Suspicious Minds (Fate #3) (7 page)

~*~

Olivia

This wasn’t happening again. Olivia insisted she wasn’t
a glutton for punishment. Just a week after yet another disappointing run-in
with Lorenzo, Rose had insisted repaying Olivia for taking her out to lunch, a
lunch that was supposed to have been a safe way to hang out with Rose without
the danger of running into Lorenzo again. That had been happening way too often,
always with the same outcome: Lorenzo laying on the indifferent act way too
thickly.

Today Rose invited Olivia over for one of her home-cooked meals.
Olivia had agreed but only because she resented feeling forced to cut off her
friendship with Rose and because Rose had told her that Vince worked all day
and wasn’t coming home until the evening, so that meant no risk of Lorenzo
being there. With her having Mondays off, this might replace their girls’ night
with girls’ mornings or afternoons. Already she and Rose were also doing a lot
of talking on the phone.

Another reason she agreed to lunch today was because Rose’s
sister was the head chef at one of the Moreno’s restaurants, one of the most prominent
restaurants in La Jolla. Rose said she’d learned a lot from her sister over the
years and promised to make something extra special for her for lunch.

The moment she entered Rose’s house, Olivia could smell evidence
that her friend hadn’t lied about making her something delicious. Whatever it
was, it smelled heavenly.

“
Mmm
,” she said, taking in a long whiff. “That smells so
good.”

“It’s Vincent’s favorite.” Rose smiled big. “
Chile verde con
carne
. I haven’t made it for him in a while. So I figured I’d make a big
batch so he can have some when he gets home this evening
and
”—she
giggled—“I can show off my skills for you.”

The baby was down for a nap, so they sat down to eat. While the
food
was
delicious, the conversation topic Rose chose had Olivia’s stomach
instantly tightening. They’d just finished laughing about the food orgasm
Olivia was having over the
chile verde
when Rose got right to it.

“Not to put you on the spot or anything,” she started with a
silly smile, “but what do you think of my brother-in-law, Enzo?”

God no!

Olivia stared at her, pretending her mouth was too full to answer,
but she could feel her face heating already. Had he told her about their night?
Did Rose now know that the best sex Olivia had told her she’d ever experienced,
even though she and Jay had been sexually active for years, was with her
brother-in-law? Had slightly intoxicated Rose told
him
that, that first
night he showed up to watch the game with Vince?

She wiped her mouth casually as her appetite slowly vanished. “Um,
think of him?”

“Yeah, like looks wise. I think he’s hot”—she laughed—“but then I’m
biased because he looks so much like my husband. He’s also a really nice guy
and single. And you two
are
the same age.” Rose bounced her brows then appeared
instantly remorseful as she reached across the table and touched Olivia’s arm. “I’m
sorry! I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

Olivia shook her head, sure her face was flaming red because it
felt like it. “No, I’m just . . .” She laughed nervously. “You just caught me
by surprise.”

“I was just thinking about it the other day. You two kind of have
something big in common.”

Staring at her cautiously, Olivia took a sip of the lemonade. She
still wasn’t sure if Rose knew anything. “Oh?”

“Yeah, well sort of.”

Rose began to tell her about Lorenzo’s ex. He
had
been
engaged, but unlike in her case when she’d finally ended things with Jay, Lorenzo
was still in love with his ex at the time of their breakup.

“I haven’t asked him a thing about her since they first broke up
almost what? Nine months ago?” Rose said, shaking her head, clutching her
heart. “She cheated on him!”

Olivia felt her mouth fall open. “But he’s
so
hot.”

Rose laughed. “Isn’t he though? And he’d asked her to marry him even
with her having a kid and all.” Rose rolled her eyes disgustedly. “She ended up
sleeping with her baby daddy while she was still with Enzo even though Enzo
previously told us about what a deadbeat the guy was. Here she had this total
package with Enzo being so handsome, a pilot in the Air Force Reserves,
and
he owns his own business. Not to mention he’s one of the sweetest and most
loyal guys you could ever meet. He was
so
good to her and her little
girl, and she did him so wrong.”

