Hot Girlz: Hot Boyz Sequel (23 page)

“Hi. What is TJ? Is that your name?”

“It’s Torino junior,” explained TJ.

They stood next to each other looking
like duplicates, TJ tall for his age and Kyle Jr. short for his age. They were
the same height. Same everything.

Sequoia and Torino just watched.

“I’m a junior, too. That’s why they
call me Kyle Jr. My daddy’s name is Kyle, too.”

TJ’s face flashed happy. “Oh, so
you’re KJ and I’m TJ.”

“I’m Kyle Jr.”

Sequoia said, “Yes, he is. Kyle Jr. it
is then.”

“I’m your brother,” said TJ.

“But where’ve you been?”

“I’ve been here. With my mom and my
dad. We live here,” TJ told him.

Kyle Jr. said, “My mom is at home. My
dad is gone. He was there, but he’s gone now.”

TJ spoke to his father with a question
mark on his face. “But Daddy, you said you’re his dad
and
my dad.”

“I am,” said Torino. “But Kyle Jr. has
two dads.”

Kyle Jr. looked up at him. “Do I have to
call you Dad?”

Torino set the overnight bag down on
the living room carpet. “Not if you don’t want to.”

“Can I call you Torino?” Kyle Jr.
asked.

“If you want, that’s fine.”

“Okay.”

TJ said loudly and excitedly, “Here,
let me show you your room. It’s right next to mine.”

They ran off up the stairs and down
the hall, Kyle Jr. dragging his army backpack.

Torino walked up to Sequoia and kissed
her face. “It smells about as good in here as you look. You made dinner
already?”

She embraced him and they walked to
the kitchen together. She replied, “Yeah. It’s just a pan of enchiladas. We can
eat them whenever.”

“That’ll work.”

“I didn’t want us to go out to dinner
just yet. Thought maybe he could get as much home time as possible this
weekend. Just so TJ can bond with his brother more than anything.”

Torino walked over to the refrigerator
and opened it. “Gonna need to call him Kyle, Jr. I see.”

“Looks like it. He is not giving that
junior up. No rush.”

“I agree,” Torino said, grabbing a
bottle of green tea and opening it.

The boys reappeared just that fast.

TJ was pumped. “Mom, can we have some
Capri Sun and popcorn?”

“You like popcorn, Kyle Jr.?” Sequoia
asked.

“Yep. My mom makes it all the time.”

Torino reached back in the
refrigerator and took out two packages of juice, handing it to each of them.

“Then popcorn it is,” Sequoia said.
She reached into the pantry and took out the box.

Kyle Jr. looked at Sequoia. “Sequoia,
huh? I know you. I think you’re like my dad’s ex-girlfriend or something.”

Sequoia shook her head and gave a
laugh. “No, I’m not. What makes you say that?”

“Just heard my mom talk about you like
maybe I thought you knew my dad like that.” He seemed like he was trying to
watch his words. “Just because of some of the things she said.”

“Like not good, huh?” asked Sequoia.

“No.”

Torino stepped in. “No, Kyle Jr., your
dad and Sequoia didn’t date.” He closed the refrigerator door and walked up
behind the boys. “I’ll tell you what. One day we’ll sit down and explain
everything to you. I know it’s different, but just focus on enjoying yourself
while you’re here, and getting to know your little brother.”

“Little. How old are you?”

“Five.”

“You’re big. I’m seven.”

It looked like all TJ could do was
think of the next thing to do. “Mom, can we play Xbox?”

“Sure.”

Kyle Jr. said to TJ, “You have Xbox?”

“Yep. And a Wii.”

“Wow. This is gonna be cool.” He
looked back past the family room and then through the kitchen window to the
backyard. “This place is huge.”

“You like your room?” asked Torino, as
he held his tea.

“I do. At my house I sleep with my mom
now. My room is full of junk.”

