by Mima
“You don’t think so?” Chase asked, surprised by his statement. He wasn’t sure if he necessarily agreed.
“No, you aren’t at this time, for sure and me, I’m too dangerous. People don’t marry dangerous, they marry safe,” He replied as the car slowed in rush hour traffic. “What they find exciting to date or to fuck isn’t who they would marry. You know that right? I’m sure your ex found that out the hard way.”
“I guess you could say that,” Chase agreed as he thought about Diego’s words. It didn’t bring him much comfort to realize he wouldn’t be viewed as ‘safe’ on the dating scene.
“I bet now, she’s with some man who is nothing like you,” Diego asked and lightly tapped Chase’s arm. “Like the polar opposite, am I right?”
“Yes.”
“See, that is what I am saying,” Diego insisted. “People marry safe. Dangerous cheats. Dangerous hurts. Dangerous has no bounds and isn’t scared to break conformity. If people marry it, they only do so once and never again. People want safe; safe mortgages, safe cars, job security, safe lives. People like you and I, we aren’t that.”
“That’s kind of depressing,” Chase quietly admitted. “I mean, I didn’t want to get married the first time but I don’t necessarily want to be single for the rest of my life either.”
“The key, my friend is to find someone else who’s also dangerous,” Diego assure him as traffic picked up again. “You understand one another, there’s a confidence that even if things were to not work out, you can handle it cause you’re not the type to play by the rules anyway, to color inside the lines, so you are fine. You get it. You understand it. You can be honest with one another and know the other can handle it.”
“I guess?”
“You will never be judged as harshly by someone who is dangerous because they are dangerous too. They get it, my amigo, they understand,” Diego insisted as he tapped his steering wheel. “Safe judge harshly and try to make you feel shame every time you even look at someone else and in turn, make you resentful. No one likes to be judged.”
“That’s true,” Chase considered the possibility. His first girlfriend had been dangerous and he was not, so she left him for another man who was dangerous. When he grew into a different kind of person, promiscuous and as Diego said, ‘coloring outside the lines’, he attracted Kelsey, who was the most dangerous woman he knew. As much as she was crazy, he got her. He got her more than any woman he had ever met.
“Anyway, this Jesse, he’s safe. That’s why he isn’t married but still wears a ring on his finger.” Diego replied as they got closer to the condo. “I don’t care as long as he works well. He’s asking for some serious cash to work for us, a high commission from the parties and hey, if he can pull in the money, I got no problem with that.”
“Seems fair.”
“As fair as anything in life is,” Diego said and twisted his mouth into an awkward smile.
Unlike most weekends, Diego didn’t take off with a suitcase on Friday night but instead lounged around the condo, laptop in hand until around 11, when he jumped up and said he was heading out for a ‘date’. It was the most he had ever given away about what were usually secretive weekend plans. Chase merely nodded, telling him to have fun, as he headed to bed.
It wasn’t until early the next morning as he walked out of his room, that Chase abruptly stopped in his tracks. Wrapped in a blanket on the couch, Diego looked small and frail, as he glanced up at Chase, a dark bruise was below his left eye. There was a moment when he looked startled by his roommate’s appearance, as if he had forgotten where he was or what happened the previous night. Blinking quickly, he sat up and opened his mouth to say something but no words came out. There was shame in his eyes like he was caught doing something wrong, his usual strength depleted, leaving him vulnerable.
Chase felt his heart begin to race, as anger slowly burned through his veins, he remained stoic. “Tell me what happened.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Despite how he tried to downplay it, Diego was clearly shaken up. Reluctant to tell the truth, he huddled in a blanket, as if attempting to hide a part of himself that he didn’t want Chase to see. It was clear that it was never his intention to fall asleep on the couch the night before or an assumption that Chase wouldn’t be up so early to find him; whatever the reason, the truth didn’t come out easily.
