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“Why are you asking about me? I wasn’t the one getting shot at. I think you need a real drink, honey. What can I get you?”
“I’ll take cranberry juice if you have any.”
He eyes me skeptically. “Just cranberry juice?”
“Yes.”
He gets a glass and the juice. “I had several shots of tequila that night. If I went through what you did, all the liquor behind me wouldn’t be enough. How are you dealing with it?”
“I guess I’ve been so focused on Darren, I haven’t really dwelled on it. Plus I keep myself busy. I think I might make another batch of fried chicken this weekend.”
“Oh, I’m there.”
I smile, then let my gaze wander up to the balcony, where Kimberly has her hand on Darren’s shoulder.
Turning back to Felipe, I ask, “So what did you do while the club was closed?”
“I hung out with my younger brother.”
“Cool. He’s local?”
“He lives in San Mateo with my mom. He got into the West Imperial Academy of the Arts, which is, like, the Juilliard of the West Coast, right?”
“Impressive. Congratulations to you all.”
Felipe sighs. “But we don’t know if he can go. The tuition is crazy. He has a scholarship, but it’s only going to cover a fraction of the cost. There are student loans, of course, but he doesn’t want to be that much in debt when he graduates. I mean, how are starving artists supposed to pay off tens of thousands of dollars in student loans? But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And he’s so talented.”
“What kind of art does he do?”
“Mixed media. If I had my phone, I’d show you photos of his work. They’re amazing. Anyway, I told him I’d give him all I’ve saved up, but it’s still not enough. I thought about asking Darren for, maybe, an interest-free loan, but I can’t ask him now.”
“Why not?”
“The man just got shot. I think he has a lot going on right now.”
Looking back up at the balcony, I think the only thing he currently has on his plate is Kimberly. I see the two laughing.
“He might be happy to help out,” I say to Felipe. “You’ve been a loyal employee of his for many years, right?”
“Yes, but…”
“What’s the worst that can happen?”
Felipe’s reply is on the tip of his tongue, but he closes his mouth instead.
“I’m sure Darren will be cool about it. How much of a loan were you thinking?”
“Ten thousand. I think I can talk my brother into taking a relatively small loan.”
“Unless everything I’ve seen is just smoke and mirrors, money isn’t something that Darren worries about.”
“Oh, it’s not,” Felipe says definitively. At my raised brow, he adds, “His father was loaded.”
“What exactly did his father do?”
Felipe looks uncomfortable. “Something financial. I didn’t pay that close attention since it’s not my thing. Whenever Bryan starts talking stocks and bonds, I fall asleep.”
I comb my memory and don’t recall Darren saying his father worked in finance. I think Darren said his father worked in international business. So maybe Felipe is referring to the same thing.