Sequoia put the bag in the microwave
and pressed the button. “TJ sleeps with us sometimes. One day, we’ll all do a
slumber party in our room.”

“Okay,” he replied.

TJ suggested, “Let’s go back to my
room.”

In an instant they ran off.

Sequoia yelled their way, “I’ll bring
the popcorn to your room in a second, TJ.”

“Okay. Love you.”

“Love you, too,” she replied loudly to
TJ while smiling at Torino.

He said, “Those boys are excited.”

“They are.”

He just stared at her. “Look at you,
taking care of my sons.”

“Ah, yeah.” She waited for the kernels
to stop popping. “And let’s not forget to swab the inside of his little,
excited mouth. You know I already got the kit.”

“I saw it. I’ve got you.”

After a while the bag was done.
Sequoia took it out and opened it, emptying it into a red plastic bowl. She
headed upstairs.

Torino just watched and sipped his
tea, and then said, “Umph, umph, umph. We might need to have our own
celebration later on. Damn, I’m glad I took the night off.”

“It’s about time,” she said loud
enough for him to hear.

~~

There was the turn of a doorknob and
then a tiny knock at Sequoia and Torino’s locked bedroom door about two hours
after the boys had finally been put to bed.

Sequoia and Torino were deep into a
full-on tongue kiss, him lying on top of her, both wearing their nightclothes
about ready to consummate the happenings of the day.

 They stopped. The knock sounded
again.

“Yes,” Torino said, hoping off and
heading to the door wearing only gingham pajama bottoms.

“The door won’t open.” It was Kyle Jr.
sounding low-key.

“Okay, hold on.” Torino opened the
double doors and looked down. “What’s up?”

Kyle Jr.’s face was miserable. “I want
to go home.”

“Why?”

“I miss my mommy.”

Sequoia stood up in her big tee shirt.

“You do?” Torino took his hand and
said, “Come on, let’s go back to bed. We can call her in the morning. It’s too
late to go anywhere tonight. Let’s see how you feel in the morning.”

“Do you want to sleep with us?” Sequoia
asked, heading toward them.

Kyle Jr. didn’t budge. “No. I want my
mommy.”

Torino dropped his hand and walked
back toward the nightstand.

Kyle Jr. walked behind him.

“Hold up.” Torino took hold of his
cell. “I’ll call her.”

Sequoia stood right next to Kyle Jr.
“It’s okay, honey. You’re safe here.”

Torino simply waited while the phone
rang and rang. “Let me call again.”

Kyle Jr.’s tears began to flow. “I
want to go home.”

Sequoia said, “Don’t cry. I know it’s
hard getting used to a new house and a new family. We understand.”

“Still no answer.”

“Can I go home?” he asked Torino.

Sequoia said, “Honey, it’s late.”

Torino set the phone down. “How about
if I come into your room with you? We’ll get a book and I’ll read it to you,
and I’ll stay in your room with you tonight. Is that okay?”

Sequoia stepped back and Torino
stepped up as Kyle Jr. replied, “Yes.” His voice sounded weak.

Torino asked, “Do you want TJ to come
in your room, too.”

He shook his head.

Torino began to walk out with a
frowning Kyle Jr. at his side. “Okay, come on, buddy. Just you and me.” He
looked back at Sequoia. “See you in the morning, Mrs. Wilson.”

“Yes, Mr. Wilson.”

She watched them walk down the hall
together. Kyle Jr. only held Torino’s hand for a second, and then he pulled
away. He began to weep.

~~

By five in the morning, Torino’s cell
rang, startling Sequoia. She jumped up and looked around the dark room,
glancing at the alarm clock. She reached over to his side of the bed. The
screen on his phone read,
Kyle
.

She answered sounding drowsy. “Hello?”

He was talking fast. “Sequoia, where’s
Torino?”

“He’s in Kyle Jr.’s bedroom. Kyle Jr.
was a little homesick and so Torino stayed in there with him.”

