Handing her a small white box, with a pink bow,Carlos gave her an apologetic smile that immediately set her nerves on edge.
"Oh God, what is it? What's that face you'regiving me?"
Carlos shrugged. "I couldn't get youanything cool. At first, it was going to be a hot-air balloon ride, but no onewas doing any in New York. Then I thought of giving you a dog or something, butthen I thought about it." He gave a meaningful glance to Victor beforelooking back at her. Maritzia didn’t dare look up to Victor to see hisreaction. If she wanted the night to continue going smoothly between all ofthem, ignorance was her best bet.
"So," Carlos continued, "I justgot you this."
"Well, that really sells it," Luismuttered with a smirk as he sipped his beer and everyone laughed.
Smiling, Maritzia opened the box and lookedinside. Realizing what it was, she squealed in happiness. "Aprojector!!" she exclaimed, holding the box for everyone to see beforelooking back to Carlos. "Aww, you have been listening to me," shesaid, giving her brother an appreciative smile. "I have been telling himhow Cade and I always talk about wanting to lay in bed and watch TV on theceiling. This is amazing."
Valerie snorted and promptly tried to cover herlaughter. Confused, Maritzia looked around the room at the assortment of shockedand amused expressions before settling on Victor's face. Anger flashed in hiseyes, but she could see him try to force an awkward smile to hide it. Replayingher words, Maritzia realized her mistake and glanced at Cade who only leanedagainst the side of her couch with his arms crossed over his chest in asatisfied smile. He wasn't going to come to her rescue and clarify.
Shaking her head, she gave everyone a sharp look,mainly her laughing brothers. "You know what I meant," she laughed,doing her best to hide her embarrassment.
The conversation of laying down and watching TVhad started between them in mutual lament on a rainy day. They had been out allday driving through terrible traffic and following up with numerous dead-endleads. She had mentioned how she had wanted nothing more than to be at homewith a warm glass of tea while she watched the rain fall out the window. Fromthere Cade added with a book, and she added with a good mystery movie, and headded while watching TV on the ceiling. From then on it was a running commentof longing between them, one she had shared with Carlos.
Thanking him again, Maritzia looked around theroom as people talked, her eyes settling on the black gift bags Cade hadbrought in earlier. Eagerly she looked up and found Cade's waiting eyeswatching her in deceptive idleness. Her heart fluttered like it always did whenshe looked at him. No matter how much she saw him, no matter how long she hadknown him, her heart had tripped over itself from the moment she laid eyes onthe boy moving into her family's apartment building. Handsome to the point ofsin and caring to the point it hurt, she often wondered if there would ever bea time Cade would let go of her heart and allow room for anything else.
Holding up both of her hands, she made the "gimmegimme" motions at him, which only made him laugh.
"And now for my gift," Victor announcedloudly, cutting over the low conversations that filled the room and directlythrough her exchange with Cade.
Frowning in annoyance, she looked at Victor, andfor that briefest second the emotions they both kept buried clashed andMaritzia could feel the inner meter of patience she had lose another notch.
Quickly, Victor smiled, dispelling all the unsaidthings between them. "Wait right there."
"Oh, this should be good," Luismuttered and everyone laughed, no doubt recalling his gift to her last year.
Maritzia grimaced at the memory of the giantteddy bear and basket of cheap toiletries attached to its hands. It was thekind of gift high school boys gave their girlfriends after making a quick stopat Duane Reids. It was terrible. She had given the giant teddy bear to hernieces and nephews and secretly donated the cheap basket of toiletries to ashelter.
The front door opened and everyone on the couchturned and stared. From her position, Maritzia couldn’t see anything yet, justVictor's somewhat stooped position as he walked in with something in his handstoo low for her to see, but everyone's silent reactions spoke volumes. Stillnot seeing it yet, Maritzia looked to Cade in panic. Her partner looked oncemore at the item in question and back to her giving her a small almostindiscernible shake of his head that gave her all the warning she needed.
Steeling herself, she waited and watched asVictor came into view rolling in an odd tiny bike at his side. Her firstthought was that it was one of those old-timey circus motorcycles they trainedbears to ride back in the old Barnum and Bailey days. But as she tried to keepher face in a look of delighted surprise with maybe a dash of appropriateconfusion and not the all-out what-the-fuck she wanted to convey, she realizedit was more modern than that.
"It's an electric bike," Victorannounced with excitement.
"Oh…how nice, thank you," she forcedherself to say as she looked at the thing.
There was a beat of silence in the room beforeRodney, Victor's cousin, burst out laughing followed by everyone else. "Ohmy God cuz, what the fuck is that?"
"Did she even want that?" his othercousin Cynthia asked through her laughter.
Looking over to her family, they all shared thesilent looks of relief that they weren't the first to say it.
"Yes," Victor defended, trying tomaintain his smile, but Maritzia could see his offense to the laughter growingby the stiffening of his shoulders. Turning back to her, he gave her an almostdesperate pleading smile as he asked, "You remember, we talked about it afew months ago after seeing that one vlogger ride one around New York in allhis videos?"
Oh yes, she remembered. She remembered howenamored Victor was by it all and how he watched damn near all of the man'svideos in a day.
"Yes, of course," Maritzia agreed witha bright smile.
"Man, that looks like a gift for yourselfrather than her," Rodney continued to laugh.
Normally, Maritzia didn't like Rodney, findingVictor's cousin toxic and obnoxious. He was the kind of man that held othersdown so he could feel superior, but today she found herself grateful he wassaying exactly what she was feeling.
"It's not," Victor argued and turnedback to look at her. "I got it for you because we both thought it wascool, and you can take it to run small errands nearby if you wanted to."
And die, she added mentally. The tiny bike didnot look road worthy or even legal to drive, much less sturdy enough to faceNew York street traffic.
