Once Perfect

by Cecy Robson

  “Tell me about it,” I said.

  He tugged on my ponytail. “You don’t know what that is, do you?”

  “Not a clue.” I pulled onto College Avenue, ignoring the goose bumps Mateo’s contact sent scurrying up my neck. I didn’t have to shift my gaze to know his interest remained solely on me.

  “Take a left on Darby,” Mateo said. Noelle’s voice grew louder as I turned onto the small road. “Hey, Noelle,” he called into the back. “You like Beyoncé?”

  “You know it!”

  “Then stop killing her songs, woman.”

  Noelle didn’t appreciate the dis and proceeded to a full-out Sasha Fierce tribute―all the way to her house, which was how long it took for my vehicle’s heat to kick in.

  Mateo pointed ahead. “Here, it’s the second drive past that black mailbox.”

  I veered the Cherokee in front of the driveway packed with three cars. “I’ll be right back,” Mateo said, jumping out. He opened the car door and dragged Noelle across the backseat. She shrieked when Mateo tossed her over his shoulder. Of course, her drooping body only momentarily halted her tribute. She sang, ignoring Mateo’s warning that she’d wake the neighbors, all the way to the front porch of a small white Cape Cod.

  Mateo rapped his knuckles on the black door. Another striking redhead answered. “Hi, Teo,” she said, giving him a big leering grin. “What do we have here?”

  “Noelle got trampled at the club.”

  “What?” the girl asked, her tone no longer playful. She held open the door so Mateo could carry Noelle, still singing, inside.

  I heard him start to explain as the front door shut tight behind them. Okay. Now what? I shut off my engine, not knowing how long he’d be. The girl who answered had been beautiful. Then again, so was Noelle, even in her hot-mess state. Could Mateo have…I muttered a curse and flicked my nails. Mateo was total eye candy―the type of guy that most females and males with a pulse noticed. I couldn’t fault him for that, but that didn’t mean I liked the spotlight his hotness earned him.

  The redhead at the door had practically purred at him. I crossed my arms and wondered what type of girl he’d fall for, if Mateo “fell” at all. Just because I’d never seen him with anyone didn’t mean he wasn’t receiving the lion’s share of digits and dates. Was he into one-nighters, like a lot of the guys his age? Or did he commit? My instincts told me someone like him wouldn’t easily settle down. After all, when muscles ripped every inch of your frame, and your face belonged on the cover of Vogue, you didn’t have to settle, for anyone or anything.

  Let alone a petite blonde who’d spent months blowing you off.

  I sighed and reached in the rear for my backpack. So long as I waited, I might as well do some work.

  My fingers flipped through an old care plan I’d received a B on last term. My goal was to figure out my mistakes so the ones I handed in next week would turn into A’s. A scholarship would help me so much. If I could do better this semester, I might be able to have my next and final one paid for. Yet, the chance for a little tuition money wasn’t enough to distract me from what kept Mateo.

  The front door slammed closed and Mateo hopped down the steps. He wrenched open the passenger door, pausing to glance at the books crowding his seat. I gathered them quickly, trying to give him space. “Sorry you had to wait, Evie. I wanted to make sure Noelle was taken care of. Her sister, Colleen, can be a real ditz sometimes.”

  I shoved my supplies into my backpack. “That’s okay. I know you care about her.”

  Mateo’s hand covered mine when I tried to zip my bag shut. “She’s a friend,” he said.

  The smoothness in his deep voice assured me I had nothing to worry about when it came to him and Noelle. Was I that obvious? My lowering lashes insisted I was. “I better take you home,” I said softly.

  His hand eased from mine. “Yeah, you should. Looks to me like you have a shitload of work to get at.”

  My shoulders slumped. “Nursing school is harder than I ever thought it’d be.”

  “That’s what I hear. My sister’s in a private college near Allentown. Every time I talk to her, she always tells me how tough her nursing course is going to be there. You at Villanova?”

  I tossed my pack behind me, groaning when everything fell out. Damn zipper. “No. I can’t afford it. I’m at community college finishing up my associate’s degree. Once I pass my boards and get a real job, maybe I’ll think about earning my BSN. It’s not an option for now.”