Instantly Olivia’s heart ached for Lorenzo. But she also had a
million questions in her head too. The most clamorous of all was, is he still
in love with this girl? But there were others as well. Was that the reason why,
even though she’d felt something so insanely profound that night and she’d been
certain he had too, he still bolted out of her house so abruptly? Was that why
he’d laid the indifference on so heavily each time she’d run into him since?
Because he was still hurting and in no way ready for anything more than what
they’d done that night?

I won’t even need your number
.

Olivia remembered how insulting that had felt at first but then
reminded herself it was what she’d gone out for herself that night.

At first she’d regretted blurting out how hot she thought Lorenzo
was. She’d planned on being a little more reserved when she finally got around
to answering Rose’s question of what she thought of him. But there was no
denying it. After seeing him again and for a longer period a time, it was
decidedly undeniable. The guy was a walking wet dream. She still hadn’t gotten
over her luck of having met him the one night she’d decided to go out in search
of a quick release. How in the world that had come full circle to her sitting
here having lunch with his sister-in-law, she still had no idea. Rose still appeared
to be completely unaware of Olivia’s night with
Enzo
. Yet, here it
seemed she was suggesting Olivia and her brother-in-law might be a good match.

Olivia almost felt guilty about not telling Rose the truth. But
how could she? Instead of fessing up, she ate silently as Rose filled her in
some more about how blindsided Lorenzo had been the night he caught his ex.

Listening intently, Olivia barely remembered to eat until Rose
got up and served herself more food before sitting back down and continuing
with her story. “I’m sure he’s been taking care of his needs since.” Rose’s lip
pulled to the side in a disapproving gesture. “But as far as dating anyone, I
don’t think he has at all. He certainly hasn’t brought anyone around us. Don’t
get me wrong. I’m sure going through something like that was tough.” She shuddered
even more exaggeratedly this time. “I went through some excruciating pain once
upon a time myself with Vince. I’ll have to tell you about it another time, but
mine was different. As hopeless as things felt back then, I held on to the
sliver of hope that mine could somehow be remedied, and thank God it was. But I
sincerely hope it’s not what Enzo’s doing, because I can’t imagine ever
welcoming that bitch back into my home again after what she did to him.”

Smirking, Olivia had to ask. “So is this what you’re doing, Rose
Moreno? Wining and dining me in the hopes of hooking up your brother-in-law
with someone you
do
like?”

Rose grinned scandalously. “Why, Olivia Romero, I do think you’re
on to me.” She laughed, shaking her head. “No, please don’t think that. The
thought didn’t even occur to me until just this past week. I meant it when I
said I’m in dire need of some adult girl talk. This is my life.” She pointed
around her empty house. “Everyone is working during the day, so my jibber
jabber with Ruby all day is all I have most days.” She squeezed Olivia’s arm
and smiled genuinely. “I’ve enjoyed the time we’ve spent chatting like today.
But, yes, I’d like nothing more than to see my brother-in-law happy again and
with someone deserving of such a great guy.”

Olivia smiled, feeling flattered, but shrugged. “I don’t think I’d
want to be anyone’s rebound girl. Sounds to me like maybe he’s still not over
his ex.”

“Oh, no, that was one thing he
did
tell Vince the very day
it happened and again not too long ago,” Rose said, picking up her lemonade. “That
he was over her almost as soon as he found out that she”—Rose leaned in and
whispered as if there were anyone around to hear—“
fucked
her ex.”

A laugh escaped Olivia, and she covered her mouth with a napkin.

“I’m serious,” Rose said wide-eyed. “Like I said, he really is a
sweet guy almost all the time, and he’s usually all smiles and a lot of fun to
be around. But this is something he’s fiercely vehement about. He and Vincent
are one and the same when it comes to certain things, and this is one of them. The
only thing that gives me hope that he’s just holding off on getting into any
relationships and not hoping to get back with her is because Vincent said he’d
feel the exact way. He said as much as he loves me, even with us having a baby
now and all, if I ever did something like that, the utter disgust he’d feel for
me would ruin any feelings of love and he could
never
take me back. So
maybe Lorenzo has no intention of ever getting back with her, and he’s just
waiting. But I think over nine months is long enough. I’m not saying he needs
to jump into a serious relationship right away. I just think he should at least
try
doing some casual dating.”

