Diego Read online

  “I feel responsible,” Palo said when I wept in his arms. “You should come live with me for a while ’till you get back on your feet.”

  I wasn’t going to live with my parents. I wanted peace and quiet to study. They were never quiet over there. After that, let’s just say the next time I saw Carlos out he had a black eye. My brother Palo had fixed him up and told him to stop calling me. For the most part, he was protective over me.

  “I want you to finish medical school. That’s what you wanted to do. Follow your dreams,” he told me.

  That was why my room consisted mostly of medical books. Wall to wall in fact. Among some other crowd favorites when I had time to read them. Attending the University of California’s medical school left me very few hours for hobbies. But when I had time to party, it was on. I’d watched three of my loved ones pass on because of heart complications – misdiagnosed.

  In a lot of ways, my aspiration to be a heart surgeon stemmed from this. I wanted to be the one giving the right diagnosis. To walk in and tell the family, “He’s going to pull through. He made it.”

  Not the dreaded doom and gloom like when my uncle passed away. I would never forget that day. The doctor had pulled down his teal mask with a grim face. “Unfortunately, your uncle didn’t make it. We did our best.” No. I didn’t want to hear that anymore. I wanted to save lives. To help people. My family members weren’t helping themselves, though. They ate all sorts of heavy, rich Puerto Rican foods. Part of my culture, no running from that with all our large family gatherings.

  I happened to be the pioneering one in my family. The first one to go to college, a foreign concept to my extended family. They didn’t understand why I couldn’t be at every family gathering and doing things with them at every turn. I was looking forward to letting loose with my friends.

  Three

  Diego

  Not bad at all. Merced. As soon as I let the engine stop and felt the ground underneath my feet, I knew I was in the right place. Slight breeze and mild California weather so far. A mighty fine place to start a chapter. I checked into the Studio 6 motel, as good a place as any to hang up my biker boots for the night. Nothing fancy about it, just a comfortable bed and a nightcap. That was all a man like me needed. A pretty young teenager behind the reception greeted me.

  “Hi. How can I help you?”

  I greeted her back with a smile.

  “I want to check in for three nights.”

  “Let me see here. Looks like we have a room available; number 36B. Do you want the continental breakfast as well?” she asked.

  “Sounds good.” I winked at her, taking the keys off her hands.

  It was a plain room, all the amenities I required. Fresh towels, a TV, the little packet soaps, and a desk with two chairs. It would be okay for the short term, my plan being to find permanent accommodation and get set up. I shot off a text to Ryder.

  Made it. Merced is the place. Checking in.

  I didn’t expect a call back right away. I just wanted to let him know out of respect. Ryder’s schedule would have increased right along with his responsibilities. Now, he was the president with big shoes to fill. Padre’s death hit me hard. Another reason for the move. Too many places around La Playa reminded me of him. I recalled one time at Blue Dog Saloon at midnight over whiskey sours.

  “You know, Diego. I started this chapter with a dream in mind. We’ve defended our turf. We’ve even fought wars with other bike gangs to hold our place. Outlaw Souls will always live on. The stories I could tell you…man. The life I’ve known would blow you away.” From Padre’s leathery skin, his street knowledge and timelines etched around his eyes, I knew he was telling the truth. He’d lived a hard and fast life. I learned so much from him. One conversation was forever etched in my brain.

  “Loyalty is everything. If people are loyal to you, you never have to worry. The trouble is how to gain and keep that loyalty. Now that’s where the magic formula is.” He would let his cigar hang out of his mouth without lighting it. “There’s honor in that.” A brilliant mind taken to the other side. I looked in the hotel mirror after I checked in. I pulled at my beard a little. Not a full one, just enough to call it that. I could do with a shape-up. And to hit the gym. I carried myself well normally. I just noticed the edges blurring a little. Some softness. Nothing a month or two in the gym wouldn’t sort out. But one step at a time. Tomorrow would be the day to scout these places out. I decided against heading to the hotel restaurant; plenty of time for that. I wanted to get a feel for the real Merced. I was a diner man, so that was where I headed to.

