33. The Spanish Inquisition

33

THE SPANISH INQUISITION

PACARI

" A note would have been appreciated," Nina's grandchild, Zephyr grumbles.

Their light blue hair, cut short in the back and sides and long on top, falls over their eyes.

"Sorry," Teresa says. "We kind of got caught up in things. But Kalixto told you, right?"

"A phone call. A text. An email. Snail mail," they grumble.

Teresa's friend is very prickly.

"But we're back now!" Teresa says excitedly.

"It's been a week, T," Zephyr sighs.

"Oh. Oh I'm a shitty friend," Teresa says, her mood darkening. "I'm so sorry."

Zephyr shakes their head. "It's whatever. I've been mostly cooped up in my room or wandering on the beach anyway. I know I invited everyone because I was afraid of being alone, but I've been kind of avoiding everyone…"

"Classic," Teresa laughs.

"Should I go?" I ask, feeling as if I am extraneous and in the way. Teresa and I haven't spent a moment apart for a week, though I'm not excited to leave her if that's what they both wish.

"Mmm, no," Zephyr says. "We didn't finish interrogating you. And this time you've got clothes on, which is a big plus."

"It's big, but I object to the plus," Teresa jokes.

"Unnecessary information!" Zephyr whines.

"I mean, you saw it for yourself," Teresa laughs.

"Oh my god, just come in already," Zephyr says, trying not to laugh too.

We follow them in the door, making our way to the couch.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," one of her friends calls out. She has deep brown skin and wears a simple dress that looks like something the Cliffside Lady—Nina Martinez—would wear.

"Your last slut walk was better," another, this one dressed in sporty clothes, says. "You're clothed this time!"

"Teresa! Mr. Hot Dog!" Dawn greets.

"He has a name, Dawn," the sporty friend laughs.

"Right. Pacari."

"Do the rest of us get names?" the one who dresses like Nina Martinez asks.

"Only if you really want them. That one's Anelisa, Pacari," Teresa laughs. "And momma bear in the basketball shorts is Taara."

"You're missing your dog again," Dawn says, a little sadly. "You find a new babysitter? I didn't mind."

"Yeah, but what if you go off hunting down some other more dangerous mystery?" Teresa asks.

"You can solve a mystery for me, actually," Taara says. "Like what happened? You went from trying to track this guy down so you could fuck his brains out and then leave him desperate and wanting, and now you've potentially returned from your honeymoon."

"We're not married, yet," Teresa laughs.

"She didn't leave me desperate and wanting?" I ask.

Teresa's friends let out a scandalized, drawn out "ooooh!"

"Yet?!" Taara yelps.

"I don't know if I can get married," I say.

"Oh, don't worry, it was just a joke. We're better than married," Teresa says, gripping my thigh as we sit on the couch. She throws a leg over mine and cuddles in close.

"Just rub it in our faces, why don't you," Anelisa says, grinning. "Cute."

"What does that mean, better than married?" Dawn asks .

"Mated," I say.

"Mated?!" Anelisa repeats. "Like ABO? Monsters? Werewolves? What romance book am I reading?"

"Um, yeah," Teresa agrees. "Exactly like that."

" Exactly like that ?" Anelisa repeats. "Girl, we all saw what he's packing. I didn't see any knots."

Teresa laughs. "I mean, well—I don't think I need to explain that much."

"Too much to hope one of us finds out monsters are real," Anelisa sighs. "You find any, send them my way. I feel like if they're anywhere, they've gotta be here. This place has such a vibe, you know?"

Zephyr stares at the floor. Teresa and I share a look.

"You got it, Anelisa," Teresa promises.

"Sah-weet!" she exclaims, pumping her fist in the air. "Guess I can finally get off the apps. Those boys are a whole other kind of monster."

Anelisa seems to be laughing because she's joking. I wonder how earnest she is. If she would like one of my friends, though Kalixto is an unlikely offering.

"So, Pacari, what do you do for work?" Taara asks.

"Okay, mom!" Teresa whines.

"I uh…"

"He's a sex worker," Teresa answers for me.

I nod.

"Ohhh, is that why he was sleeping with all those other people?" Dawn asks .

"Yes," I admit.

The energy in this room is a lot to keep up with. Each of them have their instinctual understandings of each other. I still do not know how they feel about me.

"And what do you do for fun?" Taara continues the interrogation.

"I told you we didn't finish grilling you," Zephyr laughs.

"I spend a lot of time taking care of my garden," I say.

"He also rescues animals and nurses them back to health. Not to brag, but he's literally perfect," Teresa says proudly, laying a big kiss on me.

