Page 15 of Sleeping with the Frenemy

“Why not?”

“Because you two were on your best behavior around me as if I didn’t know what you were both up to at night.”

Sofi cleared her throat. “I don’t know what you mean.” It was a lie obviously. She and Kamilah had snuck out almost every night to party with cute guys in the neighborhood.

Abuela Fina barked out a laugh. “Por favor. Yo soy vieja, no tonta.”

“Well, either way, we are mature adults in our thirties now, so it’s not like we are going to rage or anything. We’re going to discuss her wedding to the most boring guy ever.”

“And what about your guy? Will I finally get to meet the infamous Leo Vega?”

Sofi jerked, almost hitting the gas and shooting them into the intersection right as the light turned yellow. Luckily she was able to course correct and hit the brake instead. The stop wasn’t the smoothest she’d ever done, but they didn’t get whiplash, so that was good. She turned to her grandma. “What did you just say?”

“I said do I finally get to meet this boy toy of yours, Leo Vega? That’s his name right?”

Sofi blinked at her in confusion before it clicked. “Mami,” she growled. Of course, her mother had told Abuela Fina about her relationship with Leo. Mami told Abuela Fina everything just like Sofi told Mami everything. She sighed. “Number one, I don’t know if he’ll be there. Two, he’s notmyanything. He hasn’t been for a long time now. Three, and this is the most important, no one over there knows anything about our history so keep anything you know to yourself.”

Abuela huffed in offense. “I’m great at keeping secrets. I never told anyone that Juana, my friend growing up, had a sexual relationship with her own cousin while she was dating someone else and then had to get married quickly because she got pregnant but never really knew which one was the father.”

Sofi rolled her eyes. “You told literally everyone, Abuela. You pretty much use it as an on-dit at parties.”

Abuela Fina waved her off, unconcerned at betraying her once friend. “Well, she never should have told people that I got my boobs done after I had your tío Manny.” She threw her hands up in outrage. “I mean what was I supposed to do, let them keep sagging to my belly button? I looked like I had two deflated balloons on my chest. I couldn’t keep your abuelo interested in me with those things.”

Sofi grimaced. “Abuela! TMI!”

“¿Que es eso?”

“Too much information. I don’t need to know that you got a boob job to keep my grandpa interested in you.”

Abuela Fina sucked her teeth. “Ay no seas tan puritana. We are both adults now and sex is just a part of life.”

“Okay, but there are still boundaries we need to maintain.”

Abuela grumbled, but didn’t argue.

They pulled into a parking spot in the lot next to the garage doors of Kane Distillery and Sofi had an epiphany for the wedding reception. She couldn’t wait to get in there and tell Kamilah.

4

Leo stepped out of the gym, freshly showered, and immediately began to sweat all over again. The bright sun was blocked by the plethora of trees lining the side streets, but that hardly mattered. Fucking summer in the city.

Okay fine. He loved summer in Chicago. He was just in a pissy mood because his workout hadn’t gone to plan. He’d tried to do some tire flips and just about started crying when he felt that first lightning strike hit his arm. He’d immediately stopped and moved on to working out his legs and core instead. But even then, his shoulder was bouncing between shooting pain and a pins and needles sensation. Now his arm muscles were cramping. He just wanted to go home and crawl in an ice bath, but unfortunately he’d told his mom that he’d pick Abuelo Papo up from Casa del Sol. He’d also promised Kamilah that he’d perform at El Coquí. He prayed he wouldn’t have to let her down, but his fingers weren’t exactly cooperating with his brain at the moment. Hopefully, everything would calm down by the time he got there.

He made his way to Casa del Sol and parked so he could go in and pick up his grandpa. He walked into the lobby, waved at Teresa—one of the front desk attendants—and dapped fists with Yendriel, the young security guard.

“Qué lo qué,” said the dark-skinned Dominican man with the perfect fade.

“Na’, mi pana. Just coming to get my abuelo.”

“He’s still at dinner,” Teresa said. She was one of Abuelo Papo’s favorite staff members and he was frequently hanging out with her at the front desk, so if anyone knew it would be her.

Leo looked at his watch. Dinner? It was barely 5:30 p.m. “Why would he go to dinner if he knows I’m picking him up?”

“To give the staff a hard time,” Teresa said. “He was really mad about breakfast this morning. He had a whole tirade about how giving them cereal was just lazy and if they were going to be lazy the least they could do was give them something other than Raisin Bran.”

Leo shook his head. His abuelo was worse than the strictest food critic. “Oh damn. Let me go get him before he ends up kicked out of the cafeteria again.”

Teresa smiled. “I don’t blame you. He and Benny have been going at it all day, so I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them ends up wearing dinner.”

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