Be My Queen

by RayeAnn Carter

  "I asked you out to Disneyland today. I've never been, and…" He was rambling again.

  She patted his hand. "I haven't been there either, not in all the time I've lived here."

  He turned his hand over. "How long is that?"

  She looked at their hands. "In my family, we move away from home young. My brother at twelve. I was closer to fifteen."

  Yikes! Diego's mother hadn't wanted him to move out for college, and she still kept his room up in case he needed it again. Of course, that might be because he'd left stuff at his parents' house. His sister's old room was now officially a guest bedroom.

  "I moved in with my mother's friend."

  "Is that the lady you live with now?"

  "Miss Magnolia? No, she takes in homeless girls."

  "You were homeless?" He hated the idea of any person without a home. How had his beautiful Lavender survived out there on her own?

  She shook her head. "My mother's friend's son got hurt in the big hurricane and she sent me to stay with her cousin in L.A. so she could take care of his family."

  "Then you came to stay with Miss Magnolia?"

  "Later. The cousin already had a full house, so I found a place of my own. A few places later, I ended up on Miss Magnolia's stoop."

  He curled his hands around hers. "That must have been hard."

  "I survived."

  She didn't look upset, but he massaged her palm anyway. It made him feel better. "I'd rather see you thrive."

  She laughed. "You're so sweet."

  "I really mean it." He kissed her fingers. Maybe she'd thrive behind the counter at a coffee shop or ice cream parlor. Or as an office worker in a purple suit. But she seemed the creative type. Maybe her own little home business in a room so full of craft supplies that the computer looked out of place. No. She'd put purple lace around the monitor to make it match.

  If that craft room was in Diego's house, all the better.

  He kissed her palm. "So you aren't in college?"

  She blushed and pulled back her hand. He let her go. "I'd be surprised if you graduated with all that moving around."

  She puffed herself up. "I'm not totally uneducated."

  "I never said you were." He hadn't meant to offend her. Time for a change of subject. He retrieved her hand. "I've said you are beautiful and I'll say it again."

  He hummed a few lines.

  She cocked her head. "I recognize that one."

  "Good. Disneyland?"

  She gave him a long, slow smile. His day was getting better and better.

  *~*~*

  Lavender rested on a bench in the shade of a giant tree and accepted the bottle of cold water from Diego. He sat beside her. "Having fun?"

  "With you? Yes."

  He flashed a grin. She looked away. He was too tempting by half. She shouldn't encourage him.

  He threaded his fingers into hers. "So I made a good choice?"

  She looked around the park and back at him. "The venue? Or the date?"

  He kissed the back of her hand. "My mother will love you."

  "Will she?"

  He acted like Lavender meeting his mom was a sure thing, which both thrilled her and made her sad. She wasn't the kind of girl that boys brought home to the family.

  "I'm told she's intimidating, but when my birth mother got sick—she was Mom's college roommate—Mom quit her job, packed up her car, and drove cross-country. She practically moved into the hospital. Dad was super stressed and our housekeeper took advantage of her access to the house bank account. Mom realized that after my birth mother went on hospice. She took over the housekeeper duties and taking care of us—Amanda was five and I wasn't quite one—and she gave Dad space to mourn his dying wife."

  Lavender shivered. She didn't like sad stories. "And after she died?"

  "My birth mother made Mom promise to stay and take care of us. Mom says she would have, anyway. She was the one who cuddled me close when I needed attention, the one who read me stories and put me to bed, the one who woke with me in the night, who let me cuddle beside her in the dark when I was scared, the one who rocked me when I was sick. My mother."

  Lavender smiled. Her mother had been a wonderful woman, too.

  "Amanda took longer to warm to Mom. She still calls her Catherine, but not to her face."

  "And your dad?"

  "Dad let her be housekeeper, nanny, and hostess, but she wasn't anything else for more than seven years. They got married the month I turned ten, but she's been my mother, my real mother, as long as I can remember."

  She squeezed his fingers. "I like her already."

  "Thanks." Then he kissed her. She could live this dream a few days longer.

