by Marin Thomas
Eyes riveted to her mouth, he lowered his head. “I want to kiss you.” When she didn’t speak he added, “May I?”
“Yes.”
A whisper of a touch. Then more pressure. Just enough to convince her mouth to relax beneath his. To taste the sweet flavor of her melon-colored lip gloss. He imagined her wet lips on other parts of his body and groaned.
The grip on his shoulder changed the groan from pleasure to annoyance. Swallowing a curse, he released her.
Juan. Didn’t the man have better things to do—such as go home to his wife and kids? Before Aaron suggested that, Jennifer’s brother stepped into view, a huge grin plastered to his face.
“Hey, sis.”
Jennifer clasped her brother’s hand. “What are you doing here, Antonio?”
“I buzzed Juan because you didn’t answer your cell. He told me you guys were at La Cantina.” Antonio nodded a greeting to Aaron. “My college advisor found an internship program for me.”
“Congratulations,” Aaron offered, pleased by the excitement in the young man’s voice.
“An internship? Where?” Jennifer’s gaze swung between Antonio and Aaron.
“McKade Import-Export. I’ve been assigned to their Latin America department. I’m going to help negotiate deals with foreign buyers.”
“McKade? The same company that’s helping Barrio Amigo pay for Mrs. Benitos’s home?”
“The same.”
Aaron held his breath.
“What a weird coincidence,” Jennifer commented, then hugged her brother. “I’m so proud of you, Antonio.”
Aaron exhaled in relief.
“How much money will you make?” she asked.
“Minimum wage.”
Startled, she blurted, “But you have a college degree.”
Grinning, Antonio boasted, “The company’s going to pay for my master’s degree.”
Juan’s steady glare unnerved Aaron, making it difficult for him to act as though he knew nothing about the internship.
“Congratulations, Antonio.” Juan shook the young man’s hand, but his concentration remained on Aaron’s face. “Funny how us latinos have suddenly caught the luck of the Irish.”
Chapter Seven
“I received the strangest call the other day, my boy.”
Aaron scrambled across the foyer of his Bunker Hill apartment and snagged the phone receiver, interrupting the message his grandfather was leaving on the answering machine. “Hey, Pop. I just got off the elevator.”
“Working awful late, aren’t you?”
Heat crawled up Aaron’s neck and he scratched at the prickly sensation. If Pop learned he’d been chugging happy-hour beers and hitting on the boss lady, he’d assume Aaron wasn’t taking his life lesson seriously. What his grandfather didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. “I had errands to run after knocking off for the day. Tell me about your call.”
“Martha informed me that your office created an internship program. Is that true, son?”
Martha, the seventy-year-old snitch—aka Aaron’s executive secretary and his grandfather’s longtime personal friend, couldn’t keep a secret to save her life. Aaron had hoped he’d have at least a week or two before the old man got wind of the plan. He and his staff had pulled an all-nighter to get the program off the ground. “I’ve put a lot of thought into this idea.”
“As long as it won’t negatively impact the bottom line.”
“Not to worry.” At least, he hoped not. The L.A. office had come in dead last in overall profits each year. But Aaron was banking on Antonio’s knowledge of the Latin American culture and his desire to make money, to assist McKade Import-Export in adding several new accounts. New accounts meant an influx of cash into the business. “I realize I didn’t discuss my plans with you, but—”
“I don’t expect you to run every business decision by me. An internship program sounds like a fine idea.”
Aaron swallowed twice before the lump in his throat eased. In the past he hadn’t been able to make a move without his brothers or grandfather adding their stamp of approval. He acknowledged that he still had a ways to go before he earned his grandfather’s full respect and support, but he was off to a good start with the internship program. “I won’t disappoint you, Pop.”
“Good. Now, tell me about this boss of yours.”
“Jennifer?”
His grandfather chuckled. “Jennifer, is it?”
“She’s, ah…” He couldn’t very well confess she was beautiful, sweet, caring and sexy. Or that after being acquainted with her only a few weeks she had him confused, anxious and torn over his feelings for her. He questioned whether his feelings for her were genuine or simply the result of being tossed together in a unique situation.
