After they hung up, Lola turned and saw Mauricio crackin’ up.
“Why are you laughin’?” asked Lola.
“Dats my boy!!!” said Mauricio proudly.
“Shut up,” she said playfully hitting him and laughing with him.
“Naw that’s cool, though. She seems pretty straight. Better than the one he’s dealing with now.”
“She is. She’s good people,” said Lola defending her friend.
“Well, I’m sure I’ll hear all about it. He’s comin’ over in a little bit to do some work.”
While Lola got up to use the bathroom, Mauricio went to the kitchen. He went to make them some protein shakes.
They sat in the solarium and talked.
“So, when do you go back to work?” he asked.
“I don’t,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“Yesterday was my last day.”
“Why? Did you get fired?”
“No. It’s just time I follow my dreams. And I don’t feel that I have to run anymore.”
“Run from what?”
When Lola’s mother passed away, it was very hard on her. She couldn’t handle being in Miami all the time. It was a constant reminder of who she had just lost. And she knew she didn’t want to move permanently. So, she became a flight attendant. At the time, it was the only way she knew how to escape her pain. It afforded her the opportunity to travel, allowing the distance to heal her and be distracted with work.
“So, you’re gonna work for yourself now?” he questioned.
“Yep. Blair and I are working on several projects.”
“That’s cool.” Mauricio got up to put their glasses in the sink. “So, whatchu doin’ today?”
“Not much. But there is something I want to ask you.”
“What’s up?”
“Will you be my date tonight?”
“To what?”
“Date night.”
“What’s that?” asked Mauricio.
Lola explained what it was, who all attends and how they dressed. He was surprised to hear how they go all out just for dinner.
He walked up to her and said, “I’d love to be your date” and kissed her on the lips.
“There’s just a tiny catch though,” she said scared of his response.
“What?”
“The newbie pays for everyone?”
“Ok,” he said with no hesitation.
“Cool,” she said relieved he didn’t argue or put up a fight. “So, can you please take me home now?”
“Well, just take my truck. Then, come back for me later. Wyatt should be here soon.”
She couldn’t believe the words that had just come from his mouth.
“Are you feeling ok?” she asked a little concerned.
“Yeah. Why?”
“You’re letting me take the Rover? THE ROVER!”
“Yeah. Why? You don’t know how to drive or somethin’?”
“It’s not that. It’s just after what you told me last night about how you get with your cars, I’m surprised you’d let me take it.”
“Well . . . I think you’re cool and you seem trustworthy,” he said hugging her. “Besides, I know you can afford my shit if something happens to it,” he said laughing.
She laughed and hit him on his arm. “That’s the real reason.”
Lola changed and gathered her things. Mauricio walked her down to the garage.
“Baby, put your number in my phone,” he said.
“Damn, that’s right! We never exchanged numbers.”
“No we didn’t.”
“So, what name should I use?” she asked messing with him.
“What?!? Girl, don’t play with me,” he said scrunching his forehead.
“I was just asking.”
“Where’s your phone?”
She gave him her phone. He saved his number in it.
Afterwards, she scrolled through the M’s looking for his name. She couldn’t find him.
“What name did you put your number under?” she asked.
“Big Daddy,” he said with the cheesiest smile.
She burst out laughing.
“And don’t change it either,” he told her.
“I won’t,” she said shaking her head. “But I don’t know that.”
“You will tonight. I promise.”
He kissed her before she left.
Chapter 8
About Mauricio
Mauricio Hernandez is this beautiful Cuban and Dominican man that was born and raised in New York. His father is Cuban: born in Spain, but raised in New York. His mother is Dominican: born and raised in the Dominican Republic. She came to New York as a young adult.
Aside from his tanned complexion and hazel eyes, he stands 6’1” tall with brown hair worn in a blowout with curls on top. He is 28 years old and the oldest of two siblings. He is also a health fanatic and takes really good care of himself.
Mauricio is a confident man and sometimes a know-it-all. He also comes across as a little cocky and arrogant at times. But for the most part, he is laid back, has an outgoing personality and is always the life of a party. He is known by many and loved by all.
But there is one thing that will make him mad to every extreme . . . his money.
He is serious about his cash. He legally hustles for it, doesn’t like sharing it and has a lot of it. He doesn’t spend it frivolously and believes simple is the best way to live.
He will, however, spend money on the things he likes, for example his toys. He has a white Range Rover Sport supercharged with a sunroof, a metallic black Bentley Continental Sport Coupe and a black BMW S1000 RR superbike.
He also loves to dress and travel. In his line of work, traveling is a must. But looking good leaves more of a lasting impression.
When he graduated from high school, Mauricio left New York and went to college in Miami. There, his two loves collided: making money and partying. He started throwing parties with his friends for that dinero. In the beginning, it wasn’t a real money maker. But by his senior year, he became known as the man on campus. Not only could he throw one hell of a party, but it got to a point he would rent out small clubs and spaces for events. He kept expanding and pushing himself. The more parties he did, the more in demand he became.
After college, he naturally started promoting clubs. He knew how to draw a crowd and was plugged into all the major party scenes. He grew to have a serious reputation that preceded him.
He