  He climbed into the seat and buckled in. “So, working at the club’s not a real job, huh?”

  My cheeks flushed. “Oh, I didn’t mean it that way. What I was trying to say was that it wasn’t a real job for me.” I could’ve slapped myself. Why was everything so hard to say around him? And why did I always manage to say it wrong?

  He chuckled. “Evie. It’s okay. When you look at what you do, it’s a dead end. You’re smart. I know you’re capable of more than taking orders and avoiding drunk pricks trying to grab your ass.”

  “So are you,” I pointed out. Almost instantly I regretted my words, thinking I’d once more offended him.

  “It’s not so bad. Most of those pricks leave my ass alone.”

  I laughed out loud. He grinned softly as his eyes scanned my face and his knuckles grazed my cheek. “You’re really pretty when you smile, you know that? I wish I could see that smile more.”

  He held my gaze with his. At first I couldn’t move, much less answer, mostly because I hadn’t felt pretty in a long time…or smiled much. Stress over school, worries about how I’d pay my bills, and lack of time wouldn’t allow such simple pleasures. The money I spent all went toward surviving. My last big splurge was on a new drugstore lip gloss two weeks back. Maybe that’s why Mateo’s words meant so much and hit so hard. Or maybe it was just him. He wasn’t obliged to be so kind. He just was. “Thank you,” I finally said.

  “Ready to go?” he asked when I said nothing more. At my nod he motioned ahead with a jerk of his chin. “Head straight out and make a left at the light. We’ll take the back way.”

  I cranked the engine, causing it to make a horrible wrenching sound that made Mateo grimace. “Oh. Evie, when was the last time you had anything done to this thing?”

  “I had the oil changed a few months back.” I glanced his way. “It runs fine. It’s just loud.” The engine growled again. “Okay, really loud.”

  “That’s because it’s in pain.”

  “Pain?”

  The squeaking, whirling sound returned just to prove his point. I cringed a little, understanding what he meant. He patted the armrest. “If you want, drop it off at my place tomorrow. I’ll take a look.”

  “At the engine?”

  “And probably a lot more, by the sounds of it.” We stopped at the intersection. “I’m good with my hands,” he murmured. “Always have been.”

  My eyes trailed from his large palms to those long fingers. Yeah…I’ll bet you are. Mateo caught me watching him. His mouth curved into a grin. Jesus, there was enough sizzle in his stare to tighten every part of me.

  The light switched to green. I accelerated, probably a little too harshly. “Are you a mechanic?” I didn’t know what squeaked louder, my girly voice or my ancient engine.

  Mateo’s rough tone lowered and his smile faded. “That was my original plan. I’ve messed around with cars forever. Learning a little here and there from anyone who’d teach me, and any journal I could get my hands on.” He shrugged. “I went into the Army hoping to earn my certification working on SUVs and tanks, but it didn’t work out.”

  “I know. Ant told me.”

  “He did?” Mateo scoffed at my nod. “Ant has a big mouth.”

  I sighed. “Maybe, but I needed to hear what he had to say.”

  I wanted to tell him more. And he probably wanted to say more as well. Instead, everything quieted between us. Well, everything but my Cherokee’s loud bitching. Mateo knew the area well. He directed me through the bac
k roads into Haverford. The ride probably took longer this way, but I didn’t mind. My escalating exhaustion aside, not to mention my books bouncing and demanding attention in the rear, it was nice to spend time with him. No, he was nice. Nicer than I could have imagined someone so rugged could be.

  We pulled into a little street past Ivy Lane where old elms lined the narrow sidewalks. “It’s the next driveway on the left. You can pull in, Elaine won’t mind.”

  “Who’s Elaine?”

  “My landlady. She does Sam’s books. I rent the apartment over her detached garage for close to nothing. In exchange, I help her around the house―fix whatever’s broken, do the yard work, that sort of thing.”

  “She’s not married?”

  “No. Her idiot of a husband didn’t treat her right.” He glared ahead as if he knew just how bad. “But she was smart enough not to take his shit.” He opened the door as soon as I parked in front of the house, stopping with one foot out. “Do you want to come in?”

