Love on the Ledge

by Zoraida Cordova

  Hayden takes a bottle of sparkling water and fills her cup. “At least we get a little bit of bubbles.”

  Maria takes a seat with Las Viejas along the counter. They question everything, even though none of them know anything about wine. I might just die when Aunt Cecy asks for a little bit of sugar to put in their vintage rosé.

  “Keeping it classy in 2014,” I say, holding my glass to Leti’s. She clinks.

  “I think they’re great,” Hayden says.

  “You don’t have to spend every day with them,” Leti says. “Well, you sort of do. But you get to have all the girls try to bring you snacks ‘round the clock.”

  “Everyone except for your mom,” he whispers in my ear.

  Now that it’s not a secret that there’s something going on with Hayden and me, I walk him over to where my mom is perched making a face at a dry glass of cabernet.

  “Ma, this is Hayden. You already know him, but I just wanted to re-introduce you.”

  He holds his hand out. I dare my mother to look into his eyes and not be smitten. I dare her.

  She smiles despite herself. “Thank you for doing this. It wasn’t necessary.”

  “No, I think it was,” he says.

  “Lindo,” Aunt Salomé says, pinching his cheek, then fans herself. “Esos ojos.”

  “Right?” I say in agreement.

  Hayden looks confused so I translate for him. Those eyes.

  “Oh, muchas gracias.” He nods at her, and when I feel like we’ve spent too much time standing awkwardly in front of them, I pull him away.

  “Don’t worry about her,” I tell him. “She’ll come around.”

  He bites his lip. It bothers him that my mom isn’t fawning over him the way everyone else does, but my mother’s a tough nut to crack. I’m pretty sure the only person she’d like instantly is the Pope, and only because she’d be afraid to go to Hell if she didn’t.

  “We have a very untraditional arrangement,” he says. “So I suppose I’ll have to wait.”

  “Look at my family,” I say. “As much as they try to hold onto tradition, it doesn’t last for long. You have Leti, who travels the world and has teeth bling. You have Elena and Juliet, who’ll be the first in their family to go to school out of state. You have my uncle marrying his long-time partner. Then you have me…”

  He reaches for me and I stare at his hand like it moves in slow-mo. Hayden’s big, calloused hands are everything I want right now. He twirls a lock of my hair around a finger.

  “Yeah,” he says. “I have you.”

  The way he looks at me makes me want to forget that I’m surrounded by my family. But then I realize my mom is looking at us. I give him my most charming smile.

  “We’re the modern family,” I say.

  A burst of laughter draws our attention to the great window facing the vineyard. The younger cousins have made their way out to the rows and rows of grapes. They’re warned not to pluck any, but I’m sure one or two of them have stolen a grape from the vine. The nasty surprise will be when they bite into it and get nothing but sour fruit.

  Over on the lawn, Steven and Elena take selfies, then take turns balancing full glasses on their heads.

  “You can’t take us anywhere,” I say.

  As much as I want to be embarrassed of them, as much as I want to be mad at them most of the time, I love them. All of them. Even Maria. Well, sometimes Maria.

  “I’m glad you’re having a good time,” he says, brushing my cheek. He hasn’t stopped touching me since we got in the car. I’ve never been so PDA in front of anyone, let alone my relatives.

  “We’re having an excellent time,” Uncle Tony tells him. He and Pepe come in from their tour of the vineyard outside. His cheeks are pink from the various reds he’s tried. He holds Pepe around the waist. Seeing them together always warms my heart.

  Pepe takes Hayden’s hand. “You’re a different person when you’re not covered in sweat. I don’t know which one I prefer.”

  “Pepe,” I say.

  “If you ever want to try your hand at some modeling, you’d be perfect for next year’s spring line. Very construction-worker-meets-surfer cool.”

  I look up at Hayden. When did we go from hiding on a roof to holding hands in front of my family? Part of me is warning me that this is too fast. But a bigger part of me, the hermit side that hid all summer, is happy to stand in the sun. No matter how long it lasts.

