Love y Lucha

Part 11

Rita was sitting with Roxanne when Paco re-entered the room. She could instantly tell he was forcing casual, but she returned his smile as he approached the table.

"Did you catch the bouquet?" he asked.

"No," Rita said. "Thank goodness."

Roxanne laughed, excusing herself to the bar. Paco hovered above the table, gripping the back of a chair and looking around the room.

"Walk with me?" Rita offered.

Paco looked momentarily relieved. "Of course."

Rita waited until they were outside in the pre-dusk evening before she said anything. "Alright, what's the deal?"

"What do you mean?" he said.

"You're being weird. And your shirt is torn," she said. "Don't think I didn't notice you were gone."

"Everything's fine," Paco replied.

Rita laughed. "Whatever you say. What, did you find an old girlfriend in there or something?"

Paco stopped walking. "Why would you say that?"

"I'm just saying," Rita said as she turned to face him, but she averted her eyes from his.

"Would you care?" he asked.

Rita shrugged. "I don't know."

"You would or you wouldn't have asked," Paco said. "I take being here with you serious, Rita. I feel lucky you came with me."

She finally let her gaze meet his. "Thanks," she mumbled. "But that still doesn't explain where you were."

He sighed. "I fought my dad."

Rita's jaw dropped, and she was momentarily speechless. "Um, alright."

"I know," Paco said.

"Where did you do this?" Rita said. "Why?"

"Back at the house," Paco murmured. "I needed something from there, but he wouldn't let me take it unless I won it from him. Trust me, I know it's dumb."

"No," Rita replied tentatively. "It makes total sense."

"No, it doesn't. It's just a part of what El Rey is about. What I'm about," Paco conceded. "Showing you're serious. That you're ready to earn something."

Rita nodded. "I see."

"I kicked his ass anyway," Paco said, a confident smile returning to his face.

"That's great," Rita said. "I too, hope to kick my father's ass someday."

"You should," Paco said. "I mean, figuratively. I hope you stop being a patsy someday. Find something you want to do, something that makes you really happy."

Rita's offense had come and gone in a flash, and she nodded. "You're right."

"You're beautiful when you're happy, but that's not a lot," Paco said, his dark eyes locked on her. "Life doesn't need to be all business."

She gazed up at him, at a face her eyes had begun to crave. She wanted to kiss him. Instead, he offered her his arm. "Should we head back?" he asked.

She locked her arm in his, allowing her free hand to flutter up, landing on the large bicep underneath his shirt. "Sure."

"Fight me!" Rita said just a few days later, striding into the ring. She had been waiting for the luchadoras to arrive, especially Tani. Now she stood face to face with her, unwavering, while her nerves screamed for mercy underneath the surface.