“That sounds like a great project.” Nesto said, “Where I grew up, in the South Bronx, it’s very urban, but it’s essentially a book desert. No bookstores, really.”
Suddenly he looked serious, eyebrows furrowed. “But we could walk to the library center to get what we needed, and it was a lifesaver for me and my friends.”
The thought that Nesto understood why I wanted this project so badly spread a warm feeling through my chest. When I finally spoke, it was low and a little breathless. “That’s exactly why I want to make the mobile library happen.”
He beamed at me and continued his story. “When there was something we were too mortified to ask our parents, we would do a group trip to the library after school and do our own research.” He took a sip from his glass, looking adorably self-conscious. “There are some conversations one can’t have with aparent, no matter how cool they are, you feel me?” He winced at this and we all laughed.
Carmen piped in from the stool she was perched on at the bar. “We’d wanted to get the project off the ground for years before Jude joined the library, and no one could get a viable plan going. But he said he would do it on his interview, and he came up with an awesome proposal,” she gushed, kissing me on the cheek.
I pulled away, feeling a little mortified from all the attention. “Stop it, Carmen, it’s not like we’re giving them all scholarships. Besides we don’t exactly have a green light. I could get shot down again.” I was pretty sure I was red in the face.
She looked over at Nesto. “He’s too modest, he’s done amazing things with our youth programs since he started with us. If anyone has a chance of getting this approved, it’s Jude,” she said, wagging her finger at me. “We lucked out to get him!”
“I’m pretty impressed so far,” Nesto said, as he shot me a conspiratorial look and stepped a bit closer to where I was standing, the warmth of his body sending tremors through my own.
He put his mouth against my ear and whispered. “So, you bring the books, and I bring the Caribbean to all corners of the Finger Lakes, huh? I like that plan.”
At this point I wasn’t even surewhatmy body was doing. I was hot and cold with shivers running through places. Apparently being close to Nesto made my body think it had the flu. Something like a mix between a gasp and a laugh escaped my mouth, which sounded pretty hysterical to me, even in my disturbed state, and I prayed Nesto’s drink was stronger than it looked.
I came back from my inner ramblings and noticed he and I were back to our own devices while Ted, Priscilla, and Carmencontinued to solve the mysteries of the universe. So, I got my shit together and decided I was going to make conversation.
“Tell me about these friends you went to the library with.” Nesto, who had been looking at me with worry, immediately smiled and relaxed his shoulders.
This was clearly the right thing to ask. He shifted his body as he talked, turning all his focus on me.
“Oh, those are my boys. My best friends. We grew up together in the Bronx and we’re still pretty tight. There’s Juanpa and Patrice, those two I knew from the day I moved to the neighborhood. Juanpa’s grandpa was our landlord, and he and his family lived across the street from us.” He shook his head and smiled. “Patrice and his mom lived a few blocks away, but we all went to the same elementary school. The day my mom and I moved in, I went outside to scope out the block and found them fighting over what to do with the five dollars they’d earned doing yard work for Juanpa’s grandpa.”
As he spoke I had to work hard to keep my eyes on his face. There was so much of his body I wanted to take a closer look at.
“They had me break the tie between Italian ices or Bubble Tape, and we’ve been close ever since. Camilo, we didn’t meet until the summer before eighth grade when he and his mom came up from Miami and moved to the neighborhood.”
I nodded as Nesto talked, even smiled, trying to show him how much I wanted to hear all about the people in his life. “Patrice’s mom knew them from when they first came to the States from Haiti. So Patrice brought Milo around and the bossy little shit has been trying to run our lives since.” He grinned at the memory. And yeah, that grin was trouble. “They’re the inspiration for OuNYe. Juanpa’s dad is Puerto Rican, Patrice is Haitian and Camilo’s folks came from Cuba and Jamaica, and I and Mamí came from the DR. The GA Crew,” he said with a wistful smile.
“What does the GA stand for?” I asked.
He laughed and shook his head. “Umm, evidence that despite our running our mouths and fronting like we were hardcore, we’re just big nerds. GA is for ‘Greater Antilles.’ The biggest islands in the Caribbean-Hispaniola, the island the DR and Haiti share, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Cuba.”
I looked at him and smiled. The affection for his friends, and the obvious pride for who he was and where he came from were pretty damn sexy.
“Will you miss them while you’re here?” I asked, curious. He lifted a shoulder.
“Sure, I mean, we’ve been apart before. Juanpa and Camilo left the city for college. Juanpa went to USC in Cali and Milo to Temple in Philly. Patrice and I stayed local. I went to Fordham and he did his thing at Columbia. Dude is still there finishing up a PhD.” The admiration for his friend’s accomplishment was clear in his voice. “Anyway, after college everyone made their way back home. It’s been good, having them close all this time. I’ll miss them a whole lot, but I think we’re all at the point where we’re looking for what we want to be, you know?”
I was nodding again. “I definitely know.”
My body kept reacting to Nesto. Everything he said was charged with such passion. Like he meant every word.
His face turned serious for a moment. “We’ve been working, doing our thing, and now we’re feeling like we want to lay down roots, figure out what we want for the long run. Or I don’t know, maybe that’s just me.” His smile was rueful, like he was a bit unsure of what he meant by that. “They’ll come and visit, though. They actually drove up yesterday to help me move, but they went back already.”
I nodded, remembering Carmen said his mom lived in town. I was about to ask a question about her when my very meddlesome best friend and Priscilla moved closer.
Carmen looked like she was about to do something I’d regret, so I braced for it.
“Hey, babe, so Ted is beat and has to head to the city early in the morning for a talk he’s giving down there.” With that she turned to Nesto. “So we were wondering if you could give Jude a ride. He doesn’t have his car today and we were going to take him home, but Pri mentioned your sublet’s in Trumansburg. We figured it wouldn’t be too much trouble,” she finished, looking infinitely pleased with herself. Standing next to her, Ted had the resigned expression of a man who knew when to just play along.
Pri looked like she was waiting for her turn to deliver her line, and as if on cue, stretched up to give Nesto a kiss on the cheek. “Hey, primo, so I’m going to get a ride up with them since I left my truck up on campus. I’m so glad I got to see you before I went back.”
Nesto looked like he knew exactly what those two were up to but obliged his cousin with a kiss goodbye. We waved them off as they walked out of the bar. Nesto sat back on the stool and pulled me by the hand, so I was standing over him.
