Page 25 of Mutual Discord

Despite my best efforts, I could not suppress the grin I beamed up at him. “Bring it on.”

Chapter Eight

Several weeks passed from the night of our dinner until I saw Alex again. We chatted almost daily through texts and via his comments on my videos, but we were both busy, him with work and me with guests and my research and filming schedule.

My parents had come to visit for a long weekend, and I was currently sitting on the area rug in my living room while my mother worked a curl treatment through my hair, spinning individual curls on her fingers. I loved when Mamí played with my hair, and I missed the gentle routine, one we only engaged in sporadically these days.

“Ay, nena, your ends are dry,” she crooned, shifting a section of curls onto my shoulder to flow down onto my chest.

I sighed. “They always dry out a bit in the summer. You know that.”

She grumbled under her breath in rapid Spanish, but I didn’t bother to listen, especially because Caitlin’s name flashed on my screen. I accepted the FaceTime call and smiled when her pretty face appeared. She looked to be walking down the street, but with her AirPods in, the sounds of the city were a distant hum.

“Hey,” she said brightly, and then her blue eyes went wide. “Mrs. Mendoza! How are you? I haven’t seen you in forever.”

With a swiftness that made me huff a laugh, Mamí plucked my phone from my hand and brought it close to her face. “Caitlin, querida. Que bella. How are you, mi hijita?”

My parents had adored Caitlin since they first met her when I was moving into our shared dorm room our freshman year of college. She had attended a number of Thanksgivings and Nochebuena events over the years, and Caitlin viewed my parents as her Arizona family. So it wasn’t a surprise that Mamí was so happy to speak with her.

Propping my elbow on the sofa cushion, I listened to Caitlin tell my mom about her latest brand deal and what events she had scheduled next.

“And when will we get to see you?” Mamí asked. “If you tell me when you’re coming I’ll make sure to cook pernil with the chicharron extra crispy, just like you like it.”

“Actually, that’s why I was calling. I was invited to appear at some homecoming events next month, and I wanted to invite Sofia to come with me.”

Before my mother could utter a reply, I wrestled the phone from her hand. “You’re going to homecoming?”

“Ay,” Mamí grumbled, flashing me a disgruntled look. Pushing off the sofa to her feet, she padded outside to find my father, who was relaxing in the shade in the new hammock he and Mamí had gifted me. No doubt she intended to fill him in on Caitlin’s visit.

Turning my attention to the phone, Caitlin nodded when I met her eyes. “The College of Humanities invited me to talk about my social media approach—”

“You mean social media empire,” I interrupted with a grin. “As they should.”

A pretty pink blush settled on Caitlin’s cheeks. “Empire, my ass.”

“So would you be giving a speech or what?”

Caitlin paused as she squeezed through a crowd of people walking in the opposite direction. “They asked me to give a talk for the fashion studies undergrads and attend an alumni mixer.”

“Because you’re a fancy alumna now.” I whistled.

Rolling her eyes, Caitlin snorted. “So will you be my date?”

I blinked. “Me? What about Alex?”

A crinkle appeared between Caitlin’s brows. “Well, I invited him to come and he’s agreed, but you’re a fellow Wildcat. I want you to be there.”

Ignoring how fireworks went off in my chest knowing Alex would also be at homecoming, I smiled. “I’d be happy to be your date. I’ll hype you up like it’s my job. And seeing as how I’m still unemployed, it will be my only job.”

The comment was meant to be lighthearted, but Caitlin frowned. “You still haven’t found anything?”

“No.” I didn’t mention that I hadn’t exactly been looking. “But I’m okay.”

It wasn’t a lie. I was good. The Matildas were doing great, and brands had begun to email me about possible partnerships. I hadn’t accepted any yet because none fit my particular niche, but just knowing my content and numbers had attracted sponsor interest was a huge boost to my self-esteem.

I nibbled my lip. Now would be the perfect opportunity to tell Caitlin about the Matildas. About my online alter ego, SLikeTheSun. Caitlin understood the complexities of earning a living on social media, and she did it better than damn near anyone else. Perhaps my account had grown enough so I wouldn’t feel embarrassed sharing the truth of my content creation with her.

Expelling a quick breath, I opened my mouth—