Too small maybe.
She’d thought about his irritation last week as well. Not only had he run into her yet again but at his place of work, which was supposed to be a comfort. Now here she was again, and Rose was asking her to stick around and hang out with them? Her mind raced to think of an excuse to get out of this, but she’d already admitted to Rose she had no plans tonight. That’s why she’d been in no hurry to leave. Rose actually did a little dance in place.
“This is perfect,” she said. “‘Monday Night Football’. Me and Vince and you and Lorenzo. It’ll be fun.”
The guys laughed in the kitchen, and Rose smiled even bigger. Unless she told Rose the whole truth about her and Lorenzo, and she really didn’t want to, there’d be no talking her way out of this. Olivia had never felt faint in her life, but at that moment, she thought she might swoon.
Five
Lorenzo
It was the same stupid dance Vince and Lorenzo used to do when they were kids and tasted whatever damn good cooking their mom had heating on the stove. Just like when they were kids they now stood over the pot on the stove, shoving blissful spoonfuls of Rosie’s chile verde in their mouths, swaying their hips in delight like idiots.
Lorenzo was in the middle of a particularly flagrant hip thrust when he heard the giggling and turned to see Rosie and Olivia watching him. Instantly, he froze, feeling the heat rise up his neck.
“I take it you like it?” Rosie asked with a big smug grin.
Vince, who continued to sway his hips even after seeing the girls, answered for Lorenzo. “This is damn good, baby,” he said with a mouthful then turned to them. “Hey, Olivia.” He finished chewing then kissed Rosie and Ruby when Rosie walked up to him. “Why don’t you make this more often, babe?”
“Because you wouldn’t get as excited if I made it too often,” Rosie said with a playful smile.
“Oh, you’ll always excite me,” Vince murmured against her ear loud enough for Lorenzo and Olivia to hear. “Trust me.”
Vince moved down, nuzzling the side of Rosie’s face then making his way under her chin as she laughed protesting softly. Olivia stopped laughing when Lorenzo’s eyes met hers. For once Lorenzo was glad about how blatant and unabashed Vince could be when mauling his wife. Vince’s extra-long greeting with Rosie gave Lorenzo a moment to try and figure out what it was this girl he knew so little about was beginning to do to him. Why had she invaded his thoughts this entire past week? And why the hell was it so impossible to look away from those eyes. For the first time since he’d begun running into her, he allowed himself to indulge in them for longer than a few panicked seconds.
“Olivia is gonna watch the game with us,” Rosie informed them, pulling away from Vince.
Vince took the baby from her, kissing Ruby’s nose, and turned to Olivia, making a face. “Don’t tell me you’re a Cowboys’ fan.”
Her eyes practically twinkled as she pulled them away from Lorenzo and turned to Vince. “Dallas, baby.” She smiled big. “Born and raised. My siblings and I bleed blue and silver.”
“Technically, I’m a Dallas fan at heart too,” Rosie said, smiling big, “since I’m originally from Texas, but I’ve never been a huge football fan, so when we moved here and Grace married Sal, whose entire family is all about the Chargers, I was easily converted. But Olivia here”—she touched Olivia’s shoulder—“she really is a true fan. She was just telling me about her Dallas Cowboys four-inch pumps before you guys got here.”
Olivia laughed, and just like last week when he’d heard her adorable giggle, her laughter now made Lorenzo breathe in deeper.
“Yep.” She nodded. “My brothers would never let me walk out the door wearing a Cowboys cheerleader costume like I would’ve liked,” she explained, and Lorenzo didn’t even realize he was smiling just as big as she was until she turned to him and he caught himself. “So I had to settle for the shoes instead if I ever wanted to represent when I went out to watch the game at a bar or something.”
“You’d really wear one of those outfits out in public?” Rosie asked.
“Heck ya,” Olivia said without giving it a second thought. “Those uniforms are iconic pieces of history for my hometown, and a little known fact about those cheerleaders is they do a lot of notable charity work all over the world all year long. They’re not just out their shaking their behinds in those short shorts during football season.”
