How To Salsa in a Sari (4 page)

Studying? Yeah, he was studying your a—
“Girl, I think you were doing a lot more than studying!” Issa spat before she could stop herself.

“Issa!” Alisha looked shocked. “What on earth…”

Anger took over her words and Issa felt herself starting to lose control. “Adam and I broke up. And it's because of—”

“Adam was not good enough for you. Not to worry,
chica.
He'll get what he deserves,” Cat said in a reassuring voice. “Alisha, tell your daughter. Those high-school boys, so fickle. One day they are yours, the next, going after someone prettier and more popular.”

What the hell kind of game was she playing? How did she manage to make every insult sound like a compliment? “I—”

“We should sit,” Diego interrupted, looking over at Alisha. Pity, he looked as if he had no idea of the kind of activities that went on up in his house.

Dip in the hot tub, anyone?

Issa seethed and remembered Cat's words this morning.

Off to help your mommy scrub the floors.

Oooh, when Alisha found out, Diego would get hell. That would put an end to this screwed-up relationship.

“It is such an honor to finally have you here for dinner,
Professora!
” Cat practically purred, taking Alisha's arm and leading her to the living room with Issa dragging her feet behind.

She was going to ignore Cat, get through this dinner and never speak to her mother again.

“Call me Alisha. Please.” Alisha smiled at Cat, earning a scornful look from Issa.

Diego and Alisha sat next to each other on a white leather couch, with Cat taking the ottoman. That left the love seat on which Issa perched, trying to edge as far away from the Morenas as possible.

The leather couch was sticking to her pants. She gingerly pulled her low-rise jeans up, the squeaking noise attracting Cat's attention.

“Is that a tattoo?” Cat said in an overtly loud voice. Knowing Cat, she was hoping Alisha didn't know and Issa would get busted for it.

Diego stopped talking and glanced over at Issa with a frown.

Issa quickly pulled her sweatshirt down over the
Om
tattoo on her hip. The previous year she'd been obsessed with Sanskrit, the ancient Indian language, and had half joked she would love to have the symbol of the whole universe tatooed on her to remind herself to keep her cool through the crazy teenage years. To her surprise, Alisha had agreed to let Issa get the tattoo on her sixteenth birthday and had even gotten one herself.

“Iz and I got matching ones.” Alisha raised her blouse to show Cat her own tattoo. “Cool, huh?”

“Yeah.” Cat looked awestruck.

Diego looked horrified.

Issa could feel herself smiling. Hopefully now Alisha would see how ill-fit she and Diego were. It was like Gwen Stefani dating Donald Trump.

Or maybe not. Diego resumed his serene smile and put his arm around Alisha as if he had no problem dating a woman who let her sixteen-year-old daughter permanently scar herself. “So, Catalina, Issa, how were your days at school today?”

Issa pointedly stared out the window in the living room at the darkened sky. Ugh, she could see Diego's and Alisha's reflections in the window. Diego bent his head over Alisha's and whispered something. Alisha bit her lip, then nodded slowly. They both broke into smiles. What were they sniggering about now?

“Issa, Diego specifically asked to have dinner with you tonight so you could meet Catalina.”

She knew Catalina well enough, thanks.

“I have a feeling you two would make fine friends.” Diego smiled at both girls. Issa inched even farther away from Cat. The girl could poison her right here in front of their parents without even batting her big fake eyelashes.

“Yeah, sure,” Issa said instead. The sooner this pompous snob stopped talking, the better.

“Your mother says you have adjusted well at Athens.”

Issa paused. Adjusted well. Right. She was the only student in the whole school whose parents weren't millionaires…and everyone knew it. The only ones who didn't care were Ishaan and Gigi. If it weren't for them, Issa would have spent the rest of her high-school years playing second tier to a bunch of spoiled East Coast princesses. Girls like Cat. Issa's cheeks started to burn again. It just wasn't fair. How could a horrible witch like Cat have everything? Money, friends, a fancy convertible…and now Adam. She hated Cat, hated her with every fiber of her soul.

