Page 271 of Gabriel
I laugh, shaking my head. “I’m thinking casual. It’s not like I’m trying to seduce him in front of his teammates.”
She rolls her eyes. “Please, if you showed up in sweats that boy would still be drooling all over you.”
I snort, throwing my towel over the bench as I peel off my swimsuit. “Maybe. But I’ll save the ‘mind-blowing outfit’ for after the BBQ.”
She winks. “That’s the spirit.”
CHAPTER 93
GABRIEL
Istep into the soccer house, tension pulling at my shoulders. I’m not sure what I’m walking into, but from the looks of it, Julio is waiting for me. If I know him at all, he’s already fuming about Adriana bringing Kenji. I honestly don’t know how I overlooked that. The guy’s denied anything going on between them for years but fuck—we all know there’s something. He made that pretty obvious with how pissed he was when he found out about the double date in the first place.
The air inside feels heavier than usual, thick with anticipation, like it’s charged and just waiting for the spark to ignite. My fingers tighten around the grocery bags as I scan the room, searching for the first sign of trouble.
But instead, my eyes latch onto her.
Cecilia stands by t“Yo! Hurry the hell up, man!” Felix hollers, wheeling the shopping cart down the aisle like he's training for a NASCAR pit stop. His energy radiates off him, buzzing, as if grocery shopping is a sport instead of a chore. He takes a sharp turn, barely missing an old lady by inches. My stomach drops.
"Felix!" I hiss, jogging over to the woman. Jesus. My heart races. "I’m so sorry," I say, my voice tight with embarrassment. "He’s a little … enthusiastic today."
She waves it off, her shaky smile attempting to reassure me. “Oh, no worries, dear. He gave me a little startle, that’s all.”
I nod, but the tension doesn’t leave my shoulders until I’m halfway down the next aisle, trying to catch up to the idiot. “You’re gonna run someone over, you dick,” I mutter under my breath, yanking the cart to a halt. Felix is standing on the lower lip of the cart, coasting like a damn five-year-old. Sometimes I wonder how he makes it through his classes every day without adult supervision.
He glances back, one eyebrow quirking. “We don’t have all day, man. Meat’s not gonna grill itself and people are going to start showing up to the house soon.”
I roll my eyes. “If we get kicked out because you take out somebody’s grandma, we won’t have a BBQ at all. Also, I’d like to avoid a lawsuit, so just chill. Okay?”
Felix huffs, grabbing a random can off the shelf and holding it up. "Cheez Whiz. Great idea for an appetizer, yeah?" He smirks. There’s that mischievous glint in his eyes that usually means trouble’s about to follow.
I knew I should have made the store run solo.
"Put that shit back," I mutter, grabbing it from him and tossing it aside. We’re here for carne, tortillas, and the essentials, not gross-ass Cheez Whiz. I steer us toward the meat counter, where the butcher gives us a once-over, probably wondering if we’re serious customers or here to cause a scene.
“Seven pounds of Arrachera, please,” I say, placing my order.
“Marinated or unmarinated?” he asks with a huff.
You can never trust American grocers to season their meat properly. A true arrachera is marinated with orange juice but these days, grocers have started using that artificial SunnyDelight shit. If they’re going to use fake OJ, the least they can do is make it Tampico.
“Unmarinated,” I tell him. The butcher weighs out the meat, making quick work of wrapping and packaging up our selection.
While we wait, Felix leans against the counter, his Aztec medallion swinging slightly as he rests his arms back against the clear glass. His grin stretches wide, and for a second, I get the feeling something’s coming. Felix doesn’t stay this quiet unless he’s plotting something, and given the look on his face right now, it’s something big.
I swear. He knows we have shit going on today. Now is not the time.
“Did Cecilia tell you Adriana’s coming?” he asks, his tone casual. Too casual.
“Yeah.” The meat thuds onto the counter, and I grab it, throwing it into the cart. “Why?”
Felix’s smile grows even wider. “Did she tell you Adriana’s bringing someone?”
My brows furrow. “No.” But I don’t see why that’s an issue. She’s probably bringing some chick from the swim team or something.
Is he waiting for me to freak out over that? If he is, he’s going to be waiting a while.
Do I like strangers in my space? Not really. But Julio already decided we were allowing plus ones so what’s one more stranger in my house? Honestly, Adriana’s friend isn’t going to make any difference.
