Toto and the Boys I: Jackie

Chapter 15

“I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fayyyyne,” Jackie was saying over and over again, which pretty much told her me the exact opposite of what she was saying.

“Shut up, Jackie,” answered Dean Gamboa for how many times I couldn’t remember. It was easy to note that he was trying to focus on driving me, an old, beaten Volkswagen, and watching out for Georgie and Jackie who were doing their usual drunk attitude. Georgie was quiet but restless at the back. I could still very well remember how Dean Gamboa pulled her out from the driver seat and almost hauled her over his shoulder and transferred her at the back. Jackie, as usual, was talking a lot and I sure prayed to whoever was up there that she would not blurt out about her secret and evil plans of using his boss to get away from her stalker.

“Why are you telling me to shut up? I know, I know, I know why!” Jackie said, shifting in her seat to face Dean Gamboa. She leaned forward that her forehead almost touched his shoulder. “You’re my boss. That’s why you are ordering me around, right?”

“No, because you’re drunk. You’re talking nonsense.”

“You’re so frustrating. As frustrating as the vending machine on our floor. You know why it is frustrating?”

Dean Gamboa did not answer.

And Jackie didn’t wait for one. “Because it keeps giving me a Pepsi. I always punch the Coke button! I always do! But it keeps giving me Pepsi! You should have that stupid vending machine changed. And you should also fire Brian.”

Still, no answer.

“You know why? Because he won’t leave me alone!”

Okay, Jackie girl, I think this is the right time for you to shut up. Don’t ever mention Brian because that would lead to the stalking and will then eventually end to the tale of the fake FB account and then you will be fired. For real!

“I can’t fire him. He’s not even in our department.”

“But he won’t leave me alone! I am afraid, you know that? Very much afraid. He might resort to hurting me and then he’ll kill me and keep my body inside his house and he’ll talk to it every night. I can’t have that. I can’t.”

“You watch too much TV, Jackie.”

Jackie laughed out loud. Then she followed it with a series of slaps on her boss’ shoulder. “And you’re calling me Jackie! How cool is that?”

“You don’t like it?”

“I love it! You never called me Jackie before. It’s always Miss Ramos,” she said, copying his baritone voice while she said the last line.

“Where should I go?” Dean Gamboa asked instead.

“What?”

“Where is your house?”

“Apartment,” she corrected.

“Fine. Your apartment?”

Jackie giggled. “My boss is taking me home. Can you believe it?”

“Jackie,” Dean’s voice was full of warning.

“Turn right, then the second left, then right and the second house to the right.”

I don’t know about you, but I found it amazing that he managed to correctly follow Jackie’s direction and within minutes, we were parked outside the boys’ apartment. Dannie was already waiting outside, her face full of worry.

“I knew this is going to happen,” she said when Dean opened the driver side.

“I’m just dropping them home. They’re pretty drunk,” he explained.