We drove the rest of the way in silence until we finally reached Los Molinos. Alejo pulled up to the office and I stepped out to check myself and Cassidy in so she could sleep a little longer. Alejo stepped out of the car and followed behind me. I raised an eyebrow at him, which made him smile.
Since you’re following me you can talk for me.
That would solve the problem of how I was going to try talk to the concierge. When we reached the front desk, I handed him the paper and gestured for him to speak to the person behind the desk. Looking down at me his grin appeared and he laughed.
They spoke to each other in rapid Spanish, so it was hard for me to understand exactly what they were saying. I managed to pick out words here and there, but not much. I waited until I heard the words “tarjeta de crédito” before I reached for my wallet to hand her our payment. Alejo put his credit card down instead and pushed mine back toward me.
“Um, that’s almost a thousand dollars you know,” I said pushing his card back at him and giving her mine instead.
Sighing, he reached for my card and put it in his back pocket and handed the confused girl his card again.
“Really?” I asked him.
“I’m sorry, but if I can’t buy you dinner, then I will pay for your stay. I appreciate your kindness as I’ve said,” he said signing the reservation papers.
“You’re a jackass,” I said angrily.
He laughed and slid his card back into his wallet, before reaching into his back pocket for mine. He looked at me for a moment with a grin and held it over his head.
“Now I’m a jackass. You can have it back if you can reach it or if you agree to dinner with me tonight. Just you and me,” he said dangling it over his head.
I made a couple of unsuccessful jumps. I leaned on him and reached up barely grazing his elbow. I then tried the combination of pushing myself against him and jumping at the same time. Still nothing. So I pulled myself onto the front desk, but he quickly swept me off telling me I was cheating.
“Can I have my card please?” I asked in frustration.
“Will you have dinner with me?” he asked again, the grin on his face getting wider.
“For all you know I could be a crazed serial killer that fled the United States and have been lying about everything this entire time,” I said crossing my arms over my chest.
“Oh? And if you were a serial killer, what type of victim did you prefer to kill?” he inquired mischievously with a gleam in his eye.
“The kind that wouldn’t give me my damn credit card back!” I yelled as I jumped up toward it again.
Laughing, he held it higher and shook his head. I knew he wasn’t going to give it back until I said yes, so I finally relented.
“Dinner? I’d love to have dinner with you,” I said in frustration.
“Good,” he replied as he handed my card back to me, “I’ll come back for you around eight tonight and remember, I know what room you are staying in if you try to stand me up,” he said with a smirk.
“Yeah, yeah, I won’t. So thanks I guess. I didn’t plan on having any extra money on this trip so that was actually really nice of you.”
He smiled and looked at the entrance, “Shall we wake up Cassidy and grab your bags then?”
“I think we can take it from here,” I replied laughing.
We walked out the front doors side by side and I smiled when I saw Cassidy leaning against the outside of the car.
“I thought you guys had left me,” she said sleepily.
“I’d never leave you Cass,” I said giving her a friendly smack on the shoulder.
“So what are we doing?” she asked.
“I just went and checked us in. Alejo actually took care of the tab so that frees up about five hundred a piece for us,” I explained to her.
“Wow, that was nice,” she replied giving me a questioning look.
“Yes, I’ve also forced Liv to pay me back by having dinner with me tonight,” he said with a smile.