Without a second thought, Theo and Leo move toward Alex in an ambush, yanking him out of the car through the open window. Tackling Alex to the ground, they wrestle the belt away from him. Theo begins walking toward us with the belt, but not before Alex catches up to him. He catches Theo off guard and wrestles the belt back from him. They walk over to us, Alex with Theo in a headlock, the belt hanging over his shoulder.
Leo yells from the driver’s side of Alex’s car, “You two enjoy the feel of the belt in your hands while you have it ’cause I’ll be the one going home with it this year.”
I note that Leo hangs back to ensure the red Mustang is properly in Park and the keys are removed from the ignition. My ears thank him when the thumping bass finally stops.
“In your dreams!” Alex says to Leo over his shoulder.
Still holding Theo with one arm, Alex sticks atattooed hand out toward me, and I tentatively take it. When Theo had said Alex was shorter than the rest of them, I wasn’t expecting him to tower over me as much as he does.
Theo finally pushes free of Alex. Standing, he adjusts his clothing as he introduces us. “Alex, this is Sienna, my girlfriend.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I say to Alex.
Compared to Theo and Leo, Alex has a darker, more chaotic presence. His hair is a shade darker brunette than the other two, with no waves to be seen. Despite the sun shining down on us, he’s in dark clothing. A loose-fitting T-shirt in a distressed dark gray with a red logo I can’t quite make out scrawled across the front of it.
He smiles, and while it’s reminiscent of Theo’s smile, Alex’s has a hint of danger I find slightly off-putting. Unfortunately for Beth, he’s her type to a T.
Given Beth is only five-foot-one, he has to lean down slightly when he offers her his hand to shake.
“And you are?” As Beth takes his hand, he adds, “Single, I hope.”
Smooth, but if I know Beth…
“Annoyed with your shitty-sounding car, nice to meet you,” Beth responds, shaking his hand firm and only once, then letting go. I hear Theo snicker beside me.
Alex smirks at her response. When their eyes lock on each other, refusing to break contact, I step in. Beth did say she’s sworn off men after all, and I don’t need Alex complicating my chances at securing a job.
“Beth. Her name is Beth.” I smile and wrap my armaround Beth’s shoulders. I squeeze her slightly, hoping she’ll get the hint from me to play nice.
“It’s nice to meet both of you.” His smile is devilish in a way that makes me wonder where Theo stands on the spectrum of sweet and dangerous, where Leo and Alex seem to be on opposite ends.
Alex looks at Leo. “Where the hell is Roman?” I can’t help but wonder the same thing as he is the reason I’m here in the first place.
“He’s at the grocery store. I was prepping for dinner and realized I needed a few things. He should be back soon. We can head in and wait for him. I made a few appetizers to hold us over until dinner is ready.”
Alex and Leo start to turn toward the front door of the lake house when Alex stops in front of Theo’s Mustang.
“Whose car is this?” Alex continues to stare at the Mustang in front of him.
“It’s mine,” Theo answers, a touch of pride in his voice. “It’s the 2009 GT.”
Alex looks at Theo then. “You didn’t.” I can’t say for certain, but I catch almost the faintest glimmer of disappointment flash across Alex’s face.
“What? I couldn’t afford the Cobra like you have. Plus, this is the same?—”
“We know what it is, Theo,” Leo says, with a slight bite to his voice.
“Roman’s gonna kill you, man.” Alex pats Theo on the shoulder, then walks off into the house with Leo.
The prideful look on Theo’s face falters at his brother’s commentary. I feel a strong urge to reach out and comfort him, but I resist.
Without thinking, I ask, “What was that about?”
“It’s nothing. Come on, let’s get inside. I’m not sure about you, but I’m starving.”
His smile has returned, but the light in his eyes remains dim. I’m so caught up in thoughts of how to make Theo feel better that I almost miss it when Beth brings up an important question.
“So is anyone going to explain the giant-ass belt he’s carrying?” Beth asks Theo, pointing at Alex.
