Chapter 2 #3
“Oh Jude.” She shook her head, looking at me like I was an idiot.
“I got a full report! His name is Ernesto, but everyone calls him Nesto. The truck is his, he drove it up from the city yesterday and is planning to be here for five or six months. If the business does well, he may stay longer. His mom lives here. She works for Cornell. Has other family here, too; they came up from the city like ten years ago.” She was actually a little winded by the time she finished her report.
“Wow, you’re good.”
“You know I don’t play,” she said smugly.
We stood by the truck while we waited for our food.
From my spot I could see Nesto taking orders, and the easy way with which he interacted with the customers.
He had such a striking smile, and he was generous with it, too.
He used his whole body when he talked, his hands, his shoulders, even his eyebrows.
Leaning in to say something funny with a conspiratorial look in his eyes, like he was sharing a secret, or throwing back his head and putting both hands out as a laugh exploded out of him.
It was like watching life happen. I wanted to get close, feel what it was like to have all that joy and passion directed at me.
Be the reason for it.
From my side, I heard Carmen click her tongue. “Oh man, you is staring and staring hard. Don’t blame you, he’s hot. It’s just not fair. Who looks that good in an apron? He was giving you the look, though. This could have some potential.”
I rolled my eyes at Carmen’s comment, because I was not going there.
Thankfully I heard my name called to pick up our order, before Carmen could go on one of her “you need to go on a date” tirades. So, I turned and started walking, then yelled over my shoulder. “Can’t talk now. Gotta get our lunch!” Ignoring the grumbling in Spanish directed my way.
When I got there Nesto was holding a white paper bag and giving me his radiant smile. I pointed at the black trucker hat he was wearing, which I’d noticed earlier had a tiny pride flag pinned to the lower right corner.
“Nice hat.”
“Thanks.” He smiled and waved his pen in front of his neck. “I like your bowtie. I noticed it this morning.”
He cringed at that. “That sounds a little creepy doesn’t it?” A husky laugh escaped his lips, and I tried to ignore the shiver running down my spine.
I probably should have said something, but instead I stood there taking inventory of his delicious body. His shoulders were obnoxiously wide and muscular. The red t-shirt with the OuNYe logo he was wearing could barely constrain all of it. I moved my eyes back up and almost sighed.
He really did elevate the jeans and t-shirt ensemble.
When I realized I’d probably been staring a bit too long, I stuck my hand out for the order. He lifted an eyebrow, clearly aware of what I’d been doing.
Dammit.
He grinned handing me the bag. “Here you go. One Lupe, one Mayimbe, and two orders of tostones. I gave you an extra one for Carmen, because she said you’d probably eat them all yourself.”
I gasped and turned to give her a murderous look.
“I would not! She’s one to talk!” I pointed at her and yelled, “Traitor!”
He threw his head back and laughed again.
God that laugh. It could change my life.
Nesto was still grinning at my flustered fidgeting. “She’s trouble, that one. I can already tell. Dominican girls, you gotta watch out.”
Another smile.
This was getting out of hand. He leaned down on the counter and said in a low voice, “I hope you enjoy my food, and that we see you back soon, Jude.” The way he said my name made me tremble. “We’ll be here for lunch, and at the Farmers’ Market on the weekends for the next few months.”
He grabbed a card from a pile next to the napkins and condiments and handed it to me. I was almost surprised not to see sparks fly when our fingers touched. For a moment we both stood there, the tips of our fingers grazing as we held the little piece of cardboard between us before letting go.
He lifted his hand in a wave. “So stop by again, all right? I have more burritos for you to try. See you soon, Jude.”
Between this man and the smells coming from the bag, I was starting to feel a little overstimulated. I was just about to say thank you and walk off when an insane impulse came over me.
I leaned up closer to the counter, so I was on my tiptoes, then looked straight at him and said, “Si no te veo a ti primero, Nesto.”
I winked and walked off with my heart pounding out of my chest and giving him the best ass shaking strut a boy from Canandaigua, NY could manage. Behind me I heard Nesto whistle in my direction.
The image of his surprised expression after I blurted out my best attempt at flirting in Spanish, made my face split into a huge grin.
By the time I got back to Carmen I could tell Nesto must’ve done something behind me, because she was cackling and had a look in her eye like an interrogation was coming.
“Got the food. Let’s go.”
I didn’t let her talk, pulling her toward the library.
We could debrief about my probably ill-advised outburst there.