Chapter 14-17

Chapter 14

Isela sat down at a table next to Hector, a fashion PR god at a magazine after party.

“You are lookin’ smoking hot tonight, senorita. What celebrity are you going to sleep with tonight?”

“There’s one I have my eye on…” she said glancing toward Bruno who was chatting up some girls she knew were from Vogue.

“That one?” he followed her eyes.

“He’s a hottie for sure. I heard he just broke up with his girlfriend…” he said over the loud music.

“That’s what I’m hearing…I’ll be right back…don’t let anyone take my seat though.”

Hector gave her a go get him look. “I’ve got this, Hector. Trust me.” She walked through the crowd to catch his attention unknowingly flipping her hair as the vogue girls hugged him and walked toward another group. Bruno turned around to see her smiling at him.

“Hi there, Beautiful…” he paused grabbing her hand.

“You were so good! And congratulations on the win.” she kissed him on the cheek careful not to let go of his hand.

“Thank you!” he smiled at her. Phil and Ari ended up walking behind her. Phil pulled her hair coming over to Bruno’s side.

“So, sexy news lady…what did you think?” he asked her.

“There are really no words to describe what happened up there tonight…” she said honestly.

“You don’t really like me, Isela. Don’t lie.” he laughed at her reaction.

“You are something else, Bruno Mars. Don’t ever change.”

“You don’t change either…” he whispered to her. He took her hand leading her to the dance floor.

“Oh? We’re dancing now?”

“Yeah. I’ve gotta celebrate. I won a fucking Grammy tonight.” He snatched her hand from her side and almost started running toward the dance floor. Isela gave Hector a thumbs up as she ran past him.

Before Isela knew it she was wrapped in his arms smelling him, being with him, it was so perfect. She closed her eyes and put her head on his shoulder. “I missed you.” she told him quietly.

“I missed you too.” he said kissing her head. They were interrupted several times by people congratulating him and general chatter, but she had been to so many parties like this that she didn’t mind it all. Isela’s phone vibrated late into the evening as they danced. “Don’t answer it, Sel…”

“It’s just my calendar telling me to go to bed.” she told him.

He yawned jokingly at her. “I’m so tireddddd…”

“I can see it in your eyes.” she told him poking his cheek. “Let’s go to bed?” she asked him.

“Mmhmm.” he said closing his eyes laying his head on her shoulder. She rubbed his head taking his hand leading him toward the door.

Chapter 15

Isela unlocked the door to the house she shared with Yuli. Bruno trailed off behind her, a little drunk, and a lot tired. If it was 5 years ago she would have taken advantage of that. It wasn’t. She knew exactly what she was going to do. Nothing, absolutely nothing.

She slipped off her shoes throwing down her purse and iphone. He watched her walk through the house he had only been in once. When did she get all this stuff? This looks like a grown-up’s house. She even has a fancy stainless steel fridge. “What are you looking at?” she asked him.

“Oh…nothing.  Maybe you?” he questioned.

“Oh please, Bruno Hernandez. Your game is off.”

“Off? What are you talking about?” He leaned into her grazing her lips careful not to kiss her, letting her decide whether she wanted to kiss him or not.

**

2006

“I’ve got a date…I’ve got a date…I’m got a date with a sinnngggeerr. A dancceer, a drummerrr and hotttieeee.” Isela ran around her apartment in straight leg jeans, a blue shirt and a white cardigan.

“You want to sing that song again?” Adelina asked.

“I’ve got a date, a sexy sexy date….” Isela started. They heard a knock on the door.

“I think your sexy date is here…” Adelina exclaimed,

Isela opened the door to see Bruno wearing white v neck t-shirt, a denim jacket and black jeans with the same fedora he sported the night they met.

“Hi…” he said as the door opened.

“Ready to go?” she asked him.

“I’ve been ready…” he smiled at her as he led her to his car.

He took her to a thai restaurant and watched her pick one of the hottest things on the menu.

“Isela…that’s really hot. You’re going to need milk, water and some firefighters to cool you off.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet….” she told him as she asked the waiter to bring her the food. Bruno ordered something more normal.

“If you can eat that, Isela….you are my hero.” he said as she took a bite of the food that was on her plate. He watched in awe.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…get me the water!” she cried. He grabbed the glass that was sitting in front of him and handed it to her as she made a frantic plea for help. She started to smile at him starting to laugh at him. “I’m glad I can trust you to save my taste buds….do you really think I ordered the hottest thing on the menu, Bruno?” she asked him.

“You told him that’s what you wanted!”

“Please. I come here all the time. I say I want that but they give me the mild stuff.” she explained to him.

“Damnit, Isela. You got me good. “ he responded hanging his head.

“Oh Bruno…you are too sensitive….”

**

Isela moved away from his kiss. If something is going to happen I’m not going to initiate it. He is. I’m not.

“Isela…” he touched her waist getting close to her.

