“Okay. Have a good night.” He hugged her, then walked away.
Thousands of tacos later, the event finally wound down. It hadgone wonderfully, and everyone had loved her food. She’d even had a well-known critic fromSan Diego Magazinestop by and sample her cooking. He’d raved about it, so Julieta hoped she would get a good review. Or at the very least a shout-out on Instagram.
The stars overhead illuminated the night. This was it. The final decision. Should she go home and be responsible? Or meet the handsome stranger in the garden?
Julieta was always dependable and, well, boring. What would it be like to be reckless for once? Follow her heart instead of her head? Lose herself in the moment instead of stressing about the future?
Julieta closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, a technique she had learned when she had been stressed working at her previous high-end restaurant.
When she opened her eyes, she wanted to see Romeo again.
Now she just had to ditch Mamá, which was easier said than done. Ever since Papá had died, Julieta had spent all her extra time at home with Mamá—they even lived together. Julieta had begun to accept how codependent they were. Especially with the prospect of her restaurant closing, she needed to expand her horizons and her circle of friends. Her life was work and her family. With Papá gone and her restaurant endangered, how would she fill her days? Watching telenovelas with Mamá?
Julieta wrapped up some extra food. Why let it go bad? She prepared two more fish tacos and covered them in foil. Mamá flashed her a suspicious look but remained silent. Romeo had given her a rose and sang her a song—the least she could do was feed him. As Mamá always said, “Barriga llena, corazón contento.” Julieta agreed, the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach.
As Julieta packed up their mobile kitchen into the van, she turned to Mamá. “Do you mind going home alone? I want to stay here for a bit.”
Mamá’s brow furrowed. “By yourself? Who are those tacos for?”
“For me—I didn’t get a chance to eat. And I won’t be alone. I’ll catch up with Tiburón,” Julieta lied, and instinctively touched her nose. Thankfully, it didn’t grow any bigger.
“Ay. With his friends? Those borrachos.”
“They’re not drunks, Amá. That’s not fair. They’re young. They drink. I doubt they’ll end up like—”
Julieta literally bit her tongue. She would not disparage Papá on the day she was supposed to honor him.
Mamá leveled Julieta with her eyes.
Dammit. Why had Julieta said that? It was true, but still. Guilt consumed her.
She should call it a night and go home. She had to prepare herself for whatever would happen tomorrow.
But right now, she just wanted to forget about her problems.
Mamá shook her head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
This was harder than Julieta had thought it would be. She was a twenty-nine-year-old woman, not a child. She didn’t have to ask permission, of course, but she still did so, out of respect. “People are hanging around. I’ll be fine. Tiburón will drive me home.”
Mamá threw up her hands. “Fine. But be safe. Stay in well-lit areas.” She dug into her purse, grabbed something, and handed it to Julieta. “Take this.”
Julieta looked down. “Mace! Amá, I don’t need Mace.”
A homeless man walked by them and spat in their direction.
Well, on second thought, maybe she did.
“Fine.” She tucked it into her purse and kissed Mamá on the cheek. “Buenas noches.”
Mamá waved goodbye and drove out of the parking lot.
Once she was out of sight, Julieta leisurely walked back to the garden... already second-guessing her decision.
What was she doing? She was so foolish. Romeo was probably not there. And even if he was, did she want to share secret kisses with a man who was clearly a professional Don Juan?
Ugh, yes. Yes, she did.
Even so, she should’ve gone home with Mamá. Or met with Tiburón. And Pablo. Yes, Pablo. He was a good, safe choice. And at least she knew him. Knew his family. Hell, knew his real name.