  “I’m okay,” he says. “I like working with my hands.”

  “I hope you continue to do more woodwork,” Tony says. “The gazebo is coming out beautifully.”

  “Just wait. It’s almost done. I want to make it perfect.”

  Tony and Pepe look at each other and share a small kiss. “Well, we’re glad you came into our lives, even if you had to fall through the roof to do it.”

  “I’d do it all over again.” He squeezes my hand.

  “I’m just happy to see our Sky smile like that.” They toast to Hayden.

  I feel like I’m in a dream. And if I am, I don’t ever want to wake up.

  The two hours fly by. It’s strange introducing a guy who isn’t my boyfriend to my family, but he gets the boyfriend treatment, which is confusing. Or it would be confusing if Hayden didn’t look like he was enjoying himself so much. There isn’t any of that awkwardness because he knows just what to say. He talks Yankees with my cousins and offers Uncle Felix advice on the best way to get siding on his house in Florida. He lets my aunts feel his hair. He’s doing everything he humanly can to please my family. The truth is, though, he doesn’t have to. I told him that. But he’s doing it anyway, and that makes my feelings for him deepen hard and fast.

  When our two hours are up, and Sean and Clara load us up with an extra case of bubbly for the wedding toast (they’re invited now), River and Leti and I pile into Hayden’s car.

  “Dude,” Leti tells him. “You’ve gotten everyone in the family to like you in two hours. No boyfriend or girlfriend has ever done that in the history of our family.”

  “A little wine goes a long way,” he says.

  “That,” Leti says, “and I’m pretty sure everyone has been mentally undressing you for weeks. That helps. Wow, our family is terrible. Right, River?”

  Leti nudges River in the ribs. She didn’t have a drop to drink. She didn’t even smoke once. She smiles weakly and looks out the window.

  “A pretty face helps, too.” Her smile is forced and meant to placate us. She’ll talk when she’s ready. She always does.

  Before I go inside, Hayden kisses me. He holds my face in his hands and explores my lips with his. His fingers find their way through a tangle of my hair. He tugs and pulls me even closer. I answer his kisses with a flick of my tongue. I let my hands slide from his chest to his crotch. His dick strains through his jeans.

  If we turn the car around and go to his place, everyone will notice. My family might like him now, but sex is not a topic we bring up—unless we’re gossiping.

  I pull myself away from him. It’s the hardest thing I’ve done all day. “Thank you again.”

  “You don’t have to thank me, Sky. I don’t know how long we have together, so I just want to make every moment last.”

  “If you’re not watching your calories,” I tell him, “tomorrow the chef is going to do a little tasting for the family.”

  He leans into my neck and kisses me over and over. “There is one thing I’ve had a craving for since I got a taste.”

  I reach for his pants. The pulse in his dick answers to the wetness between my legs. “Or…can you come over tonight?”

  “Sneak in?” He winks. He takes my hand and crosses his fingers with mine.

  “Yeah.”

  He sighs, long and hard. “I have to be on a job tomorrow. It’s a little far out on the Island. But I’ll be back by the evening.”

  I try not to pout. He kisses my lips softly. He leaves me floating so high on clouds that I’m sure nothing can make me come down. Not even Maria’s
jealous puss or my Mom’s still disapproving glare. Not the young ones screaming as they run around the pool, or Leti’s complaining that Gary hasn’t called her in twenty-four hours.

  Not even the single text from Bradley that says: You don’t mean what you said. I miss you.

  Chapter 29

  “I don’t think I made enough food,” James whispers to Lucky and me.

  All thirty members of my family staying in the house stare in James’s direction. In his white chef’s jacket, with Lucky as a stand in sous chef by his side, he looks like the miracle he is.

  “It’s fine,” I say. “They’ll share.”

  “Tony, Pepe, this is Chef James Hughes.”

  They shake his hand enthusiastically.

  “Of course we know that already,” Pepe says, squeezing his own cheeks. “I can’t believe you’re doing this! Sky, this is the best wedding gift.”

