AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes, ma’am. He zoomed out on the map, studying it for a moment before setting up turn-by-turn directions. “We’ll let the computer voice lady do the navigation. Tell me about your workday.”
So, I did. We swapped stories for the rest of the drive. I found out Isaac was an uncle, and a doting one at that. His sister was a single mom, and her ex showed up from time to time to be the fun parent. I wanted to know more about his and Grace’s floral business and what had brought that about, but we ran out of time. My red Beetle was recognizable enough for Kimber and Ally to find us approximately three seconds after we parked.
The two of them had enough combined energy to power a city at all times. They yanked open my door and pulled me into a three-person hug like we hadn’t seen each other in years. I was the shorty in the middle between the two tall and gorgeous redheads. Ally was more of a strawberry blonde, and Kimber’s hair was a fire-red auburn.
“This is so great,” Kimber gushed. “They’re celebrating the end of Monday over there with mini chocolate lava cakes. They’re free when you buy a meal and show them your receipt. If they run out before we get over there, Carmen, you’re dead to me.”
“Well, let’s go then.” I glanced behind me to where Isaac had come around the car, waiting on our little lovefest. “Hey, come here.” I reached for him, taking hold of his upper wrist after thinking better of grabbing his hand. “This is my friend, Isaac.” I felt all sorts of proud and awkward as he came to stand next to me and slid an arm around my waist. He shook Kimber and Ally’s hands, and it was smiles all around, but I didn’t miss Ally and Kimber exchanging sly glances. I knew what they were thinking. Isaac and I looked like a couple. Wefeltlike a couple, dang it. My focus was on his hand resting on my hip, and I missed Ally’s question about what type of food I wanted for dinner until she repeated it.
I hated doing it, but the second it felt natural, I walked forward so his arm would drop and put some natural distance between us. After that, we were just a group walking together to eat more than we should.
Chapter 18 - Isaac
Eduardo was not kidding when he said Carmen had a sweet tooth. She reverently ate every bite of her chocolate lava cake and then swiped her finger over the tiny plate to get the remnants of the dark chocolate filling when she thought no one was looking. Man, I wanted to be Carmen’s chocolate lava cake. Desired. Irresistible. The focus of her attention. But thinking like that would only get me in trouble.
I was simply her buddy tonight, and she was so convincing, her friends stopped watching the two of us and got comfortable with me as a permanent member of the group. Which was not a bad thing, when I could set aside my lava cake aspirations. Like Carmen, they were funny, warm, and welcoming. Kimber chatted up all the food vendors, giving them a hard time, only to lavish them with praise once she got her meal. Ally was quieter, content to listen and laugh along.
“How did you two meet Carmen?” I asked them. Having had our fill of walking around, we were sitting at a picnic table with the remnants of everything we’d tried. Ally and Carmen sat across from me, and Kimber was at my side. Like Carmen, Ally had devoured every bite of her dessert, but Kimber continued to toy with hers until it was a gloopy consistency real lava would be proud of.
“Oh,” Ally clapped her hands together. “Let me tell it.”
Kimber waved her arm in acquiesce.
“We were sixteen.” Ally turned to Carmen. “Actually, you might have been seventeen.”
Carmen nodded. “Just turned.”
“Anyway, Kimber and I got invited to go cliff diving at Canyon Lake with a bunch of guys, and Carmen was there with her brother. They took us up to the highest cliff, and I was so scared, but I really wanted to impress this older guy I was crushing on. So, I walked to the edge all confident, and then froze. I didn’t want to do it, and I was so afraid someone was about to push me from behind.” Ally gave Carmen a side hug. “Carmen was my hero. She announced she was too scared to jump, and wanted to try one of the lower cliffs, and asked if anyone would go with her. Which earned her a bunch of groans from everyone, but she didn’t care at all. She looked right at me, and I knew she was giving me an out. We did the walk of shame back down the trail, went to the lowest cliff, and jumped off together a bunch of times. Friends ever since.”
Carmen shrugged. “I hate heights too. We saved each other.”
“And they still love me, even though I stayed up top with the boys.” Kimber turned to me. “What about you, tough-guy? What would you have done in that situation?”
“Teenage me? I’d like to think I’d go walk Carmen and Ally down to where they wanted to go. That’s like guy move 101.”
“Girl-crazy Isaac.” Kimber leaned into me. Her vanilla bean scent was a little too strong for my liking, but I’d gotten used to it since she had no sense of personal space. “Are you still that way?”
I glanced at Carmen, but she was looking off toward the food trucks, probably counting the number of people lined up. She’d been dutifully taking notes all night, going through her list of requirements, noting things like access to bathrooms, handwashing stations, noise level, parking, and a million other things I never would have considered.
“I’m a normal guy.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. You and Carmen met on a blind date set up by this Maria lady. And now you have another blind date, also set up by Maria, this weekend?”
“Yeah, I agreed to two.”
“Most guys don’t even know what a date is. I think it’s refreshing you’re actively looking for someone.”
Carmen was paying attention to us now, her brown eyes locked on mine, but I couldn’t read her expression. It was amused, but almost fake-amused? Pleasantly neutral? Whatever it was, it sent a thread of stress through me. Carmen was usually easy to read, not one to mask her feelings. But our stare-off was drawing attention to us, so I turned back to Kimber.
“I was actually coerced into both dates, but yeah. I guess you could say I’m open to love.” I purposely didn’t look back at Carmen this time. Teasing her was for when it was just the two of us. Adding Kimber and Ally had created this weird dimension where I didn’t know what came off as too flirty or who it was aimed at.
Could you miss someone who was right there with you? Because that’s what it felt like, sitting across from Carmen, but not being able to reach her.
“Who are you going out with on Friday?” Ally asked Carmen.
“Um, his name is Titan. I met him at bingo night.” Carmen’s lips lifted into a half smile. “Isaac told him to ask me out.”
“Ooh, that’s fun.” Kimber clapped her hands together. “So, Isaac’s like your wingman now.”
