Chapter Six #2
Denise was right, of course. She usually was. “Cool. I’ll shoot him a text and invite him to meet us at…six?”
“Six works.” Denise opened her car door and whistled. “Ay dios, I can’t wait for fall.”
I sighed. “Cooler weather is on the horizon.”
“I wish.” She slid into her seat, started the engine, and turned her air-conditioning on high. Denise hummed as the cool air blasted in her face. “So tonight at six I’ll get to meet Caitlin’s new man and enjoy mofongo, too. I’ll see you then.”
I watched her drive away as my own air-conditioning cooled down my car and then I pulled out my phone. Sucking in a deep breath, I tapped on the text app and clicked on Alex’s name.
Sofia: Want to get Puerto Rican food tonight with me and my friend Denise?
I set down my phone and angled all the vents toward me, sighing as the cool air drifted over my overheated skin. A minute or so ticked by as I relaxed and then my phone buzzed. Picking it up, I glanced at the screen.
Alex: Puerto Rican food sounds great. What time?
Sofia: Six. Does that work?
Alex: Yeah, I can make it work. Where should I meet you?
With a few swipes on my phone, I sent Alex a pin to El Coquí.
As I waited for his reply, I considered why I wanted to invite him in the first place.
Yes, Caitlin had mentioned that very first night that Alex wanted to connect with the Puerto Rican scene, but we hadn’t actually talked about it.
And what did connect mean anyway? Was my curiosity about this the reason I extended the invitation?
Or did I just want to see him again?
A frustrated groan slipped past my lips and I covered my face with my hand.
After this dinner date with Denise, I needed to create some space between Alex and me.
It wasn’t healthy to want to see him simply to see him.
Sure, he was the first guy in a long time—maybe since Jared, my ex—that I actually wanted to spend time with.
Maybe it was because Alex actually listened when I spoke, instead of listening for an opportunity to speak himself.
On the handful of dates I’d gone on since ending my relationship with Jared, I had never felt any sort of connection.
Any sort of spark. They had featured surface-level chitchat, which was fair because they were first dates, but also, those conversations had never been as effortless as they were with Alex.
My best friend’s boyfriend.
“God,” I moaned aloud, gripping the steering wheel and pounding my head on it. I was allowing my friendship with Alex, and his relationship with Caitlin, to occupy my thoughts way more than was healthy. “He’s off-limits, Sof. Get that through your stubborn head.”
I glanced down at my phone when it vibrated in my lap.
Alex: Six at El Coquí. I’ll be there. Is there anything I should know about your friend?
Chewing on my lip, I forced myself to type out the words I didn’t want to share, in light of what we had discussed at Dulce’s.
Sofia: Her name is Denise and she’s friends with Caitlin, too. She also doesn’t know about the Matildas.
Dots flashed on my screen, and I continued to gnaw on my lip as I guessed what his reply would be. When it came, I exhaled. Just a little bit.
Alex: So don’t mention all the details I learned about Albert Einstein’s wife? Got it.
A rough laugh slipped up my throat, and my thumbs flew across the keyboard.
Sofia: Excuse me, but her name was Mileva Mari?, and I know all about her.
Alex: Of course you do.
The smile that stared back at me in my rearview mirror as I backed out of my parking space lit my whole face.
—
Despite all my admonitions not to read too much into my interactions with Alex, I dressed for dinner with way more care than it called for.
While I was tempted to wear the black jumpsuit I knew made my ass look perky as hell, I instead forced myself into a pair of high-waisted cotton shorts with a simple pink sleeveless silk blouse that complimented the gold undertones to my skin.
I swept my curls off my face into a ponytail and slipped on a pair of flat sandals.
In general, Phoenix was a laid-back city, and even club attire was more relaxed than many places I had visited.
El Coquí was a casual dining restaurant, and my outfit would fit right in.
That still didn’t stop Denise from raising her brows when I walked through the door of the restaurant and greeted her.
“Wow, Sof, you look nice,” she said, her dark eyes scanning over my face and down my outfit.
“Gracias.” I extended my right leg to show off my sandal. “Remember when I got these that day we stopped at the outlets on the way back from Sedona?”
Denise studied my shoes. “Oh yeah, I forgot about them. They look good.”
“I think so. I don’t wear them nearly enough.”
“Well, tonight’s the perfect occasion for them.” Denise held my gaze for a moment and then looked toward the door. “Any idea when Alex will be here?”
I crinkled my nose. “Our reservation isn’t for another ten minutes. Just because we’re early doesn’t mean he’s late.”
“If you say so,” Denise grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.
Sinking onto the seat next to her, I bumped my shoulder into hers. “How was the rest of your day? Work go okay?”
“It was fine. Just more bullshit with the migration to the new system, but I don’t want to talk about it.” Denise massaged her temples. “I just want a rum and coke and a plate of mofongo with some tostones on the side. Maybe a slice of flan to finish it off.”
“Ah, flan sounds good,” I said.
Denise nodded, sighing dramatically. My friend was usually even-keeled…unless she was hungry. She tended to be dramatic when she was hangry. “I was hoping they would seat us early, but—”
I had been sweeping my gaze over the dining room, noting that most of the tables were full, but I swung my attention back to Denise when she stopped talking. My friend was staring wide-eyed at the door.
“My God—”
“Hey, Sofia, how’s it going?” Alex asked, coming to a stop before us.
Oof, I get it, Denise. It was easy to see why my friend had been taken by surprise.
Alex hadn’t yet received the memo that Phoenix was a casual attire–type of city, because he was wearing a pair of black dress slacks that hugged his thick thighs and fine ass.
Paired with a charcoal-gray collared shirt and his black hair styled just so, Alex looked like he’d stepped off the pages of GQ.
And to really drive home his sex appeal, he was wearing his glasses.
Fuck, a man in glasses made me weak in the knees.
Alex’s lips stretched into a small smile, his dimple winking at Denise and me.
Tearing my admiring gaze from his face, I stood and quickly bussed his cheek. Ay dios, he smelled divine, and I gritted my teeth as I wrangled my senses under control. I pivoted sharply to Denise, extending my hand.
“This is my dear friend Denise,” I said, stifling a laugh at my friend’s dazed expression. “Denise, this is Alex.”
Alex stepped toward her, his hand outstretched. “It’s nice to meet you, Denise.”
“You, too,” Denise murmured, her dark eyes tracing over him unabashedly. “Of course you’re Cait—”
“Ms. Ortiz, I can take you to your table now, if you and your party are ready?”
Our trio turned as one to smile at the hostess, but it was Denise who responded. “Sí, gracias.”
We were silent as we followed the hostess to our table in a corner in the back of the restaurant. To my surprise, Alex not only pulled out my chair but also Denise’s. The look she shot me as she sat almost sent me into a fit of laughter.
Once we were seated and had placed our drink order, Denise crossed one leg over the other and propped her elbow on the back of the empty chair next to her, her sharp gaze fixed on Alex. I knew the look she wore. It was her “prepare for an inquisition” face.
I slid my eyes to the left, to where Alex sat. He was studying the menu intently, his brows stitched together. He had no idea what he was in for. Poor guy.