The Other Marlowe Girl (Marlowe Girls) (2 page)

“That’s okay. You’ve outgrown bar chicks. You don’t have to worry about impressing me.”

“I like that.”

Will walked back over. “How are we doing here?”

“I want another margarita.”

“Strawberry?” he asked.

“No. A regular margarita on the rocks.”

“Will, her drinks are on my tab.”
 
Enrique rested an arm on the bar and leaned a little closer in my direction like he was really interested in listening to me.
 

I giggled. “You owe me the first one, for letting you get your shot first, but I’m paying for this one.”

“Will, her drinks are on my tab.”

“No, they’re not,” I said.

“I’ve told you my life story. I think you can let me buy you a drink,” he said.

“Fine.”

“What did you do to make your mom evict you?”

“Stayed out too late. And if she knew I was here now, she’d be thrilled with her decision.”

“You’re mom kicked you out for coming home too late? You’re grown.”

I think it has more to do with the fact that I’m a total flake with no redeeming qualities. 
I shrugged.
 

“What a hardass. I guess I should be easier on my brother and 
Papá.
”
 

I brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. “She’s right.”

Enrique gave me an intense stare. “We’ve met before.”

“We have?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“I don’t know, but I know that I know you.”

I stared back at him just as intensely. He had big brown eyes with the softest hint of gold, curly black hair, and caramel skin. I couldn’t remember meeting him, and with dimples like his that was something I would have remembered. 

“You do look familiar, but I really don’t think we’ve met.”

“At least, you didn’t accuse me of trying to pick you up this time.”
 

“It wasn’t an accusation before.”

“What was it then?”

I smiled. This was my specialty. Flirting. “A fact.”

He threw his head back and laughed with an open mouth. “Are you serious? You have the best self-esteem.”

“I’m not overly confident. I’m honest.”

“You’re something, all right.”

Will left my margarita on the counter. As I picked up my drink, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I took it out to find another text message.

A picture of a headless man flashed across my screen. The caption read, “The last person that didn’t pay me.”

A mirror covered the wall behind the bar, allowing me to see behind my back. Daniel was in the bar. Behind me. It was no coincidence that I got that message when I did. I wondered if he’d followed me here, or if he lived in the area. I didn’t know much about him, except that I wrote him a check to keep him from killing Emmett and me. Part of me thought I needed to get out of here, but I was probably safer here than in my car alone.
 

“What’s wrong?” Ernique asked.

“Nothing,” I said staring at the morbid image on my phone.

“Something’s wrong.” He leaned over to see my phone. I tried to shove it under the counter before he saw it, but I wasn’t quick enough.

He nodded. “Who do you owe money?”

“No one.” 
A drug dealer.
 

“That’s a strange message to get from someone you don’t owe money. If you tell me the truth, I might be able to help you.”

“I don’t need help.” 
Yes, I do.
 

“Last call,” Will yelled from behind the counter. I picked up my margarita and started gulping. He’d be closing shop soon, and I didn’t intend on wasting my drink. Besides, it kept my mind off avoiding Daniel on the drive to Katia’s.

People started milling out of the bar. In the mirror, I could see Daniel was still leaning against the wall. I would have to leave soon…

I finished off the drink then looked back to Enrique. “I know we don’t know each other, but get another job.” 

“What?”

“If working for your dad and brother is so hard, quit your job. I don’t know what you do, but if you’re worried about paying for insurance, I’m guessing it’s something you make decent money at. So suck it up and pay for the insurance. If you keep working with them, you might do something you regret, and some things you can’t change.” 
Don’t ask me how I know.
 

“What’s your name?”

“Kammy.”

“Kammy, thank you.”

“For what? The drinks were on you.” I laughed.

“For listening to me and the advice.”

“No problem.”

I stood to walk out as more people spilled out of the doors. I needed to be in a crowd on the way to my car.

“Are you leaving?”

“Well, it is closing time.”

“I’ll walk you to your car.”

