Unpredictably, her brothers had both nodded in agreement, and before another word was uttered about Sydney spending the night, they were back to the subject of the awesome lineup for the Padres this season.
So Sydney’s spending the night with her and her having to inform her brothers about it, despite last night’s hiccup, had gone smoother than she’d expected. Even after breakfast when he’d excused himself to go shower and change and she was left alone with her brothers, they didn’t admit to any true feelings they might’ve held back. To her surprise, Isaiah even seemed pleased about his being there. His only comment after Sydney left the room was, “Yeah, it would’ve been dumb for you to be here all alone last night and for him to pay for a room with all the extra rooms we have here.”
Then Nathan added, “Let him know he’s welcome to stay anytime he comes down here.”
Emi had stared at them for a moment as they all cleared the kitchen. It almost felt like she was in the Twilight Zone. Her brothers were never this agreeable when it came to the guys in her life. But she supposed it made sense in this case. Everyone knew she and Sydney were just good friends—nothing more.
They all left in separate cars to the restaurant’s anniversary shindig. Isaiah had a date he was picking up, and Nathan had somewhere to go afterward. It was just as well. Emi and Sydney would be heading back to Los Angeles directly after they left Moreno’s anyway.
As always on a Sunday, but even more so for today’s special occasion, Moreno’s was packed. Mariachis strolled around as busy servers and hostesses rushed around them. Emi and Sydney walked up to one of the banquet rooms reserved for family and close friends. It was set up the same as downstairs: buffet style with their own personal musical trio walking around playing music and singing.
Almost immediately, they were met by Sarah and Valerie. After saying their hellos to a few more people, Sarah showed them to the tables where Moe and his family, Emi’s uncles, and most of the Morenos were all sitting. They hadn’t been sitting long before Cristina came over to say hello to them.
Emi found herself watching the conversation between Sydney and Cristina a little closer than she would normally. The thing she’d mentioned finding in Mando’s boxes turned out to be a fog bell for his sailboat.
“It’s all brass,” Cristina explained. “He’d ordered it online, said he was going to give it to you for your birthday last year. He mentioned having something engraved on it, the name of your boat maybe. I don’t know. Then he got sick and everything sort of just got put on hold. I don’t even remember it coming in the mail. He must’ve gotten it, put it aside, and, after his diagnosis, forgotten it.”
“Totally understandable,” Sydney said, examining his gift with a smile. “This is really nice.”
Sydney had since taken Emi out a handful of times on his sailboat. She didn’t know a whole lot about boats, but she did know his boat didn’t have a name. He’d told her he was waiting for the perfect name to come to him and it just hadn’t yet.
Emi studied them closely as they spoke, but nothing she’d suspected was confirmed. Once Cristina had gone back to her table, Emi felt silly and nosey about watching them so closely. Since he was so touched by her situation, the idea had festered from that first day at the repast that he might have another interest in her. That coupled with the phone call he’d gotten from her when he’d hardly mentioned Cristina at all this entire year had made Emi curious.
Cristina had only been gone a few moments when Valerie and Sarah came over. After their initial hellos, he was quickly whisked away because Valerie said she had someone she wanted him to meet. Valerie and Sarah stayed with Sydney and the girl she presumed was Lucy, a tall girl just a few inches shorter than Sydney. She was blond and skinny with almost no curves at all, just a few things Emi knew, for a fact, were not Sydney’s type. Emi ate and chatted with the family all the while sneaking glances at Sydney and Lucy, who’d sat down to eat together at the table she’d been at when they first walked him over to her.
Emi thought Sydney would chat with the girl for a little bit then make his way back to where she sat with her family. Instead, Valerie joined them at their table for a while where they all chatted even longer. All three got up and exited the banquet room. From the looks of it, because Valerie was pointing at things on the wall and ceiling the whole time even as they walked out, it seemed she was giving them a tour. The restaurant really was quite impressive.
