Page 55 of The Slayer
Her hair was drenched, and she pushed it away from her forehead.
“Come on.” Chuito grabbed her hand, tugging her in.
“My purse is all wet. I should’ve left it in the car.”
Chuito raised his eyebrows at her. “I’d rather you didn’t.”
“Just go. I’ll stand here. Go get your stuff. I’ll wait.”
“Keep me company.”
“In the men’s locker room?”
“Sit outside the locker room.”
“You said it was going to take you one minute,” Alaine complained, even as Chuito was using his hold on her hand to tug her into the main part of the gym, that she only now noticed was completely dark. “Why are the lights off?”
Alaine blinked when the lights unexpectedly came on, glaring and fluorescent.
“Congratulations!”
She held up her hands, blinking again at all the people who were suddenly there. The entire Cellar was decorated, with streamers hanging down from the ceiling. There was a table in the middle, with the biggest cake she had ever seen in her life.
Even bigger than the one Wyatt bought Chuito after he won his title belt.
“Oh.” She covered her mouth as she started crying again and turned to Chuito. “Did you do this?”
Chuito shook his head. “No.”
“I did this!” Jules announced as she ran up to hug her, forcing Alaine off her feet in her enthusiasm. “I’m so proud of you! Valedictorian. I couldn’t tell you how excited I was because I thought you’d suspect. Oh, darlin’, I amsoproud.” Jules turned back to everyone else. “Her speech was amazing. It made me think the world could be better. I believed her.” Jules glanced back to Alaine, tears running down her face too. “Look at what you did. You did it. I feel like—” Jules touched her chest as more tears ran down her cheeks. “It’s like my baby graduated. You’ve grown into such a powerful, strong woman and—”
“If you don’t call her mamá,” Chuito started as he gave Alaine a look, “I will.”
Jules punched his chest. “Shut your trap!”
“I’m just saying—” Chuito held out his hand to Jules as evidence but then flinched when she hit him. “Coño, Jules! You bruise me when you hit like that.”
“I’ll bruise you.” She kicked his shin, making him jump. “You ruined my moment. You’re worse than Wyatt.”
“Your moment was making every man in here uncomfortable. One crying woman is enough.” Chuito dodged another hit. “I did my job. I got her here. I even had to use that nasty bathroom to buy time. Now I’m gonna go have a beer.”
“You’re driving! You can’t drink.”
Chuito gave her another harsh look. “Okay, mamá! I can have one beer.”
Alaine couldn’t help it; she burst out laughing and held her hands up at everyone. “This is my life. Do you see what my life is?”
“It’s my life too,” Wyatt said as he walked up and pulled her into a big bear hug. “And I’m so sorry about that.”
Alaine was still laughing as she hugged Wyatt back. “I’m sorry too.”
“We’re proud of you.” Wyatt kissed her cheek. “And you better have the time of your life, ’cause Jules made us hang all this shit up. Pain in my ass. She’s been like a drill sergeant.”
“You know you didn’t have to do that,” Alaine said and squeezed Wyatt’s biceps.
“Yeah, you try telling her that.” Clay hugged Alaine when Wyatt let her go. “But we were happy to do it.”
“I’ve been cooking for two days,” Hal, one of Jules’s dear friends who ran the diner down the road, offered as he hugged Alaine next. “You better enjoy it.”
