He straightens with a determined look. "You shut your mouth. I wasbornto eat enchiladas."
Laughter erupts from all around me. It lightens the mood instantly, and I clap a hand to my dad's shoulder.
"Go back to work, Dad. I'll call you this weekend for some food. And for the love of God, stay away from Mexican food."
"I make no promises," he huffs. But there's a pleased smile pulling at the corner of his lips, and I know he's happy with the way his gift was received.
"Alright, let's break those gloves in, shall we?" Tristan interjects. He nods at the bag room at the other end of the gym. "Burnouts on the bag. Ten rounds."
At the same time that I groan, my dad lets out a chuckle. "I guess that's my cue. Enjoy the gloves." He claps Tristan on the shoulder as he passes him on the way out the door. "Put him through hell, kid."
An excited—and slightly insane-looking—grin stretches across Tristan's face.
“Yes, sir."
13
DANI
I'm emailing my agent to accept a new job when my phone buzzes with a text message.
Drunk Wedding Mistake Guy: Hey stranger :)
Drunk Wedding Mistake Guy: What’re you doing tonight?
Drunk Wedding Mistake Guy: Wanna come out with me? I promise I'll show you a good time ;)
Scoffing, I slide my phone across the table. Yeah, that's never happening again.I turn back to my computer and hit Send.
Another buzz.
I almost don't look at it again, but I haven't heard from a certain someone in over a week and I'm slightly,definitelyhoping that it's him. Even as I hate myself for wishing for something like that at all.
We're not getting attached. We just enjoy his humor. And his company. And his dick.
Even though there was a super weird, super heavy moment last time that made me wonder if this is getting too serious for Aiden.
I fight the urge to check my phone, but it only lasts for a moment before I'm muttering a curse and sliding it back.
Sure enough…
Aiden: What do you call a line of men waiting to get haircuts?
Dani: What?
Aiden: A barberqueue
I can't help it: I laugh. Loudly. It even takes me a minute to compose myself enough to type out a response.
Dani: That was one of the worst jokes I've ever heard
Dani: And that's saying something because my dad is the king of dad jokes
For a moment, I see the bubbles that he's typing. But nothing comes through, and then the bubbles disappear, and I realize that’s the first time I’ve ever implied Aiden and my dad might share some similarities. That they might get along.
I'm chewing nervously on my lip when the bubbles appear again.Fuck, is he going to make a comment about meeting him? That's the opposite of casual. Fuck.
Thankfully, that's not the response that comes through.