The Lines We Wouldn't Cross (Queen of the South)

Part 5-Sure... Like Old Times!

Teresa observed Chicho behind the wheel on their way back from a meeting at the Mayor's offices. All had gone smoothly, and she felt relieved. In a few minutes she forced her mind off the meeting and back to her pressing concerns about the Judge and the ramifications of his corruption coming out in the open.

She felt tired although it was hardly noon. Last night she had finally decided to lay down and not overthink things, in the hope that she would get some shuteye because with the standard 4 hours she slept each night, she had to put make up to hide the circles under her eyes and she hated it. Her nightmare of the daybreak light engulfing her and her heart stopping, had come back with a vengeance and neither night caps, nor chamomile tea seemed to help.

Chicho hit the brakes suddenly and Teresa got out of her trance to find herself staring at the back of the Jeep they had almost rear-ended.

"Sorry Jefa, he broke so suddenly!" Chicho explained, but all Teresa could see was the Jeep in front of them, its familiar round back, charcoal color, the Jeep James had driven off into on that fateful night in Phoenix, just the license plate was not the familiar WQ08644, the numbers branded in her numbers' prone brain...the memories of Phoenix... when she should have felt like a Queen, on top of the world, but all she had felt had been profound emptiness. Javier's words "There he goes...the second best shot in Texas!....He'll be hard to replace!" were still fresh in her mind.

Actually first best shot in everything, carajo!...And irreplaceable!, she caught herself thinking and suddenly she had this epiphany of what she could do, something that stood a tiny chance of being interpreted as the "I'm sorry!" she so wanted to say...something that could possibly bring him a sliver of joy, or any positive emotion to soften the seriousness that had been marking his face in the past week.

She ran a search on her phone, then looked up at Chicho and said: "Please turn left at the next light. We're going to the Chrysler Jeep Dodge dealership on Service Road, it's 20 minutes out".

"Si, Jefa', came the brief answer and she felt her heart would burst out of her chest with anticipation.

This year's model in charcoal like the one James had driven, was not in stock, but as the sales rep walked Teresa around the parking lot, her eyes got stuck on the same SUV in the shiny and proud burgundy that looked as soft as it was bold.

She made arrangements, texted Kelly Anne the details of the payment that needed to be wired immediately without even remembering the final price or if she even handled the insurance details. All she could remember was her heartbeat in her ears when she was filing the ownership paperwork in his name.

"The car needs to be delivered at the address I provided this evening", she said and turned contently on her heel.

It was late afternoon when Teresa finally summoned the courage to text James asking him to come to the front door. In less than five minutes he emerged from the back of the house where the technology room was.

"I have something I want to give you," she said slowly, not sure if she should smile or not. They hadn't spoken to each other since last night, the night of Gamble's termination.

He raised an eyebrow, and she noticed his eyes didn't look troubled, actually his posture and expression seemed relaxed.

She extended her hand and plopped the key fob in his, which he had also extended in response to hers. He made an incredulous face when he realized what she had given him, then he briefly looked in the direction of the parking lot. His eyes widened, then he squinted, opened his mouth to say something and closed it with an 'ahh'.

"It's for you", she said hesitantly, pointing at the window with her chin and then looking at him and searching his face.

He obviously had recognized the Jeep ignition fob with the logo on it. His head turned to the window again and he couldn't hide the gentle expression that took over his face. The fleet didn't have any other Jeeps and the brand-new shiny SUV in deep burgundy stood apart from the several black Fords and GMs lined up.