[ diecinueve ]
There was no one by the back entrance of the fancy hotel, only a dimly lit parking lot with valet attendants ready to retrieve a guest's car. But the players hadn't arrived in their cars, but rather by team bus. The group of footballers walked along the Walk of Fame, hoping to go unnoticed. As they passed the side of the hotel, Paloma noticed several fans with Club America gear, and they group walked faster, blending into the crowd of people. They were lucky that the walk of fame was a highly visited place, even at that time of night.
It was around eight and the guys, with Paloma, were looking for a good place to talk, have fun, and maybe have a few drinks. Besides Paul, Paloma, and Raul were Diego, Rubens, and Layun, who had tagged along for the night. According to Layun, the coaching staff had allowed them to explore the town as long as they got back by midnight, and absolutely no drinks were allowed. But that didn't mean they were going to listen when it came to the latter warning.
Paul definitely felt like he needed a few drinks in him to ease his racing thoughts. Paloma walked in the back with Diego and Rubens, both of them trying to make some conversation with her. Paul walked in the front with Raul and Layun, both had been his friends from the start of his career at Club America, and he thought Paloma couldn't hear him as he hissed a question at one of his team mates. "Why's you have to go and invite Paloma?" He asked Raul, his voice low, but it was just loud enough that she caught what he said despite the bustle of Hollywood tourists.
Raul snuck a glance over his shoulder at Paloma and answered Paul's question. "She's our friend, we couldn't just not invite her. Plus, she was your girlfriend, don't be so damn rude." Both Paul and Paloma knew why he was being so cold towards her. They were siblings and he thought that by giving her the cold shoulder, she would get over him quicker. It wasn't working for either of them.
Paloma bit down on her lip, pretending she was engrossed in her conversation with Diego and Rubens as to which food was better; Argentine or Mexican. Diego argued that tacos were the best food in the world, while Rubens argued that it was actually choripan.
Paloma had zoned out their argument by now.
Instead she was tuned into what Paul and Raul were talking about. Paul pointed out to his friend. "We dated, but that's over now. I just think that it would be best to put some distance between us." Some distance between them. That was the very same thing her father had suggested. But sibling or not, she just couldn't imagine being away from Paul.
Paloma stopped abruptly in her tracks, the conversation between Diego and Rubens ceased instantly. The conversation between Paul and Raul did soon after. Miguel was distracted looking at something on his cellphone screen. "If you didn't want me to come with you boys, you could have just said something instead of whispering about me with your friends, Paul." She said to him after gathering up her courage.
"I didn't mean it like that, Palomita." He frowned, knowing that he had hurt her feelings. He thought he was doing what was for the best.
"How did you mean it then?" She wondered. People passed them all around, not even stopping to notice there was an argument unfolding. "You asked him why he invited me like you didn't want me here."
Diego agreed with her. "That's harsh, Paul."
The rest of his friends all nodded in agreement.
Paul huffed. "I'm not discussing things concerning my ex relationship with you guys."
Miguel who had been glued to his cellphone screen the whole time perked up when he found a good place to spend some time with his friends. "It says on Apple Maps that there's a place called Cabo Cantina nearby. That sounds like something we could like, eh?" He lifted his gaze to find the tense atmosphere which had unfolded whilst he wasn't paying attention.
