"I'm okay. I can grab something later."
"I'll make you something," her mom said decisively, moving toward the refrigerator. Her dad watched her go with obvious appreciation. He had always been a hopeless romantic.
In his midfifties, he was neither thin nor fat. He had little gray in his hair, but Maria noticed a lingering, almost constant weariness, the effect of too much work for too many years. Tonight he seemed even less energetic than usual.
"Making you dinner makes her feel like she's still important to you," he said.
"Of course she's still important to me. Why would she think otherwise?"
"Because you don't need her the way you once did."
"I'm not a child."
"But she'll always be your mother," he said firmly. He motioned toward the table on the porch. "Do you want to sit outside and enjoy some wine? Your mom and I were having a glass."
"I can get it," she said. "Let me talk to Mom for a bit and I'll meet you out there."
While her dad returned to the porch, she retrieved a glass from the cupboard and poured herself some wine before sidling up to her mother. By then, Carmen had loaded up a casserole dish with pot roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a biscuit--enough calories for a couple of days, Maria estimated--and was sliding the dish into the oven. For whatever reason--maybe because it was something they never served at the restaurant--her dad loved pot roast and mashed potatoes.
"I'm so glad you came by," her mom said. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," Maria said. She leaned against the counter and took a sip of wine. "I just wanted to surprise you."
"So you say. But something must have happened," she said. "You never visit us during the week."
"That's why it's a surprise."
Carmen evaluated her before crossing over to the counter and retrieving her own wineglass. "Is it your sister?"
"Is what my sister?"
"She didn't get turned down for the scholarship, did she?"
"You know about that?"
Carmen motioned to a letter tacked up on the refrigerator. "It's exciting, isn't it? She told us about it last night. The director will be coming to dinner this Saturday."
"Really?"
"We wanted to meet him," she said. "The letter says that she's one of the semifinalists. But back to your sister. What happened? If it's not about that, then it must have something to do with a boy. She's not in trouble, is she?"
Her mom was talking so fast that even Maria had trouble keeping up. "Serena's fine, as far as I know."
"Ah." Her mother nodded. "Good. It's something at your work, then. You're the one having problems."
"Work is... work. Why would you think there's a problem?"
"Because you came straight here afterwards."
"So?"
"That's what you've always done whenever something was bothering you. Don't you remember? Even in college, if you thought you got a bad grade, or when you were having trouble with your roommate your freshman year, or whenever you fought with Luis, you always came here. Mothers remember those kinds of things."
Huh, she thought. I never realized that. She changed the subject. "I think you worry too much."
"And I think I know my daughter."
Maria smiled. "How's Dad?"
"He's been quiet since he got home. He had to fire two people this week."
"What did they do?"
"Same old stuff. One of the dishwashers skipped a couple of shifts, and one of the waiters was letting his friends eat for free. You know how it goes. But it's still hard on your father. He wants to trust everyone, and he's always disappointed when people let him down. It wears on him. When he got home today, he took a nap instead of taking Copo out for a walk."
"Maybe he needs to see a doctor."
"That's what we were talking about when you came in."
"What does he say?"
"He says he'll go. But you know him. Unless I make the appointment, he'll never get around to it."
"Do you want me to call for you?"
"Would you mind?"
"Of course not," Maria answered. Because of her mom's language skills, she'd been making appointments ever since she was a young girl. "It's still Dr. Clark, right?"
Her mom nodded. "And schedule him for a full physical if you can."
"He's not going to like that."
"No, but he needs one. It's been almost three years."
"He shouldn't wait that long. He's got high blood pressure. And last year, he had those chest pains and he couldn't work for a week."
"I know, and you know, but he's stubborn and he insists his heart is fine. Maybe you can talk some sense into him." Her mom reached over and opened the oven; satisfied, she put on an oven mitt and pulled out the casserole dish before beginning to load up a plate for Maria.
"That's plenty," she said, trying to limit the quantity.
"You need to eat," her mom insisted, continuing to pile food on the plate while Maria retrieved some utensils. "Let's go sit with your father."
Outside at the table, a citronella candle was burning to keep the mosquitoes at bay. The night was as perfect as her dad had promised, with only the slightest breeze and a sky embroidered with stars. Copo sat in her father's lap, snoring slightly while his hand moved rhythmically through her fur. Maria began to cut a hunk of the pot roast into smaller pieces.
"I heard what happened today," Maria started, initiating a stream of conversation encompassing the restaurant, local news, and the latest family gossip. In an extended family like theirs, there was always some kind of drama worth talking about and dissecting. By the time Maria had finished dinner--no more than a quarter of the plate--the crickets had begun their evening melody.
"You look like you got some sun last weekend."
"I went paddleboarding after we had brunch."
"With your new friend?" her mom inquired. "The one from the pier?"
At Maria's startled expression, her mom shrugged. "I heard you and Serena talking. Your sister can be kind of loud sometimes."
Serena strikes again, Maria thought. She hadn't wanted to bring it up, but she couldn't deny it now, could she? Even her father appeared to have a sudden heightened interest in the conversation.
