Page 13 of Cava with My Colleague

Diana, on my other side, reaches out to touch her daughter too, and Carmen’s head whips around to focus on her mom, her feet kicking lightly against my stomach. Carmen gurgles and grabs her mom’s finger too.

The four of us walk along together, connected by Carmen’s firm grip for a moment, until she drops her dad’s hand and brings her mom’s finger to her mouth.

She lets out a little chuff too, and Diana sighs. “Someone is hungry.”

We pull over to a bench and make the complicated maneuvers that allow Diana to get situated nursing her daughter. I sit next to her, and Fernando sits on her other side to look adoringly at his child.

Well, he would have looked adoringly at his child, but instead Carmen turns fussy.

“Aye, you are hungry, little bunny,” Diana insists. “I’m right here.”

“Carmencita,” I coo, stroking her head.

After a few minutes, Carmen finally latches, and the four of us settle back and relax.

“So,” Fernando starts. “Jade? I haven’t met Jade. Is she English or American?”

“Fernando,” I growl.

“She must be attractive and single, otherwise you wouldn’t be so defensive already. Why won’t you ask her out?”

“She’s in her early forties, Fernando. I have a granddaughter.”

“So?”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. There are many reasons I’m not interested in Jade. I’m not willing to tell Fernando about the conversation I overheard, but I am willing to tell him about the lunch thing. He’ll get a laugh out of that.

“I think she steals my lunch.”

Fernando looks up at me, his jaw dropped in astonishment. He throws back his head and laughs. “Why do you think she steals your lunch?”

“Well, someone’s been stealing my lunch. And it started happening right after . . . right after we had a disagreement.”

“Your lunch?” Diana teases.

“My lunch. The one I pack every morning. Leftovers; paella, tortilla. Last week someone took my bocadillo and left the wrapper in the bin.”

“The wrapper?” Fernando is delighted. “So they’re taunting you?” My son shakes his head. “Fifty-six years old and someone is stealing your lunch. Aye, only you, Dad.”

I spread my hands. “What do I do?”

Diana interrupts. “What was the disagreement?”

“What?”

“You said it started after you two had a disagreement. What was the disagreement about? Do you deserve a lunch thief?” The side of Diana’s mouth quirks up.

“No. I . . .” I sigh. Fernando is going to love this. “She asked me out and I said no.”

Diana and Fernando look at each other and then burst out in laughter. Carmen makes a fussy noise and Diana subdues herself.

“And you think that’s why she’s stealing your lunch?” Fernando asks.

“It started the very next day,” I defend. A few times I’ve gone to her office to see if she’s eating my lunch but she always has the door closed or is away.

“Maybe you didn’t let her down gently,” Diana muses.

“I know how to let a woman down gently.”