Kate: You have a hot AF BF. You are making a killer documentary. You’re almost halfway done with your grad program. And your BFF is a princess who is flying you out here for spring break!
Me: WHAT? You are flying me out for spring break?
Kate: Duh.
Me: OMG! Oh God. Kate, I have so much work to do. We’ll only be just wrapping up filming. I have to edit and…I don’t know.
Kate: You can take a week off.
Me: Let’s see where I’m at in another two weeks.
Kate: You are killing me.
Me: Love you.
Kate: Begrudgingly love you too
Me: (heart emoji)
Kate: (heart emoji)
I look up as Carl pulls over to the curb in front of the restaurant and parks. I let him open the door for me because it’s become a thing if I try to get out first. Some sort of security protocol that I find annoying as fuck.
He escorts me inside, and I follow a hostess to a small back table. Jason stands as I approach.
“Good to see you,” he says, motioning for me to sit.
“Sorry that Grady will be late,” I apologize as I take a seat across from him.
“No worries. It’ll give us time to get a margarita.”
I smile and nod as we place an order for two. Carl takes a quick look down the back hall and takes a seat at a table about twenty feet away from us, doing his best to look nonchalant. The smells of slow-cooked meat and Mexican spices fill the air and my stomach growls. I look at the basket of chips and bowl of salsa on the table.
Jason pushes them toward me. “You look hungry, dig on in.”
“Thanks, I’m actually famished. I didn’t have time to eat lunch today.”
“Oh?”
He takes a bite of the chip with no salsa, while I dig into the tomato concoction like I haven’t had food in a week.
“No salsa?” I ask him, pushing the bowl in his direction.
“No, thanks, I’m not a huge spice person,” he admits with a shrug.
“Oh,” I reply, surprised he picked a Mexican restaurant. “So, how was your week?” I ask because now there’s an awkward pause in the conversation, and I’m wondering how I ended up sitting here with my new boyfriend’s secret half brother while he’s cleaning up a garage mess made by a band stalker. My life is officially a soap opera.
“It’s been fine. Better than yours from the look of things,” he says, motioning to Carl.
I shrug. “It’s been interesting.”
“It’s not been all bad for me. I got a new car,” he says with a grin.
“That’s cool. What type?” I ask him as I grab another chip. I’m suddenly feeling super exhausted. Ugh, I should have tried to take a nap in between classes today.
“It’s a sedan. You want to see it? I’m super excited; it’s the first time I’ve bought a brand-new car,” he says.
“Sure,” I say.