The Next River Read online

  “Good, because I think I hear cars and trucks out front. Let’s go.”

  Romeo stood and was following Julian to the front of the house when two vans and a car pulled into the driveway.

  “Don’t we need a dumpster?” Romeo asked. He watched as a woman, whom he assumed was Arissa Suarez, exited the car and walked towards them. She had a slight limp to her walk and, as she came closer, Romeo could see bruises on her face. Some looked fainter than others but Romeo noticed them all. He glanced at Julian, who noticed also and forced a smile.

  “Hi, I’m Arissa Suarez,” she said, extending her hand.

  Julian shook her hand first, then Romeo.

  “I’m Julian. We spoke on the phone. This is my boss, Romeo Tuckett.”

  Arissa smiled. “Nice to meet you both. I have ten people here to help, plus the three of us but I was hoping you could show me around the house a little bit first.”

  Romeo grimaced. “I don’t think you want to go in there.”

  Arissa chuckled. “We all have to anyway. Come on.”

  Romeo led the way and opened the front door of the house. He stepped aside as much as he could and looked at Arissa, wanting to see her reaction. She didn’t react the way he expected her to, but then he remembered she did cleanups like this for a living.

  “On a scale of one to ten,” Romeo said, “how would you rate this?”

  Arissa bit down on her bottom lip. “Um, right now, a six. I have to see the rest of the house, though. So far, it’s not so bad.”

  “You’re just saying that to make me feel better,” Romeo said with a frown.

  At this comment, Arissa burst into laughter. “Maybe just a little. But honestly, it’s not that bad. I’ve seen much worse.”

  Romeo still didn’t believe Arissa but he led her through the house. She asked him kinds of questions that Romeo didn’t really want to answer. Why did he have so much stuff? What was he willing to get rid of? Would he keep the house clean? He wanted to ask her questions of his own, like where did all those bruises on her face come from? But her questions were directly related to her job so Romeo reluctantly answered them all.

  “There is no dumpster here,” Romeo said, assuming Arissa didn’t know.

  “I know. Ever heard of dumpster bags?”

  Romeo shook his head.

  “They’re reusable bags that can hold just about what a regular metal dumpster can. The one we’re using holds 4500 pounds so when we finish filling it, we’ll call it a day.”

  “Okay,” Romeo said. He let Arissa walk in front of him so he could stare at her ass. She was hot. And being the typical guy that he was, Romeo studied every inch of her body that he could. His cock became hard as she bent over to pick up something that she dropped. He wished she wore a dress or skirt.

  Within a matter of minutes, the dumpster bag was set up and Arissa was instructing the workers on what to do.

  “Remember guys,” she said, “that this is Romeo’s house and he has final say about everything. If he says it’s not garbage, do not throw it out. Got it?”

  Everyone grumbled they understood and Arissa clapped her hands together. She led everyone back into the house, where they began cleaning out the foyer and dining room.

  “What happened to your face?” Romeo asked Arissa as they worked together in the dining room.

  Arissa looked up, her face full of shock at first. Then she narrowed her eyes.

  “It isn’t any of your business,” she said.

  “Well, when you show up to my house like that, yeah, it becomes my business,” Romeo spat back. He immediately felt sorry when regret and sadness washed over Arissa’s face. “I’m sorry. I’m being a jerk. I just think you’re very beautiful and whoever did that to you, I’d like to beat his ass.”

  Arissa chuckled and shook her head. “Trust me, if the police don’t find him, one of my friends’ boyfriends will.”

  “Did you know him?” Romeo asked. He was glad Arissa was opening up somewhat to him and wanted to see how much more she would tell him.

  Arissa stared at him before nodding slowly. “Yeah, I did. Unfortunately.”

  “I’m really sorry,” Romeo said. He picked up a piece of paper and read it. An old telephone bill from years ago.

  “You’re doing great, though,” Arissa smiled. “I think if we keep it up, these two rooms will be done in no time and we can tackle the living room, too.”

