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I nodded. “Good idea. Chicken or burgers?”
He smirked. “Chicken all day.”
“The closest Raising Canes is this way.” The city lights came into view again and I asked, “Where are you from?”
He proudly said Dallas and I imagined him rocking a cowboy hat and boots. “I went to school in Dallas.” Then my eyes narrowed, and I said, “Angelo Isaac? AJ.” My hands covered my face. “Oh, my goodness.”
“You good?” We were on the highway, so the car didn’t slow. I didn’t feel his eyes on me.
“You’re his favorite football player.”
“His? Who?” His voice was a little deeper. More defensive.
“My ex,” I said, regretting it the minute my mind made the connection. “He bragged about you non-stop when we first met. He said you were the best thing coming out of high school.” Then I gasped. “Wait. Shit.” I turned to him like he was meta morphing in front of me. “You were finishing high school my first year of dentistry school.”
“Oh,” was all he said. He smirked. “So, you are a little older.” He bit the side of his lip. “Hmm…”
It didn’t matter though. I was days away from what would be my wedding date. It wasn’t like AJ, Angelo Isaac Jr., was anyone I needed to concern myself with. After tonight, I would go home, back into my hideout. He’d go on doing whatever it was professional football players did before the season started.
“The Raising Canes is over here, in this shopping center,” I said.
After rolling through the drive-thru, he asked, “Mind if we post up over here to eat?”
“In your car?” I looked down at the peanut butter leather seats.
“Why not?” He pointed to the inside of the restaurant. “Don’t want to sit in there this late. And me driving and eating would be worse. Trust me.”
“Okay.” I hunched a shoulder as he handed me the fries and chicken tenders I ordered.
“What’s the youngest guy you’ve ever dated?”
I looked at him and said, “Thought we were only talking about Phoenix.”
His eyes stretched before he said, “Youmentioned being in the cougar class.”
His reminder made my cheeks warm. “You’re right.” I nodded. “You’re right.” I took a bite of my chicken tender and thought back, past Shawn, because he was the same age as I was. “Never,” I finally concluded. “I haven’t ever dated anyone younger than me.”
“Good. I like being the first.” He continued chewing like the declaration he made didn’t mean anything.
As I finished the last of my fries, I told him, “Thanks for taking time to care tonight. I appreciate it.”
He shrugged his shoulder. “Anytime. Ready to get home?”
I wasn’t, but riding around Phoenix made me tired. “Yeah.”
On our way, I texted Georgia.
Gigi: On my way home.
Georgia: Oooh… I won’t interrupt.
I smiled and responded I would be alone, and her sad face emoji was the last thing I saw before I had to give Angelo directions.
ChapterFour
Angelo
I suspected the house we pulled up to wasn’t her parents’ house. Was it the house she shared with her ex though? The thought made my veins bulge. Dude deserved an ass beating, and I wanted to be the one to give it to him. When she told me the story through teary eyes, it was a hope. After riding around Phoenix with her sharingher worldwith me, it became a guarantee. If I ever saw homeboy, he would get it on sight.