“I wouldn’t let you out of the house in one of those outfits either.” They all turned to Lorenzo at once and eyed him weirdly, so he rushed to add, “If you were my sister, that is.”
Much to Lorenzo’s relief his brother agreed immediately, lessening the sudden strangeness in the room.
“Hell no,” Vince said, kissing Ruby’s little cheek. “Or my daughter. You hear that, Ruby?”
“Speaking of Ruby,” Rosie said, reaching for the baby, “I need to get her in her Chargers outfit in time for ‘Monday Night Football.’”
Vince spun around, pulling Ruby out of Rosie’s reach. “Nope,” he said, hastening out of the kitchen and towards the bedroom. “I think I accidently threw that out. Besides not all us Morenos are Chargers fans. I’ll get you to cross over to the dark side yet. But first, let’s get Ruby into her Raiders gear.”
“You better have not thrown it out,” Rosie said, following him, then turned back to Olivia. “I’ll be right back.”
Olivia smiled at her, but it was obvious she took her time watching them walk all the way out of the room then glanced around the kitchen before bringing her attention to Lorenzo. He leaned against the counter and stared at her without saying anything at first. If it weren’t for Rosie’s comment last week about Olivia possibly still being hung up on her ex, he might actually say fuck it and give into the temptation to just flirt with her. There was no denying it now. He hadn’t been this attracted to anyone in ages. Lorenzo wasn’t even sure if he’d call it an attraction. Whatever it was he was feeling for her, it was only getting stronger every time he saw her, and the fact that he was so helpless to stop it was annoying as shit.
“I haven’t told her I knew you before I started grooming Sal and Grace’s dogs,” she said in a lowered voice. “And I’m not going to.”
Lorenzo stared at her, trying his damnedest not to let on about how that made him feel. Just like everything else he’d felt so far for this girl, it was irrational for him to be annoyed and he didn’t understand it. But this pissed him off.
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want her to know,” she said firmly, turning toward the bedroom then back to him. “I sort of, in girl talk, under strictest confidence, told her about the night we had. I just didn’t mention who with. Since I figured your cousin is married to her sister, I thought she might know you in some way, but I had no idea you were her brother-in-law and how close she was to you, until last week. It would just be awkward now, you know? Uncomfortable if anyone else knew now. Have you . . .?” She stopped when Lorenzo shook his head. “Good. Can we please keep it that way?”
Lorenzo nodded, annoyed that just like the last two times he’d run into her he was already over thinking everything. It was still possible that she was seeing someone else now and Rosie just failed to mention that part. Is that why she thought anyone knowing about their night would make things awkward? Somehow her bringing up the night they had together being the first thing she talked about the first chance they got a moment alone, gave him the go ahead to size her up shamelessly from top to bottom. Why not? She’d just reminded him she’d willingly let him do so much more already.
She was hot. There was never any doubt about that, even now as dressed down as she was compared to that night and minus her ‘fuck me’ shoes like the ones she’d worn then and again to the repast. Hearing Rosie mention Olivia’s four-inch heels only heightened the desire he’d begun to feel for having her under him again. She obviously enjoyed being sexy since she’d be all for wearing one of those skimpy cheerleading outfits out. But he’d been wit
h plenty of hot sexy girls before, and he still couldn’t put his finger on what Olivia did to him.
Something stirred deep inside him and, God damn it, in his pants again even as Vince and Rosie reentered the room. Olivia had since looked away from him to smile and gush about Ruby’s adorable outfit. Yet Lorenzo couldn’t take his eyes off of Olivia. Just like that first night with her, he was beginning to feel the insanity again. He even entertained the notion of making up an excuse and getting the hell out of there while he still had the chance to leave with his heart intact. But something even more alarming was happening. The desire to stay and be around her for a few more hours was beginning to drown out the panic and the pressing voice in his head urging him to run.