“Why don't you come with me, Iz? We can fetch drinks for the parents,” Catalina asked sweetly, turning to Issa, her velvet eyes widening.

Fetch drinks?
What was this, a bad fifties movie?

“Dinner's almost ready,
mi hija.
Don't keep us waiting,” Diego called behind them.

“Of course not,
Papi.
”

Issa reluctantly followed Catalina, while glancing over her shoulder at her mother. Alisha and Diego were gazing at each other, Diego gently stroking her arm. Gross.

They had to get out of here. For good. Her mother could never see Diego again. Unfortunately, her mother looked happy and Diego was treating her like a queen. And Cat was acting like she'd gotten a personality transplant overnight.

Issa had her work cut out for her.

Catalina led Issa into a room that was less kitchen and more futuristic space station. She immediately started throwing open cabinets and pulled out a tiny shot glass and a bottle of Sprite. “I need good vodka to get through this dinner.”

As soon as Cat took the top off the bottle, the strong smell of alcohol permeated the room.

Vodka in a Sprite bottle? Now, that was just ghetto.

Issa stood openmouthed and watched as Catalina poured herself a shot of the liquid, threw it into the back of her throat. “Actually I need two.” Repeat.

“What the—” Issa should have known better than to trust Cat for even a moment.

“What, what're you going to do? Huh,
chica?
Tell Daddy on me?” Catalina sneered. “Please. I know how to handle him, okay? Don't get any ideas.”

“Yeah, I bet.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Catalina carefully restashed her alcoholic paraphernalia and pulled a tin of Altoids from the same shelf. “I don't know what kind of game you and your brown-trash mom are playing.”

Issa resisted the urge to slap Cat. “What the hell did you say? You think we want to be here? If your idiot of a father—”

“He's having some sort of midlife crisis obviously. Don't worry, your mother isn't that special.”

Cat swallowed two Altoids and breathed into her hand. Apparently satisfied that the alcoholic scent was gone, she hid the box of mints. “He's decided he's going to be with her. I don't care. Up to him. But I'll tell you this.” Cat stepped very close to Issa, all signs of innocence gone from her almond-shaped eyes. “One day when he realizes he's brought home mulatto trash, you'll be at the end of the driveway with the rest of the garbage.”

Issa's brain raced. Diego was just playing Alisha. He had no idea about her background or ex-husband. When he found out this stupid love affair would be over so fast…

Cat brushed past Issa, shoving her shoulder into Issa's collarbone. “Get in the dining room. Smile. Act happy. Oh, and if you get in my way and think you can tattle on me to my dad, good luck. You think I made your life hell before? No,
chica,
that was nothing. You'll see exactly what I'm capable of.”

Issa rubbed her bruised collar. The little tramp was pretty strong.

Cat swept into the dining room and Issa could practically hear her go through her Jekyll and Hyde transformation. “Issa's on her way,” Cat announced sweetly.

Issa seethed. How could Alisha possibly think she and Cat would ever get along? The girl was evil, pure evil.

Dinner was torture. Diego had crafted a fine leg of lamb stewed in a tomato-and-onion curry served over white rice with a side of black beans. Any other day, Issa would have gobbled down such a gourmet meal. But today, it tasted like a
Fear Factor
delicacy in her mouth.

She avoided Cat's eyes while the girl jabbered on about school and friends. Issa finally managed to swallow a few bites of food and pushed her plate away. It was almost over. As soon as they got home, Issa would explain everything to her mother. Surely, she would break up with Diego immediately and inform him of what a tramp his daughter was.

Issa peeked over at Cat's dish to see what anorexics ate nowadays. Surprisingly, Cat was chowing down on her leg of lamb and her plate was almost clean. Issa rolled her eyes. She wouldn't be surprised if Cat “excused herself” in about ten minutes to go to the bathroom and puke it all up.

“There's something…we'd like to discuss with you.” The hesitation in Alisha's voice made Issa sit up straight from her half-slouchy pose. The “you tell her” expressions Alisha and Diego were exchanging did not look like good news.

