When You Were Mine (Moreno Brothers)

Chapter 5 - Part 3

Last year, Alex and Valerie's to-be-or-not-to-be relationship was in not-to-be mode when the Taste of La Jolla first started, unlike the year before when she'd hung out with Alex, his brothers, and Sarah at the booth from the beginning.

Moreno's restaurant had been participating in the festival for years, and the stupid local girls who were into the brothers took advantage of the chance to talk to them by making plenty of stops there. Last year was no exception, so of course there'd been drama. Not for Angel because he was always so preoccupied with Sarah to be bothered with other girls, but Sal and Alex and even Romero, who'd helped out for a few hours, had hammed it up for the girls stopping by. Valerie had been witness to Alex's flirting and even exchanging numbers with some of the stupid bitches. How could they stand there and take his number when the girls before them did just the same thing? It was infuriating.

But Valerie couldn't talk too much shit. She was the stupid one who, after watching him blatantly flirt all day with other girls, ended up in his bed that night.

Between Alex and his foulmouthed, hotheaded friend Romero, there were few times when she could actually get away with hanging out with guys without some kind of eruption. Last year, after seeing Alex's behavior with the girls at his booth, she decided to just ignore him and have some fun of her own. She'd gone there with a couple of girlfriends, and they'd quickly gotten the attention of other guys.

Even now, knowing his explanation for it all and just remembering how it felt to see him ham it up with those girls, it still made her angry. Her face actually heated at the memory . . .

Valerie tried to concentrate on what Monica was saying to her and not look over Monica's shoulder where she could still see Alex leaning against the booth counter, grinning from ear to ear. The girl talking to him was playing with her hair, her hips swaying from side to side as if she were listening to music. Then she handed him her phone, and he started tapping something into the screen. Valerie didn't doubt for a minute that he was giving the girl his number. It turned her stomach, and she casually placed her hand on her belly.

Thankfully, she soon had a distraction. They'd wandered away toward where the bands were playing. A group of guys, who looked as if they'd just come from a Padres game because they were all sporting Padres tanks and jerseys, came up to talk to Valerie and her friends. One of the quieter ones of the group with an impressive build and timid smile, Oscar, bought Valerie a beer. She'd been standing with him and the rest of the group by the stage where the bands had been playing for all of ten minutes when Romero tapped her on the shoulder. "Where's Alex?"

She was instantly annoyed because this had been the drill for years. If Alex didn't approach her when she was with a guy, his loyal goon just loved stepping in for Alex.

"At his kissing booth, passing out his number," she practically hissed. "At least that's where he was the last time I saw him."

In the usual way things went down, the moment Romero had Oscar's attention he stared him down hard as if to say "Say something. I fucking dare you."

Wisely, Oscar didn't, and Romero continued to stare at him even after he'd turned away. She'd always considered Romero's smirk sexy, but it was grating at that moment and any time it was directed at one of the guys she was trying to be friendly with.

Romero finally turned back to Valerie. "He's looking for you."

Before she could respond that she didn't care, Alex was there.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked, looking over her shoulder at Oscar no doubt.

"I've nothing to say to you, Alex, and I'm busy right now."