“Did you just threaten me?”
“Consider it more of a warning. Deal?”
“Okay. Deal. Sorry I blurted that out. I’m having a weird day. Or week. Or month.”
“Or life?” Rosa asks.
“Exactly,” I say.
“Do you need anything to help calm those thoughts of yours?”
“Not right now,” I say. “I do have a lot of questions for you, Rosa.”
“Can I give you some advice quick?”
“Sure,” I say.
“Sometimes knowing is the worst thing possible,” Rosa says. “Knowing things means you have this responsibility in your hand. Or on your back. Who the hell wants that? Right?”
“That’s a good point,” I say. “But what if it’s your destiny?”
“I know whatDSCis,” Rosa says with a smirk. “Which means I have an idea of who you are.”
“Then you realize why I sometimes need to ask questions.”
“It’s a habit, I get it,” Rosa says. “You know, I like you, Jaci. You have a… how do I say this the right way? You have a street vibe to yourself.”
“Like I’m a prostitute?”
Rosa snorts and laughs. “I knew you were going to say that. That’s not what I mean.”
“I know. I’m just kidding. I grew up very different than life here.”
“Street life.”
“Yeah,” I say. “I mean, I had a place to live. It wasn’t much.”
“Describe it.”
“Sometimes we had no power. Or water. Or hot water. The roof would leak if it rained too hard. The woman who raised me isn’t my family. But she did raise me. We had a joke.” I smile. “I pretended she was a nurse. She was a stripper.”
“Are you ashamed of that?” Rosa asks. “Do you judge someone who is a stripper?”
“No,” I say. “Never. That’s not who I am. Oh, shit. I just fucked up bad, didn’t I? Are you…”
Rosa lifts her left eyebrow. “Am I what?”
“You know.”
“No. I don’t know. What are you asking me?”
I pick up on Rosa’s attitude now.
Just like how she threatened me a minute ago.
She might be nice when she wants, but she’s obviously into a dark part of life.
Dealingzazas. Probably much more than that too.