Page 95 of This Could Be Us
She gives me aReally?look but finally relinquishes half a smile and steps inside, holding out the box and the bottle.
Accepting both items, I frown. “I didn’t get you anything. I didn’t think—”
“It’s nothing. Believe me.Pastelesand coquito. I’m giving them as gifts to friends this year.”
I lift the box to my nose and inhale. “This smells fantastic. You made it?”
“Well, the girls and I made them. And my sister who’s in town. Makingpastelesis always a family affair.”
“I can’t wait to taste.” I nod in the direction of the kitchen. “Have one with me?”
She clutches the strap on her bag and gives a tight smile. “Seems like that might take more than five minutes?”
I turn down the corners of my mouth. “Ten tops.”
She rolls her eyes but nods and follows me into the kitchen.
I set the box on the counter and pull back the lid. An unfamiliar but enticing scent wafts up from the leaf-wrapped treats nestled together on wax paper. They are bundles of twopasteleseach tied together with string. Soledad pulls a pair out and unties them, then unfolds the paper. She opens the green leaves to reveal what resembles a tamale.
“Wow. Thank you. These look delicious.” I glance up. “You still down to taste?”
“One.” She holds up her index finger. “And then I need to get back to the girls.”
“And your sister, you said?” I walk over to the cabinet and pull out two plates. “Which sister?”
She tilts her head, a querying brow lifting. “How do you know I have more than one?”
“I’ve heard you talk about them online.” I snag two forks from the drawer. “Lola or Nayeli?”
“You are such a stalker,” she laughs, shaking her head.
I grin, unabashed about how much I’ve studied her the last few months. “I think we’ve established this.”
“It’s Lola. Nayeli stayed home. She has six kids and they’ve been sick.”
“I’m glad you’ll have some family with you this Christmas.”
Her smile fades, and she reaches into the box to lift one of thepastelesout and onto one plate, then does the same with the other. “Me too. It’s our first Christmas with Edward in prison.”
“I hadn’t actually considered that, but yeah. I try to think about Edward as little as possible.”
“That makes two of us.” The sour twist looks incongruous on her sweet lips. “You mentioned that you and the boys fly out to see your parents tomorrow. Where do they live?”
“Silver Spring, Maryland.” I slice my fork into thepasteland lift it, holding it poised at my mouth. “I’ve been working so much, it’s been too long since we visited.”
I grunt at my first bite, then let out an extended groan on the second.
“Damn, this is good, Sol. The boys may not get any.”
“There’s like ten of them in there,” she laughs, but she looks pleased. “Save some for them. Don’t be greedy.”
“I am greedy.” I run a slow glance up the length of her, from her boots hooked over the barstool rung along the lean legs and the full curve of her hips and the subtle swell of her breasts beneath her sweater until I reach her pretty face. Pink sifts into her cheeks, turning them rose gold. “You’re blushing.”
“Because you’re trying to make me blush.” She bites into her grin and then into herpastel. “Are you close to your parents?”
“Yeah, very. They’ve been amazing with the boys, even though they don’t live that close.”
“Who are you most like?” She props her elbows on the counter and leans forward.