joint. Then the Princess of La Jolla had your dick so twisted you forgot about business and well”—Blood motioned around the room—“We ended up here.”

“All right, all right.” I didn’t need to be reminded of my screw ups and especially the latest one that dropped our asses in Tijuana.

“Just sayin’, brother, be smart this time. Especially since this one is way too young. Her application said she lives a couple of miles from here, probably with her parents, so I really doubt she’s up for your brand of kink.”

“I get it, I get it. She’s off-limits. I’ve already forgotten about her.”

Blood said I wasn’t a good liar, but just then I spit out the biggest lie of all and he bought it. Cause the more Blood told me to stay away and listed all the reasons I should stay away, the hotter little Miss Marisol looked.

From now on when she was working I’d make a beeline for my office. Then I planned on staying in there with the door closed until her shift was over.

Pussy move, for sure, but I didn’t trust myself.

6

Iwalked five blocks from The Tropics and waited at the corner where my brother, Manny, told me he’d pick me up. He wasn’t known for his punctuality. A trait that drove my father and I crazy.

I mindlessly scrolled on my phone satisfied I’d done a good job tonight. It was hard to imagine how Smoke and Blood transformed the place from a rundown strip joint to an upscale club.

Ten minutes later, Manny’s dark grey Lamborghini pulled up and hovered by the curb. I slid into the passenger seat and almost choked at the cloud of smoke surrounding me.

“Open a window at least.”

Manny’s handsome face split into a grin, as he offered me the blunt. I waved it away, and opened my window hoping he wasn’t too high to drive us to the Baja coast.

“So, how’d it go?”

Manny’s question surprised me because he rarely cared about anything other than his sports cars, his designer clothes, his next trip to Europe—and women, lots and lots of women.

“It was only the first night, but I did okay.”

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