Tiburón shook both of their hands. “Nice to meet you, too. I am. And as long as you treat my cousin right, we won’t have any problems.”
Ah, fuck. Apparently, Tiburón was interviewing Ramón, not the other way around. This was why Tiburón couldn’t keep a job.
Ramón didn’t seem to be fazed by Tiburón’s comment. “Then we will be good. Do you want the job, or not?”
“I do.”
“Cool. I’ll get all the paperwork together, and you can start tomorrow.”
“Actually, he can start today. My dishwasher just got deported.”
Ramón gulped. “Really? You didn’t tell me that.”
Julieta pursed her lips. “Why would I? You weren’t paying his salary yet.”
He gritted his teeth. “Julieta, you have to tell me these things.”
Tiburón raised his voice. “What’s it to you, rich boy? Like you care if one of us gets deported. You are destroying our community.”
Julieta pointed her newly manicured nail in Tiburón’s face. “¡Basta! Just go to the kitchen. Now.” Tiburón sneered at Ramón andEnrique, but then turned toward the kitchen, where he pushed the door.
A lump grew in Julieta’s throat. “Sorry about that. I’ll handle him.”
Ramón ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s okay. I get it.”
This was already a nightmare. “I’m just going to set him up and be right back.”
Ramón nodded.
Julieta chased after Tiburón and threw her hands up in his face. “What was that? Why can’t you behave for once?”
“Why should I? He doesn’t care for Barrio. Sure, he gave me a job, but he’s going to destroy us. And you, too.”
Julieta shook her head. “Maybe it will be okay.”
“I doubt it. Look, I need the work. But be careful, cuz. They are not like us. Don’t get involved with him.” He picked up a Brillo pad and began scouring the pots.
Julieta couldn’t swallow the sinking feeling that Tiburón was right. She hovered over the cook making Ramón’s and Enrique’s food, added some garnishes, and took the plates out and served them.
“I promise, he won’t be a problem.”
Ramón winked at her. “Don’t worry about it. He cares about his community, and he’s just protective over you, like he should be.”
Julieta’s heart fluttered. It had been a week—she’d expected the effect he had on her to wear off. But here she was, her heart hammering, her eyes glued to him all over again.
Enrique’s eyes shifted from his brother’s back to Julieta. “Sit with us.” He smirked, pulled out a chair, and put it suspiciously close to Ramón.
Julieta sat next to Ramón, their knees touching. She was a grown woman—why did the quivers in her stomach make her feel like she was a tween with a crush? She turned her attention to Enrique. “Okay. So, tell me how you became interested in farming?”
“Well, I always helped out our grandfather with his work. He was a landscaper. And in the summers, I would go to our mom’s brother’s farm in Salinas. I loved it out there. My uncle taught me how to harvest lettuce, pick strawberries, and grow garlic. I wanted to help his farm grow, so I went to Cal Poly SLO and got my degree in agricultural science.”
“That’s so cool.” Julieta was so impressed by Enrique and, of course it went without saying, Ramón. They were both so driven. She couldn’t wait to meet Jaime.
After breakfast, they left the restaurant. Enrique was driving, so they piled into his Tesla SUV and headed to Encinitas.
The daylight sun shone through the SUV’s window as Enrique drove along the coast. People were hiking along the beach and riding bicycles on the beach paths. Did anyone work in this city?
But as the warmth from the weather relaxed her, Julieta turned inward. Ramón had been flirty, but respectful. He was her boss—he’d probably decided not to make a move until she made a clear signal that she wanted him.