“She’s a heck of a forewoman,” he added. Hoping to dissuade his grandfather from grilling him with questions, he asked, “How are Nelson and Ryan?” As much as he hated his brothers’ interference and bossiness, he missed them. Witnessing the closeness between Jennifer and her brother, and Juan and his family, made Aaron wish he got along better with his brothers—bossy demeanors and all.
“They’re both fine.”
“Who’s next in line to learn a life lesson?”
“Nelson. He insists I’ve lost my mind.”
Aaron grinned. He could picture his eldest brother’s outrage at having to go off and do his grandfather’s bidding while his staff handled the day-to-day operation of the business. Nelson trusted no one and nothing. “What job have you picked for my big brother?”
“He’ll be joining the agricultural workforce.”
Strangling on laughter, Aaron choked out, “Where?”
“Never you mind. Neither of your brothers has been told where you’re working, only that you’re doing construction.”
“When does Nelson report to his new job?”
“Not any time soon. He’s having difficulties wrapping up a business deal with a company in Canada.”
Yeah, I bet. His brother Nelson would continue to come up with difficulties in order to postpone having to do his grandfather’s bidding.
“Have my brothers heard about the internship program?” Pop’s silence confirmed Aaron’s suspicions. “What did they say?”
“Nelson believes it’s a foolish waste of time and money. Ryan claims—”
“I’m trying to get someone else to do my job.” Ryan had always believed his little brother sloughed off when backs were turned. Aaron figured Ryan suffered from middle-child syndrome.
“You’ll have to show them otherwise, won’t you, son?”
Clinging to the note of confidence in his grandfather’s voice, Aaron insisted, “Yes, I will.”
“Nose to the grindstone, boy. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Pop…”
“Yes?”
He wanted to confess that this crazy scheme of his grandfather’s didn’t seem so crazy anymore. That taking chances and learning to forge his own path in life was intimidating, but also exciting and invigorating. “Never mind. Talk to you soon.”
AARON STOOD on Jennifer’s doorstep, feeling like a pimply-faced high-school geek picking up his first date. Sweat beaded his brow as he shifted a bouquet of white daisies from his right hand to his left, then back to his right.
As he expected, the house was well cared for. Evidence that Jennifer took pride in her home surrounded him. A recently cut and edged lawn. The sidewalk and front porch swept clean. No cobwebs or bugs dangling from the trim around the front door. He checked the porch light. No dead moths at the bottom of the glass globe.
A small pot of pink flowers sat near the welcome mat and a wreath of dried flowers hung in the middle of the door. Farther down on the porch sat two white rockers and between them an iron table with a decorative birdhouse on it. The home was warm and welcoming…just like the woman herself.
Today was May first. Only a month had passed since he’d hired on with Barrio Amigo, but he felt as if he’d known Jennifer much longer. If
he closed his eyes, her image appeared picture-perfect in his mind. A dark, soulful brown gaze and silky hair, the color of black coal. Her husky laughter echoed through his mind, and her smell…When he rested his head on his pillow at night, he swore the scent of her shampoo and soap wafted over him.
Never one to worry about the future, at thirty-three, he’d considered himself too young to be tied down. Then he’d met Ms. Boss Lady and all of a sudden he was concerned with how she might or might not fit into his future. Could he picture himself having kids? Living in the suburbs? Driving a minivan? Coaching Little League?
Aside from her sexual attraction to him, he wondered if she imagined a future with him. He hoped that might be the reason for today’s invitation.
Sunday supper with the Alvarados—Aaron was both nervous and eager to meet Jennifer’s family. He believed the invitation hadn’t been extended lightly and wanted to make a good first impression with her father. In his gut he sensed that his and Jennifer’s relationship was nearing a turning point.
While driving to Santa Angelita, he’d agonized over whether her family would approve of him. And he hoped like hell he didn’t say or do something to offend anyone. He recalled Juan’s warning that an Anglo had hurt Jennifer in the past. And he hadn’t forgotten the suspicious glare her brother had shot him the first time they’d met.
