Page 79 of The Layover

But was it really such a great idea? I hated to squash anyone’s dreams…

“So, I want to hang out here. Learn from the two of you,” Joystick said.

That sounded distracting at best. “We’re not doing a lot of the restaurant work right now. This is mostly construction.”

“Of a restaurant.” Joystick’s tone carried the perfect hint of obviously.

He was odd, but he was also friendly and fascinating. I could think of a dozen reasons to tell him no, some more polite than others, but there was something about him. “As long as you don’t get in the way, sure.”

Raul shrugged his agreement.

Having him here wasn’t the same as working side-by-side with Carly, and fuck I missed her.

But sooner or later, I needed to admit she wasn’t coming back.

Later, most likely. Much later. Because every time I even considered the notion, my heart revolted in such a way that the idea made me ill.

We needed her back.

How was I going to convince Raul and Carly of that?

28

Raul

Construction went a lot more smoothly without someone trying to sabotage us at every turn.

Having Joystick on site wasn’t nearly as distracting as I’d expected. Despite the air of chaos he radiated, he had a decent sense of humor and was willing to learn. Though part of me couldn’t help but wonder if he was going to be here longer than Carly.

The first night Eloise didn’t ask about her, the first night she went to bed without saying, Will Carly come visit tomorrow? was the night I swore my heart broke.

I missed Carly. So, so much. It hurt to admit it to myself, and it was impossible to tell Diego. What was I supposed to say? Hey, I know I fought you on this, and I pushed her away as far as I could, but I want her back.

It was morning—Tuesday, three weeks since Carly left, not that I was counting every minute—and I was sitting at one of my favorite cafes, with Antonio and Justin.

Justin was trying to explain the concept of keywords in internet advertising, and I was not following at all. The way his face lit up when he talked about this shit reminded me of Diego trying to help me understand the significance of vaulted ceilings in cathedral construction.

I’d rather be perfecting a soufflé recipe… or drizzling honey over Carly while Diego and I— I was trying my best to be polite and listen.

“Where are you today?” Antonio’s question cut through my thoughts.

Maybe hot oil was better than honey. Not edible, but slippery… “Nowhere,” I said. “This stuff is just way over my head.”

Antonio studied me. “It feels like more than that.”

“It’s not.” Damn him and his perception.

“It’s the woman, isn’t it?” Justin asked. “Carly?”

What? “Why would you say that?” My question came out more defensively than I intended.

“I have a series of spiders that monitor who’s saying what about your family online.” If he wasn’t my cousin’s boyfriend and business partner, I was pretty sure that would translate to I’m stalking your entire family. “Have I told you about the importance of keywords?” Justin asked.

I raised an eyebrow. “Yes.”

He and Antonio laughed.

Fine. I’d play his game. “Okay, how do keywords tell you that Carly is the reason I’m distracted?”

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