Nana and her mother stared at Bianca as she got off the phone. She hadn’t been able to wipe the silly smile off her face fast enough.
“Was that who I think it was?” Nana asked.
Bianca gave in, nodding. Ever since the past summer, she’d been seeing the Felix Sanchez, current middleweight boxing champion of the world. She didn’t know a thing about boxing, but everyone, especially in her neighborhood, knew about Felix. She’d gone to high school with him, and he became the local hero when he started winning fight after fight. Then he’d won the championship over a year ago. He was now known worldwide and she was dating him.
Although she admitted his being famous and insanely rich was part of the intrigue, she’d actually had a crush on the guy way back in high school. She hadn’t seen him in person since she graduated, but last summer when she came up to Big Bear after her grandfather’s death, she ran into him. She’d been surprised he remembered her. One thing led to another, and they began seeing each other.
A first, she had her doubts about it working out. She even reasoned that it would be okay if it didn’t. She knew he lived a busy life that was much different from her small-town life in Big Bear.
Another reason for her doubts was his fame. Boxers weren’t usually the target of the stalkarazzis, but because of Felix’s age and looks—the fact that he’d been linked with quite a few young Hollywood A-listers and because his upcoming fight was so highly anticipated—he’d now become just as much of a target as a movie star.
Bianca had never been one to follow the tabloids, but ever since she’d gotten involved with Felix, she couldn’t help but get sucked into them, especially when they talked about him being seen with a new girl—this after he’d assured her their relationship was an exclusive one.
She’d been doing her best not to buy into the hype and made up drama that Felix said was all it was. One particular incident last year was when she saw a photo of him and Shana Thompson, the current women’s figure-skating champion, who was said to be the front-runner in this year’s Olympics. It was the week he’d had a photo shoot for Sports Illustrated’s Hottest Young Athletes layout. They were caught in a compromising pose where they apparently were on a date, sitting in a very cozy restaurant booth in New York. In one of the photos, it appeared as if they were about to kiss. It made Bianca crazy. They’d only been intimate for a few weeks when the photo surfaced, and she’d lost it.
Days after letting him have it and telling him she was done with him, the same photo resurfaced; only this time Shana’s boyfriend and Felix’s publicist Andy were also there. The other photo had been doctored. They took the most damning picture of them when they’d leaned in to say something to each other and cropped everything and everyone else out. Just like Felix explained, it wasn’t just a restaurant it was also a blues club and the music was really loud. She felt terrible, especially because Felix had tried in vain to explain to her that that’s what the paparazzi did to sell stories and word was beginning to get out about his mystery Big Bear girlfriend.
Neither her grandmother nor her mother were crazy about her dating a celebrity, especially one known to be such a womanizer, so, of course, they were concerned when they saw how upset all the tabloid stories made Bianca. But once the truth was out about the photo, they actually convinced her to call Felix and apologize. They also made her promise she’d stop reading the stupid tabloids. More than anything, they hated to see her hurt, and her mother said it was a better idea if she just followed her heart instead of the gossip. From that day forward, she vowed to never read any of the tabloids. Though there were times she’d slip and give into the temptation, but it had been a while since that happened.
“So he’ll be up here for two whole months?” Nana asked with a coy, little smile.
“Yes.” Bianca clutched the phone in her hand, feeling like a silly schoolgirl. The time she got to spend with Felix always felt so short. Knowing he’d be up here for two whole months and his saying he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible made her insides go wild. She eagerly filled them in on how long Felix would be there and when he’d arrive. Then she remembered, “But don’t worry. I won’t cut my time away at the shop.”
Nana waved her hand at her. “We can more than handle it if you want to take some time off.”
In addition to Bianca and her mother, she had two cousins who also worked at her grandmother’s rental shop. During the winter, they rented everything from snowboards and skis to sleds. Then in the summer, they rented all the water sport stuff—rafts, fishing gear, kayaks, and they sold bait all year along with a ton of souvenirs. They weren’t insanely busy, but business was steady year-round with summer and winter being their busiest seasons.
