CHAPTER 4
Angel groaned as the music from his sister’s radio blared in through his open bedroom door. He was having the best dream ever all about Sarah. It was so real, her beautiful eyes, her lips, he could even taste them. Who knew how far the dream may’ve gone. He frowned listening to the music that interrupted his fantasies. His sister Sofia was only sixteen but she’d recently discovered The Beatles and was blasting their music every chance she got. To top it off, the blow dryer was roaring.
His mood quickly shifted, when he replayed last night’s events in his head. He lay there thinking about everything that had happened. He chuckled to himself when he thought of how effortlessly he’d cracked her up. Everything he was feeling now was so unexpected.
More than anything he wanted to ask more about her mom, but it was obvious she didn’t want to talk about her. Why would a mom dump her daughter on someone else, just like that? What kind of problems could she be ironing out? Something in Sarah’s poignant eyes told him she’d been through a lot, and he felt for her.
Damn, this sucked. All week long all he had wanted was a chance to talk to her, get to know her a little. But after last night, he wanted so much more, and soon she was leaving. He sat up and shook his head. He wouldn’t worry about it now. Fact was her plans weren’t carved in stone. Anything could happen between now and then. She could change her mind.
He glanced at the clock, 8:30. Deciding it was too early to call her, he showered and went downstairs. Eric was already there sitting at the kitchen counter talking to Sofia. His parents left early to open the restaurant and Sofia had made breakfast. Eric looked up from his plate at Angel and smiled knowingly.
“Hey, how’d it go last night?”
“It was cool,” he said. He walked over to Sofia and kissed her on the forehead. He looked at Eric’s plate of eggs and bacon and then at Sofia.
“Any left for me or did he eat it all?”
Sofia rolled her eyes. “There’s enough for everyone.”
Angel walked over to the refrigerator, glancing at the clock. It was just after nine. Good enough. He pulled the orange juice out of the fridge and poured himself a glass. Walking by the table where he left the keys to Eric’s car and his cell phone, he picked them both up and tossed the keys at Eric. “Thanks, man.”
Eric caught the keys in mid air, nodding his head. “Late night?” he asked, with a smirk.
On his way out the back door, Angel motioned he’d be right back. Outside, he looked up Sarah’s cell number on his phone. She’d programmed it in last night before he dropped her off. Just seeing her name, Sarah Lynn, did something to him. He sucked in his breath deep and pressed the call button. It rang a few times then she answered.
“Hi, Angel.” Her cheery tone made him smile. “I was on the other line, let me hang up.”
“No, that’s ok, I can call back.”
“No, it’s Sydney, we’ve been on the phone for a while. I was getting ready to hang up anyway. Hold on, okay?”
“Alright.”
She clicked over to the other line. It was only nine, and she’d already been on the phone for a while? She wasn’t kidding when she said she was close to her friend.
He thought about it and wondered if he’d feel the same way in her situation. Eric and Romero were his best friends, but he couldn’t imagine himself so hung up on those two numb-nuts that he’d be dying to get back to them. Then again, girls were different in their relationships. Not only that, he thought, Sarah’s situation was different altogether. He sat down on one of the patio chairs, and then he heard the line click.
“Angel?”
“Yeah.”
“Sorry about that.”
“That’s okay. Chatting this early?”
“Yeah, Sydney can be an early bird. The phone woke me up, actually.”
“Ah, she’s like my sister. Her damn music woke me up this morning. Are you tired?” He hesitated then asked, “any plans today?”
“Not now, but tonight I do.”
Angel felt his face warm. “Oh?”
“I’m working,” she said. “Babysitting for the neighbors down the street.”
He exhaled slowly. “So, when can I pick you up?”
“I can be ready in about an hour.”
He’d never felt so damn eager to see anyone in his life. “Alright then, I’ll call you in an hour and you can tell me how to get there.”
Once off the phone, he walked back in the kitchen where Sofia and Eric were laughing. Angel was surprised he was still there. He remembered Eric saying he had to be up early. He walked over and grabbed a piece of bacon from the pan on the stove.
“Didn’t you have to be somewhere this morning?” He leaned against the counter across from Eric.
Eric smiled. “You trying to get rid of me?"
“Nah, but I remember you tellin’ Romero you couldn’t stick around and hang out with those chicks ‘cause you had to get up early.”
Eric cleared his throat and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Yeah, well, why do you think I’m here so early? I handled my business already, and then came over to get my car.”
