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  “Yeah, it’s a 1968 y tiene cojones,” said the stranger, looking at the mystery girl who had just given him the kiss of his lifetime.

  Celina waved, smiling a sexy smile at him as she drove passed him.

  “Nice ride, and who would’ve thought a girl would drive a muscle car like that? It’s just too much horsepower for a chica. Did you hear the engine, ese?”

  “A muscle car driven by a very interesting woman… but who is she, dude? I need to find her,” he said, looking down the street. He was hoping she would turn around, but her tail lights disappeared into the darkness of the night.

  “Did you see the license plate numbers?” asked the cousin, with great interest.

  “No, I was too busy looking at her. Man, she’s beautiful,” he muttered, standing with his hands on his hips, in a complete daze and breathing hard. She caught me off guard and left me with a woody behind my zipper. I have never had to run with a hard-on before. She excited me… is it the fact that I haven't been with a woman in months? Or is this woman special? I need to find out, I want more of her.

  “Don’t worry, with a car like that, she won’t be hard to find.” Assured the cousin, vowing to himself to find her.

  Chapter 4

  The call

  Celina was racing toward the expressway, heading back home to Laredo.

  “What a rush, Celina! Shit, my heart is still beating a hundred miles an hour.” Valeria sat back in the bucket seat with her hand on her chest, breathing hard. “Your dad sure taught you how to drive this car. Black Thunder was awesome.”

  Celina giggled. “It sure was fun driving Black Thunder like that today.”

  “Honey, it was something like from a TV show.” She began to laugh loud, followed by some coughing.

  “I can smell his cologne on me from where he hugged me so tight,” she inhaled his scent, fluttering her eyelids. “Oh, and the kiss Valeria, was unbelievable. He kissed me back, and hard. Girl, I will never forget this night.”

  “Oh, I know so, and neither will I. Say, let me call my brother just to tell him that we are going to be driving in late. You know, just in case something happens to us on the road,” she said, dialing the number on her cell phone.

  Celina nodded. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, but I think he's going to be pissed.”

  Celina drove with a smile on her face that stretched across the state of Texas. She didn't even know the man she had just kissed, yet there was something about him. The truth was, she had never had such an immediate attraction to any other man before, not even her ex-boyfriend, the crazy psycho that held her hostage a few years ago.

  Seconds later, Valeria was on the phone with her older and only brother. “Hey, Xavier, sorry to wake you.” She spoke loudly into the cell phone.

  “You didn't wake me. I'm finishing up a raid,” he spoke above the people shouting in the background.

  “A raid?”

  “Yes, we've done two today on the eight-liners. They were being used by the drug cartel to launder money.” A loud crash came from behind him. “Take it easy, guys!” He shouted at them.

  “Oh, those maquitas. Yeah, we have some customers that play those slots daily. I don't know where they get the money; some of them are on food stamps.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean, but are you okay?” he asked, with a concerned voice.

  “Oh, yes we’re just fine.”

  “We? Who are you with? Are you with Celina?” he shouted, over a woman who was screaming as she was being arrested by an officer.

  “Yes, and I wanted to let you know that we are driving back from McAllen.”

  “What? You mean you are just driving in at this time of night? Why didn’t you guys stay at a hotel? Valeria, you do know it’s a three-hour drive or so from there….” Valeria smiled at Celina, shaking her hand in the air, letting her know that her brother was mad.

  “Well, it got late with the hair show, and I don’t want to get into it, because it’s a long story. I just wanted to let you know that we are on the road and that if something happens, I’ll be calling you, so please answer your phone.”

  “Shit, Valeria, for God sakes be careful. What else can I say? You’ve always been hardheaded. Are you in Celina’s car or in your Jeep?”

  “No, not my Jeep, we’re in her car.”

  “Okay, does Celina have her gun with her?”

  “Stupid question, brother, you know she carries that .38 with her everywhere she goes. She never lets Hey Joe, out of her sight.”

  Actually, Celina's father had given her that Smith and Wesson .38 Special, for her twenty-first birthday.