With it being the middle of winter and more heavy storms expected, business would be booming from now through the end of ski season. Just last night, they’d gotten eight inches of fresh powder. “No, I’ll put in my regular hours as usual. I’ll have plenty of time to spend with him before and after my shifts.”
Bianca could hardly wait. Felix had just called her to tell her he’d be up next week. He was in Los Angeles today but wouldn’t be able to make it up because he had to fly back to Vegas then Chicago to take care of some final business before he moved to Big Bear for the next couple of months. She loved the way that sounded. She hadn’t seen him in weeks, and now she’d have him all to herself for two whole months.
This was by far the hardest part of their relationship: the amount of time they had to be apart from one another. Sure he’d set her up with a webcam so they could have live chats via the Internet, but it just wasn’t the same. When he was gone, she missed him so much. Even though he offered to bring her along many times, she could never leave her mother for too long.
He’d taken her to Miami, New York, and even Puerto Rico, but she’d always go for just a few days. The longest she’d vacationed with him was the trip to New York for a week around the holidays. She’d mentioned that she’d always wanted to see New York during the holidays, and he made the arrangements immediately, but she came home to be with her grandmother for Christmas. New York had been great, but nothing beat Big Bear, especially during the winter. There was something so homey and quaint about the small town.
Gabe, one of the cousins who also worked at Nana’s shop, walked in. “Oh, good you’re here. I can leave now.”
“Where are you off to?” Nana asked.
Bianca smiled. “To Toni’s to get my hair cut.”
Her mother quickly signed to her that she should be careful driving. The roads were still very slippery from the snow earlier. Bianca had to smile, even via sign language and without ever voicing her words as some deaf people did, her mother’s worried anxiousness came across loud and clear. She signed back that she would and that she loved her and was off to Toni’s.
Her hairdresser, Toni, had quickly become one of Bianca’s closest friends since she’d moved up here. At first, Bianca thought Toni was just good at making her feel comfortable because it was part of her job. Making conversation as she worked on her client’s hair came with the job description, but it turned out Toni was just cool—more than cool, she was awesome. When she found out Bianca was a newbie in town, she took it upon herself to show her all the hot spots to shop and the best places to meet men. She even taught her how to snowboard the more advanced slopes, not that Bianca was a total beginner. She’d gone snowboarding plenty of times when she visited her grandparents in the past, but she’d never attempted the more advanced slopes she now snowboarded, thanks to Toni.
When she walked into the small hair salon, Toni sat reading a magazine. The first thing Bianca noticed was that her hair color was different—again. Toni was a few years older than Bianca and a bit eccentric. The hair that was curly and blonde the last time Bianca had seen her just last week was now straight and dark brown with a couple of blue streaks. Her eyes lit up when she saw Bianca.
“Your hair?”
“You like it? Toni asked, flipping a strand of hair with her hand.
“It’s different,” Bianca said, examining it as she got closer. “But, yes, I like it. How is it that every color and style looks good on you?”
“Because I wear the hair, honey. It doesn’t wear me.”
Bianca giggled. This was true. Toni could take any look and totally own it.
“So, is it time?” Toni asked.
Bianca nodded, feeling keyed up again. She’d known about him coming up to train for months now, but he hadn’t given her an exact date until today. “Yes, he called today. He’ll be here this weekend.”
Toni jumped out of her chair. “Well, let’s get this going.”
Bianca hadn’t expected Toni to be busy—not on such a snowy day as today. So it wasn’t surprising her little salon was empty.
“What’s it going to be?” Toni asked as she wrapped the cape around her, tying it around her neck.
“I don’t know, Toni. Just make me stunning.”
“Girl, you’re already stunning and you know it. There’s a reason why that boy, who can have any girl he wants, keeps coming back here. He ain’t blind.”
Bianca winced, taking in Toni’s words. Any girl he wants. She stared at herself in the mirror. Never in her life had she been insecure about her looks. In fact, she’d been blessed with the Rubio family’s beauty gene. Her father’s sisters had actually won a few beauty pageants back in their day, and everyone said Bianca was a Rubio through and through. From her long legs to her big expressive eyes to her full lush lips, she’d always been a head turner. Yet, she hadn’t really blossomed until after high school, which is why she was surprised Felix remembered her.