Instinctually, I pull her closer, grip her sides harder. The cheers and whoops from her friends remind me this is not the place to go further. I have grown too accustomed to having Teresa all to myself.

"What are you going to tell your mom about him?" Zephyr asks.

Teresa's face sours. "That he's an environmentalist. Can you imagine walking in and telling her I'm in love with a sex worker? She just wouldn't get it."

A small feeling in the pit of my stomach twinges. At first, I am a little upset that she cannot be as honest with her mother as she is with her friends, but then I realize that she wishes me to meet her mother.

"And your brothers?" I ask. "Am I going to meet them, too? "

"Oh, buddy, you don't know Filipino families. You're gonna have to meet everyone," Dawn says with a laugh, answering for Teresa.

"She speaks no lies," Teresa confirms.

"Everyone," I repeat, grinning.

"So, are you going to move to Hollywood?" Taara asks, "Or… Resa, are you moving here?"

"You think we haven't talked about this," Teresa accuses.

"You would be right," Taara agrees. "You don't usually think ahead in your relationships."

"It's all we can think about," I say. "At least, when we're not…"

Everyone giggles.

"We're going to split our time. He can't move away permanently, and I won't be able to find gigs here, I don't think," Teresa answers.

"Sex work doesn't travel? He's gotta be able to make bank with all those rich old people in LA," Zephyr says.

"Sex work travels, but not the garden," I say. "I can't abandon it. All those creatures, all the plants… I don't know how well they could survive without me."

"Aw, he's such a cute plant dad," Anelisa coos.

"You really want to go back to LA after what Janine did?" Zephyr asks. "I mean, I know you didn't just come here for me."

"Janine?" I ask .

For all the things we've talked about, there does seem to be an issue she's avoided the whole time.

"My old boss," Teresa finally admits. Once she starts, the dam opens. "She's this singer. She used to be overweight like me, went on the diet drug of the week, and lost it all. The news went crazy over it. Working for her before wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst. Her whole thing was being a loud and proud plus size singer and dancer. Then when she lost it all, standards for the rest of her dancers changed too. She couldn't outright fire us because of the optics, so instead she just made our lives a living hell. She treated me the worst—probably because I'm the best at taking it. I loved my Lola, but she was a little bit of a narcissist. It helped prep me for people like Janine, though. So, yay me. After the tour, she bitched me out and then sent her HR person in to offer me a crazy severance package. A severance package for dancing . God, the stories I could tell about that woman. Anyway…"

She takes a big breath, looking around at all of us. I hold her tighter, kiss her shoulder. Anelisa, sitting next to us, holds Teresa's hand and sets her head against Teresa's shoulder comfortingly. I like this. All of her friends around us, how easily they've welcomed me in—even if it's under the threat of endless interrogation.

But most of all, I like hearing the parts of Teresa she doesn't want to share. The parts she'll only share with people she really trusts. And I love being one of them.

"I'm just… It really fucking sucks because agents and producers and all of Hollywood already shits on you if you're the slightest bit overweight, so it was a really big betrayal when Janine turned on us. She started acting like she could save us from being fat. But me and the rest of the dancers? We do our best to take care of our bodies. Everyone's got their own relationships with food, and it's just so fucked up to try and force people into losing weight like that. Especially because for people like that, there's no end in sight. It's just a bottomless pit of making you feel like you're too much and too lazy or stupid to do anything about it."

"Imagine being that out of touch," Anelisa says, nudging Teresa playfully.

"You know, Resa," Zephyr says. "I know you really don't want to run a studio, but if you find help, maybe you could start one here. Inspire other people to move their bodies, you know? That way when you need an escape from Hollywood, you can just come here and work with people directly, really see the impact you have on others."

"Ugh! Fine!" Teresa says, burying her face in my chest. "You win! It's a good idea and I hate you for it. "

"You just needed the right incentive," Zephyr says, winking at me.

I grin broadly. I like being an incentive.

"Who knew Teresa would be the first one of us to settle down?" Taara laughs.

"I'll settle you down!" Teresa threatens, sitting up and pulling off of me and Anelisa to attack Taara.

Both women go into giggle fits as Teresa descends onto her friend, at first pretending to choke her before giving her a hug.

"God, I love everyone in this room so much. Thank you guys for being you," Teresa says, her voice muffled from the hug.

"Yeah, no problem, thanks for abandoning us for a week to fuck your boyfriend in the Sex Cave," Zephyr says.

"Hey!" Teresa protests, "We only fucked in the cave for two days!"