Nightly Confusion

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

“Huh?”

“It’s simple.” Joey began. “I had to pay a visit to this guy and he has a…fetish I guess you could say with couples. It’s a sure way to get in so I need you to play the girlfriend.” He said that like it was nothing when in reality he was asking a lot.

“Huh?” I was in a state of shock; I wasn’t expecting him to say all of this. “I’d really like to help you out but I’m dating Zack.”

“I’m not asking you to sleep with me; I’m asking you to play along.” Joey said. The thought of sleeping him caused my heart to jump again. “I need two hours of your time and I swear I won’t involve you anymore.”

“I can’t. I have to have dinner at my parents house.” It seems this dinner was good for something.

“What time?”

“Seven.”

“That’s perfect I’ll be back around eleven.” Joey said while nearing the front door. “And wear something slutty.”

“I don’t own anything slutty!” I yelled but he was gone. Damn it I did not just get roped into helping Joey and worse yet by pretending to be his girlfriend? That’s it I was living in crazy land!

I ate a cheese sandwich for lunch, it wasn’t the best meal but it was all I had and I didn’t have money for take out. At least I had soda, couldn’t go without that. I took the unfinished can with me as I headed back to the office. My first stop was McCoy’s office. “Got anything for me?”

“As a matter of fact I do.” McCoy put together a file and handed it to me. “Everything I could dig up on Carry and some info on her sister and friends and some on her husband.”

“Thanks.” I took the file to my desk and sat down. Carry’s sister, Melinda, lived just a few blocks down from my parent’s house. I decided after dinner I’d talk with her. The rest didn’t really help me; Carry’s husband worked at the steel mill in Fort Lauderdale for the last seven years, Carry was currently unemployed they had no children. Melinda lived with their parents, that made sense everyone on my parents block was a family, no less than four people living in each house.

“I’m bored.” Nikki said, her desk was right next to mine.

I looked at her; I knew there was no getting out of tonight so I might as well be prepared. “I need a slutty outfit.” Nikki had an outrageous and revealing style some might call slutty, being overweight didn’t stop her one bit and had to admire that.

“How slutty?”

“Not too slutty, I’m a t-shirt shorts kind of girl.” I pointed out.

“AKA boring as shit. Why do you need the outfit?” Nikki was a top reporter and knew how to read people.

“Just looking for a change.”

“Hmm.” Nikki said I’m sure she wanted answers but she also knew when to stop asking. “Let’s go shopping I’ll have you nice and slutty by the time we’re done.”

 Oh boy. It was a slow day and Alissa didn’t care when we left the office as long the work got done. We took my car this time; it was the cool car for the mall Nikki had said. Nikki headed straight to a store called ‘Leather and Lace.’ Nikki was right I was boring and right now I was excited about this.

“I don’t have the boobs for that.” I said to Nikki when she walked toward me with a black corset type top, the straps were thin and the stomach part was see through.

“You will when you put it on, go try it.” Nikki handed it to me and pointed to the dressing rooms.

“Fine.” I put it on and looked in the mirror, now I had boobs. I also looked like an idiot I would have to do something major with the hair and make-up for this to all work.

“You wanted slutty but not too much, this is it.” Nikki said when I stepped out.

I nodded and went back into the room and changed back into my t-shirt. “Now what?”

“You need a leather skirt.” Nikki stated and began walking around. “Here we go!” she yelled, she was having fun as she walked back up to me near the checkout counter.

“Isn’t that too short? My ass will be hanging out.”

“You got that Hispanic J.Lo ass, use it! This skirt is perfect. I own one like it.” Nikki said and put it on the counter, I was taking it. I asked for her help gotta pay the price right?

I was broke but had enough to pay for the outfit, now I was broke as hell. I dropped Nikki back at the office and went home. I had to ready for dinner with the family. I put the bags in my closet and headed for the shower. It wouldn’t be good to go home smelling like sweat.

I finished and dressed in a pair of jeans since the sun was going down and it wasn’t as hot and a blue t-shirt. Just as I finished tying back my hair Zack walked in. “Hey.” I greeted.

He kissed me hello. “Ready to go?”

“Um…” I wrapped my arms around his neck. “We could skip it and just spend the whole day here.” I pointed out what would be a fantastic idea.

“Tempting.” Zack said as he kissed my neck. “But we have to go, it might not be that bad.” He said leading me to the door.

“Bad? No it’ll be hell.”

I took my car and Zack took his and I followed him. We couldn’t ride together because I was still too chicken to tell my parents about us. I feared how they would react, once upon a time my mother would freak at the thought of one of her girls with Zack Myers but now he was a respected cop, she might have babies on the mind.

I parked at my parent’s house and Zack stopped at his, they lived on the same block. When I got out the car Grandma Loupe was standing on the porch. She was a hundred percent Dominican with dark brown eyes and light brown skin, darker now from her time in the sun. She and my mother looked a lot alike but grandma was fun and cool to talk with, my mom acted like she was stuck in another time.

“How do you like my hair?” She asked.

I didn’t even realize it until now, it was blue, a really ocean blue. “Hmmm.” Her hair was thin and cut close to her scalp and the blue made her head look like blueberry. “I love it.”

“You should do something with your hair.” She said as we walked inside the house. “You would look good as a blonde or a redhead.”

“I might have to try that.” I said then Grandma Loupe headed into the kitchen to help my mother. Dad was setting on the sofa watching some baseball game in Spanish. My dad was Puerto Rican but unlike most Ricans my dad was clam and to himself, he didn’t talk much. Maria Cruz’s father never shut up.

I nodded hello to my father then headed to the kitchen where all the women were, I thought I was first to arrive but Erin was sitting at the table. “Hey where’s Theo?”

“He stopped at his parents house, they’re gonna come together when its closer to dinner time.” Erin answered as she picked cherries out of a bowl on the table.

Alissa walked in and joined us in the kitchen. “Where’s everyone else?” she asked.

“Hiding.” Like I wanted to be.

“I heard that Sam.” My mother said as she stirred a pot of beans. “This dinner will be pleasant and fun.” The way she said it sounded forced, like she meant pleasant or die trying.

All of us sat at the kitchen table now, the dinning room table was set for dinner when it was done. “Any juicy details on that case Alissa gave you?” grandma asked, she loved hearing about cases so she could tell her friends later.

“Which case?” I asked as I joined Erin and grabbed some cherries.

“The Art De Luca one, I heard he was killed in his jail cell.” Grandma said and my mom fainted to the floor.