"You don't really say that."
"No, but I think it. It's the same thing."
Maria laughed as she gathered her things and stood. "Do you want to walk with me?"
"That's why I'm still waiting. I also want to see your face when you find out."
"Find out what?"
"You'll know soon enough."
"What are you talking about?"
"Come on," Jill said. "And make sure you introduce us. I want to tell Paul all about it, especially if your beau flirts with me."
"Colin's not really the flirting type."
"Who cares? The truth is, I just want to get a closer peek at him. To make sure he's good enough for you, of course."
"That's very kind of you."
"What are friends for?"
As they started down the hallway, Maria took a deep breath, feeling her worries reassert themselves. Thankfully, Jill didn't notice, her mind clearly elsewhere.
"Hold up a second," she said. Maria watched as Jill reached into her handbag. Pulling out her lipstick, she applied some before dropping it back into her bag.
"Okay," Jill said, "now we can go."
Maria stared at her. "Really?"
Jill winked. "What can I say? First impressions matter."
Up ahead, Maria watched as two paralegals suddenly rounded the corner from the lobby, whispering excitedly to each other like a couple of high schoolers. Jill nodded toward them.
"Now do you understand what I mean? You were definitely holding out on me. That is one gorgeous man."
"He's not that good-looking."
"Uh... yeah. He is. Now come on. You've got a date and you shouldn't be late."
As soon as Maria spotted Colin in the lobby, her stomach did a little flip-flop. He was facing the opposite direction--waiting for her, she realized--and from the back he could have passed for a young lawyer, albeit an exceptionally fit one with visible tattoos. When Maria glanced toward the receptionist, she noted that Gwen was trying hard not to stare at Colin while she worked the phone.
Colin must have sensed their presence, and when he turned, Maria caught sight of a lovely assortment of flowers; oranges and yellows, with a burst of red in the center. Her mouth dropped open slightly.
"Surprise," Jill whispered, but Maria was too shocked to hear it.
"Oh," she finally said. "Hi." Beginning to approach, she was only vaguely aware that Jill had remained behind. Up close, his clean scent mingled with that of the flowers. "New clothes?"
"Freedom clothes," he answered. "They probably kept me out of prison."
She smiled, amused. And in the next instant, she thought, And I can't believe his answer doesn't worry me. But she didn't want to think about that. Instead, she nodded at the flowers. "For me?"
"Yes," he said, handing them over. "It's an autumn bouquet."
"They're beautiful. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Let me put them in my office. I'll be right back and then we can go."
"Okay."
Behind her, she heard Jill clear her throat and she turned. "Oh, this is my friend Jill. She's an attorney here, too."
Jill approached and he offered his hand. "Hi, Jill."
"Hi, Colin." She took his hand, her demeanor friendly yet professional. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Leaving them to chat, Maria hurried back to her office, noticing the two paralegals who eyed her with a touch of envy as she passed them. She tried to remember the last time someone had bought her flowers. Aside from a single rose that Luis had given her on Valentine's Day after they'd been dating for a year, she couldn't remember a single instance.
Setting the vase in a prominent place in her office, she returned to the lobby just in time to catch the tail end of Jill and Colin's conversation.
Jill turned. "I hear you're a much better photographer than you let on. Colin says you took an amazing shot of some porpoises?"
"He's being overly kind," Maria said. "I get lucky every now and then."
"I'd still like to see it."
"I'll e-mail it," she said. Then, to Colin: "Are you ready?"
Colin nodded, and after saying good-bye to Jill, they headed down to the parking lot.
"Your friend is nice," Colin remarked.
"She's great," Maria agreed. "If it wasn't for her, I would have eaten alone at my desk since I've been here."
"Until today," Colin said with a smile. "How are things at work?"
"I'm buried," she admitted. "But I'm hoping things will slow down. My boss is going to be out of the office this afternoon and tomorrow"
"If that's the case, I wouldn't recommend throwing a massive party and trashing the office in his absence. I've learned that it tends to irritate people."
"I'll keep that in mind," she said as he opened the car door for her.
She slid into the Camaro. Once Colin was behind the wheel, he leaned toward her, keys in hand. "I was thinking we could head over to one of the restaurants downtown? We'd probably be able to get a table outside with a great view."
Oh yeah, she thought. About that. Maria fiddled with the seatbelt, wondering how best to explain it.
"It sounds wonderful," she ventured, "and ordinarily, I'd love to go. But the thing is, I was over at my parents' house last night when you called, and I happened to mention that we were going to lunch, and..." She exhaled, deciding to simply come out with it. "They're expecting us to have lunch at the restaurant."
Colin tapped his car key on the seat. "You want me to meet your parents?"
Not really. Not yet, anyway. But... She wrinkled her nose, unsure how he would react, hoping he wouldn't be angry. "Kind of."
He slipped the keys into the ignition. "Okay," he said.
"Really? It doesn't bother you? Even though we just met?"
"No."
"Just so you know, it would bother a lot of guys."
"Okay."
"Well... good," she said.
He said nothing right away. Finally: "You're nervous."
