Carmen also briefly dates a boy in the second book who had a massive crush on her, Porter, but she was too distracted by issues with her mother; Porter eventually decided that he was tired of being led on. She also maintained a flirtatious relationship with one of the actors she worked with in the fourth book. Their relationship is not focused on in this book, though it mentions that he often played with her hair, flirted with her, and kissed her before the play's opening night. This relationship is more prominent in the second movie. Christina starts to date a young attractive man named David. Carmen is jealous of the time she spends with him and also embarrassed because Christina's relationship is so passionate. She believes her mother is humiliating herself and falling in love too quickly. Carmen sabotages the relationship out of spite, but once she realizes how happy David makes her mother, she helps the two get together. A subplot during this book is Carmen's relationship with a boy, Porter, from her school. She goes on several dates with him but neglects him during each date due to her worries about her mother. Carmen is originally optimistic about the relationship because she has the Traveling Pants for their first date, but Porter becomes tired of Carmen "stringing him along" and stops dating her. On her final date with him, she brings Paul and a heartbroken Lena along. She notices how attracted Paul is to Lena and gives Lena the pants, encouraging her to go after Paul and Paul to see Lena. Carmen learns that Christina is pregnant with David's child. Carmen is originally hostile, believing that since the baby will be born just after she leaves for college that she is being replaced. Carmen also gets a job looking after Valia, Lena's grandmother, and meets a guy named Win 'Winthrop' at the hospital. She and Win maintain a flirtatious relationship, but she believes that she is deceiving him because he keeps catching her doing charitable things, and that he will be disappointed when he learns about her arguments with her mother. Carmen eventually realizes that since David works so much, she will have to be there for the child and makes amends with her mom. At the end of the book, Christina goes into labor four weeks early while David is away on business. Carmen and Win go hunting for David to bring him home. Meanwhile, Tibby helps Christina give birth. Carmen returns to the hospital where she meets her baby brother and tells Win that she doesn't think she deserves him.