“What?” Eric chuckled. “You’re kidding me? She shot you down?”

“No, she didn’t shoot me down.” Angel scoffed. “We just… talked that’s all.”

Eric laughed some more. “Losing your touch, uh? I thought for sure I’d be hosing the backseat of my car down, the way you were looking at her.”

“How was I looking at her?” Angel frowned.

“Like you wanted to swallow her up, that’s how.”

Angel feigned bewilderment, but he knew just what Eric meant because that’s exactly how he had felt.

Eric kept on. “Come on dude, I can’t believe all you did was talk.”

Angel rolled his eyes, “Nah, man, it wasn’t like what you’re thinking. That’s not what I was going for with her.

“What?” Eric shook his head. “Angel Moreno is into talking to chicks now? When did you turn into a total wuss?"

Angel shrugged, and took another bite of his food. He avoided looking at Eric; suddenly not sure he wanted to talk about it. “I don’t know, dude, she’s just cool to hang with, I guess.”

Eric nodded, as if he got it. “So, you’re not into her? I thought she was pretty hot.”

“I’m into her, you ass, just ‘cause I didn’t bone her the first night. Not all girls are like that, you know.”

Eric grinned. “So, you did get shot down.”

Angel glared at him sipping his juice.

“Well, you’re not making any sense, either you did or you didn’t? What’s the big deal?”

“It’s not a big deal,” Angel wasn't sure why, but he was getting frustrated. “I kissed her goodnight, if you have to know. But we talked the rest of the time.”

“So, did you find out what was up with her and Jesse?”

Angel wished he’d slammed Jesse’s head a little harder the other day. “She went out with him way back, and you know what a pu**y Jesse is he can’t let it go.”

“She actually went out with that idiot?” Eric spoke with a mouthful.

“Yeah, tell me about it. That’s what I thought.” Angel polished off the last of his breakfast and threw the plate in the sink. He glanced at the clock. “I gotta go finish getting ready.”

“Where you going?”

“Got a date,” Angel grinned, but avoided looking directly at Eric.

Eric seemed confused at first, then his eyes and mouth shot wide open as he put his hand over his mouth. “No!”

Before he could say anything else, Angel shot him a look. “Not a word,” he warned. “Don’t tell Romero anything either. I don’t need to hear his crap on Monday.”

Eric grinned from ear to ear. “Shut up,” Angel said, walking out the kitchen.

“I didn’t say anything,” Eric protested, chuckling.

“Yeah, well, you were thinking it.” Angel could hear Eric laughing, even as he walked up the stairs, but he had to smile.

************************************

Sarah couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so alive. Standing under the shower with the warm water running over her body she thought of Angel, as she lathered herself and smiled.

The past year had been all but hell, and the past two months had been worst, with Sydney having to drag her out of her funk every time. But now she felt jubilant. It scared her a little. She was still very aware of the fact that this was Angel. The Angel she’d heard so much about. But he said he was looking forward to getting to know her. He sounded so sincere, and his kisses, God those kisses. Just thinking about them made her quiver all over.

Sydney’s call woke her up just after seven, and they talked until Angel called. He knew she was going out last night for the first time since she’d been out here, and was anxious to see how it went. Sarah told him everything, not wanting to leave anything out, especially about the kissing. Sydney hadn’t been surprised at all that Angel was interested in Sarah and was happy she sounded so excited, but warned her to take it slow.

She got out of the shower and dressed. She went back in the restroom to get her blow dryer and ran into Valerie, still in her sleep clothes, a long t-shirt and basketball shorts. “Where are you going so early?”

Sarah’s cheeks reddened. “Angel is picking me up.” She tried not to smile too big.

Valerie’s jaw dropped and eyes popped wide open. “He is?”

Sarah nodded, smiling sheepishly. She grabbed the blow dryer and started back to her room with Valerie in tow. “Oh my God, you’re so lucky! Was that who called so early this morning?”

Sarah stopped at her bed and looked through her purse. She didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. The more she made out of this, the harder it would be if she turned out to be Angel’s flavor of the week. A faint haze of pain sunk in, just thinking about it. But she knew it was a definite possibility.

“No, that was Sydney,” she said. “Angel called while I was on the line with him.”

Valerie rolled her eyes. Sarah knew what Valerie thought of Sydney. She’d never actually met him but she didn’t understand their friendship. “There’s no way that guy is not in love with you,” she’d said, many times.

Sarah also knew Valerie resented the fact that she had preferred, literally begged to stay in Flagstaff with him and his family, rather than come and live with Valerie and her Aunt. Even now, she talked more and was closer to him than she’d ever been with Valerie.