"His name's Colin." Then, knowing her parents would press for more but not wanting them to delve too deeply, she went on. "Serena knows him from her classes, and when she and I had dinner on Saturday, Colin was tending bar there. We got to talking at the pier and decided to meet up on Sunday."
"He's in college? How old is he?"
"He's my age. He didn't start college until a couple of years ago. He wants to become a teacher."
"Serena said he was very handsome," her mother commented with a mischievous smile.
Thanks, Serena. Next time, lower your voice. "He is."
"And you had a good time?"
"It was a lot of fun."
"When can we meet him?"
"Don't you think it's a little early for that?" Maria said.
"It depends. Are you going out again?"
"Uh, yes... on Saturday."
"Then we should meet him. You should invite him to brunch on Sunday."
Maria opened her mouth and then closed it again. There was no way her parents were ready for Colin, especially when there'd be no chance at escape. The thought that Colin would answer whatever questions they asked with his usual directness was enough to give her heart palpitations. She smiled at her dad with a trace of desperation.
"Why did he wait so long to go to college?" he asked.
She considered the best way to answer while still telling the truth. "He didn't figure out that he wanted to be a teacher until a couple of years ago."
Of her parents, her dad had always been better at reading between the lines, and she suspected he would continue to press for more details about Colin's past. But he was interrupted by the faint but audible ringing of a cell phone in the kitchen.
"Oh, that's me," she said, thanking Go
d for the reprieve. "Let me get that."
Rising from the table, she raced into the kitchen. Pulling her phone from her bag, she saw Colin's name. She felt like a teenager as she pressed the button and raised the phone to her ear.
"Hey there," she said, "I was just talking about you." She paced the living room as they talked, catching up on how each had spent their day. As in person, he was an attentive listener, and when he sensed something in her voice, she found herself telling him about the incident with Ken. He grew quiet then, and when she asked whether he'd be interested in meeting her for lunch, he said he'd love to and asked what time he should pick her up at the office. She smiled, knowing that it would give her story more credence with Ken, and was secretly thrilled at the idea of seeing Colin so soon. When she hung up the phone, she had the sense that despite what her parents would no doubt think, Colin might be just what she needed in her life right now.
She returned to the porch, where her parents were still waiting at the table.
"Sorry," she said, reaching for her wineglass. "That was Colin."
"And he called just to say hello?"
Maria nodded. "We're going to lunch tomorrow."
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. Her mother could never comprehend why anyone would consider going anywhere else besides the family restaurant.
"Wonderful," her mom said. "I'll make something special for the two of you."
CHAPTER 9
Colin
Really?" Evan called out, leaning over the porch rail as Colin crossed the yard. "You went running again?"
Colin was still breathing hard as he veered toward the porch, finally slowing to a walk. He pulled up his shirt to wipe his face before peering up at his friend. "I didn't run earlier today."
"You worked out this afternoon. And this morning."
"That was at the gym."
"So?"
"It's not the same," he answered, knowing that Evan really didn't care one way or the other. Instead, he nodded toward the front door. "Why aren't you inside with Lily?"
"Because my house smells."
"What does this have to do with me?"
"How about the fact that I can smell the stench from your clothes wafting up through the vents like a green, putrid fog? Instead of heading out to run, you should have done a load of laundry. Or better yet, you should start burning your workout clothes on a daily basis. Lily actually thought there was a dead mouse in the pantry. Or that the sewage had backed up."
Colin smiled. "I'll get right to it."
"Hurry up. And then meet me back over here. Lily wants to talk to you."
"Why?"
"I have no idea. She wouldn't tell me. But if I was to guess, I'd say it's about your girlfriend."
"I don't have a girlfriend."
"Whatever. The point is, she wants to talk to you."
"Why?
"Because she's Lily," Evan said, sounding exasperated. "She probably wants to ask whether you've handwritten a card to Maria with fancy calligraphy. Or she'll offer to help you select the perfect silk scarf for Maria's birthday. Or she wants to make sure you use the right spoon for your soup if you take her to the country club. You know how she is. But she brought home an extra bag, and she won't tell me what's in it."
"Why not?"
"Stop asking questions that I can't answer!" Evan sighed. "All I know for sure is that every time I tried to make my move, she told me that I had to wait. Because of you. And just so you know? I'm not happy about it. I was really looking forward to tonight. I needed tonight. I've had a crappy day."
"Okay."
Evan scowled at Colin's answer. "Why was it crappy, you ask?" he said, mimicking Colin. "Gee, thanks for asking, Colin. I appreciate your empathy. You plainly care about my well-being." He stared down at his friend. "It turns out that there was a terrible jobs report this morning, and the market tanked. And though I have no control over those things, I was nonetheless on the phone all afternoon with upset clients. And then, I get home and my house smells like a locker room, and now I have to wait for her to talk to you before my night can really begin."
"Let me change first. I'll be over in a couple of minutes."
"I surely hope not," Lily said to Colin, suddenly appearing next to Evan on the porch, wearing a yellow sundress. She slid her hand into her fiance's and smiled up at him sweetly. "You wouldn't think of letting him come over without a chance to shower, would you, Evan? The poor man is practically soaked through. We can surely wait a few more minutes. Merely allowing him to change his clothes wouldn't be proper."
