Page 30 of My Heart Belongs to You

“Joseph just left and he’s convinced I’ll be ready for a relationship after my exam.”

Adrienne chortled. “And how is this my fault?”

“You’re the one who encouraged me to start seeing him.”

“Well, what else was I supposed to do? Tell you to not go out with the first guy you’d been interested in since the breakup?” The humor in her voice had me smiling.

“Ah. Thank you for that.”

“Anytime, mamí. What did you say to him?”

“I told him I wouldn’t be ready for a relationship anytime soon and he offered to give me time to think.”

“Joseph,” she droned. “He stopped by the truck a few times, asking for advice. I never give him too much, just enough to draw his own conclusions.”

“So he thinks waiting around is smart?”

“I don’t want to be in the middle, Robyn.”

“I’m not the reason you’re caught in the middle.”

I laughed, not feeling an ounce of sympathy for her. Joseph shouldn’t have gone to my friend behind my back in hopes of learning more about me. And Adrienne didn’t have to take the bait.

“He thinks I have a certain loyalty to him since I introduced y’all.”

During lunch hour, I worked at the register while Adrienne and her sous chef prepared the orders. I had a few snafus at the register, mostly user error, which made the wait time longer than usual. When Joseph came to the window, he seemed disappointed to see me. I made a cute joke that had Adrienne peeking over her shoulder to see what was going on.

At the sound of his voice, Adrienne came to the window and explained that I was covering for another employee. He nodded in understanding, then continued giving me a hard time by ordering “his usual.”

Adrienne laughed at our exchange before telling me what he ordered. I couldn’t deny the chemistry between us but didn’t expect anything more after giving him his food. I covered the register a few more times, giving me and Joseph a chance to cross paths. It took two months for him to ask for my number.

A week later, I was inviting him over after a night out with the girls. Our communication outside of the bedroom was inconsistent. Text message conversations often ended abruptly; most dinner plans fell through because we put work first, and coffee dates were short, not leaving much time to connect. I could go days without speaking to Joseph and be okay with it. So hearing he wanted to be in a relationship with me didn’t make sense.

“It was hardly an introduction,” I replied, annoyance stirring in my belly.

Adrienne sighed, then said, “You know what I mean. Joseph’s a sweet guy and you deserve someone nice after you know who.” Her disdain for Terrance was ever present in her tone.

“One thing he mentioned was how closed off you were about your family.”

“I know, I know.”

She was one of the sweetest people I’d ever met in life. It was hard to get upset with her for helping Joseph. I wasn’t forthcoming about my family. When people learned who my parents and brother were, their attitude and expectations changed. I wasn’t ashamed of the affluence and opportunity my family name brought me by any means. It was just easier to make genuine connections when my parents were left out of the conversation. Once Joseph caught wind of my family’s notoriety, his approach changed. Unfortunately, he still remained inconsistent and nonchalant.

“I just want you happy, and if it isn’t with Joseph, fine,” Adrienne conceded. “Maybe after things cool off you two can have a serious conversation.”

“Yeah, maybe.” I pushed out a breath, glancing around the dining area.

Would absence really make the heart grow fonder?

“I’ll call you later. Starling and Raven will be calling soon,” I told Adrienne after a beat.

“Talk to you later,” she trilled before ending the call.

Moments later, I was in my office preparing to meet with my siblings and Carmen, the floor manager of B&B.

My parents exposed us to the restaurant business early and Abuelita taught us how to cook. I often thought about my father’s story and how he became a world-renowned chef. It was more than inspiring. It always left me wanting to go harder in my endeavors to show his efforts were not in vain. Everything he’d ever done was for his family.

My siblings and I never wanted for anything, and all he expected in return was for us to be successful. Pushing back the opening made me feel like I was disappointing him. All I did was fail a test and I was ready to give up when he had to endure so much more—financial disparities, a grieving, single mom, and deceased father.