Courtyard & Carousel

[The Exodus]

Walking in a winter wonderland...

The courtyards of the Hotel de Ville are a sight to see this holiday season. Bejeweled by thousands of twinkling lights, the courtyards offer a warm glow despite the bitter cold. The tinkling sound of holiday music floats from the carousel-- which is fully operational for tonight's event!

[blueeyeddevil]

OOC: For Santiago and Carmen!

Reese Cordova

Reese absolutely loved Christmas. When she was younger her brother and sister used to tease her, saying that she was secretly an elf that had escaped Santa's workshop. She loved to decorate the tree and bake Christmas cookies and sing carols. This time of years made her even more hyper than she usually was. However, this year was a little different. Homesickness hit her hard. She had already used up her vacation time and money to go home earlier in the year, so this year she was staying in Paris. She had already sent her Christmas gifts to her family earlier in the day, so now she was just trying to make it through the rest of the holiday season without bursting into tears. She had to stay strong.

She had made it to the Christmas Gala, hoping that an event like this would make her feel a little better. Snow was drifting down and she pulled her gray pea-coat tighter around the shimmery black dress she wore. She smiled as she passed the carousel. The bright lights and laughter coming from the ride were enough to put her in a slightly better mood. She watched for a long while, listening to the strains of "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" wafting her way. Couples rode hand in hand and children giggled as the horse they were on went up and down. It was a rather heartwarming sight and made Reese feel less like a Scrooge.

She caught sight of a familiar figure in the crowd and a bright smile spread across her face. She waved Santiago over enthusiastically, glad to see a friendly face. However as he came closer, Reese felt herself go pale when she saw who was with him...it was the woman from the office. Reese couldn't recall actually getting her name, but there was no way of mistaking her. She tried to ignore the woman best she could, hugging Santiago tightly and beaming up at him happily, trying to forget about all the rest.

"Hello there," she chimed happily as she hugged him. "It's so great to see you!! Merry Christmas!" She did her best to remain on the opposite side of Santiago than the other woman with him.

[The Exodus]

Santiago Ortiz

“I really am flattered you asked me here tonight,” Carmen said, tucking in close to Santiago. “Word on the street is that you’re a regular Don Juan these days.”

“Hmph.”

Santiago unscrewed the cap of his flask for the fourth time that night and took a bracing shot of whisky from it. If he wasn’t working tonight, he wouldn’t have brought Carmen. Although she cleaned up nicely, at the end of the day, she was his cousin and his second-in-command. More importantly, it was Christmas Eve and if Santiago wasn’t working, he wouldn’t be at this party. He’d spend the night in his undecorated apartment, drinking beer and listening to the church bells down the road. He wasn’t exactly Ebenezer Scrooge, but Santiago had little love for the holiday season. This year marked the worst Christmas he’d spent in Paris since moving here five years ago.

Tonight, Santiago had met up with a local dealer to make a business arrangement. He was a contact of Carmen’s and down on his luck. Santiago didn’t have the heart to be charitable to down-and-out drug dealers, but Carmen said the man was good at what he did. More importantly, to make their own bottom-line next quarter, they needed to affiliate with more locals. It brought in more revenue. And this guy dealt in hard-to-get stuff. Stuff Santiago wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole.

“First hit’s free,” the guy had said in low tones, leaning across the table towards Santiago.

The guy wore an ill-fitting tuxedo and his hands looked like claws. They were clean, though, with meticulously buffed and very long nails. Santiago shook his head.

“I don’t sample the merchandise,” he said coolly. “Don’t want to eat into the profits.”

“Then how do you know what you’re getting is the good stuff?” the guy asked.

“Because if you sell any of my men a bad batch, I will flay you alive,” Santiago said. “Fool me once, hombre, and it’ll be the last thing you ever do.”

The man shot him a thin, nervous smile. They agreed on a fee and parted. Santiago hated drug dealers. The b*stard had wanted up-front payment. As if. Santiago didn’t trust strangers, but he trusted guys who broke the law and made their living off of exploiting the weak even less.

