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This was the last place Beth thought she’d be on a Saturday night.
”Oh, and, they’re gonna wanna meet you,”
Then his text,
gotta pretend we’re together, k?
Hearing a voice snapped her back into reality.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Beth,” she was shorter than Rio, but she could see it. They both had the same smile. “We’ve heard so much about you.”
“My grandma,” Rio said, placing a hand on her back, a signal to tell her to not be as tense.
“Please, just call me Rosa,” Beth offered a smile, and before she could respond, Marcus came running by. Rio stopped him, placing a hand on his head.
“What I tell you ‘bout running around before dinner?” he asked him, watching as the boy dropped his shoulders.
“To not do it,” he said in a monotone voice. He turned to see Beth, and his face lit up, “is Jane here?”
“Sorry bud, she’s at home,” Rosa made a face, trying to connect how Marcus knew her kids.
“So the kids know each other?” she asked after Marcus (walked) to where his cousins were.
“They play on the same soccer team,” Beth said, receiving a nod in response.
“Yeah, been a year or so now,” Rio added.
“I’m guessing that’s how you two met?” Rosa asked, everyone around them starting to sit at the tables.
“Somethin’ like that,” he replied, turning so he could smile towards Beth.
It was going to be a long night.
-
"So how do you know my uncle?" Rio cleared his throat, looking up at his nephew.
"She's my girlfriend, bud," he told him. Beth often wondered if this was going to confuse Marcus, or if he would go home and tell Rhea that Jane's mommy is daddy's girlfriend.
"How'd you guys meet?"
"Enough questions, Alex," said the woman sitting next to Beth, which she assumed was the boy's mother.
"It's fine, really," Beth said, catching the motion of Rio putting his hand on the back of her chair.
"So, how did you two meet?" Rio's head dropped in a chuckle, and she turned to him in confusion.
"My cousin," he said.
"Brother,"
Rio's head shook, "Cousin."
"Heard a lot about you, Elizabeth,"
"Nick," Rosa scolded, "be nice."
"What?" Nick asked, "I just think it's funny how they've been together for, a year? And he doesn't even talk about us."
"You don't know that," Rosa said, and Nick turned to look at Beth.
"He's mentioned you guys," she said, hoping he didn't see through her bullshit smile, "we just, don't talk about family a lot. All I have is my sister."
"That so?" Nick asked.
"My dad left when I was young, medic depressive mom," she replied, "I had to raise my sister, had to have her live with me and my ex husband for awhile."
"Mija, I'm so sorry," Rosa said, and Beth waved her hand up.
"It's fine," she said, "better without them."
"Just know you always have us," Sofia, which Beth had figured out, said.
"I'm sure Chris would say the same about us," Rosa said, "probably why he doesn't talk about us."
"Don't listen to them," Rio chimed in, nudging Beth's shoulder. Some of it was starting to feel real.
"Actually he has," she said, "he said how close you guys are."
"That's surprising," Nick said, with a laugh. Rio gave him a death stare, and it reminded Beth of the looks she used to get from him.
"Don't let it feed your ego on the podium," Rio said, getting an eye roll from him.
"He's a councilman," Sofia said, to clarify for Beth.
"Yeah, always tryin' to teach me about morals and shit," Rio said, which made Rosa clear her throat, "stuff, sorry."
"I studied ethics in college," Nick defended, "while you were out getting that neck tattoo."
"Nah, had this before you went to college to become a tattle tale," Beth faintly heard Marcus giggle at his father's comment.
"That's enough boys," Rosa intervened, "consider yourself lucky, Beth."
"Oh trust me, my sister is enough for me," she replied, as Rio leaned back in his chair to move his hand to her back, moving it up and down. And the motion suddenly made every noise around her mute.
-
"How do you actually know my brother?" Nick asked, catching Beth as she came down the hall from the bathroom.
"Thought it was cousin," Beth said, watching as he leaned against the wall in a similar way that Rio does.
"Family," he smiled, "and I know him enough to know that kids' soccer team story is a bunch of crap."
"I mean, it wasn't just the soccer team," she replied, "Jane and Marcus are in the same grade so it was school events, even run ins at the park."
"Do you know what he does?" This question was one that Beth was unsure of. Rio didn't say whether or not she should answer questions like this, but after all, he really didn't clarify anything.
"Why wouldn't I?"
