So, I held Aleesa’s hand, collected my purse, and exited the building.
“The nerve of your dad,” I muttered when we reached the car. I clicked Aleesa’s seat belt into place. She kicked her feet as I adjusted and tightened the straps, completely oblivious to what was going on between the adults. I envied her naivety.
Afterward, I sat in the passenger seat with my arms crossed tightly over my chest. When I spotted Javier coming toward the car, I pointed my knees to the passenger door and glared out of the window.
He climbed in, taking up way too much space for my liking. He smelled clean, like he’d recently showered and applied a light spritz of cedarwood-scented cologne afterward.
After placing the to-go bag on the floor of the back seat, he started the engine and rolled out of the parking lot. He turned on aKidz Bopsoundtrack for Aleesa. She belted out “Calm Down” by Rema and Selena Gomez, and her cute singing voice was making it insanely hard to stay mad.
I cut a glance at Javier. He didn’t say a word. And he looked angry, as if he had therightto be.
“Baby, com dan, com dan,” Aleesa sang.
He had no right to be mad. He ruined my night. Now, I was going to have to use Rosie again.
I fished my phone out of my purse and fired up a text to send to Davina.
Me: you will not believe what Javier just did
She responded almost instantly. Which most likely meant she wasn’t working.
Vina: What did he do?
Me: He just ruined a date I had!
Vina: A date? How are you even able to have one of those right now?
Me: That’s not the point
Vina: Okay ... how did he ruin it?
Me: It’s one of my nights off and I was at a restaurant with a guy I met. Javier ended up at the same restaurant for a to-go order and saw us. Came to the table and interrupted the whole thing.
Vina: Stop lying. Javier wouldn’t do that.
Me: I kid you not. He ruined the whole thing. On purpose. I’m pretty sure my date thought we were in some kind of complicated relationship. He didn’t seem mad at Javier though, just me. Started obsessing over Valdez and everything. Fucker.
Vina: This is hilarious.
You wouldn’t think so, with how blandly she texted. She never used emojis or symbols or anything. I sent her the middle finger emoji.
Vina: Sorry but that is so interesting. I can’t even picture Javier doing something like that.
Me: Are you laughing about this? I can’t tell. You’re so dry when you text.
Vina: Yes, I’m laughing. And shut it.
Then she followed up her previous text with:Can I tell Deke?
Me: Please do. Maybe he’ll talk some damn sense into his friend.
Vina: On it.
After texting her, I went to Naomi’s name in my messages and sent her a text too:
Me: I hate men.
My other best friend was a slower texter. She worked the night shift as a labor-and-delivery nurse, so I didn’t expect a reply from her for a few hours. But at least she had the notification.
