Page 49 of The Slayer
Fortunately, she wasn’t superstitious.
She was in a very good mood as she sat in the passenger seat of Chuito’s new car, fighting with getting her robe off as they made the drive from Mercy back to Garnet. Taylor Swift played on the radio, blending with theswish, swish, swishof the windshield wipers.
“My hair,” she complained as she tossed her robe into the backseat. She pulled down the visor and looked at herself in the mirror. “Oh my God, Chu. I look awful.”
“You look fine.”
“No.” She rubbed at the mascara under her eyes that had run at some point. “I look like you after a fight.”
“Oh, thanks.”
“What are you complaining ’bout? You look sharp in that suit. I’m the mess.” She laughed as she turned up the radio. Then she leaned down and picked up her purse. “I like this song.”
“I noticed. I hear you singing it in the shower.”
“It’s a love story,” she explained as she used a makeup-remover cloth to clean her face. “I like love stories.”
He sighed. “I know.”
“Are you gonna buy me dinner?” she asked as she sent him a grin. “Sit next to me at Hal’s and everything.”
“I dunno about that.”
“Like a date,” she teased.
“I’m not going on a date with you,” he said with a snort of disbelief. “If your father doesn’t shoot me, Jules will. That man hates me. I can feel it every time I pass him. He hasn’t said a word to me since I moved here, but I can tell he hates me.”
“Shoot, I haven’t talked to my daddy in four months, and he wasn’t exactly polite when I showed up for Sunday service.” Alaine huffed as she worked at reapplying her makeup. “He didn’t come today. You did. Did I sound okay?”
“You sounded great.” Chuito gave her a smile. “I sure as fuck couldn’t get up and give a speech like that.”
“You give speeches after your fights.”
“Those aren’t speeches; they’re just dumb fighters grunting at each other.”
“You’re smart.” She glared at him. “I know you’re smart.”
“I’m not college-valedictorian smart,” Chuito argued. “That’s something, Alaine. I’m proud of you.”
“Proud enough to sit next to me at Hal’s?”
“I have to stop at the Cellar,” Chuito said rather than commit. “Is that okay?”
“Won’t that keep Jules waiting?”
“Jules can wait,” Chuito said dismissively. “It’s good for Jules to wait. She’s so impatient about everything. Carajo, if I didn’t know better, I’d think she was on blow.”
“Why didn’t she ride with us?” Alaine frowned as she considered it. “Save gas.”
“’Cause she’s impatient,” Chuito repeated. “She can’t wait for anyone. She’s worse than my mamá.”
“Don’t let her hear you say that.”
“Right?” Chuito laughed and then tilted his head. “I’m gonna get gas.”
“Why?” She held up her hand to his dashboard. “You have half a tank.”
“It’s cheaper at this station. I don’t get out here that often.”