“Look, Chase, don’t worry, I’m fine,” Diego spoke in a hoarse voice, he cleared his throat and pulled the blanket closer, his bare legs slowly eased out of his personal cocoon, his feet carefully touched the ground as if in hesitation. His dark eyes carried a hint of guilt, suggesting he had done something to welcome a black eye but this didn’t give any comfort to Chase, who hesitantly sat down on the nearby chair.
“Diego,” Chase finally spoke. His eyes jumped to the floor and back to Diego, who was now sitting up, the blanket still wrapped around him, his bare legs were thin, resembling those of a teenaged boy, a hint of t-shirt could be seen above the blanket, making it clear he wasn’t naked underneath. “I know its none of my business but the last thing you said to me before you left last night was that you were going on a date. And now,” Chase hesitated for a moment before continuing. “You’re sitting here with a black eye.”
“Chase, I’m fine,” His reply was quick, a slight change in tone caused Chase to flinch. “I know you’re concerned but please, don’t worry. I can look after myself.”
With that he rose from the couch, pulling the luxurious white blanket tighter against his body, he silently walked away. It was only after he reached for the doorknob to his room that the blanket slid slightly just below his hairline to show more dark skin. Although Chase couldn’t be sure, he thought it was bruising. It took a few minutes after Diego’s quiet escape to his bedroom before Chase slowly stood up and left for the gym.
Even though he was full of anger when he left the apartment, by the time Chase stood in front of the heavy bag at the gym, his heart was instead full of sorrow. Although his voice was booming and his presence was larger than life, Diego himself was physically not a large man. It was true that he carried a gun but there were many situations when a weapon wasn’t helpful.
After his workout and a quick shower, Chase changed and immediately headed home. He had errands to run but he had an unsettling feeling and wanted to check back to see if Diego needed anything. He arrived home to find the lime tree on the patio, the aroma of coffee in the air, but no Diego. Upon closer inspection, Chase noticed that his roommate’s bedroom door was open and with some hesitation, decided to go inside to check things out.
The musky scent of cologne filled his lungs upon entering the room, indicating that Diego had left quite recently. The room was completely neat except for the white blanket from that morning and some clothing that was tossed on the floor. Diego’s adjoining bathroom was empty, a white towel hung over the rack, a variety of hair and face products sat around the sink and a pair of boxer shorts were thrown in the corner. There was a heaviness in the air; a feeling that made Chase stop, hesitate for a moment before heading back into the living room.
Although the morning had been less than settling, he decided to carry on with his day and gage Diego’s mood later. However, when he returned home around 4 to find an empty condo, he began to worry. Chase decided to send him a quick text to ask what he was doing for dinner as an excuse to check in.
I am tied up amigo. Talk later.
For some reason, this message didn’t give Chase a sense of comfort. Where did Diego go? He was so secretive, so mysterious and although Chase briefly considered that this might be on purpose, something told him that Diego was naturally cautious about what he shared with people. Then again, hadn’t Jolene always been the same? How much did Chase know about her life? The two had worked together for months in Calgary but she rarely talked about anything outside of the office; he had no idea what she did on weekends, who she spen
t time with or even if she was in a relationship. Perhaps being secretive was a family trait.
Chase fell to sleep early on Saturday night and found Diego in the kitchen the following morning, hastily ripping open cupboard doors.
“Ah, good morning, Chase!” Diego sang out as he abruptly stopped and glanced back, his black eye appearing worse than the previous morning. “Do you know where the sugar is? I need something sweet for my coffee this morning.”
By sugar, he meant a specific raw brand that he insisted was the only one worthy of his gourmet coffee. Chase only used almond milk or cream in his and had no idea. “I haven’t noticed.”
“Shit, you know, I think I ran out,” Diego said and rushed toward the garbage can, quickly opening it and looking inside while his long-sleeved t-shirt moved slightly, confirming what Chase had viewed the previous day was a bruise. It was difficult to tell if there were any other marks without staring too much. He wasn’t sure how or if to approach the subject and finally eased into it after Diego announced that his raw sugar was, in fact, gone.