  “Who the hell is Joe?” Xavier’s voice shook in anger.

  Valeria laughed, “Sorry, I thought I had told you. When we say Hey Joe, it’s a secret code word for, get the gun. Like saying, ‘I’m in trouble, get the gun.’ You know -- a distress signal that we have between us.”

  “You girls are gonna drive me insane one day. Be careful, and don’t stop for nobody, not even if you have car trouble, don't stop anyone for help. At this time of night, there’s nothing but drug smugglers on the road in that area.”

  “Okay, Xavier, I love you brother dear, and…” she got cut off by him.

  “Val.”

  “Yes. Well what is it?” She asked, after waiting for him to speak.

  “I was going to call you earlier, but got busy with these raids. But I need to talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Okay.”

  “Valeria, it's important. Okay?”

  There was concern in his voice that made Valeria wonder what it was. “Okay. I’ll talk to you later.” She hit the ‘end’ button.

  “He was mad, right?” asked Celina, wrinkling her forehead and narrowing her eyes. She knew Xavier…he was always on the lookout for both of them, ever since high school.

  “Yeah, he gave me the lecture,” she said, putting her phone back in her purse.

  “I'm sorry Val.”

  “Oh, don't worry. He'll get over it.” She threw her hand in air, snapping it at the wrist.

  “No, not about Xavier getting mad, but because we had to leave.”

  “Oh, about that. Well, it was a nice club, just like those girls had said and all,” she muttered, looking straight out the windshield.

  “I promise. I'll make it up to you.” Celina's gaze shifted back to the road, with at least two hundred more miles to go.

  Celina did agree that the club was nice, nice enough, to go again soon and stay until closing. She loved rock music and even better, if it was classic, being that she had grown up listening to only that with her dad. Many of those songs had special memories of them together, since she had been daddy's only little girl. Her mother had died the night Celina was born and her father never re-married. He did his best in raising her until he died two years ago.

  “Girl, they’re playing our song, “Hey Joe.”” Valeria turned up the volume to the radio. “Jimmy Hendrix, we love you, baby,” she screamed.

  Celina laughed as Valeria’s voice echoed in the car. She then began to sing loudly with Valeria, “Where you goin'?”

  Valeria was Celina’s best friend since grade school and was also her business partner at the hair salon they owned. They were inseparable, knew each other's secrets, and thought of themselves as sisters.

  Chapter 5

  At the salon

  The hair stylists at the salon looked forward to Men in Uniform days. These haircuts were offered at fifty percent off on Fridays for police officers, and on Saturdays for firefighters, who came dressed in their uniforms. The girls not only did it as a tax write-off under charity, but it was also to take advantage of meeting some sexy hunks.

  In the end, it worked out well. The stylists weren't losing any money; instead they were bringing in more customers and making even more money. The norm for a man's haircut at their salon was twenty-five dollars, and at half off, came down to twelve dollars and fifty cents, which was now like the other hair salons, plus adding a five-
dollar tip, came back up to seventeen fifty. And, how much shampoo and conditioner could you use on a man? Not much, less than a dime size, but the feel of massaging a man's head with wet and soapy fingers was priceless. They might have taken their time with the hair wash, but they moved quickly with the cut, and before you knew it, another sexy man was sitting in that chair thirty minutes later.

  Valeria had finished up with her last morning appointment and was escorting a firefighter out to the front counter, “Lieutenant Lopez, thank you for letting us service you again,” she said, flashing a big smile.

  “The pleasure is all mine,” he paid up front and left.

  Valeria kept her eye on his butt until he stepped out the front door. Nice ass. I'd love to see his butt cheeks squeezing over my mirrored ceiling while making love to me. Ay, Dios mio! She then walked to the counter and peeked over. “Marivel, what’s my schedule look like for this afternoon?”

  “Well, you had a cancelation and I re-scheduled your last appointment for tomorrow.”

  “Wonderful,” she looked, up at the ceiling thankful to God, because she wasn't in the mood to work, after several days of nothing but fun and sun at the hair show.