She says she’s over him, but, c’mon, he was her first everything.
Even the reminder of these words that had worked all week when he’d considered looking her up online and finding out a little more about her didn’t work now. The other part of him, the one getting sucked into the idea of hanging around a while, reasoned this was harmless. He’d just be watching a football game with her. Vince and Rosie would be there the whole time. How could that possibly turn into something disastrous?
“This will be fun,” Rosie said, walking back into the kitchen with Vince and Ruby. “Since you’re such a football fan, we could do this every Monday from here on. Our ‘Monday Night Football’ gatherings just got a little bigger.” She kissed Ruby’s little hand. “And here we thought Ruby was the only new person in our ‘Monday Night Football’ gang this year.” Then his sweet little sister-in-law turned to him. “And did you know you and Olivia are the same age?”
Lorenzo didn’t say anything, but he did glance at Olivia, whose eyes had widened at bit at Rosie’s less-than-subtle comment.
Vince chuckled. “Interesting,” he said, heading toward the front room. “Maybe you two could go grab some beer since I’m all out while Rosie and I set everything up.”
Olivia’s eyes locked on his. From the moment she informed him she wouldn’t be telling Rosie about their night together, she’d appeared cool and confident. Suddenly the panic in her eyes was as clear as he was certain it was in his face too.
~*~
Olivia
It was one evening. One game they’d be watching together. No big deal. If Lorenzo continued to act as indifferently and uninterestedly as he’d been so far, Olivia would just have to figure out a way of getting out of anymore Monday nights at Rose’s. As much as she tried to pretend being around him, knowing he had no further interest in her, wasn’t torture, she knew she couldn’t do this much longer.
Just walking out the door, knowing she’d soon be sitting in his car with him, had her insides going wild.
“So just beer,” Lorenzo asked, stopping at the door and peering back in. “No wine coolers, Rosie?”
“If Olivia’s willing to share, bring me a four pack,” Rosie said then added, “but I’m only having two this time. Olivia, I’ll make you another big plate of chile verde before you leave, in case you’re feeling at all tipsy.”
Olivia smiled, nodding and knowing full well she’d be sipping any alcohol tonight super slowly. Just as she had the night she met Lorenzo. Not only was she a lightweight like Rosie, thanks to Jay, she’d had a couple of horrible experiences with alcohol, so she kept her alcohol consumption to a minimum.
Lorenzo turned to Olivia, the smirk on his face surprising her. “Two wine coolers, huh? Sounds like you’re in for a wild night.”
Refraining from smiling at his obvious teasing, she held her chin up as she made her way to his car. “I’ve never been much of a drinker, so, yes, it goes to my head pretty quickly. I have to take it slowly.”
He nodded as he opened the car door for her. For someone who’d practically sprinted out of her place the night of their romp, acted so coldly at the repast, and hardly said a word last week, he was certainly playing the part of a gentleman tonight.
She sat in his car as he went around to the other side, wondering what else they’d be discussing aside from his teasing her about being a lightweight. He got in, started up the car, and they were off.
“So you’re my age?” he asked, staring straight ahead. “And you already own your own business? Or do you just work for the grooming company?”
“Yes and no,” she said, glancing out the window. “It’ll be all mine once I’m done paying it off. So, technically, it’s not my own business yet. But I don’t work for a grooming company or anyone. That’s all me.” She turned to him curiously because he seemed surprised that at twenty-four she’d have her own business when he did too. “Rose said you have your own business too.”
“I do.” He turned to her as they came to a stop. “Only just recently, like in the last year, I decided to partner up with my brother. But he started it up years ago on his own. How long have you been doing what you’re doing?”
“Couple of years,” she said, immediately getting lost in his eyes.
