The Other Marlowe Girl (Marlowe Girls) (3 page)

Great. No chance I’ll be seeing Enrique again. 
“Yeah, I was there,” I said flatly.
 

“How do you know Tiffany?”

“She’s—she’s my sister.”

“But you weren’t 
in 
the wedding, or at the rehearsal dinner.”
 

I gave a curt laugh then bit my bottom lip. “I didn’t know there was a rehearsal dinner.”

“
Riiight,
” He drew the word out as if he were suddenly coming to a realization. “Because you married her boyfriend. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
 

“OMG! I cannot believe she told you that. Yes, I married her boyfriend who she never cared about, and believe me I got the worst end of the deal. He was a freakin’ skater boy. A skater boy! Can you see Tiffany with a skater boy? And Luke is exactly what she needed, so I don’t even know why she’s still on that. God! I wonder who else she told. Does she just go around talking about me?”

“Hey, hey, calm down. She didn’t tell me anything. Can I ask you a favor?”

“Go for it. I figure I’m obliged.” I leaned back against the tattered seat.

“You’re not obligated to do anything, but please don’t mention that I know.”

“Because she trashes me and doesn’t want me to know it? Even better. Gutless beyotch.”

He laughed. “Don’t mention it because Tiffany didn’t tell me. Luke did, before they were married, because he thought it was the reason he had such a hard time getting close to her.”

“They looked pretty cozy to me when we left Cancun.” I crossed my arm. For some reason, talking about my perfect big sister could always set me off.

“The first time he proposed, she turned him down.” His words were quiet this time.

“I didn’t know that.”

“No one does.” 
 

“Why would she do that? She loved him. It was obvious. She let Luke get to her in a way my sister doesn’t let anyone get to her.”

“He felt she didn’t trust him enough to make that commitment. She even tried to break up with him, but he wasn’t letting her go. So you can see how if either of them knew I mentioned it, it would cause a problem for me.”

“That’s so sweet. Of course, Tiffany would get a guy like that while I got the skater boy.”

“Tiffany had the skater boy first.”

She wasn’t stupid enough to marry him. 
“Right.”
 

His gaze met my eyes and never faltered. “Look, I have to ask, are you divorced?”

“Why do you care? Yes, I’m divorced. Just like your brother predicted,
 
Emmett had an affair.”
 

“Kammy, what happened between you and your sister is between you and your sister. I asked if you’re divorced, because I told you I plan on seeing you again. If you had a husband, it would complicate that.”

“Why do you want to see me again? It makes no sense. You have it together, and I think it’s obvious that I don’t. And now you know my beautiful, sordid past. What exactly are you hoping for?”

“Dinner and a movie.”

“Why?”

“Marlowe girls have a certain charm. My turn to ask a question. Why did my brother give you relationship advice?”

“Relationship advice?”

“You said he predicted your ex-husband’s affair.”

I sighed. “I think that was supposed to be more of an insult than advice. He cheated on Tiffany, so he would cheat on me.”

“
Oh. 
Luke didn’t mention that.”
 

My cheeks filled with heat. 
Why leave any details out, Kammy?
 

“Kammy, I really don’t care about that. It was years ago.”

“Marlowe girls have a certain charm, so you’re hoping for someone like my sister?”

“If I were hoping for someone like your sister, I would have put you in your own cab.”

“Because I’m that bad.”

He laughed. “You need a shrink. I would have put you in your own cab, because you’re that different and it’s obvious. I’m not into good girls.”

“So, I’m that 
bad.” 
I slid away from him, closer to the door.
 

“I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant. I like girls that assume you’re hitting on them because you say they look familiar. I like girls that say “maybe” when you ask them to call you. 

“Bold.”

Enrique nodded as the cab pulled up to the gate of Tiffany’s subdivision.

Crap. 
I forgot about that. 
 

“Do you have a code?” the driver asked from the front seat.

“I’ll get it.” Enrique stepped into the rain and punched numbers on the keypad.

Luke’s brother had the code. I didn’t.

The massive black gate slid apart.  Enrique climbed back in the cab and we drove past it.

