Here's lookin to you, Kid (Guillermo)

[na]

Naomi Kinnely was a creature of simple tastes. She liked old movies, enjoyed filming immensely. And so she couldn't help but think of Casablanca, when she saw that oh so familiar scowl across the dinner. He didn't seem to have noticed her yet. Perhaps he had forgotten what she looked like after these three years, though she was sure she hadn't changed much.

Grabbing a notebook and a pen out of her bag, she wrote in a swift, scrawling script: Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.

He might not get the reference. Rick, the hero of Casablanca, musing over seeing his barely forgotten love Ilsa. It was truly a beautiful scene. Mimi wondered if she should ask Sam to 'Play it again'. Sipping her coffee, Mimi chuckled quietly to herself, handing the note to the waitress. "Could you bring this to that gentlemen over there, please?"

As she waited, Mimi stared into her coffee cup, wondering how he would react. Or how she should react. Should she yell at him? For leaving her in Springfield, for never calling, never writing, never emailing. Not even a fucking text. But she already knew she couldn't be mad at Guillermo. It was impossible to really stay mad at him, after all, once he flashed his trademark, shit-eating-grin.

Mimi pulled her camera out of her bag, knowing she'd want to record any sort of reunion they had. But she wouldn't look up, oh no. He had to come over here.

this shirt with a pair of jeans and a hemp jacket.

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

Guillermo pushed his coffee away. He missed tequila. But after the whole drunk-fight-with-Rose, he had made a conscious effort to avoid the drink. He sighed, glancing around the shop. It was fairly busy this afternoon.
He rotated slowly on the swivel chair, feeling bored.
A waitress passed him, setting down a piece of paper. Guillermo's black eyebrow flew up and she held up her hands.
"Not from me, hun. The girl over there."
She pointed in the opposite direction, but he was busy opening the paper.
Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.
Where had he heard that? He knew it from somewhere. It was very familiar, but he couldn't recall exactly where he had heard it.
His brows furrowed as he scanned the diner.
A mane of curly brown hair came into view and the corner's of his mouth stretched across his face.
Hell. No.
He jumped from his seat and crossed the diner. He slid into the vinyl seat beside his old best friend, grinning.
"Fancy meeting you here, Mimi."
He leaned one elbow on the table, facing her as he shot her a bright smile.
"What the hell are you doing in New York, Kinnely?"

[na]

When he approached the table, Mimi held the camera up, recording his wide smile as he slid into the seat. "Fancy meeting you here, Mimi."

"Fancy that indeed, El Paso."

Leaning on his elbow, she looked up over the camera, flashing him a smile to match his. "What the hell are you doing in New York, Kinnely?" She looked back down at the camera, zooming in on his left eye.

"Oh you know, little of this, little of that." She answered vaguely, never having had been one to answer the questions. No, no, she was the interviewer. The one working behind the camera. "And you, having coffee all by your lonesome? Recovering from a night of escapades, perhaps?" She suggested, watching his face intently with the screen on the digital camera.

Having not spoke to him in three years, Mimi wasn't exactly in the know about the Rose situation. She was aware of his Father's passing, but didn't know exactly how to bring up her condolences. Perhaps after some chitchat. Some re-familiarizing. It was always important to approach things delicately with Guillermo. He tried to act tough as shit, but he was about as sensitive as they came.

Except, instead of tears, blood was more likely to be shed.

And not his blood either.

Or, really, a girl who may have caused the offense.

But the next poor sap on the street who did anything to irk the beast that kept a permanent residence in Guillermo's chest. Yeah, his blood.

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

"Fancy that indeed, El Paso."
Her camera blinked at him, recording.
She grinned back at him, before dropping her gaze to the camera screen, no doubt playing with the zoom or effects.
"Oh you know, little of this, little of that."
She said, her voice trailing off, still focused on the video camera in her hands. He rolled his eyes, smiling.
"And you, having coffee all by your lonesome? Recovering from a night of escapades, perhaps?"
He frowned a little, stiffening.
"Ah, no actually. I uh... I haven't had any escapades for..um, a while. I've been busy with.. some other things. I have a roommate now. And my sister showed up not long ago. She's been staying with me as well."
He hoped she wouldn't dive into his relationship stuff. He wasn't sure how to explain the Rose situation.

[na]

He stiffened instantly, like a great sadness was being lifted on his shoulders. "Ah, no actually. I uh... I haven't had any escapades for..um, a while. I've been busy with.. some other things."

