BLINDSPOT-REPATA LUV

IT'S BEEN GOOD, BUT...

EL TORO

Tasha Zapata and Manny "El Toro" Casas spent some time
together (during the gap between Seasons 2 and 3), whenever he's
in New York...just a casual hook up, no strings, if either is available.
READE is back now, though, and he's not only broken off his engagement,
but he's announced (for the THIRD TIME), that he's in love with her. And
she's finally ready to admit her own feelings-for him...which means,

Goodbye to Manny. Tasha cooks dinner for them, after which she plans to break the news to the star New York Mets player.

Once the dinner plates are cleared, Tasha sits down with Manny to share her decision.

"Tenemos que hablar, Toro" (We have to talk, Bull.)

"OK...pero hazme un favorcito: platicame en INGLES; asi que necesito practicar."
(Do me a favor, though: speak to me in English, so that I can practice.)

"Sure...Edgar Reade is back. He's not engaged anymore, and he says that he loves me.
He wants to be with me. And so...I want to try it with him. Honestly, I HAVE to try it
with him."

"An' how you know that I DON'T...love you?"

"Remember, we're being HONEST, Torito (Little Bull)...you LOVE having me on your arm at
functions and events...you LOVE FUCKING ME...but you don't love ME...he DOES..."
and I don't LOVE YOU...I'm sorry, but I don't...I love him. I'm in love with him."

"No, don't apologize-I get it...it was good though, right?"

She smiles, kindly. "It was that."

"So...one more of "what I love"...the second one-before we say goodbye?"

That patented 'Zapata laugh', again: "No, Pa...my friend Patterson is a big fan...I can call her?"

PART 2

'YOU'

Tasha Zapata and YOU spent some time together (during the
gap between Seasons 2 and 3), whenever YOU'RE in New York...
just a casual hook up, no strings, if either you or she is available.
READE is back now, though, and he's not only broken off his engagement,
but he's announced (for the THIRD TIME), that he's in love with her. And
she's finally ready to admit her own feelings for him...which means, Goodbye
to YOU, as much as it hurts her to do so. She cooks dinner for the two of you,
after which she plans to break the news to YOU.

YOU groan and grab your head as if you're in pain: whenever a man hears 'we need to talk' 
he wants to jump out the nearest window)...

"OH, FUUUCK," you mock-whine.

TASHA: This is serious. (She takes a deep breath, and continues): As you know, I'm back
at the FBI, consulting, and Edgar Reade is back from Quantico.

YOU: (yawning) OK...so?

TASHA: He's broken his engagement off. He wants us to be together. So...

YOU: SO...so WHAT? Someone I don't give a fuck about is not engaged, and he
wants to be with you...OK...this has what to do with us, again?

TASHA: You're being an ASSHOLE, and you can leave if it keeps up.

YOU: So-he's IN, I'm OUT? Is that it?

TASHA: The aggrieved suitor doesn't quite fit...You don't love me, and he does. We've
had fun, and it's been good. He and I are in love, and I'm trying to tell you, as nicely as
I can, that we're over...you and I are over. We should have been over the first time I caught you
with one of your 'hos'

YOU: You can read minds, then? You're qualified to tell me how I feel?

TASHA: You love the IDEA of me...you LOVE having me on your arm at The ESPYS, or
THE SUPERBOWL, or the NBA PLAYOFFS...IN YOUR BED...but we both know
that you don't love ME...I know that HE DOES...because he would sacrifice his own life
for me. And I, HIM.

YOU: I should go.

TASHA: I'm sorry...I am.

YOU don't bother to turn around as you make to, then out, the door, slamming it.

TASHA & EDGAR

"¿Que haces Papi ?" Tasha greets him as he made his way into what's now their living room.
(what's up, honey).

"¿Todo bien...y tu-como te fue con aquellos ?"
(everything's good.-how did it go with them?)

"Finished," she says, suddenly serious.

"Excellent." Dropping onto the sofa near his life partner, Reade lets a low groan. "That was a day."

Tasha massages the nape of his neck, commiserating "Poor baby. Your food's in the oven-I kept it warm for you. Just let me know and I'll serve you."

Reade decides that he'll have his dinner before he falls asleep, and sits at the table while Tasha serves him. Though she declines to with him ('I sate earlier', she explained) she 'helpfully' steals food from his plate as they chat about their day. Edgar asks whether any of her former paramours had reacted adversely; she responds that one did one didn't...before he can ask she clarifies: "Casas will be fine...the New York Yankee? The other guy is pissed but he knows better than to take any action." He nods.

He glances at her, sensing an underlying question, to which he says "Meg is happy...she understands that us getting back together is no
one's fault. She's heartbroken but she won't make trouble...she's already left the state."

During the time her boyfriend spoke, Zapata debated about looping him in on a situation that could potentially affect the couple; she doesn't debate long, reminding herself that one condition of their reconciling is 'no secrets, no lies': ZERO TOLERANCE'...

"Reade. I've been meaning to tell you this-I should have done it before now...my excuse is that we were chasing Roman, then I was gassed...anyway, someone's been calling here, his name's JAXSON TELLER ; I met him once that I recall-visiting my uncle in California. He asked me out, I said no and not long after I was back in Texas: this was seventeen, eighteen years ago."

Reade asks "Are you concerned?"

After a pause, his lover responds "He's made some statements indicating that he's developed an obsession for me. I looked into him and he's President of an outlaw biker gang in Charming, California; they have ties to Armenian criminal 'orgs', The Tong, right-wing extremists
and Neo-Nazis in Eastern Europe, to name just a few. They're tightly linked-in, Reade. We'd better get into him...SOON."