“I need to talk to him.”

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Please, just get him.”

Sequoia got up and said, “Hold on.”

She put the phone back down and headed
fast down the hallway, straight into Kyle Jr.’s room. He was asleep, sprawled
out on his back in the middle of his twin bed with his mouth wide open,
snoring. Torino was on the floor with a standard sized pillow under his head
and a sheet covering his torso, also snoring.

She bent down and shook him. “Torino.
Wake up. Telephone,” she whispered.

“What?” He opened his eyes and pulled
the sheet off of himself.

“It’s Kyle. He said it’s important.”

“What it is?”

“He wouldn’t tell me.”

“Oh Lord. What time is it?”

“Just after five. Hurry.”

“Dang. Where’s the phone?”

“In the bedroom.”

Torino looked half irritated and stood
up. He headed to their room and picked up the phone. Sequoia stood near him.
“Hey Kyle. What in the hell is going on?. . . She what? . . . Did you believe
her? . . . She’d been following you? . . . Yeah. Did you tell her it wasn’t
you? . . . And then she what? . . . Taking her clothes off? . . . Oh my God. So
they called you? . . . Where are you? . . . In Torrance? . . . I thought you
were headed to Hawaii for your brother’s wedding tomorrow . . . Is she okay? .
. . We tried to call her so Kyle Jr. could talk to her but there was no answer.
I didn’t think anything of it . . . Well, sure. We’ve got him . . . Yeah, call
me back and keep me posted. Actually, I can come over there . . . Are you sure?
. . . Okay, we’ll keep an eye on him. Sorry, man. Bye.”

Sequoia looked stumped. “What in the
world is going on?”

“It’s Colette. She was calling Kyle,
threatening to kill herself because she thought he was getting married this
weekend, and then she called him from a railroad track, threatening to drive in
front of some train. She got out of her car and ran around, taking all her damn
clothes off. Basically, he said she had a nervous breakdown.”

“Oh, hell.”

Torino took his phone and plugged it
into the charger. “She’s in some hospital in Torrance on a seventy-two hour
hold. Some mental hospital.”

“Why am I not surprised? And he’s
gonna miss the wedding?”

“He actually said he doesn’t care
about that. Said he’s not going anywhere until Colette can go home.”

Sequoia titled her head in confusion.
“Oh my God. He cannot be serious. You think that man is still in love with her?
After all this?”

“I do.”

“Damn. He’s sprung if you ask me.”

“More than he’s admitting.”

“You just never know.”

“Nope.” Torino said, “And he’s missing
his own brother’s wedding. I know I wouldn’t do it.” He began walking back down
the hall to Kyle Jr.’s room.

Sequoia walked with him. “I know
that’s right.”

“Plus, the thing is, I just realized
he’s violating his own restraining order by being around her.”

“I forgot about that.”

They stood before Kyle Jr.’s door.

Sequoia’s arms were folded. “Well,
anyway, looks like we might be taking Kyle Jr. to and from school for a
minute.”

Torino said, “At least for seventy-two
hours, I guess.”

She gave a soft grin. “You think
Colette should get him back even after all this?”

“I don’t.”

She said, “I think she might lose her
fifty-percent custody now. She can’t take care of that little boy, let alone
herself.”

“Well, she got Kyle’s attention.”
Torino spoke lower. “This reminds me of the crap she pulled in Mason’s backyard
that day she tried to stab herself in the stomach.”

She whispered. “You know what they
say. Crazy leaves clues. And if that’s the case, Kyle is fucking clueless and
crazy right along with her. I’m going back to bed. You coming?”

Torino looked back at Kyle Jr. who was
still knocked out. “No. I made a promise that I’d be in there when he woke up.”

She looked at Kyle Jr., too, still
speaking softly. “Poor boy. To have a mom like that.”

Torino put his hand on her back. “Good
night.” He gave her a peck on the lips. “Sorry about all this.”