“You think he’s so honorable, don’t you?”
“Huh?” I shove my foot into the first boot. “If he’s not, why would you approve of him for Genie?”
“Because I’m sure it’ll be temporary. Genie will go to college, get over her crush and grow up. In the meantime, Papa knows she’s with someone safe. Tita Elena guarantees it.”
I don’t know whether to scream or strangle her. “Is that the line of bull he sold you? Did you see him with that blond bimbo? I bet he’s doing her too.”
“Then why are you buying the gear?”
A curl of worry swirls in my stomach, but I pass it off as if it were gas. “He’s an old friend. I’m here, he’s here, we’ll ride around for old time’s sake.”
“And play tongue hockey on the way.”
“Guilty as charged. Problem solved. Genie’s off the hook.” I walk around in the stiff steel-toed boots, my feet feeling invincible. Bring it on. I can’t wait to lean into the asphalt and fly over the back roads. Me. Romeo. And Juliet, his Yamaha.
I hand my credit card to the saleslady and follow her to the front of the store.
“Not quite,” Choco, always the sound of reason says. “There’s the matter of Tita Elena’s loan. You know about the expansion plans and the second restaurant in San Marcos? I mean, downtown’s great, but a lot of restaurants have opened branches up north.”
“Yeah, I heard Papa talking about it.” My skin turns clammy. “Oh no. Are you saying?”
Choco purses her lips and huffs from her nostrils. “Tita Elena put up the money for the San Marcos location. She leased the building and remodeled it. Eventually, she wants Romeo to settle down and manage the bakery side and she’ll forgive the loan if he marries Genie.”
“And Romeo went along with this?” Now I’m seething. He’s practically betrothed to my baby sister, and he has the nerve to ask me why I ditched him at the prom five years ago? Forget the cycle gear. I’m outta here.
“Miss? Enjoy your purchases.” The saleslady swipes my card and points to the pen pad. I’m about to blurt that I don’t want anything when I meet Choco’s raised eyebrows. I know that look, she’s betting on me to fight or die trying.
“Yeah, thanks.” I sign away my sanity.
“Will you need help to the car?” the saleslady says in a saccharine voice.
“No, thanks.” I heft two large shopping bags of gear over my shoulder, my wallet twelve hundred dollars lighter.
Romeo, Romeo, art thou worth it?
Chapter 7
The campus library at UC San Diego looks like a building straight out of a science fiction movie. It is an upside-down pyramid of concrete and glass jutting from a canyon of eucalyptus groves. We follow a decorated path made of colored tiles so realistic it’s like walking on the back of a giant snake. It winds its way up a landscaped slope, around a grove of trees representing the Garden of Eden, and past a monument of the book Milton’s Paradise Lost.
The significance of all this is, of course, lost on my bickering family. First, we had an argument over who was riding with who. Genie, the wronged party, was given preferential treatment and went with the parents in the Lexus. Choco said she’d drive me and Brian, but last minute, Romeo showed up outside my bedroom window. While the family trampled to the garage, I pulled on my spanking new motorcycle outfit and expensive helmet and hopped onto his bike.
I’m not being bitchy, but after questioning, no, almost waterboarding Choco, she finally admitted that Romeo didn’t know the details of the loan, that he’d only been asked by his mother to call on our family with cake samples, and he was supposed to escort Genie to our cousin Julia’s wedding. Since all of this was planned by Tita Elena and my parents without my knowledge, I don’t feel obligated to play along. Besides, Romeo and I have unresolved business.
My family gathers outside of the entrance and waits for me and Romeo to finish kissing. I’m going to have to make up to Genie somehow, but it’s obvious he can’t keep his lips and hands off me, and I’m completely incapable of resisting him.
“Enough with the PDA.” I drag my mouth from his. All this angst is compounding my tachycardia, racing heartbeat, and tachypnea, rapid breathing. Hey, maybe I’ll lose a few pounds from the increased metabolic rate.
“We need to talk.” He taps the tip of my nose. “How about dinner?”
“That would be nice. Can we make it vegan?”
He scrunches his face. “You too? Know of a good place?”