  Romeo smiled back. He couldn’t help himself. He and Arissa stared at each other until Julian came in, interrupting their moment.

  “Hey,” Julian said slowly. He looked at Romeo then at Arissa. “Sorry to interrupt.”

  “You weren’t interrupting anything,” Arissa said quickly. She turned away and continued picking up trash and putting it into the black garbage bag she carried. It was almost full so she excused herself, brushing past Romeo and Julian, to go get another one.

  “What was that?” Julian asked.

  Romeo sighed. “She was telling me about her bruises. I want to kill the bastard that hurt her like that.”

  “Are you feeling something for her?” A smug grin spread across Julian’s face.

  “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  Julian snorted. “Maybe is your favorite word, isn’t it? I say take a chance and ask her out to dinner or something. What’s the worst she can say?”

  “No,” Romeo replied, his lips thinned into a straight line.

  Julian rolled his eyes. “Just ask her. Then, maybe you can find out who the bastard is that put those bruises on her. We’ll take care of him together.”

  Julian left the room, leaving Romeo alone with his thoughts. There was something about Arissa that he really liked. He couldn’t pin point it exactly. It was much more than her hot body, pretty smile, and charming personality. It went deeper. As he continued cleaning the room, he finally figured out what it was about Arissa that he liked.

  She reminded him of Eliza, his dead little sister.

  The thought was a mixture of unsettling and comforting. Eliza was an amazing young woman, the best sister Romeo could’ve ever asked for. But there was only one Eliza and Romeo didn’t want to ever feel that he was replacing her. She was gone, but not gone. Romeo thought about her daily. He prayed that he was still in a coma, the worst outcome possible being enacted by his brain.

  “Hey, we’re taking a lunch break,” Arissa said as she walked back into the room. “Know any good restaurants around? Particularly inexpensive. I don’t have a Bel Air budget.”

  “Yeah, I know a couple places. Are you going with the others?” Romeo picked up the now-full garbage bag and went outside the house, throwing it into the dumpster bag.

  Arissa shook her head. “No, it’s just me.”

  “Do you mind if I join you?” Romeo asked.

  Arissa froze. Was Romeo interested in her? Because she was definitely interested in him, although she doubted anything would ever come of it. Maybe he was just being friendly.

  “I don’t mind at all,” she said with a smile.

  Romeo smiled back. “Great. Let me get my car keys and we can head out. Hope you like Greek food.”

  Chapter 7: Arissa

  Arissa couldn’t contain her excitement as she sat beside Romeo in his black Bugatti, coasting down the highway to a Greek restaurant Romeo swore by. The events of the previous week all but faded and for the first time, she actually smiled while in the presence of another man.

  But should I tell him? She questioned herself. Should I tell him that I’m transgender now to avoid a repeat of Hunter? Yes, she decided. She would tell Romeo during lunch, hoping there were no paparazzi stalking wherever he took them.

  Fifteen minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant.

  “Do you come here often?” Arissa asked.

  Romeo shrugged his shoulders. “I come when I can and I’m in the mood for Greek. They know me well, though.”

  “And you’re not concerned for your safety? Privacy?” Arissa asked. Sett
ing a routine could be dangerous. A deranged fan could seriously hurt, or even kill, Romeo.

  “Nah. I’m a licensed gun owner anyway.”

  “Do you carry it on you?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  Arissa frowned. “So what’s the point?”

  “For protection at home. Come on, let’s go.”

  Arissa got out of the car and followed close behind Romeo. He smelled good, even though they had been working with garbage and doing a lot of manual work for the whole morning. She was afraid that she smelled horrible and gave herself a subtle sniff. She didn’t smell too bad but still wanted to go into the bathroom and freshen up.

  The inside of the restaurant was blue and white, like the color of the buildings in Santorini, Greece. A friendly-looking, chubby maître d' smiled at Romeo and shook his hand.

  “It’s good to see you, Mr. Tuckett. How are you? Party of two?”

  Romeo smiled back. “I’m good, Dimitri. How are you? And yes, table for two. Preferably somewhere in the back. You know, the usual.”

