"i guess you fell into the wrong hands"
detroit, 23rd december 2000
"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE" Marianne Lopez screamed at her daughter.
Rosita wailed at her mother grabbed her upper arm and dragged her across the living room, her little sister crying on the couch watched the scene unfold, at 9 years old she was old enough to know what was going without, without fully understanding why.
"Mama...Mama please" Rosita cried "PLEASE" Her scream was strangled, as if it was struggling to come out of her mouth. Her mother didn't listen to her, choosing instead to shove Rosita out of the front door, barely looking at her as she slammed it in her face. Rosita banged on the door until her hands hurt, pleading for her mom to open the door. "Mom please let me in! Please!" She sobbed, her arms getting tired from her assault on the door, she cried, dropping her head and leaning her body against the door "Please" she cried softly "Mama can I at least get my coat? It's cold" She was met with silence, nobody was going to help her. She stayed there for what felt like hours, he body slumped against the door, the faint cries of her baby sister could be heard from behind it, but other than that it was silent.
She wandered warily through the streets of Detroit, she was street wise enough to know there were areas that weren't safe for a 16 year old girl to walk through alone at night, but she didn't care enough now 'I'm gonna be pimped out and working 7 mile in no time anyways" she thought to herself. She was cold, she was only wearing a vest and jeans, if she'd have known she would be locked out of her house at 11pm on a December night, she would have worn a sweater. Her mascara was no longer on her eyelashes, but rather running down her face, her hair was blowing in every direction and her nose was red. She looked crazy, but she didn't care.
She didn't know how long she'd been walking when she heard a male voice call out to her 'Great. Here's my new pimp' she thought but she kept walking ignoring the calls coming from a group of guys sitting on the porch steps of a possible trap house.
"ROSITA" She frowned when one of the guys called her name "ROSITA! THE HELL ARE YOU DOIN'?" She stopped walking, turning around to see Rio jogging towards her, his friends still sat on the porch steps with frowns on their faces.
"Rio" She quietly sobbed, fresh tears springing from her eyes. He reached her, wrapping his arms around her. He pulled away, his eyes wide.
"Where the fuck is your coat?" Rosita just cried more, her body shaking as he took of his puffer jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders "What happened, Mama?" She felt her heart swell as she looked at him, this 17 year old gang banger was showing more concern for her than her own mother.
"My mom...she-" She couldn't finish her sentence, her body wracking with sobs. Rio just nodded, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and walking her towards his friends. When they reached them, the group of teenage boys looked at her worriedly.
"AYO MA!" one of the boys she faintly recognised called into the house "Rio's girl needs help"
"We gotchu, mamas" Rio whispered to her.
***
This wasn't happening. He wasn't here. He couldn't be here. It was the champagne. It was making her hallucinate. It had to have been.
"What? No 'hello'?" Rio spoke to her, casually. He was so casual. How was he being so casual?
She didn't turn around. She just leant her hands against the counter in front of the mirror, her eyes, wide with horror locked on his reflection. Her grinned at her, mockingly, with his hands in his pockets, he started to walk around the salon, animatedly moving his head around as if he was taking in the ceiling of the Sistene Chapel. Her eyes followed him through the mirror, but she didn't move her body, the champagne at her feet was soaking through her shoes, but she couldn't move. After what felt like hours Rio let out a low whistle.
"Nice place you got here, Mama" He stopped moving, his eyes locking with hers in the mirror "Very nice" he added. She didn't respond, she just stared at him, she was starting to think she would stay in that position forever, she felt paralysed. Rio smirked at her, slowly walking up to her until he was directly behind her. He wasn't touching her, but if he took one step forward, or she took one back, their bodies would be firmly pressed together. He pushed his head forward, so it was by her ear "Who'd you have to fuck to convince him to buy this place?" He whispered.
Rosita snapped. She spun around and delivered a hard smack to the side of his face. Rio's head spun to the side and his hand came up to touch the cheek she had just struck. Rosita once again froze, her face had turned stone cold and her breathing had turned heavy.
"Damn ma, I'm only playing" Rio laughed, the hand that was cupping his cheek moving to snake around Rosita's waist. He roughly pulled her towards him, their bodies flush against each other. He licked his lips "I already know". He let her go, causing her to fall back. She put her arms out behind her to steady herself against the counter she'd fallen back against.
They stood staring at each other. Rosita took in every detail of him. He had tattoos, more now than he had the last time she saw him, he looked older, but still so young, he had an air of confidence now that he didn't used to, he seemed colder. So much colder than the boy who gave her his coat almost 20 years ago. She was just about to ask him why he was stood in front of her, why after almost two decades he was looking at her the same way he did when they were teenagers. But before she could, the door to the salon opened and her husband walked in, his right hand holding a bouquet of red roses, his left a bottle of Dom Perignon.
"Um...hello" Jack said, his eyes shifting between his wife and the tall tattooed man that most certainly didn't belong in a beauty salon with a pink flower wall "Is everything okay?" He asked, his eyes on his wife.
"Everything's fine" Rosita found her voice "This gentleman is a local business owner. He just came over to welcome me to the neighbourhood" She gave Jack a reassuring smile, her eyes meeting Rio's who was standing there with an amused grin on his face.
"Oh that's nice" Jack seemed to buy his wife's bold face lie "Well it was nice meeting you..." He spoke to Rio, silently asking his name, but Rio didn't respond, he just looked at Jack mockingly, almost as if he was holding in laughter "Okay then" Jack said, his smile slightly falling "Well if you don't mind...Sir. I'm just here to pick up my wife" Rosita would have found the whole thing funny if she wasn't terrified. Her sweet, trust fund husband was trying to seem tough in front of the tall, clearly criminal man in front of him. Rio didn't respond to Jack, instead choosing to head towards the door, stopping beside him.
"It was nice to meet you Rosita" Rio called to her, rolling the 'r' of her name, his eyes not leaving Jack. He grabbed the door handle, before he left he spoke to Jack for the first time "Red roses, huh? She seems like more of a pink lillies kinda girl" He firmly patted Jack on the arm and then he was gone. Again.
Rosita let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Giving her husband a fake but reassuring smile.
Pink lillies were her favourite flower.