But she couldn’t help feeling a little intimidated, knowing Felix was constantly around some of the most glamorous women in the world. She’d told herself from the very beginning when she decided to allow herself to become involved with Felix that she’d never been insecure before and she certainly wasn’t going to start now.
“Just work your magic, Toni. I wanna look perfect for him when he gets here.”
“I know exactly what to do.” Toni smiled at her reflection in the mirror. “If this boy thought you were hot before, wait ’til he gets a load of what Magic Hands Toni has in store for him.”
Bianca took a deep breath and smiled. It was almost scary how excited she felt about this.
~*~
Abel had offered to give Gio a ride to Big Bear since Felix told him driving his bike in the snow would be a sure death sentence. But Felix insisted on sending a car for him. Some of his other trainers and a driver were already at his compound, getting things set up for his arrival. Gio wasn’t sure what he meant by compound, but he sure as hell was surprised when he got there. The property was secluded and tucked away deep in the mountains. And there were several structures on the property. Everything was constructed of logs, but it was luxury beyond anything Gio had ever witnessed.
He stood there for a good ten minutes, his still stunned eyes taking everything in. The spiral staircase that went up to the second floor was all made of logs as well. All the furnishings—the tables, lamps, even the full bar—were either made of wood or boasted some kind of wooden accent. The chandeliers throughout were made of antlers: deer or moose or maybe even elk since they were so huge.
Gio walked slowly through the cabin, glad no one was there with him yet because he was completely speechless. He stopped and looked into what appeared to be a theater room complete with a huge screen, theater seats, and an old fashioned but shiny new popcorn maker.
Continuing with his tour, he walked into what was obviously the game room. A pool table was the centerpiece of the room with a party-sized Jacuzzi in a corner. Then he saw it: a giant, wall-sized, saltwater aquarium. “Whoa.”
Gio had an idea of what something like that must cost from a reality show. It was about a family whose business was building these elaborate things for customers like Felix, who could afford to have one custom made. As he approached it, he noticed the underwater village of some sort. When he got close enough, he knew this was definitely custom made to Felix’s specifications. “What?” he laughed.
It wasn’t a village. It was 5th Street—not just the gym—the entire barrio. 5th Street was in the center, but the park where they used to play hoops and the liquor store they’d frequent were there. He didn’t leave any detail out. He got it all, right down to the broken street lamps.
Ray, one of the other trainers and also former 5th Street alumnus, walked in and greeted him. He showed him to his room. Just like all the other rooms, it was spectacular. Gio could hardly believe he’d be spending an entire two months here.
Since there was no snow in Los Angeles, he’d seen no reason why he should wear his snow gear on the way up, but now that he was here, it was snowing and colder than shit outside. Gio changed into the snow pants, jacket, and boots Felix had promised would be in the closet. He checked the drawers for a beanie and gloves, and they were full of them, just like Felix said. He’d hooked him up good.
He heard a car pull up and a car door close, so he walked to the window to see if it was Felix. The driver walked around the car, opened the back door, and a girl stepped out. “The hell?”
Gio couldn’t see very well due to the window fogging up already and the snow still coming down pretty densely. From what he could see, she was glammed up just like all the other girls he ever saw around Felix. But why would she be here now? Felix said he wouldn’t be up until later tonight. Then Gio remembered. I’ll make sure you have company. “Ah hell.”
He’d planned on checking out the rest of the compound. He’d gone straight in when they got here, but he’d gotten a glimpse of the other cabins out there. Most importantly, he was anxious to check out the gym. If this main house was any indication, he was sure everything in the gym would be state-of-the-art. If this was what he was thinking, he’d now have to deal with the awkwardness of hired entertainment instead.
Gio waited in his room for a few minutes, trying to think of how best to handle this. Even when Felix had mentioned making sure Gio had company, he didn’t think he was serious about hiring anyone for him. He’d heard some of Felix’s crazy stories, and he had a feeling they might get a few nights of fun with the snow bunnies, but he wasn’t expecting something this soon.
He froze when he walked into the front room and saw one of the most breathtaking girls he’d ever laid eyes on. She’d just taken off her beanie and scarf. She stood by the door, her dark hair a bit undone, looking a bit startled herself.