Nathan and Isaiah, who didn’t talk on the phone with her as often as Livi, quizzed Emi as they always did on school, her apartment, and her car. She informed them everything was fine and she was moving right along with her school work. She told them more about the internship she’d be starting that week when she got back to Los Angeles. Since she was still undecided about her major, she’d chosen to try and get into the Staples Center as a generic intern, and she could still get credit for practical professional experience. At the same time, she was once again floundering about yet another major possibility—communications.
She’d requested the possibility of shadowing the broadcasters at different sports and entertainment-related events. The Staples Center had a host of different venues going on all year long. There were also a lot of perks being an intern there.
“That’s so cool,” Rosie said.
“It sounds so interesting and fun,” Liv added, smiling.
“Doesn’t it?” Emi asked, feeling a little more excited each time she spoke about it.
Sydney, Valerie, and Lucy re-entered the banquet room all smiles. Emi watched as Valerie went her separate way and Sydney walked Lucy back to her table. He then proceeded to sit down with her even as Valerie left them alone again. For someone not into blondes and who’d mentioned more than once how he fancied girls with curves, he seemed awfully smitten with Lucy.
“Is that his girlfriend?” Livi asked, pulling Emi’s attention back to her own table.
“What?” Emi asked, taking a sip of her water cursing her already heating face.
The question made Rosie and Sal’s wife Grace, who thankfully were the only ones within hearing distance and paying attention, turn in Sydney and Lucy’s direction. That only made Emi’s face heat further. She had no choice but to glance casually in Sydney’s direction again and shrug. “No, but I think Valerie is trying to set him up with her friend. Someone she works with, I guess.”
“Calm down, Max,” Moe said with a laugh, making them all turn. “Look at this guy. He’s a minute away from getting his period.”
Everyone laughed as Max retorted and thankfully their obnoxiously funny debate took the attention away from Sydney and Lucy.
“And how do you feel about that?” Livi asked.
Emi turned to Liv now, surprised to see the arched brow and a little stunned by the question. Especially since her sister had lowered her voice as if to keep the question just between the two of them.
“What do you mean?”
Livi’s eyes narrowed, but she glanced around. Moe and Max’s loud debate still had everyone’s attention. “Seems you two have gotten pretty close. You brought him over last night, and you seemed so comfortable with him. Even Lorenzo commented on it. Then he spends the night with you—”
“In a guest room,” Emi interjected a bit too sharply, feeling alarmed by where this seemed to be going. “He’s just my friend, Liv, my very good friend.”
“And that’s what I thought despite everything else I’ve picked up on from you lately, but then I see you stare daggers at him and his little friend over there and—”
“I was not staring daggers!”
Was she? What the hell was wrong with her? She’d never had issues hearing about him and Cheryl or anyone else he’d ever dated for that matter.
Livi’s expression softened as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Okay, maybe I just misread your expression. Relax.”
“If anything,” Emi added because she felt like she had to and because it was the only way she could explain it even to herself, “
maybe I just got a little too used to having him to myself all day yesterday. He didn’t sound too wild about being set up for this. Thought it would be awkward. So I’m just surprised he’s been over there this whole time. But that’s it.”
That was it. She’d never been good about sharing. Up until today the entire trip he had been all hers. It just felt a little weird now to be . . . ignored—forgotten about. If someone had tried to set her up with anyone today, she was pretty sure she would’ve made her way back to her friend and trip companion sooner than this. It just seemed a little rude.
As if her middle-school attitude about her best friend not paying attention to her hadn’t been obvious enough, things only got worse. Valerie and Sarah sat down with her and Livi. “I think they’re hitting it off,” Valerie said, looking in Sydney’s direction with a big smile.
Now Emi had to sit there and pretend she felt as excited about this as Valerie seemed to be. Valerie told them all about how thrilled Lucy had been about this all week.
“She was so bummed yesterday when she wasn’t able to get out of some family obligation to make the festival.” Valerie glanced back at Sarah with a big smile. “She said it would’ve been a perfect and romantic first date”—Valerie made air quotes with her fingers—“to remember forever if they do hit it off.”
