Orlando (Boyle Heights #4) - Elizabeth Reyes Page 0,5
sooner, Ted had suggested she just take him to a fire station. “Just tell them his mother never picked him up and now you can’t get ahold of her.”
She almost had, but then another idea came to her. This way she still had a chance to try and be a part of his life. Even before she’d given him up, she was certain she’d try just about anything to be able to see him and be around him again. Now that she knew just how agonizing it’d be to go even a day without him, she knew she’d stop at nothing.
Chapter 3
Orlando
Ironically, it was only a few months prior that Orlando had started dating someone and taking it a little more seriously than he ever had in his life. Since getting his business running had been his only priority so far, a serious relationship hadn’t even made it onto his list of priorities. His mother had always said, “You don’t go out looking for the right one. The right one will show up one day when you least expect it. You won’t even know it until you realize she’s sucked you in.” And that certainly hadn’t been the case in this instance.
He’d met Felicia in the less-than-profound way he often met chicks, at the local watering hole just around the corner from the shop. He’d gone there after closing up shop, and they’d exchanged a few words and ended up hitting it off. She’d walked home with him at the end of the night since he’d walked there, and she and her friend had Ubered there. As expected, she’d spent the night. The only difference between her and any other girl he’d brought back to his place after just meeting her that same night was that she was still there in the morning, and for once, it hadn’t felt awkward. He’d awoken to the smell of breakfast being made. Normally, a girl inviting herself to stay for breakfast would’ve annoyed him. But the way Orlando saw it even now, she had three things going for her that made her a standout from most of the girls he’d come home with. For one, she hadn’t been a lush. She’d known when she had enough and switched to water before they even left the bar. Two, she’d known exactly what she was doing when she agreed to come back to his place and hang for a while. Most girls, unlike Felicia, were pretty lit by the time they got back to his place then did the walk of shame in the middle of the night or early morning, and thankfully so. Three, Felicia had been perfectly honest and upfront about her decision to stay the night. For starters, she said one-nighters with someone she just met weren’t the norm for her, and somehow, Orlando believed her. She also said she had too much going on to be looking to get into anything too serious. “But naturally I do have desires that crave more than the DIY stuff every now and again.”
Orlando had laughed at that but appreciated the honesty. Moreover, he’d been relieved when she hadn’t asked when or even if he’d be calling her again. She even insisted on taking an Uber home and not putting him out of his way. Even knowing it was technically his day off, she hadn’t even hinted about them spending the day together. In fact, Orlando got the feeling she was hoping he wouldn’t hint at it either. That had been just over five months prior. Obviously, he had called her eventually. He’d always had his doubts about fuck buddies, which he did get the impression she’d be okay with. That kind of shit never worked out, but he figured he could maybe hang with her every now and again. They’d made plans to meet again, and each time she’d spent the night, the next morning she’d been up before him, making something, even if it was just coffee and bagels. Orlando assumed this was just what she was used to. Unlike most girls who were clearly used to making a quick exit before he could even wake, something he’d always been grateful for, Felicia was different. Before he knew it, she gave into what just happened. She became his go-to girl. He preferred referring to her as that, rather than his fuck buddy.
Still, no promises had actually been made, but for the first time in like—ever—he’d found himself oddly annoyed when hearing her mention