I was not about to argue with that. I was going to have to walk past Daniel to get out the door, and I’d rather do it with this big guy beside me than alone. Enrique stood, and his body tilted back.

“I’m drunker than I realized. Will?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m leaving my car here tonight.”

“Good idea,” Will called back.

“Is it going to be here tomorrow?”

“Come before work. I won’t tow it, but I can’t make promises for other people. I’ll leave a note in the office though,” Will said.

“Thanks, man,” Enrique said.

“No problem,” Will said.

“Let’s go.” Enrique put his arm around me.

I felt the heat in my face as the blood rushed under my cheeks. I had no idea why, but I was blushing. I never blushed, and it wasn’t like this was the first guy in the world to put his arm around me. Not even the first hot guy. 
Wow! I’m really off my game. 
 

As we walked out the door, Enrique was standing to my left with his arm tucked around my waist. Daniel still leaned up against the wall to my right. 
So much for a buffer. 
I kind of thought that he wouldn’t say anything with Enrique beside me, but I was wrong. He grabbed my arm. “We need to talk.”
 

My breath hitched. “Let go of me. You’re hurting me.”

“Now.” Enrique growled. 

“This doesn’t involve you,” Daniel growled, but he let go of my arm.

Enrique pushed me to his other side using the arm that was hooked around my waist. 

“Is that who you owe money?”

I sighed. “Maybe.”

“You wanna tell me about it?”

“Not really.”

He chuckled. “Fair enough.”

We stepped outside the glass doors of Cosmos into pouring rain and hail. October in Texas was usually warm enough you didn’t need a jacket, but the hurricane season came late this year, and this rain was frigid. My teeth chattered together. Enrique took off his jacket and hung it over my shoulders. I clung to the seams at each side with my hand, pulling it closed across me.

“It’s not very warm. It’s more cosmetic than anything,” he said. 

It was very sweet though. No one had given me their jacket since high school, and that was a show. “Thank you.” 

“
De nada.”
 

A row of cabs stood between us and the parking lot. “You don’t need to walk me to my car in the rain,” I said, sliding his jacket off.

He pulled it back up. “Kammy, I haven’t seen your
 friend
 leave yet, and there is no way I’m going to leave you alone in a dark parking lot after that.”
 

“Why? You don’t even know me.”

“I have this cousin, Nikki. She’s almost like a little sister—she’s such a pain—and I would want someone to walk her to her car… Are you sure you don’t want to take a cab? You had a few drinks.”

“I’m fine, thanks. And I’m not going far.”

“Most wrecks happen a block from home.”

“I’m okay. Really.”

“Where are we going?” he asked as we walked through the wall of yellow cabs to the parking lot. 

“White Camaro at the very back.”

“It would be at the very end.”

I laughed. “You really don’t have to walk me. Just get in a nice warm cab and go home.”

“Not happening.”

“Then get wet.”

“It’s too late for that.”

He was right. We were both soaked from head to toe, or in my case, stiletto sandal. The way the water poured down over us, we were basically swimming. The hail hadn’t stopped either, and now it was getting bigger.

“This day keeps getting worse,” he moaned.

“What’s wrong? I mean aside from the torrential water, ice, and wind? I thought you were doing better.”

“I need to take a cab home.”

“I can drive you.”

He laughed. “That’s not the problem.”

“Then what is?”

“My car is going to get beat up out here all night.”

“Sorry. Have your friend drive it home.”

“Will? He might if I pay him, but he won’t leave for a while.”

We arrived at my car. “Here we are,” I said. I stepped closer to the door, but I made no effort to get in, because what had started out as a really bad night, I was enjoying now.

“Get in the car, so you’re out of the rain,” he said.

“Okay.” I pulled his coat off and handed it to him.

I opened the door and sat down in the driver’s seat. Before I could close it, Enrique placed a hand on the door frame and leaned down. “I want to see you again. That’s the real reason I walked you to your car.” 

Too bad. He had me convinced good guys still existed with that story about his cousin. “No cousin Nikki?” I teased.

