A/N: If the Jonas Brothers' "Sucker" isn't the definition of Carlos' feelings for T.K...I don't know what is!
Also a million trillion thanks to bluenet13 for beta reading. I have never let anyone beta before and she was incredibly kind and helpful!
One night. He'd spent one night with firefighter city-boy T.K. Strand and Carlos Reyes was…well, the word "wrecked" came to mind. It had been fun. And sexy. And good as hell. Apparently city boys knew some things country boys didn't.
"What's got you all distracted?" Adriana asked, bringing him back to the present.
She'd coerced him into this lunch claiming he couldn't possibly be "too busy for family." When he'd pointed out that he saw her every Sunday at their tía's house she'd insisted it wasn't enough and she needed on some one-on-one time with her "favorite cousin." Carlos had rolled his eyes and allowed her to drag him over here, partly because he really liked this taco truck and partly because he didn't want to be admonished by multiple relatives at next Sunday's dinner for blowing her off.
"Nothing," Carlos said, trying to look innocent as he took another bite of his tacos al pastor. That wasn't strictly a lie. T.K. had made it pretty clear he just wanted to have some fun and Carlos had taken one look at his face and…well he'd definitely had fun too. That he couldn't seem to get past the one-night-stand of it all was his own problem.
She raised her eyebrows. "You're going to have to do better than that," she said. "Come on. Spill."
"It's…nothing. I just had a really good night last night," Carlos said, butterflies flittering around in his stomach as he thought back to a few particularly good moments.
"Mmhmm, what's his name?" she asked.
"I didn't say it had anything to do with a guy."
"Your face said it all for you. So? Name?"
"That is none of your business," he said lightly, grabbing a chip from her plate.
"Oooh you really had a good time last night," Adriana said in delight. "Come on. You have to give me something for sitting here putting up with your moony eyes for the last half hour."
"I do not have moony eyes!" Carlos said.
"Oh you definitely do. I haven't seen you like this in a long time."
Carlos shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He did kind of want to talk about it. He wanted someone to tell him he was crazy, that he'd been suckered in by T.K.'s charm and to get over. That a one-night-stand was not a big deal and that the memories of it didn't need to occupy his every waking moment.
"Fine," Carlos said, clearing his throat. "I did…bring someone home last night."
"Scandalous!" Adriana's face lit up with teasing. "Did you background check him first?"
"I didn't have to," Carlos said.
Adriana's eyebrows rose even further. "Really. That's interesting. So someone you work with then?"
"Sort of," Carlos hedged.
Adriana glared at him. "Carlitos," she wielded his childhood nickname like a weapon, "really? You're going to make me drag this out of you?"
"Well, RiRi," he said, firing her own nickname right back at her, "he's a firefighter. If you must know."
Adriana squinted at him. "Like a real firefighter? Or the stripper kind?"
Carlos almost choked. "Adriana! Seriously? I have never slept with a stripper!"
"Well I don't know what you get up to! No judgement or anything," Adriana said, happy that she'd riled him up. "If you just told me what was going on then I wouldn't have to guess."
"This is exactly why I don't tell you things," Carlos said, annoyed.
"Okay so a legitimate firefighter then! What's his name? Or don't you know?" Adriana asked saucily.
"You are—" Carlos shook his head and decided it wasn't worth it to finish his sentence. "His name is T.K. He just moved here from New York. He's a Leo, he likes long walks on the beach, and his favorite food is sushi."
"Wow, really?"
"No not really! I don't know anything about him, it was one night!"
Her eyes widened. "Oh. My. God. Carlos! Did you have a one-night-stand?!"
He shushed her, glancing around to see if anyone nearby had heard her practically shout his business to the world. "Could you not? I didn't say it was a one-night-stand, I just said it was one night."
"Oh so you're dating then?"
Carlos opened his mouth but came up empty. "I—"
Adriana grinned in triumph. "My cousin. The chaste and pious Carlos Nicolás Reyes Moreno had a one-night-stand. This is the best day of my life."
"This is not a big deal. And if you tell anyone—"
"Can you imagine if Tía Maria finds out? She'll have to pray el rosario so many times for your soul…"
"Adriana I mean it—"
"Okay okay! I will just treasure this knowledge secretly in my heart forever." She grinned at him in self-satisfaction. "So it was good then?"
"It was…good," Carlos said. "Really good."
"Mhmm, keep going," Adriana said, leaning forward her eyes sparkling.
Carlos threw a napkin at her. "I don't kiss and tell."
"Excuse me officer, I think that's assault," she mocked, tossing the napkin back at him. "Fine. Don't give me the dirty details. So are you going to try and see him again?"
"I think the definition of 'one-night-stand' implies that we don't see each other again."
"Hello, yes, I know how they work. But you are not a one-night-stand kind of guy."
"Maybe I'm trying something new."
She looked at him hard and then shook her head. "No."
"No what?"
"No you like this guy too much. And you want to see him again. And I think you should do something about it."
His phone chirped and he looked down, instantly feeling hot all over. He hoped Adriana couldn't see the blush rising in his cheeks.
T.K. Strand: Hey I get off in an hour. You free?
"Oh my god is that him? Let me see!" Adriana grabbed for his phone but he snatched it back.
"It's a work thing," Carlos lied.
Adriana's eyes narrowed. "Eres un maldito mentiroso."
"¿Besas a tu madre con esa boca? Te voy a lavar la boca con jabón."
She smacked the table in annoyance. "Carlos come on!"
"Why do you care so much?" Carlos said with an incredulous laugh. "It's just a…thing! That's all! It was one night, it was good, he left, that's the end of it. People do it all the time!"
Adriana squared him with a look. "I care because I want you to be happy. This was not just one night for you. Maybe you thought it would be, but it's pretty clear you've got some real feelings for this guy."
God he hated how right she was. Carlos shrugged helplessly. "I feel…crazy. I barely know him. It was one night."
She shrugged. "Sometimes one night is all you need." She nodded toward his phone. "Are you going to text him back?"
Carlos looked down at the text again, the cursor blinking underneath his fingers. His heart beat rapidly at thought of seeing T.K. again. All it would take was a few words…
Yeah I'll be home.
"Happy?" he asked.
Adriana sat back, a smirk on her face. "Very. Face it Carlitos, you're a sucker for this guy."
She was right. He was a sucker. And right now, it felt pretty damn good.
A/N: Leave your love in the reviews!