Chapter 24: Rata

"I think you should have sex with him."

Letty nearly choked on her beer. "What the hell?"

"I'm just saying." Gisele replied, chewing on popcorn. "He's cute. He treats you right. You two are clearly working towards something more."

"So, I should just toss my panties at him?"

"God, no. Have you seen those muscles? Let him tear them off!"

"You're sick." Letty laughed.

"Just think about it."

"There's nothing to think about. He's my coworker and most of the times, it's like he's my boss. It would make things weird if it didn't work out."

"Right there! That's it." Gisele pointed at Letty, accusingly.

"What?"

"That's your problem. You end things before they even begin."

"You've known me for all of three weeks and you're suddenly profiling me?"

"If I don't psychoanalyze you, who will?"

Letty just shook her head. "I'm not sleeping with him."

"Yet."

"Just watch the damn movie."

"Can't." Gisele said, struggling theatrically to sit up on the couch. "I have to get ready for the game. You coming?"

"Probably not the best idea."

"But I'll see you at the Waffle House afterwards, right?"

Letty opened her mouth respond, but Gisele cut her off. "You'll be there."

They'd only known each other for three weeks but Letty knew not to argue with the Israeli woman. Instead, she just raised her hands in surrender.

"Fine."

While the Lancers had lost their game, the crowd at the Waffle House was still rowdy. The dance team never let the players feel bad about their performance. In fact, Coach Riley made sure the girls knew that their job, second to entertaining the crowd, was to keep the team's morale up. Letty and Nico entered the establishment and Mia was the first to spot them.

"Letty! Nico! Over here." She waved them over and made room in the booth for one of them. Nico made it his mission to beat his sister to the spot. Letty rolled her eyes, but walked to the table behind him. Dom pulled over a spare chair from an empty table, and Letty thanked him while simultaneously avoiding his gaze.

"Did you see the game?" Mia asked Letty.

"No. I was in the gym." Letty lied. She'd watched the game on television, she'd be lying if she said she hadn't missed the adrenaline of watching the game in the arena common room. But she was never going to admit that to the girls around her.

"Aw, it was a good game. The guys gave one-hundred percent."

"Good, I'm glad."

"Oh! You have to meet Gisele."

"Yes, you must." Gisele interjected after hearing her name. She held out her hand and shook Letty's. "Gisele. The girls call me G, so I guess you can, too." She gave a nonchalant shrug. "Pleasure."

Letty smirked, shaking her head. "Pleasure's all mine."

She threw a furtive glance over at Dom and noticed him trying to hide a grin.

"So, Letty, we were just talking about vacations. The season ends in a couple of months, if the guys don't make the playoffs. What do you think of Miami?"

Letty scrunched up her nose. "Miami's not really a vacation. What about Dominican Republic?"

"Dom suggested that!" Rosa replied. "I think the DR would be such a good time."

"I've never been." Mia added.

"We've been a few times on family vacations. I've never been with friends."

"My dad has a travel agent, maybe we can get a group rate deal." Mia informed them. "Letty you should come. We miss you."

"Oh, I can't leave the state. Charges and all."

The entire table got quiet.

"That was a joke. Sheesh, tough crowd." Letty teased. Immediate relief flooded across everyone's face and they shared a laugh.

"Letty, I'm sorry you're going through this bullshit." Rosa said, reaching across the table to rub Letty's forearm.

"Yeah, we all are." Mia said, looking around the table, watching as everyone else nodded in agreement. "If it's any consolation, we went to Director O'Connor and told him what we witnessed."

"I appreciate that, guys."

"So, right now it's our word against hers?"

"Well, her and her minions." Letty shrugged.

"I feel like I haven't gotten the full story, just whispers here and there." Gisele gossiped. Letty rolled her eyes over to Dom who held back a chuckle.

"Long story short, Letty had to check Elena."

"Oh, was that what the whole-?" She trailed off and instead gestured to her cheek.

"Yup," Rosa confirmed proudly, "that was Letty's handiwork."

"I'm not proud of it and I don't condone women tearing down, but if someone attacks me, I'm going to defend myself."

Nods of agreement went around the table before Dom spoke next.

"When you put positivity out, you get it back. The day of reckoning is coming, and you'll have vindication. Just keep being positive."

No one saw him reach for Letty's hand under the table. And absolutely no one saw her squeeze his.

DT's Auto Garage, Sunday, 3:45PM

"I thought I'd find you here." Tony announced himself. Dom looked up from the hood of a car.

"Ain't I always?"

"When there's something on your mind."

The last thing Dom wanted was a heart-to-heart. There were so many thoughts swirling around his head, and he couldn't make sense of any of them.

"Come on. Spill it."

Dom sighed and grabbed a rag to wipe his hands off. "I don't know, Dad. Do you think I'm crazy for pursuing something with Letty after barely leaving Elena?"

"Do you think you're crazy?"

"A little. I know what our potential relationship could affect so many people, but it's like—." Dom lifted his hands as he searched for the right words.

"Like you can't help it?"

"Exactly!"

"Did I ever tell you how I met your mamí?"

Dom shook his head. "I always assumed you met in school."

"We did." Tony clarified. "But she was already seeing someone."

Dom's brows went up and he leaned against the car, waiting for more.

"Ricky Hernandez, the homecoming king of our senior year. He was a piece of shit, really. Treated your mom like she was replaceable. Anyway, me and mamí were friends and then it became something more. Her parents loved me, her friends loved me, but most importantly, she was falling in love with me. She blamed herself the first time we kissed. But her mom, your abuela told her to choose me. 'If you truly loved Ricky, your heart wouldn't have chosen Tony', she said."

"So, it's okay to choose Letty?"

"It will be." Tony leaned against the car beside his son. "What you and Letty have is so organic. It's naturally occurring, and snowballing into something that is so much greater than either of you can even comprehend."

"You make it sound like we're soulmates or something."

Tony simply shrugged. "Who says you're not?" He patted Dom on the back and pushed off of the car. "I'll leave you to it, mijo."

"Thanks, Dad."

"It's what I'm here more." Tony called over his shoulder.