  Dimitri nodded. “I know just where to put you. I’m doing well. Maria always asks me if I saw you when I get home. She says hello and she has a cake to bake you soon.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Romeo chuckled. “Tell Maria I’ll move things around and take her up on that offer.”

  Dimitri grabbed two menus and led Arissa and Romeo to the rear of the restaurant. It was secluded enough that someone at the front wouldn’t really be able to see them, as giant pillars resembling ones from ancient Greek architecture partially obstructed the view. Dimitri held out the chair for Arissa, who thanked him and sat down. Romeo sat down beside him.

  “I believe Georgios is the waiter today. We’re not that busy so he should be here shortly,” Dimitri said. He walked away after bowing slightly.

  “You can order for me,” Arissa said. “I don’t know anything about Greek food.”

  “Your name sounds Greek,” Romeo said.

  “I think it actually may be Greek but I’m not sure. I haven’t ever looked it up.”

  Romeo opened his menu and scanned it while Arissa did the same, although she told Romeo to order for her. She still wanted to see what her options were and to at least be somewhat familiar with what Romeo ordered. She peeked up from the menu and was met with Romeo’s gray eyes.

  “Romeo,” Arissa began, nervously, “there’s something I need to tell you. And I understand if you aren’t okay with it but I just want you to know because it wouldn’t be fair otherwise.”

  “Are you married?” Romeo asked.

  “What? No?” Arissa laughed. She immediately sobered when thinking about the words that were about to come out of her mouth. “I’m transgender.”

  “What?” Romeo asked.

  “I’m transgender,” Arissa repeated. “Male to female.”

  Romeo remained silent. So this whole time, he was attracted to a boy? Or girl? He was confused, but not mad. In fact, he appreciated Arissa telling him.

  “How did this all come about?” He asked, surprising Arissa by his question.

  “What do you mean?”

  “When did you know you were transgender? I admit, I don’t know a lot. And I’m sorry if I say anything offensive.”

  “I understand. I was very young when I started feeling different. I can’t describe it other than I just wasn’t happy being a boy. It wasn’t me, if that makes sense. I told my mom and she didn’t believe me at first. Thought it was a phase. But as I got older, my feelings didn’t go away. They only became stronger and I became more adamant that I wasn’t a boy. I refused to go by my given name and chose Arissa after hearing it on TV.”

  “What was your given name?” Romeo asked.

  “Abraham.”

  Romeo nodded. “So are you fully female? Like…”

  “Do I have all the female parts?” Arissa said. “I don’t have a vagina. I don’t have the money and my breasts were expensive enough. But maybe one day.”

  The waiter came and talked to Romeo for a while before taking down the orders. Romeo ordered them both lamb gyros and Greek French fries.”

  “You’ll love it,” he said.

  Arissa was surprised by Romeo’s acceptance and eagerness to learn more about her. Most people, especially males, typically began to ignore her immediately or shortly after meeting her. It was something that Arissa had come to accept, so she didn’t want to get her hopes up that Romeo was any different. But she still had a little bit of hope.

  “I don’t want to rush us,” Arissa said, “but we shouldn’t stay for too long. We still have a lot of work to do.”

  “I know. That’s why I ordered gyros. They’re quick to eat.”

  The food came and when Arissa bit into the gyro, her taste buds went into a frenzy. It was so good. So good she didn’t want to finish it.

  “You were right,” Arissa hummed with pleasure. “This is amazing.”

  “I told you,” Romeo said with a mouthful of food. “Greek gyros, authentic Greek gyros, are freaking amazing.”

  They finished their food in fifteen minutes and left the restaurant. Arissa promised she would return with or without Romeo again and try the whole menu.

  Back at the house, work resumed. The transformation of the foyer and dining room was absolutely amazing. No longer did people have to squeeze through a mountain of trash to get further into the house. Arissa was actually surprised that the furniture under the junk was very nice, modern furniture. She just hoped everything could be kept. Insect and rodent infestations in hoarder homes was very common and in almost all cases, the furniture that was infested was thrown away.

