Page 19 of Mutual Discord

“Yeah,” I murmured. That was an easy enough question to answer. The first one, not so much. Opting to keep it vague, I increased the pace on the treadmill until I was jogging at a moderate pace. “He’s cool. Easy to talk to. We discussed the real estate market, because he’s interested in buying but he’s not sure where.”

“He should rent until he gets a feel for the valley. He may be interested in downtown and then discover Tempe or Chandler is more his style.” Her nose crinkled. “Unless you think he’s more of a Scottsdale guy.”

“No,” I said sharply. When Denise laughed, so did I. “Alex doesn’t give Scottsdale vibes.”

“I can’t see Caitlin dating a Scottsdale guy. I mean, she leads a fancy, jet-setting lifestyle, but she’s pretty down to earth.” Denise took a drink from her water bottle and then pointed it at me. “She needs a laid-back type of guy to come home to.”

I agreed with that. Caitlin may be a huge influencer, but she’d managed to stay grounded. She took herself seriously because Caitlin Wolf was her brand, but not so seriously that she couldn’t laugh at herself. We were still friends after all these years, I think, because both Caitlin and I valued authenticity and loyalty.

“Alex seems like that kind of guy. Did I mention he moved here to work for the Scorpions?” I said, the words puffing out as I continued my jogging pace.

“Really?” Denise increased her pace to a fast walk. “Does that mean he can get you tickets for a game?”

Snorting, I shook my head. “Is that your way of insinuating I ask Alex for tickets?”

Denise smiled prettily. “Hey, you might as well use your contacts.”

We continued our workout for another thirty minutes before we walked back to the changing rooms. After quick showers, Denise and I left the gym but continued to talk by our parked cars. Thankfully, I had managed to find a spot next to Denise’s Lexus, which was parked under a tree, so the mesquite’s canopy saved us from the mid-morning sun.

“What are you doing tonight?” my friend asked, propping her hip against her car door.

I shrugged. “I hadn’t really thought about it.”

“Let’s go get dinner at El Coquí. It’s been a while since we’ve been, and I’m craving mofongo,” Denise said.

Denise was half Puerto Rican and half Dominican, a fact she enjoyed joking about. We originally met when I was hired as an entry-level marketer straight out of college and Denise was a systems analyst at the same company. As soon as she learned I was a boricua, she tucked me under her metaphorical wing and helped me navigate my first grown-up job. We’d been friends ever since, and we tried to grab Puerto Rican food every few months just to reconnect with our culture. Denise always said that although she had lived in the valley for more than a decade, a bite of pernil or a plate of tostones took her back to the islands.

“They do have good mofongo,” I murmured, my thoughts drifting unexpectedly to Alex. “Did I tell you that Alex is Puerto Rican?”

“¿Qué?” Denise stood straight, her eyebrows high on her head. “No dijiste.”

I nodded, looking down at my feet. “He is. Do you think that maybe we could invite him to join us?”

“Oh.” Denise pulled back her chin. “Sure. Finding good Puerto Rican food is essential when you move to a new place.”

“You don’t mind?”

A frown darkened Denise’s expression. “Why would I mind? He’s Caitlin’s boyfriend and he’s new in town. The least we can do is feed him good food.”

Denise was right, of course. She usually was. “Cool. I’ll shoot him a text and invite him to meet us at…six?”

“Six works.” Denise opened her car door and whistled. “Ay dios, I can’t wait for fall.”

I sighed. “Cooler weather is on the horizon.”

“I wish.” She slid into her seat, started the engine, and turned her air-conditioning on high. Denise hummed as the cool air blasted in her face. “So tonight at six I’ll get to meet Caitlin’s new man and enjoy mofongo, too. I’ll see you then.”

I watched her drive away as my own air-conditioning cooled down my car and then I pulled out my phone. Sucking in a deep breath, I tapped on the text app and clicked on Alex’s name.

Sofia: Want to get Puerto Rican food tonight with me and my friend Denise?

I set down my phone and angled all the vents toward me, sighing as the cool air drifted over my overheated skin. A minute or so ticked by as I relaxed and then my phone buzzed. Picking it up, I glanced at the screen.

Alex: Puerto Rican food sounds great. What time?

Sofia: Six. Does that work?

Alex: Yeah, I can make it work. Where should I meet you?