He took another swig from the flask.

“Hitting the bottle hard tonight, I see,” Carmen said. “Don’t think I didn’t notice.”

“I thought you had enough sense not to criticize me,” said Santiago.

Carmen pulled away from him and held her hands up in surrender. Santiago looked at her and his lip curled into a sneer.

“We’re done here,” he told her. “You’re free to find a nice girl to chase.”

“I don’t do “nice” girls,” Carmen said, lowering her hands. “Besides, we’re family. Family spends Christmas together.”

Santiago said nothing. Instead, he looked down at the flask in his hands and traced over the faded lettering. The flask had once been his father’s. And, frankly, for the last several years, it had been the only thing that served as reminder he had a blood family. Having Carmen here should have filled him with some warm-fuzzy feeling. A feeble half-smile touched his lips.

“Even if it is in a hard pew, listening to an old man grumble in Latin,” Santiago said. Sometimes, he forgot he and Carmen had had a childhood together. Carmen grinned up at him.

“When was the last time you even went to Mass?” she asked.

“Do you remember the time Father Marcos caught the sleeve of his robe on fire?”

“Yes!”

Santiago shot her a significant look. Carmen roared with laughter. Santiago shook his head. He didn’t want to tell Carmen that the last time he’d actually been in a church had been for Catalina’s funeral.

“Why, though?” he asked when Carmen had regained control of her laughter. “Did you want to go to Mass tonight?”

Carmen rolled her eyes. “They wouldn’t want the likes of me there. That’s for damn sure.”

“Good,” Santiago said. “I wouldn’t have taken you anyways.”

He didn’t understand the stereotype of the religious and penitent mob boss. Santiago didn’t have the time and energy to trek to a church and pretend to pray every Sunday. That’s all it would be, pretending. Santiago had spent the last thirty years talking to God with no answer. If he wanted to talk to himself, he didn’t have to do it in a church. Besides, Sundays were usually spent tying up loose ends at the detective agency. Santiago still had a legitimate business to run in addition to conducting gang business.

Santiago reached into his pocket and traded the flask for a packet of cigarettes and a lighter. Carmen looked at him expectantly. He rolled his eyes and pulled two Marlboro’s from the pack. He lit one and used the end to set the second ablaze. He handed one to Carmen.

“Feliz Navidad,” he said, not entirely sarcastic.

“Thanks,” Carmen said.

She took a drag and looked over at the carousel. Santiago didn’t follow her gaze. The spinning lights and Christmas music made his head hurt. Instead he looked off to the side of the merry-go-round. There, in a shimmering gown and oversized coat, stood Reese, looking peaceful and happy. For the first time that evening, Santiago could feel his heart thaw. The carousel’s wild lights cast a sort of glow over Reese’s features. If Santiago wasn’t a Grinch with Carmen-as-Max in tow, he’d go over there and say ‘hello’ and maybe spend the holiday in Reese’s company. Over the years, she’d become Santiago’s best friend. They made for an odd couple that put Oscar Madison and Felix Unger to shame-- he a gangster and she a ballerina—but their friendship had worked well. It provided Santiago with snatches of much needed normalcy.

And then Reese waved.

She’d caught him staring awkwardly. Santiago grinned at her and waved until he felt Carmen’s eyes focused on his back. His shoulders tensed until she sidled up next to him.

“Pretty girl,” Carmen said, nodding towards Reese. “One of yours?”

Santiago laughed. And then he paused. What was so funny about that? Reese was his best friend; the only girl to stick by him, excluding Carmen. He shrugged as cavalierly as he could.

“You could say that,” he said. “I’m going to say hello. Wait for me at the bar.”

“And miss all the excitement?” Carmen shook her head. She rammed against Santiago’s shoulder playfully. “Never.”

