Page 66 of My So-Called Perfect Life

Raul has known me for a while. Women haven’t come up much in our conversations over the years. Family, yes. Our businesses, definitely. But women, not so much. Raul and Esperanza are blissfully happy, and I’ve never really dated.

I toss back my shot with ease. “Time will tell.”

Danielle bounces back over with Lupe by her side smiling wide. “She’ll be a pro in no-time.”

“She’s just being nice,” Danielle counters.

Raul winks at me before turning his attention on Danielle. “You look like a natural out there.” He holds up the bottle of Patrôn. “Plus, this always loosens the hips up.”

He places a shot glass in front of Danielle and fills it up. Then one for me. And one for him.

Raul holds up his shot and we follow suit. “Salud!”

“Go have a seat in the back booth,” Raul says pointing a finger to the large booth back to the left. “I’ll send over some tapas. Here’s a beer to get you started.”

He places two beers on the bar, and we take them before heading to the corner.

“What’s tapas?” she asks as we slide into the booth.

“It’s a bunch of different small portions of appetizers and snacks.” I explain. “Miguel does an awesome spread, you’ll love it.”

She nods and takes a pull of her beer. “How do you know Raul?”

Pure luck really. “We met on a plane about six years ago. I was on my way back from hiking in Costa Rica and he was returning home from visiting his family there. We spent the long hours talking, found out we were both opening bars in the city, and kept in touch over the years. I stop in whenever I’m craving great Spanish cuisine and he comes to Cohen’s to catch a soccer game every now and again.”

She looks astonished. “Wow, I’ve never been lucky enough to be stuck next to someone I can stand for the duration of the flight, never mind years of friendship.”

I sit back and cross my arms over my chest. I mock sigh. “What can I say? I make friends in the oddest ways.”

I toss her a wink for good measure, and she laughs. “I almost forgot how cocky you can be.”

“Me?”

She nods, “Yes, you. That first night you were all ‘you’re not the revenge sex type’ like you knew me or something.”

“Oh, you got your revenge that day,” I joke about her giving me chlamydia. “Just on the wrong person.”

She hangs her head in her hands and lets out a small chuckle. “I’m never going to live it down, am I?”

“Why would you want to?” I poke her in the side. “It’s the perfect meet-cute. It makes a great story.”

Her head snaps up and her eyes fill with horror. “Oh my god. Please don’t ever tell people that story. It’s not cute. At all. Please don’t tell me you’ve been telling people that’s how we met.”

For a second, I feel bad. She really does look horrified. “No,” I ease her fears. “I haven’t told anyone other than my buddy, Evan. But that was before.”

“Thank God,” she sighs in relief just as Raul comes by with two platters of food.

He places them down on the table and smiles proudly. “Enjoy. Miguel is a wizard in that kitchen.”

We eat. We chat. We laugh.

We play a few more rounds of Danielle’s this or that game. I learn she’s a morning person, likes books over movies, and prefers salty to sweet.

Sliding out, I stand in front of the table and offer a hand. “How about you show me those dance moves Lupe taught you?”

She grabs my hand and pulls herself up. She cocks a hip while planting her hand on it. “I don’t know if you can handle me.”

Damn, she’s sexy. She’s not even trying either. That’s what makes her alluring. She’s just naturally sexy—to me anyway. I want to take her ass, plop it on this table, and devour her.