  When I told them that James Hughes had agreed to cater the wedding, it was like I jolted them with a defibrillator. Now that they’re staring at James, I think I might literally need that defibrillator.

  Lucky sits on top of the counter, drawing the ire of some of the Viejas, but at this point Lucky can set the house on fire and I’ll be okay with it as long as James can pull this off.

  He unwraps a tray at a time. First up are deep fried scallops with a sweet relish.

  “Sky told me you have over two hundred people. My thinking is that we do lots of small plates centered around a really big protein.”

  Everyone is too busy nodding and making yummy noises to form any coherent sentences. “What protein?” Pepe asks.

  “I was thinking of doing a pernil, Latin style. Everyone loves roasted pork. Forty-eight hour marinade. You already have the pit in the backyard. My buddy can get me two of those, and bam. We’re set there.”

  Pepe blows on one of the scallops. “We can have the bartenders make Mai Tais! I’m digging the luau switch. Still beachy, but more tropical. What else do you have under there?”

  James pulls back the foil on his famous lamb pops.

  Those pretty much evaporate. The lamb pops are followed by the most succulent crab cakes I’ve ever had. The meat flakes right off with the right amount of crunch. But I have to say that the best is the tray of lobster taquitos.

  “Sky said you wanted an Italian dish, so I have some veal meatballs that’ll knock your socks off. If they don’t, then let’s just say that the recipe came from my sous chef, Nunzio.”

  The meatballs vanish in seconds.

  “Are you guys happy?” I ask Pepe and Tony.

  I take their smiling, stuffed faces as an answer. I think the answer to keeping my family happy is good food and good wine. Why has this taken me so long to figure out? They decimate the food like they haven’t been fed in a week.

  While James signs a couple of autographs, Lucky pulls me into the living room.

  “So?” she asks.

  “So?” I say.

  She slaps my arm. “How are things with the sexy roofer?”

  “He’s not just a roofer,” I say. “He’s a carpenter, too.”

  “I do love a man who works with his hands. It just makes them know how to hold you a little bit better.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “Bring him over tonight. James’ll make dinner, obvs. Can you bring some of that Goose Walk wine? I had some the other day and let’s just say there isn’t any left.”

  “Anything,” I tell her. “You saved my skin.”

  Her gray eyes are bright and happy. “What are friends for?”

  • • •

  Later that night when the family is gathered around for dinner, I go to my room to change into my bathing suit. As I tie my bikini strings, the door to my bedroom opens and Xandro stands at the door.

  “Excuse you?” I hiss.

  He stands up straight. “Hey, Sky. Sorry. I was looking for the bathroom.”

  I grab the dress on my bed and throw it on, knowing that it’s useless. He’s already seen me.

  “Don’t be shy, babe.” He leans against my doorframe. “I’ve seen you in your bikini when you go for your little swims. It’s like underwear that you’re allowed to get wet in.”

  His words make my skin crawl. “Well, we’re not in the pool. You’re in my bedroom. Now get out.”

  “Where are you off to tonight? Dinner’s almost ready. I missed the fancy schmancy chef lunch. I was out on my partner’s boat.”

  “Out, Xandro.”

  “I heard your little roofer took everyone wine tasting.”

  I shove extra clothes into a backpack. Everything about this is wrong. Xandro standing in my bedroom is wrong. Xandro in this house is wrong. His eyes are drunk with lust and it makes me feel more than naked, it makes me feel exposed.

  “It’s nice that he’s trying to get your mom to like him. But it’s never going to work. That’s not how our mothers are.”

  “You don’t know anything about my family,” I raise my voice. “You think that because you knew me when we were little kids you have a right to barge into my life? You’re delusional.”

  “You’re wrong Sky. I know a whole lot about your family. I know that when your mother couldn’t afford to buy food she’d come down the hall and my mom would give her a plate for you. I know that your uncle used to sneak guys into the apartment when none of you were paying attention. Everyone talked about it.”

  “Are you trying to make a point?” I step closer to him with balled fists. “Or are you trying to really piss me off?”

