I hit Ralph on the side of the head.
He looked at me through the rearview mirror and shrugged.
“He forced it out of me, Mom. You know how violent my dad gets when he doesn’t get money for his vices.”
“John, be a sweetie and move back so I can get out of the car,” I said. “Ralph, please park the car and come upstairs. I’ll be there with your dad. We need to sort this out.”
“Yes, Mother,” Ralph answered.
John and I went up the elevator. I looked at myself in the mirror while inside. I still looked good. My green eyes looked sexy as ever, and they looked even more defined with the eyeliner.
John looked me up and down.
“You look great, Clarissa. That’s a nice haircut. I love the way your brown hair curls naturally. Did you just get it? I don’t remember.”
Of course you don’t remember. You’re drunk all the time.
“Stop flirting with me, John. You’re not getting any. Ralph will be up in a little while.”
“I can be quick,” John snapped.
I’m sure you can.
“I need you to behave yourself, John. This is serious business.”
The elevator kept going up through the floors. The bell rang. It stopped on the fifth floor; the doors opened, but no one got in. The doors closed, and we kept going to the 10th floor.
“You look good, really good, actually. I think New York has been good to you. I mean, your tan looks great. Did you go to a tanning salon or something?”
“No, I didn’t. You know this is my natural color. What has gotten into you, John Rodriguez?”
I already knew, but I wanted to confirm. He wants money. All that sweet-talking means only one thing: he wants money.
He seemed to be thinking clearly despite his breath.
“I’ve missed you. Ralph and I have missed you. New Jersey is not what it used to be anymore for us,” John said sadly. “Ever since my dad passed away, things have not been the same.”
“Oh, you mean because you’ve spent all the money he left you?”
I hated seeing him this way—feeling sorry for himself. Despite his drinking, he still worked out, and I loved how muscular he looked.
“I’m not working at the gym anymore. I got tired of that. All the girls saw was a brown-eyed hunk of meat. I cut my hair really short. Now I look like a sergeant in the army instead of a hippie from the seventies.”
I laughed. Then he laughed. We both laughed.
That’s what I loved about John. He could always make me laugh. And that’s something Cole could never do.
The elevator hit the tenth floor, and then the bell rang. The doors opened, and we stepped out.
“The room is here to the right, John.”
I swiped the card, and the hotel door light went green. We walked in.
“This is a very nice room,” John commented. “How much do you pay a night?”
“That’s not important right now. What’s important is that you get back to New Jersey. Cole can’t find out you’re here in New York. He’s going to get jealous.”
John looked at me, puzzled. He looked out the glass double doors and then turned back to me.
