A New Beginning
Robbie
By the time we got to the food-truck park, my stomach was growling.
Esteban chuckled lightly. “Someone’s hungry.”
I elbowed him. “So what do you recommend?”
Esteban shook his head. “It’s not about what I like. It’s about what you want.”
I stopped. Eyes wide. Mind blank. I couldn’t think of anything, and I just figured out why.
I usually went with the flow. All my life it had been that way. My friends recommended, and I tried it. I never even thought about it until this moment.
Had I never chosen anything for myself until last night?
Maybe art. I had been in love with it since I could remember. It was the one thing that kept me sane throughout the years. A way to be myself. To let go.
I turned in a circle, taking everything in. “Hmm…some chicken wings would be amazing.” I headed straight for a food truck called Entre Alas.
Esteban chose a burger joint two trucks down.
Two rainbow-colored wings met in a heart shape on top of the truck’s name.
“Hi! What can I get you?” a girl with a bouncy attitude said as I approached. Her beautiful afro was styled to perfection.
I couldn’t help but smile, as her energy was contagious. “I’d like some chicken wings.”
“Our specialty.” She smiled. “What sauce?”
I looked at their menu, then glanced toward Esteban. He was waiting for his burger, leaning against the back of the truck, one leg propped on the bumper.
He winked at me.
My pulse quickened. “Something sweet.”
She looked at Esteban, then at me. She tilted her head. “Wow. Sweet indeed.”
I widened my eyes. “You’re mistaken. We just met.”
She continued as if nothing had happened. “Guava okay?”
I nodded.
She went to the brunette who was cooking and trailed her hand through her long, wavy hair. “A wing order, babe.”
The woman smiled back lovingly, then returned to cooking.
My chest swelled. They’re a couple.
She came back, rested her elbows on the counter, and watched Esteban with a grin on her face. “Hon, that man is looking at you like you’re his lunch. If you just met, you’re one lucky guy.”
I turned to find Esteban’s eyes on me. He didn’t look away, and all my nerves caught fire. His blue eyes mesmerized me.
She tapped my shoulder with a beeper. “The wings will take around five minutes to be ready.”
I tried to speak, but the words got stuck in my throat.
She pointed her lips toward Esteban. “Go wait with him.”
I grabbed the beeper and walked to him.
He pushed himself away from the truck, then pocketed his hands. “What did you order?”
I put the beeper in my pocket and shifted my feet. “Wings. You?”
“A bacon-and-mushroom cheeseburger.” He looked around. “Want to sit here or over there?”
The moment he pointed at the truck, I froze. “Fuck. I forgot to pay.” I rushed to the food truck and searched for my wallet.
Esteban grabbed my arm. “Let me.”
My cheeks burned.
I shook my head. “No. It’s enough that you’re letting me stay at your house.”
He let go. “But I want to help.”
I swallowed dryly, pushing away the heaviness that overtook me. “Look, I know you have the best intentions, but I need this. I can pay for my lunch.”
Esteban pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. “I’m sorry. I just…”
I brushed his right arm. He jolted at the touch, and I removed my hand. Maybe I was reading him wrong.
I took out my card. My bank account was the only thing I could call my own, other than my art. I worked part time as a secretary when I was at the university and saved enough money to last a month or so. “I have enough, at least until I find a job.”
He stepped toward me. “Do you have your art? Can you make new paintings if I get materials?”
I frowned. “I’m not following you.”
He grabbed my shoulder. “Can you?”
Can I? I held his stare. “I think so.”
He smirked. “Then we’ll make my room an art studio for you. I can talk to my friends, and you can sell your art in the local galleries. Maybe even get a job in one.”
My whole body vibrated as a new kind of energy rushed through me.
Maybe I can do it—make a life out of my art.
“Do you see it?” Esteban took a step back. His eyes gleamed.
This was something new. This sense of self. “I do. Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?”
Esteban straightened. “I wouldn’t. I already told you. You’re talented. I’m sure you’ll make it out there.”
I grinned. “Thank you.”
Our beepers vibrated at the same time.
“I’ll go get my burger and grab a table.” He walked away.
The girl at the food truck whistled. “Wow, that was intense.”
I paid, unable to form a rational thought as Esteban called to me from the table he chose.
“Want a fry?” Esteban asked when I sat.
I shook my head. “Fried food and I don’t get along.”
He frowned. “But aren’t wings fried?”
I shrugged. “Yeah. I don’t get it either, but with wings, it’s different.”
He chuckled, then took a bite from the fry he just offered. “Is there anything else that makes you sick?”
“I’m lactose intolerant, but you already know that.” I bit into a wing and moaned. The rich taste of chicken mixed perfectly with the sweet guava dip.
Esteban cleared his throat, then tapped his IPA beer bottle. “And how about beer?” He sipped some.
“Yeah. But I prefer stouts.”
My pulse jumped as Esteban stood.
“I’ll be right back.” He walked to the burger truck, paid, and looked back at me for an instant before taking a bottle from the guy.
Something fluttered beneath my ribs. Did he just…?
“Here, a stout.” He picked up his bottle and raised it. “Salud. To new beginnings.”
I clinked mine with his, then we both drank. Its smooth, chocolaty taste spread across my tongue, and I closed my eyes. There it was—the tinge of coffee hidden beneath the robust beer. It was the thing about stouts that I couldn’t resist. Its body. Its richness.
