"What do you mean the police are in on it?" Nestor asks.
"They come in sometimes. They're friends with the owners." she explains.
"All of them? Like how many?" Max asks.
"I don't know...the same four came in." she says.
"Well you could just point them out and we could just-"
"Drop us off." Nestor says, interrupting Freddie.
"What?" he asks.
"My house. Drop us off. I'll call Kerry and Carlton and tell them the good news. The word will get out. The rest of you go to the police. Tell them what happened and get that place shut down." Nestor says.
"What if we tell the wrong ones?" Max asks.
"Go out of town. A few miles south is the next closest police department. Call them and send them to the building." Nestor says.
"We got it. You get her settled, spread the good news. We'll swing by tomorrow." Olivia says as the car slows down in front of Nestor's house. They get out and pause while the rest of them get out as well.
"I'm sorry I don't remember you guys." Vera says sadly. Olivia steps forward and hugs her.
"I'm Olivia." she says. She pulls away and Vera smiles.
"I'm Max." Max says, giving her a hug as well. Vera looks over at Freddie and looks at him with confusion. She steps forward and takes his face in her hands. As soon as she does that, she sees fuzzy images of her holding him like that and holding him in her arms in bed and eating dinner across from him.
"You're my son." she whispers. He laughs, pulling her in for a hug.
"No. I'm your coworker. But I acted as your son." he explains. She pulls back, confused.
"Norma and Norman Bates." he says.
"Norma and Norman? That's...unusual." she says, earning giggles from everyone.
"Boys take their father's names all the time." Nestor says, earning more laughs.
"We'll see you guys tomorrow." Nestor says, placing his hand on Vera's back and leading her inside. As soon as he gets inside, he locks the door behind him and turns back to Vera.
"Would you...do you want something to drink? Or a shower?" he asks.
"A shower would be nice. And maybe...if you have some clothes-"
"Of course. Yeah. I'll lay them out for you." he says, leading her upstairs to his room. He turns on the water and turns around to see her already naked, facing away from him. He quickly grabs a towel and wraps it around her, covering her. She looks at him with confusion.
"Ver, why did you undress in front of me?" he asks.
"You don't like my body?" she asks.
"No I do. You're beautiful. But-"
"Then why did you cover it?" she asks.
"Because you're not supposed to show everyone your body." he explains. "Your body is...it's very special. And I know you were taught that sex is...probably just something you do-"
"The goal is to please the man." she adds.
"But that's not true. It's supposed to be...pleasurable for both parties. And it's not something to be taken lightly. Do you understand?" he asks.
"So I should...not touch you?" she asks.
"What do you mean?" he asks.
"The nightly routine." she says as if everyone knows.
"I..I don't know what that is."
"You take me to the room and then I get down to my knees and you-"
"No no no." he says, knowing where that was going. "No. You don't have to...no. Just forget everything you know about...that. About sex in general. Okay?" he asks. She nods.
"Okay. I'll be right outside if you need me." he says, walking out. He grabs one of his shirts, setting it on the bed for her. He runs downstairs and grabs the bottle of wine while dialing Kerry's number. He stares at the bottle, debating whether or not to bring it up as he waits for an answer. He thought about how much alcohol she probably consumed on a daily basis and set the bottle back, deciding on a different route.
"Hello?" Kerry answers.
"Ker, it's Nestor. You're not gonna believe what I am about to tell you."
She walks into the room and pulls on the flannel he laid out in his bed for her. As she is finishing with the last buttons, there is a knock on the door and Nestor walks in with two mugs. He sets them on the small table in the corner of the bedroom and turns to her, appreciating the way she looks in his shirt.
"What is that?" she asks, walking to the table.
"You don't know what this is?" he asks. She shakes her head.
"It...it's hot chocolate. We drank it all the time." he says, handing her the cup.
"Be careful. It's hot." he says, watching her take a sip. Her eyes widen and she smiles, oblivious of the whip cream mustache on her upper lip.
"Wow." she says. She takes another sip, earning more white cream on her upper lip.
"Here." Nestor says, wiping away the cream with his thumb and licking it. As she watches the action, she is brought another memory of him doing that on multiple other occasions.
"You do that a lot." she says.
"Do what?" he asks.
"Wipe it off and eat it." she says.
"Do I?" he asks. She smiles, taking another sip.
"I probably did it on purpose." she says, sitting on the bed with her coco.
"Did what?" he asks, sitting beside her.
"The cream thing. I think I liked you a lot. I probably did it so you would do that." she says. She looks up from her mug and smiles.
"I don't think I should have said that." she says with a smile.
"I'm still not all the way here. I've got drugs in my system still so-"
"I'm glad you said it." he says. They sip their coco in silence, just staring at each other.
"Finished?" he asks, taking the empty mug from her. He sets them on the table and turns back to her, not knowing what to say. She is practically a stranger to him and he is to her as well.
"I'll let you sleep." he says.
"I sleep here?" she asks with surprise. He nods.
"Where will you sleep?" she asks.
"Just next door." he tells her.
"Will you stay?" she asks. He pauses, not wanting her to get the wrong idea.
"I just...every sleep over I can remember, it was pretty much just sex all night. I...I want to erase that idea of sleepovers." she says. He looks to the open door again.
"Unless that's what you want to do. Have sex. I'll do whatever." she says. He chuckles, his ears going bright with embarrassment.
"Vera we talked about this. Do you want to have sex right now?" he asks.
"Well if you-"
"No. Not me. Do you want to have sex?" he asks again. She thinks for a minute before looking at him.
"No." she says quietly.
"Then don't give yourself up like that. Only do it with someone you love and only do it when you want to." he tells her. She nods, feeling happy to have such freedom. He walks over to the door and her happiness disappears by the thought of having to be alone.
"Please-" she says. He shuts the door and turns back to her. He walks to the bed and slowly slips under the covers, turning off the light. They can still see, the room lit by the moon. She gets under as well, watching him as he lays his head down on a pillow. She copies him, staring into his eyes.
"You see this?" he asks, grabbing her hand. She nods.
"This is what it's like to sleep with someone you care about." he says. He pulls her toward his chest and she lays on his shoulder while he holds her, rubbing up and down her back. She smiles, the goosebumps running all along her body.
"Thank you." she whispers.
