Did I Hear You Say You Love Me?

It was another hot summer morning in San Juan....My partner, Gloria Diaz drove up to my house in her car...It was her turn to drive...

I was waiting for her on the steps of my house when she drove up....

"Heyy partner...You ready to rock and roll as they say?" she said.

"Yeah, but uh hey, can we stop by the card shop before we go into the station?" I asked. 

"Sure...What's up?" she asked.

"It's uh someone's birthday and I want to get them a birthday card." I said.

"Ohhhh I see...Anybody I know?" she asked.

"Welll, uh you might..." I said.

"It's Detective Rodriguez's birthday isn't it?" she said, eyes wide open...

I couldn't lie....

"Yeah." I said.

"What's that?" she said.

"Yeah! Yes it is...I'm just getting her a card...it's no thing!"

"You really like her don't you?  It's okay! It's okay to like somebody or love somebody whatever it is you feel for her.." she said.

"On second thought...We got a murder to solve, forget about it."I said.

"Oh come on silly...Let's get your girl a birthday card." she said.

"She's not my girl..." I protested.

Gloria looked at me like I was crazy...

"You want her to be...You can't fool anybody...You wear your heart on your sleeve when it comes to her." she said.

We drove to the card shop and I tried to pick the most non-committal card I could...

II-

Carmen Rodriguez, Mercedes's cousin came to the door of her house..My god...She was stunningly beautiful as was her sister,Carlotta ,who I had met a few months ago when she came from Philly to visit and who I had worked with when I was in Philly helping them catch a stick up crew a few months before...

I knew that Mercedes considered them both like her sisters, since she didn't have a sister and grew up next door to Carmen and Carlotta when she lived in Philadelphia..

"Hi...I know you don't know who I am...I'm Detective Nick Munez...I uh work with your cousin, Mercedes...Uh..This is a birthday card....Could you give it to her when you see her?" I asked.

"I know who you are...Mercedes talks about you a lot, Nicky!...And you know that she doesn't live here...She lives a few blocks away...Why don't you take it to her yourself?" asked Carmen...

"It's...It's kind of complicated....I-I just can't.."I said.

"You know what? You and my little cousin need to stop playing games with each other....Really! "

"Well Like I said...It's kind of uh weird between us." I said.

''You mad at her aren't you?" asked Carmen.

"Nah..." I said.

"I shouldn't say this...because I don't want to get involved, but she thinks you are." said Carmen.

"I don't know why she would...I saw her just yesterday." I said.

"So, You're not mad at her right?  I'll ask you again..How come you can't just give this card to her yourself???" asked Carmen..

"It's just a birthday card!!...I just wanted her to know that I was thinking of her on her birthday that's all." I said.

"That's all  huh? ,Okay...I'll give it to her...Can I tell her it's from you?" she asked..

"Yeah...Yeah ,of course...Like I said...it's no thing..." I said.

Carmen gave me the serious side eye and then she smiled.....

"It is to you obviously ,or you would have mailed it....." she said and winked...

She was right...I could have done that!

''Uhhh huh..I'll give it to her...I think she'll like this. Oh and Nicky!...She'll come around..Give her time...She plays that tough girl role well...but underneath it all, she is a pussy cat."she said.

She smiled and then closed the door quietly...

"Ready to go?" asked Gloria...

''Yeah...Let's Go talk to Mr. Fratangelo...." I said.

III-

We went back to the office building....to the office of Larry Fratangelo...

He looked very nervous and irritated...

"Why-Why are you guys here again? Look , I have work to do.." He said.

"I want to show you something...When we found your late co-worker's body...I looked at her pocketbook...No money was taken and she had just cashed her paycheck...Three or four credit cards were still intact and her smartphone was on....The video part....It looked like someone had rumaged through her phone...Like they were trying to erase something...Like they were looking for something......Well guess what playa? She had another phone!!! Yeahhhhhhhhh...and look at this video..."I said and clicked her smartphone on...

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..."

"Ohhh mami, give it to meeeeee....ummmmmmph..."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....ouuuuuuuuuu, more, more... ohhhhhh..."

"Sock it to me papi...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Aye Mios Dios it's soooo goood...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh"

"Morrre...Morreee....morrre...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.. Papi.."

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...I love you soooooooooooooo much...ouuuuuuuuuuuu.. mami.."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh papi...put it on me....Ohhhhhhhhhhhh.."

 "Papi...Someone is in here!!!" said the woman..

''What? Nooo..We are closed today!!"


(Click!)


He looked like he'd seen a ghost....


"You were sleeping with your managers wife huh? You knew that Norma Santiago was the office gossip...Everybody did...You wanted that video before it went viral and before your boss discovered that you were sleeping with his wife...A discovery that would have ruined your career...You followed Ms. Santiago and you shot her and you rummaged through her pocketbook looking for her smartphone...See, we found a fingerprint on her phone...We found a fingerprint and DNA on one of the two spent shells and my partner here took a coke can out of your trash can the other day when we were here and guess what? We got matches to the Coke can and the fingerprints and DNA we found on the phone and the shell casings....And we got a witness who saw you running from the scene. We got you partner! Lock ,stock and barrell." I said.

