Even the Sweetest Rose Has a Thorn., chapter 7
They got to Piétro's finally, Billie and Adie were already there, Mike wasn't. Adie took one look at Paprika and ran up and hugged her. Billie Joe looked at Tré and Frankito worriedly. They just looked at Billie Joe with the same expression.
"Oh honey, are you ok?" she asked worriedly. Paprika looked at the edge of crying and nodded hesitantly. "Come on, we'll clean you up a little bit," Adie said while leading Paprika to the bathrooms. They went inside to the bathrooms, leaving Billie Joe, Tré, and Frankito outside, waiting for Mike.
"Ok Kito, what happened?" Tré asked his son.
"Her mother," Frankito replied hesitantly.
"What do you mean?" Billie Joe asked.
"Her mother scratched her, probably smacked her, she looked like she was crying."
"Why would someone do that to a girl?"
"They haven't talked to each other in a way," Tré blurted out.
"What?" Billie Joe and Frankito asked in unison.
"Her mother... she's a prostitute, she doesn't bring home money, she brings herself drugs, and when the dealer got bored with her, she put Paprika with the dealer instead."
"That's not healthy."
"Her horses are her life savings," Billie Joe figured out.
"I wonder how much she pays for the house?"
"She's thirteen and already paying for the house, and it's not the best kept one either," Frankito sighed.
"Well she can only do so many things at once Frank," Tré said.
A black BMW pulled up and Mike got out. "Hey, what's up?" Mike smiled, until he saw everyone's faces. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Paprika... she got slashed, don't do anything when she comes back out ok?" Billie Joe asked.
"What? What the hell happened!"
"Dad?" a voice whispered. Mike turned to see Paprika, with her three slashes on her face and near tears.
"Oh my goodness Paprika, what happened to you?" he asked frantically. Paprika didn't answer, she just cried on her father's chest.
"I hate her," was all she said.
"I know, I know," Mike said while hugging her. Paprika looked at her watch and wiped her eyes, "we need to go inside," she said with a last sniffle and weak smile.
They all walked inside, Paprika gave the last name and they were lead to the back. A young woman and a young man were sitting at the table, discussing some sort of topic. They saw Paprika and her 'family' with her and stood up. They all shook hands and sat down. Frankito pulled a chair out for Paprika, she gave him a smile whilst she sat down.
"How are you this evening, I'm taking a guess and saying you're Paprika Shorie?" the man asked while pointing to Paprika. She nodded and smiled while sipping her water.
"How much?" the woman asked.
"How much for what exactly?" Paprika asked, she knew she was talking about a horse but which one.
"Sundancing at Night, we have invited you here to make a deal with us," the man said snobbishly.
"He is not for sale, only 'Blackberry Orchards' is, but not Sundance," Paprika said.
"We do not want your other nags, we want Sundance," the woman said.
"Blackberry Orchards is just getting gentled, that's why he not famous, he has potential and don't try to speak rudely about a horse when you do not even know their sire and dam," Paprika sneered. Everyone tried to hold back a smirk as they sipped their drinks.
"Then what is his sire and dam?" the woman asked.
"His sire is Blackberry's Last Dream and his dam is Soft Orchards, Soft Orchards was named 'horse of the year' in 2002, so he is not a nag as you so put it," Paprika smirked. The woman turned a tomato red as she looked at her plate.
"This discussion is for Sundancing at Night, we will give you 1 million for him," the man put it. Paprika just gave him a look like he was mental.
"Sundance has won over fiften million dollars, you think I'm going to sell him for just one million?" she questioned.
"What farms do you come from anyway?"
"Saurwild Farms," the woman replied matter-of-factly.
"Big industry, used to work there, they didn't treat the workers fairly, making them work long shifts without a break," Paprika said. Everyone was silent when the food came out and no one said anything while they ate.
"Fiften million and that's my last offer," the man said.
"Sir, as I've said, he is not for sale, I wouldn't sell any of my horses to you if it killed me, have a good night," Paprika threw down her napkin and walked out. The couple turned sort of red from anger as everyone else followed her.
***
"I'll take the guest bed, you take mine," Frankito insisted.
"That bed is uncomfortable, I'll sleep in it, I don't want to be a burden," Paprika said.
"No, you are my guest, take my bed."
"No Kito, I'll take the guest bed."
"No Paprika, I will."
"We can solve this," she replied shyly.
"How?" he asked, then he got it.
"You sure you want too?" he asked. She nodded, they climbed into Frankito's bed, to Frankito it was awkward but kind of relaxing. Paprika didn't hesitate, she cuddled up to him and smiled. Frankito pulled the covers over them and awkwardly put his arms around her waist.
"Paprika," he said.
"Hmmm?" she questioned.
"I'm sorry," he sighed. She looked at Frankito and kissed him deeply, "no reason to be." They fell asleep, Tré and Mike were spying on them through a crack in the door and looked at each other, was this good or bad?
***
"Paprika, wake up!" Frankito complained.
"Merf, meafe me amonm," she mumbled.
"English please?"
"Leave me alone," she complain.
"I'm guessing your not a morning person?" he questioned. She shook her head and he hugged her.
"If you don't get up, I'm not kissing you," he whispered.
