“Whoa, Val. A little harsh there.” He chuckled and sat up, checking his computer. “What day would you prefer?”
“Monday.”
“Can’t do it. How ‘bout Thursday mornings?”
Valerie could almost feel the steam rising out of her ears. He was enjoying this. Thursdays were just as slow.
He looked up from his screen. “C’mon, Val. I’m trying to work with you here. I would think you’d be in a better mood.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
He turned back to the screen in front of him. “Am I wrong to assume that kiss he gave you is any indication of what else you two have been doing?”
“Assume whatever you want.”
“What’s with the hostility?” His smirk irritated her even further. “You’re still doing the wine tasting this Thursday right?”
Valerie did her best to remain unruffled. “Of course, why wouldn’t I?” She knew what he was getting at, but she’d never let on.
He sat back in his seat, his elbows on the armrests, and steepled fingers together, something he did often when speaking to her from behind his desk, but for some reason today, it annoyed her. He annoyed her. Maybe it was the obvious sarcasm in his smirk.
“Oh, I don’t know. I just thought maybe you’d feel uncomfortable bringing the new boyfriend to an event where your ex-boyfriend slash manager is going to be. And something tells me by his friendly glare out there, not to mention our gracious introduction, he’s not going to be too keen on you attending alone.”
“Don’t flatter yourself, Luke. Alex knows he has nothing to worry about. I’ll be there.” Valerie started to the door. “If you’re not changing my uptime back to Monday, I’m done here.”
“Valerie?”
Annoyed she turned to look at him before walking out. “What?”
“Did you tell him everything?”
“There wasn’t much to tell, Luke.” She rolled her eyes and walked out before he noticed that he’d hit a nerve. She’d been as honest as she was going to be with Alex about Luke. They’d gone out and they’d never had sex. He didn’t need to know anything else.
She didn’t think Thursday would be such a big deal until she saw Alex’s reaction to just seeing Luke that morning. Luke hit it right on the nose. No way would Alex be okay with her going wine tasting with Luke, and it would be awkward at best if Alex went with her.
She had to go, though. The California Association of Realtors threw this annual event, bursting with investors. She didn’t get to go last year, and she knew the only reason she was going this year was because Luke had pulled some strings. Tickets were limited. Luckily, when he’d gotten her tickets it was before they started dating. He gave her two. She’d planned to take Isabel at the time.
The event would have an entirely different feel now that things had changed. But as long as she worked with Luke, Alex would have to start getting used to things like this. They had been through enough. They could get through this.
*
They’d been at Valerie’s all afternoon. Alex was determined to get as many of her things as possible. The only big things Alex had to carry out to his truck from Valerie’s apartment were her two-drawer file cabinets. The girls looked at him funny when he asked if they had a dolly, so he’d been more than grateful they lived on the bottom floor. Valerie still insisted, especially in front of Isabel, that she wasn’t moving out.
Alex stood outside, tying down her things in the back of his truck when a car pulled into the apartment parking lot. It parked a few doors down from Valerie and Isabel’s open apartment door. A guy who looked to be in his thirties got out. Alex noticed he peeked in their door as he walked by, and then stopped. Alex stopped tying and watched. Valerie came to the door then went back in. Moments later, Isabel came out and stood there talking to him.
Alex wondered if the guy was the one Isabel had gone out with Friday. She couldn’t be that dense, could she? Valerie had already filled him in on Isabel and Romero. Apparently, Romero had gotten over it a lot sooner than Alex would’ve, but then she did say they pulled an all-nighter talking things out. They were having dinner with her family tonight.
Valerie came out and walked to Alex’s truck.
“Who’s that?” He asked as soon as she was close enough.
“Our neighbor, Lawrence.”
“Isabel’s neighbor.”
Valerie laughed. “I still live here, Alex.”
“Not for long.”
Isabel went inside, and Lawrence followed her. Alex gestured toward her apartment door. “You guys invite all your neighbors in like that?”
Valerie glanced back to the apartment, then turned back at him. “Well, don’t say anything to Romero, but Isabel used to go out with Lawrence.”
Alex gave her an annoyed look.
“I can’t stand him.” She said quickly as if that made up for the fact that Isabel had just invited an old flame into their apartment.
“Why?”
“He thinks he’s so damn smart. He’s a professor at UCSD.”
“A professor, uh?” Alex finished up with the load in the back of his truck. That sounded more like someone Isabel would date than a meathead like Romero.
“Yeah,” Valerie said, slipping her hand in his. “And he’s the type that makes sure you know it, too.”
They walked back to her apartment. Alex didn’t like the guy already, and once in the apartment with a closer look, the guy did look like a prick. Only morons wore turtlenecks as far as Alex was concerned.