Page 12 of The Lost Guardian

Santiago froze.

His muscles seized.

His thoughts stalled.

The very blood in his veins stood still.

Oh. Holy. Fuck.

In the chaos of that evening, the devastation, then comfort of his familiar friendship routines, Santi had completely forgotten about…Ali.

Brooke narrowed her gaze. “Why do you look like you just kicked a puppy?”

Santiago opened and closed his mouth a few times. “A really pretty woman came into the pre-Columbian wing while I was there.” He didn’t meet Brooke’s eyes.

“Santiago! What? You met a pretty woman, and you’re actually telling me about it? Spill!”

He felt the back of his neck get hot. Of course, there were extenuating circumstances, but Brooke was still going to murder him when she found out. “Well, she wanted to know more about the exhibit.”

“Wait, so you two actually talked?” Brooke shrieked, crossing her legs underneath her. Santiago winced at both the volume of her voice and her dirty sneakers on his couch.

“We spoke about some of the objects on display and history…” he said, realizing how dull he sounded.

“Wow, very sexy,” Brooke teased.

“Yeah, but then some tourists came in, and she had to leave,” Santiago added.

Brooke grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him hard. “You didn’t get her name? Her number? Her socials? Anything?”

“Her name was Ali,” he said, throwing up his hands in defense. “Is Ali. And no, I didn’t.” He tried to slip this last bit under the radar. “She asked me to meet her after work at Gina’s, but—”

“She asked you out?” Brooke screamed, hopping up from the couch.

“I mean, I don’t know that she asked me out,” Santiago answered, eyes sliding away from hers. “She just wanted to continue our conversation, and—”

“Oh my God, Santi! You got asked on a date by a woman!” Brooke jumped around now. “You haven’t gone on a date since Trish, may that demon spawn rot in hell.”

“Ocean!” Santiago gasped, scandalized.

“But wait.” Brooke stopped bouncing about. “You came here sweaty and stinky,” she accused him.

“Hey!” Santiago argued, although it was true.

“And with food from La Reina Taco Truck, which is parked on Orange.” Her eyes narrowed at him.

“So?” Santiago tried, but he knew it was useless. Brooke already knew.

“You said you went to the climbing gym before coming home. Which means you were not on a date with a hot woman.”

“How do you know I didn’t go out with her before the gym?” Santiago asked defensively. He didn’t, of course. But he could have.

“Santiago Ignacio Rios,” Brooke seethed. “Tell me you did not stand this woman up.”

Santiago cringed.

“Oh my God.” Brooke looked ready to pull her hair out. “Oh my God! You didn’t!”

“Of course not!” he tried defending himself. “I wouldn’t do that!”