I snake my way through the club, the crowd now denser than it was before.
I scan the dance floor for Claudia. I'm not the best salsa dancer, but I can hold my own when I shake my ass next to hers. Which I'm itching to do.
I spot the guy she targeted earlier, but he's still at the bar drinking alone. His demeanor is different though. He's not laid back like he was when we first arrived. He seems agitated now. Tense, annoyed. I can tell by just his body language and the way he sips his drink. Guzzles is more like it. My defenses go up. Where the fuck is Claudia?
My search becomes a little more stringent as I scour the room. Strobe lights obstructing my vision now and again as they cross the path of my eyes.
Then I spot her, in an obscure corner. A dark, unnoticeable corner, and she's not alone. My defenses go from alert to attack when I see her pinned against the wall. I stride across the floor, bumping shoulders with anyone in my way. I measure up the guy who has Claudia trapped in a body cage. I pick up momentum as I approach him. He's a jacked motherfucker, but every brick shit house has a weakness, and I know them all, so I'm not overly concerned about his size. With a swift kick, I take out his knee, disturbing his balance so I can knock him onto the ground. He goes down hard, just like a ton of bricks would. Claudia's shocked face says it all as I grab her hand and pull her away. She can explain what happened later. We don't make it more than three steps when I feel a hand land on my shoulder. I don't think, I just react, throwing an elbow back, I smash him in the nose. I feel the crunch and hear the crack as his septum shatters.
"Fuck!" he screams as he covers his face and blood seeps through the fissures in his fingers.
"Next time," I hiss as he's hunched over, "I'll break more than just your nose."
"Bitch," he chokes.
"Damn straight," I gladly own the accolade.
"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon." Claudia yanks on my arms as two juiced bouncers close in on us.
We run out of the closest exit and in the direction of the parking lot. Once safely inside her car, we both breathe a sigh of relief.
"Who the hell was that?" I ask as she starts the ignition.
"My past coming back to haunt me." She peels out of the spot, thrusting me back against the seat.
"Take it fucking easy, Speed Racer!" I laugh.
"I could say the same to you!" She cackles. "You broke his damn nose, crazy bitch!"
"He had his hands on you!" I defend my actions.
"I know. You're my hero." She bats her long, black eyelashes at me.
"Was he one of your brother's friends or one of your exes?"
Claudia chews on her bottom lip as she looks ahead at the road. "Both. Jacko just got out. I haven't seen him in years, but I guess he thought he still has some kind of claim over me. Fucking caveman. He saw me dancing with Hector and ripped me right off the dance floor. Asshole. I really liked him, too. We were totally connecting. And then poof, once again my past derails my present." Claudia bristles. "Hector even tried to defend me. It was really sweet, actually, but one death stare from Jacko, and he backed off. I sort of wish you broke more than his nose."
"I would have if we weren't in public." I curl the corner of my mouth up deviously.
Claudia's dark eyes widen as she looks over at me. "I believe you."
A heavy, sobering silence blankets the small space before we both crack, giggles smashing the uncomfortable quiet.
"So where are we going now?" I ask as I wipe a tear from my eye.
"My place. I have a bottle of tequila and two fatties with our names on them."
"Sounds like my kind of party."
"I know it is." Claudia and I continue to laugh all the way home.
"CHICA." CLAUDIA NUDGES me, but I ignore her.
"Go away, I'm sleeping," I roll over and mutter irritably.
"Chica, your phone has been ringing off the hook. Answer that shit already." She kicks me in the thigh.
"Fuck! Give me it." I raise my hand, and she places it in my palm. I throw it across the room then bury my head under the pillow.
"Seriously?" she bitches as it annoyingly chirps. I feel the mattress dip and then hear Claudia's bare feet pad across the bedroom floor. "If you won't fucking answer it, I will."
I pop my head up, the sunlight blinding me. Fuck, too much tequila. I will never learn. Claudia drinks me under the table every time. "Who is it?" I ask with one eye open.
"It says G." She shows me the screen.
Double fuck.
"Give me." I reluctantly lift my hand.
Claudia once again slaps the phone into my palm and walks out of the bedroom. The letter G is permanently splashed on the screen as it continues to ring. I take a deep breath and answer. "Hello."