Chapter Five #3
Alex drummed his fingers on the tabletop.
“I know how Latino families are about their sons. I’ve seen it firsthand with my own parents and how they treat me compared to my sisters, who are both brilliant, of course.
The only way I know how to address that deeply ingrained cultural misogyny is to call it out when I see it.
And I try to do that whenever I can. I like to think my parents have learned. ”
“You sound like a good brother.”
“I try to be.” Alex shook his head. “Somehow we started talking about Latino family dynamics and not Rosalind Franklin.”
I cringed. “Yeah.” I dug my fingernail into a crack in the table. “I’ve been thinking that maybe we can table it for the time being. I’ve noticed that the calls for a LIVE have died down recently.”
“Yeah, I noticed that, too. And I’m glad because they were bullshit to begin with.
” Alex shook his head. “While I understand that people enjoy our dynamic in the comments, why they felt you had to share your platform with some nameless, faceless idiot on the internet is beyond me. For all they know, I was at the Capitol on January sixth.”
The laugh that burst from my mouth could only be described as a cackle. “Alex, I swear I said the exact same thing.”
“You didn’t,” he said around a laugh.
“I really did.” I knuckled away tears from under my eyes. “How funny is that?”
“It seems like we think on the same wavelength.”
Alex said the words lightly, but his gaze was keen.
Warmth expanded in my chest…and I thought of Caitlin and deflated.
I reached for my coffee and took a sip as I willed my thoughts into order.
Thankfully, Alex focused on eating the gallina he selected after his oreja and a silence stretched between us.
After a minute or two, I relaxed into the stillness—Alex didn’t speak just to fill the air, and soon I was lounging back in my chair, leisurely enjoying the late-summer morning with my cup of coffee.
“I’m glad we met, Sofia.”
My gaze darted to his, and his dimple winked at me. “I’m glad we met, too, although I still can’t get over that you and Caitlin are a—”
“Perdóneme, sorry to interrupt,” a voice said from behind me.
Peering over my shoulder, I spied Maria, the morning manager at Dulce’s.
In her hand was a small cardboard box wrapped with twine.
“We have a few conchas and coyotas out of the oven. I thought you might like to bring them into the office, like you have before.”
A smile stretched my mouth although my stomach dropped. “That’s so nice of you, Maria. The team is going to be so excited.”
The older woman dipped her head. “Well, we’re always happy to share them with you.” Maria’s dark eyes slid to Alex and her pupils expanded. “Lo siento por interumpir.”
“No worries,” I murmured, turning to dig my phone out of my purse so I could pay. “How much for the box?”
Maria waved her hand and stepped away. “They’re on the house. Nosotras te apreciamos.”
“That was really nice of her,” Alex said, after Maria returned to the counter. “You must come here frequently if they know you by name and give you free product.”
I held up my palms. “Guilty. Like I said, I live close by, which means I can stop by anytime. And the staff is really great, as you can tell.”
Alex held my eyes for a moment and then quietly asked, “Why didn’t you tell her you were no longer working in the office?”
Oh. “I don’t know,” I whispered honestly.
“You know you have nothing to be embarrassed about, right?”
“Don’t I?” I blurted out before I could think better of it. Alex’s gentle expression irritated me as much as it comforted. “I was let go from my job, and am now unemployed—”
“But you’re not unemployed,” he said, arching a brow.
I scowled. “You know what I mean.”
“I do, but it’s not as clear-cut as you’re making it out to be.” Alex ran a hand along his scruffy jaw as he looked at me. “Yes, you lost your traditional job, but you’re creating income. Considering your follower count and the numbers you get on your videos, I imagine you’re doing decently well.”
Pressing my lips together, I looked away.
“There’s nothing wrong with making content online, Sofia. I mean, Caitlin does it—”
“She doesn’t just do it, she excels at it. Caitlin Wolf is almost a household name.” I rubbed my temple. “Caitlin is in a completely different league than I am.”
In so many ways. My best friend was truly exceptional. I was just a nobody making videos online because I got laid off from my job.
Alex studied me, and I did my best to ignore the assessing light in his dark eyes. “I don’t believe that for a moment.”
The sound of my chair scraping against the tile floor echoed through the space as I jumped to my feet.
Several customers looked in our direction, but I ignored them.
Turning to Alex, I said, as calmly as I could, “Hey, I have to go. Thanks for meeting me. Let me know if you want to go exploring sometime.”
Without waiting for him to reply, I grabbed my bag, leaving the box of pastries for Alex, and slipped out of the panadería as if the building were on fire.
But it wasn’t the building—more like my chest.