Just a Kiss Read Online Free Page A

right after I lock up and get dressed.”
    “Okay, listen, I’ve got somebody waiting, so I need to get going. See you tonight.” Valeria got up and left the office.

Chapter 6
     
    The party
     
    “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Soto,” she said to Valeria’s parents, who were at the front line receiving their guests.
    “Celina, mija , how are you?” asked Mr. Soto, who was wearing a Stetson cowboy hat and a black western bow tie, tucked under his crisp white collar.  He walked over to hug her.
    “Happy thirtieth anniversary,” she said, giving him a kiss on his cheek.
    “Celina! How are you, mija ?” asked Mrs. Soto, giving her a big hug and a kiss on her cheek. She too, was wearing a white shirt, denim skirt, and black tooled-leather belt to match her black boots. Her once-black hair was now dark silver. Valeria had styled it to frame her face and add touch of youthfulness to it.
    Celina’s brows lifted as she accepted Mrs. Soto’s light kiss to her cheek. “Oh, doing fine. You look very nice tonight.” Celina flashed a big smile.
    “Oh, why thank you, sweetie.” Her dark brown eyes sparkled with warmth.
    “I hope I’m not late, but I had to close the salon today.” She sighed.
    Mrs. Soto’s smile only brightened. “No, of course not, Mexicans are never late, you know that,” she assured her, with a laugh.
    Celina giggled and shook her head in agreement, with a smile. “Where shall I put the gift?” she asked, holding a big box with a white bow.
    “Sweetie, you shouldn’t have.” Mrs. Soto adjusted her blouse and gave her a well-mannered look.
    “I know, it said ‘no presents’, but I thought maybe you could use this.” She gave a wink.
    The invitation had strictly said, 'no presents, your presence is your gift,' but people still brought gifts.
    Mrs. Soto gave another big hug to Celina, who was like a second daughter to her. “Well, take it inside and put it in the living room.”
    She walked over the thick gravel, on large stepping stones. The air was cool and brisk and tanged with the scent of animal and earth. Celina reached the corner of the ranch house and opened the wooden front door. She slammed it shut and walked in, making some noise on the terracotta floor with her cowboy boot heels.
    “ Mami , is that you?” screamed Valeria, from the kitchen. “ Mami !”
    Celina put the gift down on the coffee table, next to the big family Bible, and walked towards the kitchen. She started to laugh when she saw Valeria. There stood Valeria next to a small kitchen table, panic in her eyes, breathing heavily, holding the middle layer of a large, three-tiered buttercream cake. The cake was fancy, with ivory fondant, hand piped with elaborate scrollwork. 
    “Don’t laugh! Get your ass over here, and help me, bitch.” Sweat was beaded up on her forehead, and she was breathing hard.
    “Who are you calling a bitch? I’m not helping you, now,” she continued to laugh, as she got closer to the kitchen table.
    “Celina, stop clowning around, and get that fuckin ’ column that fell somewhere under the table. Hurry! I can’t hold this shit any longer. Its heavy,” begged Valeria, her short, sassy hair spiked up for the party.
    “Since you called me a bitch, I’m only helping you because this is your parent’s cake.” Celina bent over, looked around the floor and picked up two columns. “What happened? Here, let me take the top cake.”
    “Gee, thanks girlfriend. Kimberly was running like wild in and out of the house with a bunch of other little farts, so I got after them and told them to get the hell out of here. One little boy pushed on the table and wobbled the cake, so I tried to move the cake towards the center of the table, when one of the columns fell off, then the other. I’ve been standing here like an idiot for the past ten minutes, screaming for help. Then some other little brat came in, and I asked her if she could get her mommy or daddy, and you know what that little bitch