  My head tilted up, taking the home in at a glance. There was a point in my life that I wouldn’t have been intimidated by the unpretentious Victorian house. It couldn’t have been more than three thousand square feet, something my ex, Donovan, would have considered too small for his arrogant tastes. And yet, I found myself trying to hide from its view. “I better not.”

  Mateo leaned so his shoulder rested against the seat. “You don’t have to stay, Evie. I’m not asking for that. But at least take a look so you’ll know where to go when you drop off your ride tomorrow.”

  I stroked my steering wheel. “You’re assuming I’ll turn my baby over into your clutches.”

  As if making a point and totally taking Mateo’s side, my Cherokee made an odd grinding noise, even though it was just sitting there idling in park. Mateo laughed. “Sounds like your ‘baby’ can’t wait for me to get my hands on her.”

  I played with the strands of hair that had escaped my ponytail clip. Yeah…can’t really blame her.

  His hand latched on to my elbow and squeezed. “Come on, I promise I won’t keep you.”

  I reluctantly clicked off the engine. It shuddered, rattling the door as I slid out. Mateo waited for me and reached for my hand, easing it into his as he led me down the wide driveway. His touch momentarily slowed my steps. I drew a breath and forced myself forward. God, what was it about him that brought everything in me to a grinding halt?

  In an effort to relax, I tried to focus on everything but him. Thick clumps of carefully trimmed bushes and rows of lilac and lavender lined each side. “Do you take care of all this?” I asked, trying to encourage him to speak.

  “No,” he rumbled. “Elaine’s the gardener and has crazy skills when it comes to flowers. I mostly trim bushes and keep up with the lawn. It’s not hard. She bought me a riding mower, so it doesn’t take me long.”

  My eyes flicked to our entwined fingers. I supposed after leading him out of the club by his hand, I’d encouraged his behavior. I nibbled on my lip, strangely happy with his response and his desire to hold me. He lifted our arms so I’d meet his face, and offered me a wink. It wasn’t enough to be hot: Mateo knew how to charm.

  My body temperature climbed several degrees and my steps slowed as he continued to drink me in. Okay. I wasn’t totally in trouble or anything. No, not at all.

  I glanced away, trying to keep my girly emotions in check. He offered my hand another squeeze, somehow reassuring me while letting me know he’d caught sight of my not-so-subtle swoon.

  I hoped to say something that would lead to us talking and give me an opportunity to appear somewhat sophisticated. Instead I remained silent and allowed Mateo to lead us past the house to where the stone pavers to our left created a path to an old cement pool.

  It was there I first caught sight of the detached garage that doubled as his apartment. The rooftop poked between a section of tall trees, further down the driveway and far away from the main house. He motioned toward the pool. “I’ll have to close it by next week. The weather won’t hold much longer.”

  “You seem to do a lot for Elaine.”

  He shrugged. “Not really. But she seems to appreciate it.”

  A screen door flung open when we were halfway through the backyard. A tall graceful woman in her early fifties with short, curly blond hair rushed out, her steps pausing slightly as she neared. Her eyes widened briefly when she saw me, but then she quickly resumed her calm composure.

  Mateo nodded politely. “Morning, Elaine. This is Evelyn.”

  Elaine continued forward, her soft brown eyes zooming over my lack of clothing and overall smut wear. I shifted nervously, wishing I had stowed a jacket in my SUV. “Good morning, ma’am.” When she continued her scrutiny, I tugged at the hem of my tank. “I apologize for my attire. I only dress like this for work.” And for my pimp, I should have added, knowing immediately how bad my comment sounded. I groaned. Not long ago, I actually considered myself intelligent.

  Elaine’s attention drifted to Mateo. “Sam’s new choice of uniform?” She scoffed at his chuckle. “I’m not surprised. That man will do anything to make a buck, even at the expense of a nice young lady.” She smiled sympathetically and wiped her hand on her apron before offering it to me. “Welcome to our home, Evelyn.”

  She said “our home” as if Mateo didn’t rent from her. I liked that. And I immediately liked Elaine. She was a young fifty and absolutely stunning, even in her simple sundress and apron. “It’s nice to meet you,” I said.

