Rock Chick Regret (Rock Chick #7)(46)

“What does that mean?”

“That means a lot of girls livin’ your life wouldn’t make that decision if it meant they couldn’t live in big houses, wear designer clothes and drive expensive cars.”

I blinked at him. “Hector, I don’t know if you know this but I do have a trust fund.”

“You got three million dollars in a trust fund. That is not gonna give you the kind of life you lived with your father.”

He was right, of course. Three million dollars was a lot of money but my father was worth loads more (before the Feds seized it, of course).

This was all making me a bit uncomfortable so before I could think better of it I blurted, “Can we go back to the jovial, fun-loving portion of the morning?”

He stared at me, still angry for a minute then his face cleared and he blew out a sigh.

“Wish you’d picked the tongue in my mouth, hand up my shirt portion of the morning.”

I kind of wished I picked that too.

He gave me another squeeze, I caught his grin and I realized that now he was teasing me.

My stomach did another pitch.

“Sweet ‘ums, I know you’re going for the world record for longest date in the history of man but we have paintings to sell so we can pay on our Z Gallerie credit card,” Ralphie said from the door to the kitchen.

Hector and I turned our heads and looked at Ralphie.

“I don’t have a Z Gallerie credit card,” I told Ralphie.

“Yes, but I do. Come on you two, up and at ‘em.” Ralphie clapped his hands. “Chop chop.”

This time, I blew out a sigh.

Hector did an ab curl, I came up with him, ended up on his lap, he stood and set me on my feet. I realized then I was shoeless and Hector was bootless.

“How did my shoes get taken off?” I asked, staring at my feet.

“Buddy and I woke up Hispanic Hottie when we got home,” Ralphie said. “Well, Buddy did, he was being really loud. Anyway, I got Hector a blanket, he took off your shoes and that’s all I saw. I had a hunk a burnin’ love to get to bed before he hurled on the hall carpet.”

I looked at Hector. “I slept through that?”

Even though I asked Hector, Ralphie answered, “Like a baby.”

I was a light sleeper; I’d wake up at a kitten’s mew. How could I sleep through that?

“Come on, I made coffee and I’m thinking toasted brioche with marmalade. Yum-a-licious!” Ralphie went on.

“Thanks but I have to go,” Hector said and Ralphie’s eyebrows went up.

“Have you had brioche?” Ralphie asked.

“No,” Hector answered.

“You don’t want to miss brioche,” Ralphie advised him.

Hector threw Ralphie a smile and then turned to me. His arm went around my waist and he pulled me gently to him so our sides and parts of our fronts were touching.

His head bent to mine, he gave me a quick kiss and he looked into my eyes.

“I’ll go home, shower, change. I’ll call Eddie and Shirleen. Shirleen’ll call Daisy. You call your friend Bex. I’ll come back and take you to the Station. Tell Bex to meet you there in two hours,” Hector told me.

Oh no.

In all the goings-on, I forgot I promised him I’d go to the Station.

I opened my mouth to say something but Ralphie got there before me.

“The Station?” he asked.

Hector’s eyes swung to Ralphie. “Sadie and I talked last night and she’s agreed to press charges against Ricky and Harvey Balducci this morning.”

I watched as Ralphie’s face went pale and his hand came up to hold onto the doorjamb. His reaction alarmed me and my body went tight in preparation to go to him.

Before I could move, Ralphie breathed, “He’s going to pay?”

I felt the tears hit the backs of my eyes just as I saw them shimmering in Ralphie’s and heard the tremor of feeling in his voice.

“He’s gonna pay,” Hector said.

Ralphie blinked, got himself together and took his hand from the doorjamb.

“You… are… a… miracle worker!” he announced to Hector. “You are officially Ralphie’s Man of the Week. No! Man of the Month! I’m making you a certificate!”

I felt Hector’s body start to shake with laughter as Ralphie charged into the room.

“Go! Do your business. We’ll get Sadie ready,” Ralphie said, grabbing my hand, yanking me out of Hector’s arm and pulling me toward the hall.

I looked behind me as Ralphie pulled me away and saw Hector leaning down to pick up his boots.

When he straightened, his eyes came to me and still grinning he said, “I’ll be back in an hour.”

My heart was beating and I was scared out of my mind. In the cold light of day, I was not sure about this pressing charges business.

But the only thing I could get in before Ralphie dragged me into the hall was, “Okay.”

* * * * *

Hector, Buddy and I walked into the Station.

Ralphie had gone to Art to open up.

After Hector left, Ralphie woke up Buddy and shared the news that I was going to the Station. Buddy (according to Ralphie) jumped out of bed “lickity split”.

Buddy spent the morning gulping down copious amounts of ibuprofen mixed with acetaminophen with the addition of caffeine in his coffee. Still, he looked like hell but Buddy didn’t have a shift that day (thus, him allowing himself to tie one on last night) and Ralphie informed me there was no way “on God’s green earth” I was going to the Station without one of them with me.