Chapter 22
twenty-two
is this seat taken?
R yan had been this close to kissing Elissa in that damn file room.
When she’d demanded a date, his heart had soared.
His thoughts had whirled, and he’d barely been able to add her number to his contacts.
He’d also forgotten the name of any place to meet her except Mama O’s.
He would deal with the fallout of meeting her at the OG taco shop started by Iz’s grandparents.
Half the staff knew him, and the Ochoas were always popping in.
Whistling, Ryan walked into the office.
“Well, that’s new.” Trinity sat behind his desk. “Could it be our Ryan actually enjoys working here? Or perhaps the new accountant is the reason for his cheery disposition this fine afternoon?”
“Shut up,” he said, with no hostility. His mood was too good.
As he came around the desk, his cousin rose with a broad smile.
“Oh, that’s not gonna work on me, cousin of mine. I have a bit of juicy gossip the rest of the family might be interested in hearing about.”
He turned his darkest glare on her. She took a half step back before remembering he was all bluff.
He would never hurt any of his cousins, but he wasn’t above some blackmail now and then.
Unfortunately, Trin was far too ladylike for him to have any dirt on her.
Or at least too talented at hiding her unladylike activities.
“What do you want?” Ryan asked instead.
She tented her fingers in front of her chest and tapped them together, her brows drawn down in consideration.
“Hmmm…bartend my next party.”
He rolled his eyes. Her friends threw themselves at him, and she was always trying to fix him up with one of them. But his love life wasn’t anyone’s business but his own, especially concerning Elissa. She was special.
“Only if everyone is over twenty-one.” His tone left no room for argument.
When she opened her mouth to protest anyway, he gave her a look their grandfather had mastered.
“I’m serious, Trinity. If I have any doubts, I will card, and if they’re under twenty-one, I’m taking all the liquor and leaving. ”
Ryan didn’t mind risks but getting caught serving to a bunch of underage partiers was not something he wanted on his record.
“Fine.” She pouted in a way he was sure usually got her exactly what she wanted, but he’d been immune since that pout had convinced him to give her a candy bar right before going on a ride at the county fair.
He grimaced at the memory of being covered in a seven-year-old’s puke.
“I guess Joey can’t come. He’ll be so disappointed. ”
Damn straight, her brother would be disappointed. He was still in high school and had no reason to be around a bunch of drunk twenty-somethings.
“When is the party?”
“Rodeo weekend. Think of some fun specialty cocktails to serve and send me the ingredients. I’ll buy everything. You just need to help me set up and serve. Then I’ll pretend you didn’t have a big boner for the hot little accountant.”
“Jesus, can you be any more vulgar?”
“Of course I can, but I don’t want to offend your tender sensibilities.”
She nearly skipped to her desk, leaving him to shake his head in frustration. She’d always pushed boundaries.
The next few days dragged like nothing he’d experienced before. Every request seemed to be designed to take him away from thoughts of Elissa. Each night, he suffered through cold showers that didn’t work, and he’d be embarrassed to admit how much X-rated exercise his hand was getting.
When the clock hit five on Thursday, he was out of the office so fast he left skid marks under his desk. He nearly toppled over his motorcycle when he pulled into the parking lot of Mama O’s Tacos, home of the best Sonoran hot dogs, period.
He took a deep breath before heading in, his eyes glued to his phone, hoping Elissa hadn’t canceled.
“Ryan!” a voice called out from behind. He turned to see Celeste, Iz’s aunt. She folded him into a warm hug. “It’s so good to see you. What are you doing here?”
His mother had never been big on PDA, and her body was sharp angles. Celeste was round and soft, and only his Nonna had ever given better hugs. Now that she was gone, Iz’s aunt was the closest he had. He returned the hug.
Ryan made sure no one else was around and said in a low voice, “I’m meeting a date.”
Celeste lowered her own voice in a conspiratorial whisper. “Ooh. Do I know her?”
