My stomach rumbled loudly in response.
“Wow,” I said, reaching for one. He quickly handed me a napkin for use as a plate.
The taquitos were divine, the vegetables so fresh, the tortilla just the right thickness. “This is amazing,” I said, through a mouthful of food. It was very inelegant of me but I couldn’t help it. I stared at Javier as he leaned back in his chair watching me with delight. A butterfly or two flapped its wings in my gut, causing warmth to spread through me. Or maybe it was the wine, which was going straight to my head.
“How did you learn to make these?”
He lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “My mama, of course.”
“She sounds like quite the cook.”
He kept smiling though the expression in his eyes changed. “She was. She’s dead.”
I nearly choked on the remaining bite. I quickly slammed back the rest of my wine and put my hand to my chest. “I’m so sorry.”
Another lift of the shoulders, his face turning to the ocean. “Nah, don’t worry about it. That’s in the past. She was a lovely woman and a lovely cook.”
“She’d have to be pretty lovely to raise someone like you,” I said. I didn’t add the things that my brain was screaming at me: a criminal, a drug runner, the man who worked for the man that destroyed my life.
He raised his brows at that, as if he didn’t believe it. Then he looked at the bottle of wine. “Do you like the wine? It’s from New Zealand. I’ve always wanted to go there.”
“Yes, it’s great. Have you traveled a lot?” I asked, picking up on his hint to change the subject.
“I’d say so. I’ve been to Europe once. Spain, of course. Except the Spaniards aren’t too fond of us Mexicans. Been to South America a lot though.”
“Oh really?” I asked, trying to sound casual. “Like where?”
“Venezuela. Columbia. Lots of places in Central America.”
I had to say it. “Venezuela and Columbia…aren’t those kind of dangerous?”
His expression had turned playfully wicked. “Maybe I’m kind of dangerous.”
We watched each other for a few beats, each of us holding cards we weren’t quite willing to share yet, if ever. Then he laughed and said, “Drink up, my angel. We have reservations at six.”
I gladly did as he said, enjoying most of the bottle until I knew I was tipsy, and feasting on the rest of the food. The homemade aioli and the wrapped figs were just as decadent and delicious as the taquitos. Thankfully he hadn’t made too many or I would have totally spoiled my appetite.
While the sun was setting in the west, turning the sky into hazy wisps of coral that complimented my tube top, we roared off in his car, in his Jose, and kept to the coast. About ten minutes later we pulled up to a tiny restaurant on the beach.
I guess I was expecting him to take me to some fancy restaurant, but this was nothing more than a beach shack. There was a neon sign out front with the picture of a dancing crab, and the H was burnt out making it read “Crab ut.” Inside there were old wood floors, plastic tablecloths, and vintage movie posters on the wall. The kitchen was loud and boisterous, some of the steam filtering into the dining area, which only had about ten small tables.
A man appeared, double-chin, dark olive skin, happy eyes. He clapped Javier on the back, greeting him enthusiastically, and then appraised me with approval.
“Another new woman, Javier?” he said. “She’s a keeper, this one.”
Another new woman? I couldn’t help but look at Javier, who was shooting this man the deadliest of his golden green-eyed looks.
“Eden, this is Rod,” Javier said, pointing at the man with disdain. Rod didn’t seem to pick up on it at all. He just smiled at me, and I spotted a gold tooth somewhere in his mouth. “Rod, this is Eden.”
I gave him a quick nod, keeping a fake smile plastered on my face while trying to hide the sinking feeling I felt in my heart. It shouldn’t have surprised me at all to learn that Javier was a player. I mean, how could he not be? Look at how god damned suave he was. He certainly dressed like he was doing so to impress the ladies. Even though he was still wearing what he had earlier, he had slipped on a silk dress jacket that somehow pulled everything together in one luxurious and sexy bow.
“Come, I have your favorite table all set up,” Rod said. I was barely listening. Javier put his hand at my back, guiding me, and it warmed my whole spine.
His favorite table was by a large bay window that had a beautiful view of the ocean, waves crashing in the twilight. Chinese lanterns lit up the outside.
After Rod left, Javier reached over and placed his hand on mine. It made me jump slightly.
“Rod doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” he said, chin lowered, peering up at me underneath his brows.
I tried to sound as breezy as possible. “He seems like a nice guy. You must come here often to have your own table.”
“I practically own this place,” he said. “When it’s doing well. When it’s not, I disavow all knowledge of its actions.”
I smiled and picked up the menu. My eyes couldn’t focus though. I kept reading the same thing over and over again while my thoughts wanted to think about me being “another new woman.” What bothered me the most was the fact that this whole thing wasn’t in the bag like I had thought. If he had a lot of women and I was just another new one, how long would I last with him? What if this was all fun and games for a few weeks and then he’d ditch me for someone else? Sure he was attentive and suave and seductive now, but what about then? Suddenly, I felt like I couldn’t be sure of anything.
“Eden,” he whispered, squeezing my hand.
I looked up at him. He looked so serious, his dark brows knitted together.
“You’ve gotten under my skin,” he said.
I wasn’t expecting that.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to shed you.”
I wasn’t expecting that either. I had to take what he said with a grain of salt—I had to—and yet, his words were stirring up those butterflies again. He was trying to make me feel secure and safe. He didn’t realize he wasn’t doing me a favor.
I pushed past the heaviness of what he just said. “Well, as you can see, I’m not going anywhere.”
“I can see, but that’s not what I see,” he said, tapping the side of his eye. “Do you really think I’m one of those men who will take you out and never call you again?”