Larry Fratangelo held his head down....

"You have the right to remain silent.." said Gloria, but he raised his hand...

"I know my rights...I'm the one you're looking for...I couldn't sleep...I've never done anything like this before.. I was so close to being Manager and a simple indiscretion like this would've toppled my game...That newsy cow was about to ruin two years of striving and planning...She wasn't supposed to be here..Why didn't she just mind her business?? What right did she have to film anybody?? WHY?" he shouted and stomped his foot angrily...

I handcuffed him...We had two uniformed officers with him and they walked him out of the office and to the car!

Gloria high fived me!

"We cracked another one partner..." she said.

"Yup...Wanna celebrate tonight? It's Reed Nelson's last night on the island.." I said.

"Can't do it tonight partner...I got a date!" she said.

"Ohhhh..Looks like I'll be rolling solo." I said and smiled..

"Ask Detective Rodriguez out...It's her birthday...She shouldn't spend it alone." said Gloria..

"Nah...Looks like I'll be rolling solo." I said.

"You are so stubborn! When are you two going to stop playing games with each other?" she said.

''You'll have to ask her that!"I said.

IV-

Reed Nelson, Bone Hampton, "88" and the guys were playing up a storm when I got to the club...

I saw Debbie Nelson and Mabel Jenkins sitting at the bar when I came in...

"Heyyy Ladies...Last night in town huh?" I said.

''Heyy Nicky...Yeah it is...We are leaving tomorrow morning..We've had a swell time." said Mabel.

"Where is your partner?" asked Debbie..

"She's got a hot date tonight, so I'm rolling solo." I said.

"There's your other woman over there in the booth." said Mabel.

I looked...It was Mercedes...She was sitting alone, having a drink.

"She's got a new hairstyle...Wow. She looks great." I heard myself saying...

"Why don't you go and say hello? Tell her how much you like her new hairdo." said Mabel..

I looked at Mabel and grinned, I hadn't realized she heard me.

''You know you want to.....You like her and she likes you or she wouldn't be in here alone on her birthday."said Debbie.

"How did you know it was her birthday?" I asked.

"The bartender gave her a drink on the house when she came in and wished her a happy birthday...We gave her our booth..." said Mabel.

''Oh you did huh?" I said laughing...

''Yall need to stop playin games with each other."said Debbie.

"Hmm this makes the third time I've heard this today...Her cousin told me that this morning...My partner told me that and now Debbie, you've told me that...I don't know about her..but I'm going to stop playing games right now!"I said.

''Atta boy." said Mabel.

''Go get your woman, killah" joked Debbie.

I gave them both the side eye....Then I walked over to where Mercedes was sitting..

"Mind if I sit down?" I asked.

"Go ahead." she said.

We sat there saying nothing....

"Heard you guys cracked your murder case today." she said.

"Yeah...It was pretty routine."I said.

"Where is your partner?" asked Mercedes...

"She's got a hot date." I said.

"You mean you and her aren't?" she asked.

"Nooooo..I don't mix business and pleasure...You taught me that Mercedes." I said.

"Do you listen to everything I say?" she said and laughed.

"Yes..."I said and laughed..She laughed too!

"I got your birthday card....Thank you...You always remember." she said.

"There is a reason for that." I said.

"Oh?" she asked.

"Because I love you!!...I  have since I first met you and if that scares you, well I'm sorry...If that ends our friends with benefits arrangement..I'm sorry too..." I said.

"No need to be...I love you too." she said.

"Huh? What?" I said. It was as if time stood still...I couldn't believe what I thought I heard!

"I said that I love you too Nicky!!....I didn't realize it until I saw you with Gloria and I thought....I thought ..Oh it doesn't matter now...but you didn't call me anymore and you were kind of distant when I did see you...I thought that maybe you didn't like me anymore and....and I might lose you.." she said....Tears were streaming down her face...

 "Mercedes...Did I hear you say you love me ?" I said.

"Yes, I can't believe I just said it to you myself...But I did and I do!!!.." she said trying to toughen up a bit and failing miserably...

"So you did say it didn't you?" I said.

"Yes. You wanna hear me say it again? I love you, Okay?" she said.

"Come here..Come with me.Don't cry." I said..I took the table napkin and wiped the rest of the tears from her face...

Reed Nelson looked at me from the bandstand and smiled... Mabel and Debbie gave me a thumbs up! I waved to them and Mercedes and I walked out of the club and around the corner...

I pulled her to me and kissed her passionately....

"I don't want to fight with you anymore..."I said.

"I don't want to fight with you either.." she said...

''So...where do we go from here?  I gotta know that I'm more than just a friend." I asked.