“Yeah, there must be some nice places. Let me, uh, look it up while you do the shoot.”
“I’m going to be hungry.” He dives back for another nip on my lips, growls, and gives me a loud smacking kiss.
I can feel the waves of anger emanating from my family. Well, Brian doesn’t care. He’s got his skateboard and is doing jumps under a sign that says ‘No Skateboarding.’ Choco is torn between coming to me to get the scoop and showing a semblance of family loyalty to the Tita Elena/Mama grand plan.
My eyes don’t leave Romeo’s back as he saunters toward the film crew. They’re setting up for an outdoor scene where the forbidden lovers meet for the first time under the apple tree. I know, pure cheese.
Speaking of forbidden lover, where’s Blondie? Her character, Mildred Venables, is the nerdy mathematician who falls in love with Romeo’s character, Zeke Fernandez, a bad boy rock guitarist. I glance at the extras lined up near the library entrance, and then at the director who is slapping his clipboard and gesticulating wildly at his assistant.
I choke back a laugh when I finally spot Blondie. She’s wearing zero makeup, is dressed in a dowdy jumper over a button-down shirt. Ha, ha. She’s got Birkenstocks on her feet, and the beautician is pulling her hair back into a severe bun. Romeo told me this is the scene where Zeke, his character, first bumps into Mildred. Frankly, I can’t see the attraction. Without the heavy eye shadow and miles long mascara I saw her with the other day, she looks as plain and nondescript as a newborn lab rat. I’m going to enjoy this shoot more than I thought.
“What are you doing here?” A harried looking man with glasses drags me by the elbow. “Get to makeup. You’re late.”
“Uh, I’m not part of this.” I literally dig in my heels.
He snaps his glasses off, glares at me with steely gray eyes and swipes his greasy hair with his other hand. “Aren’t you the replacement for Susie Sotelo? Even if you’re not, you’ll do. Let’s go.”
I do not like being manhandled by nervous, high-strung film makers. “I’m not playing any part. This is a mistake.”
“You have the hots for Romeo? That’s all you need to do. Walk sexy along the snake path and glare at them.” He taps my helmet. “You already have the prop.”
He shoves me into a trailer. “Susie Sotelo. Make her up.”
A pair of hands removes the helmet from my hands while another pair pushes me onto the barber’s chair.
“Close your eyes.” “Lift your chin.” “Wait, wait, keep your lips still.” “A little spritz.” “There, a beauty mark.”
Someone twists a grease pencil at the corner of my lips. After combing and teasing my hair, followed by more spritzes and eye shadow, I’m declared ready.
The guy who corralled me returns and hands me my helmet. “You’ll start at the tail of the snake. All you have to do is watch that clicky board. I’ll count down, board clicks and you start walking. Not too fast. You know he’s there and you see him talking to the nerd. You’re steamed, but you’re not going to show it. He loves biker chicks and you’re one badass chick. So strut your stuff, slow and sexy. You’re shooting him smoldering looks, but you’re not staring at them. Every man within a hundred foot radius has his eyes on you and his dick pointing your way and you know it. Stop on the tongue of the snake and run your right hand through your hair, then raise your face to the sun, eyes partially closed as if it’s giving you a frickin’ orgasm. Got it?”
“No prob.” I hang him a wink as he positions me on the snake path. I have
to admit he’s kind of cute with that harried, beta male, I-gotta-talk-fast-because-no-one’s-paying-attention look.
“Keep your eyes on the clicky board, but move off it fast. You’re not on camera until two seconds into the scene. No matter what, don’t look at us or the camera.”
“I got it.” Didn’t he register my conspiratorial wink? “Now, go. I’m getting hot in all this leather.”
“Baby, you won’t believe how many takes we’re doing.” He hooks his thumbs, makes a shooting motion with both index fingers and struts toward the director. “Everyone in position.”
I can’t believe this. But what fun! I’m going to be in Romeo’s movie, maybe even have my name in the bylines. Who cares if he’s meeting Binomial Barbie, his fake true love. I, Moto-girl, yes, I’m his soul mate. Maybe we can improvise. No one says what happens after my orgasmic sun kiss.
