Page 24 of Deep In Love
I bite back the urge to tell her we’re sitting outside and instead watch as she disappears deeper into the hotel lobby. The longer I sit alone at the table, watching the condensation collect on our glasses, the more my concern for her grows.
Charlie’s never run from a fight with me, but what I just witnessed was her fleeing. Disappointment riots in my chest. I toldmyself this trip was my chance, but if her reaction to me calling her beautiful is to run away, then maybe this was a bad idea.
Did I misinterpret her lingering glances as something more?
Do I have it all wrong?
I always thought our relationship needed a push, an extinction-level event to force evolution, but I may have been wrong, and it’s a sour feeling.
After twenty minutes of sitting alone with my depressing thoughts, I rise to find her, when her laughter fills the air. My chest bubbles with warmth at the sweet sound. She walks beside a petite woman with wavy brown hair and a massive bag that screams “I mean business.”
Charlie’s wearing her sweatshirt again when she sits down, and I bite back the frown pulling at my lips. Do my words mean nothing to her?
“Mateo, this is Sofía. She’s the project coordinator for RogueWave.”
Sofía reaches out a hand, and begrudgingly, I shift my attention away from Charlie and her bewilderment.
“Mateo,” I say, and as my name rolls off my tongue, Sofía’s head tilts.
“¿Hablas español?” she asks.
Does my abuela make the world’s best tamales? Of course she does. The ratio of masa to filling is crucial, and she nails it every time.
I nod but answer in English for Charlie’s benefit. “I moved from Mexico City when I was ten.”
I was terrified to move, to leave Mexico and my friends, but my dad got a promotion as chief engineer for the automotive company he worked for, and they sent him to Detroit.
“My family is from Monterrey.” She’s cut off by a loud ruckus at the front. “Jett is here.”
Sofía exhales a shuddered breath as a small pack of people closes in on our table. Jett leads the group, and he is exactly how he appears in his videos. Slightly scruffy appearance, complete with a faded graphic t-shirt, cargo shorts, and scuffed-up checkered Vans.
I would bet the entirety of my savings account he played or still plays Hacky Sack.
A backward hat sits atop his head, covering his shoulder-length hair, and Charlie giggles as he extends a fist, and she fist-bumps him.
“Dudes and dudettes,” he yells. “You two must be my super geniuses. Gotta say, I thought you two were a bit older.”
Charlie giggles—again. That’s two giggles for Jett in two minutes, when I have yet to receive a single giggle in the two years of knowing her.
“Our advisors had previous commitments,” she says, “but we arewaycooler.”
“Right on.” Jett pumps a fist into the air. “What do we think? Shirley Temples for the table?”
“Extra cherries?” Charlie asks, fanning herself with a menu.
Jett grins, and I track the interaction, jealousy raging in my chest. I want Charlie’s smile and giggles, but instead, I have to witness her offer them to someone else.
“I’m Mateo,” I say, shifting Jett’s attention. “Really looking forward to the trip.”
“Dude, it’s going to beamazeballs. I did a whole segment on my YouTube about real-life aliens, and it waskiller.”
Moments later, he’s back to chatting with Charlie, and I’m left to watch them, her laughter infectious as they joke back and forth. There’s an energy about Charlie—one I’m not sure she knows she possesses—where people gravitate toward her. Quick-witted and funny, she has an orbit that’s easy to fall into, and it’s clear the others agree.
I only wish she would fall into my orbit, too.
The sun sets in the sky, basking Charlie’s silhouette in hues of soft pinks and purples. The air has cooled, and a soft, salty summer breeze cuts the heat. An acoustic band sits in the back of the bar, preceded by a small dance floor full of couples swaying to the slow ’70s songs.
Charlie chats with Sofía, the two of them speaking in low whispers. Every few minutes, they glance in my direction, or Jett’s, and giggle. It’s infuriating but also adorable to watch Charlie act like a schoolgirl on the playground.