"They don't know you like I do." She inhaled slowly, thinking, Now for the hard part. "When you meet them, you have to understand that they're old-fashioned. My dad has always been protective and my mom worries, and I'm afraid that if they start asking questions..."
When she trailed off, Colin finished for her.
"You're worried what I'll say to them. And how they'll react."
Though she didn't answer, she suspected that he already knew what she was thinking.
"I won't lie to them," he said.
"I know," she said. That's the problem. "And I won't ask you to lie. I don't want you to lie, but it still makes me nervous."
"Because of my past," he said.
"I wish I wouldn't have had to say anything to you, and I'm sorry. Logically, I know that I'm an adult and I should be able to date whomever I want and it shouldn't matter what they think. But it does. Because I still want their approval. And believe me, I know how awful that sounds."
"It doesn't sound awful. It sounds normal."
"You don't need approval."
"Evan would probably say that I'm not normal."
Despite the tension, she laughed before getting quiet again. "Are you mad at me?"
"No," he answered.
"But you're probably offended."
"No," he said again.
"What are you feeling, then?"
He didn't answer right away. "I feel... flattered," he finally offered.
She blinked. "Flattered? How on earth could you feel flattered?"
"It's complicated."
"I'd still like to hear it."
He shrugged. "Because you told me how you were feeling, even though you suspected it might hurt my feelings. And you told the truth. And you did both those things from a place of vulnerability and concern, because you want them to like me. Because you care about me. That's flattering."
She smiled, half from surprise and half because he was right. "I think I'm going to give up trying to predict
anything about you ever again."
"Okay," he said. He twisted the key and the engine rumbled to life. Before he slipped it into gear, he turned toward her. "So what do you want to do?"
"Go to lunch? Hope for the best?"
"Sounds like a plan."
La Cocina de la Familia was located a few blocks off Market Street in an aging strip mall, but the parking spaces in front of the restaurant were full. As they approached the front door, Colin struck her as being as calm as ever, which only put Maria more on edge. He reached for her hand. She clasped his in return, like someone clutching a life preserver on a listing ship.
"I forgot to ask whether you even like Mexican food."
"I remember that I used to like it a lot."
"But you don't eat it anymore? Because it's not healthy, right?"
"I can always find something to order."
She squeezed his hand, liking the way it felt in hers. "My mom said she's going to make us something special. Which means you might not get the chance. That said, I did tell her that you liked healthy food."
"It'll be fine," he said.
"Do you ever worry about anything?"
"I try not to."
"Well, when we're done, you're going to start giving me lessons, all right? Because lately, that feels like the only thing I'm doing."
He pulled open the door and she led the way inside. Her uncle Tito immediately approached, obviously excited she was here, rambling in Spanish. After greeting her with a kiss, he shook Colin's hand and reached for the menus before leading them to a booth in the corner. It was the only open table in the place, which meant that her parents must have been saving it.
Once they were seated, her cousin Anna brought glasses of water and a basket of chips and salsa to the table. Maria chatted with her briefly and introduced Colin a second time. When Anna left, Maria leaned across the table.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I don't come in as much as I should. They're probably as excited as my parents."
"How many of your relatives work here?"
"Right now?" She made a quick scan of the place, spotting another uncle at the bar and a couple of aunts waiting on tables. "I'd guess there's probably six or so. But I'd have to ask my parents to be sure."
He surveyed the restaurant. "It's busy in here."
"It always is. Over the years, we've had to expand the restaurant three times. When it first started, there were only eight tables." As she answered, she saw her parents emerge from the kitchen and she sat up straighter. "Okay, they're coming. My parents, I mean."
When her parents reached the table, she kissed her mother, then her father, all the while hoping they wouldn't make a spectacle. "This is my friend Colin," she said. "These are my parents, Felix and Carmen."
"Hi," Felix and Carmen said, almost in unison, both of them plainly giving him the once-over.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both," he said.
"Maria says you're a student?" Felix said, jumping right in. "And that you work as a bartender?"
"Yes," Colin responded. "Serena's actually in a couple of my classes. I work at Crabby Pete's, down by the beach." Then, no doubt thinking of Maria's worries and not wanting to get drawn into a long conversation about his past, he motioned around the restaurant. "This is an incredible business you've built. How long has it been around?"
"Thirty-one years," Felix answered, a trace of pride in his voice.
"Maria said you've had to expand over the years. That's impressive."
"We've been blessed," Felix agreed. "Have you eaten here before?"
"No," Colin admitted. "But Maria says your wife is an amazing chef."
Felix stood a little straighter. "She is the best," he said, glancing over at Carmen. "Of course, because of that, she sometimes believes that she is the boss."
"I am the boss," Carmen said in somewhat broken English.
Colin smiled, and after more small talk, Maria watched as her dad reached for her mom's arm.
"Let's go. We should let them visit," Felix said.
After saying good-bye, Maria watched her parents start back toward the kitchen.
"You know they're in there talking about you right now with Tito and Anna and all the rest of them. Aside from Luis, you're the only guy I've ever brought here."
"I'm honored," he said, and she had a feeling he actually meant it.
"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," she added.
"They're gracious people."