Three hours later, I’m sweating bullets, no, make it cannonballs. I’m surely dehydrated, even though Clicky Boy supplies me with water bottles and the makeup artists touch me up after every take. I’ve swayed my hips so much they’re dislocated from the socket, and I swear I’m getting sunburn from moaning at the sun. The first few takes were ruined because Romeo couldn’t stop staring at me. I heard them yelling at him to tuck his tongue in his jaw. Then there was Blondie. She exuded anger when she should have been excited that a hot, hunky, rock star needed help with his math homework in order to keep his band intact. Apparently, the lame story revolves around Zeke Fernandez staying in school in exchange for his grandmother’s funding.
Then there was the apparent problem of Blondie getting all the mathematical terms wrong, and Romeo had to keep correcting her. Duh, couldn’t they have hired someone remotely intelligent?
“Last one, last one.” Clicky Boy claps his hands. Sweat is running down his face and he wipes it with his open shirt. Not bad, but not Romeo.
Oops, Romeo caught me looking and he’s giving me a snort. Come on, hold it together. I don’t want to do another take. My feet screaming ‘bloody hell,’ I line up at the tail of the snake. My helmet feels like an iron ball and my clothes are glued onto my sweaty back. Even my inner thighs complain. Fireproof steel lined material isn’t exactly suited for walking.
Miraculously, that last trudge up the path toward knowledge of good and evil passes the muster. The director picks up his megaphone and dismisses all the extras, me included.
Clicky Boy rushes to my side. “You were great. If anyone asks, I discovered you. Don’t forget to collect your fifty dollar bill.”
What the eff? All that sweating was worth only fifty dollars? Before I can comment, Clicky sweeps me into his arms and kisses me. Oh, wonderful. Not. I’m sure my mother, father, two sisters and brother are watching with extreme disapproval.
I’m ripped back by a strong grip. Romeo throws a fist and Clicky is on the floor holding his jaw. The crowd gasps in horror and shock, some holding cell phone cameras while others point and gawk.
“She’s mine.” Romeo grunts like a twenty-first century caveman and leads me away, pushing and cutting through the crowd.
He straddles his bike. “Get on.”
Can we use words instead of fists? And more than two words at a time?
“Where?” I can’t spare words either. I shove the helmet over my head and mount in back of him.
“Vegan Palace.”
Chapter 8
“Hold it a second.” I yank Romeo’s shoulder as soon as we arrive in the Vegan Palace parking lot and remove our helmets.
“What?” He tilts his head at the green carved wooden doors. “You wanted vegan.”
“I’m not going in there all hot and pissed off.” I unzip my onerous leather jacket and fan the damp camisole underneath.
“Then, don’t be pissed.” His eyes crinkle with lustful delight. “Wow, you’ve really filled in.”
That was really inappropriate. Clue to Romeo. Never comment on a woman’s body as being filled in.
I huff and wipe the sweat off my nose. “I’m not sure what’s going on. We’re practically strangers and we’re fighting like we mean something. You didn’t have to punch that guy.”
“You didn’t have to kiss him.”
“I didn’t kiss him. He kind of surprised me,” I mumble even though no explanation is needed. “And please, spare the caveman act.”
I step off the bike and walk away from him.
“This isn’t an act.” He grabs my arm and pulls me close. “I want to make it work this time.”
“Huh?” My stomach chooses this moment to growl. Make what work? Is he talking about a hot torrid affair or something more emotional?
Romeo tips my chin and lays a kiss on my compliant lips. “We can talk all evening, but right now, let’s get some cattle grub.”
“Doesn’t sound so healthy when you put it that way.” I follow Romeo into the Garden of Vegetarian Delight. Yes, there’s a cheesy sign with a laughing goddess pointing the way. Water fountains trickle amongst statues of frogs, fairies, and dolphins. The hostess asks if we want patio seating. Romeo looks at me and I readily agree.
It isn’t until I’m finally seated across the table, a small, intimate table lit with a single candle, that the nerves hit me, literally flooring me. The past few days seem unreal, like a movie on fast forward. Event, drama, action, yelling, drama, cut!
