As our meal comes to a close, he wipes his face and fixes me with a gaze that I know means business.
“What’s up?”
“I wanted to get your thoughts on something.”
“Oh-kay,” I say, a little worried that he’s going to want to show me one of his new moves and start breakdancing in the nearly-empty restaurant.
“I got my DNA tested and found out I’m related to Angel Jimenez, a big-deal performer.”
My brow lifts. “Oh.”
“He owned a circus named Jumpin’ Jimenez in Mexico and did tricks that haven’t been replicated since.”
“That’s really cool.”
“I was, ah, thinking of starting it up again.”
I blink at him as I mull over his words.
“I know it sounds crazy, but I have a real legacy out there I never knew about, and ever since I found out, it’s been eating me up inside.”
“What happened to Angel, your relative?”
“Oh, he died when a cannon misfired.”
Sometimes, there are no words.
“I guess the first step is saving up for a bus of my own, but I don’t want to make a move without telling Carl first. I’d hate it if he thought I was trying to compete with him when all I want is to head south and reclaim my legacy.”
“I don’t think that’s the impression he’ll get when he hears your plan.”
A relieved look washes over his face, and I suddenly realize he’s serious. Dead serious.
And as crazy as his idea sounds, I get it. Hunks have been a lifeline to many of us, and I wouldn’t give up a single moment of my time aboard the bus, but we all know that it won’t last forever.
“When do you think you’ll make your move?”
He drums his fingers on the table. “Not sure, but I wanted you to be the first to know.”
Having been so miserable the last few months, it feels good to see true joy, and I want to help nurture it.
I open my bag, take out my checkbook, and write him a check for five thousand dollars. “Deposit this into your circus fund.”
His brow pinches together. “I can’t take this.”
“Sure you can. You’ve been there for me through thick and thin, and I aim to be there for you, too.”
His eyes flicker with conflict. “But you have the baby, and your mom’s medical bills.”
“My mom’s medical bills have been settled. My sister got a call just a few days ago. Apparently, they’d made a few mistakes, and to make up for all the stress they caused, they wiped the slate clean.”
“You don’t say?”
“Swear to God.”
He shakes his head from side to side. “That just doesn’t happen.”
“Yeah, well, it did, and I’m not going to argue with them.”