“I thought that was at work that I ran out,” Diego said with a loud sigh and finally shrugged. “It’s been a crazy weekend.”
“Yeah, Diego, about that..”
“Look, I know what you want to say and I’m fine,” Diego replied as he turned around, his hand rose in the air as if to show that Chase should stop. “It’s okay, I’m okay.”
“You didn’t seem okay yesterday,” Chase said with some hesitation. “You know, I can..”
“Chase, I do, I do appreciate your thoughtfulness,” Diego said, his eyes suddenly lit up and he moved closer to him, his hand lightly touched Chase’s arm. “But I am fine, as I said before. I know your loyalty is strong and we are family. But this is something I’m going to take care of myself.”
A flicker of darkness ripped through his eyes as he moved away and returned his attention to the cup of coffee that sat on the counter. “Chase, my friend, the coffee is fresh, no need to waste any time. Have a cup!”
Accepting the fact that Diego didn’t need his help, Chase respectfully stepped back and carried on with his day. He talked to the boys, made a half-hearted effort to look for an apartment and took a long nap. Feeling groggy when he woke, his stomach rumbling, Chase headed to the kitchen. Seeing Diego dressed in a shirt and tie, Chase assumed he had plans to go out for the evening so decided to heat up some leftover chicken and rice from the previous night.
Busy in the kitchen, he heard Diego rattling around in the closet next to the door, he assumed to find an umbrella for the rainy evening. Thinking of the weather, Chase glanced toward the patio and was relieved that the lime tree was already inside therefore he wouldn’t be stuck dragging it in during a rainstorm. He placed his food on a plate, stuck it in the microwave and hit a few buttons. In the living room, Diego continued to dig in the closet and Chase stared into space, feeling oddly calm and tranquil.
The microwave beeped, grabbing Chase from his daydream and he quickly pulled his hot plate of food out. Sitting at the island where him and Diego usually dined, he heard the buzzer for the door and ignored it, assuming Diego was expecting company. Attempting to be inconspicuous, he dug into his rice and started to eat when he heard voices.
“Hola! Do come in, please,” Diego sounded overly pleasant toward the stranger with a hint, just a whisper of something else; something that made Chase’s heart pick up the pace just a tad. He ignored this instinct and continuing to chew his food and looked up to see a large Latino man walking in the adjoining living room, his dark eyes glared at Chase.
“Hey, who is that?” His words were abrupt as his face tightened into a brooding frown. Diego casually sauntered up behind the stranger, his lips scrunched up in a tight pucker of anger, a baseball bat in hand and with one, abrupt swing, hit the stranger in the back of the legs, knocking him to his knees. Loud, animal-like cries filled the room as the man fell to the ground. Chase dropped his fork.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
It took him a few seconds to register what had just taken place. A stranger was face down on the living room floor while Diego stood over him with a baseball bat, rapidly bellowing out a series of Spanish words. It wasn’t until he raised the bat again, that Chase instinctively jumped off the stool and rushed over.
“No No No! Wait!” Chase called out as he rushed toward the two men, his heart racing like a jackhammer. He assumed Diego wouldn’t listen so was surprised to see him hesitate. It reminded Chase of when he would catch one of his children attacking the other; a sudden realization that they were not alone in the room. It briefly made Chase wondered what would’ve happened had he not been there.
“Yes?” Diego calmly asked, the baseball bat now swung over his shoulder, his eyes jumping between Chase and the victim that lay on the floor. The stranger was moaning in pain, awkwardly shuffling around but his movements were slow, reminding Chase of a dying animal.
“What the hell is going on here?” Chase muttered, his eyes darted toward the stranger, his brain rapidly searching for a way to resolve this issue. He had nothing.
“This, this piece of shit,” Diego angrily replied, lowering his baseball bat, using it to point at the stranger who continued to make attempts to get up but with no success. “This is the man who did this.” He gestured toward the bruise below his eye. “Nobody, and I do mean nobody, fucks with me, amigo.”
