nose. My eyelids burned.
“I know enough, believe me. I’ve got two eyes. I see how you’ve been looking at her lately.” She chuckled to herself. “And don’t even try to deny it.”
My fingers froze on my nose.
Elena stopped kneading the dough and wiped her forehead with her apron. The kitchen had become warmer than usual. “She’s special, Carlos. I can tell these things. She just doesn’t know it.”
I replaced my surprise with more nonchalance. I shook my head and chuckled. “How do you know all this, hermana ? Since when did you become a…a psychologist?”
Elena pointed her spatula at me. “You’re going to have to trust me, hermano . I know these things. And no one knows you better than me.” Her chin lifted. “But hear me on this—a girl like that won’t wait forever.”
My nostrils flared. “But she probably already has a boyfriend.” And she stares at Max Kramer every morning .
Elena signed. “Nope, she doesn’t.”
“How do you know?”
“I overheard her talking to her sister. She was trying to fix up Grace with one of her boyfriend’s friends.” Elena sniffed triumphantly when my jaw dropped.
My mouth snapped shut. Then I swallowed back some unexpected jealousy. I lowered my eyes to my book but concentrating was impossible, especially with that zinger.
Elena returned to her bowl.
Finally I blurted, “Well, did she?”
A tiny smile lifted her lips. “Did she what?” Her eyes blinked wide with innocence.
“Did she date the dude?”
“Who?”
I frowned at her.
Elena laughed. “No, she didn’t.” She cut the dough in three-inch squares. “But, like I said, Carlos. A girl doesn’t wait around forever. You should ask her out for this weekend.”
“I have a fight on Saturday night.”
She stopped cutting the dough and glared. “When are you going to quit fighting, Carlos? You’re getting too old for that.”
Elena didn’t like that I competed in mixed martial arts fights at the downtown city gym, but I’d been doing it since high school, mostly on the weekends and only when I needed the extra cash. Which was often. And I was pretty good in the ring. My wins paid for some of the extras like the brake job for my truck last month, law books, and the down payment on the suit I needed for job interviews with law firms next summer. The older and better I got, the bigger the crowds I could attract, and that meant more money for my family. Everyone always bet against the older fighter in a ring, especially the regulars, even the ones who’d seen me win dozens of times, but I didn’t care. Just so long as I got paid at the end of the night. In cash. I never got too hurt either, just sore hands and ribs for a few days, or the occasional stitch above my eye. One more year of law school though and I’d be done with the ring for good.
“Well, then ask her out for Sunday.”
I didn’t answer. Instead, I changed the topic. “What are you making?”
Her face brightened. “Sopapillas.”
“We haven’t had those in a while.” It was a relief to be off the subject of Grace Mills and my social life. And I still had to study for tomorrow’s Civil Procedures exam and I’d barely skimmed the book. Tossing back a couple of sopapillas with some powdered sugar and a tall glass of cold milk would improve my concentration. My stomach growled as I watched Elena stir hot oil in the frying pan.
“They’re not for us.” Elena plopped several squares into the pan with a large fork. The fat inside the pan sizzled around the dough like a Fourth of July sparkler.
My mouth watered. “Who, then?”
Her back to me, she threw another handful of squares into the sizzling oil. With a satisfied smile in her voice, she said, “You’re taking these to Grace Mills tomorrow and you’re going to ask her out on a proper date.”
My jaw dropped. Again.
She spun around to face me. “And don’t try to wimp out of it.”
Chapter Nine
Grace
For the first time since January, I decided
“I know enough, believe me. I’ve got two eyes. I see how you’ve been looking at her lately.” She chuckled to herself. “And don’t even try to deny it.”
My fingers froze on my nose.
Elena stopped kneading the dough and wiped her forehead with her apron. The kitchen had become warmer than usual. “She’s special, Carlos. I can tell these things. She just doesn’t know it.”
I replaced my surprise with more nonchalance. I shook my head and chuckled. “How do you know all this, hermana ? Since when did you become a…a psychologist?”
Elena pointed her spatula at me. “You’re going to have to trust me, hermano . I know these things. And no one knows you better than me.” Her chin lifted. “But hear me on this—a girl like that won’t wait forever.”
My nostrils flared. “But she probably already has a boyfriend.” And she stares at Max Kramer every morning .
Elena signed. “Nope, she doesn’t.”
“How do you know?”
“I overheard her talking to her sister. She was trying to fix up Grace with one of her boyfriend’s friends.” Elena sniffed triumphantly when my jaw dropped.
My mouth snapped shut. Then I swallowed back some unexpected jealousy. I lowered my eyes to my book but concentrating was impossible, especially with that zinger.
Elena returned to her bowl.
Finally I blurted, “Well, did she?”
A tiny smile lifted her lips. “Did she what?” Her eyes blinked wide with innocence.
“Did she date the dude?”
“Who?”
I frowned at her.
Elena laughed. “No, she didn’t.” She cut the dough in three-inch squares. “But, like I said, Carlos. A girl doesn’t wait around forever. You should ask her out for this weekend.”
“I have a fight on Saturday night.”
She stopped cutting the dough and glared. “When are you going to quit fighting, Carlos? You’re getting too old for that.”
Elena didn’t like that I competed in mixed martial arts fights at the downtown city gym, but I’d been doing it since high school, mostly on the weekends and only when I needed the extra cash. Which was often. And I was pretty good in the ring. My wins paid for some of the extras like the brake job for my truck last month, law books, and the down payment on the suit I needed for job interviews with law firms next summer. The older and better I got, the bigger the crowds I could attract, and that meant more money for my family. Everyone always bet against the older fighter in a ring, especially the regulars, even the ones who’d seen me win dozens of times, but I didn’t care. Just so long as I got paid at the end of the night. In cash. I never got too hurt either, just sore hands and ribs for a few days, or the occasional stitch above my eye. One more year of law school though and I’d be done with the ring for good.
“Well, then ask her out for Sunday.”
I didn’t answer. Instead, I changed the topic. “What are you making?”
Her face brightened. “Sopapillas.”
“We haven’t had those in a while.” It was a relief to be off the subject of Grace Mills and my social life. And I still had to study for tomorrow’s Civil Procedures exam and I’d barely skimmed the book. Tossing back a couple of sopapillas with some powdered sugar and a tall glass of cold milk would improve my concentration. My stomach growled as I watched Elena stir hot oil in the frying pan.
“They’re not for us.” Elena plopped several squares into the pan with a large fork. The fat inside the pan sizzled around the dough like a Fourth of July sparkler.
My mouth watered. “Who, then?”
Her back to me, she threw another handful of squares into the sizzling oil. With a satisfied smile in her voice, she said, “You’re taking these to Grace Mills tomorrow and you’re going to ask her out on a proper date.”
My jaw dropped. Again.
She spun around to face me. “And don’t try to wimp out of it.”
Chapter Nine
Grace
For the first time since January, I decided
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