If he intended to earn Jennifer’s trust, he had to first win over her family. In past relationships, he hadn’t considered the issue of trust. He supposed the women he’d dated had both liked and trusted him. But Jennifer differed from those women. She was deeper. More real. More everything. Earning her trust mattered to him.
If you can’t even earn your grandfather or brothers’ trust, how do you expect to earn Jennifer’s? The sooner he rang the bell, the sooner he’d stop trying to figure out the future and the sooner he’d put himself out of misery. His index finger hovered in the air as he took a deep breath.
“Can I help you?”
Startled, he turned at the unfamiliar voice. A young woman with hair the color of Jennifer’s, but taller and slimmer than her, studied him, her arms crossed over her chest.
“I’m Aaron.” He moved down the porch steps.
“You’re cuter than Jen described you.” She met him halfway and held out a hand. “I’m Delia.”
“Exactly how did your sister describe me?” Now that he stood closer, he could see marked differences between the two sisters. Jennifer’s bone structure was more pronounced, especially her jaw. Delia was a pretty young woman, but her attractiveness was subtle. Jennifer had a bold, in-your-face kind of beauty.
Her attention shifted from the flowers in his hand to his face. “Jen said you had nice eyes and smelled good.” Delia leaned in and sniffed his neck.
Realizing what a little tease she was, Aaron laughed and asked, “Did Jennifer mention my teeth?”
“No, but I see now that she should have.” Flipping her waist-length hair over one shoulder, she bounced down the front walk. “Come around to the back. Friends and family never use the front door.”
He followed Delia across the lawn and up the driveway. They entered through the laundry room, the squeaky door hinges announcing their arrival.
“Watch my Victoria Secrets,” Delia warned.
Silk lingerie in reds and black hung from a clothesline strung across the small room. Ducking under the frilly stuff, Aaron speculated about the kind of panties Jennifer wore. Did she prefer the sensuous feel of satin or the coarseness of cotton? Cotton. Jennifer was too practical to wear anything else.
“He’s here!” Delia announced as they entered the kitchen.
Aaron hovered in the doorway and watched Jennifer, who was standing at the sink, peeling an avocado. She wore a white cotton sundress decorated with bright red strawberries. The thin straps made her shoulders appear delicate and feminine. Her toned arms and tanned skin begged for a man’s caress. His caress. The dress dipped in at the waist and flared an inch above her knees. In a T-shirt and worn jeans, Jennifer was sexy. In a dress…she put his body on high alert.
“Welcome.” The shy smile she flashed had Aaron thinking she was as nervous as he was.
He thrust the flowers toward her. “These are for you.” Her eyes softened as she accepted the white daisies, then went up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.” She scurried back to the sink and cut the ends of the stems under running water while Delia confiscated a vase from a nearby cupboard. Together they arranged the bouquet.
Aaron sniffed the air. “Smells great. Have you been cooking all day?”
“A few hours,” Delia answered.
“Is he here yet?” Antonio walked into the room.
“Good to see you again, Antonio.” The younger man’s handshake was firm. One week in the internship program and already Aaron noticed an increase in self-confidence.
“Hey, Papa, Jen’s boyfriend is here.”
Mr. Alvarado strolled into the kitchen, wearing jeans and a cotton short-sleeved dress shirt. He was an inch or two shorter than Antonio, wide-shouldered, with iron-gray hair and a pitch-black mustache.
Moving across the room, Aaron offered his hand. “Aaron Smith. Pleased to meet you, sir.”
“Senõr Smith. Welcome to our home.”
Aaron removed an expensive imported cigar from his front shirt pocket. “For you, Senõr Alvarado.”
The older man examined the cigar with great care. Nervously, Aaron waited for the stony face to react. “Gracias. What do you drink?”
“Water’s fine.”
“Tony, bring us a beer.”
“Beer sounds good.” Before following Mr. Alvarado, Aaron glanced at Jennifer. For a second, he thought he detected a shadow of apprehension in her eyes, then she smiled and nodded encouragingly toward the living room.