Emi smiled when Valerie glanced at her. The thought was as much a relief as it was annoying. If that had been the case, Emi would’ve had no choice but to bum a ride home with her sister or someone else, and she would’ve missed out on strolling the festival the rest of the day with Sydney yesterday. She would not have even considered being a third wheel on Sydney and Lucy’s romantic first date. If she’d been caught practically pouting today about being ignored by him for a little while, she for sure would’ve been obnoxiously obvious about having to miss the rest of the festival while Lucy got to enjoy it with Sydney.
“You know him best, Sarah,” Valerie said, pretending and failing miserably to not be so noticeable about watching Sydney and Lucy. “What do you think? You think they’re hitting off? I think he likes her. His eyes practically twinkled when I introduced him.”
Turning to Sarah, Emi did her best to not look as interested in Sarah’s response as she really felt. Why the hell was she being like this? The man had a girlfriend back home. Who cared if he met someone else who he might hit it off with?
“Oh, I don’t know,” Sarah said, glancing at Sydney, her eyes bouncing off Emi then back at Valerie. “He’s sweet to everyone. It’s hard to tell from just watching him. He’s such a gentleman no matter the circumstances. But he has always been partial to brunettes.”
Valerie turned to Sarah, her brows furrowed. “Didn’t he have a blond girlfriend way back?”
“Well, yeah,” Sarah said, meeting Emi’s eyes.
Emi glanced away when she realized she was reacting again without thinking.
“But he didn’t end up with her,” Sarah countered. “And he did end up marrying a brunette.”
“Whom he divorced obviously,” Valerie said with a smirk. “I don’t think that really matters. Alex swears he was always partial to brunettes and never even dated blondes”—she fluffed her blond tresses—“and look who he ended up marrying.”
Emi took a deep breath, deciding to not clam up as she had yesterday when these two told Sydney about Lucy.
“He looks like he’s enjoying the company,” Emi said with a sweet smile, took a sip of her soda, and turned casually to see Sydney laughing with Lucy.
“He does, right?” Valerie asked, smiling smugly. “If anyone would know him best, it’d be you two, right? She’s going to be so excited.”
Emi began to jerk her head back but caught herself when her eyes met Livi’s first. Her sister was studying Emi again, so she smiled. Before she could say anything, Sarah did.
“We can’t tell if he does from just watching him, silly,” Sarah said, laughing softly. “Don’t get the poor girl’s hopes up just yet. In all the years I’ve known him, he’s as particular about the women he dates as everything else in his meticulous life. I think he’s gotten finickier with age. Not to rain on your parade or anything, I’m just dampening your expectations so you’re not too disappointed or anything. If he does like her, it’ll be awhile before he’s analyzed it to death. I told you he has been seeing someone.” Sarah turned to Emi this time. “He’s still seeing Cheryl, right?’
Emi nodded, refraining from smiling as she suddenly wanted to, and then turned to Valerie. “Yes, he still is actually,” she said simply, innocently, as she bit her tongue to refrain from what else she wanted to add—that just yesterday he’d pointed out that, yes, he was still seeing Cheryl, and, no, he wouldn’t date two women at once. But it already felt like Liv was watching her too closely.
Her sister knew her better than anyone did; albeit they weren’t as close lately as they once had been. Ever since Liv moved out with Lorenzo then married him and was now experiencing motherhood, she’d been too busy to notice too much about Emi as she normally would. At least that was what Emi had thought until Liv’s “despite everything I’ve picked up on you lately” comment.
Emi was certain she’d be getting a call from her big sister this week, inquiring if everything was okay. She didn’t need to add more to Liv’s suspicions than what she knew was there now.
“You see,” Sarah said, smiling at Emi but glancing quickly away to address Valerie. “The man can give Sal a run for his money when it comes to being anal about things. This is not something he’ll be deciding overnight. As long as I’ve known the guy, he likes to take his time, get to know the girl.” Emi thought she saw Sarah side glance at her, but she directed her next comment at Valerie. “He waits for the relationship to develop before he’s sure, so don’t hold your breath.”
