JC remained one stride behind Nicole as her flip-flops slapped down the street. She was quite bossy for a small thing. He wasn't sure where they were headed or why he was even there and following her, but it wasn't like he was going to be more productive anywhere else. She halted suddenly on a busy street corner, and he almost slammed, chest first, into her back. She eased out into the street, looked both ways quickly, called over her shoulder, "c'mon, and raced across the street, JC quick on her heels. She strode directly into a yellow building with a red awning labeled "Tommy's Liquor." He almost struggled to keep up with her pace, as she rushed to the back of the small liquor store to the refrigerated cases. 

"Um, what are we doing?" he asked, as she reached into one of the cases. 

"Two-for-one tall boys here. You hungry?" She turned with two large cans of Modelo in her arms.

"We're drinking dinner?"

"No, but are you hungry? I'm starving."

"I can always eat," he laughed. 

"Get ready for the best Mexican food of your life. We're gonna take these next door." She shrugged, showing off the beer now resting in the hinge of her arm. "Merced's. They don't have a liquor license, so ..."

"Huh." JC shook his head and followed her to the cashier. He reached into his back pocket, removed his wallet, and began to pull out a card. 

"This is a cash only establishment. Your AmEx Black card won't work here." Nicole informed him as she counted out five dollars in ones and 57 cents in various denominations of loose change. She handed him one of the beers and promptly exited the liquor store. 

"Classy," he mumbled awkwardly. She dismissively walked ahead of him to the small restaurant next door. "I don't have a black card." he added. "I'm not that pretentious." Nicole didn't respond.  "It's AmEx Gold," he called out to her back as he worked to catch up to her. 

Nicole led him into a small pink building a few steps away. She entered and immediately was greeted by a waitress wearing an oversized Raiders jersey over heather gray leggings. 

"Nicole! Mija!" She chirped excitedly while clearing red plastic baskets from a newly emptied table. She kissed Nicole on the cheek, as she rushed behind the counter and eyed JC conspicuously. 

"Hi Mags"

"¿Quién es este?" Magdalena asked as she eyed JC up and down like a fresh piece of meat.  "Es guapo, pero puedes hacerlo mejor." 

"You speak Spanish?" JC asked, surprised. A slight blush worked down his face, and he shifted uncomfortably under Magdalena's ogling. 

Nicole eyed him questioningly, wondering if he understood Magdalena's backhanded compliment. "No, I don't."

"Aye, yes she does. She will." Magdalena called out as she rushed to wipe down a table.  "Esta noche, solo en español. Hay que practicar."

"I speak, muy malo." Nicole rolled her eyes. 

"Esta loca. Her spanish is fine." 

Nicole led JC to the newly cleaned booth and slid in. "I'm going to Mexico City in a couple of weeks. Mags is making me practice, so I will be ready."

Magdalena returned to their table and set down two frosty glasses. She began to open their beers and poured them. "Guapa," she looked at Nicole, "Serio, quien es este?"

"My friend J-"

"No, no, no, en Español, necesitas practicar," Magdalena interrupted. 

"Este es mi amigo, Josh," Nicole responded fluidly. 

"Solo un amigo?" Magdalena raised one perfectly drawn on, arched eyebrow. 

"Si, Mags. Solo un amigo."

"I don't know much Spanish, but I understand what you're talking about right now, and I'm sitting right here." JC interrupted. 

Magdalena laughed and patted JC on the cheek. She turned back to Nicole, "Mole poblano o Pipian?" 

"Pipian. Tienes pozole verde?"

"Claro!"

"Para compartir, gracias." Nicole smiled and took a long swallow of her beer. 

"Did you just order for me?" JC asked confused. 

Nicole nodded.

"I think I feel emasculated. You bought me beer, judged my credit cards, and now you are talking about me in another language and ordering my food. Are you going to cut it up and feed it to me as well?"

"I was going to chew it up and spit it into your mouth like a mommy and baby bird."

JC scrunched his face, disgusted, but amused and shook his head. 

"Kidding. You really do need to relax. Not everything is so serious all the time. I'm taking you to one of my favorite restaurants and I ordered us my favorite things, and I want to share it with my friend, Josh, who has never had this food before, and has had a shitty day. Also, Mags thinks you're handsome," she winked. 

"How do you know I've never had this food before."

"You've had Pipian?" Nicole asked, eyebrows raised. 

"What's Pianon?" JC asked, shoving a salsa covered chip into his mouth. 

"Exactly! You're going to love it, it's like an orgasm in your mouth!"

Josh choked on his chip. "You're mighty confident."