“I need to change. I told Mom I’d be at the restaurant early.” Sofia finished putting the dishes in the dishwasher and started out the kitchen.
Angel winced. “How early, Sof? I gotta be somewhere soon.”
“I can drop her off,” Eric said.
Angel looked back at him. “You sure?”
“Yeah, I gotta go by there anyway. I’m gonna go work out at the gym. Maybe I’ll pick up a burrito while I’m there.”
“I won’t be long!” Sofia yelled running up the stairs.
Angel glanced at Eric’s plate. “Dude, you just ate.”
“Yeah, that’s why I gotta work out,” Eric patted his stomach.
Angel shook his head. He turned around and grabbed a plate out of the cabinet, emptying the rest of the eggs and bacon onto it.
“So, what happened last night, did you score?” Eric cocked an eyebrow.
Angel had a mouthful of food and didn’t respond immediately. After a couple more seconds of chewing, he shook his head. He didn’t usually kiss and tell, even with girls he didn’t care about, and he knew Eric wasn’t the type to go telling anyone. But he felt especially protective this time.
“What?” Eric chuckled. “You’re kidding me? She shot you down?”
“No, she didn’t shoot me down.” Angel scoffed. “We just… talked that’s all.”
Eric laughed some more. “Losing your touch, uh? I thought for sure I’d be hosing the backseat of my car down, the way you were looking at her.”
“How was I looking at her?” Angel frowned.
“Like you wanted to swallow her up, that’s how.”
Angel feigned bewilderment, but he knew just what Eric meant because that’s exactly how he had felt.
Eric kept on. “Come on dude, I can’t believe all you did was talk.”
Angel rolled his eyes, “Nah, man, it wasn’t like what you’re thinking. That’s not what I was going for with her.
“What?” Eric shook his head. “Angel Moreno is into talking to chicks now? When did you turn into a total wuss?"
Angel shrugged, and took another bite of his food. He avoided looking at Eric; suddenly not sure he wanted to talk about it. “I don’t know, dude, she’s just cool to hang with, I guess.”
Eric nodded, as if he got it. “So, you’re not into her? I thought she was pretty hot.”
“I’m into her, you ass, just ‘cause I didn’t bone her the first night. Not all girls are like that, you know.”
Eric grinned. “So, you did get shot down.”
Angel glared at him sipping his juice.
“Well, you’re not making any sense, either you did or you didn’t? What’s the big deal?”
“It’s not a big deal,” Angel wasn't sure why, but he was getting frustrated. “I kissed her goodnight, if you have to know. But we talked the rest of the time.”
“So, did you find out what was up with her and Jesse?”
Angel wished he’d slammed Jesse’s head a little harder the other day. “She went out with him way back, and you know what a pussy Jesse is he can’t let it go.”
“She actually went out with that idiot?” Eric spoke with a mouthful.
“Yeah, tell me about it. That’s what I thought.” Angel polished off the last of his breakfast and threw the plate in the sink. He glanced at the clock. “I gotta go finish getting ready.”
“Where you going?”
“Got a date,” Angel grinned, but avoided looking directly at Eric.
Eric seemed confused at first, then his eyes and mouth shot wide open as he put his hand over his mouth. “No!”
Before he could say anything else, Angel shot him a look. “Not a word,” he warned. “Don’t tell Romero anything either. I don’t need to hear his crap on Monday.”
Eric grinned from ear to ear. “Shut up,” Angel said, walking out the kitchen.
“I didn’t say anything,” Eric protested, chuckling.
“Yeah, well, you were thinking it.” Angel could hear Eric laughing, even as he walked up the stairs, but he had to smile.
************************************
Sarah couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so alive. Standing under the shower with the warm water running over her body she thought of Angel, as she lathered herself and smiled.
The past year had been all but hell, and the past two months had been worst, with Sydney having to drag her out of her funk every time. But now she felt jubilant. It scared her a little. She was still very aware of the fact that this was Angel. The Angel she’d heard so much about. But he said he was looking forward to getting to know her. He sounded so sincere, and his kisses, God those kisses. Just thinking about them made her quiver all over.
Sydney’s call woke her up just after seven, and they talked until Angel called. He knew she was going out last night for the first time since she’d been out here, and was anxious to see how it went. Sarah told him everything, not wanting to leave anything out, especially about the kissing. Sydney hadn’t been surprised at all that Angel was interested in Sarah and was happy she sounded so excited, but warned her to take it slow.
