Then there was a trip to the emergency room, her parents and sister arrived just as they were releasing her. Pat was angry that Romero hadn’t contacted them sooner but he explained that in his haste he’d forgotten to take Isabel’s phone. He didn’t have any of their numbers. By the time Isabel was well enough to think straight and give him their numbers, they’d already been there for hours. “You’re coming home with us,” her father announced flatly. Pat nodded as Isabel held on tight to Romero.
“It’s not pneumonia but the doctors said you’re borderline. You need to be watched very closely.” Her mother attempted to pull her away from Romero.
“I can watch her,” Romero said.
“Don’t be silly, the doctor said she’ll be out the whole week. Don’t you have to work?”
“I’ll take the week off.”
“I’d feel better if she was at home with us.” Her mother’s words were firm but cautious.
“You should go with mom and dad, Bell. Pneumonia is no joke. Don’t take any chances.”
Isabel just wanted to go home to her own bed. Her fever was finally down but she felt completely drained and her body still ached all over. Speaking alone, left her breathless.
“What do you want, Izzy? We’ll do whatever you want.”
“I wanna go home.” Her words were barely a whisper and she inhaled deeply, those four little words taking so much out of her.
That’s all she had to say. “I’m taking her home. I’ll take care of her this week. Don’t worry.”
Though they tried to argue, the decision had been made. Romero was by her side the entire week. Preparing her meals, bringing them to her in bed, making sure she took her meds on time. The only times he left was when her mother and sisters had stopped by to check in on her. He said he’d take advantage of them being there to go stock up on more meds and groceries but she knew his aversion to being in the same room with Pat was the real reason. The two had barely exchanged greetings but they’d both managed to be civil.
Isabel felt guilty about the amount of time Romero had taken away from his work, but even when her mother offered to stay with her for a few days so that he could go back to work he insisted on being there with her. She couldn’t get over how devoted he was to taking care of her. She’d been a little surprised with the showers they took together. When he’d gently sponged her there was no sexual connotation at all. The only thing he was interested in was her well-being. Even when she teased him by touching him sensually in the shower, he’d warned it would be too much exertion for her.
His initial reaction to the doctor saying she may have pneumonia, before the chest x-ray, he’d gone white. But it wasn’t until after the x-ray came back negative that he told her he’d heard of people dying of it.
By the end of the week when she was feeling better, neither had spoken of Cici or Frisco’s. His actions that whole week confirmed that there was no way he would ever deliberately hurt her. He’d made a mistake and she forgave him. However, the sting of knowing he tainted her memory of their first dinner together, still lingered.
Romero tried to convince her to take another few days off until she was feeling a hundred percent better, but she insisted she was. A week had been more than enough and she needed to get out.
Though she’d forgiven him, she still couldn’t get two little words out of her head. She’s different. What did that mean? Had he dated her? He’d probably slept with her. Valerie let her in on that much about him. Through out the years there had been no shortage of hussies willing to jump in bed with the big sexy bouncer. She was sure the women who worked at his uncles’ topless bar didn’t have qualms about casual sex, especially with someone who looked like Romero.
Isabel shook off the jealousy. He’d been wonderful—more than wonderful—this past week. She would just put it behind her.
Valerie left her a message about the deal she could work out for Charles’ party so Isabel called her that evening when she got home from her first day back at work.
“Only thing is,” Valerie said. “For a room that size all we have available in the next few weeks is either a Friday night or a Sunday afternoon. All Saturdays are completely booked for the next two months.”
To Isabel’s surprise, her sister wanted to book that Friday. “This week? That’s so soon.”
“No, it isn’t. I already have everything planned. His gift, the band—they just finished telling me they’re available for the next two weeks and it’s perfect because Charles won’t be back from his trip until Thursday. I can run around all week without him getting wind of it. Tell her to book it.”
After calling Valerie, she told Romero about it and he frowned. “Babe, I don’t think you’re up for parties just yet.”
“Trust me. It’s not like my sister throws these wild parties. Think of my dad’s dinner. A bunch of stuffy suits sitting around listening to a boring jazz band.” She sat next to him on the sofa. He’d brought his plasma television over from his apartment and promptly hung it in her front room. It was his new favorite place to sit and relax.
He put his arm around her, his eyes still full of worry. “I can’t be there that night. I gotta work some party over in La Jolla Shores.”
“That’s okay. My whole family will be there.” She stroked his leg. “Not to mention Alex and Valerie. My sister invited them and Valerie said they’d go.”
He touched her face. His expression reminded her of how he wanted to call 911 that first night, because her fever was so high. Somehow, she managed to convince him to just drive her to the emergency room. “Don’t worry. I’ll leave early. I’m sure it’ll be boring anyway. But I have to show up for at least a little while.”
“How you feeling?” The concern in his eyes warmed her.
“Great,” she said, kissing him softly.
“You didn’t get tired or feel weak all day?”
She smiled. “No, not at all.” She kissed him deeper this time. “In fact.” She stood up, tugging his hand. “C’mon. I think a week of not exerting myself has been long enough.” She flashed him the most seductive smile she could.
