Page 62 of Sleeping with the Frenemy

“That’s called biblical justice,” Abuela said. “It’s an eye for an eye. Your mami was a pain in my ass and now I get to be a pain in hers. Just like you were a pain in her ass and now she’ll be one in yours.”

Sofi put her hand on Tostón’s head and gave him a slow pet. “Do you hear this, Tostón?” He groaned, stretched, and sighed without ever opening his eyes.

Since Tostón didn’t appear keen to join in on the conversation Sofi turned back to the humans with her. “Abuela, I know you’re going to love Casa del Sol. There’re plenty of caribeños there. Plus, you’re so sociable that I know you’ll have a group of friends in no time. Although, you already have a good friend that lives there.”

“Y eso?” Mami asked.

“Oh, Abuela and Papo Vega are best friends these day. According to the grapevine they talk on the phone and everything.” Sofi slipped her sunglasses down her nose and waggled her eyebrows at them.

Abuela Fina gifted her with an epic eye roll. “You need to worry about yourself. I’ve been here for months now and I haven’t seen you do anything but go to work or hangout with friends.”

“That’s not fair,” Sofi argued. “Of course I’m spending time with friends. I’m trying to reconnect after being distanced for over a year.” She took a drink of her margarita. “And of course I’m going to be working hard. My dad counts on me. I’m basically his right hand.” Just thinking about her job made her eye twitch, so she drank a bit more. Suddenly, her glass was empty. Weird. She could’ve sworn she’d just filled it.

Abuela Fina and Mami were looking at her oddly.

“Did I ever tell you about the time I was performingLa Bayadèreat the Teatro Tapia?” Abuela said seemingly out of nowhere.

Oh great. She was about to start one of her stories.

Abuela Fina put her cup down and rose to her feet as graceful in her late seventies as she had been in the 1970s. “Imaginalo, Viejo San Juan 1964. I was the first girl in the corps de ballet for the ‘Kingdom of the Shades,’ so I had to do thirty-nine perfect arabesques in just the intro. But the principal dancer kept complaining that I was stealing the show. She was right of course. Everyone kept looking at me and asking why I wasn’t in the main role. She was so mad that one night during a performance she paid one of the other girls to trip me during our routine. So we get to the moment and this little tramp sticks her ankle out in front of me. I stumble half a beat, but I doubt anyone would’ve even noticed. Except then she puts her hand on my back and pushes. And since she was such a big cow compared to me, I went flying right off the stage. But as I was falling, I thought to myself, I’m not going to let these jealous cats make me look like I can’t dance. So I extended my leg into a saut de chat, pointing my toes, and leaped. When I landed I went right into a series of fouettés, whipping around like a top. I completely improvised my own solo in the aisles which got me a standing ovation. After that, the director had me do that every night. Those two had no choice but to choke on their own resentment. But they got lucky, because shortly after that night I entered Miss Puerto Rico.”

Sofi shared a look with her mom. Typical Abuela Fina, always doing THE MOST.

“Mai, what was the point of that story and what does it have to do with Sofi?” Mami asked.

Abuela gave the tiniest shoulder lift and continued in Spanish. “I’m just saying that sometimes you think you’re going to do one thing, but something throws you off track and you need to pivot. As long as you make it work for you, there’s nothing wrong with that. Just don’t let others control the path you take.”

Sofi felt like glass, completely transparent. She didn’t like that at all. “Okay, well, as fun as this is, I think it’s time for a refill,” Sofi told them. She gently pushed Tostón off her lap and stood.

He gave her a hurt look.

Abuela Fina gave him a vigorous ear scratch. “Oh, you poor baby. She’s so mean to you. Ven con Abuela.” She patted the seat next to her and Tostón wasted no time climbing up and plopping down right next to her.

Sofi slid on her chanclas and headed for the door.

“Tráigale algo frio al perro,” Abuela Fina called out. “It’s too hot for him.”

Sofi shook her head. Of course, her grandma was worried about the dog overheating even though Sofi had placed him under the umbrella, had a bowl full of ice water next to her chair, and had even frozen a wet washcloth to wipe him down.

She still couldn’t believe she had a dog. She really couldn’t believe that this four-month-old puppy was as well-behaved as he was. It was like he understood the words she spoke and listened. It was wild. The only time he didn’t seem to understand was when she told him to get off her bed and go to his kennel. The first few times she’d tried to put him in it, he’d cried, trembled, and peed himself. It made her wonder what had happened to him that he was terrified of it. Then she remembered his background and felt so horrible she let him out. Needless to say crate training was a bust and he slept in her bed. Between her, Leo, her family, and the Vegas, Tostón was one spoiled dog, but Sofi didn’t care. He deserved it.

Sofi had just stepped out of the apartment door with the rest of the pitcher of margarita and a frozen doggy enrichment bowl—both made by Leo—when she almost ran right into her mom.

“Mami,” she exclaimed, trying to calm her heart rate after her startle. “What’s up?”

“You tell me,” her mom said, walking past her into the apartment. “You’ve been acting weird ever since you got back. I’ve been waiting for you to tell me what’s going on, but you’ve been avoiding me.”

“That’s not true,” Sofi lied. “We’ve both just been really busy.”

Her mom simply stared at her.

“Okay fine. I’ve been avoiding you, but it’s not because of anything bad,” Sofi rushed to tell her. “I’m just trying to get back in the groove of things here. I didn’t expect it to be like this when I got back.”

“What does that mean?” her mom asked.

“I mean I was supposed to have this company apartment and that fell through,” Sofi began, but her mom cut her off.

“Try again and this time give me the truth. Maybe start with why just mentioning your job has you chugging tequila like water and your abuela giving you one of her parables.”

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