She got out of the shower and dressed. She went back in the restroom to get her blow dryer and ran into Valerie, still in her sleep clothes, a long t-shirt and basketball shorts. “Where are you going so early?”
Sarah’s cheeks reddened. “Angel is picking me up.” She tried not to smile too big.
Valerie’s jaw dropped and eyes popped wide open. “He is?”
Sarah nodded, smiling sheepishly. She grabbed the blow dryer and started back to her room with Valerie in tow. “Oh my God, you’re so lucky! Was that who called so early this morning?”
Sarah stopped at her bed and looked through her purse. She didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. The more she made out of this, the harder it would be if she turned out to be Angel’s flavor of the week. A faint haze of pain sunk in, just thinking about it. But she knew it was a definite possibility.
“No, that was Sydney,” she said. “Angel called while I was on the line with him.”
Valerie rolled her eyes. Sarah knew what Valerie thought of Sydney. She’d never actually met him but she didn’t understand their friendship. “There’s no way that guy is not in love with you,” she’d said, many times.
Sarah also knew Valerie resented the fact that she had preferred, literally begged to stay in Flagstaff with him and his family, rather than come and live with Valerie and her Aunt. Even now, she talked more and was closer to him than she’d ever been with Valerie.
Valerie plopped on Sarah’s bed. “Are you gonna tell Angel about Sydney?”
“I already did.” She left out the part about Angel referring to Sydney as a she this morning, and the fact that she hadn’t corrected him.
Valerie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, “Really? What did he say?”
Sarah made a face. “Valerie, we hung out one night; you honestly think he cares?”
“I’m telling you, guys are territorial.”
She shrugged. “Well, territorial or not, I’m not his girlfriend -”
“Yet,” Valerie interrupted. “We’ll see what he thinks of Sydney once you two get serious.”
Sarah felt something tighten in her chest. She thought about how he’d gotten right to the subject of Jesse when they got to the beach. How stone faced he’d turned when she told him she’d gone out with him. But with Sydney it was totally different. He’d have to understand.
“What makes you so sure we’ll be getting serious? You, yourself said he’d never had a girlfriend. Why would he want one now?”
It was almost a rhetorical question. She didn’t really want to hear the answer. Valerie was ruining this for her. It was way too soon to start worrying about what Angel would think about her relationship with Sydney.
She’d given it some thought when she realized Angel had assumed Syd was a girl. But she pushed it to the back of her mind. She’d cross that bridge when she came to it. At the moment, she wasn’t even sure she’d ever have to.
Valerie made herself comfortable against the headboard. “It’s the way he was with you last night, Sarah. I’ve never seen him act like that before. He’s never been one for public displays of affection. But last night it was so obvious he wanted everyone to see you were with him.”
Sarah tried to hide her exhilaration.
“I’m just saying,” Valerie continued. “If you were like me, I wouldn’t worry about it. Just tell him all about Sydney and if he walks, oh well, too bad for him, on to the next. But you’re not like me. You’re sweet, sensitive little Sarah. And I saw the way you looked at him last night too, missy. You’re already falling for him. So, unless you want troubles, you should start weaning Sydney off your everlasting devotion.”
The butterflies in Sarah’s stomach stirred, threatening to take off in a wild spin. Sarah walked back to her purse, eyeing Valerie. She put her make up on silently. She hardly wore any, so it didn’t take very long. She was about to respond to Valerie’s observation, when her phone rang, making her jump. Valerie smiled eagerly.
“Is it him?
Sarah looked at the caller ID and nodded. Valerie flew off the bed and ran over to Sarah’s side, leaning in to try and hear him. Sarah looked at her and giggled. She flipped the phone open and answered.
Sarah gave him the directions with Valerie glued to her side the whole time. When she hung up Valerie groaned. “God, he even sounds hot. I swear you are so lucky!”
Sarah tried to play it cool, but the swarm in her stomach had spun out of control. She’d barely had enough time to absorb what had happened the night before, and now he was on his way to pick her up again. She smiled at Valerie and hurried to finish herself up.
She filled her aunt in on her plans, and gathered her purse together. He drove a white mustang. She could tell it was an older model but it was still nice. She looked out the window and watched him get out of the car. He wore dark carpenter jeans and a long sleeve gray crewneck shirt that hugged his chest perfectly.
“I’m leaving!” she yelled at no one in particular and walked out to meet him.