  “Listen…sshh, I think the other boss is here.” Marivel frowned, demanding silence.

  “You see her coming?” Valeria turned to look out the window wasting no time.

  Marivel laughed, “No, but I know these things, because I hear her car.”

  “Oh, that makes sense. Okay, get on the intercom and tell the girls to come to the front, because Celina’s here. And I’ll get the song ready.”

  The girls began running around the hair salon, giggling and clearing their throats. They gathered up front ready to sing.

  “Okay, here she comes, turn the song on, Valeria,” said Marivel, peeking out the window, watching Celina walk on the sidewalk, swinging her purse.

  The girls began singing the song, “Kiss Me,” by Sixpence None The Richer. Celina opened the door, just in time for the chorus, and stood watching the girls sing loudly.

  “Oh, kiss me ...”

  “Are you guys serious!” screamed Celina. “Valeria, what did you tell everyone?” she asked, laughing with her face flushed of color on her cheeks.

  Valeria came around Celina, threw her arm over Celina's shoulders, and continued singing with the girls while escorting Celina to the center of the room, for the rest of the serenade. Celina shook her head as they finished singing.

  “Hey Boss, we heard the story, how exciting. Next time, I want to go with y’all,” said Priscilla, walking back to her station, giving her a wink. “Gotta go, I got me a hunk at my station waiting for me.”

  “Marivel, I want you to play that song on the hour all day today. You hear me?” said Valeria, waving her hand in front of her, walking to the back office with Celina.

  “Yes, ma’am,” replied Marivel, with a salute.

  Some uniformed men sitting in the waiting area, were laughing and clapping after the girls had finished singing.

  Both Celina and Valeria walked in the back office. “Hey, Val, I’m so sorry I slept in late.”

  “That’s okay. I didn’t want to wake you, when I left. After all, I slept most of the way while you drove us home last night.”

  “Some night last night, huh?” said Celina, putting her oversized Guess purse away with a big smile.

  “Yeah, it sure was,” said Valeria, sitting down on a huge leather chair, feeling as lazy as ever.

  “The whole drive, I just kept thinking about that guy and that kiss. He's the one that got us home, because I just couldn't stop thinking about him. He was, he was, so gorgeous, and his hold was strong,” she said, with her eyes closed. She then threw her head back. “I think I love him.”

  “Oh, please woman. Cut that nonsense out.”

  She giggled. “I know, but I could love him.” She flashed her teeth. “By the way…cute song and great surprise.”

  “You liked it?” Her owl eyes opened wide.

  “Yes, and you know something? I’ve been thinking, how this doomsday list is coming along, and how I’m enjoying it. Who knows what’s going to happen at the end of 2012, but the trip to New York two weeks ago was fabulous. And Disney World last month was also another memorable trip, and last night was exhilarating. Not just the kiss, but the way we ran out and sped away.”

  “Yeah, I know. I was telling the girls all about it. Now they are all doing their own doomsday lists. I think we started something here.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

  “Well, I want to continue with it, and who knows? I might think about something else to add to the list as I come to the end of checking everything off. So I was wondering,” she paused, and flashed her teeth, “if you could help me with my next wish.”

  Valeria was so happy, that Celina was coming around. Celina had been completely broken for a whole year after that son-of-a-bitch Homer, had kidnapped her. Valeria thought, that Celina had lost her mind. The kidnapping happened within just a few months after her dad passed away. That psychopath had held her in the nude for two days at his apartment. He had his way with her until they found her and rescued her. That was almost a year and a half ago, but it seemed as if it happened just yesterday.

  “Sure, name it. What is it?” Valeria sat back in the chair chewing her gum, popping it loudly, while waiting for Celina to speak.

  Celina walked over to get her white coat with her name monogrammed in black thick stitching, stopped and said, in a low voice, “Well, I was wondering if you could ask your brother, Xavier.”

