Page 5 of Falling for Hailey

“I’m guessing more than seventy-five cents,” she said flatly. I nodded.

“Yeah,” I said. “But maybe if I wore an ornate vest to class, my students might pay better attention.”

“You could try not being boring,” she teased.

“I’m incredibly insightful and brilliant. I’m never boring,” I deadpanned.

“Then your class would hang on your every word.”

“Your friend disrupted my class yesterday, and I don’t think she was laughing at anything I said about the final project for the course,” I said.

“That was my fault. I was texting her. I sent her a funny emoji,” Maria said. “Don’t blame her. You know I can’t be stopped.

“She shouldn’t have her phone out during class,” I said evenly. “It’s a 200-level class for marketing majors, and she won’t do very well in her subject unless she puts her damn phone away. Maybe she’s just there avoiding real life like about half the student body seems to be. Just passing the time.”

Maria snorted. “We’re talking about the same girl? Hailey? The same Hailey who works fifty hours a week at the diner so she can pay for all her tuition and books up front? Hailey who had to save up for more than three years to come up with enough money to start her degree?”

“That’s an impressive work ethic, but it wasn’t obvious when she started laughing during my lecture.”

“You’re so grouchy. Did you get your feelings hurt? I was texting her. Face it, I’m always going to be more entertaining than you are. Don’t hold it against her, Ricky, she’s amazing. And she’s worked way too hard to get to where she is for you to treat her like she doesn’t deserve to be in your class. If anything, she’s too serious, so I’m a good influence. Look at it that way, like she and I balance each other out.”

“I’m glad you have good friends but do us all a favor and stop texting her during my class. My ego can’t take it,” I joked.

The truth was, what she’d told me about Hailey’s hard work and determination to get her degree had impressed me. I had misjudged her because she laughed out loud at something my little sister did—which I laughed about all the time. Maria was a real character, and anyone who didn’t think she was funny was an idiot. Maybe I was too hard on her.

“She told me you reprimanded her. That was her word, reprimand. Do you know anyone else who says that? She didn’t say, ‘your brother gave me shit because I laughed and it’s your fault.’ She said, ‘Professor Esperanza reprimanded me for being disruptive.’ If the situation was reversed, I’d be saying, ‘your brother has a stick up his ass, girlfriend.’”

I chuckled. “All you’re doing is saying she’s got better manners than you do. That’s not doing yourself any favors.”

“I don’t need any favors. I’m perfect the way I am,” she laughed, “and you’re the first one who taught me that.”

“Don’t remind me. I spoiled you rotten, I know. Mom and Dad tell me at least once a month that I indulged you and that’s why they can’t do anything with you.”

“What are they trying to do with me? Get me to marry a nice boy from church? That’s a no from me,hermano mejor.”

“Hermanita, they only want to know you’re safe and cared for. They want me to do the same,” I said fondly.

“Marry a nice boy from their church? If it’s the same one they tried to set me up with, just say no,” Maria quipped.

“A woman from their church, but yes, they want the same for me. For us to not be alone, to have a companion and a comfortable home.”

“So, get a cat. I’m fine without Mom trying to talk me up to a guy who just got out of dental school,” she shook her head in disgust.

“What’s wrong with teeth? Clean teeth are good,” I joked. “Besides, at least you get a young, fresh out of college churchgoer. They tried to pawn me off on a recently divorced paralegal — ‘mijo, it wasn’t her fault, he was a bad man and beat her up, she won’t be too picky.’ Imagine how that made me feel—she’s judging this poor woman who just got divorced, a domestic abuse survivor, and Mom’s big selling point is she won’t be picky because the last guy hit her! Like that’s how I’ve got to get a wife, by finding someone with very low expectations. I told Mom she shouldn’t even think that way, that the woman needs therapy and time to heal, and she said maybe she needs a real man to give her some babies!”

Maria doubled over laughing. “Oh God, the grandchildren speech. She’s told me a hundred times I wouldn’t be wasting all my time running around the whole world—that’s how she says it—running around the whole world making bowls, if I had some babies to take care of.”

“If she says it’s women’s work, I owe you a drink.”

“Then you owe me a whole bottle,” Maria said. “Because it is 100% a woman’s job to raise a family. The reason I work all the time and hang out with friends and travel is because I’m ‘rootless’ and need a husband and a litter of babies.”

I shook my head. “Thanks for the burger. Don’t you have to go back to work?” I asked.

“Is that a hint to leave you alone with your plans for world domination? I don’t have to go back to work today because I opened at six this morning. I’m going to the studio, and my time starts in half an hour as a matter of fact.”

“How’s it going sharing studio space?” I inquired.

“It’s good. The only one that gets on my nerves is the other sculptor, Hans. He doesn’t put up the tools so I have to hunt for them.”

---