Page 7 of A Dish Best Served Hot
Saint looked over to the empty space that would eventually become their client’s new state-of-the-art kitchen, where his uncle was consulting with the plumber about moving some lines to accommodate an island sink. Technically, Tío Luís wasn’t Saint’s uncle, at least not anymore. Tío Luís had been married to Saint’s aunt Carmen, otherwise known as Flaca to family, for a little over fifteen years. Oddly enough he was more a part of the Vega clan now—after twelve years of separation—than Tía Flaca was. Probably because she’d moved to New York with their oldest daughter and left Luís in Chicago with Alex and her big sister, Gabi. It was still a touchy subject everyone tended to avoid.
“He looks like he’s working,” Saint said to his cousin.
She rolled her eyes and flipped her long brown ponytail over her shoulder. “What did you expect? To see him twirling the ends of his mustache while chuckling sinisterly? Obviously he’s not up to it right now, but he’s been acting weird lately. Cagey and secretive.”
Saint thought back to the last few weeks. Nothing stuck out to him and he was usually pretty observant. It was something others assumed he got from being a soldier, but he knew came from being the oldest of eighteen rambunctious cousins (just on his father’s side) who spent inordinate amounts of time together. Years of trying to keep them all safe, out of trouble, and relatively happy at family events had honed his observational skills long before Uncle Sam ever did.
“I think he’s dating,” Alex burst out, completely breaking Saint’s concentration again.
Saint stared at her blankly. Tío Luís dating? There was no way. That was harder to picture than Saint dating, and dating was the absolutely last thing Saint planned to ever do. Shit, Saint would reenlist before he dated.
Alex continued, “The other day I walked into his office when he was on the phone and he stopped talking. He looked all panicked. Then he said that he had to go and hung up right away. When I asked him who it was he mumbled something about a client and asked me about class.” She paused dramatically, waiting for Saint’s reaction. When he didn’t react at all she threw up her hands. “About class, Saint. He never asks me about my classes. He just assumes that I’m doing what I’m supposed to do and am getting good grades.”
“Well, maybe now that he’s paying for an extra semester, he realized that he should’ve been asking you about your classes.”
“Hey! You already know that isn’t my fault and don’t try to derail the conversation. We’re talking about my dad’s secret girlfriend.”
“He doesn’t have a secret girlfriend.”
She gave him an alert look. “You know what’s going on?”
Saint shook his head. He didn’t really think there was anything going on besides his cousin’s overactive imagination.
“It’s not just me,” she said as if reading his mind. “Gabi said that the other day he left the office on some errand and when she said she’d go with him so they could get lunch after, he said no.” She stared at Saint in horror, like she’d just told him her father had unzipped his face and a lizard creature had emerged. “That’s it. Just no.”
Saint’s eyebrows almost went up. That was surprising. Tío Luís never said no to his daughters. It was a joke amongst the family how you could tell Gabi and Alex were Cruzes, because they were spoiled, unlike the cousins with the Vega last name who were frequently told no, even as adults in control of their own lives.
“You should talk to him,” Alex said suddenly. “I bet he’d tell you what’s going on. You’re his favorite.”
Saint made a sound of dissent. He wasn’t Tío’s favorite. It was just that they were the same in a lot of ways. Mostly in that they were both fathers who’d unexpectedly become the sole caretakers of their daughters. They’d both had to learn very quickly how to not only be a girl dad, but to be the only parent. Of course, he realized single moms experienced the same exact thing with even more pressure to perform their roles to perfection, but that didn’t negate that he and his uncle understood a part of each other that no one else they knew could relate to personally.
Alex pointed at him. “Don’t scoff at me. It’s true. You’re like the son he never had.” There was something in her voice when she said that. It wasn’t quite anger or resentment, but whatever it was she brushed it off quickly. “Anyway. You can find out what’s going on and then tell me.”
She wanted him to go undercover and snoop out some imaginary situation to report back to her? Saint stared at her.
“Don’t give me that look,” she said. “Ineedto know what’s going on.”
“So you want me to spy on your dad and betray his trust because you’re curious.”
She shrugged again, completely unconcerned with the invasion of her dad’s privacy. He was family and, to the Vegas, that meant nothing was private. Technically, Alex was a Cruz, but the personality was all Vega. Meaning she was intrusive and opinionated, but always well-meaning and loyal.
“What if something is wrong?” she said.
“One second ago you thought he had a girlfriend, now you think there is something wrong? Pick a dilemma.”
Alex actually growled at him. “Fine. If you won’t help, I’ll do it myself.” She looked to her dad. “Papi,” she shouted.
Everyone stopped working.
Saint winced. Seriously? How did such a tiny person create that much noise? She was like a blow horn.
“Saint thinks there is something going on with you. Like you have a girlfriend or something.”
The little shit. Saint’s mouth fell open.
“So what is it?” she continued. “Do I have a new stepmom or am I going to have to kick someone’s ass or what?”
Tío Luís’s eyes darted around the space, noting all the interested and entertained eyes on him. He flushed red under his deep tan skin. “Alex,” he admonished walking up to them. “¿Has perdido tu mente? ¿Cómo dices esas cosas en frente de todos?”