"Yes, but I'm still their daughter. And they didn't ask any hard questions."
"Maybe they won't."
"Oh, they will eventually. Unless, of course, we never see each other again."
"Is that what you want?"
Maria dropped her eyes for a moment. "No," she said. "I'm glad we're here. And I'm happy we'll be spending some time together this weekend."
"Which means?"
"That the next time we're all together--assuming there will be a next time--I'm going to be even more nervous."
Minutes later, Carmen and two of Maria's cousins began ferrying food to the table: plates of tacos, burritos, mole poblano, and enchiladas; tamales, carne asada, chile relleno, tilapia Veracruz, and a bowl of salad. As her mom began placing the dishes on the table, Maria waved her hands.
"Mom--this is way too much," Maria protested. Even Colin appeared to be surprised as all the plates began to arrive.
"Eat what you want," Carmen answered in Spanish. "We'll bring the rest of it to the back and set it out. People will finish it."
"But..."
Carmen glanced at Colin, then back to Maria. "Your sister was right. He's very handsome."
"Mom!"
"What? He doesn't understand me."
"That's not the point!"
"It's just good to see you happy. Your dad and I have been worried. All you ever do is work." She smiled before her gaze returned to Colin. "Colin? Is that an Irish name?"
"I have no idea."
"Is he Catholic?"
"I haven't asked him."
"What do you talk about?"
You have no idea, Maria thought. And you don't want to know. "It's not polite to talk in front of him like this, you know."
"Of course," her mom said, squeezing the last plate between their water glasses. "You're absolutely right." Switching to English, she smiled at Colin. "Please... enjoy," she offered.
"Thank you. We will."
A moment later, they were alone, mountains of food spread before them.
"It smells delicious," Colin said.
"Are you kidding? This is ridiculous! Who on earth could eat this much food?"
"You sound upset."
"Of course I'm upset. We should have been able to order off the menu, but instead, my mom had to do her thing."
"What's her thing?"
"I'm still trying to figure it out. To impress you? To make sure you feel welcome?"
"Those are good things."
"I know, but she tends to overdo it."
She watched as Colin's gaze moved from one plate to the next, and she pointed at the tilapia. "I think my mom made this one special for you. It's just baked fish, with tomatoes, olives, and raisins. Go ahead and serve up."
He took a couple of filets and added some salad to his plate; she also took one of the filets and salad, but added half an enchilada. The rest remained untouched. When Colin tasted the fish, he tapped his fork against his plate.
"This is unbelievable," he said. "No wonder she's the boss."
"She is good."
"Can you cook like this?"
She shook her head. "I wish. I'm not nearly as good as my mom, but I started in the kitchen and I learned the basics on how to make everything. I enjoyed it, too, but after a while, my parents thought it would be better if I learned to wait tables. They thought that being forced to talk to strangers would help me overcome my shyness."
"Again with the shy?"
"Obviously, in your estimation, it worked. And if you're curious, I'
m an excellent waitress."
He laughed, and for the next hour they bounced from one subject to another--their favorite movies and the places they one day wanted to visit; he told her a bit more about his family and she did the same. Whenever she spoke, he listened with quiet concentration, his eyes never leaving hers. The conversation was easy and unforced, but through it all, she couldn't help feeling that he actually cared about everything she was saying. Despite her family's presence and the conversations drifting from other tables, their lunch together felt strangely intimate. By the time her parents dropped by their table a second time--and despite her mother's disappointment at how little either of them had eaten--Maria felt strangely relaxed and content.
After a series of warm good-byes, they drove back to the office, the old Camaro playing along perfectly. There, Colin walked her to the entryway, and when he slipped his hand into hers a second time, all she could think was how utterly natural it felt. At the entrance, she felt him tug gently, willing her to stop.
"What time on Saturday?" she asked, turning to him.
"I have a training session at four that ends at six, so how about I pick you up at your place around seven thirty? We'll have dinner first, and then head out?"
"Sounds great," she said. "What kind of training session?"
"Striking and ground work," he said. "Ground work is like wrestling."
"Can anyone watch?"
"I guess so," he said. "I'm sure the gym owner wouldn't mind, but I'd have to ask."
"Would you?"
"Why? Do you want to come?"
"Since we're going dancing, I might as well watch you doing something you enjoy, too."
He didn't hide his surprise. "Okay," he said. "But I'll have to head home to clean up before we go out, so is it okay if you meet me at the gym?" When she nodded, he gave her the name of the gym, and she jotted her home address on the back of her business card.
He slipped her card into his pocket and before she even realized what was happening, he was leaning in, his lips meeting hers. The kiss was gentle, and though it wasn't as electrifying as their kiss of the previous Sunday, there was something warm and reassuring about it. Suddenly it didn't matter what her parents might think. Here and now, Colin was the only thing that mattered, and when he pulled back, she found herself wishing that it had lasted a little longer. In that instant, however, she saw movement in her peripheral vision, and when she focused on it, she registered that Ken had rounded the corner--no doubt after parking on the other side of the building--and was standing motionless, watching them from a distance. She felt herself stiffen and Colin followed her gaze.