“Are you sure?”
God, was she ever. “Yes, Dr. Romero. I think it’s time to show you my appreciation for the past week.”
Even as hesitant as he seemed, a week had been more than long enough for both of them. He seemed just as ready as she was.
*
That week she had another collaboration day and was off again—with no pay, of course. She planned ahead, making one of Valerie’s favorite treats for lunch and invited her over. They hadn’t had a good girl talk session in a while and Isabel was in need for one.
Thoughts of Cici’s perfume all over Romero and those two little words still lingered. Valerie dug into the homemade pizza eagerly. “Oh my God, this is so good.”
Isabel smiled. She missed sitting and talking to Valerie like this. Valerie gushed all about married life and how wonderful things were so far. “He keeps bringing up babies though, and I’m just beginning to adjust to managing an office on my own. I’m afraid to take time off right now. I know I’ll have to if I have a baby.”
“Well, why don’t you just set up a date? Compromise—say two years from now or something.”
Valerie shrugged. “He actually almost had me convinced. I had to switch my birth controls pills. I was getting migraines and the doctor said it might be because I switched brands a few months ago. I’m going back to the old ones but I had to give it a month to get these out of my system. Alex tried persuading me to just stay off them. Said we won’t actively try,” she laughed. “As if he can go even a day without trying.”
Isabel laughed, then felt her face warm when she thought of Romero’s sexual appetite. She was glad Valerie was too busy eating to notice her flushed face.
“So how are things with you and Romero? I think that was so sweet of him to take the whole week off to take care of you.”
Isabel nodded in agreement and smiled. “Things are good. We?
??ve had a few intense moments here and there. And my sister hasn’t exactly helped. But otherwise we’re… good.”
Valerie stopped and stared at her. “But…”
Usually it was Isabel who read Valerie well enough to know something was bothering her. In the last couple of years Valerie had become pretty good at reading Isabel, too. Isabel chewed the corner of her lip. “I dunno. It’s nothing. I’m probably just being silly.”
“You? Please. You’re never silly. What is it?”
Isabel told her about Romero’s run-in with Cici and her ridiculous outburst when he told they’d eaten at Frisco’s.
“I don’t think it’s ridiculous. I would’ve been pissed myself. Personally, I think you let him off easy.”
Isabel picked at her slice of pizza, thinking about it. “Thing is, when I called him on it, saying I guess it’s okay for me to do things with my guy friends he said it wasn’t but Cici was …different. I don’t know what that means.”
Valerie’s eyebrows pinched. “Did you ask him?”
“No, he took it back real quick, saying it wasn’t what I was thinking and at that point I was so pissed and feeling so sick I told him to just leave my room. Then after that, I was so deliriously sick for the next whole week, we never brought it up again.” She continued to pick at her food, her appetite deteriorating by the minute. “That’s not even the worst part about it.” Valerie had stopped eating, giving Isabel her full attention. “He reeked of perfume that night. He said he just hugged her goodbye, but it made me sick to my stomach.”
Valerie touched her hand. “Ask him what he meant. I never heard of him having any serious relationships and I’ve never heard of a Cici. I’ll definitely be asking Alex about it though. Still I wouldn’t let this go and not that I think you shouldn’t trust him, but if it were me, I’d raise an eyebrow the next time he mentions going to the mall.”
After her lunch with Valerie, Isabel ran a few errands. Romero knew she was off and said he’d be home early. She thought of what Valerie said. She wouldn’t even know how to bring up the subject of Cici without making things weird. But she knew one thing, if she didn’t, it would eat away at her.
That evening after they’d eaten, Romero sat in the front room tinkering with the new laptop he’d purchased that day. Isabel finished cleaning up the kitchen then walked into the front room, noticing the bag he’d pulled the laptop out of. MicroTech—the electronic store—at the mall. “So you were at the mall again?”
Romero didn’t even look up. “Yeah, I’ve been there almost every day this week. I finally had Sal meet me there today. I just couldn’t decide what laptop to go with.” He looked up and smiled. “Sal’s too much. He actually brought papers he printed out from the research he’d done, comparing specs between the laptops I told him I was interested in. But he did help me decide.” He turned back to the laptop on the coffee table. “Now I just gotta get all the software uploaded and transfer all my files.”
Flags had immediately gone up at the mention that he’d been there every day this week. This was the first she’d heard him mention it. “So did you see Cici this week?”
Romero looked up at her again and she searched his face for any signs of guilt or alarm. She saw something, but not guilt.
“No, I didn’t.” He held his hand out for her and she took it. He pulled her to him, making her sit and then kissed her. “I hope you’re not still mad about that. I know we never got a chance to talk about it, but honest to God if I had known you’d be that upset about it, I would’ve never gone to lunch with her. And that whole Frisco’s thing.” He winced. “I swear I’m an idiot. I fucked up. I wasn’t even thinking about that. I’m sorry. I really am.”
