She shrugged. “It’s okay. It’s not the first time I’ve been accused of being a player, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. But I promise, I’m not. I had fully planned to ask for your number, and I intended to use it, too. I really enjoyed our time together. Before and after the end of the night. Can I buy you a coffee sometime, so we can start over?”
I bit my lip, not sure if that was a good idea. We had our fun at the ball, and should just leave it at that. As stunning as she was, and as much of my breath she seemed to steal whenever she spoke to me, she still wasn’t my type, and it would only end in heartbreak for both of us.
“I don’t know, Vera.”
“We can talk about construction plans if it’ll help you say yes.”
I rolled my eyes. “What a riveting persuasion point. I’m afraid I’ll have to pass. It’s best if we leave that night behind us.”
It was the right thing to do, even as she looked like a defeated puppy. I needed to focus on my career and I didn’t have time for dating that wouldn’t go anywhere.
Thankfully, she took the hint and shook her head. “I can respect that. Can’t say I didn’t try. I guess I’ll see you around.”
I breathed a sigh of relief when she turned and headed for the door, but it was a short one when her hand stopped on the door knob. She froze and turned around.
“Oh, by the way, I think these belong to you.” She pulled something from her back pocket. Small. Black. Lace.
I blushed so hard and stammered out my reply. “Do you just go around carrying thongs on you?”
She laughed. “No. I ran home to get these on my break, hoping you’d still be here working. Figuring, actually, you’d still be working. You should really go home and get some rest. It’s late, princesa. Do you need a ride? I’m more than happy to give you a lift.” She winked.
I blushed, thinking about the last lift she gave me and shook my head. “Goodnight, Vera.”
“Goodnight, and just so you know, I’m not giving up on you just yet.”
I smiled and rolled my eyes. “Oh, I’m counting on it.”
Chapter Seven
VERA
I needed to blow off some steam. Seeing Cara again for the first time since Fairview had awakened all the feelings I tried to suppress since she left.
I didn’t think I’d see her again, but time hadn’t gotten rid of my feelings. They must’ve gotten rid of hers, because now she wanted nothing to do with me. Which was perfectly okay, but until I could move on, I needed to place my focus elsewhere.
Which is how I ended up at my home away from home, also known as the gym. Today I was accompanied by three out of my four brothers. My eldest brother, Carlos, had moved to Arizona with his wife, Andrea.
“You’re looking a little thin, there, V. You should come work out with us more often.” Miguel laughed as he squeezed my bicep, which was not thin at all, by the way.
“Ha-ha! You’re so funny, cabrón. I work out plenty, thank you very much.”
He rolled his eyes as I got set up on the leg press. I’d been doing about four hundred for that past month or so, and I wanted to push myself and add another hundred. As a volunteer firefighter, my arms were a lot stronger than my legs, and I wanted to work extra hard on them.
“Whoah, V. Are you sure you can handle five hundred? That seems like a lot for you?”
“Piss off, Esteban! You know I can take you, right? Did you forget when we were younger?—”
“Cállate! That never happened!”
I laughed, knowing damn well I took his ass down when we were kids. He still pretends he tripped over a stick, but my other brothers were there and knew it happened. The only thing that mattered was that I knew it happened and I’d be willing to recreate that day at any time.
I loved my shithead brothers. We all joked around and picked on each other, but we were very close. We always had been, and I never took that for granted. There was nothing more important than family to me, and we looked out for each other at the end of the day.
I rolled my eyes and started to steady myself at the leg press. I took a deep breath and took the position, putting my feet at shoulder width and making sure they weren’t too high or too low. I took one final inhale before I pushed. I struggled a little, but was able to get my legs straight before bending them and holding for a few seconds. I had to show off a little. I was in front of my brothers, after all.
“Damn, Veronica. You aren’t as weak as you look after all.”
“Don’t call me that, Miguel. But I know I’m not. Who’s next?”