This time Olivia was the one wide-eyed, only she felt speechless.
Something had hit her in the middle of everything Rose had just laid on her.
Since she’d slept so heedlessly with Lorenzo after having just met him that
night, maybe he didn’t buy for a second that she didn’t usually do stuff like
that. Maybe the thought of being with someone who’d likely gone out since and
done the same with someone else was too disgusting for him to be interested in
doing anything with her again.

That would make sense why he’d be so aloof with her. If that were
the case, poor Rose had no clue how fruitless her idea of getting the two of
them together was.

“I’ve been around him a few times now, Rose,” Olivia said, glancing
down at and stirring her
chile
. She’d since decided she’d definitely
keep the first time she’d met him to herself. So she’d try another route. “He’s
shown absolutely zero interest in me. I don’t think there’s any attraction on
his part.”

“There could be several reasons for his not showing interest, but
I can guarantee you lack of physical attraction isn’t one of them.” Rose lifted
a scolding brow. “You have to know how pretty you are. Grace even said so the
day of the repast after you left. She said you and your sister are absolutely
adorable. And Isabel said she’d been glad your brothers weren’t there because
they would’ve been downright irked by the way some of the men gawked at you
two. You have to know that curvy shape of yours is a major head turner. That
outfit you wore and those heels . . .” She winked then smiled. “
Hot
. But
I’ve never understood how anyone can walk in shoes that high.”

Olivia laughed, chewing her food without a care until Rose spoke
again.

“He
did
ask if you’d mentioned what your plans were last
week,” Rose said, peering at her with a playful smirk.

Stopping mid chew, Olivia stared at her. “He did?”

Rose’s playful smile morphed into a more genuine one. “I won’t
make up rumors or anything. It was more of a casual comment actually,” she
explained, but it was too late. Olivia’s heart was already pumping wildly. “That
same night we dropped the burgers off at the firing range he stopped by here to
help Vince work on that hunk of junk car they’re restoring together out back. They
both raved about the burgers, and Vince happened to ask if you’d hung out with
me still when you dropped me off. I told him you hadn’t, and then Enzo just
made the comment that you had big plans for your night off.” She shrugged,
smiling silly. “That was all, but it sort of felt like a question, as if he
were  waiting for me to comment further—see if I’d mention what you might’ve
told me about your plans. So I did.”

The clamoring in Olivia’s head as it raced to remember what she’d
told Rose she was doing was so loud she thought Rose might hear it. She was
torn between being happy about what she’d told Rose and being annoyed with
herself for not coming up with something more exciting than she was going to
catch a show with Emi.

According to Rose, Lorenzo hadn’t commented further, but it’d
been enough to plant the seed in her head and ask Olivia what she thought of him.
They continued to chat about Rose’s theories about why Lorenzo hadn’t showed much
interest in Olivia. Lorenzo still being bitter was the biggest one. The fact
that she was Romero’s cousin could be another one. “Maybe he thinks it would be
too awkward,” she offered.

Olivia managed to steer the conversation away from the nerve-wracking
topic of Lorenzo for a bit by asking Rose about the dish she’d made. It really
was delicious and something her siblings would definitely appreciate if she
ever made it for them.

That took off into talk of her sister and how she’d met her
husband Sal when she went searching for a job at their restaurant. Then that
took her into the long story she said she’d have to tell her about another time
because it was how she’d met Vincent through her sister’s boyfriend at the time,
now husband. Then the baby woke up and thankfully any talk of Lorenzo seemed
long
behind them. Rose told her all about her pregnancy and delivery. They then
moved into Rose’s bedroom where Rose showed her the pair of shoes she’d
recently bought.

Olivia didn’t even realize how long she’d been there. They were
in the middle of giggling as Rose demonstrated how
not
good she was at
walking in high heels when they heard the front door open and Vince called out
for Rose.