  Chapter Eleven

  Diego glanced at his phone. Patrick must be awake. Lavender was still freshening up, so Diego opened the text. Patrick wanted to save his strength for tomorrow. Diego was invited over for an evening of pizza, beer, and movies. Diego texted back to ask if Lavender was invited. Patrick said she was.

  Now, to ask her.

  She strode up to him, queen of the world, and her lips demanded a kiss, which he gave willingly. He needed her like he needed air. He stepped back with a sigh before he got too hard to walk. "Come to dinner with me."

  She bit the inside of her lip. "I listened to your voicemail."

  He looked at the ground. "Yeah?"

  "Do your friends know you are inviting me to dinner?"

  "Yes."

  "And what did they say?"

  "Patrick wanted to know if they should order an extra pizza, and I said to hold off ordering anything until we arrived." Diego wasn't sure what kind of pizza Lavender liked.

  She pressed her hands to his chest. "So when is this dinner?"

  "As soon as we get there."

  "Do you think," she licked her lips, "they'd mind if we were late?"

  Diego swallowed hard. "How late?"

  "I know a place where we could get a good view of the city."

  Weren't all viewpoints make-out spots? Please let this be a make-out spot.

  *~*~*

  Lavender leaned back and licked her lips, but she kept one hand on Diego's chest. His kisses were electric, and the good thing about making out in the car was that their hips were apart. She was not going to let an embarrassing incident happen again, no matter how hot he was.

  Diego took in deep breaths. "You have to come stay with me in Portland."

  "Do I?"

  Diego swallowed hard and wiped his hands on his jeans. "We'll see if you can stand living where the grass in green and the air is clear, with fewer people and less traffic."

  "And more rain." But starting over would be wonderful. She could move to a place where no one knew her secret, where people couldn't find out by someone else letting their own condition slip.

  His pressed his hand on hers. "Please say you'll consider it."

  She grinned. "Does this have anything to do with me meeting your friend?"

  He looked down. "Maybe. I don't know. I just want… I'm rambling again."

  She touched her free hand to his lips. "You're cute when you ramble."

  If she hadn't heard his voicemail, she might not have thought to take him to the lookout point. She was glad she had. She wanted to make the most of her week.

  *~*~*

  Diego checked Patrick's apartment number and got out of the car. The parking lot was surrounded on three sides by five-story buildings. Lavender looked around. "These are pretty nice."

  Diego's apartment was much nicer, even with only one income, while Patrick and Jessica had two. Rent money didn't go as far in California as it did in Oregon; maybe because of all the extra people.

  Their apartment was on the fourth floor. Patrick opened the door before Diego got all the way up the stairs. He pulled Diego into a hug. "Long time no see, man."

  Diego hugged him, back then stepped away and put his arm around Lavender's waist. "Look what I found hidden among the smog."

  Patrick grinned. "I tol
d you coming down here would be good for you."

  He wouldn't be as happy once he discovered Diego was stuck on her. Patrick thought Diego's dating life was crazy, and that dating the same girl since they were both fourteen was normal.

  Patrick invited them inside. The place was well-decorated with new-looking furniture. Diego got most of his stuff from his parents and Goodwill. He hadn't paid more than twenty dollars for anything. Not everything matched, but he was debt-free with two months' salary to spend on this week's vacation. He couldn't imagine Patrick and Jessica could say the same.

  That was their problem to deal with.

  Patrick handed him a beer, while Jessica looked Lavender over. Diego stepped closer to Jessica. "Be nice."

  She smiled. "I'm always nice."

  Lavender shook her head. "No, thank you."

  "Come on, you have to take it." Patrick touched the beer bottle to the back of her hand.

  "Why?" She looked up through her eyelashes. She was beautiful.

  Diego stepped forward. Jessica grabbed his arm. "She doesn't need your help."

  "Because," Patrick frowned, "when you come in my door, you accept my hospitality."

  "Really? So, if I invited you to my house I could make you drink… prune seltzer?"

  Patrick wrinkled his nose. "Sure."

