Page 26 of His Sunshine Baby

I keep thinking, but I guess the answer won’t just fall from the sky. Gosh, this is so enervating! Daniel puts an arm around my shoulders, comforting me.

“Hey, Elena, you’ll find out eventually. Okay, babe? You know, I don’t care where you come from, even if you turn out to be some weird alien.”

I laugh a bit. Danny and his thing for sci-fi movies.

“Anyway, you’re my babe, my bestie, okay? You can always count on me. I’m here for you.”

I smile at him. I love my Danny. He’s always been there for me. When we were kids, when we were teens, and now. I know he’ll never ever let me down. He knows how scared I am for my dad, how badly I want to know who I really am, and how messed up I am inside.

I sigh and hug him back. If it wasn’t for Danny, I would be a wreck right now. I might not even be here at all.

“Alright, who was going to take me to Pepe’s and get me laid? My turn to get a guy!” says Danny, suddenly excited.

I sigh and show him my arm.

“Danny, I’m covered in bruises. I’m not sure I can go out looking like this.”

“To hell with that. Put on your purple jumpsuit, I’ll take care of the rest!” he says, then kisses my head and gets up.

I obey and get dressed as he said. Indeed, my legs are completely covered, all the way down to my ankles, but the neckline is still quite low and the purple spots on my arms are still exposed. However, it turns out Daniel has a solution for that too. After a few minutes and with a bit of foundation, most of my bruises have disappeared. Now I just have to make sure not to accidentally stain my jumpsuit with it. I grab a few bracelets that his mom made; the bohemian style compliments my outfit. Daniel is all dressed up too, in a sexy shirt and tight pants that enhance his thin legs.

I slap his butt when he walks past me.

“Hey, nice booty!” I say with a laugh.

“Stop it!”

I laugh at his outraged expression. For someone who always talks so bluntly, Daniel can be such a prude! I love to tease him like this. He doesn’t like to let it show, but he’s such a romantic at heart. He secretly reads mushy stories and he’s the first one to cry when we watch a sappy movie.

Alright, tonight, I’ll find a good guy for my Danny! While putting my hair up, I try to think of some mental criteria I should keep in mind. Danny loves tall guys, the muscular hunk type, preferably Latin. He’s crazy for Spanish accents.

“You ready, babe?”

I nod, and we exit our apartment and head to Pepe’s nightclub. It’s small, but the most famous one downtown. Notably, a hotspot for good Latin music and dancing. Daniel and I ventured there before we were even of age and have loved the place since. A lot of the patrons are regulars; hence we see a few familiar faces in the queue. Some friends from our pack come to say hi, but as we enter the nightclub, I suddenly feel a strange sensation of disappointment overcome me.

I know this place almost by heart, so why do I find myself comparing it to The Rain right now? I follow Danny, looking around, looking for someone who has no reason to be here. I’m stupid, alright. There’s no way one of the Black brothers would get lost in a small nightclub in the Latin District.

I feel stupid for being so disappointed! What the heck am I thinking right now? This is supposed to be our fun night! I go ahead of Danny to order myself a Cosmopolitan from the barman. Daniel goes for a caipirinha, one of his favorites. By the time our drinks are ready, the crowd has grown rapidly. I don’t recognize the DJ, but he looks young, probably a newbie. Pepe lets the young ones start the night, as usual. Daniel is already moving his feet in sync with the music, but I’m not really in the mood yet. I don’t even pay attention to the mix playing. I’m justlooking around, with that little, silent hope of finding a pair of sky-blue eyes.

“Elena!” Daniel’s pinch on my arm makes me jump.

“What?” I ask, a bit ashamed.

“You’ve got to be kidding me! Really? Snap out of it, girl!”

“I was not–”

“Oh, shut it!”

It’s no use lying to Danny, he knows me better than anyone. Instead, I avoid his glare by putting my lips on my glass of Cosmo. I hope I’m not blushing like a tomato. He’s right, he’s right. I’m stupid and I need to snap out of it, for sure. I sigh.

“Alright, found anyone you fancy?” I ask, in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

“I’ll look as soon as I know I can take my eyes off you! Elena, you forget you-know-who right here and now! Come on, the nightclub is full, just go dance with some dude!”

The nightclub is full for sure, but about two-thirds of the venue right now is most likely gay. It’s Pride Month, and as George said, Pepe’s club is the perfect place for the community to celebrate that. Indeed, I spot a lot of same-sex couples cuddling and rainbows proudly displayed or worn.

But before I can even say a thing, Daniel puts me in the arms of the first person he sees. The guy, a bit surprised, laughs and makes me spin. He’s got curly brown hair, round glasses, a cute denim romper, and sure enough, a warm smile. I smile back by reflex and start dancing with him. I see Daniel give me a wink from the bar before he steps off and joins the crowd.

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