Aaron sat on the end of the couch across from the leather recliner Jennifer’s father sank into. Antonio appeared a few moments later with the drinks, then collapsed at the opposite end of the couch. Aaron fought hard not to squirm under Mr. Alvarado’s scrutiny. When the older man cleared his throat, Aaron expected a speech, a lecture, a word…anything but the tense silence that continued to fill the room.
Nerves in a knot, Aaron asked, “How’s the internship going, Antonio?” He must have spoken too loud, because Mr. Alvarado jerked and beer spurted out of the can.
“I have my own cubicle and phone number, and look at this.” Antonio dug out his wallet. “My own business card.”
After glancing over the information, Aaron commented, “Sales manager. Pretty impressive. Sell anything yet?”
“No, but—” Antonio glanced at his father “—Mr. Dean, my boss, said if I work real hard, he might take me along on a business trip to Latin America.” The excitement in Antonio’s voice reassured Aaron that he’d done the right thing in creating the internship program.
“You will, mi hijo.” Mr. Alvarado insisted, a note of pride in voice.
“Have you begun courses for your master’s?” Aaron already knew the answer to the question, but figured Antonio was a safer subject than himself.
“I’m taking one course per summer session. In two weeks, I begin economics.”
“Supper should be ready in a few minutes,” Jennifer announced as she strolled into the room and sat between Aaron and her brother. She eyed her father. “Enough bragging, Antonio. Maybe Papa wants to ask Aaron a few questions.”
Thank you, Jennifer. Nothing like being thrown out in the middle of the ocean without a life preserver. Aaron downed the rest of his beer, hoping the alcohol would fortify his nerves.
“My Jennifer say you never work construction?”
His Jennifer. Aaron didn’t miss the possessive note in the old man’s voice. “I haven’t had much experience with home construction,” he hedged. Hoping to change the topic, he commented, “Jennifer mentioned that you drive the mega machines for road work.”
Senõr Alvarado’s chest puffed up and his expression lightened. For the next few
minutes Aaron received a crash course on the different machines used in road maintenance and construction. By the time Jennifer nudged his elbow and declared, “Supper’s ready,” Aaron had gained a whole new respect for the state transportation department.
After they had all seated themselves at the table, Jennifer blessed the meal, then offered a cloth-covered platter of warm homemade tortillas to her father. “If you like coleslaw, Aaron, you’ll love this. My sister cooks the best smokin’ slaw in Santa Angelita,” Jennifer bragged.
Delia passed the bowl of slaw. “My sweet chipotle dressing is a secret.”
“Smells terrific,” he pronounced, then scooped a spoonful onto his plate before handing the bowl to Antonio.
“Jen’s pork tamales beat out Rosa’s at the café.” Antonio passed the plate, piled high with tamales, to Aaron. “She soaks the corn husks in tequila before filling them.”
“Don’t give away all my secrets,” Jennifer scolded. “I use an unusual spice that lends the pork a unique flavor.”
“You and Delia both have your mama’s cooking genes.”
“Thank you, Papa.” Jennifer clasped her father’s hand and squeezed affectionately.
“My compliments, Delia. The slaw is fantastic.” Aaron smiled at the blush creeping across the young girl’s cheeks. “And Jennifer,” he added, then took a bite of pork tamale. The husk proved more difficult than he expected to bite through. He forced a smile. “This is great, too.” The pork tasted fine, but he didn’t care much for the hard-to-chew husk. After a minute of gnawing, he attempted to swallow, but the glob caught in his throat and had him reaching for his water glass. That was when he noticed the others had stopped eating and were grinning at him.
He swallowed half the glass of water before the husk slid down his throat. “What’s so funny?”
“Have you ever eaten tamales, Aaron?” Delia asked.
“No.” He flashed a smile. “But had I known they were this tasty, I’d have tried them sooner.”
Laughter floated around the room and Jennifer patted the back of his hand. “You’re not supposed to eat the corn husk.”
