As they walked in the Italian restaurant, Sarah immediately recognized the girl Valerie was sitting with. It was her friend Monica, who lived a few houses away from Val. Who she didn’t recognize was the guy standing near their table, obviously flirting with them. She was glad now Alex wasn’t with them. She wasn’t joking earlier when she told Valerie she and Alex were ridiculous. Though both pretended to be okay with their open relationship the way it was, neither was any good about hiding their annoyance when hearing about or seeing the other with someone else. In Alex’s case, the few times Valerie had told her about him seeing her with someone else, things had nearly gotten violent.

“Who’s that douche?” Romero asked the moment he spotted the guy with Valerie.

Sarah tensed immediately. She’d forgotten that though Alex wasn’t there Romero being there might be worse. These guys had each other’s backs, and Romero knew better than anyone that while Alex and Valerie were not a couple he would not be thrilled about this douche hitting on her. Romero started toward them with an evil smirk, and Sarah squeezed Angel’s hand.

“Be cool,” Angel warned.

Romero turned to him with an even bigger smirk. “You know me.”

“Well, shit,” Eric said as they all followed through the crowd behind Romero.

“Hey, Val, you save me a seat?” Romero asked, pointing at the seats next to Valerie.

The playful smile Valerie had been wearing up until she saw Romero fell flat. “Yes,” she said. “Sarah texted me, saying you guys were on your way.”

The guy standing next to Valerie wasn’t smiling anymore, but he wasn’t leaving either. He was typical for Valerie’s taste: tall, well-built, and rugged. The only difference from the guys Valerie usually dated was he was blond.

“Who’s your friend?” Romero asked, straddling the seat next to Valerie.

“Here we go,” Angel muttered as he pulled the chair out for Sarah.

“I’m Tex, who are you?” the guy said with a bit of an attitude.

“Tex?” Romero grinned, and Sarah could see in his eyes Tex’s attitude amused him. “Rhymes with Alex, huh, Val?” Romero glanced back at Valerie with a wink then turned back to Tex. “I’m Romero, Alex’s friend.”

Tex stared at Romero for a moment before asking the inevitable. “Who’s Alex?”

“Alex is—”

“Someone I haven’t heard from in over a week,” Valerie said, interrupting Romero with a glare. “Someone who’s probably out on a date as we speak.”

“When he could be here with you?” Tex asked a little too smug. “This Alex guy sounds like a real idiot if—”

Angel was on his feet instantly, but Romero beat him to it, jumping out of his chair and making the unwavering guy finally flinch. “Calling my friend and his brother,” Romero said, motioning to Angel with his thumb and getting in the guy’s face, “an idiot is real f**king stupid.”

Valerie squeezed in between, trying to hold Romero back as Sarah grabbed the front of Angel’s shirt with both fists. Everyone at the tables around them were on their feet now too in anticipation of a brawl. To Sarah’s relief, old man Andolini pushed his way through the crowd, cursing.

“I didn’t start this,” Romero said when Andolini broke through the crowd.

“Yeah, you never do,” Andolini said, pointing at the door. “Out!” he said loudly. “One week!”

“But—” Romero started to say.

“You no come back for one week!” Andolini persisted loudly. “You argue I make it two!”

Some of the people in the crowd chuckled as Romero reluctantly started toward the door. This wasn’t the first time Romero had been put on time out by Andolini. They all started to walk out with Romero. Sarah knew Angel wouldn’t let Romero take the heat on his own. He had been, after all, defending Alex. Even Valerie and Monica began leaving with them.

Sarah glanced back as Andolini started in on Tex. “I don’t know you but you too. Out! One week.”

“I ain’t going nowhere, old man,” Tex said with a frown. “I didn’t do shit.”

Both Romero and Angel spun around. They’d been coming here for years and had known Andolini for too long. Romero had been getting time out since high school even when it really wasn’t his fault. They always walked out respectfully.

“Who the f**k does this guy—” Valerie stepped in front of Romero again.

Two guys in aprons, who’d rushed out of the kitchen, were already in Tex’s face. “They got it, Romero. Let’s go.”

Andolini held his hand up to the guys in aprons. “Wait until that one’s gone,” he said, pointing at Romero, “before you walk this one out.”

With that, Andolini headed back to the kitchen, assuring everyone things were under control and to relax.

As soon as they were outside, Valerie started in on Romero about embarrassing her, and he protested he hadn’t done a damn thing. “What?” Romero asked, holding his hands up. “The douche insults my friend and I’m supposed to just sit there and let him?” His expression turned into a scolding one, and he shook his head. “You know Alex is not gonna be happy when I tell him about Tex.”

That really lit the fire in Valerie’s already blazing eyes. “You think I care if you—”

“Okay, okay,” Sarah said, worried Valerie might say something rude about Alex as she often did when it was just the two of them and she was venting. She didn’t think Angel but especially Sofia would take too kindly to it. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m still starving.”