“God. I haven’t had one in a while. Thanks. I’ll repay you later.”
“You repaid me just now.” Esteban leaned back, taking a long swig from his beer.
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
He shook his head. “The way your face softened as you took that first sip was enough for me. It’s the first time since I met you that I saw a real smile. A true, satisfied one. No problems. Just pure relaxation and ecstasy in a single mouthful.”
Something in his tone made my pulse rise.
I needed to steady my thoughts because Esteban stirred them in a way no one ever had. A way that made me feel wanted. Special.
I set the beer down and dipped a celery stick into the ranch before taking a bite. “This is so good.”
“Can I try one?” Esteban asked.
I was about to push the plate toward him when he grabbed my hand and closed his mouth over the celery I was just eating, brushing his lips over my finger.
I froze as he closed his eyes and moaned.
“It’s good.” He wiped ranch from the corner of his mouth and sucked his thumb.
Heat surged within me, running straight to my cock. Fuck. “So where do we go next?”
Esteban grinned. “How about some coffee?”
I stared at the coffee-shop logo over the door. “So this is where you work?”
Esteban opened the door. “Sure is. I’ll prepare something for you.”
The bells rang as we entered the coffee shop.
The barista smiled at us. “You’re back! Is this your friend?” Her blond hair was tied back in a ponytail.
“Hey, Gaby!” He turned toward me. “Yeah, this is Robbie.”
She kissed my cheek. “Nice to meet you. Take a seat.”
I glanced around. The dark-green linoleum of the counter gleamed under the lights, and the back of an espresso machine faced the round tables. Quesitos, muffins, cinnamon rolls, donuts…all were on display behind the counter.
My mouth watered at the thought of the sweet taste of the flaky, sugary quesito and how its cream-cheese filling melted on the tongue.
“Want something sweet?” Esteban whispered in my ear, sending goosebumps all over my left arm.
I shook my head. “Nah. I’m full.”
I gulped dryly as Esteban moved back a barstool at the nearest table. “Come on. Take a seat. I’ll prepare something for you.”
I sat, watching as he put on his apron and rushed to the espresso machine. I rubbed my hands on my pants beneath the table. No one had ever treated me this way. Cared for me in a way that made me feel special. It was surreal.
Esteban’s disheveled black hair fell into view as he worked behind the espresso machine. He was in his element.
Round tables filled the coffee shop, with baby-blue candles striped with gold randomly placed around the space.
Their gentle, artificial glow made everything look ethereal.
Antique lamps, imitating the gas ones from old times, shone dimly at the corners, with modern ones hanging from the ceiling.
The shop was situated deep within an alley.
From the table, I could see the lampposts outside, placed in a way that made the shop seem isolated. Special.
Jazz music played. I closed my eyes and let the saxophone and double bass take me away.
The place was cozy.
“We play jazz on Sundays but try to keep it fresh.” Esteban woke me from my reverie, placing two mugs on the table. He sat beside me. “Some days we play indie rock. Other days blues. And sometimes some bohemia. ?Azúcar morena?”
“Sure.” I took the brown-sugar packets from him. I pointed at the mugs. “What are these?”
“I made some mochas with oat milk.” He slid my cup toward me.
Did he notice how much I loved chocolate?
I looked down at my cup.
He drew a heart shape with two drops falling from it.
I raised my gaze to him.
A faint smile crossed his lips. “Is it okay?”
I couldn’t help but smile. “It’s perfect.”
I added three sugar packets, then lifted the cup. The scent of chocolate mixed with the coffee aroma and the jazz playing in the background created a perfect moment. I couldn’t ask for more.
He chuckled. “So you like your coffee sweet?” He took a sip of his mocha.
I frowned. “You don’t add sugar.”
He shook his head. “I like it strong.”
I tasted my mocha and closed my eyes at the creaminess and rich taste. “Fuck. This is good.”
Esteban put his mug down. “I like seeing you smile.”
I froze, the cup touching my lips. He was such a direct, no-bullshit guy. I’d never met anyone like this. I overthought everything and never talked without considering what others would think. But Esteban…he was different.
I laughed quietly. “Do you say everything that comes to your mind?”
He shrugged. “I do. Life is only a passing moment. I might as well take advantage of every opportunity to grab at what I know will bring me happiness. Losing a chance—that’s not my thing. You gotta grab life by the horns, right?”
My chest lightened at his words. It was true. I was a great example of what a half-lived life looked like.
“Hey…” He touched my hand, and a sense of calm rushed through me. “You okay?”
I waved dismissively. “It’s nothing. I might need to take your advice.”
Esteban’s face sobered as he took his hand back. “It wasn’t my intention to…”
I patted his hand. “It’s the truth. I…I’ve been hiding for too long. Sometimes I don’t understand who I am anymore.”
He reached over, and when I thought he was about to touch my hair, he stopped. “Will you let me help you find out who you truly are?”
My whole body awoke. It was as if a light radiated from him. Like I was given this chance to take that step—with him. “You’d do that?”
“I want to.” He pulled my glasses up to my forehead. His eyes were mere inches from mine. “You have the most beautiful eyes.”
I held on to the table for dear life, his intensity keeping me captive. I didn’t dare look away. I didn’t want to miss a moment.
I cleared my throat, begging my heart to settle down. My lungs needed to remember how to breathe. “Thank you. I…don’t even know where to start.”
Esteban drew his hand back, then smiled mischievously. “I know exactly where.”