Fraternizing (40 page)

Alex pulled me
close, nuzzling his mouth to my neck. “No, she doesn’t. She’s just old school
and suspect about anyone we bring home. Ask Adriana. She hated her boyfriend,
Hector.”

“Yeah well she
sure knew how to make me feel her suspicions.”

Alex brought his
finger up to my lips, halting whatever was due to come out of my mouth next. “We’re
not focusing on my grandma right now. I want you here, and that is all that
matters.”

Without another
word spoken, he took my hand and led me through the abundance of people,
introducing me to everyone—I was sure I wouldn’t remember any of the
names. Thankfully, the rest of the introductions were warm and welcoming, the
polar opposite of meeting Grandma. I met his favorite aunt and uncle, Tia Maria
and Tio Joe. They were the only other people whose names I remembered besides
his mom, grandma, and sister.

The aroma of the
homemade food had my stomach yearning for it. There were pans of carne asada,
chicken, bowls of rice, beans, and what looked like freshly made tortillas. My
stomach did cartwheels, taking in the scrumptious aroma of it all--food that I
loved, but hadn’t had in what felt like forever.

“Dig in,” he
said, handing me a plate.

If I had taken
him literally, I would have shamed myself and taken large amounts of everything
that was available to me. Instead, I kept it modest, only taking a couple of
tortillas and making two carne asada tacos, filled with plenty of cilantro and
pico de gallo. Alex finished off my plate, placing
spoonful’s
of rice and beans onto it before squeezing lime juice onto my tacos.

“You have to eat
the rice and beans. They’re my mom’s, made from scratch with plenty of love.”

I laughed. “Yes,
sir.”

We took a seat at
one of the tables next to a couple of guys who looked to be about Alex’s age. One
of them was in a wheelchair. Alex jumped up and grabbed us a couple of beers,
returning with two cans of Tecate. He popped my top and slid the can over to
me, finally taking his seat and digging into his food.

“Hey, sorry. This
fool is rude as fuck. I’m Danny, Alex’s cousin.”

I hurried and
swallowed the food in my mouth before reaching out my hand and shaking his.

“Sorry, I’m
Cassie.”

“Nice to meet
you, Cassie.” He positioned his wheelchair at the table and began talking to
Alex. “So we don’t see you for who knows how long, and you show up with a
fucking beautiful girl on your arm? Fuck you, Alex.”

Alex laughed,
swallowing his food before turning and hugging Danny.

“Sorry, man. I
get so caught up with work.”

“Is she work
related?” Danny asked, nodding his head in my direction.

“I guess you
could say that.”

Danny turned to
me, his eyes bugging out of his head.

“Fuck, I should
have become a fucking soldier if it meant I could pull chicks like this one.”

“Marine,
asshole,” Alex corrected, chuckling at his cousin. He looked across the table
at me, honey eyes beaming with pride. “Sorry, Danny has no fucking filter, but
he’s harmless.”

“Yeah, I don’t
bite,”
Danny
said, winking at me. He was friendly. I
liked him. “How long have you been a Marine?”

“Not long. Only a
few months.”

“You like that
shit?”

I laughed. “Yeah,
I do.”

Danny nodded his
head appreciatively. “Much
respect
to you two. That’s
some crazy shit you guys do.”

“Thank you.”

A second later,
Adriana was behind me tapping my shoulder, asking me to help her with dessert. Alex
looked at me, nodding his head almost as if he was granting me permission.

“Don’t try to
steal her, Adriana. I want her back.”

“Oh shut up,
Alex. I’ll bring her back in one piece.”

She whisked me
off into the house, beelining for the kitchen. A pan of cupcakes sat on the
counter, waiting to be frosted. She reached into the cabinet, pulling out the
frosting.

“So how long have
you and Alex been together?” she asked, not wasting any time. She handed me a
butter knife, silently asking me to help.

“Not very long. A
few weeks at most.”

“Really?” she
asked. The surprise in her voice and on her face made me cautious on what to
say next.

“Yeah.”

She stopped
frosting and looked at me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out. It’s
just that Alex hasn’t been serious about anyone since his ex-wife. And even
with her, he didn’t look the way he looks with you.”