Enrique scooted closer to me in the seat. “Do you know why Will quit serving me tonight?”

“No.”

“I broke three shot glasses. I was drunk and pissed. Every time I thought about 
mi papá 
or Luke, I’d take a shot and throw it at the sink. A few times I missed.”
 

“If Luke were 
my 
boss, I’d quit.”
 

“I’ve thought about it more than once, but it’s my company, too.”

“No, it’s your dad’s.”

“It is, but it will be ours. As in mine, Luke’s, and Toni’s, so why should Luke run it? It’s not my fault that he’s older so by default graduated sooner and has more experience.”

“Toni is your younger brother?”

“
Sí.” 
 

“Imagine how it feels to be him.”

Enrique laughed. “The point is everyone does stupid shit. It’s okay. Quit being so hard on yourself.”

It was the out that Tiffany and our parents were never going to give me. My friends supported me when I married Emmett, but it wasn’t because they thought I was right. It was only because we partied together.

“You’re very nice.”

The cab pulled up to the curb in front of Tiffany’s house. Enrique leaned forward. “Keep the meter running,” he said to the driver. He opened the door, stepped out of the car, and when I moved toward the open door, he took my hand and helped me out. A first.

“Thank you.”

“
De nada.” 
He walked me to the front door. “Kammy, there is one thing I have to ask you, but I didn’t want to do it in the cab.”
 

“What?”

“The guy from the bar, are you doing something illegal?”

I hung my head. “Yes, but I didn’t realize how much so until it was way too late.”

“What does that mean?”

“I did something illegal that I didn’t think would be this big of a deal to keep him from killing someone else and me in the process. If I had it to do over again, I think I’d let him kill the jerk. Enrique, I know I’m not the kind of girl guys like you date. You’ve been very nice, but there is no reason to get mixed up with me. I—I didn’t go to the bar to meet a guy tonight. I went to Cosmos to kill time until Katia got home, which turned out not to matter because she went to Crystal Beach instead of going home.”

“I wasn’t at the bar to pick someone up tonight, either. I promise.”

“Because you’ve outgrown bar chicks, and that’s what I am.”

“There is more to you than that. And I’m in Cosmos once a week. This is the first time I’ve seen you there.”

I went once a week too, but usually on Friday nights.

“We’ll talk about this more tomorrow. I don’t want my brother to see me out so late.” He placed a hand on my cheek and pressed his lips against mine. My mouth parted and so did his. The taste of Enrique filled me with desire, but I’d learned enough from Emmett that I knew I didn’t want whatever chance I had with Enrique to start out like this. Using more self-control than I knew I had, I pulled away from him.

I put my fingers on his lips. “Not until the fifth date.”

“For a kiss?” he whined.

I nodded.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“That was easy.”

“I’m man enough to take no for an answer. Am I allowed to peck you?”

“On the cheek.”

He leaned down and pecked my cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Enrique, there is something you should know.”

“What?”

“You didn’t want Luke to know you’re here, but I don’t have the gate code.”

“Ahh. Don’t worry about knocking then. It might wake Lucía up.” Lucía was my—our—niece. Enrique pulled his keys from his pocket and unlocked the door.

“You have a house key?”

Neither of us said anything, and finally he spoke. “I should go, but can I take you to dinner tomorrow night?”

“I’d like to see you again.”

“Done.” He headed back for the cab then spun around to look at me. “Hey, Kammy?”

“Yeah?”

“If I take you to dinner then drop you off and pick you up again before the movie, does that count as two dates?” 
 

“Maybe,” I smiled as I opened the door.

Enrique gave me a wave and started for the cab again. 

Chapter 4

I knew there was a linen closet beside the upstairs bathroom, so I slipped through the door and silently tip-toed up the stairs, trying not to breathe. 
Just like high school.
 

I pulled a big blanket out of the closet and went back to the couch. I stripped and hung my clothes over a chair to dry, wrapped myself in the blanket, set the alarm on my phone so I could get dressed before anyone woke up, and lay on the couch.

At four I was still awake, so I got up and patted my clothes to see if they were dry. No. But the blouse wasn’t that wet, so I put it on and returned to the couch.

