“Your cousin?”
“Yeah, I guess you can say she’s one of your biggest fans.” Sarah smiled.
Alex leaned closer to Sarah. “Okay, I gotta know now. What’s your cousins’ name?"
“Valerie Zuniga,” she said. “She’s a senior like me at La Jolla.”
She watched as he concentrated. “Valerie Zuniga? What’s she look like?”
“Tiny.” Sarah giggled. “She’s really petite. As tall as you are, she might have passed by you a hundred times and you probably never saw her. Maybe that’s why you don’t remember her.”
“Maybe. So, your tiny cousin Valerie is a fan uh? Does she have eyes like yours?”
Sarah felt herself blushing again. “No, actually she’s my step cousin. My aunt married Valerie’s dad a few years ago. So, she looks nothing like me. She has shorter blonde hair and brown eyes.”
“Hmm... a blonde? Well, if I don’t remember her, what can she possibly have to say about me?”
Oh no. Sarah hadn’t expected the conversation to get this far. She couldn’t possibly tell him Valerie worships him. What if he ever did meet her? She cleared her throat. “Oh, she’s just told me about what a good football player you are and stuff.”
“You’re back peddling Sarah,” he smirked. “You said you’d heard an awful lot, now spill it.”
Sarah’s eyes opened wide. “Well, yeah but it’s girl talk. I can’t tell you that, she’d kill me.”
He sat up even more interested. “Girl talk uh? This is getting even better. You have to tell me now.”
“No way.” She laughed nervously. Where was Angel?
Alex was playing with her now and she could tell he loved it, loved seeing her squirm. “Okay, just one thing. You can’t leave me hanging like this. You’re the one that brought it up.”
This was true and now she wanted to kick herself for it. She sighed, feeling defeated. “Alright, just one thing and then we drop it, okay?” She tried to sound firm.
“Yes ma’am.” The corner of his lips went up, making the dimple on his cheek even deeper. How could he not guess what girls said about him?
“She’s just told me many times about... Well,you know…how good looking you are, and how popular you were in school. Okay? I’m not going into any details either, so, don’t ask.”
Alex chuckled. “Okay, fair enough, but now you’re gonna have to bring her around some time, so I can get a chance to check her out.”
“Alright, maybe one of these days.” Somehow she doubted Valerie would want to now. She changed the subject. “So...I thought you were away at school.”
He shook his head. “I’m in school, just not away. I go to UC San Diego. I wanted to stay close by, so I could still help out with the restaurant. I don’t have school or practice on Sundays.”
He glanced over her shoulder and smiled real big. He picked up her hand and kissed it. Sarah tensed up. “You’re too late,” he said. “We’re getting married.”
“Get the hell out of here.” She heard Angel say from behind her.
She turned to see him walking back toward them. Their eyes met and he puckered his lips at her, making her heart flutter. She’d been with him all weekend, and she still couldn’t get enough of him.
By the time he’d reached the booth, Alex was already on his feet. “Yeah, you better leave.” Angel said.
Alex messed Angel’s hair. “You’re lucky I have work to do.” He smiled at Sarah. “It was a pleasure, Sarah.”
Angel pushed him playfully. “Get to work you bum.”
Just as Alex began walking away, Sofia leaned in the dining room. “Your food’s ready, Angel.”
Alex seemed surprised. “You’re still here Sofia?”
“Yeah, there were people waiting and Julio wasn’t here yet.”
“Who’s taking you home?"
Sofia shrugged. “I thought you would.”
“Sweetheart, I can’t leave. I’m doing payroll this week.” They both turned to Angel.
Angel’s shoulders dropped, and he looked up at the ceiling. “I can take her.” He conceded. “But I’m eating first.”
He leaned over and kissed Sarah, before leaving again to get their food. They ate their dinner, and as usual, Angel was incapable of keeping his hands and lips off her. After they finished they sat there stuffed.
“God, that was good.” Sarah stared at her empty plate.
Angel had eaten the biggest burrito on the menu. It looked big enough to feed at least two. He leaned his head on Sarah. “I think I ate too much.”
“You think?” His plate appeared to be licked clean. She started giggling. “There’s no way I could’ve finished even half of that.”
Angel groaned. “It’s not funny.”
Sarah turned around and scanned the restaurant. “We better go,” she said. “Your poor sisters been waiting all this time.”
Angel stood up and started piling the plates up but a busboy rushed over. “I got it, Angel.”
“I can get this, Ernie.” Angel said.
“No, no, I got it.” Ernie insisted and quickly piled everything on top of Angel’s plate.
“Thanks, man.” Angel took Sarah by the hand. They walked by the door to the back office and Angel yelled in. “We’re outta here, Alex.”