"Ay Jay I still can't believe we have a little princesita in the family! Ahora hay que ver cuál ropita le vamos a comprar- Ah! Y también va a necesitar..."
As his Audi A8 traversed the midnight Brentwood streets, Jay tried his best to stay focused on the road despite Gloria's ecstatic (and seemingly never-ending) planning over the new baby.
It certainly didn't help he could also hear Manny quietly humming the song he'd apparently composed on the way to Mitch's house highlighting his 'stellar parenting.'
Oh right! There was also that ridiculous outfit he bought (and fortunately had the clarity to take off before starting up the car again on the way back).
Even as he tried to ignore it, every time he looked in the rearview mirror, there it lay, in the backseat, bejeweled cap and all, taunting him.
'Dammit, and I give Mitch crap for all the gay stuff.'
'Forget it, Gloria can just return it tomorrow.'
If she was gonna be out again maxing his card on new baby stuff all day tomorrow anyway, might as well have her make the return on the way.
That aside, he did have his own reservations about the new addition to family.
Nothing against the baby, obviously.
He just... worried.
Sure he knew what he said back at the house, but Mitch and Cam weren't exactly the picture of emotional stability.
Just as the thought began taking shape, though, he remembered the bombshell sitting next to him, and promptly cut that train of thought.
Before he knew it, he was pulling into the driveway.
"What you think Jay~"
And oh, perfect timing, silence returned, he could finally stop tunning her out.
Did she even realize she'd ranted most of the stuff she said in Spanish?
Probably, honestly.
It sure does make it easier to get people to say 'yes' if they had no idea what exactly they were agreeing to.
He'd been around her long enough to know damn well what 'comprar' meant though!
Still, watching her lock her arm with his and press herself against him while looking at him with that stunning, hopeful look on her face, he knew damn well he'd already lost.
If only she didn't have a fuse short enough to do a 180 at the drop of a hat, she'd be perfect.
Yet, as his gaze lingered on his wrinkles, he remembered what sparked his late-life crisis that day in the first place.
'Yea, I got no room to talk.'
*Sigh*
"Shure, whatever, just don't have us out on the streets paying back the interest on my cards-"
He didn't even get to finished the thought before Gloria pulled him towards her and gave him a questionably appropriate hug while kissing the top of his head repeatedly.
He could barely breathe, sure, but for the few seconds before she pulled back, there was nowhere else he'd rather be.
Y'know, maybe the money wasn't such a big deal after all.
"No te preocupes! I'll only buy what's nesse-city, promise!"
"Necessary, Mom."
"Ay sí, lo que sea."
"You must be tired, I go make you that 'wagu' that came in today!"
"Mom, it's Wa-
"Shhh!"
"Why do I even try..."
Jay then noticed Gloria had that mischievous look in her eye as she pulled him in again, this time whispering into his ear.
"And yu no, that 'wagu' doesn't have to be the only thing that came~"
"Ew! Mom, I'm still here!"
Ignoring Manny, Gloria just winked at Jay before getting out of the car and walking into the house.
And he could swear her hips swayed more than usual as she did.
Money? Never heard of it.
Not wanting to waste another second, Jay swiftly left the car and was about to start 'preparing' for the night when his work phone started buzzing.
'Goddammit'
"This better be good you hear me, it's the middle of the night for God's sake!"
...
"THEY WHAT?!"
= = =
*Sigh*
'Of course everything starts falling apart the second I think things are fine, should've never trusted that slimy bastard'
Having just walked out of one of his company's manufacturing facilities, Jay sat down on a surprisingly short electric box powering the building's automatic parking gate and lit a high-end diamond crown cigar he took out of his pocket.
Embezzlement, tale as old as time.
He should've seen it coming really, sure they'd been pals during the war, but admittedly, the man was infamous for pulling this sort of crap.
He'd been expecting a bit, maybe, enough he could overlook for the sake of their friendship.
But $30,000, all at once, was he out of his mind?!
Then as he was sulking he heard someone approaching.
As he looked up at them, he could see them meet his eyes briefly, they were clearly headed towards him.
Short, scrawny, just a kid, no older than twelve.
His clothes were also very worn-out, and he looked like he hadn't had a bath in ages.
'Oh great, now they're even letting beggars wander near here'
"Listen kid I ain't buying whatever you're selling. And if you're not selling anything, then I sure as hell ain't a charity! This is private property, get off before I call the cops!"
Yet, contrary to expectation, the kid didn't even flinch.
His head did turn to look sideways for a bit, muttering something, though.
"No, I already told you we're not doing that, both of them is already bad enough..."
'Is he on drugs?'
Worried the kid might spazz out and try to attack him emits whatever hallucination he might be having, Jay readied himself to knock him out in one swift punch if he tried anything funny.
He was just a kid, sure, but he wasn't in the mood to be taking any chances.
Just as they were about to get a little too close for comfort, though, Jay saw the kid drop to the ground kneeling and bowing to him.
"I already told you I'm not gonna give you any-"
"I don't need money, I need a job"
...
"Oh, and I guess I'm supposed to hire some random kid just because he wants me to?"
"Look at you, you couldn't even do any work for me if I wanted you to."
"Please, you can't be more than what, 12? If you want a job so badly here's one, buzz off and wait till you're old enough to go bother some moron elsewhere for work, or I call CPS."
"And what? Have them notice all the underpaid illegal immigrants you have working the night shift?"
"None may be 12, but some of them sure as hell ain't 18 yet, and without papers I doubt every single one of their parents found the courage to get them the proper paperwork."
That took Jay aback a bit.
Not so much because of the accusation, it was just common practice in the business, and it was California in 2009, there was a tacit understanding with local law enforcement, no problems would arise there.
But the knowledge required to make a jab like that?
From a kid like him no less.
"Ha! Good one, but if you know enough to say that, you also know that's not exactly a threat, is it?"
"So what now?"
...
After a brief silence, the kid scoffed and got up, giving Jay a look not of pleading or anger, but disappointment.
"Forget it, I should've known this was a stupid idea-"
"Damn right."
...
"Some of your workers frequent the bar nearby, by the way."
"Something about how you're 'a stuck up ass', and how it had to with you being a military man."
"I just thought if anyone would respect a man trying to make an honest living rather than begging, robbing, or looting, it'd be you."
"I'd have enlisted myself, but like you so kindly pointed out, CPS would have a field day with me."
...
"You don't seriously think that's gonna work on me do you?"
"Of course not, you're rich now, you have no idea what finding worth in work means anymore."
"Don't worry, I'll get lost now, wouldn't want to have you lose out on beauty sleep and be all cranky at the country club tomorrow, now would we?"
The kid's gaze shifted again after that, to a very specific brand of disgust.
As he turned around moments later, and started walking away, Jay's expression suddenly went from dismissive to a mix of frustration and contemplation.
He recognized that look.
It was the same look he gave those smug rich kids behind their backs after they threw their stupid coats at him like he was nothing when he was younger and worked at the country club.
It was before high-tech fabrics too, they weighed a ton.
He never thought he'd ever be on the receiving end of that.
And it did something he couldn't stand for.
It hurt his ego.
...
"$4 an hour, no off days, night shift here, starting tomorrow."
"You better pick up Spanish quick too, cause they don't speak anything else."
"And if anything happens, or you can't get things done, I never met you a day in my life"
Not bothering to turn back, the kid replied "Sure thing boss" and kept walking.
"Oh, and about those workers-"
Not skipping a beat, the kid took a piece of paper folded as many times as possible out of his pocket and flicked it over his shoulder into Jay's lap, over 30 names on it.