Page 69 of Pining for You

I look at her hands and see the birthmark I noticed yesterday. Was it really only yesterday? I want to take those hands in my own and warm them up for her. Instead I just nod, because I’d give her permission to do anything she wants with those hands.

“So you don’t eat this part,” she says, pointing with her knife. “It’s a corn husk—but it’s just a wrapper. Keeps the corn all cozy and safe.”

A puff of steam fogs my glasses, once she gently unwraps the tamale.

When she pushes the husk aside, I breathe in a burst of fragrant, toasty corn and spices. Some I recognize, and some are totally new.

“This one is squash. My favorite,” she says. And I take note, because I want to know all her favorite everythings. “It’s kinda like the pumpkin spice version of a tamale.”

“Oh, amazing,” I say. I can totally see what she means, and that idea makes this whole thing feel way more approachable. I take a giant bite before I can overthink it. And it’s… mind-blowingly delicious. It’s soft and warm and complex and I’m enjoying it so much I almost don’t notice that Eve is watching my reaction.

“You’ll never be the same after tonight, Strudel,” she says, and I know she’s right—for so many reasons.

“You know, it’s kind of a problem for me that you showed up,” she says.

“Oh?” I ask, suddenly terrified.

“Yeah, I managed to get those sneaker cover things. Tía and Carlos thought it was brilliant.”

“Amazing!” I say.

“Buuuuuut I was planning to take full credit for the idea,” she says. “And now you’re here.”

“Ah,” I say. “Well, it can be our secret.”

I am fully flirting now, and I think I’m actually doing a good job!

“Okay,” Eve says, “I guess I’ll have to figure out how to make it up to you.”

I nearly choke on my next bite, and before I can come up with a flirty response, Cash leans his head on my shoulder.

“Oh my god, B,” he says. “I want to be buried with one of these tamales.”

If I had a nickel for every time Cash ate something that he said he wanted to be buried in or with, I’d have enough money to pay for this very bizarre funeral at least a dozen times over. But I can’t argue. Besides it’s nice to see him looking relaxed too, more like himself.

“I know, buddy,” I say, patting his knee. “Right there with you this time.”

Izaac throws an impressed look my way, and I silently thank my stars he didn’t call me out on my history of pickiness.

After that, there’s a lag in the conversation while we all dig in, only stopping to pass around utensils and bottles of their hot sauce, which apparently also has a secret ingredient.

“She still won’t even tell us what it is.” Carlos nods to his mom, who waves him off. “Just be careful—the hotness is no joke,” he says to Audra. She gives him a sideways smirk and Izaac snaps an Are you seeing this? look at me. I smile. If it wouldn’t be so over-the-top obvious, I’d be filming this moment, because that’s for sure some magic in action.

When Tía starts passing the platter around a second time, she clears her throat. “It’s such a pleasure to have new friends at our table. And how did you all meet Eve?” she asks.

Of course I’m mid-bite the size of a reindeer, so I choke a little through my response. “At Cooper—the farm—yesterday.”

“It’s kind of a crazy coincidence,” Izaac jumps in. “My sister lives in Brooklyn. And when Bennie said she met Eve yesterday and explained where she lived—”

“Worked, actually. Eve gave me some cookies from the bakery—hojarascas,” I say, finding my voice and trying to make sure it’s clear that we aren’t total stalkers, even though we kind of are. “I was so in love—with the cookies, I mean—I really wanted to get some for my mom while we were in town.” The fib comes easier this time around, now that I’ve blurted it out once already.

“And how long are you in town?” Tía asks.

“Just today,” I say. “Or at least it was supposed to be just today, but it looks like we’re Brooklyn-bound overnight.”

“You are?” Eve asks, and right—forgot to tell her that part. In part because I forgot that part in all the hullabaloo.

“Are you staying in Audra’s? Where was that again?” Carlos asks. Hm. He’s awfully interested in her neighborhood.