Alejandro

When I got back into the house, I found Rafe sitting in the downstairs den playing Rainbow Six on the PlayStation. I grabbed my iPad and airpods from where they’d been charging on the bookshelves that lined the wall along the back of the room before I sat down on the sectional a few seats away from him.

“I guess operation bring the bird over the wall was so successful that she felt compelled to invite you over to her house to say a special thank you,” he said dryly.

I frowned, not paying attention to him as I pressed my thumb to the button to open my iPad, anxious to pull up Kaya’s YouTube page. “Special thank you?”

“Don’t play dumb, jackass. Fifty bucks says you spent the last three hours rolling around in that chick’s bed.”

I had to tamp down my urge to tell him to fuck off. I’d never been territorial or defensive about anyone or anything before—but clearly, Kaya was the exception to all of my previous rules. “First, she has a name. Use it. Second, your guess is completely wrong. My plan to bring the bird over worked and afterward Kaya, and I went to the Farmer’s Market.”

In my peripheral vision, I saw him glance over at me in surprise. “What the hell was at the Farmer’s Market?”

I grinned as I typed the words Kaya’s Korner into the YouTube search engine. “She was there,” I answered. “That was all I cared about.”

“Interesting.”

“What’s interesting?” I asked without bothering to look up. I was busy counting how many videos were on Kaya’s channel. It was like hitting the jackpot since there were over one hundred and ninety-one videos. I planned to watch every one.

“It’s interesting that you seem so into this girl.”

“Not really,” I answered, “since she’s different than anyone that came before.”

Rafe’s derisive snort caught my attention, and I turned toward him with a frown.

“What the hell was that for?”

“You’re in the beginning stages of lust right now,” he answered. “Just wait ‘til you find out what makes her crazy.”

“Don’t be a dick. She’s not crazy; she’s perfect.”

“Until you find her field of bodies or the used pieces of dental floss she’s been saving since she was three. Your past being what it is, I can’t imagine she doesn’t have something crazy as hell going on. Even if it’s just four extra toes on each side, there’s something there. It’s like you’re a magnet for it.”

“Real nice, asshole. First of all, I’ve seen her toes, and they’re as perfect as the rest of her. There’s nothing wrong with Kaya. Trust me.”

“Be careful, man. Your past—”

“Is just that,” I interrupted. “It’s in the past. I never knew what I was looking for until I met her.”

He was silent for so long that I didn’t think he had anything else to say. I’d just decided to watch a video titled “Get Ready With Me” when he spoke again.

“Keep your head on a swivel,” he said quietly. “Learn from my mistake and never, ever let your guard down. I never want you to know what it feels like to have the rug yanked out from under you in the most painful way possible. One minute I was going to be a father. The next, I was holding a silicone pregnancy belly wondering why anyone would be so fucking cruel. I trust no one aside from our family, and I think you should do the same.”

My heart fucking broke for him every time he said something about that situation, but I wanted him to move past it. We all did.

“Rafe,” I sighed, “Francesca was a goddamn nightmare, but you can’t judge everyone by her actions.”

He shrugged and turned back to his game like he wasn’t affected, something we both knew damn well wasn’t the case.

“Just be careful,” he said. “That’s all I ask. Protect yourself.”

“I promise you that I know what I’m doing,” I answered. “As the chances make themselves available, it’d be nice for you to spend some time with Kaya when she’s around. You can’t avoid anyone who isn’t a family member or a co-worker for the rest of your life. If you would branch out a little, you’d remember that not all people are evil.”

“Sure.”

I wanted to push it because his tone of voice couldn’t have been more unenthusiastic, but I knew it wouldn’t get us anywhere. Rafe needed to want to find his way back to normal. We’d all tried for him, but being his change was an impossibility. We could encourage and guide, but he had to do the work.

I let it drop, slid in my earbuds and watched two of Kaya’s makeup videos before I headed over to her house. Already I knew that I was, without a doubt, her biggest fan. She was funny, quick witted, smart and clever. One of the things I liked best about her was her ability to laugh at herself. I detested people who took themselves too seriously. That she was so easy going was just another thing about her that appealed to me.

Watching her was enthralling, but even still, I kept a close watch on the time. At the forty-five-minute mark, I threw in the towel, returned my iPad and airpods to the bookshelf, said goodbye to Rafe and then headed over to Kaya’s. I ignored his pointed look completely—it was obvious he was trying to make a case for caution, but I wasn’t having that shit. I didn’t need to be wary—I just needed Kaya.

I took my time—as much as I could, anyway—in leaving my house and walking down the driveway. I checked my watch as I pressed in the code at the gate at the end of her driveway and was pleased to see that I was only eight minutes early. That wasn’t so bad. I didn’t care if she knew I was eager to see her—it was the truth, after all.

