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“Lo siento, hermosa. I’m spoken for,” I lied through my teeth, and Rachel laughed every time, playing the role of my girlfriend.
“Beso, beso, beso,” the girls cheered, and Rachel lay a fat guaro-tasting kiss on my lips. My blood flow turned south.
Fucking Rachel.
Like Grace, she was older, gorgeous, and definitely not into me. Unlike Grace, she respected me.
Whatever.
Keeping the truth hidden about her fiancé was easier for Rachel, and having a sane and trustworthy partner was easier for me, so I went along with the light-hearted con. I spun my partner on the floor and caught her before she tumbled.
“Are you ready to take a break?” I asked her.
“What? Me? Break? No. It’s fiesta time.” She spun once more and reached for a shot of guaro. I swept the drink off the table before her.
“You’ve had enough, babe. It’s time for a break.” I lifted her powerful body and threw her over my shoulder. All the weight she carried as muscle nearly tipped me over as she playfully slapped at my ass. “You’re not being fair. You’re stronger. Put me down, Hunter.”
“Not gonna happen.”
I walked through the snickering crowd, winking like I was taking Rachel for a fast one, and made my way outside into the hot night air. I gently set her on the ground and held her steady.
“Are you all right, Rach?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just had a little too much guaro.” She braced her hands on her knees, resting. I helped her to the bakery bench, where she sat down.
“Take it easy for the rest of the night. Hangovers in this heat are brutal.”
A woman walked outside the community hall to the shade underneath a tree and lit a cigarette.
“Is that why you don’t drink?”
I passed Rachel a bottle of water I’d swiped from the table before leaving.
“I drink,” I said. “Just not in the amounts I used to, and not when I’m upset. Drink your water.”
She tilted the bottle and took a few gulps, then pulled her hand across the mouth, sweeping the stray drops.
“Are you upset today?” she asked.
I shrugged a shoulder and puffed out. “What can I say? My partner is leaving.”
She pouted. Truth was, there was nowhere else I was needed.
“You know, if I weren’t into Katrina, I would be into you.”
“Sorry I don’t have a vagina.”
“I’m just saying, Hunter. It’s time you found someone. Actually, it’s time you called Grace.”
“Drink more. This water isn’t clearing your head fast enough. I’m taking you home.”
We walked down the overgrown path to where Rachel lived, near the village kitchen. She helped with the daily community meals and had bonded with the local girls, keeping them safe. The five hundred yards to her home weren’t far, but Rachel chose a circuitous path, swerving from one side of the road to another, tripling our distance.
As the noises from the party lowered behind us, the sound of chirping crickets lifted in the night. A scuffling of rocks sounded from behind us, and we stopped, but I didn’t see anyone on the graveled street. Rachel gripped my beard and tugged it her way, dragging my gaze away from the street.
“What will you tell the locals about your fiancée leaving? You should come with me. Better yet, go see Grace.”
“That ship has sailed. Be quiet for a sec.”