Gio gulped, now not sure if he wanted this or not. He’d never been with a hired entertainment of any type and wasn’t sure exactly how this worked.
“Hello,” she said, speaking up first. “I’m Bianca, Felix’s, um, girlfriend.”
Gio let out a breath. Although he was a tiny bit disappointed she wasn’t here for him, he wasn’t ready for the stress of having to figure out how to go about this. Felix had talked about some crazy shit he’d done now that he had access to so many women.
“Hi.” He took a few steps, meeting her halfway and pulled off his beanie before reaching out his hand to shake hers. “I’m Gio. I’ll be training with Felix.”
Now that she was closer, she looked familiar, and Gio cursed himself for never watching any of the celebrity gossip shows. He should have anticipated this—done his homework. As stunning as this girl was, she had to be a model or celebrity of some kind.
Her eyes brightened suddenly, bringing more emphasis to how big and nearly black they were. She had to be a celebrity. Only they had amazing perfect smiles like hers. Damn, how did Felix keep his cool being around women like this all the time?
“I remember you!” she said, smiling.
Gio blinked cluelessly, feeling a little panicked. Could it be possible that Felix had already brought her around and he didn’t remember her? There was no way he wouldn’t remember this girl, but the name did ring a bell.
“You’re Giovanni Bravo, Felix’s friend from high school, right?”
Gio nodded, still having no idea who this gorgeous thing was and how the hell she knew him, but the more he looked at her, the more familiar she seemed.
“I’m Bianca Rubio from high school.” She rolled her eyes. “Oh, I’m sure you don’t remember me. You were the popular heartthrob, and I was the tomboy softball player.”
Suddenly it hit him and his mouth fell open. “Bianca?” Unbelievably, her big eyes got even bigger. “World History, Bianca?”
She laughed. “Oh my God, you actually remember?”
“Yeah, yeah.” He looked her up and down, remembering her hair was always in a tight ponytail. It was down now and went almost to her elbows—as dark and straight as he remembered. He took her in completely from top to bottom. “Wow, you look so different.”
Did she ever. He thought she’d looked familiar, but he would’ve never put two and two together. She looked toodamn different now. In high school, she was just one of those girls that, save for those big eyes, went unnoticed for the most part. She was quiet and kept to herself. The one thing he remembered about her most was how hard it was for her to contain her laughter once she got going. It was absolutely contagious, and the best part was he could tell it embarrassed her which always made him smile.
She sat next to him in World History class senior year, and he often had to borrow her notes or paper or even a pencil. She’d always been so nice about it too, rolling her eyes playfully, but never refusing.
He also remembered feeling a little disappointed when she often had to leave early because she was on the softball team and had a game.
“I was surprised when Felix remembered me, but I’m even more surprised you do.”
“Why’s that?”
She’d begun to remove the layers of clothes she wore. “Because you were so popular with the girls, how in the world would you remember all of them? Especially one you hardly knew.”
Gio smirked. “Actually, you looked familiar to me. I just couldn’t place you. But you look so different now, and I’d never seen you like this.” He pointed at her hair and then down the front of her. “All done up. I was thinking Felix had hooked up with a supermodel or something.”
Unlike most girls who might’ve blushed at a comment like that, she just smiled and tilted her head. “I’m sure he’s had his share of supermodels, Gio. Don’t remind me.”
It hit him just then. She actually did consider herself Felix’s girl. He thought of the girl Felix had just brought to the gym last week and for a second felt a little bad for Bianca.
“Honestly, I don’t know if he has or hasn’t. I was just saying based on your looks, that was my first thought.”
“Oh, well, thank you.” Now her face tinged with color but just barely. Apparently, she was too caught up with the mention of Felix and a supermodel the first time he’d said it to notice the compliment. He made note of that and would make sure to be extra careful about his Felix comments from here on.
“How the hell did you and Felix hook up anyway? Did you two stay in touch since high school?”
She walked over to the bar area and Gio followed her. “No, it’s just a small world, that’s all. I need water; you want anything to drink?”
“I’ll take a water.”