“Cousin Nikki is very real, and I don’t like for her to walk around by herself at night. I wouldn’t lie to you. I just needed time to get the courage to tell you I. Want. To. See. You. Again. You shot me down pretty hard in there.”

“So you 
were
 hitting on me?”
 

“I was not hitting on you! You 
do 
look familiar. Give me your phone.” I took my phone out of the pocket of my skirt and handed it to him. He punched numbers in and handed it back to me. “Call me tomorrow, please?”
 

“I’ll call you. Maybe.” I smiled.

He grinned. “I’ll answer. Maybe. Do you think that guy is going to try to follow you?”

I really hoped not. Katia’s parking lot was a hike from the apartment, and I wasn’t sure I could outrun Daniel with the rain and heels.

“Probably not.”

“If you have a problem, call me. I can get rid of him.”

“You just met me. You know that, right?”

He shrugged. “I’ll lay off. Sorry.”

I wasn’t really asking him to. I was more confused than anything. Why put so much effort into a girl he didn’t even know? “Goodnight, Enrique.”

“
Buenos noches.”
 The way his accent hung over the words was more intoxicating than the margaritas I’d swallowed earlier.
 

Chapter 3

Enrique turned to walk away, and I stuck my key in the keyhole and flipped the ignition. Nothing happened. I tried again. Still nothing. Seriously? 
I hope this car is not crapping out on me. That’s all I need. 
It was my gift for high school graduation, and that was some years ago. But I always got the oil changed and did the maintenance. Well, my dad did, but still.
 

I got out of the car and lifted the hood. I saw a bunch of stuff that went in cars like wires and dirty metal. 
Gross. 
I checked the oil and water. They were both full, and that was about the extent of my automotive know-how. I called Katia, maybe she could come get me. 
 

“Katia’s phone. Katia’s busy,” a guy said.

“I need to talk to her. It’s an emergency.”

He groaned. “Emergencies are buzz kills.”

Tell me about it.

“Kammy, what’s up?” Katia asked.

“I’m stranded at Cosmos. Could you pick me up?”

“No can do. I’m on the island.”

“The island? Galveston?”

“Crystal Beach.”

“What are you doing on Crystal Beach? You said I could crash. You know the situation.”

“Those boys next door have a key. Just knock on the door. You can still crash.”

It was after two a.m. No way was I knocking on some stranger’s door to get Katia’s house key, assuming they’d even give it to me since I was obviously not Katia. I was going to have to go to my sister’s tonight, which was just as bad as going home—to my parents. Except I was mad at my parents.

And either way I had to figure out something under this damn hood, because I was sure Tiffany would not come pick me up. She’d just call my dad and tell on me like she did in Mexico. If I were her big sister, I’d take care of her. So I stood hunched under an open hood in frigid rain, looking at wires and dirty metal, trying to figure out which piece of this I needed to do what with for my car to start. A horn honked beside me, and I jumped, hitting my head on the hood. I looked up as Enrique stepped out of a yellow cab.

“I was leaving, and I saw you out here. What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know.”

He took his phone out and used the glow for a flashlight. He picked up a wire laying on top of the battery and let it fall. “Someone’s disconnected your battery cables, and I don’t think I can re-connect them in this rain.” He laughed. “Not to mention I’m so drunk I’m not sure I’d do it right anyhow.”

I sighed. 
Daniel.
 
And he’s probably still around.
 
 

“Get in the cab.”

“I’ll get my own cab. Thank you though.” 
I’m pretty sure you don’t want me to call you now.
 

“Kammy, I’m not drunk enough to think it’s coincidence that some guy grabbed you on the way out of the bar and your battery cables are disconnected now. I’m going to make sure you get home okay.”

I found a 
really 
nice guy on the way worst day to do it. 
OMG! I’d kill to be Tiffany. For a day, just one day. What would Tiffany do? Surrender. 
“Thank you.”
 

“Where are we going?” Enrique asked once we were inside the cab.

“3300 Pond Point Crossing.”

“That’s my brother’s house! I know why I’ve seen you. You were at the wedding.”