Not Even Close (A New Generation)

by Elizabeth Reyes

  Savannah slowing almost to a halt, had Byron turning to her in question. She was staring at a group of guys sitting at one of the tables as another guy approached Byron and Savannah quickly.

  “No one told me anything, Vannah,” the guy said as he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “You look good. How’ve you been?”

  “Thank you, I’m good.” She nodded but something had obviously warped her usual cheery demeanor and it unnerved Byron. As if he wasn’t already on edge. She turned to Byron squeezing his arm. “Byron this is my cousin Sal, but everyone calls him Chavita.”

  “Chava,” her cousin clarified. “Nice to meet you, man.” He shook his hand before adding. “Or you can call me Roman, my middle name. Sal’s my dad’s name. It’s why everyone in the family calls me Chava but outside the family I go by Roman.”

  Her cousin walked inside, and the introductions continued. More aunts and out-of-town family members. Her Uncle Eric, who interestingly seemed more amused by Savannah having brought a guy to the gathering, than annoyed. But then Byron knew this was her uncle by marriage and not one of her dad’s brothers.

  “You met her dad already, right?” he asked smiling broadly as Byron nodded. “God, I wish I would’ve been there for that.”

  “Oh, he’ll be back out here in a few.” Aunt Sofia shook her head. “You’ll get to enjoy enough of Alex’s brooding then.”

  As they made their way through the throng of family members, it didn’t go unnoticed that Savannah skipped the table with the guys where her cousin Chava now sat. It made Byron wonder what he’d meant when he told her, no one told him anything, first thing. But he barely had a chance to give it much thought when it was time to meet Uncle Sal. Even worse, he was standing with Uncle Angel. Wonderful. It’d be a double grilling.

  Like she had with her Uncle Angel she greeted Uncle Sal first, then turned and did the introductions. Biggest difference between her Uncle Sal and his brothers is he actually smiled when he was introduced. His questions also felt less intrusive somehow. Probably because he asked more about less unnerving topics like Beast, Byron’s black belt, and even about the shop. Clearly, someone had filled him in on everything her parents and siblings had uncovered from that one dinner they’d had with him.

  “I heard you’ve done some fighting yourself.”

  “I did,” Byron said glancing at her Uncle Angel who crossed his arms in front of him and listened intently. “Never boxed professionally but I did go semi-pro in cage fighting. Until I got injured one time too many. Now I’m a backup youth trainer for 5th Street on my down time. Haven’t done it in a while but I’m thinking of going back to doing so soon.”

  Byron glanced at Savannah who was looking up at him all dreamy eyed. Normally he’d love it, and as much as it made his still too insecure heart beat wildly, he wished she’d take it down just a notch in front of these two. Her uncles standing there scrutinizing him, had him sweating enough. Her Aunt Sofia’s warning was still very much on Byron’s mind. He didn’t need anything more feeding into her uncles concerns over their young niece’s older boyfriend playing with her heart.

  Thankfully, her uncle Sal turned the questioning onto Savannah, asking her about school and then about her new dormmate. “She’s great.” Savannah said smiling big. “I lucked out.”

  The conversation stayed on Savannah for a few until Sienna approached them, wrapping her arm around her sister’s. “Whoever ordered more dry ice it’s here.”

  “I did,” Angel said putting his beer down.

  “You’re good, Uncle Angel,” Sienna said holding her hand out. “Chavita and Richard got it.”

  Angel paused peering at Sienna for a second then turned to Sal. “Richard? Little Rich?”

  Sal smiled. “Yeah, Chava’s buddy from way back is here. He’s not so little anymore.”

  “No shit,” Angel chuckled. “I hadn’t seen that kid in years.”

  Relieved the subject veered off him at least for now, Byron turned to look when Sal pointed at who they were talking about as he walked out into the patio with Savannah’s cousin, carrying a large ice chest. But the relief in tension was short-lived. Byron did a double take when he noticed Savannah and her sister’s odd, almost worried exchanged glance. They both turned to where the two guys were setting up the ice chest under the patio.

  “Let me go tell them what my parents wanted to do with it.” Angel said turning back to Byron. “But we’ll talk some more in a bit.”

