You can be nice and polite to random people who share your passion for your favorite team, but in a professional setting, going out of your way to pay for them behind their back, comfort them after their loss, sharing your life story and the name of the love of your life so quickly ? it's clearly more than that. Santiago goes to MC every chance he gets. Now that he knows MC is Lexi's or Layla's boyfriend he might try to visit his old friend's house more often to catch MC, as he could not find him in the bar as regularly as he hoped.
Though I like your point. People just being nice and open in general would be better
from your last sentence, I understand that you go for the theory that Santiago is Layla's dad ?