Alex didn’t know what to say. On the one hand he’d like nothing better than to keep his faithful bulldog breathing down the throat of any dude he might see with Valerie. But they weren’t kids anymore, and they couldn’t keep this shit up. As much as he hated to even think it, if Valerie had really moved on now the way Sarah told Romero, neither he nor Romero would have any right to do or say anything. Valerie had already warned him the cops would likely get involved.
Romero was so close to getting his PI license. He’d already explained to Alex what a pain in the ass it was and how much he still had to pass, including a background check. The last thing Alex wanted was to give this ticking time bomb a reason to get arrested when he knew how hard he’d been working on getting his license.
“Nah,” he said, pulling out another beer for each of them. “Don’t do anything if you see her with anyone.” It almost hurt to say it, but he had to just admit it. “Things are different now. I haven’t even talked to her in months.”
Even after he’d just said he hadn’t seen Alex and Valerie together in a while, Romero still seemed surprised by this. “Months, huh? I knew it felt like a while, but I didn’t know it was that long.”
Sofia rushed in from the back. “Alex, have you seen my wallet?”
“Back room, top drawer of the desk.”
“Oh, thank God.” She turned back and kissed Eric just as she rushed off to the back office. “I told you I hadn’t lost it.”
Eric rolled his eyes but laughed and headed toward Alex and Romero. Alex greeted him, handing Eric a beer, then leaned back, listening silently as Romero explained what they were celebrating. Celebrating was the last thing Alex felt like doing. Even hearing Romero recite the song his uncle Manny had made up to help him remember a few key terms he had to know for his exam didn’t break him of his dark mood. But the song was pretty funny, so he did crack a smile, hearing Eric have a good laugh.
“Those two still act like I’m in the first grade.”
Alex finally decided to speak up. “What did they say when you told them you passed the exam?”
“I haven’t,” Romero said wide-eyed. “I’m looking to celebrate tonight my way. Knowing those two, they’ll insist I drop by their place like I don’t already know they’ll have cake, ice cream, and balloons waiting.” Eric laughed again, and Romero turned to him. “I’m not kidding. They’ve done it so far with every other milestone I’ve hit.”
Just when Alex was starting to get a little into the laughing mood, Angel and Sarah arrived. “Hey,” Romero said, turning to look at them. “I guess everyone got the memo.”
“What memo?” Angel asked.
Within minutes, everyone was all caught up on Romero’s news, including Sofie who had since returned from the back room. “Good for you,” she said with a big smile. “You should come with us next week when we all go on a day cruise to Catalina for Sal’s birthday.” She turned to Alex. “That reminds me. I need the final head count. You can still go even with your bad ankle, right? We won’t be doing much walking. Sal wants to do the Segway tour.” Alex nodded, but before he could say anything else, she went on. “Good and Valerie’s going too, right?”
The sudden awkward silence was quickly snuffed out by, of course, Romero. “Nope.” Romero grinned then turned to Alex. “But, hey, I’m hanging out with Nora tonight. She’s friends with Nadine, and f**k if that chick doesn’t ask about you every time I see her. I could tell them about Catalina. I’m sure they’d be down to go.”
“Oh Gawd no!” Sofia said. “Remember Sarah and I are gonna be stuck with these girls all day too. And no offense, Romero, but all your girlfriends are always annoying.”
Romero laughed. “What are you talking about? I’ve never had a girlfriend. And what about me? I gotta put up with Eric.”
Eric punched him in the arm but laughed. Sofia ignored Romero’s comments and turned to Alex. “Why can’t Valerie go?”
“That ship has sailed,” he said without looking at her or anyone.
Instead, he turned and pulled a shot glass out of the cabinet then grabbed a bottle of tequila. He was going to need lots of this to numb the overwhelming ache that confirming this one more time made him feel.
“Yeah, but by next week, things between you two should be all patched up, right?” Sofia asked, looking at Alex then turning back to Sarah, who said nothing.
Sofia had been too busy herself these last couple of months with school and an internship to notice Valerie’s longer absence this time. Of course, she would think this was just another one of their off-again deals. Alex took the shot and looked straight at Sarah.
“What do you think?”
There was no missing the way those cautious green eyes of hers glanced at Romero then back at Alex. She had to know Romero had already filled him in on seeing Valerie with another guy and what she’d told him about things being really over between Alex and Valerie.
But she turned and addressed Sofie not Alex. “Valerie has a lot keeping her busy now with her new career and all.”
“New man?” Alex asked, staring at her coldly.
He’d known all along Sarah had just been kind when she reasoned with him that all Valerie needed was time. He needed it straight now so he could end the delusion already. And if anyone knew, for sure, whether Valerie had actually been telling the truth that day—that she’d moved on that quickly—it was Sarah. So he waited for a response, staring at her with a purpose.