“I don’t want to screw this up, Bru. I don’t want anything bad to happen. I want it to work. I want us to be…...”

“Just stop, Isela. Just stop. I’m not going to hurt you again. We pinkie promised. “ She laughed at the revelation.

I’m still not kissing him. He’s going to have to kiss me first. “I know we did. I know we did.” she responded. “Just fucking kiss me, Bruno. Just kiss me.” she finally asked.

He pressed his lips against hers after licking his lips. He pulled a handful of bobby pins out of her hair as he ran his fingers through her hair. She wrapped her arms around his neck careful not to lose the moment. He moved his hands up and down the side of her waist looking for the zipper of her dress. After fumbling for a few seconds he found it and started to unzip it. She didn’t stop him. After unzipping her dress he ran his fingers along arms as she started to kiss his neck. She stepped out of her dress pushing him toward the bedroom. He took her hand leading her toward her own bedroom. She stopped him in the middle of the living room to undo his loosely tied tie and to unbutton his shirt. She kissed his shoulders as his shirt came off. She wrapped her legs around him as he carried her into the bedroom. Never letting each other go, he laid her on the bed gently careful to kiss every inch of her. He spent extra time on her breasts and her stomach – he knew that made her crazy. She continued to run her fingers through his silky straight hair as he made sure she was satisfied. He felt her hips move as he moved his hands below her waist. “ohhhhh. Brunoooo….” He moved his hands to her hips to feel them as she pushed herself farther down in the bed to get closer to him. “Just do it, Bruno. Please. I need you. I need you so badly…” she whispered in his ear. They came together, with him kissing her deeply. She returned the kiss sighing heavily. He rolled off of her body onto the side of the bed. “Bruno….” she asked.

“Yeah?”

“You weren’t off one bit.”

“Bruno 1- Isela -0” he said kissing her cheek. He got up to get his clothes. She sat up covering herself.

“Why are you leaving, Bruno?” she asked him.

“I’m not baby. I’m not.” he said jumping in the bed after putting on his boxers. “I just don’t want you to see me all cold n shit.”

“Oh god. Shut up.” she punched his chest as he faced her wrapping his arms around her.

Chapter 16

Isela’s alarm went off at 6:15 in the morning. She jumped at the sound then blindly threw her arms around to turn it off. She hit Bruno in the face.

“Holy crap, that hurt.” he whined.

“I’m sorry!” she responded rubbing his nose to make sure he wasn’t hurt. She stepped over him running into the bathroom.

“Why are you working today?” he asked her over the running water.

“I don’t know…it’s just the way it is. Why are you leaving tomorrow?” she countered.

“It’s just the way it is.” he answered.

**

Fall 2006

Isela sat on the big cushy couch with books on one side of her and a coffee on the other. She had her headphones on dancing a little to the music that was playing. Even though he wasn’t signed, the guy kept a pretty high profile- recording and singing demos wasn’t that bad of a gig. And then there was the whole performing thing. It really was kind of hot. She watched as he walked out of the room with a big group of people. He had a piece of pizza in each hand.

“Here, here. You need to eat!” he told her over the music. She hit the pause button on her music, pulled out her headphones and held out her hand.

“You didn’t do anything to it did you?” she asked him.

“If snagging you the last two pieces of pizza this studio is going to see for months is something, then yeah. But no. I didn’t do anything to it…” he said pushing her books off to the side.

“Hey! I was saving that for something!” she joked.

“You’ll forgive me…” he joked watching her eat the pizza. “Oh…lookie lookie..we’re the only ones in the room.” he noticed looking around.

“That’s because everyone left, silly.” she told him.  He raised his eyebrows at her response.

“I’m not that sleazy, Bruno.” she explained to him. No, I really am. But he doesn’t need to know that quite yet.

“But we can change that…can’t we?” he asked her reaching over to put the pizza on a the plate on the table.

“I want you, Bruno…but not this way. Not now.” Isela looked down avoiding his eye contact. He was practically sitting on top of her confused by her statement. We were doing so well…what happened? What don’t I know about her? He made a sad face at her getting up from the couch.

“Fine. But you’re missing out.” he smiled at her seductively. Oh shit. I think I might have gotten her with that one…

“Sit down….you have to know something about me before…”

“You’re a dude?” he asked her inquisitively.

“Oh god! I was being serious. Sit down…” she patted the couch asking him to sit next to him. She moved her books and had him sit down next to her. She looked at him seriously. “Bruno…I…oh my god. I don’t even know…I just. I’ve slept with enough people that I ran out of fingers and toes to count on…and I don’t want this to just happen. I want it to mean something. Not just, hot studio sex. Whatever that means.”

“Isela….” he grabbed both her hands and looked at her without laughing. She hadn’t seen him that serious since the night they met.  She tried not to laugh at him. “I ran out of those a long time ago, Sel. We can run out of extras together.” 

“You don’t have to be nice to me.” she told him visibly upset at herself.