  I rode out a little, not too far from where I was staying. I eased the bike into the Black Bear Diner. A red brick building set up like a modern-day diner. Made sense they’d call it that. Merced wasn’t far from the home of the black bears. I made a mental note to make Yosemite Park the first official ride for the motorcycle chapter. The freshness of the air up here made me appreciate my new surroundings. Pine trees, raging rivers, closer to the wilderness of California. I breathed in the crisp air and entered the diner. The place had a nice beat to it. Humble. Again, nothing fancy. A few people talking in corner booths, but nothing out of the ordinary. I had a hankering for another burger and fries with a whole lotta ketchup, and a window seat. A strawberry shake to wash it down with would put me in the right mood for anything. I made a mental note to hit the gym or hike next week. My fast metabolism would burn it right off. I was lucky like that.

  I sat down near the window to look out. I picked up the local paper to get a feel for some things in town. I checked in on the menu, hoping they had what I wanted. Yes, I was in luck. My mouth started to water, imagining the taste of the burger. A young waitress approached. At first, she didn’t look up from her notepad.

  “Hi, sir. Welcome to the Black Bear Diner. What can I get for you today?”

  “Hi. I will have the big bear burger with extra ranch sauce, a strawberry shake and fries with ketchup.” I’d been told by many – mostly women – that I had a seductive voice. Might have been my Argentine accent that reared its head from time to time. Especially if I had a drink or I was angry. One that made women pay attention. Her eyes shot up and I watched her reaction. She was a cutie—too young, though. From her youthful appearance, I would say nineteen or twenty. Her face broke into a wide smile.

  “Uh- okay. Would you like anything else?” She stared a little too long. I let her look.

  “No. I’m good. But here’s something for you.” I gave her a tip. Sweet kid.

  “Thank you so much,” she gushed as her cheeks flushed with pink. The smile got a little bit wider as she scampered back behind the counter. Being the good citizen I was, I didn’t want her being too bored at work. She’d probably been serving customers all day.

  I had a nice vantage point from my booth so I saw her before she spotted me. A real Spanish beauty, had to be or at least she had some Spanish blood in her. I hoped it would be me soon. Long auburn hair, dimples and the eyes of a seductress. Her voluptuous body was poured into red jeans with a black tight-fitting top and a jean jacket. From head to toe, she did it for me. Made me do a double-take just like the waitress did when she saw me. She was a bad mama jama. Three other women were with her. But she held her own in the group. I sized her up. Nice height, fit right in the size of my palm. She wouldn’t have been taller than five feet six. Petite in size, feminine, and my heart started pumping just that little bit harder. A nice welcome to Merced. She looked like she was laughing and sharing a joke with her friends; she hadn’t turned her head my way yet.

  The door swung open and the waitress made her way to me with my order. I smelled it coming. My stomach growled on cue.

  One of the girls from the group said, “Wow, that looks so good. I’m going to get what he’s having.” I guessed when they saw who the burger was being delivered to, their tune changed.

  “Forget the burger. I will take the guy who ordered it.” I turned my back to them, but they were loud enough to be wit
hin earshot of me. I smirked to myself. Let the games begin.

  “I agree.” Girlish talk and giggles. The Black Bear Diner was shaping up to be good for my ego. I decided to turn and flash them a grin, but when I looked back, the hot girl crew were ordering.

  “Here you go. Big bear burger and fries with extra ranch and a strawberry shake.” The waitress blocked my view and delivered my order to me.

  “Thank you. This looks great.” I concentrated on the burger and filling a need. I sank my teeth into it. It tasted as good as it looked. I sucked down the thickness of the strawberry shake too quick and gave myself an ice cream headache. Damn, it was good, though. Out of my peripheral, it looked like the girls had taken up residence along the other end of the long window bench I was at. I knew they were watching me. I heard the hushed tones. A few little giggles. Made me smile. I refocused for a minute and studied the paper I had. I wanted to see if there were any warehouse spaces available. Better yet, any old repair shops that I could step into without having to do too much legwork on them.

