See Me (4 page)

“He told you he’d been in a fight…”

“And that’s the point. He’s obviously violent.”

“But he wasn’t the least bit violent toward you – you said he didn’t even go near you at first. And then he let you borrow his phone. And after that, he changed your tire and then got back in his car and drove away.”

“You’re missing the point.”

“What point? That you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover?”

“I’m being serious here!”

Serena laughed. “Wow, someone’s touchy. And you know I’m just teasing you. If it was me out there, I probably would have peed my pants. Broken car, deserted road, no phone, blood on some stranger’s face… it’s like every girl’s worst nightmare.”

“Exactly.”

“Did you ever find your phone?”

“It’s at the office. Probably still on my desk.”

“You mean it’s been there since Friday? And you didn’t realize you didn’t have it until Saturday night?”

“So?”

“I guess not too many people call you, huh?”

“Ha, ha.”

Serena shook her head, then reached for her phone. “I can’t live without mine, just so you know.” She snapped a quick photo of Maria.

“What’s that for?”

“Instagram.”

“Seriously?”

Serena was already tapping away. “Don’t worry. It’ll be funny,” she added before presenting the image and caption. “Maria, after surviving Nightmare on Dark Street.”

“You’re not going to post that, are you?”

“Already did.” Serena winked.

“You’ve got to stop posting about me. I’m serious. What if one of my clients finds it?”

“Then blame me.” She shrugged. “Where’s Dad, by the way?”

“He’s still walking Copo,” she said. Copo was a female, nearly all-white shih tzu. After Serena had moved to the dorms, she and Maria had returned home one Christmas to find that their parents had purchased a dog. Now Copo went practically everywhere with them: to the restaurant – where she had her own bed in the office – to the supermarket, even to the accountant. Copo was far more spoiled than either of the girls had ever been.

“I still can’t get over it,” Serena muttered. “They
love
that dog.”

“Ya think?”

“Did you notice the rhinestone collar Mom bought? I almost gagged.”

“Be nice.”

“I am being nice!” Serena said. “I just never pictured them owning a dog in the first place. We never had one growing up, and I begged them for one for years. I even promised to take care of it.”

“That’s because they knew you wouldn’t.”

“I might not have skipped a grade and gone to college when I was seventeen like you, but I’m pretty sure I could have handled a dog. And I’ll have you know that I’m in the running for the Charles Alexander Scholarship next year.”

“Mmm, right.” Maria raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“I’m serious. It’s for bilingual education majors. I filled out the application, wrote an essay, got recommendations from two of my professors and everything. It’s sponsored by a private foundation, and I have an interview with the chairman next Saturday. So there.” She crossed her arms.

“Wow. That’s great.”

“Don’t tell Dad, though. I want to surprise him.”

“He’d be thrilled if you won.”

“I know, right? Just think how many more collars they’d be able to buy Copo if he didn’t have to pay tuition.”

Maria laughed. Inside, they could hear their mother humming to herself in the kitchen, the smell of huevos rancheros drifting through the open window.

“But anyway,” Serena went on, “back to last night. Why were you out so late? That’s way past your normal bedtime.”

Maria scowled at her sister before figuring that she might as well get it over with. “Actually, I was on a date.”

“No way.”

“What’s the big deal?”

“Nothing. I just thought that you’d made the decision to be celibate.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Hello? Did you forget who I was talking to?”

“I go out.”

“You might paddleboard, but you don’t go out at night. Instead, you work. You read. You watch bad TV. You don’t even go dancing anymore, and you used to love that. And I tried to get you to come to that warehouse with me, remember? With the salsa dancing on Saturday nights?”

“As I recall, you said there were a lot of creepy guys there.”

“But I also had a lot of fun. And unlike you, I’m terrible at dancing.”

“Not all of us are in college, you know, with classes that start at noon and Fridays off. Some of us have responsibilities.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that before,” Serena said, waving it off. “I take it you didn’t get lucky?”