Santiago rolled his eyes and walked over to Reese. He smiled at her when they drew close together and wrapped his arms around her. She and Carmen were both thin, but where Carmen always felt like a taut bowstring, Reese was relaxed and warm.

"Hello there," she chimed happily as she hugged him. "It's so great to see you!! Merry Christmas!"

“Feliz Navidad, chica,” Santiago said, giving her an extra squeeze before pulling back. “How is your Christmas going?”

[blueeyeddevil]

Reese Cordova

Santiago approached and she did her best to ignore the other woman that was with him...the one who had basically interrogated her. The one who had threatened to do something to her if she mentioned it. Instead, Reese just threw her arms around Santiago in a hug, enjoying his strong, warm embrace, greeting him happily.

“Feliz Navidad, chica,” he said, squeezing her tight for a moment before looking down at her. “How is your Christmas going?”

Her face fell just a bit, looking away from him now, gazing at the lights from the carousel. "Its all right," she began with a light shrug. "Just a bit lonely. I used up all my vacation time earlier this year so I couldn't go home for the holidays. I'm making do the best I can," she said with a brave sort of smile. "The Gala looks absolutely beautiful though!"

She glanced once more at the woman standing behind him and unconsciously took a step closer to Santiago as though hoping for his protection. Reese knew she couldn't exactly ignore the elephant in the room...or courtyard. She forced another bright smile, trying to show the woman she was going to play along and follow her request. "Who is this," she asked Santiago, motioning to the other woman before pulling her coat closer around her.

[The Exodus]

Carmen Vega

When Santiago went to embrace the younger woman, Carmen kept a cool and level gaze trained on him. She could feel Reese’s nervousness radiating off of her, imagine her rabbit heartbeat going a thousand times a minute. But Santiago was a tougher read. Santiago was Carmen’s grouchy cousin and ruthless leader and he actually hugged Reese. He hugged her twice.

Carmen could feel the vein in her forehead twitch as she sawed her jaw back and forth. The girl had no practical advantage. No obvious practical advantage, anyways. She was a ballerina at the Paris Opera House. And besides an old kink for dancers, there was no reason Santiago needed Reese around. Why was he acting as though this girl was worth something to him?

Clearly, someone hadn’t told Carmen the whole truth. If Santiago had been anyone else in the gang, he’d be punished for his dishonesty and Reese would be killed. But Carmen didn’t have authority over either of them. All she could do for now was watch.

She hoped Reese had lied when she said that she and Santiago were just friends. At least then, Carmen could make sense of this mess. And that stupid quirk on Santiago’s face. What was that? A smile?

"It’s all right," Reese said, shrugging. "Just a bit lonely. I used up all my vacation time earlier this year so I couldn't go home for the holidays. I'm making do the best I can. The Gala looks absolutely beautiful though!"

“Mm,” Santiago said, looking towards the carousel. He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the spinning lights. Then, lightly, he added, “Too festive for my taste.”

Carmen frowned. What was this? This conversation Santiago was having with Reese could have been between equals. Since becoming El Jefe Santiago hadn’t spoken to anyone like an equal, because he had none. Even Carmen, who had once been his partner in crime, was now demoted to being his right hand girl. Her chest twisted. She was not being demoted again. Certainly not by this outsider.

"Who is this?" Reese asked, gesturing finally to Carmen. Carmen blinked and realized that in the few seconds that had passed, her gaze must have fallen elsewhere, giving Reese time to tuck in closer to Santiago.

“Never mind her. She was just leaving,” Santiago said. He gave Carmen a pointed nod.

Carmen wrenched a smile onto her lips.

“Don’t be silly, Diego,” she said coolly. If they weren’t at the gala, if he wasn’t her cousin, she’d be dead by New Year’s day. But Carmen felt safe tonight, bold and territorial. This girl was making a power play whether she knew it or not. And Reese Cordova had picked a fierce opponent in Carmen. “Carmen Ortiz-Vega. I’m surprised we haven’t met before.”

She looked at Reese. Blood was thicker than water.

Especially blood shed together.