  “I’m trying to make you see that you and I have history. Aren’t you tired of going through relationships that’ll never go anywhere? Your mom told me how your last boyfriend cheated on you. Do you think that this guy is any different?”

  I laugh in his face. My phone buzzes. Hayden is probably downstairs.

  “Don’t you have a model who needs a new boob job?”

  “Sky, do you know why I’m even bothering with you?”

  I roll my eyes. “Why?”

  “Because you are already perfect. Everything about your face, your body, it doesn’t need any work. With me you’d have everything. You wouldn’t have to work. We could buy a house for your mom. Hey, our moms could even live together.”

  “Is this how you talk to women?” I ask. “Because it isn’t getting you anywhere.”

  I step back. He follows. He grabs my arm, squeezing too hard. With my free hand I slap him and he lets go.

  “Xandro, I’m not interested in you.”

  “That’s unacceptable, Sky.”

  He reaches for me, but I swing my bag at him. “Don’t touch me. Not ever.”

  Just then River walks past the hall on her way to the bathroom. She notices my door open and catches my eye. She does a 180 and comes right in. “Hey, Ricky Martin. What’s up?”

  I don’t hear his reply because my heart feels like it’s hammering in my ears. He blows a kiss at me and walks back downstairs.

  “What was that?” she asks.

  “That’s a problem.”

  “We have to say something.” She turns around but I stop her.

  “Not right now.”

  “Sky, the creep was in your room. Unless you’re going to tell me that you invited him in here, we have to tell someone and make him stop trying to court you or whatever he thinks he’s doing.”

  “I’m going to talk to my mom, but not when he’s in the house. She doesn’t get what he’s like. He’s only like that when no one’s around.”

  “Has he done this before?”

  I shake my head. “Not like this. This is extreme. But he says things to me, like he thinks we’re written in the stars or something. It’s seriously unhinged.”

  She studies my face. I fear she’s not going to listen. I fear she’s going to run downstairs and break something over his head. “Fine. But, if he pulls this again, I’ll rip him to shreds.”

  And I know that she means it.

  Chapter 30

 
“Are you okay?” Hayden asks when I’m in the car. “You seem off.”

  I smile and kiss his face in response. He doesn’t believe me a hundred percent, but we drive to Lucky’s anyway. Hayden and I strip down to our swimwear and join them in the hot tub.

  “What smells amazing?” Hayden asks.

  “Short ribs,” James answers. He leans back with an arm around Lucky.

  Hayden tries to pull me closer to him, but my body is rigid. Xandro really threw me off. That, and my forearm hurts where he grabbed me. I keep it submerged in the bubbles.

  Lucky widens her eyes at me, which confirms my suspicions that I am, in fact, acting weird.

  “I’ve heard a lot about your cooking,” Hayden tells James. “My mom goes crazy over you when you’re on TV.”

  James chuckles, but brushes it off. “They make everything look harder with really tight cuts. Like on the last episode when I was down to the wire, I still had two minutes on the clock, but they made it look like five seconds.”

  Lucky slaps him on the back of the head. “Stop ruining TV magic!”

  “Shut your pretty face.”

  “You shut your pretty face.”

  They both shut each other up at the same time with a kiss.

  “You wouldn’t think so from looking at them now,” I tell Hayden, “but these two didn’t get off to such a great start.”

  “People surprise you,” Hayden says, looking at me.

  “Chef Big Head over here was the one who rejected me first.”

  James makes a face. “I seem to recall someone stealing my coffee.”

  “It wasn’t even yours.”

  “See?” I tell Hayden.

  They share a laugh when the timer buzzes. James steps out of the hot tub. “Hope you guys are hungry.”

  Lucky winks at me. “I’ll go get us another round. There are towels over on the bench.”

  “They’re really great,” Hayden tells me.

  “See? I know people, too,” I tell him.

  He nips at my ear. I take a deep breath and push Xandro’s face out of my mind.

  “It was weird not seeing you all day,” he says. “I’m used to watching you drink your coffee at your balcony. You’re like the princess and I’m the farm boy.”