Maria peeked over her shoulder toward the partially open window, making sure her mother wasn’t listening.

Serena rolled her eyes. “You’re an adult, you know. You don’t have to hide your social life from Mom and Dad anymore.”

“Yeah, well, we’ve always been a little different in that way.”

“What? You think I tell them everything?”

“I hope not.”

Serena stifled a giggle. “Sorry your date didn’t work out.”

“How do you know? Maybe it did.”

“I don’t think so,” Serena said, shaking her head. “Otherwise you wouldn’t have been heading home alone.”

Oops
, Maria thought. Serena had always been quick-thinking, but more than that, she was endowed with a common sense that sometimes eluded Maria.

“Hello?” Serena added. “Anyone home? I was asking about your date.”

“I don’t think he’ll be calling me.”

Serena feigned compassion, though her amused cynicism was apparent. “Why? Did you bring your computer and work the whole time?”

“No. And it wasn’t me. It was just… bad.”

“Talk to me, big sister. Tell me all about it.”

Maria surveyed the backyard, reflecting that Serena was the only person in the world she could really talk to. “There’s really not that much to tell. For starters, I didn’t plan on having a date in the first place —”

“No! You?”

“Do you want to hear this or not?”

“My mistake.” Serena grinned. “Go on.”

“You remember Jill, right? My friend from work?”

“Super smart, coming up on forty and dying to get married, funny as hell? The one who came over for brunch and scooped Copo up and almost gave Dad a heart attack?”

“Yes.”

“No, I don’t remember her.”

“
Anyway
,” Maria said, “we were having lunch a few days ago and she convinced me to join her and her boyfriend, Paul, for dinner, after I got back from the conference. But unbeknownst to me, it turns out that they had also invited one of Paul’s friends from work to join us, and —”

“Wait, back up. Was the guy hot?”

“He was definitely handsome. But the problem was, he knew it. He was rude and arrogant and he flirted with the waitress all night long. I think he even got her phone number while I was sitting beside him.”

“Classy.”

“Jill was as mortified as I was, but the strange thing was, I’m not sure that Paul even noticed. Maybe it was the wine or whatever, but he kept saying that the four of us should head out to a club afterwards and that he was so glad we were getting along, that he just knew we’d be perfect for each other. Which is strange, because he’s not normally like that. Usually he’s quiet and Jill and I do all the talking.”

“Maybe he just likes his friend. Or maybe he thought that you and his friend would make pretty babies and you might name one after him.”

Despite herself, Maria laughed. “Maybe. But anyway, I don’t think I’m his type. I’m pretty sure he’d be more comfortable with someone…”

When Maria trailed off, Serena finished. “Dumber?”

“I was thinking blonder, like the waitress.”

“Yeah, well, just so you know, that’s always been part of your problem when it comes to guys. You’re too smart. And to guys, that’s kind of intimidating.”

“Not all guys. Luis and I were together for over two years.”

“
Were
together,” Serena said. “Those are the operative words. And just so you know? He may have been sexy as hell, but Luis was a total loser.”

“He wasn’t that bad.”

“Don’t start getting all nostalgic about the good things about him. It wasn’t like you ever had a future with him and you know it.”

Maria nodded, knowing Serena was right but indulging momentarily in a bit of nostalgia anyway before shutting it down. “Yeah, well, live and learn.”

“I’m just glad you decided to start dating again.”

“I didn’t. Jill and Paul decided for me.”

“Whatever. You need to be…”

While Serena searched for the right words, Maria suggested, “More like you?”

“Why not? Going out, enjoying life, making friends? It beats working all the time.”

“How would you know? You only work a couple of shifts a week.”

“Good point. I’m just making an assumption based on your lack of a social life.”

“Believe it or not, I actually like working.”

“I’ll make sure to put that on your tombstone,” Serena said. “How’s work going, by the way?”

Maria shifted in her seat, wondering how much to say. “It’s all right.”