When Evan didn't answer, Colin cleared his throat. "She does have a point, Evan. It wouldn't be proper."
Evan glared. "Fine. Go shower. And start your laundry. And then come over."
"Oh, don't be so hard on him," Lily scolded. "It's not his fault that you invested your clients' money in the wrong companies."
She secretly winked at Colin.
"I didn't invest in the wrong companies! It wasn't my fault! Everything was down today."
"I'm just teasing you, sugar," she drawled. "I know you had an awful day and that it wasn't your fault. That mean old Mr. Market just took advantage of you, didn't he?"
"You're not helping," Evan said.
Lily turned her attention to Colin again.
"Have you spoken to your lady friend today?" she asked.
"I talked to her before I went running."
"Did you bring flowers to her office like I recommended?"
"No."
"Candy?"
"No."
"Whatever am I going to do with you?"
"I don't know."
She smiled before tugging Evan's hand. "We'll see you in a few minutes, okay?"
Colin watched them head back inside before entering his apartment. He stripped on his way to the bathroom and added his clothes to the laundry pile, noting that Evan was right. The pile reeked. He started a load of laundry and hopped in the shower. Afterward, he threw on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt before making his way back to Evan's.
Evan and Lily were sitting beside each other on the couch. Of the two, it was clear that Lily was the only one who was happy Colin was there.
"Colin! I'm so pleased you could join us," Lily said, rising from her spot, obviously ignoring the fact that they'd just talked. "May we offer you something to drink?"
"Water, please."
"Evan? Will you please get Colin some water?"
"Why?" Evan asked, leaning back, his arm over the top of the couch. "He knows where it is. He can get his own water."
Lily turned toward him. "It's your home. And you're the host."
"I didn't ask him to come over. You did."
"Evan?"
The way she said his name made it plain that Evan had no choice in the matter. That and the way she looked, of course. She was not only far and away the most beautiful woman Evan had ever dated, but she was well versed in the ways of using her appearance to her advantage.
"Fine," he grumbled, rising from the couch. "I'll get him a glass of water."
Evan slouched off toward the kitchen.
"With ice, please," Colin called out.
Evan scowled over his shoulder before Colin took a seat in the easy chair across from Lily.
"How are you this evening?" she asked.
"Okay."
"And Maria?"
Earlier on the phone, Maria had told him what had happened with her boss Ken Martenson and as he'd listened, Colin had found his jaw beginning to clench. Though he'd kept his voice steady, he'd imagined having a little talk with Ken, the kind that made it clear that it was in Ken's best interest to stop bothering her. He hadn't said that to Maria, but when he found himself grinding his teeth after hanging up, he'd thrown on his workout gear and gone running. It wasn't until he'd nearly finished his run that he'd begun to feel normal again.
That wasn't, however, what Lily had asked him.
"I spoke to her just a little while ago."<
br />
"And she's doing well?"
He thought about her job situation, but it wasn't his place to share that information. It was her life, her story, not his.
"I think she was glad to hear from me," he said truthfully.
"You hadn't called her?"
"I called her Sunday night. After I talked to you and Evan."
"And you didn't call her on either Monday or Tuesday?"
"I was working."
"You could have called on the way to or from work. Or on your break. Or on your way to class or the gym."
"Yes."
"But you didn't."
"No. But we're going to lunch tomorrow."
"Really? Someplace special, I hope."
"I haven't really thought about it."
Lily didn't bother to hide her disappointment. Evan reentered the room with a large glass of ice water. He thrust it out for Colin.
"Thanks, Evan," Colin said. "You didn't have to do that. I could have gotten it."
"Ha, ha," Evan answered as he sat back down. Then, to Lily: "Now, what did you want to talk to him about?"
"We were discussing his lunch date tomorrow. Colin has informed me that he and Maria will be dining together."
"My advice? Make sure your car starts," Evan said.
Lily glanced with disapproval in his direction. "My primary concern has to do with his date this weekend, and I wanted to discuss the matter with him."
"Why?" Evan asked.
"Because the first true evening one spends with the other is a critical time in any relationship," she answered, as though it were obvious. "Had Colin simply invited Maria to dinner or perhaps to walk the promenade downtown, I would have no worries at all. Or had he suggested that the four of us go out together, I'm sure that the conversation would be so engaging that Maria would have a wonderful time as well. Alas, Colin is going to be on his own and he's bringing Maria to a club, though I am certain that issue has already been addressed."
Evan raised his eyebrow. Colin said nothing.
Lily focused her attention on Colin again. "I asked you to visit with us this evening because I was curious if you have any experience or even familiarity with salsa dancing."
"No."
"Then, most likely, what you also don't know is that salsa is a partner dance."
"That's what dancing is," Evan cut in.
Lily ignored her fiance. "Salsa dancing can be very enjoyable if the couple practices together," she explained. "But since that's not possible in this situation, you will have to do the best you can, and there are things you have to know. Like the way to move your feet, or lead your partner in a spin, or offer her the chance to separate and perform a few moves on her own, all the while making it feel as though it is a natural part of the dance all along. If you don't do those things, it will be almost impossible to impress her."
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