"I know good food, and I like good sex. I'm an expert in both." 

"Are you flirting with me?" JC asked with a slight smirk.

"Do you want me to be?" Nicole replied. 

Before JC could respond, Magdalena returned to the table with two small steaming hot bowls of soup. "I was just talking about you to my comadre. She wants her son to come and meet you. He's coming from Oaxaca. Maybe you will fall in love, and he will bring you back, and  you can go hike your Latuvi or Amatlan and make love in the waterfalls and whatever other white girl fantasies to have."

"Mags!" 

"He's cute. He runs a hotel there. He'll take you back. You won't have to go alone." Magdalena returned to the kitchen. 

"You're going hiking in Mexico? Alone?" JC asked. 

"No. Well, not really. I'm staying with Mags' friend in Mexico City, and I was thinking about going to Oaxaca too, because it's a UNESCO site, and it's gorgeous, and the food is bomb! But I haven't decided. I just feel like I'll be so close I may as well visit both places"

"Do you know her friend?"

"No. We have talked on the phone. But I have these romantic visions of Mexico City, and her friend wants to put me up, so no better time to go and no better place to stay."

"Mexico City! Really?"

"Have you been?" 

"Yeah. A few times. A few years back, I worked on a movie there. It's smoggy. Why not Cancun or some place nice?"

"I've asked her the same thing, Josh!" Magdalena called from deep within the kitchen.

Nicole rolled her eyes. "Eat your soup."

***

JC refused to allow Nicole to pay for dinner. He forced her outside while he settled the tab. Nicole walked a few steps to the street corner and rummaged through her purse for a cigarette. Not paying attention, she was startled by the thunderous clap of a motorcycle engine, and turned just in time to see the motorcycle pull up onto the sidewalk and ease into a space next to her. She turned suddenly, caught off guard, but smiled when she recognized the leather clad rider. 

"Alex!" She smiled and leaned in for a hug. 

Alex took her helmet off. She was short and stocky, and while she dressed in masculine clothes, her very feminine facial features were obvious and stunning.  Her skin was flawless and her eyes a pale brown and wide. Her full lips cracked a smile, revealing perfectly straight white teeth. She embraced Nicole and then ran her hands through her short hair. "Hey Lady!" She said. "I haven't seen you in a while." 

"The end of the school year is always busy, and I'm leaving town in a couple of weeks, so just trying to get my act together," Nicole responded. 

JC exited the restaurant and saw Nicole talking to who he thought was a man on a bike. His heart dropped slightly, and he chuckled at himself, recognizing the silliness in his pang of jealousy. But the few times he had been out with Nicole, it seemed as though she knew everyone, and that was quite the opposite of his normal going out experiences. He was always the one saying hi, making connections. His relative anonymity when socializing with Nicole was a welcome change. He didn't need to try. He could just be, and that was part of the draw to her, to Long Beach.  He slowly walked up to the two figures talking, and he felt even more ridiculous when he realized Nicole was talking to a woman. He lightly placed his hand on Nicole's back, to signal his presence, and eased in beside her. 

"Alex, this is my friend. Josh." Nicole made introductions. 

Alex placed her helmet under one arm and reached to shake JC's hand with her other. "Friend, Josh? Huh." Alex asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Jesus Christ, is this a comedy routine? Yes, friend Josh, I'll introduce you to the Josh I'm fucking next week!"

JC looked sharply at her. "How many Joshes do you have?" He laughed. He reached out and snatched the freshly lit cigarette now hanging from between her lips and tossed it in the street."

Nicole stared furiously, "That was my last one."

"Good." He returned his attention back to Alex and her motorcycle. "Nice bike."

"This? It's just my street rod. I just got a vintage Heritage Classic a couple of weeks ago. She's gorgeous. Do you ride?"

"Some. I don't have a Harley. Been thinking about it, though." 

"Where are you guys headed now?" Alex asked. 

"Nicole, where are we headed now?" JC asked her absently as he continued to admire Alex's motorcycle. 

Nicole shrugged. "Haven't decided yet." She lightly swatted JC's chest with the back of her hand, "This guy had a bad day, so I figured we'd get out and see where the night takes us." 

Alex turned to JC, "You sure about that, Josh? Nicole has shitty boundaries." Alex laughed.

"I'm beginning to learn that." JC smiled up at Nicole from his now kneeling position on the opposite side of the bike.

"Hey come by. Patrick is over and he and Nikki," Alex turned to JC and added for clarification, "my wife, are probably already drunk on the deck. Josh, I'll show you the new Bike."

