“Hey, pendejas! Am I interrupting anything?”
I look toward the door to see Maria standing there. This is just what I need. A distraction from my already crumbling world and patience.
“No, not at all.” I glare at Valentina, who only smiles back at me, seemingly amused.
“Mm-hmm,” Maria says, unconvinced. Suddenly, her eyes widen. “Is that Roberto’s book?” she yelps.
“Yes! Let’s talk about it…outside,” I suggest, trying to find any reason to get out of this stuffy cabin. I need some fresh air.
Finally, I’m able to peel myself from the spot, but I almost don’t want to move. I want to linger in those weird feelings for a second longer. Figure out what the hell happened. Or maybe I’m just overthinking it like I do everything in my life. I grab the book and follow Maria outside.
We pass by a few guests, some of whom I don’t recognize. One stares at me a bit too long, almost as if she’s glaring at me.
Maria snorts. “Damn, Isa. You already made an enemy.”
I scoff. “Shut up,” I say. “She probably doesn’t know who I am and was trying to figure it out.”
Walking toward the dock, we’re distracted by the staff running around preparing the area for dinner. There are even a few servers standing around holding trays of food.
“Oh shit. Hors d’oeuvres!” Maria shouts as she runs over to one of the servers.
“Maria! I’m sure it’s for dinner, don’t take any.”
“Actually, we’ve been hired to have these trays available at any time of the day,” the server says with a rehearsed smile.
“See?” Maria grins. “Damn, Sofia went all out.”
I watch as Maria grabs nearly half the tray of smoked trout croquettes.
“Thanks! Keep ’em coming,” Maria shouts to the waiter as we walk away.
I regret not bringing a jacket with me, as the temperatures have already dropped significantly. A shiver develops deep in my muscles. But despite it feeling so brisk, it feels…nice. Probably because I was getting so hot inside the cabin, but I need this—this wake-up call. I was so lost in that back-and-forth with Valentina that I had already forgotten my purpose for being here. I clutch my father’s book tightly.
“So, are you two getting along?” Maria asks.
I shrug.
“That bad, huh?” She laughs.
“She’s just so immature. Why can’t I just stay with you? I’ll bring my cot.”
“Our cabin is full and I don’t want to smell your feet all night.”
“My feet do not smell,” I protest.
“Besides, clearly Sofia put you with her there for a reason. Maybe she wants you to hash it out and be friends again? You’ve hated her since the dress incident, but before that we were all practically besties. Give her a chance, pendeja.”
“She’s messy, too,” I say, ignoring her. “Did you see the cabin?”
“It didn’t look messy to me.” Maria chuckles, knowing we have different tidiness standards. “You’re too picky, Isa.”
“Well, it was to me. She refused to let me sleep on the bed instead, and when I finally caved and suggested she at least give me the blanket, she wrapped herself in it. Can you believe that?”
Maria laughs even harder.
“It’s not funny! She’s ridiculous. I just need to focus on why I’m here. To save the restaurant and prove everyone wrong.”
“What are they wrong about?” Maria asks.