The conversation they were having seemed perfectly safe—non-romantic or sensual in any way. Yet something in the way he looked at her said otherwise. She gulped, wondering if maybe she’d been wrong about his indifference for her. Maybe he was feeling the same insatiable attraction she’d felt even that night they first met. Olivia did her best to calm her heart, because it could also be something else entirely. He could just be hoping for another round of meaningless sex.
Something she was not interested in ever doing again.
Especially not with someone she knew she could easily fall so hard for already. Someone, who if she wanted to keep her friendship with Rose, and she did, she’d likely be running into now. Often. She didn’t know much about him yet, but she did know the three main things that would have her falling fast.
Rose had called him the total package, not just because he was beyond handsome and career wise he seemed to be set. Though Olivia had yet to see it, Rose assured her he was one of the sweetest and incredibly loyal guys she could ever meet. Add to that what Olivia had experienced for herself already. The incredible way his kisses alone could make her feel and how easily she could become entirely too mesmerized by him.
They were moving again, and it seemed to be the only thing that had him pulling those intense eyes away from hers. She could be wrong. She almost wanted to be wrong. It was starting to scare her that while her mind said “no way” to another night with absolutely no promises, her body would inevitably say “yes.” The more she looked at him, the more she craved his lips on hers.
“That night,” he said, staring straight ahead. “You said you didn’t usually do that.”
“I don’t,” she said immediately and with conviction. “It was the first and only time I’ve ever done something like that.”
“I believe you,” he said, surprising Olivia. “You said you needed to that night. Why was that?”
Olivia stared ahead now too, remembering his utter disinterest that night. He’d stared at her in that profound way but hadn’t asked why. She wondered why he wanted to know now.
“Several reasons,” she said, refusing to look at him. “I’d gotten some . . . unpleasant news that week. I needed to get out, something I hadn’t done in a while.”
“Who do you live with?”
Now she turned to him. Not that his previous questions didn’t also come as a surprise, but this one came totally out of left field. Still his expression remained rigid, and he finally turned to look at her when they came to a stop.
“I saw a photo of you and a guy at your place as I walked out.”
“Any photos at my place are of my siblings and me,” she explained. “I have three brothers and a sister. We all live at that house. I just happened to have the place to myself that weekend. But that doesn’t happen often. That was another reason I decided to do what I did that night.”
He stared at her the same way he’d done so often that night. She could hardly stand it but couldn’t bring herself to turn away, so she didn’t and waited in
stead for his next question.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, stunning her. “I hope you know that. And before we get back to my brother’s place and I have to continue to pretend I’m not ridiculously attracted to you, I just want you to know that my running out that night the way I did had nothing to do with any lack of attraction or interest in you. Because Jesus”—he shook his head, glancing back at the road, and took a deep breath—“I have no idea how you feel about me, but—”
“I’m ridiculously attracted to you too,” she blurted as her heart pounded erratically.
They came to another stop and he turned to her again. “I hadn’t made any attempts to get in touch with you because I’ve been fighting what I’m feeling for you. Hell, I started fighting it that night.”
“Why?”
He frowned, shaking his head, and then turned back to the road when he started driving again. “The last relationship I had ended badly. Really badly,” he explained. “I was over her almost immediately. I just haven’t had any desire to get into anything serious again.”
She was almost afraid to ask, but she had to know. He could’ve just flirted with her on this trip to the market, which was what she thought might happen—playfully bring up the suggestion of them having another incredible night together. Instead, here he was explaining himself. But she cautioned her already-too-excited heart that this could just be his way of apologizing for not wanting anything more with her. It was beginning to sound like that anyway. So she had to ask before her heart began misinterpreting things.
“So why are you telling me this now?”
They were at a stop again, but he didn’t turn to her this time. Instead, he stared straight ahead, and she watched him so closely she could see his jaw working.
“I think I’ve changed my mind,” he said, making her insides go wild, and he finally turned to her. Instantly, she was caught in those eyes again. “That is, of course, if you’re interested in anything like that with me. We wouldn’t have to jump ahead just because we’ve already done more. We could take it slow.”