Now she had me
intrigued. “Really?” I asked, hoping she would delve a little further.

“Yes, really. Alex
is very closed off. I mean, he loves his family, but his personal life is his
personal life. We usually don’t know much about it. He hasn’t brought another
girl over here since his ex, and that was like over a year ago.”

“I didn’t know
that.”

“Yeah. So the
fact that he brought you with all of the family here, it means a lot.”

“Yeah, I was a
bit shocked when we showed up here. Everyone’s been very nice, although I’m
sure your grandma doesn’t like me too much.”

Adriana laughed,
throwing her head back and holding her butter knife.

“She doesn’t know
you to like you or not. My grandma is old and protective. She’s weary of newcomers
until she gets to know them. Once she gets to know you, you’ll be just another
member of the family.”

“I hope so.”

“Oh you will,
don’t worry. And the fact that Alex has you here with the family means he plans
to have you around for a while.”

The door opened
and the cutest little guy strolled in, looking like a mini Alex wearing black
shorts, a muscle t-shirt, and a pair of Chucks.

“Mama, I want
cake.”

“Abel, go back
outside. I’m getting it ready for you.”

The little guy
looked to me with furrowed brows. He had no clue
who
I
was, and it showed on his little face. He walked back outside,
then
Adriana stopped frosting and turned to me.

“I don’t know how
much Alex has told you, but he’s like the golden boy of the family.”

“Really? He
didn’t tell me that.”

“Yeah. Our dad
isn’t around. He hasn’t been around for the greater part of both of our lives. Alex
was a shithead as a kid, always fighting, always in trouble. When he got into
big trouble, and then finally made the decision to join the Marines, everyone
was excited because it meant he would get away from it all. And it’s a good
thing he did because he used to run with my ex-boyfriend, Hector. He’s Abel’s
father. They also ran with our cousin Danny and few other knuckleheads.”

“He told me he
got into a bit of trouble. Is Hector the serious trouble he got into? If you
don’t mind me asking?”

“I don’t mind. And
no, Hector is not the asshole that Alex beat the shit out of. I met Hector
after, but he’s locked up. Another freakin’ winner.”

“What happened to
Danny?”

“Danny was shot
in the back. He and Hector ran with some gang members, and some shit went down
and Danny got shot. He’ll be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.”

“Wow.”

“That’s why Alex
is looked up to so much in this family. With
all of the
negative going on, Alex made a choice and it bettered his life. My grandma used
to say he was going to die young because of all of the trouble he used to find
himself into. So when he joined the Marines and transformed himself, she
couldn’t believe it. They try to get him to talk to the younger cousins,
showing them that they can do better as well. I made him Abel’s godfather. His
dad is locked up, so he needs good, steady role models in his life. Alex isn’t
here on an everyday basis, but he calls often, and on holidays and birthdays he
makes sure to come and see him.”

A pang of guilt
hit me. His family had him placed on a pedestal, and what we were currently
engaged in could tarnish the image that they had of him. I didn’t know what to
say. I didn’t want the guilt to come spilling out of me.

“Anyway. That’s
why I said Alex must really see a future with you to bring you here. If he
hasn’t told you that he loves you, it’s coming because this family is tight,
and he doesn’t just bring anyone in.”

I stayed silent,
smiling at her before going back to work on the cupcakes. I had already ruined
a
friendship,
I certainly did not want to be the cause
of a rift with him and his family.

“Heavy shit, I
know. I’m sorry, but I had to let you know.” She turned away from the cupcakes
and moved over to the fridge. “My very own flan. You’ll have to try some.”

“Can’t wait,” I
responded, thankful that the conversation had shifted.

“Grab those
cupcakes, please. They’re for the kids.”

I grabbed them
from the counter,
then
followed her out the door. The
kids came running up to me, reaching up and taking one. Adriana took the flan
to the garage and began slicing it before bringing a plate out for
me and Alex
. I took a seat next to him, digging into the
moist and delicious dessert. Alex noticed my demeanor.

“You alright?”