Isabel noted how up until the very end he’d been doing pretty good about cleaning up his language. She tried to smile but something still gnawed at her. “What did you mean when you said she’s different?”
Romero sat back and she brought her leg up under her. “I was just curious what her story was. For a long time I blamed myself for not having anticipated that fuc—” He pressed his lips together then cleared his throat. “Her boyfriend slapping her like that. He did it right in front of me.”
“Did you two ever…” She couldn’t even say it—didn’t even want to imagine it.
“No. I told you she had a boyfriend.”
Romero’s guilt over Cici’s boyfriend slapping her raised another question. “So why did her boyfriend slap her?”
That’s when she saw it. It was so slight if she hadn’t been staring in his eyes she might’ve missed it—guilt. She knew it. This wasn’t just someone that worked for his uncles. There was more to it.
Romero opened his mouth then closed it as if he’d changed his mind.
“What? Just tell me.” Isabel’s heart rate had already picked up. She didn’t want to have another outburst but this was stupid. “It’s in the past. What difference does it make now? Unless you’re hiding something from me.”
“No. I’m not hiding anything.” He squeezed her hand. “She was on her break. I was working the door outside. Her boyfriend showed up and saw her flirting with me. He was drunk and belligerent so he started going off on her. I actually had to pin his ass up against a car. I thought he’d calmed down and I let him go. That’s when he slapped her.”
Isabel saw his jaw clenched and how much that still upset him. She felt almost ashamed that instead of being warmed by Romero being so affected about a woman being abused, she was jealous. After all this time, something that happened to Cici brought out so much emotion in him. Remembering Cici’s perfume all over Romero, she stared at him, wanting to tell him she didn’t want to hear of him around her ever again, instead she asked, “So she’s okay now? Did she marry the guy?”
“No, he’s in jail now. Good thing, too. Otherwise her ass would probably still be with him.”
And that would be a bad thing because he beat her. Isabel told herself—no other reason.
Romero pulled her to him and she leaned against his chest, inhaling deeply. Not a trace of Cici’s perfume.
“I love you, Izzy.” He rubbed her back. “I already messed up once. I promise it’ll never happen again.”
Isabel glanced up at his face and smiled. She wasn’t that kind of girlfriend, insecure and suspicious. That’s the last impression she wanted to give him, but something about this Cici girl rubbed her the wrong way. She’d let it go for now, but like Valerie said, she’d raise an eyebrow every time he mentioned being at the mall.
CHAPTER 19
Michael
It was early and the party in La Jolla Shores celebrating some real estate tycoon’s eightieth birthday was winding down. Romero had a feeling when he saw the guests arrive. This bunch of geriatrics wouldn’t be partying into the night. He’d already texted Isabel to tell her he would make it to Charles’s party after all. Not that he was looking forward to spending time around Pat, but at least Alex would be there and he could probably stop and have a few drinks downstairs at the restaurant to help loosen him up before heading up to party with all the stiffs.
Once the party was down to a small amount of people and he knew his guys could handle it without him, he left. It was a good thing they’d asked for the security staff to blend in with the party goers. He didn’t have to stop and change. He did, however make one stop.
He’d lied to Isabel earlier that week but only because he didn’t want to ruin the surprise. If he’d admitted to seeing Cici earlier that week, she would’ve for sure have wanted to know why. He’d tell her tonight and hoped that once she saw the surprise, she’d understand why he lied.
His heart sped up as he neared the jewelry store. He’d almost gone with the earrings—diamond studs. Cici was actually the one who talked him into getting the ring. Talk of marriage hadn’t even come up between him and Isabel. Even though they were living together now, he still liked the idea of giving her something that gave their relationship that much more validity. He hated to admit it, but having
her family see just how serious he was about Isabel had a lot to do with his decision as well. He’d called ahead to let Cici know he was stopping by to pick up the ring.
Cici had explained giving her a ring didn’t have to mean they were getting engaged. People bought rings for all sorts of reasons: promise rings, anniversary rings or just to say I love you. He still wasn’t sure what his exact reason would be, he just couldn’t wait to see it on her. “Is it ready?”
Cici looked up and smiled, her perfume heavier this time than it’d been all week as if she’d just sprayed herself. “You’re gonna love it.”
He’d picked out what Cici referred to as a princess cut diamond. He’d seen plenty of women wearing round diamonds. He liked that it was square. He had to be sneaky and snag one of Isabel’s rings from her jewelry box to get the right size. If he’d gone with the one carat he could’ve paid in cash, but once he saw what a two carat looked like, he had to have it. Only now, even with Cici hooking him up, he’d still be paying it off for the next year. It didn’t matter. His Izzy was worth it.
Cici had been more than ecstatic. Apparently, this was one of her biggest commission earnings to date.
She brought out the small box from the back and came all the way around the counter to hand it to him. He’d already paid the down payment and the paperwork was all done. Only reason he hadn’t taken it home yet was because it had to be sized and Cici had them give it an extra polish. She opened the box. The ring sparkled brilliantly. It was perfect. He’d made the right choice. Isabel was going to love it.