Page 70 of Up In Smoke
I’m rambling and I worry that she can see right through me. All she does is smile and nod, though, as she slowly starts wandering around the living room, looking at our wedding photos.
They make me feel a bit weird. They’re not real…but maybe they could be? I don’t know. Part of me worries that I’m tempting fate by thinking like that. I just can’t help it.
Peopleknowabout us now. People Rico cares about. It’s easy enough to tell that he thinks of the One-Thirteen as family, even if he has kept them at arm’s length for a lot of the time. The idea that they want to meet me is exciting but also daunting. I wouldn’t want to mess it up and embarrass him. If they ask what I do for a living, will he be ashamed if I give an honest answer?
These are all conversations I was really hoping to have before the big inspection came along. Too late for that, now. We’re just going to have to fumble our way through as best we can, I suppose.
I’m just finishing adding cream and sugar to Angelica’s coffee when the sound of keys in the front door makes my heart leap.
“Daddy’s home!” I cry at Klaus automatically, so relieved that I don’t consider how silly that probably sounds before it escaped my mouth. My cheeks burn as I scuttle out of the kitchen to meethim. “Hey,” I say, trying to convey my urgency without sounding too panicked. I’m not sure if I succeed. “We have company. This is Ms. Carton.”
“Angelica, please,” she says warmly, approaching Rico with an outstretched hand that he shakes. “So nice to finally meet you. Are you okay to have a little chat now?”
Rico’s mouth is hanging open slightly as he looks from her down to his sweaty gym clothes. “Uhh, you cool if I take a shower first?”
“By all means,” Angelica says, sounding like she means it. “Is that my coffee, Mr. Silverman?”
“Oh, shit, yes.” I dart over and retrieve her mug to hand it over. Thankfully, it’s still hot. “I might, um, get changed as well if you don’t mind?”
She wraps her hands around the mug and smiles at me. “No problem at all. Klaus here can keep me company, can’t he?”
She gets a happy bark in response.
My feet aren’t quite working, but Rico’s hand against the small of my back helps guide me into our bedroom and he closes the door behind us.
“Holy shit,” I whisper, my knees giving way as I stumble to sit on the edge of the bed. My eyes are hot, and my hands are shaking. “I fucked it up, Rico. I wasn’t ready! I’m so sorry. This is a disaster. I?—”
“Hey, hey, shh.” He crouches in front of me and holds my hands, looking into my eyes. “It’s all fine, I promise. Just breathe, okay? Like this. In…and out…” I follow his lead and get some oxygen back into my brain. “Right,” he says after a minute. “What did you say?”
I blink and try to think back. “Uhh, she asked how long I lived her for. I said five or six months, but I only got back from rehab recently. And that, um, I visited when we were dating while I was still in LA.”
He beams at me and cups one of his hands against the side of my face. “That sounds absolutely perfect, Jesse. Well done. Anything else?” I shake my head, figuring the coffee and Klaus chat probably doesn’t need repeating. “Okay, that sounds like you did great. I’m going to have the world’s fastest shower. Did you want to put on some jeans and maybe that nice blue sweater that makes your eyes sparkle?”
His words make me finally relax, and I give him a wobbly smile. Having him suggest something for me to wear is exactly what I need because even such a simple task seems too daunting for me right now. Especially knowing how many times he’s told me that he thinks I’m gorgeous in that sweater.
“Great idea,” I say weakly.
He leans in and kisses my lips, turning me into a puddle. I’m not sure when I’m going to get used to him doing that so casually, but I doubt it’ll be any time soon.
“Just pretend you’re on stage at the Tavern,” he suggests, his voice warm like honey. “You were born to shine, Jesse. Don’t forget that.”
I nod mutely, watching as he stands again, quickly gathers some things, then heads into the bathroom.
If Enrico Flores says I was born to shine, it must be true.
By the time he returns, I’ve managed to change my clothes and even put a little product in my hair. “You’ve got this,” he murmurs, taking my hand.
“We’vegot this,” I say, trying to project the confidence I want to feel. He beams and gives me a squeeze before leading me back into the living room.
“Sorry about that,” he says cheerily to Angelica Carson. “But I suppose the point is to catch us off guard.”
She shrugs and smiles, not giving much away. “I just want to get an idea of what your life is really like. Thank you for inviting me into your home.”
Rico and I perch together on the sofa while she regards us from the armchair. Klaus moves from lying by her feet to ours, and I appreciate the display of loyalty from him. If Angelica notices being abandoned, she doesn’t show it.
Her ankles are crossed primly, and she’s got both her phone and a notepad in her lap. She clicks a pen in her right hand then overs her left over the phone.
“Are you ready to begin? I’d like to record the conversation if that’s okay?”