this made him because it shouldn’t. It was just a video. “What’s he running for? Mayor?”
“No, he’s already on the city council. He’s trying to move up to the county board of supervisors.” She walked back into the kitchen and over to the sink as Orlando eyed her closely. Something about her demeanor made him nervous. She seemed nervous, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it. Was there something she wasn’t telling him? Then something dawned on him. Felicia’s text. Could it be just a coincidence that she’d texted him that obscure text the same day Dani would get so sucked into whatever link her ex had sent her that Orlando startled her?
“So, you still keeping in touch with him, huh?”
“Not really.”
Trying desperately not to overreact, Orlando bounced the baby in his arms as he peered at her, swallowing hard. “Not really?
“Well, just a little. Stuff like this. Always him not me. He’s sent me a few articles and such; some I didn’t bother to read. They’re not all about him either. Like the one I did read the other day.” She reached up into the cabinet and pulled a bottle out. “You haven’t made him one yet, have you?”
“No.” Orlando shook his head. “What was the article about? The one you did read?” Dani turned to him for a second but then brought her attention to the bottle she was making for the baby. “He’s always been into politics and keeps up with all the news. There was an article about the gentrification in my neighborhood. He’s always sent me articles and whatnot since day one. He’s all about staying in the know and sends all his friends and family members links and videos and such about stuff he thinks they should be keeping up with.”
Shaking the bottle to mix the formula well, Dani turned to Orlando and smiled, as if that was all she was giving him. Working his jaw, Orlando held back what he really wanted to say: that things were over between them and this fucker had no right to continue to dictate anything in her life, including what she should or shouldn’t keep up on.
But he couldn’t keep it all in. “Is that right?” he asked, cautiously, because again, the last thing he wanted was her comparing him to her controlling ex. “So, he’s still sending minor orders from headquarters?”
Dani glanced at him as she placed the bottle in the microwave. To his relief, she smiled. “My sister said the same thing. It’s why I don’t bother responding. But one text I read from him recently did catch my interest.”
This had Orlando raising a brow, but he was determined to keep his cool. “Did it now?”
“Yeah.” Danica nodded as she pulled the bottle out of the microwave and closed the lid on it. She turned to Orlando, smiling at the baby, who was already reaching out for the bottle, but she shook it again. “One of the latest businesses that’s in danger of going down because of the gentrification is a panaderia just up the street from my parents’ house. It’s been there for as long as I can remember. It’s also the neighborhood’s convenience store, the place my mom would send me to pick up some milk or even something from their small produce section, like a tomato or onion. We know the owners and they’re good people.” She shrugged as she finished with the bottle and handed it to Oreo then took him from Orlando. Turning to Orlando as they made their way to the bedroom, she explained how it wasn’t the first time she and Ted had discussed the possible demise of the panaderia. Though she was quick to explain none of it had been anytime recently. She’d just expressed her concern in the past and how she really hoped they wouldn’t be closing up shop. If they did, she was certain it’d be replaced with some upscale yuppy café or an artsy-fartsy boutique of sorts.
She put her phone down on the dresser in the master bedroom and then put the baby down in the crib. Orlando wasn’t quite past this revelation that Ted was still very much keeping in touch with Dani when her phone rattled on the dresser. She may’ve turned the sound down, but the vibrate was still on.
Dani didn’t bother to even look up. She continued making sure the baby was comfortable then kissed him. When she was done, Orlando bent over to kiss the baby