  “I can’t believe this is what my house will look like when it’s cleaned,” Romeo said. He spun in a circle with his hands outstretched in the dining room.

  “This was always your house. You just needed help getting it to this point,” Arissa said.

  She and Romeo stared at one another for what seemed like hours until one of the workers called for Arissa.

  “I think you guys have done a great job today. How about everyone go home and rest?”

  Arissa’s eyes widened. “Really? Wow, thanks so much. We’ll be here bright and early tomorrow.”

  When she turned to leave, Romeo stopped her.

  “I know we just met and all, but do you want to go out sometime?”

  “Really?”

  Romeo asked. “Yeah. I mean, we can do something fun. You like bowling?”

  Arissa smiled. “Yeah, I do. I’m a killer bowler.”

  Romeo laughed. “Yeah, we’ll see. Put your number into my phone.”

  Arissa did and left Romeo’s house with a huge smile on her face. She hoped this was the beginning of something good.

  Chapter 8: Romeo

  Romeo dreamt of his sister that night. Eliza appeared to him in the white dress she had been buried in. But that was the only indication that she was dead. She looked just as alive as she did when she was actually alive. Her blue eyes were just as vivid as they always were, her skin was rosy pink, her blonde hair fell in cascading curls, the bed dipping when she sat.

  “You like her,” Eliza said. It wasn’t a question but, rather, a statement.

  “Who?” Romeo asked.

  “Arissa.”

  “How do you know about her?”

  Eliza sighed and rolled her eyes. “I know about everything, I told you. She’s a nice girl. I like her, too.”

  “She’s transgender,” Romeo said.

  “So?”

  “What do you mean, ‘so?’ Do you know what people would say if they ever found out?” Romeo asked. He threw his comforter off his body, suddenly feeling hot.

  “Since when do you care about what anyone says? And why does anyone need to find out anything?”

  “Eliza,” Romeo sighed, “You know how the media is. As soon as word gets out that I’m taken, the vultures will look into Arissa’s life like they are detectives. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.”

>   “I understand that.” Eliza smiled mischievously. “But when it’s love, it’s love.”

  Romeo laughed. “It’s not love.”

  “Love at first sight exists, you know.”

  Romeo laughed again. Eliza’s charm and sense of humor were just a few of the things he missed about his little sister. He would give anything to have her back, but nights like these when she visited him, he felt closer to her than ever.

  “I gotta head out, Romeo,” Eliza said. She stood and walked to the window.

  “When will you be back?”

  “I’m always around. I make myself known when you need me the most.”

  And with that, Eliza disappeared.

  Romeo rubbed his eyes, hoping Eliza would reappear again. But he was met with nothing but the darkness of his bedroom.

  Romeo’s nerves were at an all-time high as he walked up the little footpath to Arissa’s house. It was their first date, although maybe to Arissa it was just a friendly outing.

  The cleaning of his house was nearing completion and the transformation was something Romeo had only dreamed of. Arissa and her team had done an excellent job and accomplished what was once viewed as impossible to accomplish.

  Romeo rang the doorbell and waited a couple moments before Arissa opened the door. She wore a pair of black skinny jeans, a plain white t-shirt and white sneakers.

  “Hey!” She said with a smile. “I hope I’m dressed okay. You said I should dress casually, right?”

  Romeo kissed Arissa on the cheek. “Yes, you look fine. Ready to go?”

  Arissa nodded. “Yeah. Let me just get my bag.” She disappeared back into her house for a second and reemerged with a black purse. “Okay, let’s go!”

  They got into Romeo’s car and he headed north out of Los Angeles. Arissa had been this way multiple times but tonight was different. Tonight, she was with someone whom she was beginning to have feelings for.

  “I’m surprised you haven’t asked me where we’re going,” Romeo said.

  Arissa laughed. “Well, I figured you wanted to keep it a surprise.”

  “You’re actually right but I’m used to millions of questions.” Romeo exited the highway and continued north until the only thing that surrounded them was tall trees.