“Issa, last weekend, I asked your mother to marry me.”

Everyone in Life Has a Purpose, Even If It's to Serve as a Bad Example

Suddenly
the room looked fuzzy and Alisha's voice was very far away. A delusion, a bad dream, a hallucination. This had to be anything but the truth. Issa was going to throw up.

“You're crazy, right?” Issa whispered, barely able to hear herself. There was a roaring in her ears, like the ocean, or gunfire. Then she realized it was the hammering of her heart.

“Issa, we're not…we're not joking.” Alisha disentangled her hand from Diego's. “Diego is a good man, he cares about me a lot and this is going to be wonderful. You and Catalina will be sisters! I know we're going to love being a family.”

Issa dared to glance over at Catalina to see how she was reacting. Knowing Cat's famous temper, Issa had a feeling this engagement was going to end here, tonight.

“Well, I think this…” Cat finally set her fork down and folded her hands. Issa took a deep breath. Here it came. Alisha would see what she was marrying into. “I think it's awesome! I mean, I've always wanted a big family. It's been Papi and me for so long.”

To Issa's shock, she saw tears in Cat's eyes before she lowered them demurely.

What the hell was going on here? Cat
knew
about this. It had to be. That's what she'd been alluding to in the kitchen.

“You all crazy,” Issa gasped after a moment's silence, nausea shooting up her throat. “All of you. Mom, you can't just marry this…” She shot her most ferocious look toward Diego, trying to contain her tears. “And his daughter! She's psycho! You guys have no idea and—”

“Issa!”

Issa realized she sounded insane, but didn't care. “She attacked me this morning. And then she warned me, and then Adam told me about her and the hot tub and now—You can't!”

Her head whirled from Cat to Diego to Alisha. Why was no one saying anything? Why was no one seeing her side?

“Issa, that's enough. Okay? Diego and I have made up our minds. I thought you would understand….” Alisha looked stricken.

“This is completely whack!” Issa threw down her napkin. “You can't marry him!” She gestured violently at Diego. “He doesn't know how to raise a kid, look at her!” She jabbed at Cat's direction. “She's the biggest bitch on earth!”

“Issa.” Diego rose from the table. “This is not the time for a scene.”

“You do
not
talk to me! You are
not
my daddy and you never will be,” Issa snapped, and glared at Alisha.

“Issa.” Alisha stood up quickly and grabbed Issa's arm. “Please, everyone. Please excuse us. I need a minute alone with my daughter.”

Alisha led Issa into the front hall. “What is the matter with you? I didn't raise you to be like—”

“Mom, no!” Issa whispered. “This ain't right! You don't know nothing about these people, and—”

Issa realized she'd completely lost her East Coast sheen. Right now she was the girl from the ghetto fighting for what she believed in.

“Stop it right now. You and I have always been the best of friends. I assume you would want my happiness. Yes?”

Issa was silent.

“Yes or no. You want my happiness?”

“Yes,” Issa whispered, even though she had never felt further away from Alisha. “But don't you see what they think of us? They don't think we're good enough for them. Diego, he doesn't know about me, about Dad! And, Mom, she's crazy! She was throwing back shots in the kitchen and telling me—”

“Cat was nothing but sweet to you! I saw it with my own eyes. Issa, I know you don't like her, but please, you have to try.”

Try?
Try to like Cat Morena? That was like trying to like having her fingers chopped off one at a time. “You must be crazy! Cat's just—”

“Stop throwing this fit. Iz, this isn't like you. Diego and I are getting married over Christmas. Amir will be home. We'll all be together then, the whole family.”

That selfish little bitch and her pushover father? They'd never be her family.

“That's not enough time,” Issa protested. “I barely know these people.
You
barely know these people! How can you just marry someone you dated for a few months?”

“You have three months to get used to the idea. Diego has asked us to move into this house so we can all get used to living together. You and I are moving here next weekend.”