“Well?” I ask. It’s been a long shift, and I’m exhausted. All I want to do is go home and crash on my bed. Finally, I have a day off tomorrow, and I plan on going to the beach after sleeping in all morning.
“Is there anything you want to tell us?” Elena asks first.
“Um, no? What’s this about?” I ask, a bit annoyed, a bit amused.
Elena and Ricardo exchange looks. Fernanda looks more bored than anything, and I know Elena asked her to stay. She’s not that interested in . . . whatever this is. Mariela, on the other hand, regards me with soft, empathetic eyes.
“Is it drugs?” Elena asks.
I laugh, eyes wide and alert now. “What?”
“It’s not funny,” Elena says, all serious.
“I’m not on drugs,tía. What on earth are you talking about?”
“You’ve been going off on these ‘appointments’ as you call them, the last several weeks. No one knows where you’re off to when you take off, and you act really suspicious.”
“I’m not doing drugs,” I say.
“You’re not going off to score?”
“¡Tía! No!” I laugh.
“Then, what is it?”
“I love you for caring about me, but some things need to stay private. This is just for me. It’s nothing illegal, or that would put me in danger, I swear.”
She eyes me warily, not convinced, but finally nods. “Okay. I’m going to trust you.”
I stand to hug her and look over at Ricardo. He shrugs, and I can tell he was dragged into this as well—but he’ll do anything for Elena.
Over the last several weeks, I’ve come to realize that Ricardo is in love with my aunt, and my poor aunt is entirely oblivious. It’s cute, but I also feel a little sad for him in his unrequited love. If he’s here tonight to support Elena, it’s because he loves her. I smile weakly at him before he and Fernanda leave us.
“I promise,tía, it’s not drugs.”
And while it’s true that it’s nothing illegal or that would harm me, I also know she would disapprove. Especially given how I know she feels about Fernanda’s nose piercing. I’ll keep my appointments with Mitzy a secret from my aunt as long as I can.
* * *
“Doyou think Elena knows Ricardo is in love with her?” I ask Fernanda as we wait for our turn at open mic night at a local gay bar she loves. I’m trying to distract myself from my nerves.
Fernanda snorts. “She is oblivious.”
“You think she loves him?”
Fernanda shakes her head. “No. I don’t think so.”
“How long?” I ask.
“I’ve worked for Elena since I was seventeen, so three years now. That entire time, he’s been head over heels.”
“Neither of them have dated or anything in that time?”
She shakes her head again.
It’s easier to distract myself with my aunt’s love life than it is to dwell on the fact that I’m about to step on the first stage of my life. As confident a player as I’ve become in the last few months, I’ve never played in front of a room full of strangers.
Since it’s just a duo, for now, I had to get my hands on an acoustic guitar, and Karl was right; it’s a little more challenging to play with the thicker strings. It took some getting used to, and I’m not as confident as I am on electric, but I remind myself it’s only temporary until we find our bass and drums.