"See," Maritzia said, giving Carlos achallenging look.
Knowing when to back down from a fight, Carloslifted both hands and began to say something.
"Hey, you can make fun all you want,"Victor said, his tone sharp. "But I much rather do this than have to bestuck in the family business, told what to do all day."
Bright anger flashed in Carlos's eyes and Cadeinwardly groaned. This was one of the many problems with Victor, the man alwayswent too far when he tried to take shots back. Luis, Carlos, and Valerie'sbrother, Pedro, were professional shit-talkers. On day one of meeting the threeguys years ago, Cade had gotten ragged on, from the way he dressed to hissupposedly bad edge-up, all the while they helped carry his boxes from themoving truck to his new room. Having grown up in a neighborhood in Philadelphiawhere guys his age talked the same type of shit, Cade was well versed inthrowing it right back without any sort of intent behind it. The goal was tomake each other laugh. A few pointed blows here and there just to show eachother you weren't soft and to be funny, but none of the shots ever held malice.They were just ribbing jokes to see what the other guy was made of and to keepthe humor going. Victor grew up with only older sisters and a couple of littlebrothers that were way too young to go back and forth with, and it showed. Theman took everything as a personal blow and always came back with an ill-placedlow-blow.
Maritzia shot Cade a panicked look, a look thatpleaded for his help. And he swallowed a sigh. Of course, he would come to herrescue, but God, he'd much rather watch Carlos rip into him.
Turning to Valerie, Cade gave the woman a dimpledsmile he knew would capture her attention. "Yesterday, we arrested thisguy who told me in Spanish to go fuck myself and my mother. So, as you know, Ihandled myself with the highest of decorum and politely responded back in—Espanol,"he said, dragging out the word until it sounded like a hillbilly saying "Es-Span-Yole."
"Oh God, no," Valerie shook her head ina shudder, trying to rebuke his words.
Next to her, Carlos, whose mouth was opening tolay into Victor, closed with a snap and he turned and gave him a pained look."Tell me you didn’t?!" he asked, horror etched across his face.
Maritzia buried her face in her hands and noddedher head. "Dear God, he did," she mumbled a muffled confirmation.
Grinning, Cade looked to all their faces andsilently congratulated himself for diverting a nasty fight that Victor wouldhave no doubt lost. Ignoring Victor’s frowning face, most likely still mad orconfused at Carlos's earlier anger, Cade sat straighter in his chair and noddedat Valerie. "Oh yes, I did. And I will have you know my Spanish hasimproved significantly."
Everyone turned to Maritzia for verification, towhich she promptly looked up and shook her head emphatically in absoluterejection.
"Okay, wait a minute now," Cade said,jabbing an offended finger into the table’s surface. "I was holding my ownwith that guy."
"Oh my God, no you were not,” Maritziamoaned. “The guy was so stunned at how badly you mangled our poor language, hejust stopped resisting and started to speak in perfect English."
Carlos howled with laughter and even Victorcracked a smile.
"No, no it wasn't like that," Cadeargued back. "He was stunned by my command and dictation of thelanguage."
Sun streaked brighter through the cafeteria'stall windows, gleaming over Maritzia as she laughed and shook her head indenial. Highlighted by the sun, hidden strands of deep auburn glowed within herblack hair. Her face was girlish yet serious, which gave her the look ofsomeone always thinking of something slightly perplexing, while on the samehand, getting something past Ritz was damn near impossible. She was very muchaware of her surroundings, much like earlier, in the gym, when she had elbowedhim in the stomach as she defended the ball. Glancing down at the brown skin ofher arm, Cade couldn't help imagining the feel of it against him. He had caughta brush of her arm against his when she moved past him on the court and Cadesmiled at the tactile memory. Even through the pain of her jab, he couldappreciate the softness of her warm skin.
Looking up from her beautiful, laughing face, hecaught Victor's cold, narrowed gaze. Cade gave the man a brief predatory grinbefore turning his attention back to the others.
"How can you understand Spanish but speak itso badly?" Valerie asked through her laughter.
"I'm telling you I'm not that bad," hedefended. "Here, let me say something—"
All at once, Maritzia, Valerie, and Carlos criedout a vehement "no."
Dramatically, Cade sat back stunned in his seat,and held a hand to his chest as he looked at each of them in shocked betrayal."I've never been so hurt in my life."
With Carlos's anger forgotten, the conversationdrifted along peacefully. And though he joked and talked with the rest, Cadedid not miss Victor's arm moving to rest possessively at the back of Maritzia'schair. He would never understand what Ritz saw in the guy. In comparison toher, Victor was just so goddamn average it hurt. From the moment she hadannounced they were dating, Cade had lived in an eternal state of confusion. Itphysically hurt him to see her with a guy like him. Where she was strong andvibrant, Victor was just—not. Sad and pathetic were the terms he wanted to use,but by God's teeth, he told himself to give the guy a chance. Maritzia lovedhim and Cade loved her. It would hurt her if she knew how much he despised theguy and that was the last thing he wanted to do. So, every day—every fuckingday—he grinned and bore it and tried to play nice with the little man hewanted dead.
Maritzia glanced at her watch. "It's almosttime for us to go back," she said, turning to him. He could see herthinking of all the things they needed to do when they got back to their desks."I still need to shower and change and then we got that meeting with theLieutenant…"
As she started listing all the things they neededto do, Valerie started packing up the containers around them while Carlos stoodup and began to collect their trash. Handing Carlos his and Maritzia's trash,Cade flicked a glance at Victor. Still sitting in his chair, the man lookedlike a petulant child whose parents stopped paying attention to him. Cade couldtell that he wanted to say something more, probably still not satisfied hedidn’t get the last word with Carlos or upset he didn’t get the chance to bethe center of conversation for once.
Cade watched as Victor looked to Maritzia who wasnow looking at her phone, going through her notes for the day, and could seehim floundering for something to say. His eyes darted from her and landed onhim and Cade tensed.
"So, it's been two months now, Cade,"Victor began in an artificially friendly tone. "When are you going to getback in the dating field?" he asked, moving his arm from the back ofMaritzia's chair to settle along her back until Cade could see his fingerspossessively grip the other side of her waist.
Cade wanted to reach over and break the man'shand. The startling urge of it made his fingers jump in anticipation. He couldjust imagine Victor's howl of pain and feel the satisfaction of the sound rolldown his spine. But it would be Maritzia's reaction that would seep all the warmth from him. Her fear, her anger, herhatred towards him, all for Victor. Cade would rather walk across hot coalsthan experience that from her.
"Who knows, I mean everything I want is herealready," Cade replied, waving his hand over the table but stopping atMaritzia with a challenging smile.
Victor's chair screeched across the tile floor ashe leapt to his feet, face contorting in fury.
Next to Cade, Valerie gasped and Carlos, stillholding the gathered trash in his hands, eyes went wide in shock and gleefulanticipation. Only Maritzia looked momentarily confused, looking up from herphone to Victor and back at Cade for much-needed clarification.