  “Xavier is on your list?” she asked with a laugh. “What is it? Let me guess… you want to go with him on a special undercover operation?” She then slapped her hand on her lap, as if she had guessed Celina's next wish.

  “No, not him, with his job... I don't know how to explain it, but… I don’t want any commitments, so I thought of him.”

  “Okay, no commitments, but one day I do hope you find yourself a nice man.”

  “We'll see.” She put the coat on, avoiding eye contact.

  “Cel, hurry! Which wish on the list are you talking about?” She leaned forward, getting ready to stand up. “I got me a hunk in the front waiting for me. I wasn’t going to take any more, but -- oh what the hell, after singing that song. I told Marivel that this guy would be my last.”

  Celina’s sexual experiences hadn’t been as exhilarating as conversations she had overheard amongst the girls at the salon. Having sex with well hunk guys and been one of the topics that had piqued Celina’s interest. Celina turned around to face her and rapidly said in one breath, “You know, the one to sleep with a large man, not a fat one, but a big guy you know… really well hung.”

  Valeria fell back into the chair, put her hand over her eyes, and rested her elbow on the armchair, shaking her head. “I can’t believe I’m hearing this. Do you know how embarrassing this is to hear you talking about my brother like this?”

  “I know and believe me, it’s embarrassing to ask you, but when am I going to find a guy with a big one? There is no such thing as a lineup that I can pick from and say, ‘Hey, you number six, the one with the big dick, come over here, close that door and fuck me!’ And I don’t want a relationship, so Xavier would be perfect… I know him, and he wouldn't hurt me. You know what I mean.”

  “Uh, hello… you do know he’s married…”

  “I know, but he doesn't look like he's happy, either. We even talked about that last week, when he came by so you could cut his hair. It's like -- there's something going on there. Or, let me rephrase it, nothing going on.”

  “Okay, I know! You don't have to say any more.” Valeria shook her head, and a smile threatened to spill from her lips.

  “Anyway, he’s got somebody regardless, happy or not, and it’s just going to be for pure sex, nothing else.”

  “And just how do you know that my brother has a big one?” She looked directly into her eyes, holding back her laugher.

  “Val, this is
a small town, and at least back when we were in school, the girls talked. His nickname was, El Toro, the bull. Hello, what do you think they meant?”

  “Okay, okay! I don’t want to talk about that anymore.” She shook both hands in the air, and her upper arms jiggled like Jell-O.

  “So you’ll ask him?” She held her breath and waited. And waited.

  Valeria took a deep breath and blinked. “Okay, I will, but over the phone. I can’t ask him in person because that’s too much, girl.”

  “Oh, thank you, Valeria!” Celina went over and gave her a hug.

  “Alright, that’s enough.” she said, pushing her away. “I also, want to let you know, I’m leaving early today so I can get ready for my parents’ anniversary party at the ranch tonight. You are coming, aren’t you?” She looked at her to confirm.

  “Of course, right after I lock up and get dressed.”

  “Okay, listen, I’ve got somebody waiting, so I need to get going. See you tonight.” Valeria got up and left the office.

  Chapter 6

  The party

  “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Soto,” she said to Valeria’s parents, who were at the front line receiving their guests.

  “Celina, mija, how are you?” asked Mr. Soto, who was wearing a Stetson cowboy hat and a black western bow tie, tucked under his crisp white collar. He walked over to hug her.

  “Happy thirtieth anniversary,” she said, giving him a kiss on his cheek.

  “Celina! How are you, mija?” asked Mrs. Soto, giving her a big hug and a kiss on her cheek. She too, was wearing a white shirt, denim skirt, and black tooled-leather belt to match her black boots. Her once-black hair was now dark silver. Valeria had styled it to frame her face and add touch of youthfulness to it.

  Celina’s brows lifted as she accepted Mrs. Soto’s light kiss to her cheek. “Oh, doing fine. You look very nice tonight.” Celina flashed a big smile.

  “Oh, why thank you, sweetie.” Her dark brown eyes sparkled with warmth.

  “I hope I’m not late, but I had to close the salon today.” She sighed.