If the little ballerina knew what was good for her health, she’d keep feigning ignorance.

Santiago Ortiz

What the hell was with Carmen tonight? Since talking to the drug dealer, she seemed to be looking for a fight. Pestering him, teasing him. And now that Reese was here, Santiago could feel tight, hot energy flowing between the pair of them. Reese seemed to feel it too and she tucked in closer to Santiago, as if using him as a human shield. Santiago put his hand around Reese’s waist. Carmen had been drinking tonight. Not as much as he had, granted, but maybe someone had spiked her drink. That was why Santiago brought his own. His second needed to be more careful if she wanted to avoid assassination attempts.

He and Reese talked briefly about Christmas. A twinge of guilt fluttered over his heart. There was no point in being a tough-guy and pretending he didn’t feel it. Where Reese was concerned, Santiago had a heart and a guilty conscience. If he’d been less of a Grinch, he would have invited Reese to his house. And—if he’d been any kind of decent chef—he would have made her a holiday meal. Of course, Santiago was both anti-Christmas and anti-cooking. It didn’t stop him from feeling like he should have made more of an effort.

You can’t do this again, Santiago thought suddenly. He stole a glance at the carousel. Last year, when Reese had been admitted to the hospital for her eating disorder, Santiago had felt the same way. As if he hadn’t or couldn’t do enough for her. He twirled his cigarette between his fingers and said something about the carousel lights being too festive for his tastes. It was true enough, but honestly, Santiago wished for a normal holiday with his normal friends. Whatever “normal” meant.

"Who is this?" Reese asked, shaking Santiago from his fog. He looked over to see that Reese’s gaze was now trained on Carmen. Santiago frowned. He hadn’t forgotten Carmen was there; he just wished she wasn’t.

“Never mind her,” Santiago said. Then, meeting Carmen’s eyes, he nodded towards the building. “She was just leaving.”

It was an order, thinly veiled and implicit in tone. Instead of taking the hint, Carmen smiled. Or, at least, Santiago guessed it was a smile. She looked rabid and ready to bite.

“Don’t be silly, Diego,” she said. Her voice was silky-smooth and at utter odds with her smile. “Carmen Ortiz-Vega. I’m surprised we haven’t met before.”

“There are reasons for that,” Santiago hissed to Carmen, just loud enough for Reese to hear. And then, Santiago realized he should clarify, lest Reese mistake Carmen for his sister or, worse, his wife. Carmen didn’t even like men; why she was suddenly clingy over Santiago baffled him. “Carmen is my cousin. From Malaga. She’s here for a visit.”

“A long visit,” Carmen said. “I’m liking Paris so much I might just stay permanently.”

“We’ll talk about that later,” Santiago said through clenched teeth. “Are you sure you don’t want to go inside, Carmen? Warm up, get a few drinks, meet someone more interesting than me and my friends?”

He gave her a steely glance and a half smile. A final offer of mercy from an overworked gang leader.

“Who could possibly be more interesting than you and your friends?” Carmen said. Santiago’s lips flat-lined. Then, she spoke to Reese, “He’s always been this way. Moody, bossy, rude… But I’m sure the man must have some redeeming qualities if you like him.”

Was Carmen hitting on Reese? Santiago couldn’t tell. She had transformed her face from crazy to conspiratorial in mere seconds. Santiago raised an eyebrow. Well, that would explain some things. But not everything.

This was the weirdest Christmas Santiago had had in a long time. He desperately wished he had refilled his flask before coming to the gala tonight.

[blueeyeddevil]

Reese Cordova

The discussion about Christmas was easy and light as she talked to Santiago. Normally he was very quiet and guarded, but at least around her, he seemed to open up some and she liked that. He was fun to talk to when felt like it. “Mm,” he began as he glanced around at the carousel, actually shielding his eyes from the lights. “Too festive for my taste.”

Reese couldn't help but laugh softly at that, shaking her head. Only Santiago could think something was too festive. In Reese's mind there was no such thing. She loved anything and everything to do with Christmas, the more the better.

