by Suzie Nelson
“Now pick something for yourself. Then you will always remember our trip here together.” Shelby smiled warmly at Blake as he made his second offer and she knew that she would never forget this moment.
Her eye caught a silver necklace that had a large blue and green stone pendant and she pointed to it. “That one, please. I will always think of us when I wear it.” The vendor handed over the items of jewelry to Blake. He paid while Shelby stood watching in sheer happiness of the moment. “I’m so excited for you to meet my grandmother. Come, she lives just a street away.”
Before Blake could even think, Shelby had grabbed his hand and was pulling him away from the market and down a narrow side street that led to a row of the grey concrete housing. Some of the walls were painted blood red and sunshine yellow and decorative rugs and blankets hung everywhere. Some of the houses had fresh herbs growing on the sides of the windowsills and people could be seen sitting on the numerous steps that led up to the different entrances. Blake couldn’t imagine living in such a crowded street but he could appreciate that as a child it would have seemed like a maze full of other lively and busy children.
“Abuelita? Abuelita!” Shelby stepped up to one of the painted doors and knocked on the wooden surface. Blake stood nervously behind her feeling like an outsider intruding on someone else’s life.
Suddenly the door opened and a small little old lady, only half the size of Shelby, appeared in front of them. She looked similar to Shelby, in that she had olive skin, kind dark eyes, and an alike shaped nose but her once raven hair was now silver and cropped short around her chubby face.
“Shelby!” The short round lady raised her hands excitedly as she recognized her adult granddaughter and they mutually threw their arms around each other. They embraced and started speaking in Spanish while Blake remained standing by the entrance. He followed then into the tiny three-roomed house and could see that every wall was covered in religious murals and crosses. No matter where he looked, he could feel the glaring eyes of an angelic saint or bleeding Jesus staring at him.
“Abuelita, this is my good friend, Blake Ramsey.” Shelby suddenly turned to reveal Blake standing behind her and the grandmother gave him a good looking over with her eyes. “He is the music producer friend of mine that I have told you about. He is opening a youth center with his brother just a few streets away from here.”
Shelby’s grandmother’s face quickly switched into one of welcome and Blake instantly felt relieved. “Welcome. Any friend of my Shelby is welcome here.” She waddled over and squeezed a hold of Blake’s waist in a very awkward hug which had taken him completely by surprise. Shelby stood by and snickered as she watched Blake squirm under the tight grip of her grandmother.
“Thank you. It is so nice to meet you finally. Shelby talks about you all the time.” Blake stood back and tried to get his bearings as Abuelita still held on tightly to his arms.
“She has also told me a lot about you.” The grandmother pointed her finger at Blake and then turned her attention back to Shelby. “Come, come. You must sit with me and eat.” She pulled Blake by the hand over to a round wooden dining table that was in the center of the kitchen. “Tell me all about your trip and what is happening in America. I want to know everything.”
Shelby and Blake both followed her command without question and sat down at the table as Shelby’s grandmother busied herself in the kitchen chopping vegetables and bringing bread over to the table. “You have just missed your cousin Sofia, Shelby. She will be sad to not have seen you.”
“Oh, Sofia.” Shelby’s eyes lit up at the mention of her most beloved cousin. “How is she? I would love to see her.”
“She has moved further into the city with her husband. Sofia has done well, she stayed on at school and now works for some big company as a secretary. It will not be too long before she is having children.” Abuelita continued to chop onions and tomatoes as she proudly chatted about the family. “And you Shelby, when will you have some children? You cannot leave it too late, you know. I’m told the busy city women like to leave it later these days but you will not be able to have babies when you are old like me!” she chuckled to herself as Shelby sat mortified opposite Blake.
“Not yet, Abuelita. I would need to find a husband first.” Shelby’s face flushed red and she didn’t dare to look over at Blake for his reaction. He also felt uncomfortable as the grandmother prodded for information.
“Sí, a husband would be needed.” Abuelita mixed the onions and tomatoes together with a little fresh cilantro and lemon juice and then placed them in the center of the table. “And you, Blake? Do you have any children or a wife?” Completely unashamed, Shelby’s grandmother got straight to the point and didn’t even try to conceal her matchmaking.
Blake coughed as he sipped on his glass of water and then sat upright. “Um, no. I don’t have any children or a wife.”
Abuelita clasped his cheeks in her hands and gently patted the sides of his face. “No! Not with this handsome face. Why? I would marry you myself if I was forty years younger.” She let go and turned back to the kitchen counter as both Blake and Shelby looked at each other with embarrassment. Shelby tried to silently mouth to Blake that she was sorry but he found the whole thing highly amusing.
Finally, once everything had been prepared, Shelby’s grandmother sat down at the table with them and they feasted on the fresh salads, meats, and bread that were laid out.
“Thank you so much for this meal. Everything is so delicious.” Blake had gorged on the food and was now feeling full but content.
“I like this one, Shelby – he is polite. You should keep him.” Abuelita winked at Blake as he leaned back in his chair and smiled.
