Just a Kiss Read Online Free Page B

did?”
    “Valeria, she’s just a little girl, calm down,” said Celina, laughing, shaking her head in disbelief that Valeria had called a little girl a bitch.
    “No, let me tell you.” She walked over to the kitchen sink to rinse her hands. “She stuck her tongue out at me, made a face, and ran away. She probably thought I was going to tell on her. Wait ‘til I see her. I’m going to tell her that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are not real.” She swung her arms in midair.
    “Oh man, you are cold. And who is Kimberly?” she asked, helping Valeria put the cake columns back on the cake.
    “That’s my brother’s little girl,” she replied, holding the middle cake, getting ready to place it in position.
    “Oh that’s right. Xavier had a baby we almost never get to see.” Celina placed the last column for the final tier.
    “By the way, now that you mentioned his name. I asked my brother what you wanted me to, and he said… okay.” She opened her eyes wide, looking for a response from Celina, and then carefully put the top tier on.
    “Why did you hesitate?” she avoided eye contact, pretending to look at the cake, looking for something to fix on it.
    She laughed, “Nah, I’m just messing with you. I just wanted to see your look. But…,” she drawled.”
    Celina knew that look. There was more which needed to be said. “What? Please, tell me what you have to say.” Emotion tightened in her chest and she moved her face in front of Valeria's.
    Valeria stepped back and let out a deep breath. “I have some news to tell you.”
    “Good or bad?” Her eyes tightened and she pressed her lips together in a thin line. By the look of things, Celina knew it wasn't good.
    Valeria knotted her fingers and stared at the cake. She then s hifted leg to leg and exhaled.
    It was obvious that Valeria didn’t want to tell her. “OMG, Val. You're scaring me.” Drawing i n a pound of oxyg en, she opened her eyes wider.
    “Don't worry. It has nothing to do with my brother. This is something else.” She leaned back against the kitchen counter for support.
    Celina released her breath. “Oh, thank goodness. I was already getting ready to leave. Whew!”
    “Well, I think this is much worse.”

Chapter 7
     
    The news
     
    What could be worse? Her parents were dead, and she just saw Valeria's parents, and they looked pretty healthy and happy. Their business was doing well. Actually, it was doing damn good. It was booming, with the addition of the café and bar inside the hair salon. It was an instant hit. In the morning, customers were drinking healthy Organo Gold coffee with breakfast tacos. For lunch, until closing on the menu, were soups, salads, sandwiches, fruit cups, and of course, the bar. The ladies enjoyed Margaritas and other fruity drinks, and the men enjoyed having a beer while they waited. Some customers stayed until closing, and for others, it was becoming a typical hangout. More manicures and pedicures were done on Men in Uniform days. It was an excuse for the women to go, using that day to see and meet the hunks. Their salon was The Place to Be. Why wouldn't it? In the end, both men and women were coming out looking their best and ready to mingle. Valeria and she had even joked about building a hotel next door and making even more money. What else could be so horrible? What bad news could there be?
    “Shit! Valeria, just come right out and say what you think I need to know.” There was pleading in her eyes.
    Valeria squirmed around. “I just don’t know how I’m going to tell my best friend this horrible news. So here it goes. Listen up girl , ‘ cuz I'm going to say this quick, since I don't know how else to tell you.” She took a deep breath, inhaling through her nose, and then released it hard. “Xavier got word that Homer is out on the loose. He escaped from prison a few days ago.” The words spat out of her mouth, as if she had held vomit. She felt relieved, finally telling Celina, since she