Mimi lifted her eyebrow skeptically. "Other things?" She repeated, as if this was the most doubtful thing in the world. Perhaps he was taking a sabbatical from tail in mourning for his Father? This, Mimi thought, was unlikely. If anything Guillermo would have been so distressed he would have wanted to drown himself in whatever underworldly pleasures he was into. Namely: Sex and Tequila. But then again, perhaps he had changed in the past three years.

"I have a roommate now. And my sister showed up not long ago. She's been staying with me as well." He was dodging now. Guillermo wasn't telling Mimi something, and she knew it. Even with their time apart, Mimi knew him better than he had ever bothered to give her credit for.

Still, she kept the conversation going, though her face was puzzled like someone determined to figure out a rubix cube. "So that's where she went? Her Mom was calling all over the place looking for her... Guess there's just something about New York." She sipped her coffee, as the waitress brought Guillermo a fresh cup. The air was stagnant with the awkwardness of Mimi knowing Guillermo was keeping something back. Unable to sit in the discomfort, Mimi set the camera on the window sill, so that they could both be recorded, and giving Guillermo a very business like look. "You know, if you just say whatever it is you're not saying, we can address it and move on."

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

"Other things?"
Her eyebrow arched, and his heart sank a bit. She could tell he was being a little evasive.
"So that's where she went? Her Mom was calling all over the place looking for her... Guess there's just something about New York."
"Yeah, I guess so.."
He couldn't bring himself to drink the coffee the waitress set before him.
Mimi watched him and there was an air of awkwardness. She put her camera up on the window sill, and turned back to him.
She meant business.
"You know, if you just say whatever it is you're not saying, we can address it and move on."
He scoffed.
"What are you talking about? Just because I don't have casual flings anymore and have people living with me, you think I'm hiding something?"

[na]

For someone so 'innocnet', he was certainly pretty defensive. "What are you talking about? Just because I don't have casual flings anymore and have people living with me, you think I'm hiding something?" Mimi grinned, like she had caught his hand in the cookie jar.

Pushing her thick curls out of her face, Mimi rested her chin on her palms, eyes dancing at the instant mystery Guillermo had presented her with. "I hadn't said it was about the flings or the roomies. I just said you weren't saying something, though you do seem awful defensive." She should have figured things would go right back to normal. Though she honestly hadn't planned on really running into Guillermo. New York was an awful big place, after all. But here they were, kicking it old school. Like the three years never happened.

Though, had the three years never happened, Mimi would know what it was that he was hiding.

Sighing, she pretended to give up, before sliding under the table, patting his pockets. For what? Wallet and Cellphone of course. Before he could scoot away, she held them in her hands, already flipping through the pictures.

Skateboard.

Boardwalk.

Pretty girl with blue eyes.

A dog.

Girl with blue eyes.

Some guy with a bad case of lumber mouth, holding a beer. (Seth)

Jeny.

Jeny.

Jeny.

Pretty girl with blue eyes again.

Jeny.

Girl with blue eyes again.

GIrl with blue eyes sitting with lumbarmouth.

Girl with blue eyes in a very lacy, very black, definitely not platonic meeting, bra.

Well, hello.

Holding the screen up to Guillermo, revealing the girls coquettish pose. "And who is this?"

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

Naomi gave a sly smile.
"I hadn't said it was about the flings or the roomies. I just said you weren't saying something, though you do seem awful defensive."
She gave a sigh and he rolled his eyes.
Mimi suddenly slid under the table, patting his pockets. He jumped slightly as she extracted his phone and wallet.
"What the hell, Mimi?"
She flipped through his phone, her eyebrows inching higher as she went on.
Naomi held up his phone in his face, a smirk playing on her lips.
Rose was on the screen.
Dayum..
He had forgotten about that picture.
She waved her hand slightly, drawing him from his thoughts.
"And who is this?"
He blushed darkly, stuttering.
"Um.. my... Rose. She's Rose."

[na]

Busted. He was so busted. But why would Guillermo keep one of his girlie friends secret. It wasn't like that was ever an issue before. "Um.. my... Rose. She's Rose." He said it in the possessive tense. His Rose. That was odd. Mimi's eyebrow arched, her smile fading a little, in her confusion. What the hell was up with him. She flipped through some more pictures, stopping one of Guillermo and his Rose, together, her kissing his cheek. They looked so warm and glowy.

And it all became clear.

Mimi's mouth fell open, her brown eyes widening, as she set the phone down. "No way..." She grinned, covering her mouth as she laughed. "You're in... in love? YOU?" She grabbed her camera, zooming in on Guillermo's face. "Explain yourself, El Paso. C'mon, out with it."