She shot up and changed quickly, not exactly caring if Frankito was there and shot downstairs.
"Hmm, I guess if it works."
"Oh honey, are you ok?" she asked worriedly. Paprika looked at the edge of crying and nodded hesitantly. "Come on, we'll clean you up a little bit," Adie said while leading Paprika to the bathrooms. They went inside to the bathrooms, leaving Billie Joe, Tré, and Frankito outside, waiting for Mike.
"Ok Kito, what happened?" Tré asked his son.
"Her mother," Frankito replied hesitantly.
"What do you mean?" Billie Joe asked.
"Her mother scratched her, probably smacked her, she looked like she was crying."
"Why would someone do that to a girl?"
"They haven't talked to each other in a way," Tré blurted out.
"What?" Billie Joe and Frankito asked in unison.
"Her mother... she's a prostitute, she doesn't bring home money, she brings herself drugs, and when the dealer got bored with her, she put Paprika with the dealer instead."
"That's not healthy."
"Her horses are her life savings," Billie Joe figured out.
"I wonder how much she pays for the house?"
"She's thirteen and already paying for the house, and it's not the best kept one either," Frankito sighed.
"Well she can only do so many things at once Frank," Tré said.
A black BMW pulled up and Mike got out. "Hey, what's up?" Mike smiled, until he saw everyone's faces. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Paprika... she got slashed, don't do anything when she comes back out ok?" Billie Joe asked.
"What? What the hell happened!"
"Dad?" a voice whispered. Mike turned to see Paprika, with her three slashes on her face and near tears.
"Oh my goodness Paprika, what happened to you?" he asked frantically. Paprika didn't answer, she just cried on her father's chest.
"I hate her," was all she said.
"I know, I know," Mike said while hugging her. Paprika looked at her watch and wiped her eyes, "we need to go inside," she said with a last sniffle and weak smile.
They all walked inside, Paprika gave the last name and they were lead to the back. A young woman and a young man were sitting at the table, discussing some sort of topic. They saw Paprika and her 'family' with her and stood up. They all shook hands and sat down. Frankito pulled a chair out for Paprika, she gave him a smile whilst she sat down.
"How are you this evening, I'm taking a guess and saying you're Paprika Shorie?" the man asked while pointing to Paprika. She nodded and smiled while sipping her water.
"How much?" the woman asked.
"How much for what exactly?" Paprika asked, she knew she was talking about a horse but which one.
"Sundancing at Night, we have invited you here to make a deal with us," the man said snobbishly.
"He is not for sale, only 'Blackberry Orchards' is, but not Sundance," Paprika said.
"We do not want your other nags, we want Sundance," the woman said.
"Blackberry Orchards is just getting gentled, that's why he not famous, he has potential and don't try to speak rudely about a horse when you do not even know their sire and dam," Paprika sneered. Everyone tried to hold back a smirk as they sipped their drinks.
"Then what is his sire and dam?" the woman asked.
"His sire is Blackberry's Last Dream and his dam is Soft Orchards, Soft Orchards was named 'horse of the year' in 2002, so he is not a nag as you so put it," Paprika smirked. The woman turned a tomato red as she looked at her plate.
"This discussion is for Sundancing at Night, we will give you 1 million for him," the man put it. Paprika just gave him a look like he was mental.
"Sundance has won over fiften million dollars, you think I'm going to sell him for just one million?" she questioned.
"What farms do you come from anyway?"
"Saurwild Farms," the woman replied matter-of-factly.
"Big industry, used to work there, they didn't treat the workers fairly, making them work long shifts without a break," Paprika said. Everyone was silent when the food came out and no one said anything while they ate.
"Fiften million and that's my last offer," the man said.
"Sir, as I've said, he is not for sale, I wouldn't sell any of my horses to you if it killed me, have a good night," Paprika threw down her napkin and walked out. The couple turned sort of red from anger as everyone else followed her.
***
"I'll take the guest bed, you take mine," Frankito insisted.
"That bed is uncomfortable, I'll sleep in it, I don't want to be a burden," Paprika said.
"No, you are my guest, take my bed."
"No Kito, I'll take the guest bed."
"No Paprika, I will."
"We can solve this," she replied shyly.
"How?" he asked, then he got it.
"You sure you want too?" he asked. She nodded, they climbed into Frankito's bed, to Frankito it was awkward but kind of relaxing. Paprika didn't hesitate, she cuddled up to him and smiled. Frankito pulled the covers over them and awkwardly put his arms around her waist.
"Paprika," he said.
"Hmmm?" she questioned.
"I'm sorry," he sighed. She looked at Frankito and kissed him deeply, "no reason to be." They fell asleep, Tré and Mike were spying on them through a crack in the door and looked at each other, was this good or bad?
***
"Paprika, wake up!" Frankito complained.
"Merf, meafe me amonm," she mumbled.
"English please?"
"Leave me alone," she complain.
"I'm guessing your not a morning person?" he questioned. She shook her head and he hugged her.
"If you don't get up, I'm not kissing you," he whispered.
She shot up and changed quickly, not exactly caring if Frankito was there and shot downstairs.
"Hmm, I guess if it works."