''You are!!!...You are!!...You're my man now!!!......No more games..."she said.

We continued to kiss on that corner....Tears began to roll down her cheeks...

''What's all this crying about?  I've never seen you do that.." I said.

"Don't tell anybody. I got a reputation to uphold" she said laughing...

"I won't..."I said in between kisses.

''Mercedes! We are gonna be alright." I said.

"I know... Me and you, we are gonna be so good together..." she said and smiled for the first time.

"We are!...." I said....A soft summer rain began to trickle down...

"Yeah Nicky...I'm gonna be such a good girlfriend to you...You're not going to believe it." she said...

I knew it was an incredibly big leap of faith for her to even be saying this...

I held her face in my hands and kissed her several times...We went to my house that night!

Inside my house...We tossed off our shoes and I eased Mercedes up against the wall and began kissing her passionately...She returned my passion....My shirt went to the floor as I continued kissing her and she continued kissing me...I unzippered her dress and slipped it off....She unzippered my trousers and I hurriedly stepped out of them....She held my now massively erect penis in her hands...I hadn't even bothered to close the front door...

"Oh My God...Nicky....Ouuuuu...you are huge!!!..Close your front door, we don't want everyone seeing us" she exclaimed...as I unhooked her bra and began sucking on her breasts.....I took my foot and kicked the door shut.

 "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh Nicky!....ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.." she moaned as I slipped her panties down ......

I thrusted my tongue practically down her throat and while squeezing one breast with my hand...With my other hand I pulled out a condom...She helped me tear open the wrapper....I slipped it on and lifted her up and positioned her on me as I entered her and began thrusting away...

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH....OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MIOS...DIOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" she screamed as I continued to thrust , harder and feverishly more.......

"I love you so much Mercedes..."I moaned...

"I love you tooo Nicky.....ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..I didn't realize how much...ohhhhhhh my goddddddddddd! until today...ohhh my godddd!" she screamed....Even during sex, she had never said that before...

 I layed her across my bed , a few minutes later and I entered her softly and gently and began to stroke her softly and slowly....She moaned and put her arms around my neck and drew me closer to her..She wrapped her legs around my waste and we began to move in a slow, yet deliberate rhythm for quite some time...She matched me thrust for thrust and even bit my shoulder at one point...She was so soft...so moist and smelled so good...I was losing my mind....

We made sweet passionate and intense love for close to three hours...Mercedes began to shake and gyrate and tears began to stream down her face again....

"It's sooooooooooooooo goooddd...Oh my godddddddddddddd it's soooooo gooood!  I love you...I love you so muchhhhh Nicky....ohhhhh don't stoppp, don't stopp..." she screamed as we both climaxed in a crescendo of sweat!

"I love you too Mercedes...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.." I moaned as I climaxed.

We lie in each others arms...She cuddled up under me....I was desperately trying to catch my breath!

"Don't hurt me....I'm trusting you." she said.

"I won't hurt you Mercedes...I promise you....Oh and Happy Birthday." I said.

"Thank You.." she said and giggled..."You are so silly." she laughed.

She gave me a nice sloppy, wet kiss....I pulled her to me and kissed her too! and we both drifted off into the most peaceful sleep I'd had in a long time...I suspect her too!

EPILOUGE-

The next morning, Mercedes and I walked to a local diner... I had missed saying goodbye to Mr. Reed Nelson, Debbie Nelson, Bone Hampton , "88" and Mabel Jenkins Moore...But I think they understood...

Mercedes took my hand in hers and held it softly...I was stunned..I think she could sense how surprised I was at this gesture. Mercedes looked up at me...Then asked me-

''What? You looked at me like you expected me to say something." she said.

"Well we are in public..and we are holding hands...I thought you wouldn't want to do that." I said.

"Well, the old me wouldn't...But I told you I was trying to do better..The old me wouldn't have cooked breakfast for you the other day either...You remember the last time...I woke you up and told you that you had to go  home...That you couldn't spend the night?" she laughed..

"Yeah..I remember...It was daybreak." I said.

"No more of that..." she said.

"Hey Mercedes...Why don't we get a place together?" I said.

She looked at me....

"You really need to slow down swinga...I'm already making a big step being your girlfriend.." she said...Which she was!

"I was just kidding." I said.

"No you weren't.....I'll think about it." she said and gave me a sly side eye!

"Are you serious?" I said.

"I said I'll think about it...I uh...might like waking up in your arms..next to you.."she said and smiled and hugged me...

"Yeah? Wow that's major." I said.

She smiled and pulled me to her and gave me a long slow, sensual kiss.

"I'm happy that I make you so happy." she said.

"You always have." I said...

''Awwww...You are soooo whipped." she joked... We both laughed...Now that was the Mercedes I knew and loved.

Before my eyes...Mercedes was changing...becoming softer...letting that tough girl facade down...That was saying a lot!

(For L.)