But her Christmas mood was pushed to the side by nervousness at seeing the woman beside Santiago. Reese had taken a step closer to Santiago, feeling a little safer with his arm around her waist. She politely asked who the woman was. She hadn't exactly gotten her name at their previous meeting...which she wasn't suppose to mention.

“Never mind her,” Santiago said. “She was just leaving.” It was clearly an order to the other woman. Whoever she was, Santiago clearly had some kind of authority over her. Maybe she worked at the agency with him.

Either way, the woman was flat out ignoring the hint. “Don’t be silly, Diego,” she said an overly nice sort of voice. “Carmen Ortiz-Vega. I’m surprised we haven’t met before.” Reese felt her brow furrow in confusion. Ortiz? She was related to Santiago? The accent was similar to his own, but Reese had thought perhaps she was an old friend of his from Spain. Perhaps an old ex girlfriend or something with how she had been acting. But a relative? Santiago didn't speak about his family much, if at all...Honestly, Reese had wondered if he had any family left.

“There are reasons for that,” told Carmen firmly. “Carmen is my cousin. From Malaga. She’s here for a visit.”

“A long visit,” Carmen said. “I’m liking Paris so much I might just stay permanently.”

Reese tried to force a smile, hoping her face hadn't lost too much color. If this woman was going to be living here in Paris and undoubtedly be hanging around with Santiago a good deal, Reese was certain she would have many more run-ins with her which didn't sound all that appealing. Instead she brightened and nodded. "That's...That's great! I'm glad Santiago will have some family here," she said. "Are you staying with him?" It was sort of a round about way of asking if she was going to be around a lot...and if she was staying with Santiago, Reese was going to be meeting up with him someplace else from now on.

“We’ll talk about that later,” Santiago said, teeth clenched. “Are you sure you don’t want to go inside, Carmen? Warm up, get a few drinks, meet someone more interesting than me and my friends?”

“Who could possibly be more interesting than you and your friends?” Carmen said, again not taking the hint or just plain ignoring him. “He’s always been this way. Moody, bossy, rude… But I’m sure the man must have some redeeming qualities if you like him.”

Reese gave a nervous little laugh and nodded. "Of course! He's been a wonderful friend to me over the years," she said, trying to stress the fact of them being just friends once more. "It's really funny that we're even friends at all, seeing as how he use to date my friend Rachel, isn't that right?" She looked up Santiago and smiled. Hopefully if he corroborated her story, perhaps Carmen would finally understand that there was nothing to worry about here!

[The Exodus]

OOC: Sorry this has taken me forever and a day. BIC:

Santiago Ortiz

Santiago looked at Carmen, eyes narrowed and brows climbing towards his forehead. Who the f*ck did she think she was tonight? She may have been his second-in-command, but things could change very, very quickly in a gang where murder was always an option.

Maybe he didn’t have redeeming qualities, after all.

“Of course!” Reese insisted. Reese to the rescue, as usual. Santiago shut his mouth and settled on a smug grin. “He's been a wonderful friend to me over the years. It's really funny that we're even friends at all, seeing as how he used to date my friend Rachel, isn't that right?"

Santiago stiffened. Rachel. He didn’t think about her much anymore. But maybe because it was Christmas, or maybe because Carmen and Reese were both now looking at him, waiting for a response, a fresh wave of lonely sadness punched Santiago in the stomach. When he’d dated Rachel, Santiago had half a hope of a normal life. In fact, when they’d been together, he’d had a normal Christmas for once, surrounded by friends and laughter and free of the weird tension that pulled tight between Reese and Carmen.

“Yeah,” he said unenthusiastically. “But, come on. It’s Christmas. I don’t want to talk about that.”