  "And this hospitality includes forcing alcohol on underage girls?"

  Patrick turned to Diego. "That's right, you're robbing the cradle."

  "She's nineteen."

  Patrick looked Lavender up and down. "Nineteen."

  "And mine." Diego stepped between them. Patrick had looked at all Diego's girlfriend’s that way at least once, but with Lavender, it felt like a punch to the gut.

  Patrick laughed. Diego rolled his eyes. He put his hand on Lavender's back and steered her to Jessica. "Do you have pop or juice?"

  She set several cold cans of sparking juice on the counter. Diego traded his own beer for the can of orange. Lavender took the grape. Because she liked grape or because she liked purple?

  Jessica offered Lavender the menu from a pizza place. "I prefer chicken, but since the caveman here only eats beef and pork, half of it always goes to waste."

  The menu had several chicken pizzas. Diego left them to discuss their selection. He'd eat any pizza without anchovies.

  Patrick plopped onto the couch and gestured Diego to join him. "What should we start with? An oldie-but-goodie like Die Hard or the Hunt for Red October, or something newer like Mission Impossible III or Pan's Labyrinth?"

  Diego looked at the pile of DVDs. Would Lavender like any of them? "Which are your favorites?"

  "All of them."

  "Then let's watch the oldest movie first."

  Patrick frowned. "That would be Jessica's choice."

  He opened a cabinet door and pointed at Casablanca. Diego looked toward the kitchen. Jessica was on the phone. He pointed at Patrick's pile. "The oldest of yours."

  Patrick grinned and slapped his arm. "Great idea."

  He started the movie and handed Diego back his beer. This time, Diego opened it. Patrick had spent extra on quality beer, and wasting it would be a shame.

  *~*~*

  Lavender carried her plate into the living room. Diego moved closer to Patrick on the couch and made space for her. Jessica was nice enough in that veiled I'm-judging-you way some women had, but they would never be friends. Diego was much more comfortable to be with. The movie was old. She could tell by the casual smoking indoors and the actor playing the lead. He looked much younger than he had in the last trailer she'd seen him in. She hardly recognized him.

  When Diego finished his food, he took Lavender's plate into the kitchen. Patrick leaned over. "Isn't this a great movie?"

  Action movies weren't her thing, but they were easy to follow, even if you missed most of the first hour like she had. The good guys were white, the bad guys spoke in a foreign language, and the comic relief was black or Hispanic.

  Diego passed Patrick another beer before he sat down, so Lavender didn't have to answer. Jessica rose from the recliner. "Once they've had their adrenaline kick, you might find something better in my movie selection."

  Jessica had good taste in pizza and in decorating, so her movie choices might be good, too.

  Patrick sat up. "Nothing's better than my movies."

  Jessica shrugged. "To each his own."

  "Beer?" Diego lifted his bottle. "Sex?"

  "Hey! Nothing's better than sex."

  "I thought you said nothing was better than your movies."

  "No movies are better than my movies. Let's watch this one next." He held up a case for a movie Lavender knew she wouldn't like. She hadn't been able to sit through the commercials for it last year.

  Jessica gestured her toward the hallway. "I hate that one. It gives me nightmares. Maybe we can have a girl party in the bedroom until the alcohol, plus the lack of proper sleep for the past week, puts him under. We can do our nails and maybe give each other facials and listen to music."

  Jessica must have something else in mind, but an awkward time with someone she'd probably never like trumped a horror movie any day.

  Chapter Twelve

  Diego opened the door to Patrick and Jessica's room. He hadn't seen Lavender in a while. She sat on the carpet with her hands on her knees as Jessica applied makeup to her eyes. Her fingernails and toenails gleamed a wet, opalescent purple. He grinned. "Is everything going all right in here?"

  Jessica looked up. "Has he fallen asleep yet?"

  "He keeps nodding off, but when his chin hits his chest, he wakes up again."

  "Keep him company until he's good and out. Then I'm going to introduce Lavender to Katherine Hepburn. Can you believe she's never seen The Philadelphia Story?"

