Page 82 of Sweet Heart

“What about you? And please don’t tell me it’s a Doctor.”

My eyebrow bounces up as I glance quickly at Celeste, who is smirking in amusement. Riley just frowns and shakes her head.

“That’s a cocktail?”

“Oui, ma chérie,” Celeste purrs, her gaze full of warmth now, and Riley blushes. “But one from the early nineteenth century. It has a lot of rum and punch.”

“Oh! Yeah, no…” Riley smiles at Cat. “I’m just a simple girl. A G&T will do it for me. Nothing too sweet.”

Mary’s lips tick up, but she doesn’t respond. Instead, she looks at the bottle in her hands again.

“Thank you, girls. It will go great with dessert.”

“Oh, what are we having for dessert?” Carmen instantly interjects.

“Well, I…”

“Mary tried to make flan—” I start, and she cuts a look at me.

“Oh, yum,” Carmen beams, completely oblivious.

“So we are having baked plantains.”

“Wait… wha—”

Carmen freezes, and her eyes dart to Mary, whose face is so red she could stop a car.

“Oh, my,” Celeste hums, and Riley bursts into laughter.

“Well, at least you tried, right?” she says in between hiccups, and she brings her hand up to Mary’s shoulder in a supportive gesture.

“Hmm, yeah,” Mary says, now chuckling a little through her embarrassment.

“And next time, she’ll succeed. Right, amor?”

“Sí,” she replies instantly, and I couldn’t be prouder.

“Sí.”

“Yo, Mary, not to be rude or anything, but you added one plate too many.”

Carmen’s attention has already shifted, and the rest of us feel the jerk of trying to keep up. We all stare at the table, where six plates are set.

“Oh, that,” Mary smiles. “No, we are still expecting someone.”

Only five minutes or so have passed when that someone rings the bell. Mary’s blue eyes instantly meet mine, and she holds my gaze for a beat. I nod softly, and she moves to open the door. Carmen and Riley are chatting about some new action movie that is about to come out, but Celeste’s eyes follow my girlfriend before they land back on me. Her face carries a puzzled expression, but when I smirk slightly, it quickly turns into amusement. I start to like her even more.

“Buenas noches, Doctora. Gracias por la invitación,” Isa says as she steps toward me holding a small box.

On the other side of the room, Carmen goes really quiet. I glance over to see her gaze completely transfixed on the Fellow, her eyes wide. Is she holding her breath?

“De nada, Isa. Please feel welcome,” I answer, returning my attention to her and accepting her gift.

The box feels light but sturdy. The thicker kind of cardboard that you get in specialty shops. My fingers brush the lace ribbon, and my eyes fall on the golden logo of River Sea. I’ve heard about this chocolatier before. They are located somewhere in Chantilly, one town over, but are definitely worth the drive. Their aim to provide sustainable and ethically sourced products only increases my appreciation.

“Thank you,” I say, my eyes still on the box.

“Wow, that’s so thoughtful, Isa. We will enjoy those after dinner,” Mary says warmly and puts her hand on Isa’s arm.