We found the taco truck and looked at the menu.
“Street tacos are a little different than what my moms will make for you. But they’re still really good. Do you want beef? Pork? Chicken? Fish?” I explained as we went through the menu. “Or you can try three different types? Actually, they have six different types of tacos. Why don’t we just get all six and you can just try some of each and then we can get more,” I suggested, excited that I’d get to see her eat her first taco.
She looked at someone else’s tray as they left the truck. “Oh, they’re small. Yes, why don’t we try one of each and then we can get more if we want to?”
I got one of each taco and two agua frescas, not expecting to find them in a food truck in Switzerland.
While we waited, I put a variety of salsas and toppings in tinycups, so she could try them all. Saoirse grabbed the food, I had the drinks, and we found a quiet spot on what look like a giant porch swing
“Try,” I encouraged, setting everything out between the two of us on the giant swing.
She tried bites of the different types of tacos along with the different salsas.
“I like this sauce best.” Saoirse pointed to a very spicy one I’d gotten because I wanted to try it myself, not expecting her to like it.
“You like spicy?” I added some of that salsa to my half of the Carnitas taco and ate it in one bite.
“I do like spicy food. I’ve told you that.” She tried the fish taco. “Not my favorite, but still good.”
“Yes, I know you like spicy curry. I just wasn’t expecting you to like super spicy salsa. But that’s a good thing. One of my moms makes really spicy salsa. My Italian mom makes a spicy pasta sauce like you wouldn’t believe, too.” My mouth watered at the thought.
“Spicy pasta would probably soak up all the booze after a night out.” Her hand moved over to the Carne Asada taco. “This one’s beef, right?”
“Yes. Here, try it like this.” I added onion and pico de gallo, then squeezed some lime on it. Holding it up. I fed it to her, pieces falling off. We both laughed as I shoved the other half in my own mouth.
“This is pretty fun,” she admitted. “But then I have a lot of fun with you.” She went quiet and took a sip of her agua fresca. “I really like this too. What is it?”
“Jamaica–hibiscus. I figured you’d like that one and if you didn’t maybe you’d like mine, it’s watermelon–my favorite.” I offered it to her.
She took a sip, looking thoughtful. “I like them both, but I especially like the one you chose for me. Thank you.”
“No problem. Like you said, this is fun.” Happiness zinged inside me. She liked everything!
We finished off our tacos and decided to get more–the winners being carne asada and carnitas. She waited there to keep our seats while I got them, along with the preferred salsa and toppings, and some beers. We dug in again.
“His name is Liam,” she said softly, adding salsa to her taco and squeezing on some lime.
“He's the alphahole I’m going to eviscerate in song?” I took a bite.
“Yes, though I don’t know if he’s worth the effort. We grew up together. We were friends–we trained together, went to school together, lived in the same village. He’s from another clan, one that’s our ally. We went everywhere together, and it seemed only natural when we became a lot more than friends. Everyone expected that we would get married and take up a leadership position in one of the clans.” She looked away and ate another taco.
“That didn’t work out, did it?” I put my hand over hers.
“I was sent away on a mission for an extended period of time. Liam had promised that we’d get engaged when I returned. Personally, I thought we were a little young to be engaged, but back then I thought that he was the one I was going to spend my life with. Then, I came home to find him and my sister in bed.” Spicy anger replaced the hurt in her scent.
“He cheated on you with your sister? Gross. How could somebody do that?” That was some crazy shit.
“They’d been seeing each other behind my back for three years. The worst thing was, everybody knew, including my parents, who were constantly finding ways for them to be with each other without me knowing. Every time I was sent away on a mission, to help out another clan, or even to my grandparents, it was so they could be together without me knowing.
“Not to mention all that talk of me being a bitch and heartless,were rumors spread by my sister and parents to make me the villain. I was supposed to just hand him over to my sister, because I was selfish and had kept them from being together. The thing was, I never knew they liked each other. Sure, he was kind to her, but she was my sister. Suddenly, I’m the bad person because I can’t read minds?” She practically spat the words.
I edged closer towards her, my heart hurting for her. “That is awful. How are you selfish by being with somebody that you thought wanted to marry you?”
“No idea. Also, they wanted to discredit me and seed distrust, because my parents were afraid I might rise higher than they could control. They expected me to yell and throw a fit, so they could show that I was unpredictable and have a temper. Instead, I simply said,Well, you always liked all of my hand-me-downs anyway, you might as well have him.”
“Incredible.” That was my sassy assassin.
She laughed derisively. “It just got me branded as petty. How that’s petty, I’m not really sure. She’s a little younger and a little smaller, and often wore things I’d outgrown. Why not him? Clearly, he had fallen out of love with me years before. That made me realize I’d outgrown him–and my family.”
