Page 40 of Jesse
The smell of grilled meat, spices, and something sweet drifted in the air, mixing with the quiet chatter and occasional laughter.
Jesse stuffed his hands into his pockets as we approached the gathering, his eyes scanning the crowd.
“Alright, how should we do this?” Jesse asked.
I frowned, pausing mid-step. “Do what?”
He tilted his head toward the mingling food truck owners.
“Talking to them. You said you wanted to see if anyone knew anything, right?” Jesse asked.
Jesse gave me a look, one brow arched as if to say, Were you planning to just stand here all night?
“Oh.” I blinked, then gestured toward a cluster of trucks on the right. “Let’s start over there.”
“Actually…” Jesse gestured toward the trucks. “Why don’t we split up? I’ll take this side, and you can start over there. We’ll cover more ground that way.”
I stared at him, caught off guard. “Don’t you want to do this together?”
He shook his head. “It’s faster this way. Besides, you’re better at getting people to talk.”
I’d expected Jesse to insist on sticking together, maybe hover like he needed to keep an eye on me. But instead, he just trusted me to handle it.
It wasn’t what I was used to, but it felt reassuring.
“Alright,” I said, nodding. “I’ll meet you back here in a bit.”
Jesse gave me a brief smile before heading off.
I worked my way through the food truck owners on my side of the lot, trying to strike a balance between casual conversation and subtle probing.
“Hey, Beck,” said Maya, the owner of a truck specializing in fusion tacos. She glanced at me with a mix of curiosity and sympathy. “How’re you holding up after… everything?”
I managed a small smile. “I’m alright. Thanks for asking.”
“Seriously, though,” she said, lowering her voice, “if that had happened to me, I’d be gone. Packed up and halfway to the next state by now. You’re braver than I’d be.”
“Or just too stubborn,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood. “But, uh, you didn’t notice anything strange before it happened, did you? Anything unusual?”
Maya frowned, thinking.
“Not really. Everyone was so busy, you know? Cooking, serving customers. It’s chaos half the time.” She hesitated. “But if I think of something, I’ll let you know.”
I thanked her and moved on to another truck. The conversations followed a similar pattern—sympathy for what had happened, mixed with vague recollections.
Nothing solid, but I wasn’t expecting much.
When I finally caught sight of Jesse, he was standing near the Thornebane food truck. The owner, a burly man, was leaning over the counter, gesturing animatedly at Jesse.
Were they arguing? My stomach tightened for a second, and I quickened my pace, ready to step in if things got heated.
“Yeah, yeah, keep talking,” Jesse said, his tone dripping with mock indignation. “At least I don’t have to cook for a bunch of people tonight.”
The man barked out a laugh. “That’s because you didn’t win, sweetheart! Fan votes don’t count for real chefs.”
Jesse grinned, completely unbothered. “Sure, but I’m still in the finals. Guess that makes me smarter, huh?”
I rolled my eyes, stepping up beside him. “Should I break this up, or are you two just getting started?”