She walked behind the giant wooden hand carved bar and opened another door that was also covered in carved wood but was actually steel—a giant refrigerator. She pulled out two waters, handed him one, and then opened hers but began talking before taking a drink.
“My grandmother owns a rental shop up here, downtown. I work there, and he happened to come in one day with a girl mind you. They were just shopping for souvenirs, and just like you, I told him I remembered him from high school. It took him a moment, but he actually remembered—said my name before I even told him what it was.” She paused to take a drink.
Gio drank some of his, fascinated by how much she’d changed physically. Yet she still seemed as down to earth as he remembered her.
“We talked for a little bit,” she continued, “about school and the old neighborhood and stuff. Then he left. A week later, he came back and asked if I’d like to grab a coffee with him. We went out for coffee, and the rest is, well, what it is. This was last summer, so it’s been a few months now.”
Of course, Felix would go back. He’d be nuts not to. Gio wondered if this was who he’d meant when he said he’d met someone that actually made him consider settling down.
“That’s crazy. Did you two know each other in high school?”
“No,” she smiled. “But I remember having a crush on him even back then. I knew him like I knew you. We had a few of the same classes every year, but that was the extent of it.” She pointed at his jacket. “Were you going out?”
Gio looked down at himself. He’d forgotten he’d piled on the snow gear. “Just outside. I wanted to check out the rest of the compound.”
“You’ve never been here?” she asked, surprised.
“No, this is my first time.” Gio glanced around the lavish cabin. “This place is awesome.”
Bianca hurried back around the bar toward the sofa. “Oh, well, then I’ll give you a tour. It really is amazing.”
She put her jacket, gloves, and beanie back on. They stepped out onto the porch together. It was freezing but beautiful outside. Living in Los Angeles his whole life and having only seen the snow a handful of times, Gio still felt awestruck by it.
“So, you moved up here?” he asked as they carefully walked down the front stairs of the cabin.
“Temporarily, and before you ask, I have no idea how long I’ll be here. My grandparents bought a place up here when they retired. Odd, I know. Why would an older couple want to move to such a cold climate? Long story short, until my grandfather met my grandmother, he traveled all over. He actually lived in Alaska for a while. He’d hoped to move back when he retired, but my grandmother wasn’t having it. So they compromised and moved up here instead. He died early last summer. My mom and I decided to stay with my grandmother for a few weeks after he died, and now months later, I’m still here.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your grandfather.”
Bianca nodded, looking up at him. “Heart disease—it ran in his family. His father passed of the same thing, so did his brother.”
Gio couldn’t help being distracted by her eyes. They were so big, so perfect, like something out of magazine. Then it hit him. That’s why she’d seemed so familiar. He remembered now. Even back in high school, he’d been taken by her eyes. He never even considered asking her out because of those eyes. They were so big and innocent looking. He steered clear of the innocent ones. With three younger sisters, he knew what kind of innocence there was behind those often doe-eyed expressions of hers.
Too young and too scared to commit to anything serious back in those days, Gio stuck with more experienced, wilder girls that he knew could deal with his noncommittal tendency. He wasn’t about to break any fragile hearts. Bianca’s eyes had fragile written all over them.
“Okay,” she said as they walked up the stairs of the gym. “Prepare yourself to be amazed.”
They walked in. Amazing wasn’t grand enough a word to describe the place. It had everything 5th Street had only a hundred times better. Giant black-and-white stills of some of boxing’s greats adorned the wall—Joe Frazier, Sugar Ray, Mohammad Ali, Tyson, and, very notably, two of East LA’s finest, Cesar Chavez and the Golden Boy himself, De La Hoya. It was a gym fit for a king, no doubt. Felix’s picture would soon fit right up there. Gio was suddenly overwhelmed with pride.
“And this is just a gym. Isn’t this crazy?”
“Crazy.” Gio chuckled. “Yeah, maybe that’s the word I’m looking for.”
Her phone buzzed, and she excused herself, saying it was Felix before walking away. Gio barely glanced at her; he was still taking in everything. The guys were going to fucking flip when they saw this.
A door slammed, jolting him out of his thoughts. He turned and Bianca was gone.
