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“Are you two still…” I glanced at the drink in her hand. “Trying to start a family?”
“Yes and no.” She paused to take a long sip of her drink, stirring it with the straw. “Kyle’s ready, but I don’t think I am.”
I gave a start. “Really? When we talked about it at Christmas, you seemed excited.”
“I was excited by the idea of it,” Brandi explained. “The way a ten year old is excited about riding a roller coaster. But now that I’m at the front of the line, about to get on the ride… I’m scared.”
“That’s a totally normal reaction.” I knew I was years away from potentially starting a family, and the idea of being pregnant terrified me. “Kyle’s probably scared, too. The best things in life are a little bit scary.”
“He can be scared all he wants. He’s not the one who has to push a watermelon out of one of his orifices.”
The two of us giggled at the imagery.
“Is there service here,” I asked, “or do we order at the bar?”
“I think we order at the bar. I’ll send you next, so you can meet Mr. Latin hunk.” Her eyes darted past me. “He’s actually been looking at you since we sat down.”
“How do you know he’s not staring at you?” I countered.
“Because I made sure to flash my ring.” She wiggled the fingers on her left hand. “Seriously though, he’s looking over here right now.”
I casually glanced over my shoulder. The man behind the bar had olive colored skin and deep black hair. He had dark, expressive eyes—and they were indeed looking in my direction. He quickly turned away when he saw me looking, though.
“I think…” I said, squinting at him. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“What?”
“I think that’s a fireman. He was with Jack and Liam at the station. He’s one of the guys who was there for the fire at our mother’s house.”
“I knew he was looking at you!” Brandi said, clapping her hands together. “He definitely wants to bone you.”
“Or he’s looking at me because he recognizes me,” I replied.
“It can be both,” Brandi said defensively. “Guys think about sex literally all the time.”
“What do you want to eat?” I asked. “I’m going to order and go say hi.”
“Fish tacos. The same thing he’s thinking about right now.”
“Don’t be gross,” I said, turning away and walking toward the bar. Mateo was mixing a drink while talking to a woman sitting at the end of the bar. They looked like they were flirting. Or at least, the woman was flirting while Mateo smiled politely.
“I’ll be right with you,” he said, giving me a warmer smile. He had a thick, delicious accent, although I couldn’t narrow it down specifically. Central America, maybe.
I casually watched Mateo while he made the other woman’s drink. Brandi was right: he was a hunk. His thick arms were on display underneath the linen shirt while he mixed the drink in a shaker, and his chiseled jawline tightened when he smiled. There was a seductive allure about him that was tough to pinpoint.
Finally, he came over to me. “How can I help you, Alyssa?”
“You remember me?”
“It would be difficult to forget,” he said, favoring me with that warm smile again. “I first saw you lying on the ground while Jack pressed a respirator to your face. And then you were at the station the next day.”
I felt silly once he said it like that. “Right. Sorry, I guess I’ve been trying to block that whole series of events from my mind.”
Mateo leaned on his elbows on the bar. “There is another thing.” He pointed with his chin. “That woman over there. When she ordered the drinks, she told me you were looking for someone to have a night of passion with.”
I felt my cheeks go hot. When I turned around to glare at my sister, she gave a little wave and a grin. I’m never letting her order drinks again.
“That’s my sister. She’s always making jokes.”
