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Twenty-One: Perfectly Imperfect
Lex
Seeing Xochitl up in the stands sitting with his family when the team had run out after halftime, had Lex smiling from ear to ear. He already had something up his sleeve. He hadn’t had a chance to talk to any of them about their relationship yet, and he was fairly certain Xochitl would want to wait on him to deliver the news. At least be there when she told them, but he was pretty sure she’d want him to drop the news on them, not do it herself.
After the game he rushed to shower and change in the locker room. He’d had just enough time to talk to his dad before the game for him to tell him they’d be dropping by their Uncle Sal’s restaurant afterwards. It was his Aunt Grace’s birthday, and they were having one of their usual giant family feasts and gatherings. But first things first. His family was still in the stands when he walked out to meet them. He hugged and kissed his mother first, then his sisters and brother-in-law. After greeting his dad and Gordo, he turned to Xochitl with a big smile. “You missed me that much you had to come down a day early?” Her face tinged with color but before she could respond he pulled her to him and planted a long deep kiss on her.
“What?” Vannah gasped. “When did this happen? Oh, my God!”
Xochitl turned to Vannah after Lex pulled away, her face beet red now. “Few months ago.”
“Get out!” Nena practically shrieked as Vannah hugged Xochitl.
“So, you two are together,togethernow?” Vannah asked all bright eyed.
“As together, as together gets,” Lex confirmed, slipping his hand into hers as they all started toward the parking lot. “We hadn’t said anything because Xochitl wanted to be sure before we told you guys.”
They all had a million questions, including his parents but mostly his mom and Vannah. All of which Lex and Xochitl took turns answering as they all walked to their car and then drove to his uncle’s restaurant. Vannah’s jaw looked to be permanently stuck open the way she kept dropping it open then shaking her head. Lex couldn’t help cringing every time either of his sistersandhis smart-ass brother, commented on what an absolute first this was for him. The inquisition was interrupted only once they reached the restaurant and had to greet everyone, which always took forever. But once they were settled in the banquet room, they’d reserved for just the family so the rest of the restaurant could remain open, Vannah started in on them again. “So, this is all me?” she asked smiling big. “I mean, I’m the one that suggested you two share a dorm, so I can take credit for it, right?”
“Not really,” Lex said turning to Xochitl. “I can say this now because in hindsight I know it’s the truth. For me anyway, it started way back. Like way,wayback when I first met her at your dorm.” He reached for chip from the bowl on the table and dipped it in the bean dip, then pointed it at Vannah. “Remember the day you pranked Byron when I stopped by to see you?” Once again, Vannah’s jaw dropped. “I mean nothing happened between us back then, but it’s when my interest in her was piqued. Then I didn’t see her again until all the wedding stuff happened the following year.”
“So, you’re living together now?” Aunt Sofie asked wide-eyed.
His mom chimed in to explain about the last-minute transfer. How and why, they ended up in the same dorm before she turned to Lex and Xochitl. “But it didn’t start off that way, right?”
“No,” Lex shook his head with a frown. “If I’d had it my way, we might’ve been together a lot sooner. Like since the night of Vannah’s wedding. She cut me off for two whole years. Wouldn’t take a single call or read my texts.”
“To be fair,” Xochitl explained, “I was under the impression that he’d completely swept me off my feet the night of the wedding, and then that very same night, I saw him making out with another girl in the parking lot.”
“What?” Vannah turned Lex with a scowl so unlike her.
“No, no, no,” Lex said, immediately shaking his head. “She said she wasunder the impression. It was all a misunderstanding. Remember what happened with dad that night? And then I had to wait with Angela outside while her ride got there?”
He reminded them all how drunk Angela was and what she did while he was out there trying to keep her from falling, and that’s what Xochitl had witnessed. “Twowholeyears I had to wait to be able to explain myself all because of that idiot who started that mess.” He pointed at his uncle Eric across the table. “Yourfriend.”
“Ex co-worker,” Eric clarified. “And if I’d known what a total douche he was, I would’ve never recommended you guys hire him.”
Lex turned back to Xochitl who was sipping on her soda. “I never did tell you about that. Did you ever tell her, Vannah?”
“Just about the fight not everything that happened after.”
“So, this asshole—”
“Oh, God.” His mom looked around. “Where’s your father?” She stood up. “Let me go keep him busy before he comes over here and gets all fired up, if he hears you telling the story. That wassucha mess.”
Lex waited for his mom to walk away shaking his head. “This asshole worked for my dad and my uncles for almost a year. Uncle Eric here set everything up for the restaurant’s years ago, but he has other clients so he’s not always available. He used to work with this guy, and hewaskind of a friend, right?”
Eric shrugged nodding grudgingly. “Yeah, I guess you can say that. What really sucks is your dad liked the guy. He even came by and watched the fights and games and threw a few back with him every now and again.”
“Fucking douche,” Lex shook his head again. “Turns out, all that time he’d been acting like my dad’s pal, he’d been making passes at my mom.”
Xochitl’s eyes went wide. “It’s not like mom was around him often,” Nena clarified. “And it’s why she hadn’t said anything because she only saw him in passing once in a great while.”
“Yeah, but each time she did, the asshole made a pass at her.” Lex glanced around a bit cautiously before turning to Xochitl. “My dad nearly walked when he found out this wasn’t a one-time occurrence the night at the wedding, and she’d never mentioned it before. Probably the biggest fight my parents have ever had. Biggest I recall, anyway.”
“In mom’s defense,” Nena was quick to speak up again. “She said it was only a handful of times in theentireyear he’d worked for daddy, and the night of the wedding was theonlytime he’d put his hands on her. All the other times were just stupid comments and innuendo. But daddy being well . . . daddy.” She giggled with a shrug. “Mom didn’t think it was worth pissing him off.” She glanced around as if to look for someone then turned back to them lowering her voice. “Said she’s worked with a lot of men over the years that flirt subtly, despite knowing she’s married. But she said she can handle them and she’s not about to ruffle daddy’s feathers telling him each time it happens.”
The annoyance Lex’s felt over that comment was a reminder of the heated conversation with Xochitl that morning. Clearly his sister and his mother were of the same mindset as Xochitl when it came to things of this nature. That some things were better left unsaid for the sake of avoiding tension. Maybe once he and Xochitl had been together for years it wouldn’t be such a big deal to him if she did. But not while they were still building the foundation of their relationship. Though obviously it’d still been a very big deal for his dad just two years ago. Without commenting on his sister’s explanation, he went on. “After that night.” Lex reached for another tortilla chip, glancing at Xochitl as she reached for one too. “Of course, my dad and uncles dropped his ass from the payroll. And do you know what this asshole did? He locked up the websites and the security systems for all three restaurants.” Xochitl stared at him now as she paused for a moment before taking a drink of the soda she’d brought to her mouth. “Took Uncle Eric over a week to undo all the damage he caused, and we even pressed charges on his ass. Charges that were eventually dropped because we didn’t have enough evidence that he’d caused all the damage. Like anyone else aside from Uncle Eric had access or the know how to do that shit.” He turned to Xochitl who was now sipping her drink, still a bit wide-eyed. “But worst of all it was his fucking fault it took me two years to make up for what you saw that night.” He glanced at Uncle Eric again. “What was that fucker’s name again?”
