Page 76 of Tito

Reggie

Shocked by Tito’s statement, Mel’s eyes bulged in disbelief. “He didn’t leave a note, or anything? He just left?”

“Considering the blood loss, I’m guessing he wasn’t in a very talkative mood,” Tito said with a laugh. “He was probably in a hurry to get his head wrapped with some gauze. From what you said, you smacked him pretty good. I’m guessing he was a little embarrassed, too.”

“He looked dead,” Mel said.

“I’m sure he did.” Tito poured a cup of coffee. He faced Mel and took a sip. “Unconscious and covered in blood is a close resemblance of death.”

Mel glanced in her coffee cup, and then looked at Tito. She let out a sigh. “Everything’s cleaned up? No blood on my floor or anything?”

“As good as brand new,” Tito assured her.

I feared the three of us would be conspirators in a murder charge. Furthermore, I was sure Mel wouldn’t be able to keep her mouth shut regarding what happened. A huge gossip and an open book when alcohol is added, Mel’s ability to keep a secret was nil. Thankful that the man in question was alive—and gone—I released a mental sigh of relief.

Mel stood and turned toward the coffee pot. “I can’t believe you got everything cleaned up. Thank you.”

Tito sauntered past her. He leaned over and kissed me before taking his seat. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“Not that bad?” She coughed in opposition. “There was blood everywhere.”

“I’m sure it seemed bad to you. It really wasn’t,” he claimed. “We drove around for a few hours trying to find cleaning products. It was five in the morning or so before we got the things we needed. By that time, Goose was hungry, so we stopped at IHOP for breakfast. I bet we didn’t spend an hour cleaning up.”

Mel poured a cup of coffee and took her seat beside me. “Well, I’m glad he’s gone, and I’m glad there’s not a mess. That guy was creepy as fuck.”

Tito looked up from his cup of coffee. “Who was he?”

“I don’t know,” Mel replied. “Some weirdo from the bar.”

I looked at her like she was nuts. “You need to stop dragging those creeps out of the bar. One of these days you’re going to get hurt. Or killed.”

“Believe me.” She raised her cup of coffee in toast. “I’m done.”

I scowled. “I sure hope so.”

“You didn’t know him?” Tito asked, seeming surprised by Mel’s claim. “He was just some random guy from the bar?”

Mel leveled her eyes at Tito. “Don’t you start in on me, too. I don’t want to hear it.”

He raised his hands in mock surrender. “I was just asking.”

“No,” she responded in a snide tone. “I didn’t know him. He bought me a drink. All I know was that his name was Griff or Biff or something. Fuck, I don’t remember.”

“I was just wondering if there was a possibility of you running into him again.” Tito sipped his coffee. “Might be awkward.”

Mel shook her head. “I’m never going back to that bar again I can tell you that much. That guy was gross. He asked me if he could take a dump on my chest.”

“What?!” I turned to face her. “You didn’t tell me that.”

“I just thought of it. He started talking about it on the way to my house. Just, like, oh, I’ve got some friends that like to shit on girl’s chests. I said that’s fucking gross. He said it wasn’t a big deal, and that some guys get off on it. I said, Some guys? Like you? He just shrugged and gave me this weird look, like, are you sure you think it’s gross? He was nasty.”

I gave her a look. “What’s really gross is that after all that, you took him in your house.”

“Yeah. That should have been my first clue,” she said. “Note to self. If your date wants to take a shit between your tits, prepare for a bad night.”

“I wonder about you, sometimes,” I said.

“I wonder about me, too,” she admitted. “I’ve had a string of bad luck when it comes to men.”

I rolled my eyes. “Luck has nothing to do with it. You make bad decisions.”

She glared at each of us. “I feel like I’m being attacked. Again. The only difference is that you two don’t have knives at my throat. Give it a rest.”

Regardless of how she got into the predicament she was in she didn’t deserve to have a knife held to her throat. She needed to learn from her mistakes and move forward. Being verbally attacked by Tito and me wasn’t doing her any good.

“I won’t say another word,” I said. “I’m sure you learned your lesson.”

Tito pinched his index finger and thumb together and zipped his lips closed.

Mel finished her cup of coffee in one gulp and then stood. “I’m just glad it wasn’t a murder scene. The last thing I need is your dad coming after me. That guy’s relentless.”

“True. He’s like a Mountie. He always gets his man.” I raised my brows. “Or woman.”