After all, he had a new woman in his life now. Well, sort of. Georgette Duguay was in and out of Santiago’s life as it pleased her. He was sure it didn’t bother him, since that kind of inconsistency was consistent with the rest of his miserable dating life. In fact, the only real consistency in his life at all was Reese. And Lola, if you counted dogs. Everything else—girlfriends, the gang, jobs at the agency—came and went, and usually they cropped up at inconvenient times.

“Rachel… Day?” Carmen asked. “You mean the naringona who used to file your papers and sh*t?”

Santiago made a vague gesture of assent, which made Carmen snort with laughter. Santiago glowered at her again.

“Drop it,” he told her.

“Sorry,” she said hastily, her laughter dying off of her lips. Then, leaning forward, to Reese she added in a tone both dark and playful, “Watch out for him. Seems to me he’s turned into something of a Don Juan since moving here…”

A grin something predatory spread across Carmen’s lips as she inched towards Reese. Santiago pushed Carmen’s shoulder hard enough to make her stumble a step back away from Reese.

“Leave her alone, Carmen.” He rolled his eyes, but Santiago didn’t like the gleam in Carmen’s eyes when she looked at Reese. He looked over at his friend and shook his head. “She’s drunk. She’d have to be to think-”

That I’d go after you. He stopped himself. It sounded like an insult, even in his head. It wasn’t that Reese was a bad looking girl. She wasn’t. Santiago just never had thought of her like that. But now, with Carmen throwing suggestions around like confetti, he couldn’t help but wonder why not. Reese was pretty. She liked him. She trusted him. And Santiago trusted her.

Oh, that’s why, he thought, suddenly. Maybe in a different life, a different world they would have been something. Santiago didn’t know. All he knew was that he’d become too reliant on Reese’s friendship and trust to f*ck it up by sleeping with her. After all, the women he slept with—women like Rachel and Georgette—were out of his life faster than you could say “adios”. He wanted to keep Reese around a little longer.

But now that Carmen knew about Reese, Santiago couldn’t shake the dim worry that that was easier said than done.

“-that you would give me the time of day,” he finished as smoothly as he could and as lightly.

Although that was probably just as true. It really was funny that they were friends, in a humorless sort of way. A sweet, good girl like Reese didn’t need to hang around with an old gang boss like Santiago.

He squeezed Reese a little with the arm still draped around her. He couldn’t shake the persistent feeling that his chest cavity was closing up and crushing his lungs and heart. Maybe Carmen wasn’t the only one who had had too much to drink, after all.

[blueeyeddevil]

Reese Cordova

Belatedly Reese wondered if it was a good idea to bring Rachel up at all. She didn't want to cause Santiago any grief...Rachel was a subject that they tended to avoid when talking with each other. Reese definitely didn't want bring this mad woman down on her friend either. Though Rachel was long gone by now as was usual. She just hoped that by mentioning how they had met through the other girl, it would show Santiago's cousin that they were really just friends.

“Yeah,” he said shortly. “But, come on. It’s Christmas. I don’t want to talk about that.”

“Rachel… Day?” Carmen asked. “You mean the naringona who used to file your papers and sh*t?”

Santiago only gave a nod and Carmen seemed to find it hilarious that the two had ever been involved, laughing. “Drop it,” he commanded firmly.

Reese reached out and took his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. She looked up at him apologetically, deeply regretting bring it up now. "I'm sorry," she said softly. She knew Rachel had meant a great deal to him and she certainly hadn't meant to re-open old wounds, especially not at Christmas.

“Sorry,” Carmen said before suddenly looking at her and leaning in close. “Watch out for him. Seems to me he’s turned into something of a Don Juan since moving here…” she said in a suggestive sort of tone, making Reese blush deep red at the insinuation.

She wasn't quite sure why, but something told her she and Santiago wouldn't work out that way. He was very attractive, he made her smile and laugh, and he was someone she confided in...she had wondered a time or two if they could be more, but each time she wondered if their friendship could survive the fallout. She didn't want to risk it if it could be avoided.