“You just said you liked it.”

“I do, but…”

“Let me guess… the conference, right? The one you went to with your boss?” When Maria nodded, Serena went on. “Was it as awful as you thought it might be?”

“Not exactly awful, but…”

“Did he hit on you?”

“Sort of,” Maria admitted. “But it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.”

“This is the guy who’s married? With three kids?”

“That’s the one.”

“You need to tell him to knock it off. Threaten him with sexual harassment, or whatever.”

“It’s more complicated than that. For now, it’s probably better for me if I just try to ignore it.” When a slight smirk began to play across Serena’s lips, Maria went on. “What?”

“I was just thinking that you really have a way with men. Your old boyfriend cheated on you, your latest date flirts with other girls, and meanwhile, your boss won’t stop hitting on you.”

“Welcome to my world.”

“Of course, it’s not all bad. You met a nice guy last night. The kind of guy who helps a woman in her time of need, despite a raging storm…”

When Maria scowled, Serena laughed and went on. “I really wish I could have seen your face.”

“It wasn’t pretty.”

“And yet here you are, safe and sound,” Serena reminded her. “And I’m happy about that, if only so that you have continued access to my wisdom.”

“You really need to work on your self-esteem issues,” Maria said sourly.

“I know, right? But seriously, I’m glad you moved back to town. These brunches would be deadly if you weren’t here. Having you around gives Mom and Dad someone else to worry about.”

“I’m glad I can be of service to you.”

“I appreciate it. And besides, we’ve had a chance to get to know each other better.”

“We’ve always known each other.”

“You went off to college when I was ten.”

“And I came home almost every weekend, and spent every vacation here.”

“That’s true. You were kind of wimpy like that. For the first couple of years, you were so homesick, you’d cry all weekend.”

“It was hard to be so far from home.”

“Why do you think I go to college here? In that way, I’m almost as smart as you are.”

“You’re smart. You might get a scholarship, remember?”

“I’m not smart like you. But that’s okay. It’ll make it much easier to find a guy in the end – not that I’m interested in anything serious. But listen, if you want, I’d be happy to keep a lookout for you. I meet guys all the time.”

“College guys?”

“Some of them might just like an older woman.”

“You’re insane.”

“I don’t know. I tend to have pretty good taste.”

“Are you referring to Steve?”

“We’re just going out. It’s not serious yet. But he seems like a nice guy. He even volunteers at the Humane Society, doing pet adoptions on Sundays.”

“Do you like him?”

“You mean…
like
like? Or just like?”

“What? Are we in middle school now?”

Serena laughed. “I’m not sure how I feel yet. But he’s cute, which gives me more time to find out.”

“When do I get to meet him?”

“Well… let’s see where it goes. Because if you’re going to meet him, then Mom and Dad will want to meet him, and then I lose control of the whole situation. No matter what happens after that, he’ll think that I think it’s serious, and unlike you, I’m too young to settle down.”

“I don’t want to settle down yet, either.”

“Maybe. But you definitely need a date.”

“Would you stop?”

“Okay, fine. You don’t need a date. What you need is to get lucky.”

When Maria didn’t bother responding, Serena giggled. “Touched a nerve, huh?” she chirped. “Okay, never mind. What’s on your agenda today? After we get out of here? Are you going paddleboarding again?”

“I was thinking about it.”

“Alone?”

“Unless you want to try it again.”

“Not a chance. I still don’t understand why you like it so much. It’s not like dancing. It’s boring.”

“It’s good exercise. And it’s peaceful.”

“Didn’t I just say that?” Serena asked.

Maria smiled. “How about you? What are your plans?”

“I’m going to take a nice long nap. And then, after that, I’ll play it by ear.”

“I hope you find something to do. I’d hate for you to miss a wild Sunday night on Greek row.”

“Now, now… jealousy’s an ugly thing,” Serena said. She hooked her thumb toward the windows. “Dad’s finally back and I’m starved. Let’s go eat.”