Spanish words I couldn’t understand swirled in my head. I opened my eyes to find Luke leaning over the arm of the couch in my face. “What are you doing here?”

“My mom kicked me out. Move.” I rolled into the back of the couch and covered my eyes with my hand.

Even with my eyes closed, I could sense my space no longer being invaded. 

“TIFFANY!” he bellowed.

Lucía started crying. Way to go. The jerk woke up the baby.
 

I heard my sister’s shoes scraping against the wood floor. “Lucas, what on earth do you want?” 
 

He was Lucas now. It must have really pissed her off that he woke the baby.

“Do you want to explain this to me?” he asked, his voice harsh.

Part of me wanted to tell him it wasn’t Tiffany’s fault, but Enrique didn’t want Luke to know he was out at a bar all night. With me. So I thought I’d just let it play out.

“Explain what to you?”

“Why your sister is sleeping on my couch because your mother couldn’t put up with her anymore.”

“Sweetheart, are you feeling okay?” She wasn’t even mad. The only thing in her voice was concern.

“
Anjel, 
you know I love you, but don’t play dumb.
”
 

She was standing in front of him now. I could hear her voice coming from the arm of the chair. “Oh my God. You’re not delirious. Did you let her in last night?”

“Tiffany, that’s not funny.”

“I’m being serious.”

I sat up. “She didn’t let me in. I promise.”

My big sister glared at her husband, because if she didn’t let me in, he must have.

“I wouldn’t have let her stay here without asking you. I promise. She still owes me money.”

“So you would otherwise?” She crossed her arms.

“No, I’m just saying I don’t want to talk to her.”

“How do I owe you money?” I asked.
 

Tiffany bit her bottom lip. “He paid off the damage from Cancun. I—I gave him what you gave me, but you know that didn’t begin to cover it.”

I felt horrible now. It was one thing for my sister to pay for me. It was another thing for her then boyfriend to. “I’m sorry, Luke.”

“No, it’s fine. What upsets me is that you didn’t care when you thought it was Tiffany’s money. You know, the girl who flew to Cancun to throw a party for you to marry her ex-boyfriend?”

I sighed. “Yeah.”

“How did you get in?” he asked.

“What?” That caught me off guard. I had to come up with something.

“How did you get in?” he repeated.

“You left the door unlocked.” 

He shook his head. “That didn’t happen.”

“Yep, the door was unlocked. When I knocked, it came open. So I just came inside to get out of the storm.”

“I check the door before I go to bed every night.” He glared at me.

“Paranoid much?” I asked.  
 

“Not that it’s any of your business but I’m in criminal defense. Not every guilty SOB walks, and I have a wife and kid to keep safe. How did you get in? Lie to me again, and I’ll check the security cameras.”

“Please don’t be angry, but your brother let me in.”

Luke’s brows knitted together. “Enrique? I went to bed at almost one. What was he doing here that late?”

“He said he forgot something.”

“You just ran into him here?” 

I nodded.
 
 

His forehead creased, and his eyes narrowed. “So how did you get past the gate?”

“I climbed it.”

“You climbed a sixteen-foot gate?”

“Dancer legs.” I smiled.

Tiffany leaned around Luke and made eye contact with me for the first time. “It’s electric, Kammy.”

“Okay, the important thing is you should be mad at me. I’m the good for nothing piece of crap that married your wife’s ex-boyfriend, ran up your credit card, and got kicked out by my own mother.”

“So far I’m not arguing with you,” he said.

“I was stranded at Cosmos last night. Enrique saw me and stopped to help. He brought me here and let me in.”

“He was probably just trying to help,” Tiffany said quickly.

“I don’t care that he brought her here. If you were awake
, 
you would have let her stay anyhow. He was out late enough to see her stranded at Cosmos and bring her here, and he’ll show up at ten o’clock today,”
 
Luke said.
 

“It’s his company, too.” I regretted it as soon as I said it. I was certain Enrique wouldn’t have told Luke about me, and I knew what it was like to have an older sibling refuse to believe you could handle your own life.