“JuJu, I’ve been dreaming about this since I was six years old.” Hetakes my hand, pulls me away from the Cup. “Come on. Let’s go. I’ve tortured myself enough for one day.”
We leaveand step back into the cold. The sun is higher now, bright and sharp.
“Thank you,” I say. “For sharing that with me.”
“You’re welcome. Sorry I was weird about the Cup.”
“Don’t apologize. It was—” I pause. “It was good to see you care about something that much.”
He looks at me for a long moment, something shifting. “I care about you, Juju.”
My breath catches. “Rodriguez?—”
“I’m not—” He stops then starts again. “I’m just saying. In case you were wondering. I care about you. A lot.”
The wind picks up, bitter cold, but I barely feel it.
“I care about you, too,” I say quietly.
“Good,” he says. “Now come on. I’m starving.”
Chef’s Hall is packed.A dozen different food stalls line the perimeter.
Rodriguez heads straight for one stall.
“Gourmet hot dogs,” he says, staring at the menu. “JuJu. Look at this menu.”
I scan the options. “They certainly have a lot of hot dogs if that’s what you’re in the mood for.”
He’s already pulling out his wallet. “Who’s never not in the mood for a hot dog? What are you getting?”
“Maybe the Canada dog?”
He stops and turns to stare at me. “The Canada dog.”
“Yeah. It looks good.”
“Juliette. That one has ketchup on it.”
“So?”
“So ketchup doesn’t belong on hot dogs. That’s—it’s sacrilege. I’m from Chicago. We have rules about this.”
“It’s a hot dog, Rodriguez. Not a religion.”
“It’s both.” He’s looking at me like I just committed a crime. “You can’t get the one with ketchup. Get literally any other one. Anything but ketchup.”
“I want the Canada dog.”
“Fine. You know what? I’m getting this one.” He points. “The one with blueberry jam and brie cheese. To prove a point.”
“What point?”
“That there are acceptable toppings that aren’t ketchup.”
We order. I get my Canada dog. He gets his blueberry jam monstrosity. Rodriguez takes a bite and makes a face.
“How is it?” I ask, biting down on my lip because he’s clearly disgusted by his food.