"You're here on a job for him," Nick said, and Beth scoffed.
"That's crazy," she said, "what makes you think that?"
"I bet you don't even know his real name," he continued, "probably just his stupid boxer name."
"Christopher," Beth spat out, "need to know anything else?"
"Hey darlin'," she heard Rio come up behind her, and wrap an arm around her waist, "lemme show you somethin'." He took her back down the hall, ducking into a room and closing the door.
"What was he sayin'?" Rio asked, they stood across from each other.
"He asked how I really knew you," she told him, "thinks I'm here on a job, which, really isn't wrong."
"But he ain't need to know that," he replied, sitting down on the bed, "shit."
"How does he know what you do?" Beth asked.
"Remember when you put me away?" he asked, and she nodded, "he bailed me out."
"He doesn't know everything," she said, and he knew what she meant. And he knew she was right.
"Yeah," Rio said, "just gotta make it believable." They both heard the door handle turn, and he jumped from the bed, pushing Beth against the wall, causing her to yelp. The door fully opened to reveal Sofia, to their relief.
"Ew, you guys are gross," she said, and they both laughed, "grandma wants everyone back outside."
"Be right there," Rio said, getting her to leave the room, "believable," he whispered, walking out, with Beth following him.
-
"Finally!" Rosa yelled when the two walked back outside. Beth watched as everyone around them was deep in conversations, Marcus back playing with his cousins, hogging the soccer ball which made her smile. Reminded her of Jane. There were people dancing to the music playing off to the side, it was truly nothing like she had seen before.
"Look at Marcus with the soccer ball," Sofia pointed out, "I gotta get Alex more into it."
"Maybe he just wants to do baseball like me," Nick said, gaining a laugh from everyone around. Beth felt Rio's hand slip into hers, trying to gently pull her away.
"Come on," he said, and she started walking with him.
"What are you doing?" she asked, as he spun around to face her, wrapping both his arms around her waist, trying to pull her in.
"Dancin'," he replied, cracking a slight smile.
"Seriously?"
"Believable, right?" he asked, that same stupid smirk on his face. But it was odd, because it felt, comfortable? She felt like they were normal for once, like they were actually a couple. He pulled her closer, and she let him, bringing their faces to almost touch. Her arms went around him, mocking the same motion he had on her.
"Like it wasn't already believable," she replied, and he pulled her head to rest on his chest.
"He's lookin' over here," he whispered in her ear, "it's just for the show of it, it don't mean anything." Beth lifted her head up, and nodded a bit. Rio leaned his head down slightly, due to their minuscule height difference, and kissed her. And it was a habit, the way she remembered the first time. Except it didn't have the nerves of the first time, them staring at each other in her bedroom, him waiting for her to make the first move. Because he always does.
They broke away, and he leaned his forehead against hers. Somehow they both still felt Nick's eyes on them, or everyone's eyes on them.
"Love you," Rio whispered, and Beth's eyes shot open, searching in his.
"Is that just for the?" she asked, and he slightly nodded, "I love you."
And maybe they actually meant it.
-
Rio pulled against the curb, two houses down from hers like usual. Marcus was asleep in the backseat, which was probably a good thing, it avoided the millions of questions he most likely had.
"I'm going to push Dean for the divorce," Beth said, making him turn his head, "for real this time."
"You sure?" he asked.
"I'm not sure about anything anymore," she replied, "but it feels like it."
"I got a lawyer," Rio said, "you know, if he's being a dick when it comes to the kids." She turned to look at him.
"He'll try to take them again," she said, trying her best for her voice not to break.
"Nah, he ain't,"
"How do you know?" she asked.
"Cause I won't let him," he replied, "won't let him get away with pullin' shit like that again."
"Did you mean it?" Beth asked, "when you said I love you? Was it just for the cover?"
"Maybe," he told her, "but you said it too. You mean that?"
"Maybe," she said, copying his previous answer.
"They liked you," Rio said, watching as she began to open the door.
"That a good thing?" she asked.
"Real good thing," he replied, and she gulped, "work on that divorce, yeah?"
"I will," she said, stepping out and shutting the door. And yeah, Rio sat there for awhile, watching as she walked in, watching through that window he could always see in as her daughter ran up to her, obviously up past her bedtime. She had the perfect life, but with the wrong guy.
Maybe he was the right guy.