SCOUT
“Yeah?”I furrowed my tired brow at the men standing in front of the diner. Desiderio, the handsomest man in the line, took a step toward me. He flicked his cigarette out into the parking lot and smiled at me.
“Where you headed?”
I stared at him blankly. Was he serious? It was four in the morning.
“I just did a full shift. I’m going home.” I turned away and started walking toward the sidewalk.
“Hold on, you need a ride?”
I glanced over my shoulder. He trying to catch up with me.
“I’m good.”
“Where do you live? We can take you home.”
“I said I’m good.” I stopped and turned around to glare at him. Immediately, I softened.
Something about this man drew me in. Since puberty, I was used to men catcalling me or trying to get me to do stuff with them. Tonight should have been no different than the others, but this man… Desiderio.
He was different.
He put his hands up as his striking eyes widened. “Sorry, I was just trying to be nice. I, uh…” He looked down and then back up at me. He gave me an almost painful smile, but I felt like he was telling the truth. “Do you, uh, have a last name, Scout?”
Despite wanting to take the ride and tell him all about myself in hopes that he’d do the same, instinct took over, and I lied.
“Ruiz.”
He grinned, and my stomach fluttered. He was so strangely handsome.
“Scout Ruiz,” he said my name and it was like whispering a prayer in my ear. He nodded and took a step away from me. “Well, it was nice to meet you, Scout Ruiz.”
“Happy birthday, Desi.” I smiled and started to turn but then I paused when he blinked and went expressionless.
“What?” I asked.
“No one’s ever called me that before.”
“No?”
He smiled again. “No.”
“Well, goodbye, Desi.” With every step, I wondered and hoped that he was watching me.
* * *
“It’s stupid! ¡Stupido!”I shouted.
“Why? You said he was cute, right?” Brenda, my roommate, insisted.
“Yeah, but cute only goes so far. And his friends were loud drunks.”
“And your past choices in men weren’t?”
“Yeah, but they were—”
“Mexican?” She snickered.