  I was halfway through my burger and feeling satisfied. My number one pick from the hot girl crew was sashaying toward me. I gave her the once-over. She asked for it. Especially with the way she glided over to me. She was shaped like an hourglass, so much better up close. Feline olive-green eyes. I’d never seen them that color before. Thank God for women. A cute upturned nose and gorgeous plump lips. She looked like dessert to me.

  “Excuse me?” She came across as demure as she spoke.

  “Hi.” I kept my response simple. I wanted to hear what she had to say.

  “Umm. Is that your bike out there?” She pointed out the window to my chopper with flames on the side.

  “Yeah. That’s my bike. You ride?” A moment. A serious spark of desire circling between us both. Real serious. She gave me the same once-over I gave her. I admired her boldness to approach me. Generally, I was the one to hunt.

  If you wanna see me, just say the word. I’d planned to approach her on the way out. I wanted to drop my number off to her. I had no shame about that type of thing. If I saw a woman I wanted, I let her know. The rest I left up to her. She licked her lips.

  “I’m no stranger to bikes. Is it a Harley?” She was flirting. I liked the game. I decided I would play along.

  “Uh-huh. It’s a Harley. Maybe I can take you for a ride sometime.” She pointed her thumb back to her girlfriends, who were laughing in the background.

  “My girls didn’t think I would come over and ask you.”

  I tapped the seat next to me for her to sit down. I eyed her well-defined legs as she crossed them in an elegant way.

  “I don’t know why. I’m a likable guy. I don’t bite.” Much. She flicked her hair behind her shoulder. She had this irresistible quality that made me want to get closer to her. “Diego.”

  “I knew it.” She fluttered her long lashes at me. She had my full attention and I’d stopped eating. Not too many things made me do that. “You’re Spanish, aren’t you?”

  “I’m from Argentina originally.” I still could see her girlfriends having a side conversation about us, but my focus most definitely was on this beauty in front of me.

  “I’m Puerto Rican. Nice to meet you. I’m Misty.” I grabbed Misty’s hand, the electricity transported from my hand to hers. I planted a kiss on it. She blushed. Damn, she was fine.

  “Ola, mamacita. You look beautiful. You’re here with your friends?”

  “Thank you and sort of. I’m having a little study break.” I assessed the situation. She looked to be mid-twenties from what I saw.

  “Okay. What are you studying?”

  “I’m in med school right now to be a doctor,” she said proudly. A slow grin came over my face. “What?” She drew back from me with a smile. “Why’d you look like that?” she asked.

  “Well. I don’t mean to offend you and come off corny. But if you were my doctor I would definitely be claiming I was sick every day.” I sucked down a little of my strawberry shake and basked in her aura.

  “You’re funny. Let’s hope you don’t get sick. I think you’re pretty fine too, for what it’s worth.” She gave me a sexy smile as she said it.

  “Thank you.” My brain snatched me to another place. Get settled and then worry about getting some ass. “Well, I hope your food’s not getting cold over there.” I nodded in the direction of her friends.

  “Uh yeah…” She seemed confused by my sudden coolness. “Nice to meet you.”

  “See you around then.”

  Her emerald eyes shone back at me, making me smile.

  “I hope so.” I got a kick out of watching her hips sway back and forth as she walked back to her friends. I gazed out the window for a minute. Did that just happen? I missed the moment because next time I looked up, I saw her friends waving at me as they left the diner. Shit. I could have gotten her number for later. She caught me off-guard, that was why. A glint of something captured my attention. I looked to the tiled floor. A bankcard. Shit. She’d left it behind. I picked it up and on instinct, like a bolt of lightning, I ran out to get it back to her. I missed again. In the parking lot I saw the navy blue sedan drive off. I put my hands behind my head. Shit. Two options were being presented, the way I saw it. Take it to the front counter and have them get it back to her. Surely she’d retrace her steps back to the diner? Or I could keep it and use it as an excuse to contact her. I chose the latter. I definitely wanted to see her again.

