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Sixteen: Challenge Accepted
Lex
At first, it’d begun to piss off Lex to hear Xochitl downgrade the breakup she took that long ass drive for, as a possible temporary split. But the more she talked the more he got the distinct feeling she was setting up the groundwork for him—challenging him to prove to her he wasn’t like what his sisters had led her to believe, and the type of guy she openly admitted she’d concluded he was after that wedding brawl fiasco. Especially when she got to the part about not needing to addunnecessarydramato her already too-busy-for-a-social-life schedule.
Sure, with that ambitious schedule she spoke of, she might not have time to be hanging out or getting together with any guys, which was music to Lex’s ears. But they were dormmates now, which technically meant they were living together. As far as he knew, that added Lex to yet another of her first’s list, and something huge he’d one-upped her firsteverythingelse with. Most important, as tight as their schedules might be this semester, unless one of them went out of town for any reason they’d be togethereverynight. Lex planned on taking full advantage of that. Since classes hadn’t even started and already, he’d had zero time to do anything social either, with the all-day grueling practices, Lex could tell his schedule would be just as busy as hers once classes did start. Which was exactly what he was counting on. With them both being too busy for social lives, they’d only have time to socialize with each other. Perfect.
The Friday night he’d so smugly suggested they might be hanging out after she’d put her unspoken challenge out there was a bust. Ironically, he had his sister to blame for that. He read the disappointing courtesy check-in text from Xochitl just after he’d gotten out of practice eager to head back to his dorm and finally not have to be in bed so early. She and Vannah were going out to grab a burger and catch a movie.
Lex had meant to stay up after he showered to wait for her. But after lying down to watch some TV in his room he passed out. It wasn’t even until almost eight the next morning that he woke up and realized what’d happened. It’d been by far the latest he’d slept in all week. After tip toeing to the bathroom thinking she was still sleeping in as well, he was hit with another disappointing text from her. The moment he’d woken he looked forward to having coffee with her and hanging out all morning just the two of them. But she wasn’t even there again. All her text said was that she had some business to take care of, but she’d be back by noon because Vannah was coming over to make them lunch.Great. Not that he minded seeing and spending time with his sister, but classes started Monday and he’d wanted to make the most of the last couple of days they’d have together that neither would be flying out of there every morning in a hurry every day, and then up to their eyeballs in homework and such in the evenings. Vannah arrived at their dorm before Xochitl got back. As usual there was no shortage of laughter as he sat on the counter while they chatted, and he watched her set up to start cooking their lunch.
“I’m so glad everything worked out for you, and you’re all settled in now.” She turned to him as she deveined the huge shrimps, she’d be preparing for their meal so effortlessly. “I knew you were more stressed than you were letting on. Even mom and dad said so. And the big plus is Xochitl is such a hoot. Just wait ‘til you see her sassy side. She’s hilarious when she gets all worked up over the silliest things.”
“I think I’ve already been witness to it.” Lex smirked taking a sip of his bottled water. His sister turned to him again curiously. So, before she could ask, he elaborated vaguely. “Nothing big. Just little stuff. Like when she has to wait for people to free up the washing machines in the laundry room.”
Vannah nodded giggling as she told him about some of the other silly things Xochitl had been easily irritated by in the past and he listened intently. It wasn’t until Vannah was almost done sauteing the shrimp in the garlic butter that Xochitl finally arrived.
“Oh my God that smells so good,” Xochitl said as soon as she walked in.
Much like she’d greeted Lex, Vannah hugged her friend as if she hadn’t seen her in years. “You’re just in time,” she said as she pulled away. “I just finished. I just need to heat the beans, rice, and the tortillas. I made all that ahead of time.”
Glad, he didn’t have to be the one to ask because admittedly Lex was curious, Vannah asked Xochitl what she’d been up to all morning as they all sat down to eat. Xochitl frowned shaking her head. She explained about her website issues and how her web designer can usually handle it virtually. “He lives hours away. But there were a few things he wasn’t seeing on his end that I was. He thought maybe it was my laptop that had the issues. So, since he was in town today, he offered to meet up with me at Starbucks. Turns out it was some stupid plug-in that somehow got downloaded onto my laptop that was making my laptop wonky.”
“My uncle usually just logs onto my computer remotely,” Vannah said passing the bowl of beans to Xochitl then crinkled her nose. “Wait, is this the creepy guy you told me about? The one that keeps asking you out?”