Guillermo had fallen in love with someone. He had actually fallen in love with someone. Mimi was glad that she brought her camera, as no one from Springfield would have believed otherwise. "Like, how the fuck she get you? Tequila flavored nipples." There was a twinge of jealousy that Mimi was trying to ignore. She was, after all, over Guillermo. It was a crush, instigated by a very sensitive time in her life. And that had been three bloody years ago. No, she was definitely happy that he had found someone.

Totally.

Completely.

Kinda.

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

Mimi's eyebrow arched. She flipped through his phone some more before her jaw dropped.
"No way..."
Her voice was shocked and highly amused. Mimi laughed, covering her mouth a little.
"You're in... in love? YOU? Explain yourself, El Paso. C'mon, out with it."
She pointed her camera in his face as he blushed darkly.
"No! You crazy ass mujer.." He began, then his shoulders drooped a little, he leaned back in his seat and rolled his eyes.
"Yeah. I am. I fell hard too."
"Like, how the fuck she get you? Tequila flavored nipples."
Guillermo's face felt hot and he scowled at Mimi, though grinning slightly.
"No. Though that would have been entertaining."
He sighed, giving a humorless chuckle, before his smile disappeared.
"Doesn't matter anymore though. She left."
His voice shook slightly and sounded quietly hurt.

[na]

"No! You crazy ass mujer... Yeah. I am. I fell hard too." What a curiosity. Mimi could see the pain in his eyes, and it ached her a bit. What had this mysterious Rose done that made the once impenetrable heart of Guillermo fall so hard? The nickname Fort Knox had been applied to him, for God's sake, because he was so... Guillermo-y. But he seemed to have lost his Guillermo-ness. He had lost his ness. Or perhaps just gotten new ness. There was a glint of the former-ness, as he chuckled darkly. But it was not the talking-about-females dark chuckle. It was the I'm-trying-to-be-strong-so-no-one-sees-me-hurt chuckle. "No. Though that would have been entertaining. Doesn't matter anymore though. She left."

Mimi lowered the camera, feeling a little bit like an asshole. but seriously, how was she suppose to know. Turning off the camera, a sign of tact if Mimi ever possessed one, she set it aside and took Guillermo's hands, her lips forming a thoughtful purse. "That sucks man." Eloquence, thy name is Mimi. "Sooo... should I change the subject, or do you want to talk about it?" A piece of Mimi wanted the entire scoop. It was such a scandal, after all. Diabillo getting all put out over a girl. On the other hand, it was probably a sore topic for him. Mimi couldn't recall one of his little floozes breaking up with him.

Looking up, she lifted herself a little, palms on the table. "We're gonna need some of your guyses chocolate pies over here!" She called, getting an ok symbol from the waitress. Looking at Guillermo, she gave him a soft smile. "If having a vagina has taught me anything, it's that chocolate heals all wounds. AND DON'T SAY YOUR NOT HUNGRY. This is me not caring, and I'm not going to be the only one eating." Mimi was truly one of the guys, with her crude language and impish mannerisms. That could honestly be blamed almost entirely on Guillermo. It was why he bothered to hang out with her, back then, she believed. Other girls didn't want to get dirty, didn't want to get scraped. Mimi gave exactly zero fucks. Rough and tumble, rough and tumble.

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

Mimi put her camera down, her face taking on a serious somberness. She grabbed his hands and he raised an eyebrow. It was nice, but it was strange to him.
"That sucks man. Sooo... should I change the subject, or do you want to talk about it?"
Guillermo shrugged and Mimi stood, addressing a waitress.
"We're gonna need some of your guyses chocolate pies over here!"
She grinned at him. "If having a vagina has taught me anything-"
"Oh, it hasn't."
"-it's that chocolate heals all wounds. AND DON'T SAY YOUR NOT HUNGRY. This is me not caring, and I'm not going to be the only one eating."
"Yeah, except you'd be able to eat it all, whether or not I'm hungry."
His face brightened a little as he got into the familiar banter with Mimi.
"It's a long, confusing, boring story, Mimi. We definitely did not have a flawless relationship. There were some issues in there.."

[na]

"Oh, it hasn't." Heartbreak certainly hadn't slowed down that Guillermo stylized rapier wit. "Yeah, except you'd be able to eat it all, whether or not I'm hungry." Mimi scrunched her face at him, and gave a false laugh. As if to say: Har Har Har, you are soooooooo funny. It was like putting on your favorite, old, sweatshirt, talking with Guillermo again. Warm and comfortable, shaped exactly to you. He looked a bit sad, as he tried to shrug off his inner drama. "It's a long, confusing, boring story, Mimi. We definitely did not have a flawless relationship. There were some issues in there.."

