AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Maria nodded. “Yes. I am a woman of my word. Are you a man of your word? You will show up to these dates and be handsome and charming. It’s just coffee. No dinner or movies or anything. You promise this, and I will buy all the flowers for my daughter’s wedding. Right now.”
“Mamá, I’ll pay for the flowers,” Amalia murmured.
“No. Your papá and I pay.” She said the words with finality, all while staring at me and waiting for my answer.
“Can I see this list?”
She opened it up to a bookmarked page in the middle and set the book in front of me.
“Why are some crossed out?” I asked. There were lines of handwritten names with notes beside them in Spanish. But many had been scribbled out.
“Married now. Some move away. Things like that.”
“Oh, okay.”
I read through the not crossed-out ones with no idea of what I was supposed to do. How was I supposed to decide based on a name? A name didn’t tell me where the person lived, how old they were, or whether they had volunteered themselves or been coerced like me.
Maria must have recognized my bewilderment. “I have pictures. This girl here.” She tapped on one of the names. “Dessie Hice. She does my hair. Very pretty and successful. You’ll see.” She scrolled frantically through the pictures on her phone until she found the one she was looking for and turned to show me.
Dessie Hice was close to my age, and more importantly she didn’t have serial killer eyes. “Okay, sure.” Oh, man. I’d said yes. To a semi-professional matchmaker.
“Next.” Maria flipped the page. “Pick one of these over here.”
I looked at the names on the next page, prepared to choose someone at random, but my eyes stopped onCarmen Ortega. Maybe it was a sign, or maybe it was the world’s biggest coincidence. Either way, I had to choose her. How could I not?
“What if she doesn’t want to go out with me?” I asked in what I hoped was a casual and non-specific way. “Like, what if the person refuses?”
“Why would they refuse?” Maria frowned at me.
“Let’s say they do. Then what?”
“Then I will send someone in their place.” Maria shrugged. It made no difference to her who I went out with. So much for being a matchmaker.
Carmen was going to murder me. Well, if it was her. It was possible there was another Carmen Ortega out there. Not that I was interested in any other Carmen Ortega. Just her. Only her. I had to make things right with Carmen, one way or another. Maybe this was the way.
“I pick this one,” I said, pointing to her name.
“Ah. My next-door neighbor’s daughter. Very special girl. But you’re right. She may say no.”
“She doesn’t like setups,” Amalia explained. “I told you not to write her name down, Mamá.”
“It’s okay. I’ll take your picture.” Maria smiled. “She’ll say yes to you,guapo.”
I wouldn’t count on that.
Chapter 3 - Carmen
“Carmen!” My mother pounded on my front door. “We need you. It’s really important this time. I swear.”
Ten faces smiled knowingly at me from my computer screen, because of course, I was not on mute, and my mother was as loud as my walls were thin. “Sorry, guys. Be right back.” I muted myself and turned off my camera before sliding across the linoleum floor in my fuzzy socks to get the door.
I had been promised certain things when I moved into the casita behind my parents’ house a few years ago. Mainly, that I would be like any other renter they’d ever had. Well, except I wouldn’t make messes or skip out on rent. And in return for being a model tenant who was quiet and responsible, they agreed to respect my privacy. It wouldn’t be at all like I was still living at home.
What had I been thinking? It was exactly like living at home. When my brother came to visit, he raidedmyfridge before he raided theirs. If I wasn’t quick enough, my mother would empty my clothes out of the dryer and mix them in with her baskets. My younger sister owned more pairs of my underwear than I did. And then there were all these fun interruptions because I wasright here.
And yet, I couldn’t bring myself to move away. Family ties were as much a blessing as a curse.
“Má, what is it?” I asked. “Is the neighbor dog loose again?” His favorite pastime was digging under the fence and coming over to chase our chickens around the yard. Not that I could blame him. Chasing chickens was pretty fun.