That last comment had Lex’s hand stopping midway to his mouth as he eyed Xochitl. “It was only twice way back in the beginning, and it was more of a let’s-get-together-for--business lunch date. But he hasn’t ever since. Today was necessary though.”
“You have a creepy web designer?” Lex asked.
Xochitl reached for a tortilla with a shrug. “Vannah called him creepy not me, and that’s only because he’s older.” She turned and addressed Vannah. “And I thought the same thing when he suggested he examine my laptop in person, but he said my antivirus was blocking him from logging onto it remotely. I did see the popup warning the other night when he tried again but because of my issues he didn’t recommend me disabling it. Said he didn’t wanna risk me getting some kind of virus, since he’d be in town today anyway. But he did fix it so that he’ll be able to log in remotely again. I guess that same plug-in changed his having access to it.” Everything she’d just said went out the window after biting into the shrimp taco she put together and groaned in this orgasmic way that had Lex squeezing his legs together. “Oh my God.” She brought the napkin over her mouth. “This is so good, Vannah.”
Smiling proudly Vannah sat up a little straighter. “I asked Byron what I should make for you guys, and this is one of his favorites.”
They spoke food and more about Vannah’s plans for her restaurant next year before the subject was changed to Lex’s soccer. “So, when’s your first game?”
“Few weeks,” he said between bites. “I’ll send you a picture of my schedule for the season. Just got it the other day. “
There was never a dull moment whenever he hung with either of his sisters. Throughout their meal as they discussed more about his soccer, the girl’s grueling new schedules and Vannah’s husband car restoration reality show, it was nonstop laughter and even some shrieking. The conversation turned to the one he preferred to stay on—Xochitl. He wanted to know as much about her as he could. Anything that might help him with this new challenge. “You never did tell me what the verdict was on the professors you were torn between?” Vannah said wiping her mouth and sitting back. “I’m sure you researched the heck out of them.”
Professors? Chewing his food and trying not to appear as interested as this made him, Lex eyed Xochitl casually as she nodded wiping her mouth. “You know me. I even read a few of their college theses.”
Vannah laughed. “You’re too much, Xochitl.” She turned to Lex. “This girl is thequeenof research. I knew everything about Byron, even stuff I shouldn’t have, before I even met him because of her. But she doesn’t just research stuff,” Vannah added with a big smile. “One thing you’ll find out really quick about her now that you’ll be living with her, is she’s got this major OCD when it comes to her research and school assignments. She’s notorious for going above andbeyondsometimes. Like the time she actually wentintoa psych wardanda few prisons to interview patients and prisoners diagnosed with certain conditions for a paper she was writing for one of her psych classes. Because researching online wasn’t enough.” Vannah laughed shaking her head. “Whodoes that?”
“I got an A on that paperandthe class,” Xochitl shrugged with a smirk. “Just sayin’.”
Smiling, Lex was still stuck on one little thing he wanted to get straight first. “What were you researching on for the professors?”
“I hate having to drop a class a few weeks into it, when it becomes obvious the professor and I are just not going to mesh.” Lifting and dropping her shoulder again, she arched a brow. “I had a few choices for several of my classes this year, and I wanted to make sure I made the right one.”
“Yes,” Vannah nodded adamantly. “Like when she foundallthat stuff about Byron, her research spills over waybeyondjust school assignments. Oh, oh!” Vanna reached out and touched Xochitl’s arm. “Remember when we got our palms read at the street fair that first year?” Xochitl groaned covering her face, but she laughed, and it had Lex smiling big too. “That wasn’t so much research as much as me trying to prove her lying ass wrong.” “Oh, I think it was a little bit of both.” Vannah turned to Lex. “The palm reader was selling homemade essential oil perfumes. She claimed each had a differentpower. Like one was this love potion thing and.” She turned to Xochitl who was smiling beautifully now. “What were the other ones for?”
“I don’t remember what they all were for but the ones I bought were the love potion and the luck one.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah!” Vannah danced in her seat, having as much fun with this as only she could. “The palm reader told Xochitl she was about to come into somebigmoney.” Lex shook his head because his sister could barely get the words out. “And that there was love in her very near future. So, this one, douses herself with the luck one and buys a whole bunch of lotto scratchers on the way home and then—”
“Alright he’s heard enough.” Xochitl said, giggling because Vannah was laughing so hard she could barely breathe.
“No, no! I haven’t gotten to the best part,” Vannah shrieked. “She wins, what?” She turned to Xochitl. “Two dollars?”