“Yes, Blake has been really encouraging with my fashion designing. Some of his artists have worn my designs and it’s really helped to get my name out in the industry.” Shelby had also had plenty to eat and was now just moving pieces of tomato around her plate.
“Sí, sí, you are a big fancy designer in New York. I am very proud, you should send me some of your clothes. I will have everyone in Mexico City wearing Shelby’s dresses.” They laughed as they continued to joke and everyone felt at ease around each other. Blake sat silently and watched as Shelby and her grandmother talked about memories from the past and how she had spent her summers running around her grandmother’s feet. He had never known his own grandparents as they had passed away when he was a child and even his relationship with his own parents had been strained. But as they sat in the simple house with its basic amenities, he knew that he wanted to have a family with the same love and affection that Shelby had with hers.
“I am so happy that you are here, my little Shelby.” Abuelita pressed the palm of her hand against Shelby’s cheek and Shelby couldn’t help but feel like a little girl again as she was held in her grandmother’s eyes.
“Oh, Abuelita, I know that mama misses you very much.” Shelby tried hard to hold back the tears knowing that her mother bitterly missed Mexico and her family but simply couldn’t afford to keep returning often. As the two women connected in their emotional moment, a hard knock on the door suddenly jolted everybody back into their senses.
The strong pounding repeated until Shelby got up and flung the door wide open ready to chew the ear of the person being so aggressive. “Hank?”
Blake’s bodyguard stepped into the room and gave the living space a cursory glance with an irritated expression. “Mr. Ramsey, you really shouldn’t be here. This location isn’t secure. Please accompany me back to the compound.” Dressed in his uniform of all black outfit and gun holster, Hank stood with his thick arms completely blocking the door. He was harsh, annoyingly American and completely void of any emotion.
“Is he with you?” Abuelita looked over at Shelby confused wondering why they would need professional bodyguards in a place that Shelby had grown up in.
“I’m sorry, Abuelita. This is Hank, Blake’s security guy while we are here workin
g on the center. He drives the car, there’s no need to be alarmed.” Hank looked annoyed at Shelby’s reference to him being the driver but he didn’t relax his hostile exterior and just remained on edge by the door. “Surely, there is no need for all this, Blake? We are perfectly safe here.” Shelby looked over at Blake with big round eyes hoping that he would step in and send Hank away.
Blake got up and walked over to Hank intending to tell him to wait outside while they finished their visit. “Thank you for tracking us down, Hank, and bringing the car to us but we will be fine here. This is Shelby’s grandmother’s house, we are in no danger. If you could wait for us in the car we will be out once we have finished.” Blake could sense that his simple instruction wasn’t going to get followed and he wasn’t entirely comfortable trying to give someone like a Hank an order.
“If I could speak with you outside, Mr. Ramsey?” The order had suddenly been turned back around to Blake and under the pressure of everyone’s gaze, he stepped out onto the steps with Hank.
Hank leaned in so that only Blake would hear his words. “I’m sorry to intrude on your visit but it took a while to locate you after you left the center without a word. We have just become aware that an American tourist has been possibly kidnapped and they were taken only a few streets away from this location. With all respect, I have been employed by your brother to ensure your safety and I will not let your security be compromised, for any reason.” Blake listened to every word and felt the seriousness of the situation while also feeling as though he was being rebuked by Hank for disappearing.
“If you and Miss Perez could return to the vehicle immediately we will return to the compound where your safety, and that of my men, won’t be at risk.” Hank looked down at Blake with a serious and intimidating stare which he knew he wouldn’t be able to defy. After all, Blake had no real understanding of the risks involved in the area and he certainly didn’t want to jeopardize Shelby’s safety simply because he didn’t want to disappoint her.
Blake tapped Hank on the shoulder in the manliest manner he could. “Yes, you’re right, Hank. I will just get Miss Perez to say goodbye to her grandmother.”
Hank stepped back pleased that he had been able to finally perform his job as Blake walked back into the house. “I’m sorry but Hank is right. We are going to have to cut our visit short and head back to the house.” Blake tried to keep his tone calm and upbeat so that Shelby would not be able to sense the real concern in his voice.
“Are you serious? We have to leave because your Robocop doesn’t like being in the slums?” Shelby looked at Blake in disbelief that he was so easily giving in to another’s misplaced authority and she felt disappointed with him all over again.
“I’m really sorry, Abuelita, it has been truly wonderful meeting you and I’m sure we will get to see you again before we head back to America.” Blake wrapped his arms around Shelby’s grandmother and felt the warmth of her body against his chest.
“You are welcome here anytime, Blake. And yes, you must come again before you take my Shelby home.” She patted his back affectionately and then reached out for Shelby.
“I’m so sorry, Abuelita. I will come again to see you, I promise.” Shelby hugged her grandmother while glaring at Blake with furiously fiery eyes. They waved goodbye and headed out down the steps where they could see the black SUVs waiting below.
