The Slayer (Untamed Hearts #2)(40)

“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 f*ck 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.”

“We can’t stop for gas and stop at the Cellar. Jules will be sitting there for thirty minutes. You know how she drives. She’s probably already there.”

“Jules is fine.” Chuito pulled into the gas station. “It’s five cents cheaper than Garnet.”

“Five cents.” She laughed incredulously. “You are so cheap, Chu. I will give you the extra quarter.”

He turned and looked at her when he parked at the pump. “Do you have a quarter?”

She frowned at that, because they both knew she was struggling with law school to pay for. She had enough in scholarships and financial aid to get by without relying on Jules to pay for it like she had for the first four years of her education, but taking on the extra expenses was going to hurt.

“Exactly,” Chuito said as he opened the door. “Keep your quarter, ’cause we both know you need it. Let me get gas.”

Alaine stopped fussing with her makeup and texted Jules.

Running late. So sorry. Chu had to get gas ’cause it’s five cents cheaper.

Jules texted her back right away.

Take your time.

Alaine frowned at her phone, because that was odd for Jules.

Chuito got back into the car, and Alaine said, “Jules said take your time. Weird.”

“Shit.” Chuito winced. “I have to go to the bathroom.”

She just stared at him. “Here?”

“What’s wrong with here?”

She gave the gas station a horrified look. “There’s a reason their gas is five cents cheaper. It comes out of the maintenance of their facilities.”

“You’re so spoiled, mami.” Chuito laughed at her. “I feel like I should be honored to sit next to a real-life princess.”

“Okay.” She shrugged. “Go catch something. Have fun.”

“I stand up to take a piss.”

“Thank you, Chu,” she said as she gave him another look. “I surely do appreciate you sharing that.”

“Maybe you didn’t know.” He laughed again. “I’m just clarifying.”

“I would rather pee in the woods than use those facilities.”

“That can be arranged. There are plenty of woods on the way back.”

“Just go!” She shooed him off. “Wyatt is supposed to meet us there. It’s rude to make them wait this long.”

“If you looked up rude in the dictionary, it’d have Wyatt’s picture,” Chuito pointed out. “I’m not too worried about it.”

“Go!” she shouted at him.

“Bossy.” He got out of the car and gave her another deep-dimpled grin. “Good thing I like bossy women.”

Alaine gestured to the gas station rather than respond.

She watched as Chu ran to the gas station, getting positively soaked in the process. Then she went back to working on her makeup, thinking she should’ve asked Chuito to look and see if they were selling umbrellas in the gas station.

As she sat there, her phone beeped again, and she looked at her lap, seeing another text.

How long?

She closed her mascara and picked up the phone and started texting with Jules. Late. Like thirty minutes.

What?? What are y’all doing?

Chu had to pee.

Not at the Harkin gas station.

That one!

Gross!

Right?

When Chuito got back into the car, Alaine turned to him. “Jules agrees with me ’bout the gas station.”