  “Yeah, the wife’s waving me down now too,” Sal addressed Byron now also. “But it was nice meeting you, Byron. And yeah, I got some more questions for you about your brother’s boxing days. Particularly about the match with Stefano.”

  Byron nodded with a smile, only his attention was back on the guys under the patio as soon as her uncle walked away. It’s when it hit him. Savannah said she’d known her first everything, Richard for a long time because he was her cousin’s friend. Chava’s comment when he greeted them today, them skipping the table where they sat, as he and Savannah had walked around, and now her and her sister’s odd behavior made sense.

  He turned to Savannah feeling his insides heat almost instantly. “Is that your ex-Richard?” She nodded and even as both girls stared at him a bit wide eyed, he blurted out the next more demanding question without thought. “What’s he doing here? I thought you said you don’t stay in touch with him anymore.”

  “I don’t, but Chava does,” she explained squeezing his hand. “I told you he was my cousin’s friend for a long time before anything happened between him and I. They’re still friends.”

  “Chava didn’t tell anyone he was bringing him today.” Sienna added then went on quickly. “They got here right before you two did. Otherwise, I would’ve given Vannah a heads up. B-but he has a new girlfriend now.”

  “He does?”

  Instantly Byron’s eyes were back on Savannah beyond annoyed at her obvious curiosity about this. “You wanna go ask him about it, Savannah?”

  “Uh, I think I’ll go help mom,” Sienna said before her sister could respond. Clearly, she sensed they might need some privacy. “You know what a hot mess she is in the kitchen.”

  With her sister slinking away, Byron turned back to Savannah searching her eyes and waited for a response. To his utter exasperation even this brought humor to her eyes.

  “This is funny to you?”

  “No.” She shook her head adamantly squeezing his hand but grinned. Fucking grinned! “Okay, this is new to me too. I’m sorry and before you ask, no I couldn’t care less about his new girlfriend. But I could tell my sister was trying to assuage the situation, and that was my way of following her lead. Stupid I know, but I blurted it out without thinking.”

  She let go of his hand and hooked her arm into his instead, wrapping her arms tightly and leaning against it. That he could go from zero to sixty in a second when it came to this shit, and then she could so easily bring him down, spoke volumes about how he felt for her now.

  “You can’t be mad at me for my cousin inviting his friend to this thing.” She looked up at him with those big eyes that would be the end of him. “But you heard my uncle. Hasn’t seen him in years because it’s not like he comes around often.” Her big eyes went even wider. “Only you can’t say anything. No one except my mom, Nena, and Chava know there was ever anything between him and I. Not even my brothers or dad. I was younger then, remember? Would’ve been such a bigger deal back then, than me bringing you here today now that I’m all grown up. And.” She leaned in smiling silly and kissed Byron’s bicep. “You also heard what Chava said when we walked out here. That no one told him anything. Which means had he known he wouldn’t have invited him, which also means he likely won’t in the future, and I’ll be making sure he doesn’t. So, this is probable the last I’ll ever see of him. I don’t even plan on talking to him today.”

  “Good.”

  Savannah giggled squeezing his arm again. “You’re so silly. If only you knew how insignificant what
he and I had, feels now that I’ve met you.”

  This was music to Byron’s ears and if they weren’t in a yard full of her enormous family, he would’ve kissed her. But he didn’t dare. He’d save that for tonight. She’d just confirmed not only that she had zero interest in even catching up with her first everything, but that she didn’t consider what they had nearly as significant as what she had with Byron. She may as well have said the L word and that she was all for a serious relationship.

  “You ready for more?”

  The blissful relief Byron had begun to feel once again came to a screeching halt when he followed Savannah’s gaze to see what she meant. Despite meeting her uncles being fairly painless thus far, his heart nearly gave out when he turned to see not just her two uncles, but Papa Bear himself walking straight to them with a purpose. Her aunt Sofia hadn’t been kidding when she mentioned to her husband that he’d get to see Savannah’s dad out there brooding soon enough. You’d think having a brother like Beast and Byron being such a broody fuck himself this entire past year before Savannah, he’d know how to handle her dad. Yet, that menacing near glare, as the man approached them, had Byron trying to calm his breathing.