Santiago didn't seem to like how close Carmen was and shoved her back a few steps. “Leave her alone, Carmen.” he said with a roll of his eyes. He shook his head as he looked at her now. “She’s drunk. She’d have to be to think-” There was a brief pause. “-that you would give me the time of day,”

She smiled and shook her head, laughing softly. "I don't know, you can be pretty charming when you want to be," she teased, hugging his waist as he pulled her close. She was feeling a little better, not so nervous, now that Carmen wasn't standing quite so close. "Honestly though, I don't know what I'd do without you sometimes," she told him with a grin.

A moment later she attempted to include Carmen again and show her she wasn't afraid of her. "Well, where were the two of you off to?" she asked curiously.

[The Exodus]

Santiago Ortiz

"I don't know,” Reese said with a soft laugh, “you can be pretty charming when you want to be.”

Santiago peered at her. He was as charming as a cactus; all thorns, no flowers. Maybe Carmen and Reese were both drunk. Or maybe Reese meant something by that. Carmen shot Santiago a meaningful look—one that silently shouted, “Eureka!” as if she’d made some big-time discovery. Women made no sense to Santiago. His life was better the way it was, with girls coming and going from his life, sometimes without a “hello” or “goodbye”.


No, Reese didn’t—couldn’t—mean anything by calling him charming. Santiago bubbled over with laughter. She was his best friend; he wished she always could be. She felt warm and good at his side, comfortable, the way his leather jacket was comfortable, or even the way his Smith & Wesson felt on his hip. Familiar, trustworthy. They didn’t let each other down, Santiago and Reese. As “charming” as she may have found him, she still wouldn’t have given him the time of day.

“Honestly though, I don't know what I'd do without you sometimes," Reese said when the laughter subsided.

“Me either, chica,” Santiago told her. And he meant it.

--

Carmen Vega

Santiago pushed Carmen, causing her to stumble backwards a few steps. She knew it was a nice shove—as far as shoves went and as far as Santiago was concerned. She’d once seen her cousin push a man off of a rooftop balcony to make the man’s death look like a suicide or an accident. Some Neta scumbag. Carmen was better than that, worth more. But suddenly, she remembered what those hands were capable of and she fell silent.

“Leave her alone, Carmen.” he said with a roll of his eyes. He shook his head as he looked at Reese now.“She’s drunk. She’d have to be to think that you would give me the time of day.”

Carmen bit her lip to avoid scowling. She drew blood from the chapped surface. Leave her alone, Carmen was the first definitive order Santiago had given her. The shove was a warning; Carmen would be in for a hell of a Christmas Eve tonight if she put one more toe out of line and she knew it.

But Reese was utterly unaware. Instead, she laughed softly. The sound floated underneath the carousel music and the carolers, the most private and intimate sound uttered from any of them yet.

"I don't know, you can be pretty charming when you want to be," she said, hugging Santiago. Carmen’s eyes widened. There was no way this was just some dumb, basic friendship. "Honestly though, I don't know what I'd do without you sometimes.”

Carmen grinned now and her lip split. Her tongue flicked out, instinctively to keep it from bleeding. As much as little miss ballerina protested that she and Santiago were “just friends”, there was something more there.

“Me either, chica,” Santiago said.

Chica. Not exactly a romantic term of endearment. It stole the smile from Carmen’s lips. This wasn’t a basic friendship, but they weren’t shacking up together after all, were they?

Suddenly, the whirr of the Christmas music, the conversations of passersby, and the sound of Carmen’s blood sluicing through her ears was too much. sh*t. She was being replaced, wasn’t she? By this little sapling of a person. Oh, f*ck all.

"Well, where were the two of you off to?" Reese asked, beckoning Carmen to rejoin the conversation. As if there was room for her in the conversation.

Before Santiago could say anything, Carmen said, “Home. We’re going home. Right, Diego?”

“If you want,” Santiago said. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a few, crisp euros. He offered them to Carmen. “I think I’m gonna stick around a little longer. Reese and I have some catching up to do. Don’t wait up.”