“You know the woman from a few weeks ago?”
“The one you stared at all night and gave a jump start?” At his nod, she continued with a mischievous grin. “Was it just her car you jumped?”
“Celeste!” He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. Iz’s family wasn’t shy about these things.
“I’m kidding. Does Iz know?”
“No, not yet, but I suspect that will change as soon as you get home.”
She tsked . “My lips are sealed, mijo, and I am insulted you think I would tell Iz about your secret date.”
Desperately, Ryan tried to change the subject. “What are you doing here?”
Celeste managed Nopalitos and rarely ventured to the other restaurants in the Ochoa brand.
“Manager here is new and needs help with some of the paperwork, so I volunteered.”
“You’re good people, Celeste.”
“Thanks, but someone’s gotta do it, and I’m the nicest.”
They walked into the small restaurant. Most people ordered take out, but some liked to sit and eat here.
He scanned the room, from the order counter to the salsa bar to the handful of high-top tables and a few booths.
His gaze halted on a figure sitting at a high-top.
He’d been dreaming of those curves all week.
Her brown hair hit the collar of her light blue Oxford shirt tucked into a pair of gray slacks.
The roundness of her ass filled the bar stool perfectly, and her feet dangled, one shoe hanging off her toes.
They were his favorites, painted with golden-brown butterflies.
“Looks like I’m late.” Ryan waved at the table and gave the older woman a half smile.
“You let me know if you need rescuing.” Celeste disappeared into the back with a wave.
Ryan strolled to the table and leaned in close enough to smell her powdery perfume.
“Is this seat taken?” he asked, his voice low and raspy. God, why did merely being in her presence do this to him?
Elissa jumped and turned to look at him. Delight soon replaced the alarm his stealthy approach had generated. Those blue eyes twinkled, and her perfect pink bow of a mouth curled into a generous smile, her white teeth flashing in the multicolored lights strung across the ceiling.
“Ryan! Hi!” She slipped her phone into her purse and seemed genuinely pleased to see him. He could get used to that.
“Hello, Elissa. Have you ordered?”
“Just water.”
“Let’s head to the counter.”
But as they approached, the server clearing a table turned around and squealed when she recognized him.
“Ryan!” Becca dropped the tray of trash on a table and threw herself at him.
He’d talked Iz’s dad into hiring their old friend from high school for a few shifts when she needed a second job. They’d dated a few times in high school but quickly realized they were better friends.
“Becs, how are you?”
She released him quickly and cleared the discarded trash.
“Same old, same old. It’s been ages.”
He rolled his eyes at her exaggeration. “Three weeks.”
“Well, when I’m used to seeing you at least once a week, three weeks is ages. What brings you in?”
Ryan glanced at Elissa. She had a strained smile on her face and some of the twinkle had gone out of her eyes. Crap, did she think he had a thing for Becca? He’d nip any misconception she had in the bud.
“I invited Elissa out for the best Sonoran dogs in Tucson.”
“So, no pressure, then?” Becca laughed.
He ignored her for a moment and focused on Elissa. “Becca and I are friends from way back when. I helped her find the job here.”
The tightness at the corners of her lips eased.
“Helped.” Becca shook her head. “I guess it helps when your best friend is the owner’s kid.”
“Well, yeah.”
“Are the Sonoran dogs here really that good?” Elissa asked Becca. “We used to get tacos from the one near our house, but I’ve never tried the dogs.”
“I wouldn’t know—I’m a vegetarian! But this doofus raves about them all the time.”
“I might be a little biased. I’ve been eating here since I was old enough to drive myself.” His parents would never lower themselves to eat at a simple taco joint. Nopalitos, sure. Los Vaqueros, every chance they got. But not Mama O’s. Pity. They were missing out.
“Let’s put your money where your mouth is.” Elissa grabbed him by the hand.
His mind slipped right into the gutter. He knew exactly where he wanted his mouth, and money had nothing to do with it.