Taste Of Scotch // James Valdez

| 9 |

We pull up to large super market. I glance around the area trying to uncover what we was doing here. A super market, why would Camila want me to come to a super market?

We pulled into a parking space just behind the market where the trucks unload. The two girls from ealier - where are seated in the back - Get out of the car. I unbuckle my seat belt and started to get out with them when James spoke up. "You stay here."

"Why?" I asked. I was confused. Camila wanted me here, she told James to tag me along so why he was making me stay behind.

He didn't anser me but totally avoided my question all together. Reaching into his jacket pocket he pulls out a small black cell phone. "This is your cell phone now." He starts as he hands me the phone "If anything happens, you see something strange. Something makes you feel weird, some dude walks past with his dog twice, you call. there's a preset number." Once he was done he stares at me, I guess making sure I competely understand. I take the phone from his hands and rest it in my lap.

"What's going on in there? I should go, Camila wanted me here."

James huffs, shakes his head, then looks back at me. "You said you wanted the job, so you got it, but that doesn't mean you get to be involved." He then starts to open the door leaving me here. No, He wasn't going to leave me out of this.

Quickly I open my door, jump out, and race around the car to catch up with him. James turns around at the sound of my footsteps approaching him. His face tares up in annoyance and in one swift movement James is grabbing my wrist, twisting me around, and pinned me against the car with his head burried in my neck. I was taken back his movements, by how much he was touching me. But it hit me hard once I realized that from the outside eye looking in, we simply looked like a clingy couple having a moment in the parking lot.

This ones clever.

"What are you doing? I told you to stay in the car, Elena." His breath was hitting my neck, his hands where tighten around my waist. He was trying to intimidate me and it was working.

"Camila wanted me here, so that's what I'm doing."

He grunted in fustration before pulling away from me, giving me a death stare, then motioning his hands in a manner as if to stay 'ladies first.' I smile to myself knowing I've won this battle.

I know it's stupid of me, I shouldn't be testing my luck but if it wasn't for me testing my luck but I wouldn't be where I am right now if I hadn't. I followed behind James to the back entrance of the super market where they keep all the stock. We rounded a corner where there was a truck unloading baby wipes. A fat man wearing red, with a name tag that read manger started walking towards us.

I notice once we got to the fat man he was having some disagrement with someone on the other line of the phone. He sigh loudly as we appraoched him then hung up.

"Don't look at me like that, Bill. I'm not your wife" James said in a much calmer, much nicer tone than he ever was to me. Was he trying to be funny?

"All good, James."

"Better than you it seems."

"Yeah."

James motioned with his head for me to follow him and I did. I stayed right behind him - walking a good amout behind him but not to far away either - James Hopped on the truck with no trouble. He then turned to me and held out his hand. Why is he being nice.

I hestaited for a moment causing James to grow fidgety. He rolled his eyes, grabbed my hand his self and pulled me up.

I watched carefully. Watching every move James made. James pulled out a knife, cut open the box, and started to check the product inside. baby wipes. what does Camila want with baby wipes? I took a small step closer just enough to see over James shoulder. I notice once he had the lid popped that it wasn't baby wipes inside but cocaine.

James then processed to test the product. Sliting it open with his knife, gently sticking his finger in gathering some on it, and finally running it across his tounge. The way he did it made it seem as though this was a everyday rounte. Something that comes so commonly and naturally to him.

I bet it does in his line of business.

James nodded in contempt. He closed to box and then turned around to face me and Bill. I notice on his face he was alerted by something, but what? I looked over my should but only saw workers. What was he seeing that I wasn't.

"Good to go?" Bill asked. James looked from me to Bill then to what ever or who ever was behind us.

"Who's that?" He says, point his knife past my head. I look over my shoulder to where he was pointing and notice a thin older man with long grey hair taking inventory.

"That's Keegan, He's always here."

"No, he's not." James says in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Yes, he is." Bill said. He wasn't going to say anything else, that was until he noticed James death stare. "Chill, he just got promoted from produce. He's been here coming up on two years now."

I saw James move his death stare from Bill to Keegan. His jaw clenched, and his body stifften. I moved my glance over to Bill, I saw the scared look on his face, I saw that he was scared rather than nerous. If he was setting us up wouldn't he be more nervous. I believed him

"James . ."I say, catching his attetion. "I Believe him." James was silent. His eyes glaze over an emotion I didn't reconzie. I didn't know if he was going to trust me or believe me for that fact.

"Okay." He nodded his head. I released a breath I hadn't notice I was even holding. "Okay, lets go."