  Elaine frowned in Mateo’s direction. “Sam called a few hours ago. He told me what happened. I could have killed him when he said you were stabbed and that he hadn’t even bothered to take you to the hospital himself. But I can see you had a better escort,” she said with an approving tilt of her head. “Were you given a prescription for antibiotics?” At his nod, she held out her hand. “Let me take it. I’ll fill it when I go shopping later. Speaking of which, what else might you need from the store?”

  “I’m good with groceries, thanks, Elaine.” Mateo slipped his hand into the back pocket of his military pants, producing a script and two folded twenties.

  Her frown deepened. “Keep your money, son. Sam’s paying me back. It’s the least the pig can do.” Her kind face returned to me. “I’m making breakfast. Would you and Mateo like to join me? I’ve been baking all morning.”

  Mateo waited for me to answer. The amount of work waiting for me hung over my head. “Thank you, but I was just seeing Mateo back home.”

  “Back to his apartment.” She smacked her head as if something suddenly occurred to her. “I apologize, dear. I probably interrupted your anticipated relations.”

  Relations? Jesus, help me. I tried to slip my hand from Mateo’s. He held tight, and pulled me closer to him, chuckling when Elaine held out her hand.

  “Please forgive me, Evelyn. Mateo’s not one to bring young ladies home. I wasn’t thinking.” She patted my arm. “Either way, breakfast will be ready in fifteen minutes. I hope you’ll join us.” She blushed. “I mean, if you two don’t decide to spend time alone together.”

  I covered my mouth to squelch a scream. Mateo remained unaffected. Good for him. My lack of clothes didn’t exactly imply future registered nurse. Pole dancer? Hell yes. But definitely not young college kid. No wonder Elaine assumed I was there to put out.

  Mateo pulled me down the driveway as Elaine disappeared into the house. “Don’t be embarrassed, Elaine only ever means well.”

  I struggled to come up with something to say. “Um. How do you know Elaine, anyway?”

  Mateo’s voice dropped an octave. “Her son and I met in prison. I kept John safe while we were there. I made sure no one messed with him, or me.” He shrugged. “Elaine knew I protected him and offered me this place over her garage when we were released. John…couldn’t stay clean. He OD’d not long after I moved in.”

  I glanced back in the direction of the house before returning my attention to him. “God, I’m sorry. That’s so awful for her
…and for you.”

  “Yeah, well…shit happens you can’t always control.” He quieted briefly before passing his thumb over my knuckle. “Come on, I’ll show you where to leave your ride.”

  The driveway curved right and steeply downhill to a three-bay garage. The building was definitely newer, although whoever constructed it was smart enough to match it to the Victorian architecture of the house. Mateo released my hand and punched a few buttons on a console for the automatic door to rise. “Twenty-three, twenty-two, twelve. That’s the code. Hit it and drive on in.”

  “Okay.” He could have just told me to follow the path and park in front of the doors. Maybe, like me, he hadn’t been eager to say goodbye.

  The garage was both wide and deep, enough to keep six cars. Tools neatly lined one wall, while a gym made up the opposite side. That’s the space that drew my attention. A treadmill faced the wall where an old boxy television had been mounted. A heavy bag hung in the middle, over a black foam mat. And if that wasn’t enough to proclaim this as Mateo’s space, a padded ab bench and a rack stacked with weights lined the right side. “Where’s your Explorer?” I asked, trying not to picture him working out.

  “At the club. I’ll call Ant to help me get it later. I just want to give him and me some time to sleep.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I would’ve driven it to the hospital myself, but I didn’t want to piss off the fiery little blonde trying to save my life.”

  “You’re welcome,” I said, trying not to grin.

  He had me practice punching in the code before finally shutting the garage door. “Are you staying for breakfast?”

  I kicked at the pebble at my feet. “No, I should head home.”

  He didn’t argue, and took my hand again. My heels clicked against the asphalt as he escorted me toward my car. When I shuddered as the breeze picked up, Mateo slipped his arm around my shoulders and tucked me against him. I didn’t fight him, but I didn’t return his affection either. Instead I crossed my arms and kept my head lowered, hoping he didn’t catch my small smile.