The pies were set down in front of them, and Mimi scooped a generous bite of the chocolate silk on a spoon. "Tex, I've known you for... six or seven years now. I've never, ever, heard a story that had you and boring in the same vicinity. Just spill, I know you must want to talk about it. And I have the good fortune of being a neutral-ish party who can give you a look into the female perspective." Taking the generous helping of silk pie, she poked his face with it. "Second, take a bite. It's good!" She dabbed him a few times with the pie, snickering as it left little chocolate stains on his face.

"You know I'll just pester you til you spill. Or I'll ask Jeny. I'm sure she's dying to gossip about whatever mischief you've gotten yourself into." Grabbing his chin, she squeezed his cheeks til his mouth opened, pushing the spoon in. Smiling widely, she sipped her coffee, watching him closely. But, remembering the seriousness of the situation, she pulled back the grin, giving her friend a soothing stare. "I just want to help, you know?"

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

He shrugged as she attempted to get it out of him. Guillermo wasn't the monologue type..
"I've known you for... six or seven years now. I've never, ever, heard a story that had you and boring in the same vicinity. Just spill, I know you must want to talk about it. And I have the good fortune of being a neutral-ish party who can give you a look into the female perspective. Second, take a bite. It's good!"
Mimi smushed the pie into his face and he glowered at her, wiping off a handful and streaking it across her face.
"Watch out, Meems. You know how much I like chocolate," he grinned slyly, winking at her.
"You know I'll just pester you til you spill. Or I'll ask Jeny. I'm sure she's dying to gossip about whatever mischief you've gotten yourself into."
Grabbing his chin, she squeezed his cheeks til his mouth opened, pushing the spoon in.
He wrinkled his nose, irritated by the way she forced it into his mouth ((Mugs= BAHAHAHAHA))
"I just want to help, you know?"
He sighed.
"Look, she and I met because she lives next door. Within about an hour of knowing each other, we had sex. After that, we were, like.. friends with benefits, you know? Then Seth shows up and fucks stuff up and I have him move in with me. Then Jeny showed up just as Rose and I were trying to get our feelings figured out. Seth was in love with Rose and Rose said she loved me, so Seth took off, but he's back now. My little sister hates Rose. Rose was my girlfriend for a while, and everything was wonderful, but she got into an accident and almost died. It was all my fault too. And then she left, because she was taking care of some issues. And we were almost back together again when I started working with her, but she's gone somewhat mental, thinking she sees this lady who apparently has it in for me or something."
He took a breath in, glancing nervously at Mimi. She would never understand all this.
"That wasn't exactly in the right order.."

[na]

Guillermo glowered at her momentarily, but his face slipped into a rather dashing grin. "Watch out, Meems. You know how much I like chocolate,"

Now most girls would simply blush, and look down all demure like, especially since they were discussing how he was all hung up on another girl. Not Mimi, no Sir. She leaned forward, her eyes fluttering a little. "I dunno, it's been a while, Tex. My memory isn't that great." She giggled a little, passing it off as a joke. To be honest, her memory was pretty sharp.

Suddenly, Guillermo spilled it all out, barely stopping to breathe. "Look, she and I met because she lives next door. Within about an hour of knowing each other, we had sex. After that, we were, like.. friends with benefits, you know? Then Seth shows up and fucks stuff up and I have him move in with me. Then Jeny showed up just as Rose and I were trying to get our feelings figured out. Seth was in love with Rose and Rose said she loved me, so Seth took off, but he's back now. My little sister hates Rose. Rose was my girlfriend for a while, and everything was wonderful, but she got into an accident and almost died. It was all my fault too. And then she left, because she was taking care of some issues. And we were almost back together again when I started working with her, but she's gone somewhat mental, thinking she sees this lady who apparently has it in for me or something." As he spoke, Mimi took small bites of her pie, nodding as he went along with the story. It was only the jist of it, Mimi could tell, and it was already so very complicated. "That wasn't exactly in the right order.."

Swallowing a bit of pie, she paused, taking a deep breathe. "A whole hour you say." Mimi spoke, as if this was the most surprising thing he had said. "You're losing your touch there, El Paso." She laughed, taking a sip of her coffee. But then she allowed the serious nature of the entire thing to show through. "Okay... so who is Seth? Wait... no, start at the beginning. How did things go from scrump buds to feelings and whatnot. Then explain who Seth is."