Page 36 of Mutual Discord

“Of course not.” I rolled my eyes. “But come inside so you can ask them yourself.”

Her tinkling laugh lingered as she went deeper into the house, and I was left standing at the door with Alex, finally forced to look up and meet his gaze. He stood on the front step, encased in shadows, the soft glow of the string lights in the courtyard backlighting him. In a pair of dark wash jeans, a knitted shirt, and a pair of white sneakers, Alex looked like a man comfortable in his own skin. God, I aspired to have that sort of confidence.

“Sofia,” he said simply, surprising me by bending down to press a quick kiss to my cheek. It was the first time he had ever greeted me in such a way, and my breath stuttered for an embarrassing moment I hope he didn’t notice.

“Alex,” I replied, praying my smile wasn’t dopey and crooked.

He slipped past me without another word, and I closed the door, briefly leaning my forehead against the wood. After several seconds, I turned around and almost jumped out of my skin to find Alex still standing there, seemingly waiting for me.

“Did you need a moment?” he asked softly, his expression indiscernible in the dim lighting of the entryway.

My chuckle was colored with chagrin. “Oh, I’m fine. Just parents, you know?”

“I do know.” Alex swung his head in the direction of distant laughter before he turned back to me. “But I’m looking forward to meeting your parents.”

“You are?” I said, unable to keep the surprise from my voice.

“Of course. You’re great, so I’m sure they’re great, too.”

Several long seconds ticked off the clock as I stood there, staring. God, why did he have to say sweet things like that? Suppressing my attraction to him was hard enough as it was, he didn’t have to—

“Sofia, is everything okay?”

Jerking my head, my gaze collided with my father’s. He stood in the doorway leading into the kitchen, his brow puckered. Alex turned to glance at my father before looking back at me, raising a brow.

“Papí.” I paused to clear my throat. “This is Alex. Alex, this is my dad, Santiago Mendoza.”

The men shook hands, and although my father wore a friendly expression, I could tell he was sizing up Alex. I wondered what Papí thought of him.

“Come meet my Carmen.” Papí put his hand on Alex’s shoulder and directed him toward the kitchen, although my dad was several inches shorter than him. “Would you like something to drink? We have water, soda, beer, wine, and…” My father dropped his voice and leaned close to the younger man. “I have some El Dorado 15. It’s nice and smooth.”

Alex slid his gaze to me, the corner of his mouth turned up. “El Dorado is my favorite.”

“A man with excellent taste.” Papí shook Alex’s shoulder with a chuckle. “Let me get you a glass.”

Expelling a breath, I followed after them. As I stepped into the kitchen, I found Caitlin sitting on a stool at the island, a glass of rosé on the counter before her. My mother stood on the opposite side, a platter filled with sweet maduros, savory beef-filled pastelillos, and crispy papa rellenas. I tried to convince my parents that a full assortment of appetizers was not necessary, especially seeing as how my mother had also made a pernil, arroz con gandules, and corn on the cob. But Mamí and Papí had been offended by the suggestion, reminding me that it was our duty to introduce guests to the delicious depth of Puerto Rican cooking. I’m sure the fact that I shared how Alex had been deprived of soul food during his childhood played a part in the feast they had prepared, too.

I slid onto the stool next to Caitlin, and a glass of sauvignon blanc appeared in front of me before I could blink. I smiled my thanks at my mother.

“To having my girl and her wonderful friend under this roof again.” Mamí’s amber eyes moved between Caitlin and me as she held up her own wineglass. “It’s been too long.”

“It really has been,” Caitlin said, a grin brightening her face.

“Salud,” I said, clinking my glass against hers before tapping it against Mamí’s.

The chilled dry wine slid down my throat, grounding me in the moment. It was going to be a good night. I was with my parents and my best friend and her boyfriend…who was also my friend.

I clamped my eyes closed and took another sip.

“Carmen,” my father said, and I opened my eyes as he stopped at the counter, Alex by his side. Each man held a tumbler of gold liquid. “This is Alex. He was just telling me that he’s never had papa rellenas before.”

Mami’s brows shot up and she placed her wineglass down on the countertop. Stepping closer to Alex, she let out a low gust of air. “Qué guapo.” She flashed a quick, flirty smile at Caitlin, and then reached for a plate, piling it high with several of the pillowy bites. “Ay, well you will now. Come try some, Alex.”

Alex accepted the plate with a dip of his head. He met my gaze for a passing moment before he brought a rellena to his mouth and took a bite. His eyes closed a second later.

“My God, that’s delicious.”

“I know,” Mamí said, making zero effort to sound modest. “Rellenos de papas are made all over Latin America, but in Puerto Rico, they’re traditionally made with beef. However, when we moved here to Arizona, I tried Mexican chorizo for the first time and have loved it ever since. So I add it to the rellenas for my own little twist, and I think the combination of the potatoes with the spicy sausage works great.”