  “Oh, shit,” he muttered as Savannah tightened her hold on his arm.

  As usual, Savannah laughed under her breath. “Relax, they said they wanted to ask more about your brother. Oh.” She nudged him. “And it gets better. Just wait until tomorrow when all my other uncles, the hotheaded but also hilarious Romero’s will be there. That’s gonna be so much fun.”

  Byron turned to her once again flabbergasted by her tranquil demeanor when it came to this shit. Gets better? Fun? Was she fucking kidding him?

  Twenty-Three

  The P.I. and the Influencer

  Vannah

  Okay, so yesterday hadn’t exactly gone on without a hitch. Byron meeting her uncles, and then Richard being there, was not an expected addition to the already intense setting. But at least they’d gotten past it all without too much drama. Richard hadn’t even attempted to approach or talk to Vannah, and even left early. Thank God. Now they had the easier uncles to get past and she’d be home free. Though Byron didn’t seem to share her optimism about this being as easy peasy as she was trying to make it seem.

  They’d barely been at the restaurant a few minutes when Byron got his first loud dose of the Romero’s. Vannah was still showing him around, and they weren’t even upstairs yet in the banquet room where the party was taking place when she heard the unmistakable wheezing laughter. It was followed up by equally loud and obnoxious snorting.

  Both she and Byron turned at the same time toward the stairwell that led to the banquet rooms. Uncle Max was at the bottom holding his wife Aunt Pat’s arm who’d apparently nearly lost a shoe on her way up. Uncle Manny and his wife Aunt Aida were just behind them busting a gut over it.

  “That’s why I don’t like stairs,” Manny said through his laughter. “They’re always up to no good.”

  More wheezing, as Pat turned to give Manny an unamused look, before shaking her head and finished putting her shoe back on. Max turned back to Manny trying to look annoyed but couldn’t help smirk. “It’s up to something, Manny. If you’re gonna make corny ass jokes at least get them right.”

  “Still works my way,” Manny protested.

  Just then, Max spotted Vannah. “Hey, is that Thing One, or Thing Two? I can never tell.”

  Manny turned before Vannah could respond and smiled big at her. “Hey, Sweetheart. How ya doin?” He tapped Max’s arm with disapproval. “What are you, senile? This sweet thing is Vivianna.”

  “Nope,” Vannah shook her head. “Vivianna is my cousin. Uncle Sal’s daughter.”

  “Ha!” Max scoffed as they all started toward her and Byron. “At least I got the right dad. She’s one of Alex’s twins, ya old goat. I just can never tell them apart.”

  “Savannah,” she clarified as she started toward them to meet them. “But my siblings call me Vannah.”

  Manny snapped his fingers as they reached her. “See, that’s what I meant.”

  “No, you didn’t,” Max said as he leaned over and hugged and kissed her.

  While Manny and Max argued about it, Vannah proceeded to greet the rest of them one by one then introduced them to Byron. “Yeah, yeah,” Manny said taking Byron in wide eyed. “Moe told us you was dating Beast’s brother. How ‘bout that?”

  Distracted by his wife when she asked Manny to fix something on the strap of her shoe, Max leaned in a little and lowered his voice. “My nephew says he thinks he’s the only one that’s made the connection about your brother and you know . . .” He lowered his voice even more. “The past. He says he’s leaving it that way.”

  He winked at them and started up the stairs with his wife. “What’d he say?” Manny asked a bit out of breath after having to bend over. “Nothing,” Max said without turning back. “Just walk.”

  Vannah and Byron exchanged confused glances though she did notice Byron tense a bit. He’d openly shared with her about his brother’s shady past and she really hoped that’s what Max meant. That they weren’t going to be holding it against Byron. Smiling, she shrugged squeezing Byron’s hand and hoped this hadn’t made him even more nervous.

  They headed up to the party as Manny grilled Byron about his brother’s boxing matches. Vannah was more than grateful now for Byron’s famous brother. Even yesterday the boxing talk had taken precedence over too much more personal questions about their relationship. Neither of these two uncles asked anything about it. They were far more interested in Beast and when, not if, they’d get to meet him.

