“So, you really don’t think it’s any different than all the other times?”

“Honey, the only difference is that you’ve stuck to your guns longer this time than all the others, and most importantly that he knows you’re seeing someone else now. He’s probably missing you more than he ever has before, and you can hear it in his voice. But I wouldn’t get my hopes up.”

Isabel was right, and Valerie knew it. She forced herself to get ready for her dinner with Luke. She remembered the way he kissed her today. She hadn’t felt much, but he definitely knew what he was doing. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be so bad.

*

Friday nights weren’t as busy as the weekend, but Alex was helping out in the kitchen because two of his cooks called in. This wasn’t the first time these two called in on a Friday night. He’d find replacements for those two bums soon enough.

He walked out of the kitchen and into the office. Angel was there, working on the computer. Alex looked around to make sure Sarah wasn’t within earshot. “Sarah here?”

Angel looked up at him. “No, why?”

He’d been dying to ask all week, and he couldn’t hold back anymore

“Has she said anything about Valerie?”

“Yeah, I thought Sal told you. They accepted the offer. Escrow opened up today.”

Sal had told him, but that’s not what Alex wanted to know. “Yeah, he told me. I already made an appointment for the contractor to come out when it closes to give us an estimate on the work and how long it’s going to take.”

“Cool.” Angel turned back to the computer. “Valerie found us this place over by the marina for the restaurant. Sarah fell in love with the location. Check this out.”

Angel moved over so Alex could see the pictures on the screen. Angel scrolled through shots of an abandoned old seafood restaurant, but it was right on the marina. That’s usually all that was out there, seafood. Top quality too. Alex wasn’t sure how Well, their Mexican cuisine would hold up on the marina, although they did have quite a bit of seafood on their menu.

“The Marina? Isn’t that going to be pricey?”

Angel glanced back at him. “Valerie says we could get a good deal because it needs so much work. We’ll get a good price, but we’ll have our hands full getting it up to code. Best part about it is, it’s for sale. So, we wouldn’t be leasing. We’d be buying.”

Just hearing her name did things to Alex. He stared at the pictures a little longer trying to focus on that instead. The place was going to need a major overhaul. “What did Pops say?”

“He hasn’t seen it. We’re taking him out there tomorrow.”

Alex shrugged. “You should have Sal go with you guys, too.”

“I’ll let him know we’re going.”

Angel clicked on a few more pictures on the screen, and Alex made small talk about the place. Then he finally walked away. He stopped just before walking out.

“Did Valerie say anything else to Sarah?”

Angel glanced back at him. “About what?”

“You know, about that guy she’s seeing.”

Angel turned his attention back to the computer. “No, not really.”

Alex frowned. He wasn’t one of those guys, so he wasn’t about to keep asking. If Angel knew anything, he’d tell him. He’d just have to wait until the rehearsal dinner.

He started back out when Angel spoke up. “I’m not sure, because she didn’t actually tell me, but I overheard Sarah on the phone last night. It sounded like Valerie was telling her about him.”

“Yeah, what did you hear?”

Angel looked up trying to remember. Something seemed to come to him but he hesitated. “I don’t think you wanna hear it, Alex. I know I wouldn’t.”

Alex squeezed the door frame. What the hell could he have heard? “Tell me.”

Angel shook his head and looked back at the monitor. “Only reason it caught my attention was because I overheard Sarah ask her something about wearing lingerie.”

Alex felt the hair on the back of his neck rise and his gut tightened. He banged his fist against the doorway. He didn’t need to hear any more. Angel was right that’s the last thing he needed right now. He charged back out of the office, infuriated with himself. Why the f**k had he asked?

“I told you,” he heard Angel yell from the office.

Yeah, he did. Alex should have listened. Angel was just like him when it came to his Sarah.

*

Dinner was been better than Valerie expected. Maybe it was just because hearing Alex’s message distracted her so much, but she actually skipped lunch, and she arrived at his house starving. Whatever the reason, she wolfed her food down in minutes. Luke laughed as usual, impressed on how much she could take in for such a dainty woman.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Luke said as Valerie worked on her cheesecake.

He got up and took an envelope from the top of the refrigerator. He handed it to Valerie.

“What’s this?”

“Open it.”

It was a brochure to a weekend-long George Stone real estate seminar held at one of La Jolla’s most upscale resorts. She opened the brochure, and there were two tickets in it. Valerie couldn’t help but smile. She leaned over and kissed him.

“Thank you.”

Purposely she kept the kiss to a soft peck but he leaned over and kissed her again. Only his kiss was much longer, and he licked her bottom lip when he was done.