Page 13 of The Edge of Falling

"Yes, Oliver?" I smiled innocently.

"I don't want to have to tell you this, but..."

"About what?" I said, staring at him with wide innocent eyes. "Do you think I'll make it to the top ten? Maybe I'll be on TV. Would you come to the audience to support me?"

"Um, look, girl, you can't sing. You couldn't sing when you were young, and you can't sing now. You're not going to make it onto TV." He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. I hate to do this, but if you really think you're..."

I burst out laughing then. "Oh, Oliver. It's so easy to wind you up."

"What?" he asked, frowning.

"I know I can't carry a tune to save my life. But I wanted to see how you'd react if I said that was my career goal."

"Oh my God, you had me so worried." He chugged the rest of his beer. "I think I need to get myself another Corona. You want anything?"

"Maybe a glass of the red sangria."

"Okay," he said. "You sure? Anything else?"

"And maybe that tres leches cake they were telling us about."

"I thought you said you weren't doing sweets right now," he said with a teasing expression on his face.

"Well, I changed my mind. Because if that cake is anything as delicious as these tacos, I cannot resist."

"Okay, and do you want any more tacos?"

I looked down, and I still had one more taco on the plate. "No, I'm..." I paused and looked up at him. His eyes were glittering down at me. "Okay, fine. Two more carne asada tacos with just the cilantro, onion, and lime."

"Wow, you’re a New Yorker already."

"I know," I said. "Maybe I should move to Mexico. I didn't realize I would love the food this much."

"Girl, you cannot live on tacos alone," he said, shaking his head.

"How do you know? I might be able to live on tacos, beans, and rice."

"You cannot live on tacos, beans, and rice alone. Plus, you don't have money to buy that every day."

"I could make it," I said. "Or I can marry a man who could make it for me."

"So that's your standard for marriage?" he asked, his lips twitching.

"What?"

"A man who can make you tacos, beans, and rice?"

"I mean, I have other qualifications that I look for," I said, rolling my eyes at him.

"Oh really? Well, this I'd like to know."

"Why?" I said. "What do you care?" I took another bite of my taco and then finished my glass of water. He was still standing there looking at me. "What are you looking at?"

"Just admiring how much you enjoy your food."

"Oliver, that's creepy."

"I know," he said. "But you've missed out on years of me being creepy. I have to catch up."

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