Total pages in book: 181
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
“What’s your deal with Mexican food?” she asked, shoving her straw into the hole of the soda cup.
“I have nothing against Mexican food,” he corrected her. “But Taco Bell isn’t Mexican food.” He wasn’t even sure it was food.
It was clear she didn’t totally disagree and stood corrected. “Okay, what’s your deal with Taco Bell?”
“My deal with them is they put out ‘new’”—he said the last word loosely and in air quotes—“food items every month, but they all literally taste the same; they just layer it differently.”
She looked dumbfounded. “Holy shit, I think you’re right.”
Despite her mind being blown, she proceeded to open the bag and take out a taco. “So, you have eaten Taco Bell before.”
“Many times,” he said rather sadly, wanting to vomit at the memory that flooded his mind. The only good thing about it was the prices. At least back in the day.
Hearing the paper crinkling brought him back to the present. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Valerie opened her Dorito taco with no remorse. “Eating.”
“You better n—” He couldn’t even finish his sentence as he watched her take a huge bite, causing some of the lettuce and taco shell to spill everywhere. “You didn’t.”
“Oh, I did and am,” she confirmed with another bite. “I was in that jail cell, eating slop and thinking about what you said for days. So, I’m going to enjoy this.”
Sal gripped the steering wheel in a death grip. His suit wasn’t going to be the only thing needing to be cleaned. He was going to be lucky if blood didn’t need to be cleaned out of his car.
Out of all the ways she could pay him back for what he did, this was quite possibly Sal’s worst fucking nightmare.
“You want a bite?” she asked, holding out the taco and sending more lettuce flying.
Sal’s knuckles turned white. “I’m good, thanks.”
“Suit yourself,” Valerie said, moving on to the next taco.
By the time she had finished the second taco, her fries, and her pizza, Sal thought he was going to be sick. Not only was his car covered in crumbs, lettuce, and diced tomatoes, but so was he.
She sucked on the straw of her drink until it gurgled dry. “How’d you know I got out, anyway?”
“Officer Daniels told me.”
“Oh, he did?”
He didn’t. But she didn’t need to know that.
Nodding, he wasn’t sure she bought it but thought she must’ve when she continued her questioning.
“You going to tell me why you did it?”
He took his eyes off the road to look over at her. “Did what?”
“Make it seem like I was the hacker by giving Officer Daniels that statement.” Her words came out annoyed.
“Do you really need to ask that?” Sal gave her an incredulous look, having to take his eyes off the road again, knowing she wasn’t dumb in the slightest. Valerie was simply just annoying.
“I suppose not,” she agreed, knowing she had gotten under his skin. “And do you think I am the hacker?”
Sal shook his head as he answered honestly, “No.”
“Why not?”
If he didn’t know any better, he’d think she was almost offended, but Sal knew before he had gotten a hold of her computer that she was innocent.
Smiling with satisfaction at the memory of her thrashing around the back of the cop car, he couldn’t help himself. “Sweetheart, you’d have to be framed to have caused a scene like that.”
NINE
G-O-O-D-N-I-G-H-T
Taking a ride from Salvatore Lastra was to her benefit. It made her able to eat food faster and brought her home quicker than waiting on a bus for an hour. It also gave her a chance to fuck with Sal for a bit and pay him back for what he had done to her.
Now that he had just pulled into her driveway, it was over, and she hoped to never have the pleasure of being in his presence again.
“Bye!”
Throwing herself out of his car, she went to her precious home, not even bothering to take her trash with her. However, that might’ve been her mistake as Sal chased after her.
“Hey, wait,” he said, grabbing her bag of empty, smelly wrappings and drink from his car.
Valerie didn’t bother looking back; she went to her front door but found it strangely locked. She lifted the well-used welcome mat she had bought from Goodwill. “You have a trash can at your place, I’m sure. Good day.”
Not taking the hint, Sal watched her pull the key to her front door from under her mat, appalled. “Christ, Valerie, you’re a single woman living alone; why don’t you just place the key above the welcome mat next time?”
“First of all, like you really care about my safety.” She gave him a scolding look, wanting to shove the sharp metal object right up his ass. “That’s real rich coming from you, considering you let me rot in prison over the weekend. And secondly, I have a boyfriend, thank you very much, and he’s big. Huge.” She started sliding her key into the hole. She was almost home sweet home. “So, if you don’t mind, I’d like you to leave me the fuck alone before I get my boyfriend to beat the shit out of you.”