Page 43 of Tell Me What You Want, Or Leave Me

Jesús manages to compose himself after a moment.

“Raquel, I’m not going to hold this against you, but we need to talk,” he says.

He’s not going to hold it against her?

I want to get up and kick his head in. What kind of an asshole is he?

Eric sees me shifting around in my seat, and, not letting go of my hand, he looks at me. That look alone tells me to be cool.

“Look, Jesús,” Raquel responds, surprising me, “please hold it against me, because I plan to do it again as many times as I wish. We’re separated! And before you start with your speech, the answer is no!”

“But...but...”

“But nothing!” she exclaims.

Jesús looks at her like he doesn’t know her, and I’m not in the least bit surprised—I don’t think I know her either!

Suddenly Juan Alberto stuns us all by standing up, and, with my sister still in his arms, stares down my ex-brother-in-law.

“Listen, dude, this beautiful woman has nothing to say to you,” he says. “From now on, every time you call her cell, you’re going to have to deal with me because we’re sick of your calls and your insistence. She has no desire to see you, to dine with you, to talk to you. First of all, because she doesn’t want to, and second of all, because this beautiful woman is with me. And I’m very possessive. What’s mine is mine, and I don’t let anyone else near it. Pay your alimony and support, which is your responsibility because you’re the father. As far as my queen here is concerned, I’ll take care of the rest. So, run along and get out of my sight, got it?”

I’m flabbergasted.

Totally floored.

“You heard him, Jesús,” says my sister, holding on to Juan Alberto and looking at her ex with incredible satisfaction. “Goodbye!”

“But what about the girls?”

“You’ll see the girls whenever it’s your turn,” says Raquel. “Don’t ever worry about that.”

The poor man processes what’s happened and turns around and slinks away. Once he’s gone, I look over at my sister, still amazed, and see she can’t believe it either. She’s looking scared and babbling at Juan Alberto.

“Thanks...Thanks for your help.”

He lets go of her and sits back down, and, as he does, his gaze runs over Raquel’s body. “You’re something else,” he says.

“Man alive,” Eric says and laughs.

How can he laugh at a moment like this?

I realize my sister is completely traumatized by what just happened, and I go into action immediately. I take her hand and pull her away from everyone. We go to the bathroom, where she pours water on her neck. I don’t know what to say.

“Oh, Cuchufleta...”

“I know.”

“Oh, I’m so hot, Cuchu.”

“Not surprising.”

“Did I just do what I think I did?” my sister asks, astonished.

“Yes.”

“Seriously?”

“I witnessed it all. You did it.”

---