Right. Sunday Montez–Campos family dinners. The food was always delicious but the chisme was exhausting.
Jaime looked at all the luggage. “There are too many people here. I can stay at the Lodge.”
Ramón raised his brow. “Next to Alma?”
“Yes, actually, but not the reason. At least I’m not staying at her parents’ home.” He paused. No point in lying. “Again.”
“Again?” Ramón blurted out. “Why would you do that?”
“They asked me to stay over after I drank too much. And I couldn’t say no.”
Ramón took a step toward his brother. “You dumped this girl, right? Three years ago? Suddenly ended it and devastated her? What’s happening right now?”
Jaime’s anger got the best of him. “I don’t know, okay? I fucked up. I thought that I could come up here, learn about tequila, start my own line alone, without the two of you nagging me about business plans and astrology charts. But you’re right, I’m a dumbass and didn’t think it through. I never think anything through. I didn’t consider Alma’s feelings. Santi even warned me, but I was too stubborn or delusional. Not sure which one. Probably both.”
Ramón patted his brother on his back. “Stop being so hard on yourself. I’m sorry we always give you shit. You’re our baby brother. I’ve spent my life trying to protect you, and I can’t turn it off sometimes. But I love you, man.”
Damn, Ramón. Always had to be the nice guy. “I love you too. I just can’t seem to do anything right. I wanted to create something on my own. Without your help, with my own money from influencing. Be my own man. And now I involved Alma. I don’t want to hurt her. Again.”
Enrique’s brow cocked. “How would you hurt her? You’re just doing this festival that you told us to come up for. Right?”
Jaime didn’t want to lie, and since this was the closest he wouldget to a therapist and his family was all up in his business anyway, he decided to spill. “I took her to Sonoma today. Just to reconnect.It was friendly at first. But then…I kissed her. Actually, I also kissed her the other night.”
The entire room collectively gasped except for Tiburón, who stood up and high-fived Jaime.
“My man! She’s fire!”
Carolina swatted her sister. “You don’t care that your boyfriend is saying another woman is fire?”
Blanca shook her head. “No, my man is obsessed with me. But he’s human and can appreciate beauty. I saw a picture of Alma. She is fire.”
Rosa glared at Jaime. “Do you want her back?”
Jaime looked at his feet. “No. I still love her, but I don’t want to settle down. But she seemed into it and didn’t even ask about the future. Maybe we can just have fun.”
Rosa burst out laughing. “Ay, Jaime. You’re an ass clown. You know that?”
He had to admit, Rosa was right.
They came to see him, but he needed to be alone tonight. To think. The hotel room would be a good refuge. Fuck family dinner. Jaime had to figure out what he was going to do with, or to, Alma.
“I need to go. I’ll get room service at the hotel.” Jaime had to get out of here. Far away from his family.
He went to the room he had been staying in and packed up all his belongings. Santi’s house was sick. Sleek and modern with massive windows looking over the rocky coast. Though nothing could beat the surf in La Jolla, Bolinas had its own vibe. With the hidden town, the icy water, and the laid-back locals, this place was special.But he needed a break. Well, it was better than being interrogated all night by his family.
Santi walked into the room. “Here. Take my car again.”
He tossed Jaime his keys. “What? No, man. I can’t do that. I’ll Uber.”
“Don’t worry about it. I have others. I’ll just drive my Rivian this week.” Santi sat on the bed. “Why’d you kiss her? Twice.”
Here, away from his family, Jaime could try to make sense of his foolish actions to his best friend. “I had to kiss her. She’s fucking hot.”
“I know that. That’s not what I meant.Whydid you kiss her? You do have self-control.”
“I don’t know. It’s just easy being around her. She understands me, she doesn’t look down on me, she doesn’t expect anything of me. When I’m with her, I think I can do anything. It was always like that with me and her.” Back in college, Jaime would stay up all night after procrastinating, trying to study or write papers, but he just couldn’t focus. Alma would sit with him, not nag him or make him feel bad, and just be in the room doing her own work. Somehow, her level of calm would rub off on him.
“So, why are you so against having an actual relationship with her?”