  He could believe a lot more than that. He blew Lavender a kiss. She looked like she was enduring Jessica's ministrations more than enjoying them. He would rescue her as soon as he had the chance.

  In the living room, Patrick had taken over the couch. "What took you so long?"

  "Checking on the girls."

  Patrick sang a line from a totally inappropriate song.

  Diego sat on the floor with his back against the couch. "You might think of your girl that way, but mine is a lady."

  "Meaning you haven't had sex with her yet."

  "That depends on how you define sex." Coming while holding her was sex in Diego's book.

  "If you have to say that, it means you aren't getting any."

  Diego picked up a potato chip from the bowl on the coffee table, but decided not to eat it. "We haven't had our third date yet."

  Patrick propped himself up on his elbow. "You have just a week to seduce a girl and you picked one who won't put out? What's wrong with you?"

  Diego didn't want a girl for just one night or one week. He'd been looking for his perfect person all his life, taking chances on any girl or guy who was interested in him, taking risks that his heart might break. It had come close once or twice, but Lavender was different. If they broke up, he'd be devastated.

  "You think you're in love with her?"

  He nodded. What was the point of denying it? That's what these feelings meant.

  "You do realize that you've never been in a relationship that lasted longer than a few months?"

  "This one will be different." He couldn't imagine being happy to see Lavender happy with anyone else or anywhere else but at his side.

  Patrick patted Diego's shoulder. "I'm here for you, man."

  Patrick always had been, no matter what he thought of Diego's newest ex, or new boy- or girlfriend. A friend, indeed.

  Which made Diego feel slightly guilty for wanting Patrick to just fall asleep already, so he could put on a movie the girls would like, and return Lavender to his arms.

  Maybe another beer would help.

  *~*~*

  Lavender looked at herself in Jessica's well-lit mirror. How could Jessica's application of makeup, using the exact same kinds as Lavender, h
ave such a different result? Her eyes looked bigger and darker, her cheekbones higher and more defined, her lips the perfect shape. This was what she always hoped to look like when she put on makeup, but never quite managed.

  "Like I said," Jessica fluffed Lavender's hair. "I took community college classes as a teenager. My dad wouldn't let me wear makeup until I could put it on correctly."

  Lavender frowned. "Could you teach me to do this?"

  Jessica grinned. "Sure."

  That's what she'd been after all evening. She hadn't liked Lavender's makeup, and she wanted to show Lavender the 'correct' way. But Lavender didn't have to like Jessica to learn from her.

  *~*~*

  Diego pulled Lavender closer against him. She'd fallen asleep half an hour ago, but he hated to move her. She was so beautiful. He rubbed his lips across her hair.

  Jessica nodded at them. "You seem quite taken with her."

  "I am. You still think she's too perfect?"

  Jessica sighed. "I think she's a girl trying to be a woman, but without proper role models."

  "Did you have proper role models?"

  "I did. But too few girls do." The tinge of judgment edged her voice, but Jessica wasn't the one dating Lavender. What she thought didn't matter.

  "So what do you and Patrick have planned for us this week?"

  They spoke for a while about places that Patrick wanted Diego to see and people he wanted him to meet. It sounded more like a month's holiday than a week's. Jessica nodded at Lavender. "Make sure she knows that she's invited."

  "I will." He hugged Lavender close one last time, then woke her. Every minute he stayed this close to her, the more he craved waking beside her. If Patrick and Jessica had a spare room, he would've put her in there, but this was for the best. He'd have a hard time not crawling in with her.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Lavender pulled her blanket over her head. Vish's phone was playing some horrible song. Morning was here, and with it, time to wake from the delicious dream of Diego's tongue on her skin.

  The door slammed, forcing away the last of the dream. Lavender sat up. Her phone had several texts. She deleted the ones her friends had sent her yesterday, and read the ones from Diego. He was awake and ready to get her whenever she wanted. Patrick had a hangover this morning, so they'd meet him in the afternoon and have a late lunch at a terraced restaurant. Unless she had better plans.