“I’ve got money,” I told him.
“Mi cielo, wallet.” His tone didn’t invite discussion.
I figured I was lucky to get away with the “Fred and Wilma” argument so I wasn’t going to push my luck. I cocked my arm so my hand with the wallet was over my shoulder. He took it from me then kept talking in my ear.
“This end of the bar, I wanna be able to see you at all times.”
I turned my head, nodded to him and he let me go.
I smiled to myself on the way to the bar, that warm, happy glow mingling with the lovely, safe, snugly comfort.
It felt good to be looked after.
“Four Fat Tires,” I called to the bartender when he jerked his chin at me.
I felt a presence slide in beside me and I looked to my right then over the shoulder of the beautiful, dark-haired woman there to ascertain if I could still see Hector. I could so my body settled.
“I’m Natalie,” the woman said and my surprised eyes went to her.
Wow. She was nice. Walking right up to me and introducing herself.
“Hi. I’m Sadie,” I returned the niceness.
“Saw you with Hector,” she said to me.
I blinked at her, not certain sure where this was going and thinking it might not be nice at all.
“Yes,” I said hesitantly.
She leaned in. “Not bein’ a bitch or anything, but, girl to girl, be careful.”
I blinked again.
“What?”
“Hector. Be careful. He’s a dawg.”
“A dog?”
“A dawg,” she repeated.
My eyes narrowed and my back went straight. “He’s not a dog. He’s a man.”
“Not a dog, a dawg, d-a-w-g. Dawg. A player.”
I knew what a player was.
I looked back over her shoulder at Hector. He was listening to Ava, however Luke, I noted, was watching me.
My eyes went to Natalie. “Maybe you’re thinking of a different Hector,” I tried.
“Nope. He’s nailed me and half the women in this place. Girls look at him as a challenge, I know because I did it too. He’s got the reputation for bein’ good, as in good, which, by the way, he was, off the f**kin’ charts. He’s also got a reputation for not hangin’ around, at all, not even spendin’ the night in most cases. Every girl here probably thought she’d be the one to get a return visit but, far’s I know, he never went back twice, not to me, not to anyone.”
After the words “nailed me” I felt like she started repeatedly punching me in the stomach.
Hector had sex with Natalie?
And half the women in this place?