“Is that her?” Julia asked as she came in from the pool area. “Let me talk to her.” I handed over the phone, deciding Julia was less likely to fuck up in this conversation than I was, and took the beer Rocco handed me with a knowing expression.

“Thanks, man,” I said gratefully.

“They will put you through it, but they’re worth it,” he muttered while his girlfriend spoke to my roommate in rapid-fire Spanish.

By the time we finished putting away food and drinks and everyone had commandeered a chaise around the pool, Julia was done with the call.

“Looks like it’s just us for now.” Julia and Rocco exchanged a look, then she sighed. “She doesn’t know how to stop,” she muttered, and almost immediately a regretful expression settled on her face. “That’s not fair,” she said with a click of her tongue. “She doesn’t stop because she feels like she can’t.” I’d seen that myself. When Alba’d been my PA I’d admired how on her game she always was, how tireless she seemed. Just demanding absolute perfection from herself. But now that I knew the toll it took on her, the amount of shit she had to take from the Chases of the world, all I wanted was to take some of that load off her shoulders.

“How do you like your steak, bruh?” Dani called from the grill.

“Let me help you with that,” I offered, sitting up, needing a distraction from getting all the way in my head about Alba, but Rocco put a hand on my chest.

“Nah, man, let us take care of it.” He leaned in to place a kiss on Julia’s lips then jumped up from the chaise. “You keeping my woman entertained is a hard enough job.”

“Hey!” Julia protested, but there was only adoration in her voice. After she thought better of it, she cupped her mouth and called after Rocco. “Babe, make sure Dani cooks mine properly; that boy’s been hanging out with these Texans too long.” She turned to me with a horrified expression. “The last time he grilled for us, mine practically walked off the plate.”

“It’s sacrilege to grill meat this good to well-done,” Dani lamented.

“I’m Dominican and we like our meat charred, gracias and thank you,” Julia clapped back, making the other two snicker. “Don’t play with me, Dani. Salome, keep an eye on him,” she ordered. Despite the threats, Dani happily starting tossing meat and Salome’s ahi tuna on the grill while he talked to—and was supervised by—Rocco and Salome, which left me and Julia alone by the pool.

“I hate that she doesn’t give herself a break ever.”