With that, he fiercely lifted the bat, his eyes blazing as the stranger immediately raised one hand, signaling for him to stop. The same man who smugly entered the condo was now as helpless as a child, as he begged Diego to not hit him again. His eyes briefly sprang to Chase, as if silently begging for help than nervously jumped back to Diego.
“Give me one fucking reason why I shouldn’t beat your skull into the ground hijo de puta,” Diego replied with a surprisingly calm voice while his eyes continued to glare at his victim. He slowly lowered the baseball bat and proceeded to lean on it as if it were a cane. He made a face and his eyes softened slightly, but the tension in his face did not go away. “And it better be a good one because I’m not feeling particularly generous today.”
“Alright,” The visitor slowly turned around, his eyes jumped from Diego to Chase and back again. Now sitting up, Chase noted that the middle-aged man had hints of white in his black hair and some faint lines on his forehead. His movements were awkward and his eyes indicated his fear of the two men that stood over him. “I think, I think we can work this out.”
It happened so fast that even Chase didn’t notice until the baseball bat came down on the stranger’s arm with a thud. He yelled something in Spanish and he tried to slide away from Diego, his eyes watering in obvious pain. It was Chase’s natural instinct to stop this commotion before things accelerated to a level there was no coming back from; he reached out and gently touched Diego’s arm. As if suddenly coming out of a trance, his eyes flickered toward Chase, a glaring darkness dimmed and his expression relaxed as the man on the floor continued to cry in pain.
“My arm! You broke my arm!” The stranger cried out as his opposing hand touched the upper arm and he leaned forward, his eyes closed.
Diego lowered the bat. His lips puckered and his face showed signs of satisfaction. He glanced to his right and he started to walk away but then abruptly turned around, immediately putting Chase on high alert.
“You!” He snapped at the man on the floor. “You’re lucky that my friend is here to stop me, otherwise, I would’ve bashed your head in. You’re lucky if it’s just your arm broken. You go tell the policia and I will break much more next time.”
“No policia!!! No policia!!! I fell downstairs!”
“You are very clumsy, amigo,” Diego said with a cold tone. “Let me suggest that you be much more careful in the future.” He tapped the baseball bat on the floor and puckered his lips.
The man started to rise, although it was slow and under Diego�
��s narrowed stare, he did so once again moving away from them both, his eyes inflamed in fear, there was no doubt that he would be true to his word as he stumbled to his feet and slowly made his way toward the door. It wasn’t until he was gone that Chase suddenly felt weak as if he was going to collapse on the floor.
“What the hell was that about?” Chase anxiously snapped, surprising both himself and Diego. It wasn’t like him to probe into things that were none of his business but this time, it was unavoidable. His heart was suddenly pounding so hard that Chase was afraid that it was about to explode as adrenaline shot through his veins. Diego shrunk slightly, dropping from his powerful pose.
“Amigo, I am sorry you had to see that,” Diego said and made his way to the door, where he peeked out the peephole and locked it before turning toward the closet and gently placing the baseball bat inside before closing the door. “I was hoping you wouldn’t be here.”
“It’s a good thing I was,” Chase said breathlessly, feeling a rush of anger fill his body while Diego, in comparison, appeared relatively calm. Maybe too calm, all things considered. “I wouldn’t exactly want to return to a murder scene.”
“Ah, Chase!” Diego said with a humored voice as he walked by and patted his arm casually before heading into the kitchen and Chase absently followed. “You’re so dramatic! Are you sure it isn’t you that is the gay one?”
“I’m serious Diego!” Chase replied, his throat suddenly feeling completely dry, he reached for his glass of water and took a gulp. “You could’ve killed him if you hit him in the head.”
“I wasn’t going to bash his skull in Chase,” Diego said with a shrug, briefly making eye contact before looking toward the stove. “Any more of that chicken, amigo? It smells good.”
