Chapter 17

Nellie glanced up from the front reception area as Felix walked into 5th Street. She’d just dropped off a package with the girl sitting behind the desk. Nellie looked Felix over very obviously then smiled politely before walking away.

“One down,” he said in a hushed voice as he approached the desk slowly.

Kelsey, the girl behind the desk, had never been good about being discreet when she gawked at him. This time she barely glanced at him before looking back down at her phone. Felix smiled, feeling very accomplished. But he did make note that her ditzy ass didn’t bother asking him for proof of his membership. He walked right by her like nothing.

The big test would be Ella. He walked through the gym and up the escalators for the first time ever not being stopped by anyone. A few girls did turn their heads, but he couldn’t be sure if it was because they recognized him, or if maybe they were just checking him out.

When he got to the door of Ella’s class, he peeked in through the window on the door. She stood off to the side talking to Sonia. She’d called him back this morning, when he texted her asking for her address, to tell him she’d been called into cover for Sonia, who was going to be late. So she asked him to just meet her there instead.

Felix held the doorknob for a second, afraid to go in. He was going to feel really stupid if someone recognized him, so he hesitated for a moment.

“You looking for someone?” He turned to face Abel, who walked toward him with Nellie.

Nellie whispered something to Abel as they approached him. Felix tried not to smirk at Abel’s suspicious glare. “I’m here for the class,” he said, trying to disguise his voice.

Abel looked him over from top to bottom with a scowl. “The self-defense class?” he asked incredulously. “You need to sign up for . . .” Felix laughed when he saw Abel’s scowl morph into a confused expression. “Felix?”

Nellie’s jaw dropped. “What?”

Felix brought a finger to his mouth. “Don’t blow it,” he said quickly in a lowered voice as someone walked out of the class and past them. Felix held the door open.

“What are you doing?” Abel asked, lowering his voice as well.

“We’re going to Disneyland today, and I don’t wanna be mobbed all day, so I had friend of mine, this Hollywood makeup artist I know, hook me up.”

“Wow, that’s good,” Nellie said, smiling big.

“You look like a thug,” Abel added. “It’s why she came and got me. She thought you were gonna rob the place or something.”

Felix laughed. “Is that why you looked at me like you did? I figured with a goatee, this mustache, and a hoodie, I’d look like just another East L. A. thug.”

“Those dark-ass sunglasses make you look even more suspicious,” Abel said with a frown, “especially indoors. Don’t go getting shot.”

Felix assured them he wouldn’t. “Go in,” Nellie said, smiling. “I wanna see if she recognizes you.”

Both Abel and Nellie waited outside. “Don’t let her see you,” Felix whispered. “She’ll know something’s up.”

Some of the girls in the class turned and looked at him as he walked in but not like they normally did, just as anyone would when someone walks in a class that’s already in session. They quickly turned back to the cop who Felix could only assume was a guest speaker. Felix looked him over, glad it wasn’t Grayson, who Ella said volunteered occasionally to come in and speak. The guy talking now was giving the group the latest alarming statistics of the violence in this area, telling them why their taking this class was such a good thing, and urging them to get friends and family to do the same.

Felix brought his attention to Ella, who was reading something now on her phone. She looked up and did a double take when she saw him. He saw those cute little brows of hers come together slowly; then her mouth dropped open and she smiled, bringing her hand over her mouth. Okay, maybe he wasn’t fooling everyone.

Something about her recognizing him so instantly warmed him. Unlike Kelsey, Nellie, and even Abel, it was as if Ella would know him anywhere. He brought his finger over his mouth, not wanting Ella to out him to everyone else.

Ella walked over to him, smiling big. “Oh my God,” she whispered. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to enjoy today without being stopped every five minutes.”

“You did this yourself?” she asked, touching his goatee.

“No. I had a friend stop by this morning. She does makeup for one of the big studios in Hollywood.”

Ella immediately looked up from his goatee, meeting his eyes. “A friend, huh?”

Felix gulped, instantly realizing the error of his ways. While he had no intention of ever sleeping with Candy again, their relationship wasn’t exactly a friendship. In fact, Candy had arrived that morning at his place fully intent on doing more than just his goatee and mustache.

“Yeah,” he said, clearing his throat. “We met on the set of that music video I had a cameo on a while back.” Ella didn’t seem at all impressed, so he added quickly. “I called her last night and told her what I was doing today—taking my girlfriend to Disneyland—and that I needed a little help blending in.”

He really had. Of course, that still didn’t stop Candy from saying some of the suggestive things she had. Bottom line was that even though it felt a little weird, he’d actually enjoyed saying the words “I’m in a serious relationship now.”