After the balloon landed, Carlos gave his email address to Bartender Mitch who promised to send him the pictures and the video of the proposal.
“Promise you won’t upload it to the internet,” Carlos handed Mitch a tip while the ground crew rolled up the balloon.
Mitch thumbed through the bills. “This is enough to keep it off Facebook, but YouTube? I’ll need another hundred.”
“He’s just kidding,” Captain Jack said. “Don’t forget to write up a review.”
He placed a lei around Choco’s neck and kissed her cheek. “Special compliments from the crew and best wishes. If you want a wedding chapel, I have a business card for you.”
“Just zap it to their phone,” Mitch said. “Business cards are for old timers.”
“Actually we don’t have our phones,” Choco said. “We left them in San Diego.”
“For shame,” Mitch said, showing her his phone. “There’s a travel app that tells you all the sites when you walk by. It’s a great way to sightsee on the Strip.”
“Really? Let me see.” Choco took his phone.
“We’re not close to any attractions right now, but on the drive back, you can hold the phone and it’ll beep every time we pass something interesting.”
“Cool, can I check my email while I’m here?” Choco asked.
“Sure, go for it,” Mitch said. “Make sure to like us on Facebook too.”
“Uh, Choke,” Carlos said. “You promised to stay off the grid. You know, we’re running away together?”
He could imagine the frantic emails from her parents, fearing her death, demise, or kidnapping by hooded cult members or crazy cooks wielding chocolate sauce and buko pie.
She shrugged. “We’re not doing anything but waiting. Besides, I promise my complete attention once we’re back to the launch site.”
He kissed her. “Okay, you promised.”
“I have a new and exciting gin drink,” Mitch said. “Try my matcha green tea gimlet.”
“That sounds like quite a combo.” Carlos swiped his hair from his eyes, and followed Mitch to his portable drink cooler. Even though the dry wind whipped, it was going to be a hot August day.
“Carlos! Come here,” Choco called, her eyes glued to the phone. “Livy’s belly button’s infected, and Kevin took her to the doctor. Shit. He’s pissed at me. Read this email.”
Which was exactly why he didn’t want her to read her email.
“I have to call. Mitch? Mitch?” Choco rushed toward the bartender. “Can I make a call?”
“Sure, voice is free these day. Go ahead.” He handed her a drink. “Try the matcha gimlet.”
The captain rubbed his white hair and slipped a business card for the wedding chapel to Carlos. “You can use my phone to call ahead. Tell them Captain Jack sent you.”
“Gee, thanks.” Sweat broiled on the back of Carlos’s neck. He hadn’t planned on rushing to the chapel. They were supposed to check into the Stratosphere Hotel, get freshened up, and then go on the Thrill Rides Wedding, where they’d be thrown into the air, catapulted and spun on daredevil rides on top of the tower before tying the knot.
“Oh, no! It can’t be. No, please, no. You can’t do this to me. You can’t.” Choco’s anguished voice cut his reverie.
Carlos rushed to her side. “What happened?”
“Please, don’t take her away from me. Please, Kevin, she means everything to me.”
He’d take Livy away from Choco because of an infected belly button? Unbelievable.
“Give me the phone. Let me speak to him,” Carlos said.
“Oh, shit! How did she find out? Who told her?” Choco sagged to her knees on the dusty ground. She bent over, clutching her stomach. “Who would do a thing like this?”
Her hands shaking she swiped the phone. “He says someone posted on Livy’s Facebook wall that I’m her mother.”
“What?” Carlos’s head expanded as blood pounded his temples. “Who’d do a cruel thing like that?”
“He won’t say, but I’m going to find out.” She typed and mistyped her password. “Shit. It’s going to lock me out.”
“Calm down, deep breaths.” Carlos put his arms around her. “Let me try.”
“He’s taking Livy away from me. He says I can’t see her ever again. He’s getting a restraining order.”
“But it’s not your fault.”
“It’s part of the agreement for letting Livy be my little sister.” Choco slumped against his chest. “Here, you try logging in.”
Carlos entered his password and tapped Livy’s avatar. His heart froze. The post came from his profile. Carlos López posted: Choco’s your mom. It’s best you knew.
“This can’t be,” he muttered.
“What, let me see.”
“No, someone hacked my account.”
A sharp kick on his shin bent him over. Choco scratched and pried the phone from his hand. “Carlos. You did it? How could you? I thought we talked about this.”
“It wasn’t me. Check the time it was posted.”
“It says twelve hours ago. That was before our trip. You could have posted it then. No wonder you didn’t want us to take our phones.” She threw Mitch’s phone at him. “Leave me alone.”
“You can’t believe I’d do this,” Carlos grappled with her arms. “Someone must have hacked my account. Maybe I left myself logged in, or they found my phone.”
“Then it’s your mom. It’s either you or your mom.”
“My mom wouldn’t do something like this.”
“Oh yeah?” She twisted her arms from his grasp. “She threatened me with Livy. She said if I didn’t keep my dirty claws off you, she’d tell Livy, and I’ll never get to see her again.”
“I don’t believe it. Why would my mom threaten you? You’re her goddaughter.”
“Of course, she’s a saint to you.” Choco twisted the ring from her finger. “Whether it’s your fault or not, I’ll never forget. I can’t marry you, Carlos. I can’t even look at your face.”
To her credit, she didn’t throw the ring. She pressed it into his hand and ran into the desert, weeping.
“Shit, man,” Mitch said, clapping his hand on Carlos’s shoulder. “I’ve seen some short engagements, but this one takes the cake.”