JC interrupted Nicole's attempt to decline the offer. "Yeah!" He looked at Nicole for confirmation. She smiled and shrugged in response. "Is your place around here, Alex?" JC asked. 

"Around the corner. I'll see you guys there." Alex started her bike and quickly took off, still on the sidewalk, then down the street and to the left. 

Nicole led JC toward Alex's house. They only managed a few steps, before JC grabbed her elbow lightly to stop her. Nicole turned to face him. "You really got a Josh you're fucking?"

Nicole smiled. "Are you jealous?" she winked, turned, and continued on her course. JC followed close behind.

***

Beers in hand, JC, Nicole, Alex, and Nikki stood in the small garage around Alex's new Harley-Davidson. Alex ran down the specs and pointed out the custom work she had added. JC was taking it all in. Nicole sipped a beer and stood a few paces back next to Alex's wife, Nikki, who paid no attention to the motorcycle speak. She had heard it all before. 

"So who's Josh?" Nikki whispered into Nicole's ear. 

"My friend." Nicole emphasized each word and took another sip. She tried to avoid Nikki's interrogating stare, but felt it burning through her. "You remember a few months ago, my situation at Stache?"

Nikki nodded. 

"Josh sorta helped me out. Him and his friend. Anyway, we've been talking a bit since. He comes down this way for work from time to time, so we catch up. He had a shitty day, so we grabbed a bite at Merced's. Trying to show him a good time." 

"A good time, huh?" Nikki whispered back. 

Nicole rolled her eyes, and stepped away from the accusatory stare. Sheinterrupted Alex and JC's conversation. "I wish I was badass enough to ride one of these!" She laughed. "Can I like sit on it and be a poser for a few minutes." She laughed. 

"I told you I'd take you out." Alex responded. "I mean, Nikki won't go near the thing. I need a hot broad pressed to my back. I'll show you off." Alex turned to JC, "Nikki said Nicole can be my hall pass."

"I get!" JC responded with a smirk. 

Nikki made fake vomiting noises and promptly left the garage to return to the deck.

"I don't actually want to ride it. I just want to be cool enough to. Can I sit on it or whatever? Take my picture, let me pretend." She put her beer on the floor, dug through her purse, pulled out her phone, opened the camera app, and handed it to Alex.

Alex nodded and JC took a few steps back. Nicole eyed the bike carefully and made a failed attempt to lift her leg. Her dress was too long, so she hiked it up, above her midsection, exposing her bikini bottoms. Alex slapped her ass playfully, as Nicole straddled the bike.

"Ooh, girl, put some clothes on. Quit teasing this lesbian with your wicked straight sis gender wa---" A tall lanky black man with a shiny bald head, clad only in leather short shorts and midriff white shirt, entered the garage.  He interrupted his own announcement when he caught sight of JC. "Well, hello." 

"Um, Hi." JC responded, eyebrows raised.

Nicole swung her leg back over the bike and dismounted. "Hey Patrick." Nicole lowered her dress and smoothed out the material below her waist. "This is my friend Josh," She introduced. 

"Fresh meat" Patrick smiled and strutted closer to JC. He held out his hand not for a shake, but for a kiss, which JC obliged with a smile and a wink in Nicole's and Alex's direction. 

"Hello, friend Josh," Patrick replied. The garage fell awkwardly silent, and Patrick whipped open a large fan that had CUNT printed in bright pink and purple letters. The Sound of the fan unfurling startled everyone. "Are we going to the Brit, or what? It's leather night." Patrick began to fan himself coquettishly. 

"Let's go sit on the deck and have another drink before we go." Alex laughed slightly and broke the awkward silence. 

The group moved to the backyard deck and sat in a semicircle on the weathered Adirondack chairs strew about. There were more people than seats, so Nicole sipped her beer on the arm of JC's chair. She tried to focus on Patrick's animated story, but she was keenly aware of JC's elbow's light press against her hip. Something about the innocuous contact filled her with butterflies. She tried to pay attention and follow Patrick's account of his most recent night out with one of the sisters. JC, however, paying rapt attention, asked what sister he was talking about. Patrick, enjoying any audience, proceeded to explain how he was currently in a love triangle with two members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a drag queen nun group. Halfway through Patrick's story, JC let out a deep hearty laugh, and asked Patrick to stop. 

"Man! Hey! Stop." JC chuckled. "You lost me at the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. You're seeing a drag queen... nun? I gotta see this."

"Well, honey, they will be at the Brit tonight, I can get you a personal audience with them."  

JC leaned forward in his chair, clapped his hands together and smiled, "So when are we going to the Brit?"

"I Like a man with conviction" Patrick stood up, urging everyone to finish their round.