AllFreeNovel
Share Us
After the night of Nana’s cremation, Mother rocked herself on the rocking chair at the front of our house and had a wide glass in her hand. I stood next to her, and studied the half-moon in the dark blue sky. Something ice cold touched my hand, reminding me of how cold Nana had been days ago.
“Here you go,” Mother said and I lowered my eyes to the cold glass she was giving me. I accepted it and gulped the strong bitter taste down my throat. My stomach was burning up and my skin was damp with my perspiration. As I coughed a little, she took the glass from me and poured more of the liquid into it.
“Mother, what’s that?”
“The best whiskey you’ll ever have,” she answered with a reminiscent expression as she handed it back to me. “This was a gift from your Nana on my birthday. We we’re going to have it together, but your Dad called me last minute to go to a company function with him.” I sipped some of the drink steadily so my tongue could adjust to the overwhelming flavor. “Besides you and Chase, she was the greatest gift I received from being with your Dad.”
The discomfort in my stomach eased up and I gulped the rest of the whiskey. Mother padded my behind as my gaze returned to the now elusive moon.
***
I WOKE UP WITH a start. I swore I could taste the whiskey on my lips the minute my eyes opened. If the memories of staying at the library and taking my mid-terms hadn’t swamped me back to the present day, I would’ve been so sure that I’d fallen off the wagon and had done some coke. When I’d gotten older, I’d forgotten what I’d done when I’d gotten wasted.
Riley jumped on my lap and laid down. I rubbed her stomach and she watched me. I stopped dreaming about the day Nana had died next to me, years ago. Riley sensed that I needed to feel useful to someone right now. I rubbed her stomach some more and she barked at me to get myself together, so I could walk and feed her before I left for work.
***
MANNY AND VINCE CAME inside the little room we all ate lunch in. I raised my head to them as they joined me at the table. Hector wasn’t a talker. He did his work and ate lunch sometimes.
“How’s Ari holding up?” Manny asked me.
“Holding up from what?” I asked him, because I hadn’t told anyone that he’d relapsed. So many people thrived on hearing when others fell, particularly celebrities like Ari.
Vince nudged Manny’s shoulders. “Told you he didn’t know. He don’t go to them gossip sites, or watch morning TV.”
“I am right here, ya know? And what are they saying about him now?”
“That he’s at Serenity Village.”
I groaned and put the rest of my sandwich in the saran wrap. “Damn. Not even Sage, Austin, and Renner knew he was there.”
“Hunter, the press gets wind of this kind of shit the minute a celebrity is admitted. Did you take him to Serenity Village yourself?” Vince asked.
“Yeah,” I answered with a heavy sigh, “and I see why he came to me. Anyone else would’ve exploited the situation.”
Manny shook his head. “Was he tweaked when you did his cover-up?”
“He was feigning after a few hours, but no.”
“What’s his poison?” Vince asked.
I held my hands up. “I am going to give Ari that shred of privacy.”
“They’re saying that he uses Meth,” Vince said, “but whatever it is, I really hope he kicks it, because my daughter might play the sick card if Tainted Virtue breaks up.”
***
AS MANNY CLOSED DOWN Lasting Impressions, Jill stood across the street in her tight tee-shirt and jeans that had to press against her crotch when she wasn’t standing. I tried not to smile, but I couldn’t resist. She was playing up all of her assets.
“Hunter, you going home with that girl?” Manny asked in a knowing tone. I made an indifferent face. I pulled my keys from my back pocket and got into my car. Jill was on the passenger seat by the time I buckled my seatbelt.
“You haven’t been at La Caridad in a week. Blanca thinks you’re hitting up another place.” She slid her eyes over me and saddled closer to me.
“Nah, I’d brought food from home.”
“How long is that going to last?”
“Well,” I said casually, “I am booked all next week.”
