“She knew your palate was plebeian.”
“Why is it black?”
“It’s dark brown.”
“The squid isn’t. Why can’t I have the breaded stuff?”
“Just give it a go!”
I pout.
“Don’t think you can get away with that.”
“I took you to thatchurrosplace for breakfast and you pay me back with squid rice?”
She giggles and that makes the dish in front of me seem less like her idea of torture. Just. “You’re so unadventurous. I knew it before, but I need to fix this. My future h—” She breaks off. Abruptly. But suddenly my appetite’s roaring to life. Future ‘h’? There aren’t that many words that could be. “No way can my boyfriend not like seafood.”
“You know I hate fish.”
“You hateNorthAmericanfish dishes. This is better.”
“That makes no sense.”
“You don’t like Blue Crab, babe. And your idea of a chowder is corn, not clam. There’s definitely something wrong with you. But this isdifferent. They caught this this morning and had it shipped in from… well, wherever the ocean is.”
“Real accurate.”
“Hey, I’m a cartographer in my spare time. Eat!”
Her sass has me squinting at the dish again. “What do I get for trying it?”
“What do you want me to say? A blowjob?”
“Yup! I’m in.” I pick up the squid ring—it’s purple and squidy and reminds me of Helmie’s earlobe now that she’s taken out her gauge piercing because ‘she’s too old to be a punk.’ Her words, not mine.
“I don’t believe you,” she says around a laugh, but she watches me with curiosity as I sample the plate of food.
My nose scrunches then relaxes then scrunches again. “I like the rice.”
“Of course you do.” She rolls her eyes and delves into her white fishal pil pil. Which, in all honesty, looks like I jizzed on her fish, but she oohs and ahhs and coos so I have to assume it’s good.
When she promises to stick a finger up my ass too, I accept a bite and my eyes widen. “Can we switch?”
“What’s my payment?”
“I’ll tongue fuck you until you come three times?”
“Deal.”
We switch plates.
“What doesalpil pilmean?”
“It’s the sound of the olive oil hitting the heated pan before they put the cod in. The skin releases gelatin that emulsifies with the oil to make the sauce.”
I squint at it. “Gelatin?”
“Oh, my god. You’re worse than my brothers!”
