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She turned to him surprised he’d noticed. “No, that’s not my dad.” But not wanting him to notice that even what should be taken as small talk—an inconsequential inquiry—had her insides simmering with nervous excitement, she shrugged. “My mother always says I’m so obviously their daughter. We’re all hopeless when it comes to squeezing in down time to our busy schedules. Even phone calls are tough to squeeze in sometimes. We have a family group text where we update each other on small stuff. But my mother and I email a lot because it’s come to the point where if either wants to share something longer with each other but can’t get a hold of the other and weknowwe might not have time to chat later, we shoot off an email while we do have the time. Even told her all about my new schedule and official change of major via email.”
He nodded though it felt like he hadn’t really heard, nor was he really interested in what she’d just told him. “So that guy you were dancing with. He here with you, or did you just meet him?”
Whydid even this unnerve her? Geez, what a mess she was if a shameless flirt almost two years younger than her, couldn’t even ask her if she was here with someone. So, what if he evidently didn’t care that he was making it clear he was more interested in this, than her family’s busy lives? “I just met him.” She lifted her chin indifferently. “He said he works for the family.”
Lex seemed to ponder that, then glanced around as if to look for him. Xochitl spotted Rodrigo first by one of the bars but caught the moment Lex spotted him too.
“Hmm . . . I don’t recognize him. But he—?” He turned back to Xochitl with an almost disgusted expression. “How old is he? He looks a lot older. It’s why I thought he might be your dad.”
“I didn’t ask.” She shrugged glancing back in Rodrigo’s direction. The irony of Lex and Xochitl having something so silly in common both amused and oddly excited her. Like he’d already noticed, she’d always been accused of being too easily annoyed even over non-issues. Here Lex seemed a little too annoyed by this. When she turned back to face him his still soured expression made her smirk. “He asked me to dance, Lex, not marry him.” Xochitl kept to herself that she’d given the man her number. Not because Lex already seemed annoyed, or because she thought she’d owe him any kind of explanation as to why she did. She’d only done so for personal business reasons, but it wasn’t something she wanted to discuss with Lex now. “Yeah, but what’s he doing asking someone so much younger than him to dance?” He turned back to Rodrigo almost as if he were tempted to go ask him himself. “I could see if he knew you, and he was just trying to catch up or something. There’s a ton of other women here his age he could’ve asked. I’m glad I came over here now. Maybe his pervy ass will stay away if he sees you’re sitting here hanging with someone more appropriate for your age range now.”
Her heartrate had already spiked from just hearing that last part. Then he upped the already unnerving subject. “So, obviously you didn’t come here with anyone today. Is that because there was no one to bring?” He smirked smugly, eyeing her in that way that frustratingly had her fidgeting in her seat fornoreason. “Or is it because you anticipated being my sexy fake girlfriend again?”
Swallowing hard and refusing to succumb to his obvious attempt to rattle her again, Xochitl did her best to match the playful smirk. “Like I said, as usual my parents both had to work and no, at the moment there isn’t anyone else I’d inconvenience in coming all the way down here with me.”
“Inconvenience?” His brows creased but those eyes burned into her like he knew he was getting to her. “I seriously doubtanyguy you’d invite to go away with you for the weekend, would consider it aninconvenience.” Despite his continuing to alter her heartrate, like she was sure heknewhe was doing, Xochitl went toe to toe with him. “That’s just the thing. Maybe if it was a weekend thing, I might’ve invited him. But I got an internship I need to be at in the morning, so I’m driving home after this. No fun for me tonight. I’ll be driving home for two hours when this is all over then going straight to bed.”
The playful smirk declined a bit, but his eyes continued to search hers in that intense way that made her knees weak. “So, there is a him?” His brow arched as his eyes fell from hers, to her lips and back up to her eyes again. “As in a significant other,him?”
How the hell could this young guy make her nearly suffocate with just one look and his inquiries? She cleared her throat determined not to break. “Well, not a specifichim. I just meant in general. Any of the guys I know who I thought might’ve accepted the weekend invitation.”
Unbelievably, his expression went even more stony as his eyes bore into hers, unnerving her to no end. “So, you have more than one guyfriendyou would’ve considered inviting to go away with you for anentireweekend?”
“I didn’t say all that.” She glanced away for some reason the tone of his inquiry annoying her as much as it made her uneasy. “I just know a few who might’ve been up for coming out here with me, had I not needed to drive all the way back the same night.” She swallowed hard willing herself to stop with the throat clearing and tried to smile as naturally as she could before explaining the rest, and hopefully changing the subject a bit. “I’ve been on the waiting list for an internship at several television studios. So, when Pixar called this past week and offered me an opportunity starting tomorrow morning, I couldn’t pass up the offer.” She shrugged because he was still staring at her in that way, she didn’t know what to make of. “I’m just glad they didn’t want me to come in today or I would’ve had to pass up the opportunity. And getting in with Pixar is huge. So, I’m excited about it. It’s just that tonight won’t be as fun as I had hoped since I’ll be driving two hours home when it’s over. “No fun tonight?” He did the throat clearing this time, as he glanced around before turning back to her. “Not on my watch. Matter of fact.” He reached his hand out to her. “Let’s go dance. I like this song.”