  I rode back to the hotel, a semi-satisfied man. Before I turned in for the night, the image of Misty popped up. Smart and sexy. I had her credit card in my hands, looked to be a platinum black card. Interesting. M. Narvaez was the name on it. Most definitely a Puerto Rican surname. Couldn’t be too many Mistys around. My first stop was to get more information; the internet. I typed in her full name. A few options popped up. A Facebook profile picture with hearts around it appeared with her face in it. Jackpot. I logged into my Facebook and requested her as a friend.

  A couple of hours later as I lay in bed watching TV, my phone pinged. She’d accepted my request. I sent her a message.

  “Hey, you left your black card at the diner. Let me know where you want me to drop it off. Nice to meet you. Diego.”

  Ten seconds later.

  “OMG! You have it! Can we meet near McDonald's downtown in the next few hours?”

  “Sure I can meet you. I have a request though.”

  “What is it?”

  “Are you up for a coffee? I would love to spend some time with you.”

  Twenty seconds later she responded.

  “I would love that. “

  “In 20 mins ok?”

  “Perfect see you then.”

  I showered and took the opportunity to shave up. Not bad for thirty-six. I held the strong jawline of my father. My ice-blue eyes came from my mother. Time to meet the Puerto Rican princess.

  Merced in the evening had it going on. People were out doing their thing. A few other guys on bikes, I noticed. Ducatis. Harleys. All of this bode well for me. I took it as another sign I was in the right place. I would take her home in a heartbeat, that was how fine she was. I would override that voice that told me I needed to focus on the chapter first. No questions asked. If she was down so was I. I picked up my second helmet which I always carried with me and put it in my carrier bag on the back of my bike. I pulled up to the McDonald’s minutes later and waited. Cars moved in and out of the parking lot. it was only half full. The stars were out and shining bright. It was about nine o’clock. I watched as Misty stepped out of her Honda and made her way over to my bike.

  “Hey. Thank you so much! I didn’t even know it was missing. Imagine if someone got a hold of it,” she gushed.

  “It’s all good. In safe hands with me. I only spent ten thousand. You’ll be okay.” I broke into a corny grin. She laughed and lightly tapped my forearm in response. I was still sitting on my bike and resting there. Her touch made me want to drag her into me and take over her lips.<
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  “You’re a funny guy, huh?” She tilted her head with interest.

  “Sometimes.” A moment went by, the still cool of the night making me think she might be getting cold. She was dressed the same as when I saw her earlier. The McDonald’s light pole shone an amber light right on her pretty face.

  “Soooo, do you want to get outta here and we can go grab a coffee?” I asked. She looked at me for a minute as if considering her options.

  “I don’t know. Can I trust you? I mean—I don’t know you so well to be getting on the back of your bike.” The subtle pick-up of the wind had her moving strands of loose hair from her face.

  “Sure you know me. I’m the guy from the diner who picked up your black card and returned it to you the same night,” I ventured. Shyly, she crossed her legs over and breathed out loud.

  “Okay, you got me… Fuck it!” She gestured with defeat. “Let’s go. Get me to the coffee shop alive, okay?”

  “You think I wanna get killed? I’m all about safety. Check back there, your helmet awaits.” I gestured to the back of the bike. A light hand pressed on the top of my shoulder as she maneuvered to sit behind me and I put my helmet on.

  “I can’t believe you! How did you know I would want to get on the bike with you?” she exclaimed.

  “Haha. I didn’t.” She didn’t ask me any questions. She knew about bikes, I could tell. No fear at all. “Do you know the rules?” I spoke through my helmet, turning side-on.

  “For sure. Lean when you lean…and hold on tight,” she replied.

  “Good lady. Let’s do this.” I flicked the plexiglass of my helmet cover down and waited for her to get situated. Her arms wrapped around me, her fingers splayed across my abdominals. My body responded with an increase of fire running through my veins. A few streets over, I pulled up. I saw an intimate coffee shop with dim lighting. We parked and entered. I opened the door for her like the gentleman I was raised to be. Soft jazz music played in the background with golden light enhancing the space. More like a lounge bar than a coffee shop. We found a spot near the front window that faced the street. We slid into the front and ordered our drinks.