“You are amazing, Isela, just the way you are. “ he leaned in to comfort her with a light kiss.

“Thank you.” she responded.

**

“When do I get to see you again?” Isela asked him taking a coffee cup from the counter top.

“April.” he told her.

“I can do it.” she said kissing him over their coffee.

Chapter 17

June of that year

“Here is the sugar…” Isela handed Bruno’s mother the sugar that was sitting off to the side of his counter.

“Thank you, honey. Mix this up while I go get some other stuff…” Isela started to mix the food she had started for the family gathering. As she mixed she felt Bruno come up behind her sticking his finger in the mixture.

“That’s delish.” he said kissing her on the cheek running back out into the other room.

“God, Bruno. Could you have at least gotten all of it in your mouth?” she yelled at him wiping off some of the sweet goo off her cheek.

“It looked good on you..” he yelled at her as he sat down next to his nephew.

Three of Bruno’s four sisters came in after they heard her yell at him to help her.

“God, could he be any more obnoxious sometimes?” Tiarra sighed.

“Hey! That’s my….that you’re talking about!” Isela threw a bit of flour at Tiarra.

“Your what?” she questioned.

“My..I don’t know…”

Bernie returned to the room standing in between Isela and Tiarra.

“Isela, you have to talk to him.  You have to tell him to stop being a baby.” Bernie told her.

“A baby? What do you mean? He’s your son!” Isela was shocked.

“He is being a baby..” Jamie responded grabbing some chips from the table sitting down to talk to them.

“How? I don’t get it.” Isela was confused by what they were saying.

“Have you two officially said you’re dating each other?” Tiarra asked.

Isela stood there thinking for a few seconds. “No..but..we’re trying hard not to be the way we were before…”

“He needs to tell you you’re his girlfriend before you leave his house…” Jamie responded.

“How old are we? 10? Do I really need him to say that?” Isela asked still confused.

“With him, yes. He’s not a new mystery to you. You know him. You know he’s going to just going to push your buttons until you say something about it.”

**

After eating dinner with Bruno’s family she walked into the house with him while the rest of the family sat outside.  He took her hand lifting her up on the island in the kitchen. She grabbed a cookie, split it in half and gave him a piece. She bit into the other.

“I make good cookies.” she told him.

“You do.” he smiled at her.  Bruno put his hands on her thighs watching her bite the cookie. “I missed you so much…” he told her getting closer to her. He wanted to kiss her. But he knew it would lead to something else. This just wasn’t the time. The whole family is here.

“I missed you too.” she responded. “Hey…” she finally had the guts to say what his mother told her to.

“I know I’m sexy. You didn’t have to tell me hey.”

“What are we doing, Bruno? Are we going to fuck this up again?” she asked him seriously.

He looked at her in dismay. “What do you mean? I didn’t do anything wrong did I?” He moved away from her trying to figure out what he was talking about.

“I don’t know…” she looked down at her flip-flops.

“Isela! Tell me what’s wrong. We aren’t going to mess this up! I love you too much for anything to go wrong this time….” he hugged her kissing her hair. It was exactly what she needed. She just needed him. She needed him to be with her, just to hold her.

“I just need you.” she whispered to him.

“I need you too, “ he pulled away looking at the tears coming down her cheeks. He took his thumb and wiped the tear off her cheek. “It hurts doesn’t it?” he asked her. She nodded her head. “Don’t cry, baby. Please.” he pleaded with her.

“The hurt with us just doesn’t seem to stop…”

“But it’s so good!” he tried to make her laugh.

“Bruno! I’m being serious! Geez.” she punched him in the shoulder jumping down from the counter. She walked up to him staring him right in the eyes. “I need to know we have a future. I want to tell my friends that I have a boyfriend. I want to know where our future is headed. Did you know Addy had a baby a year ago? And Madeline is engaged? And that Caleb and Jenna are adopting a baby? Oh and forget Gretchen and Bobby. I haven’t spoken to them since their wedding…because I don’t go to their couples game night….” she tried to hold back but it all came out. “I need to know that I have a plus one at all these things. And now, I don’t know if you’re my plus one. “

“Isela…I’ll always be your plus one. Always and forever…if you’ll let me.” he told her.

“How do I know that?” she asked him.

“Isela why are you even asking me this? You’re acting crazy.”

“I don’t need you to come on TV and make-out with me. I just..I don’t know. I don’t know…” she started to walk away. “It’s dumb. Nevermind. I’m just over reacting.”

He grabbed her right before she walked outside. He pushed her hand away from the door wrapping his arms around her waist bringing her closer to him. He kissed her in front of everyone. He didn’t let go. Neither did she.

Presely cleared her throat standing by the door trying to get in the house.

“I gotta peee! Hurry up! You’re both going to run out of breath soon.” she said pushing Bruno out of the way.

“Tonight..” he told her squeezing her hand. “I’ll show you.