Valerie’s lip pulled to the side. “Well, so far it looks promising. I’ll just keep my fingers crossed.” She turned to Emi, smiling, then back to Sarah. “You two, keep me posted. I have to check on the kids.”
Sarah stuck around for a little bit, making small talk, before she, too, had to go find her kids. Thank goodness for kids. To Emi’s relief, Liv too got busy when the baby woke, and the conversation shifted as everyone fawned over baby Enzo.
By the time Sydney walked over with Lucy to introduce her and ask Emi if she was ready to go, they’d been there for hours. He’d spent the entire time with Lucy, and Emi did her best to not look or act as annoyed by that as she felt.
Lucy was a bit of a chatterbox. She also laughed a lot, but it seemed more of a nervous laugh than a genuine one. And it wasn’t cute either. It reminded Emi of that girl in the reruns of Friends: Chandler’s annoying ex-girlfriend, June or Janice something or other. The more Emi heard it, the more grating it got.
They went through the slow process of saying good-bye to everyone. When they finally departed, they still weren’t alone. Lucy walked out with them. This was why she’d been sure if Lucy had shown up yesterday Emi would’ve skipped strolling the rest of the festival. She felt like an invisible third wheel as Lucy chattered on excitedly about Comic Con and how fun it would be if they went together.
Sydney and Lucy, that is.
While Lucy had been nice enough, Emi hadn’t missed the way her brow arched ever so slightly and her eyes swept over Emi when Sydney introduced her as his good friend and neighbor then added, “We drove out together. We always do when we drive out here.”
As if they’d done this more than twice. So the entire excitable conversation Lucy had had with Sydney felt exclusively for him. Lucy was not implying the three of them would have fun together at Comic Con. As if being around them and hearing that irritating laugh for longer than the time it took them to walk outside wasn’t excruciating enough.
By the time they reached Sydney’s car, Emi refrained from rolling her eyes every time Lucy laughed and especially when she pointed out how good he smelled—twice. She’d even texted herself the name of his cologne so she wouldn’t forget it. When they g
ot to his car, Lucy was quick to address Emi first, smiling big and expressing how very nice it was to have met her.
It was polite enough, but Emi felt dismissed by the farewell. Sydney had already clicked to unlock the doors to his car. They’d all heard the beep. So when Lucy turned to Sydney with a gazing smile and waited, Emi took the hint. She said good-bye, got in the car, closed the door, and gave herself a quick emergency pep talk under her breath.
“Do not sulk. Do not pout. Don’t you dare snap. This is almost over.”
She felt as furious with herself as she did confused. What the hell was going on with her? She’d sat and listened to Sydney talk of Cheryl plenty of times without feeling the least bit annoyed by it. In fact, often times she stuck up for Cheryl when Sydney seemed to poke fun or find fault in something Cheryl had done, said, or didn’t do.
Sydney and Lucy were outside for a while, as if the hours they’d spent talking at the restaurant hadn’t been enough. Emi squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to even glance their way. The last thing she needed was to turn to see him kissing her good-bye or something that might push her back into that weird mood she’d gotten herself into yesterday.
After what felt like forever, the door finally opened and he got in. Immediately, her senses were overwhelmed with the fragrance of him—the scent she’d grown to love now. She’d actually taken a sweatshirt he’d lent her and held it hostage. She’d give it back to him eventually. She just enjoyed the soothing effect the smell of him had on her when she wore it around her place.
“Sorry that took a while,” he said, his voice sounding a little strange.
She turned to catch him, watching as Lucy pulled out of her parking space, headed to the exit of the parking lot, then finally turned onto the street and out of sight. Emi was this close to asking if, after one meeting, he really couldn’t get enough of her, if that was why they had to sit and stare until she was completely out of sight, even though she was certain there was no way she’d manage say it without sounding bitchy.
To her surprise, before she could, he groaned loudly, and she turned to see his head fall back against his seat. Her mind raced curiously, not sure what to make of it.