It took about a minute for her to answer the door. When she did, I had to stifle the urge to pull her into my arms and kiss the absolute hell out of her. She was slightly out of breath and her cheeks were flushed, but she looked happy to see me, which was all I could ask for.

“Hey!” she said cheerfully. Opening the door wider, she gestured for me to enter. “Sorry, I’m out of breath. Set up didn’t take as long as it otherwise might have since most of my stuff was still up from last night’s recording, so I was outside playing with Elvis.”

I chuckled as I tried to imagine how one would play with a peacock. “Do you let him chase you around the yard? If Elvis needs the exercise, we can always put Rafe out there with him. He seemed to enjoy chasing after him.”

She snorted when she laughed. “I wish I’d seen that. Elvis loves to perform, but I’ve never seen him run after anyone—especially not a man. It’s a new behavior, for sure. That’s not typically how he plays, either. When he was just a little guy, he taught Emery how to play catch with him and then she taught me. That’s what he and I were just doing in the yard.”

I raised an eyebrow. “How does a peacock teach his owner how to play catch?”

“Right?” she laughed. “Her neighbor had a baby boy that Emery would babysit. Elvis stole one of the baby’s teething rings, and one thing led to another. Before she knew it, she realized he wanted to play catch with her. He’s got a mountain of toys and pilfered goods stashed around the property. When he brings you something, you’re meant to toss it so he can bring it back.”

“Pilfered goods?”

“Oh, right,” she nodded and gestured for me to follow her to the kitchen. “I forgot to mention—he’s basically a klepto. Just let me know if your car keys or wallet go missing. Yesterday he managed to make off with the mail woman’s pepper spray. Peacocks are very social, and they normally like to be in a pack but not Elvis. He thinks he's human, so his pack is us. He likes to present gifts to us to show his worth."

“Elvis sounds kind of badass,” I joked as we walked into the Spanish-style kitchen.

“He is,” she agreed. “Leaving the property is a new addition to his mile-long rap sheet. Really hoping that’s not going to be a permanent thing.”

I was glad that she’d turned toward the kitchen table since it meant she didn’t see me wince. Great, I thought. I was contributing to the delinquency of a peacock. Luckily I didn’t get a chance to dwell on it, because my attention was quickly diverted to the half a dozen cakes in a jar artfully displayed on the table and the camera set up for recording. I hadn’t known what to expect, but she also had professional lighting set up at the table. It was obvious that she took her videos seriously. I was impressed.

Kaya chuckled when she turned around and watched me take it all in. “Intimidated?” she asked.

“Maybe a little,” I admitted. “I just hope I don’t sound like a complete dolt.”

She smiled at me sweetly. “Don’t worry. I’ve got enough cake left to do two or three takes of each flavor if we need to.”

That took some of the pressure off. I was so distracted by how much I needed to touch her that I worried I’d say or do something stupid. I was a man, after all. I’d seen Mateo do some pretty stupid shit around Ava and it always happened when he’d get lost watching her. I’d called him a dumbass at least a hundred times, but since meeting Kaya, I got it.

“I’ve set up the shot so that we can sit right at the table,” she explained. “It’s a casual thing so don’t feel uptight. I’m looking for real reactions—don’t hold back. If you hate one, tell me. That’s key. My feelings won’t be hurt,” she assured me.

“I solemnly swear that I will be truthful.”

“Alright, then we’re all ready. If you sit exactly here,” she gestured to a seat at the table, “and I sit here,” she took a seat next to it, “we’re in the frame. Get comfortable, so I can make sure the lighting and everything is good on the monitor.”

I sat still as she turned her head and checked us on the monitor. I wasn’t sure what kind of fucking loser it made me that I couldn’t wait for her to upload everything so that I could see us together. Nothing weird about that, am I right?

Each of the six cakes in a jar had been wrapped with a piece of raffia that was tied in a perfect bow. The bows each held a small piece of baby’s breath, and in front of each cake, there was a fork positioned just so, the silver of the flatware shining brightly in the afternoon light. To the left of the cake display was a glass of water and an elaborately folded dusty rose napkin tied with raffia and topped off with a piece of baby’s breath tucked into it to match the décor of the cakes. Her level of skill was apparent in everything I saw.

“I’ll start by introducing you,” she explained. “Let me know when you feel comfortable, and we can get started.”

I gestured to the cakes and wiggled my brows suggestively. “Trust me; I’m more than ready to dive in,” I joked.

Her laugh sounded a little nervous when she picked up the remote for the camera off the table. “Here we go.”

Here we go, indeed.