Chapter Sixty

**

�You gonna stick by me?�

�Maybe�.�

**

�Nah, she ain�t here,� I heard Vince say from the front of the garage.

Wondering who the hell he was talking to, I walked up there, nearly ran straight into Miguel.

�What�re you doing here?� I asked. Had a bad feeling I already knew, though�.

�I, uh�I was looking for Leticia,� he stammered.

�Oh,� I said, nodding my head a little, smiling as I watched Miguel relax and turn to leave. He�d been nervous. And I didn�t think I�d ever seen Miguel nervous before�not at the races, not during a fight, not running from cops, not ever. I could only think of one reason why he�d be nervous, coming to talk to Letty. And I didn�t like it at all.

�Why?� I asked, just as he was about to walk out the door.

�What?� he asked, turning back to face me, looking panicked again.

�Why�d you want to talk to Letty?�

�Oh�uhm�well�.�

I looked over at V and raised my eyebrows, hoping he�d get the idea of what was going on. Made me wish Leon was out front instead of working in the back�Vince was always a little slow to pick up on things.

�Isabel�s having her quinceanera Saturday after next and I wanted to ask Leticia to go with me,� Miguel finally spit out, talking so fast I could barely tell what he was saying except that it involved taking Letty somewhere�like on a date.

�Ah,� I nodded, watching him slowly relax again.

Maybe I should�ve just left it at that - Letty�d told me a hundred times that there was nothing going on with him. And I knew she didn�t even see his flirting�didn�t think of him as anything more than a friend. But there he was, the personification of my worst fear - that Letty�d find some guy her age and leave me for him - and I couldn�t stop myself.

�You shouldn�t,� I said, taking a step towards the door.

�What?� Miguel asked, looking panicked again. I almost felt bad, jerking him around like I was. Almost.

�Ask Letty out. You shouldn�t.�

�Why�why not?� he stammered.

�It just wouldn�t be a good idea,� I growled at him.

Miguel turned, started walking out the door. But just before he got outside, it was like he�d gotten his confidence back.

�You know, you can�t make decisions for her any more, Dom,� he said, glaring at me. �You dumped her. You never really loved her�couldn�t have, with the way you acted with all the girls at the races. Fucking around with Julie behind her back�. Why don�t you just leave her alone, let her make her own decisions?�

�I think you should leave now, before I lose my temper,� I said, taking a step towards Miguel. �But ask yourself one thing�how sure are you that you know what went on with me and Letty? You have no idea how things are between us. No idea.�

With that, I let him walk out. Stood there listening until I heard his car door slam, the engine roar, tires squeal as he drove off.

�Little rough on him, eh dawg?� Leon asked, coming up behind me.

�Maybe,� I said, sighing as I rubbed my hands over my head. �What else could I do, though?�

Leon didn�t say anything, just stood there next to me for a minute.

�I don�t get it,� Vince said, breaking the silence. �He likes Letty?�

�Yeah, V,� I said, looking over at him, �yeah, he does.�

�Boy oughtta know better�� Vince said.

�Why�s that?� Leon asked. ��Cause Dom�d kick his ass if he tried anything and prolly end up back in Lompoc?�

I just glared at Leon.

�Hey now, don�t look at me like that�� Leon started.

�Just think of it�� Vince said, interrupting Leon. �Miguel and Letty. She�d chew him up and spit him out before noon, and you both know it.�

I couldn�t help it, I just busted up laughing.

�You gotta point there,� Leon said, almost thoughtfully. �You straight now, dawg?� he went on, looking over at me.

�Yeah�� I said, still laughing.

�Okay then, you think maybe we could get some work done around here?� he asked, heading back to the cars.

�Yeah, yeah, whatever,� Vince grumbled. �Slave driver.�

�C�mon pumpkin, I need some help with the brakes on this Buick!� Leon shouted from the back.

Laughing again, I went back to checking the Mustang over.