Page 10 of Your Fan Forever
I picked Valentine up and carried her back to the kitchen and opened the back door without acknowledging Nip. He ran out towards the back yard. I walked down the steps and sat Valentine down. It was a beautiful day. The sky was blue, the sun wasout.
When Nip did his business, he came and stood at myfeet.
I knelt down and pointed at him with a stern face. He licked my finger and wagged his tail. I shook my head, scooped him up and kissedhim.
“Keep it up, Nip.” I nuzzled him to my face. “One day she’s going to remember how mean you were to her and retaliate big time.” He kissed my cheek. I put him down and went backinside.
We had all the stuff for breakfast tacos except for tortillas. I pulled on a jacket over my nightshirt and leggings. Slipped my flip-flops on my feet and walked out front. The bodega on the corner carried everything and if they didn’t, they would go to the store a few streets over and get it for you and deliver it to you. A family owned business, they’d been here as long as I couldremember.
I pushed into the store and the bell over the door rang, announcing myarrival.
The smells in the store always made my mouth water. The meal preparation business was new for them, but it had revitalized theshop.
I spotted Linda behind the back counter. The front wasempty.
“Good morning.” I waved and went to the last aisle to theleft.
“Hey Callie.” She was cutting up something. “How was dinner lastnight?”
“We never got around to it.” I grabbed the tortillas and walked to the back to the shop. “I thought I’d cut it all up, make some eggs and have breakfasttacos.”
“Too much celebrating last night.” She winked andgiggled.
“Yeah.” I said and narrowed my eyes. “What do youmean?”
“You’re getting married.” She yelled and waved her hands over her head. I forgot sometimes that she was only seventeen. It was her thick Brooklyn accent and cropped black hair. It made her appearolder.
“Noah toldyou.”
“Yeah. He showed Dad and I a photo of the ring, yesterday.” He wiped her hands on her apron. “Let me seeit.”
I held my handout.
She grabbed my fingertips and turned my hand. “Wow. What’s the cut? It’sunique.”
“Aschercut.”
“Four carats.” She said like a seasoned ringobserver.
Inodded.
“With his money, he could have sprung for eight at least,” Linda said and cackled as she picked her knife up and continued her mealprep.
I smirked. He told the people at the local bodega. The news would be city wide in a matter of hours. I didn't’ want to keep it a secret, but it happened not twenty-four hoursago.
“I’ll put them on your tab as soon as I finish up,” shesaid.
“Thanks.” I waved the tortillas at her and headed for thedoor.
“Oh. When’s thedate?”
I stopped at thedoor.
“What date?” I narrowed myeyes.
“The wedding date?” She held her hands out and stared at me like I had horns. “If you do it in New York, we’d love to cater it foryou.”
“Uhm. Sure. I’ll let youknow.”