“I’m sorry, Shelby.” Blake tried to walk beside her and apologize but Shelby was in no mood to listen.
“Don’t talk to me. Go talk to your boyfriend Hank and see what he would like you to do next.” Shelby snatched her arm away from Blake so that he couldn’t take her hand and then jumped into the vehicle. She knew that she was being childish but she felt as though she had let her guard down with Blake only to be reminded that he wasn’t the man she hoped he could be.
Chapter 7
The shiny black SUVs rolled up into the compound and as the iron gate closed behind, Shelby jumped out of the car and stormed into the mansion. Blake followed shortly behind fully aware that he was going to receive a tongue lashing from Shelby and wishing that for just one minute, she would be silent to let him explain.
Shelby thought about running up the stairs and away to her room where she could seethe alone but she had reached a boiling point with Blake. Their friendship had been a constant back and forth of flirting to coldness and a complete inability for Blake to make any decision or take any action was driving her crazy. They had spent the day happily in each other’s company sharing moments when she could feel the physical chemistry between them but he had ruined everything by blindly obeying the bodyguard and walking out on her grandmother. Shelby had had enough and she was determined to find out once and for all what the basis of their friendship was – love or companionship?
“How could you?” Shelby didn’t even wait for the bodyguards to leave the room before she started shouting at Blake. “You think you can just order me around like I am one of your employees? I have not seen my grandmother for years and you drag me away from her because your G.I. Joe Ken doll didn’t want to hang around in the poor part of town. Were you relieved? Were you so desperate to get out of my grandmother’s hovel that you just did what he wanted without question like a good little lap dog? You sicken me!” Shelby bounded across the room with her arms waving in every direction as Blake just stood still by the entrance.
Thankfully, all of the bodyguards had now cleared the room, fully aware that World War 3 had broken out as a result of their intervention and Blake was the lone soldier taking the brunt of Shelby’s rage. He was waiting for a break in her rant so that he could explain about the kidnapping but she continued to vent as she released all of her built frustration.
“I don’t even know why I am here! You clearly didn’t want me here as it was Jordan that asked me to come. You only wanted me here to entertain Danica like I have nothing valuable to do with my life besides be at your beck and call. And you have me stuck here in this ridiculous house with you and why? Why? Why do you bother to drag me around with you when all you do is insult me and pretend that you are interested in my career? I have had enough of this, Blake! Enough of you and your gifts which mean nothing. I took you to my grandmother’s house! My grandmother! And you still can’t even be man enough to tell Hank to leave us alone – oh, no! We must do whatever Hank says and live under lock and key in case the big nasty Mexicans come and get us.” Shelby started to sound hysterical as her accent got thicker and she scrunched up her face.
“Well, I am one of those Mexicans. What are you going to do, run away from me? Get Hank to protect you every time you go to the youth center? The boring cream-painted youth center that looks like it was shipped here from a sterile American CEO office by UPS?!? Oh, we don’t want it to look Mexican or have any color, then we might actually encourage them to have personalities and realize they are more than just peasants!”
Shelby’s rant had started to take a weird turn toward belittling the youth center and it was clear that she didn’t even know how she was going to continue shouting. Blake had heard enough and knew that it was time to intervene before she said something she would seriously regret.
“Shelby, just stop!” He stepped forward and shouted his words which echoed around the large living room.
Shelby’s face froze. This was the first time in their friendship that she had heard him shouting and it was directed to her. In shock, she didn’t know whether to shout back or remain silent.
“We had to leave your grandmother’s because some American tourist was probably kidnapped a few streets away from her house. Apparently, she had wandered into the very same market we had just been a few hours before us and she was abducted.” Blake looked defiantly at her, praying that the information would make her calm down and stop her incessant outburst.
“You don’t even know that for sure! Maybe she just got lost or something!” Shelby shouted back though she started to realize the seriousness of the situation. Of course, th
ey knew nothing about that tourist but it was a sad fact that organized criminal groups, mafia, and gangs still ruled the streets of Mexico City. Kidnapping and other serious crimes were happening too often for her liking and although Shelby always tried to push these thoughts back in her mind, in times likes this she had to admit Blake’s concerns.
“I didn’t want to leave but it wasn’t fair to Hank and his men to keep them there protecting us if there was a real threat to all of our safety. Look, if they can kidnap some tourist how far do you think they would go to get a billionaire?” He looked at her waiting for some sort of response that would show her appreciation of the situation but she just remained silent and blank. Blake took her silence for continued anger which annoyed him. “For goodness sake, Shelby, surely you can see that we had to leave given the circumstances? There is no reason why you can’t go back and see your grandmother another day.”
Shelby remained standing in silence thinking about all the awful things she had just said when Blake had only been trying to protect them and the bodyguards. She hadn’t given him the opportunity to explain and as usual, she had just assumed the worst instead of giving him the benefit of the doubt. She watched as Blake glared at her with impatient eyes and she wondered if she should just carry on shouting because she didn’t know if she had the strength to apologize.