I’m actually on a date with Romeo, the boy who buried himself in my heart the first day of kindergarten when he gave me a yellow dandelion. Romeo, who wiped me with a napkin in second grade when I threw up on the bus. Romeo, who pledged his love to me in sixth grade by giving me his holographic Charizard Pokemon card. But once we hit junior high school, we went underground, as if we knew our parents would disapprove, and we’d sneak kisses behind the bungalows, cut class to smoke, and ride down to the beach on his motorbike.
My hands shake, growing clammy. My throat tightens and my heart skips many beats. I sip ice water while cold sweat breaks out on my forehead. It’s the first time since running into him at my parent’s restaurant that I’m getting a really good look at him. And he’s movie star handsome, because dunce that I am, he is a movie star. Okay, a low budget drama star, but still, this guy acts for a living.
Mr. Big Movie Star reaches over and rubs my hands. “They’re cold. Are you okay?”
“Doing fine.” I have difficulty swallowing, even though his hands are warm and comforting. “I can’t believe you’re here. I keep thinking this is a dream and I’m going to wake up.”
“I’m not the one going anywhere. Why did you leave?”
Uh oh. He wants to go there and we haven’t even ordered. Heat flushes my face and I take another sip of water to bide my time. I make eye contact with the waitress and hold it until she takes out her order book and steps toward us.
“Hi, I’m Sherease, your server. Would you like cocktails or an appetizer, or are you ready to order?”
Sherease looks flustered because Romeo ignores her. His gaze is focused on me, and she knows I signaled her over to interrupt an intense moment. It’s what waitresses do. We’re attuned to our customers and pay attention to their body language. Otherwise, how do we appear at just the right moment with a drink refill or to bring over the dessert tray?
“I’d like a cocktail, a blue mai tai. Romeo?”
“I’m ready to order.” Romeo plops the unread menu on the table. “What do you recommend?”
I kick his shin and he shoots me a scowl. He can be rude when he doesn’t get his way. Being the only child is no excuse.
“Is this your first time at Vegan Palace?” Sherease puts on a kindergarten teacher voice guaranteed to annoy him further.
“Definitely. I only came because of her.” He hooks his thumb my direction.
I shoot him a closed-mouthed smile.
“What are some of your favorite foods?” The waitress bends over him so close her boobs are practically in his face. She flips through the menu. “Let’s see, we have Italian, Mexican, Indian, and Asia
n entrees.”
“I like roast pig.”
“You just had that the other night.” I tap his shin again. “And it’s not vegetarian.”
“Oh, goodie,” Sherease squeals. “You must try our vegan pulled pork.”
“Seriously?” Romeo’s eyes widen and he stares at where Sherease is pointing. “That looks like the real thing. What’s in it?”
“Secret ingredient. How about this? I’ll tell you after you taste it. I’m sure you’ll love it.” She drags out the word ‘love’ and winks.
I order a Thai peanut curry over noodles and we settle on artichoke spinach dip for the appetizer.
As soon as Sherease saunters off, Romeo says, “Are you going to tell me or what?”
“Keep this up, bucko, and this is one nightmare I’ll be glad to wake from. Can we just have a nice dinner and get reacquainted?”
“And then you’ll tell me?”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Romeo can be single-minded, pigheaded, and has a hard time backing off. But I owe him an explanation. I practically left him at the altar.
“Yes, we’ll have a long talk after dinner. Can you wait?”
“Okay, but you’re mine tonight. No running off.” He tucks in a napkin and when Sherease returns with my mai tai, he orders a beer. Much better.
Dinner arrives and it’s better than I thought. Romeo is impressed with the “pulled pork” and when Sherease tells him it’s jackfruit, he practically falls off his chair. “I’ve been eating fruit? Evie, can you get the recipe? Maybe you can add it to your menu.”
“Oh, you have a restaurant too?” Sherease asks, handing us the dessert card. “Where?”
“Barrio XO. It’s Filipino and I swear, we have meat in every dish, even our vegetable dishes.”
“For example?” Her eyebrow quirks.
“Kangkong leaves sautéed with minced pork and crispy tofu, or bitter melon with scrambled eggs and shrimp paste.”
Spring Into Love Page 30