Gabriela finished her second shot of Quervo when Maddie walked over to the bar and sat next to her. Gabriela didn't look over, just flipped her glass and signaled the bartender for another.

"Really hitting the drinks tonight, aren't you?" Maddie remarked.

"Says the pot calling the kettle black."

"True, but I didn't organize this event."

Gabriela received her third drink and looked at Maddie. "You also didn't have your new - whatever Rafael is - sit through that embarrassment."

"True, I didn't."

Gabriela took a sip and put her drink down. "This sucks."

"I know. If he's half the person I think he is, he won't mind, and even better, he'll be outraged. I wouldn't worry about him. My question is, are you okay?"

Maddie snorted and downed the rest of her drink. "I always am."

At that moment, Sonny wandered over and drunkenly stumbled onto the two women, an arm around each. "Ladies," he said. "Why the long faces?"

"Not a good time," Maddie whispered to him, seeing Gabriela's growing frustration. Her eyes flitted from Sonny to her friend and back. She decided to give her friend space and get this guy out of her face. "Why don't we go dance? Sonny, right?"

"Definitely. You coming, doll?" Sonny slurred as he threw an arm over Maddie.

"Nah, just leave her alone. Let's go!" She touched Maddie's arm and whispered, "call me," as she and Sonny walked away.

Gabriela ordered a glass of water and hunched her shoulders more, trying to decide whether she should go back to the group and reclaim her dignity or just throw in the towel and call it a night. Staying at the bar was also an option, albeit an unprofessional one, but who cares. She was a senior in college and nobody was paying attention to her anyways.

Rafael had been waiting to see if she needed alone time or had just gone to the bathroom, so when Gabriela didn't come back after a few minutes, he went to look for her. He looked on the dance floor, in the kitchen, the bathroom (which means he waited outside for a minute before feeling too creepy and leaving), and any other nooks and crannies he could think of. He finally bumped into Sonny, drunker than he should be, and Gabriela's friend, who pointed him in the direction of the bar. Of course, why didn't I look there first?

He approached Gabriela and stood behind her awkwardly, not knowing quite what to do. "Hey there," he said before clearing his throat. She turned around and rested her head on her hand. "Hey," she whispered.

"Those guys are the school-yard bullies all grown up," he tried to reassure her.

"I know."

":And you're right, they're going to amount to nothing."

"I know. Doesn't mean their words don't hurt."

"True, true." He sat next to her and placed his left hand on her cheek. Rafael wasn't really the nurturing type, but he really liked this woman, so he was willing to try. He also had the awkward conversation that many people who start seeing each other restlessly rattling around in his mind, but this wasn't the time to bring it up. Or was it?

Rafael cleared his throat and folded his hands in his lap. "So I have a question for you, but I don't know when a good time to bring it up is."

"Go for it. What's the worst that could happen?"

Rafael cleared his throat and looked away towards the dance floor. "What are we? I mean, what would you call this?"

Gabriela shrugged her shoulders and shifted in her chair to face the dance crowd. "We're dating."

Rafael looked at Gabriela, surprised. "Really?"

"I guess. I mean, what would you call it?"

"No, no, that sounds good to me. I'm just surprised young people still use that phrase today."

"Okay first off, you're not that much older than me. And second, not a lot of people do, but I do. I'm old-fashioned."

Rafael smiled at turned towards her, leaning forward in his seat. "Okay. we're dating. So, who do you want to meet here?"

"Ooo, I don't know. Now that I'm dating someone with connections, I suppose I can meet important people."

"The mayor is over there and I know for a fact that he knows who I am."

"Really? The mayor? I mean I'm psyched, but I reek of Quervo."

"So do half the people in the room. You'll be fine." Rafael pulled Gabriela out of her seat, and guided her over to meet the mayor, hand on the small of her back, walking right past Sonny and Maddie getting cozy without either noticing.