End of the Line

Chapter 3-Drink Until We're Dead

The team and I decided to head to this nice hotel a couple of miles away from Sante Fe. Most people in the area have moved to the city or elsewhere. The only people who pass by here are truckers and prostitutes. Using the funds distributed by the Vatican, we decided to stock up on drinks, food, and other things. It was already late at night, and the celebration had commenced. I had booked the biggest room for the evening so we could celebrate. Johnson, a member of my team, had gone on a pizza run, while Valentino, another member, went on a hooker run. Val hired a couple of girls for the evening for the guys. I was only going to be there to drink and make sure the guys weren't acting like assholes. Nickolas then arrives and decides to move some of the furniture around. I pitch in to help. As Nickolas and I set up the room, I kept thinking about his behavior, but we had not spoken since the meeting with the Cardinal.

"So." I finally say.

"So what?" Nickolas snaps back.

I sigh, annoyed, placing my gun on the built-in dresser.

"We're not going to talk about how you were acting like a dramatic little bitch earlier?"

Nickolas then looks at me. He sighs discontentedly.

"I wasn't acting like a bitch! You dare to flirt with a man from the cloth, whereas if I look at another woman, you get mad!"

I then look at Nickolas and say,

"Look, I don't get pissed or jealous! Women would be begging me to teach them what I know! Women want to be me, but they can't! That's how confident I am! If you want to fuck someone tonight, I could care less! Val is hiring hookers for tonight, so if you want to drown in pussy, knock yourself out!"

I could feel myself shaking in anger.

"You are impossible!" Nickolas yells.

"IMPOSSIBLE?! Are you kidding me?!" I yell.

"YES! IMPOSSIBLE!" Nickolas yells back.

I hear a pounding at the door. I push my way through and open the door. The group arrived at the door, carrying food and drinks together, along with the girls.

"Why the fuck are you two yelling? Just fuck already and get it over with?" Valentino says.

"The fuck?!" Both Nickolas and I exclaim.

My team and the girls laughed at our reaction. As the group pushed in, I was separated from Nickolas. I wanted to talk with him, but I was too proud. I wanted to be alone. I took a whole box of pepperoni pizza and a tall glass of Jack and Coke. Valentino started blaring loud music from a speaker. It was getting too noisy for me. I took off to the other side while the party continued in the main room. I could hear the group laughing in the other room. For most of my life, I had always been alone. Even with my group, I never really associated with them. I know their names, their personalities, and even their likes. As I'm gulping down more Jack Daniels and Coke, I also try to stuff my face. It had been a long ass fucking day, and I was hungry and thirsty. It was then that I saw Father Emmanuel walking towards me. He politely asks me,

"Jackie, why aren't you with the others?"

I chuckle and say,

"If I wanted to have sex, I'd rather do that in private. Besides, I'm proving a point to Montoya."

Father Emmanuel chuckles and says,

"Child, I can see that you have feelings for Mr. Montoya. Why not see where this path takes you?"

I looked at Father Emmanuel, shocked.

"I'm surprised that you, of all people, have been keeping tabs on me."

Father Emmanuel moves closer to me and grabs my hand.

"You have been my hypothetical little girl since you were eight. Of course, I'm invested in your life and how it can affect you. I love you, Jacqueline. In a fatherly way, obviously."

I laugh and hug Father Emmanuel. He and I raise our drinks for a toast. I can see Nickolas trying to leave the other room to walk over.

"Talk to him. Do this as a kindness to me and God." Father Emmanuel says.

I roll my eyes and walk towards Nickolas.

"I'm sorry that I yelled at you," Nickolas tells me.

"I'm sorry for calling you a dramatic little bitch. I didn't mean it, but it was how I felt."

We both smiled at each other.

"What made you walk over?" I ask.

"One of the girls propositioned me, and I said yes, but I kept thinking about how feisty and fiery you were, so I left her with Johnson and walked over here."

My eyes widened.

"Considering that Father Emmanuel is here, I don't know if anyone is going to fuck tonight."

Nickolas and I started laughing and roaring. This is what I mean when I say that, in my way, I care for Nickolas.

LATER THAT EVENING

It was 3 in the morning, and the party was already dwindling. Nickolas and I were buzzed while Father Emmanuel was tipsy. Most of the guys went to other rooms to screw around with the prostitutes. It was then that I was sitting with Nickolas, admiring the view of the hotel. We picked a hotel that had a great view of the garden outside. Nickolas and I went outside to sit in some reclining chairs and view the stars in the night sky.

"You ever wonder who's looking down from the sky?" I ask.

Nickolas says,

"God, I'm assuming. Our families who have passed on. I want to think of my family there, too. What about you?"

I stared at the sky, thinking about my father and mother.

"I hope that my family is there too. I wish I had met my mom. She died when I was two, and Dad died when I was seven. I hope that when it's my time, they'll come and greet me with open arms and take me to the Beyond."

Nickolas and I have a moment.Our eyes locked in a connected stare. Nickolas then begins to lean forward as if he wants to kiss me. I move my face forward, but then I hear a loud crash. Both Nickolas and I stop what we're doing and jump up from the chairs. I hear loud screams and shrieking. Bullets are being fired, and the men are hollering orders. Nickolas and I were racing back inside to see what was happening, and I stopped dead in my tracks. I was horrified. The same man that I had seen in the painting stood there. The same one that made me have that vision.

"Impossible," I utter.