Byron turned to Taz who scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Influencers.”
It was the first thing he’d said since their chilly greeting, and Byron was pretty sure even the sup was said by Gordo alone.
“We are,” Sienna insisted though she laughed. “We have over fifty-thousand followers on YouTube and almost thirty-thousand on TikTok.”
“You do?” Their mother asked after taking a sip of her wine. “Wow, I didn’t know that. I hadn’t look through any of your videos in a while. Are you still posting?”
Sienna nodded proudly. “Almost daily.”
“Good.” Her dad was back in the conversation. “That should be enough. Savannah needs to focus on school. With all the down time you have right now, there’s no need to be pestering your sister about it.”
Their food came out, just as Sienna pouted at her father. “No one’s been pestering her, daddy.”
“Sweetheart, I just meant—”
“But your father’s right.” Her mom chimed in firmly almost as if before her instantly remorseful sounding dad, could take it back. “Savannah’s shared with me about the huge workload she should be focusing on instead.”
The waitress began setting plates down on the table. “Careful it’s hot,” she said as she set the one in front of her dad.
“Speaking of focusing on your schoolwork and not letting anything else derail you from it.” Her dad did to look up from his plate as he spoke, unwrapping one of his first tamales. “What happened to that?”
Curiously, unlike her sister who seemed to focus immediately on her food, avoiding eye contact with Byron, he noticed her mom eyed him, instead of Savannah who’d been the one questioned. Swallowing hard, as Byron felt the awkwardness of what her dad was really asking loomed over the now quiet table, he couldn’t look at her mom anymore. So, he focused on his food now too.
“I still am,” Savannah said softly, doing what everyone else was doing, busying themselves with their food.
“Oh?” Her dad finally looked up at her, glanced at Byron then back at her.
“Yeah, Daddy.” Savannah speared her tamale. “Mom said it herself before I left. That while I should focus on school, I should also have fun and enjoy my college years and that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
Byron chewed slowly, taking in a deep breath as he felt his entire body stiffen. Still focusing on his food, he did his best to not be too obvious about what an idiot he was feeling like now. That his naïve ass would think for an instant just because he was having dinner with her family after only one week of knowing her, meant he was any different than her other friends, was just stupid. Only reason he was here was at her dad’s suggestion, not Savannah asking him to meet her family. And the only reason she likely went along with it was because of the unusual circumstances in which he’d met them in the first place. Not because it’s what she would’ve wanted.
Savannah couldn’t make it any clearer. She’d just reiterated what she’d told him that first night and reassured her daddy now, what Byron had known all along. What she was doing with Byron was just for fun and nothing she’d be taking seriously. Her own mother had encouraged it for crying out loud.
“Byron?” her mother asked snapping him out of his infuriating thoughts. “Have you ever done any boxing? You’re certainly big enough.”
He shook his head unable to conjure up the slightest of smiles. “Not professionally. I’ve done plenty of sparring over the years to stay in shape and to help with my brother’s training.”
“He has a black belt in jiu jitsu.” Savannah placed her hand over his on the table.
Feeling like a sour little bitch he nearly jerked it away. But he knew what a stupid move that would be in front of her whole family. Judging from her brother’s reaction at the gym earlier if Byron even thought of doing something rude or disrespectful, he could practically picture the entire table being flipped over with a roar. Or was he confusing the visuals he’d had a few questions ago of doing the same thing himself?
“Black belt, uh?” her dad asked.
“Yeah.” Byron nodded. “Probably spent more time in the octagon over the years than I have in the ring. I even fought a few times. Actually, thought about going professional but after a couple of ankle injuries I had to forget fighting or risk some permanent damage.”
“That sucks,” her dad said taking another swig of his beer and put it down sitting back. “I know the feeling. Might’ve had a real chance of a football career myself had it not been for an injury.”
“Here we go.” Her mom took a sip of her wine again.
Her brothers laughed and Sienna giggled as Savannah reached out and squeezed her dad’s arm in empathy.
“What?” her dad asked looking around but stopping his gaze at his wife.
“Nothing,” her mother smiled leaning in and kissing him. “What do you think of these tamales? The sweet corn ones are to die for. I’m ordering more and some to go.”
For the next half hour or so they compared the tamales and other dishes to their restaurants and talked food, so thankfully the grilling ceased. They went from that, to discussing their grandparents upcoming wedding anniversary shindig, Labor Day weekend coming up in a few weeks, to the issues Savannah had been having with her laptop. Finally, they asked for the check and Byron pulled his wallet out.”
“Put that away.” Her dad barely looked at Byron as he swiped his card through the machine at the table and started tapping at the screen. “I think I like this better than the ones we have. Look at this, babe.”
“Sir.” Byron held out his card. “I can pay half or at least pay for me and Savannah.”
Her dad shook his head still too busy checking out the machine. “What brand is this?” He took a picture of the machine with his phone. “I’m gonna send Sal and Angel a picture. I’m sure Sal will research it to death before we make any changes.”
Savannah placed her hand over Byron’s again and he turned to look at her. She shook her head smiling sweetly. “He has it but thank you.”
Giving up, Byron put his card back into his wallet. What he’d anticipated being an agonizingly awkward dinner didn’t turn out to be too bad. Except for hearing Savannah’s response to her dad about what he’d clearly been asking about, the evening had gone far better than he’d expected.
They got to the parking lot and Savannah said goodbye to everyone. They’d parked right next to her family’s SUV and her dad lingered for a minute asking Savannah a few more things as the rest of her family boarded the SUV. Was she good on money, how the car was running, and something about calling her grandmother because her elderly aunt wasn’t doing so well. It didn’t even dawn on Byron that her dad had been stalling until the rest of the gang was all settled in the SUV, doors and windows closed. Her dad opened Byron’s passenger side door to let Savannah in but placed his hand on Byron’s shoulder. Before starting around the car like he would’ve, Byron froze in place feeling his heart rate spike.
Standing next to him again felt even more daunting now that they were technically alone. The man was just about as big as Beast.