  As they entered the packed banquet room, Vannah started her rounds. Table by table, relative by relative, and close friends of the family, she greeted them all, then introduced them to her friend Byron. By the time they were done she was exhausted, but she’d been right. It was far less nerve wracking than yesterday. They finally reached the table where Manny, Max and their spouses were just settling in. They too had also been busy making the rounds.

  “We can sit here, or there’s room over by my parents and uncle—” Vannah stopped and smirked when Byron was instantly pulling a chair out at the table with the Romero’s. “Fine,” she said as she sat down on the chair he offered her. “But you still haven’t met Uncle Romero and he’ll be sitting at this table too, no doubt.”

  “Yeah, get ready for that one,” Aunt Pat said shaking her head.

  Vannah chuckled at Byron’s widening eyes though Pat didn’t elaborate further. Vannah asked about their kids, to which Pat explained they were at her mom’s. Uncle Romero and his wife Izzy arrived with their two oldest. Their younger two were also at Pat’s mom’s since she and Izzy were sisters.

  Vannah and Byron were on their feet again to greet them. “I heard about you,” Romero peered at Byron, arms crossed in front of him after the introductions.

  “Dad,” his daughter Amanda said in a cautioning tone and he turned to her. “You promised.”

  “What? All I said was that I heard about him.” He turned to Vannah this time. “I also heard you’re not staying with your parents this weekend.”

  “Romero.” This time it was Izzy interrupting.

  He turned to his wife. “Honey, it’s just me, her uncle, making a friendly observation.” He turned back to Byron. “I’m just saying, if this is how it’s gonna be, if this is what it is, I’m sure her dads already told you, but look around. This is what you’ll be dealing with should anything go wrong, and baby girl here sheds so much as one tear.”

  Swallowing hard, Vannah turned to Byron who nodded but said nothing. So much for less intense than yesterday. Despite her uncle Romero’s perpetual smirk, Vannah could tell he was dead serious.

  Max laughed. “You do remember who his brother is, right?”

  “I remember.” Romero turned back to Max then back to Vannah. “He know what I do for a living?”

  “Yeah, I told him a little about it,” Vannah said glad she’d fill
ed Byron in a little more on these uncles on their way there.

  “Security firm, right?” Byron offered.

  “Yeah, that’s part of it. But I’m also a private investigator.” Romero’s smirk flattened before very seriously adding the next part. “I hunt people down.” He paused staring at Byron for a moment as if to let that sink in. Then just as fast as it’d gone flat, the smirk was back. “Anyway, you’re picking up what I’m throwing down, right?”

  Amanda groaned loudly. “Oh my God! Who even says that anymore, dad?”

  The wheezing laughter started up again and just like that, the mood eased up. Vannah’s mom had always said Romero could have the attention span of a gnat and thankfully so. He went from practically threatening Byron, to happily inquiring about his brother.

  Nena walked over to let Vannah know she’d be filming soon and wanted footage of each family at their tables with all the kids.

  “Oh, hey that reminds me,” Manny said picking up his phone and tapping away. “Mandy told me you collect video’s that might get your website lots of hits. I got a couple for you.”

  “Here we go.” Romero rolled his eyes.

  Manny laughed standing up and walked over to them. “These are good. Did them myself.”

  Vannah was already suppressing giggling, and she hadn’t even seen the videos. She and Nena exchanged wide eyed looks. Vannah could tell her sister was also holding back so much as smirking because like herself, she didn’t dare, since Uncle Manny sounded so proud of himself.

  “Don’t I have to sign a release?” Romero asked looking annoyed. “Since I’m the one in them?”

  “Yeah? Whatta ya gonna do?” Manny asked as he cued up a video on his phone. “Sue your nieces for using ‘em?”

  He handed the video to Vannah as Nena and Byron leaned in on either side of her to watch. “This one here’s called the slamming door challenge. Mandy showed me online and I thought if anyone would be perfect for this it’d be this one with his precious car. Kids aren’t even allowed to eat in it. I had to get sneaky about mounting the phone so he wouldn’t know I was filming.”