“Yeah,” I
replied, nodding my head, trying to persuade him.

Adriana took a
seat across from us and started up small talk, telling
us all
about Abel and all of the new things that he was saying and doing
. Danny
came back over, throwing in hilarious
one liners
and
bringing laughter to the table. It was a welcomed distraction. My thoughts were
running away with me, and this was
not the time nor
the place for that.

Just as I was
getting comfortable, a song came on, jolting damn near everyone out of
their
seats.

“Get your ass up,
Alex,” Adriana called out, running around the table. She tugged on him and he
stood, pulling me up with him. The patio was full of dancers, everyone singing
along and dancing to the fast paced beat.

“What is this
song?” I asked, having to yell into his ear.

“It’s called
Suavemente
. It’s a very sexy song.” He
turned that lust filled gaze on me, heating up my core.

I watched the
women around me moving their hips in a way that I didn’t know how. Alex placed
his hand on my hips, trying to guide me before Adriana pulled me away and
showed me the steps. As I practiced, Imelda swooped in, dancing with her son.

“Watch my mom. She’s
really good.”

I watched her, in
utter amazement at how well she moved. No amount of training would get me to
that point. She reached out her hand for me, pulling me closer as she tried to
guide me on how to do the dance. I slowly began to pick it up, not feeling so
awkward since everyone was deeply engaged in the song and was paying little to
no attention to me. Adriana and Imelda danced together, looking like a
reflection of one another.

Alex’s grandma
danced over to us, using facial expressions to ask to cut in. I graciously
obliged. They danced for a minute or so before she kissed his cheek and walked
away. My heart swelled at the sight. She was still cold and distant towards me,
but that didn’t matter. The love she possessed for Alex excited me. It also
scared the living shit out of me.

We stayed for
another half hour before Alex began his goodbyes. We had a long trek back to
Twentynine and
sadly,
we’d have to cut out earlier
than he may have wanted to. He went around the yard, saying goodbye and hugging
everyone. His grandma made her way over to where I stood, using a semi friendly
voice to say goodbye. The interaction was brief, but it was much better than
the initial meeting, so I took what I could get. Imelda and Adriana followed us
out, Abel in his grandmother’s arms.

“Safe drive back,
guys. And don’t be a stranger, Cassie,” Imelda said, leaning over and kissing
my cheek.

“I’ll try not to
be,” I replied.

“Yeah, Alex, you
better not keep her locked up in that shitty ass desert. Bring her down more
often.”

“I’ll see what I
can do,” he replied, taking his sister in his arms and squeezing her tight. He
took Abel from his mom and kissed his cheek. “See you later, little man.”

“Bye, Nino,” he
replied. He waved to me.

Imelda took Alex
in her arms, squeezing tight and not wanting to let go. I thought I saw a tear
fall from her eyes. “I’m so glad to see you happy. Don’t be a stranger.”

“I won’t, Mama. I
love you.” He kissed her cheek then pulled away, handing Abel back to her.

I waved at
everyone as Alex opened my door, and I climbed into the truck. He went around
to his side and hopped in, starting up the loud roar of the engine and pulling
off. We sat quiet until we reached the freeway entrance and Alex finally broke
our silence.

“So, you were
thrust into the lion’s den. How was it?”

“I had a good
time,” I replied, inching a smile across my face.

“You sure? You
don’t look like you did.”

“I’m fine. I had
a great time. Your family is great.”

He still didn’t
look convinced. “I’m not dumb or blind, Cassie. What happened? Why are you so
quiet?”

I sighed. He
wasn’t going to let up on this. “It’s just something running through my mind. Something
Adriana told me.”

“What did she
tell you?” he asked, his voice low and gruff.

“Nothing bad, but
it got to me thinking.” I looked over at him to find his stoic face, awaiting
the rest of whatever I was about to tell him. “She was just telling me how much
you mean to your family. How much everyone looks up to you. I don’t want to be
the reason your family looks at you differently.”

“Listen to me. I’m
a grown fucking man. I make my own decisions, and I live with the rewards or
the consequences. If my family were to change how they view me that would fall
on
me and them, not you
. You understand that?”