“Actually no. Alex, not the one Joey saw, couldn’t be sweeter and he spends most his time checking up on his pregnant wife,” she smiled. “He’s like a big muscular teddy bear. He was a little smug the day I met him, but I wouldn’t call him arrogant.” She shrugged. “But then he’s the one that took a chance on me while Sal… didn’t even give me the time of day, so maybe I’m a little biased.”

“Oh, he must be the one I saw when I was there. The guy was huge,” George said.

“Yeah that’s Alex. I haven’t met their youngest brother, he runs the Moreno’s on the Marina with his wife, but I’ve seen pictures in the back room. He’s just as good looking as these two. He’s also happily married but holding off on the baby making because they just opened the new restaurant last year. At least that’s what the girls at work say.”

She turned to George. “Sal on the other hand, the only one still single, is as expected—a chick magnet. Just today, he had two all over him. From what the girls tell me they’ve seen him with plenty of girls—none he ever sticks with for long. But I haven’t really picked up on any arrogance.”

George chuckled. “Smart guy. If it were me, I’d be working my way down the line, too.”

Grace smiled though she wasn’t feeling it.

“Oh, but you have to see him, Taylor,” Joey gushed. “You’ll just die.”

Taylor rolled his eyes. “I’ll have to check this guy out now.”

They talked a while longer about the Morenos then thankfully, they moved on to another subject, deciphering the movie’s ending. After a while of that, no one agreed. Finally, they called it a night and Joey drove Grace and Rose home.

“They’re always so much fun,” Rose said as Grace climbed in bed next to her. “Taylor is so hot, I can hardly stand it!”

Grace smiled and even as she lay there thinking about her evening with Taylor and Joey, thoughts of work came back to her, most notably, Sal. She didn’t care if he didn’t like her so much as she disliked the tension she felt when he was around. Alex had asked if it was okay if he scheduled her a full forty hours this week. She could definitely use the money but it would be cutting into her schoolwork time. Still, she agreed. There was no way she was passing up the extra cash. Her plans hadn’t changed. Save up and move in with Joey and Taylor as soon as possible.

~*~

Sunday evening Sal had stopped by his parents’ on his way home. He hadn’t had a chance to tell his dad about the meeting until then. As expected, he wasn’t happy about it. “I don’t want them changing shit.”

Sal assured him he wouldn’t sign or even think about signing anything with anyone without checking with him and his mom first. His mother hadn’t been in the best of moods either. Her plans to throw Alex and Valerie a huge baby shower were spoiled with the news that Valerie would be confined to her bed from now until the babies came. She was carrying the babies too low now and at this point, the doctors didn’t think it was wise that she be walking around if she expected to carry to term. Alex had his hands full, trying to keep his energetic wife following doctor’s orders.

Sal’s younger and only sister, Sofia, walked in from the back door. She was in her running gear and pulled her earphones out when she saw Sal.

“Hey, big brother.” She smiled, hugging him at arm’s length. “I’m all sweaty.”

Sal leaned over and kissed her on the forehead anyway. “How’s it been over there?”

Sofia had been helping out at Angel’s restaurant for the past week. They’d been short-staffed but she’d be back at Alex’s this week. Not a moment too soon either, since Sal could tell already, Alex’s days were numbered. It would only be so long before Alex couldn’t stand not being home with Valerie to monitor her every move. As it was, he was on the phone with her every ten minutes.

“Busy,” she said, grabbing a water out of the fridge. “They’re gonna have to hire more help. I heard we got a new bartender. Is he any good?”

Sal almost frowned. He’d managed to squash any thoughts of Grace at least for a few hours. “He’s a she,” he said. “And yeah, she’s good—fast.”

After draining nearly half the bottle of water, Sofia wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Really? Good, that’s what we needed.”

He was at his parents’ house until well after nine. So many things crowded his mind. Another meeting with the investors was on the agenda this week. Sal had to decide if he was going to go forward with this or go a different route. In Valerie’s delicate state, he wouldn’t be able to count on Alex for much, soon. He was looking at taking the restaurant on full time at least until Valerie had the babies. There was no way he could commit to anything that would take him away from the restaurant until after the babies were born. Even then, he couldn’t imagine Alex wanting to leave Valerie and his babies too soon.

Then there was the matter of getting more qualified help as soon as possible. He’d want to be there if Angel was going to do any hiring. That guy was worse than Alex when it came to being soft. It amazed Sal how two hard asses like his brothers could be so soft when it came to their families and employees.

Most annoyingly on his mind? Grace. He still didn’t get it. He was a grown ass man with too many plans to be thinking about this. How was it that this little twenty-one year old culinary student trying to prove herself to him was beginning to get under his skin?