Making You Mine (14 page)

Romero drummed his hands against the doorway. “Then, let me know how we’re gonna do this. I can drive if you want.”

Sal nodded but didn’t even bother to look back at him. Romero walked out and Sal could hear him boasting loudly. “Guess who’s going San Diego State’s finals?”

Sal shook his head, annoyed. Over the years Romero had been the cause of many things gone wrong. It was only fitting that this too, was his fault.

~*~

Oscar walked in just after four in the afternoon. Sal eyed him as he strolled through the restaurant and into the back room. He finished the interview he was doing and hurried to the back. Alex was in there with him.

He turned to Sal when he saw him. “I was just telling Alex about my daughter. She was in the emergency room all morning because her fever was so high.”

“No, but the infections could, so it’s better to get the tubes in, than to risk hearing loss from the constant infections. This is the third one she’s had this year.”

“Damn,” Sal said. “Is she still in the hospital? You didn’t have to come in, you know.”

“Nah, she’s home now. I’d rather be here anyway. I need the money.”

Alex walked out, leaving Sal alone with Oscar. Oscar was busy pulling his stuff out of the cabinet. Sal wasted no time. “So I heard you took Grace home last night.”

Oscar turned around. “Yeah, can you believe she takes the bus to Chula Vista? She acted like it’s no big deal but shit, that’s
far
.”

Sal took a seat, and leaned back, giving Oscar all his attention. “Good looking out then. That
is
far.”

Oscar grinned. “You know me,” he winked. “I couldn’t pass up the chance to be the charming gentleman.”

Typically, this would be Sal’s cue to wink back and grin with him, instead he ground his teeth, and began rocking back and forth in his chair. “I’m sure you couldn’t.”

“Actually, Grace is pretty hot in a reserved kind of way. They say those chicks are usually freaks in bed. They act all innocent and sweet, but get a finger or two in—”

“Whoa, what the fuck, Oscar?” Sal stopped rocking and sat up.

“What?”

“Can you have a little respect—she’s a nice girl, and an employee. I told you about this kind of shit already. You better not even think about messing with her like that.”

Oscar lifted his hands in the air. “Dude, this is how I always talk. What’s wrong with you?” He stopped and peered at Sal. “Wait. Are you who she’s talking to?”

“What?” Sal was still trying to calm himself. He didn’t mean to go off on Oscar, but hearing him say that stuff about Grace made him want to rip his head off.

“She mentioned she’s talking to someone, and now here you’re getting all crazy on me.” Oscar grinned. “You son-of-a-bitch, you
are
talking to her. You should’ve told me.” Alex leaned his head in the doorway. “You’re still back here? C’mon, it’s bad enough Sal’s taking forever to hire people. The one useless waiter he did hire is back here chatting it up when we got a full house.”

Oscar laughed and started out the door. He turned back to Sal who was now lost in thought. “Hey, man, peace.” He held up two fingers. “I know now, so don’t worry about it. Bros before hos.”

Sal didn’t even respond. He didn’t care what Oscar thought, but he’d given him yet one more thing to obsess about when it came to Grace. Apparently, she was
talking
to someone. What the hell did that mean?

~*~

Monday and Tuesday completely dragged. It was now Wednesday morning and Grace was mad at herself. She was presenting her menu today for this week’s final at school. A three-course meal that was to be prepared in under forty minutes. She remembered a time when this was exciting. Sitting in class now waiting for her turn to go up, all she could think about was the fact that she might be seeing Sal today. That is, if he showed up.

She went through the motions of her presentation perfunctorily. As expected, the instructor was thoroughly impressed, calling her menu a little ambitious, but that wasn’t the first time she’d heard that.

The bus ride to work was torturous. Her insides were a hot mess. This was the first time neither Joey nor Taylor could pick her up and Joey had been beside himself, even offered to call George and see if he could pick her up. Grace assured him she’d get a ride from someone at work, though she had no intentions of asking anyone. She’d taken the bus before in the evening, it wasn’t so bad. Everyone assumed taking the bus was the lowest form of transportation. She’d take the bus any day, over flirting for a ride like she’d seen so many girls at school do.

Initially, getting to work was a huge disappointment. Sal wasn’t even there. Then she heard Alex say Sal was coming in to close so he could go home early because his wife might be having contractions. Though she felt for Alex, because he seemed so incredibly nervous, she couldn’t help feeling excited. She had to remind herself she was supposed to be getting over this.

Seeing him when he walked in was more gut wrenching than expected. He wasn’t in a suit like he had been so often lately, he wore jeans and a black polo. She tried playing the busy bartender when she saw him walk in, but it was impossible not to glance over at him. He seemed concerned when he spoke to Alex, but he still turned and smiled at her when he caught her looking.

Alex left and Sal came over to the bar where she and Melanie were talking in a rare moment of no orders. “I might be an uncle soon.”

“We heard. Congrats,” Melanie said. “Poor Alex, he was a wreck.”

Sal laughed, those beautiful dimples melting Grace. “He’ll be okay.”

Oscar walked up to the bar and Melanie took the order he brought with him. Since Melanie started to make the drinks, Grace had no choice but to give Sal her attention. She smiled, trying to think of something to say but he beat her to the punch.

“Oh?” Her insides were going wild. This was insane, he was just talking to her. How did those damn women do it and look so in control?

“It was delicious. Alex is putting it on the menu, so I hope you’re prepared to share the recipe, and train all the cooks on how to make it.”

“Really?” She smiled and for the first time since he got there, she felt excited and not completely love-struck.

He smiled even bigger. “Yeah, really. Alex and Sofie were completely impressed by your cooking. You’ll be spending a lot more time in the kitchen. I think I’ve been overruled.”

“Why? You’re still not impressed?”

Sal leaned over and spoke closer than he ever had. “Oh, I’m impressed, Grace.” There was no denying the undertone of his words. She didn’t know how to respond, especially since he held her gaze and his smiling expression faded into a smoldering stare. Something jolted him and he reached for his phone, pulling his phone from his holster and glanced at it. “It’s Alex.” He answered and walked away. “What’s up?”

Grace let out a slow breath, her heart hammering away. If this is what it was going to be like from here on she didn’t know how many up close conversations with Sal her heart could take.

For the following fifteen minutes, Grace did her best to stay busy and keep her mind off of Sal’s last comment. It didn’t mean anything. She had to stop reading into everything he said, but even if it
did
mean just what he said, and nothing else, that alone was enough to make her heart pound. Sal
had
been impressed. So what if it was just with her cooking? Her heart inflated anyway.

She saw him hang up and make another call and then walk back toward her with the smile that had begun to haunt her dreams. “He’s meeting her and her dad at the hospital. Unless the doctors can stop the contractions Alex just may be a daddy tonight.” Sal chuckled. “And he’s nervous as shit.”

Grace remembered the look on Alex’s face just before he left. She thought he might be sick. “I can only imagine; he’s been so nervous all these past weeks.”

“It should be okay. I’ll swing by the hospital tonight after we close up. See if I can’t calm him down a little. My parents are already on their way.”

Oscar approached the bar, wiping the smile right off of Sal’s face. Before Oscar even said anything, someone from the kitchen called Sal. He excused himself and Grace started on the order Oscar rattled off. “So how come you didn’t tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

“You know.” He motioned toward the kitchen. “About who you’re
talking
to?”

Grace glanced back at the kitchen then met Oscar’s eyes again. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, I get it.” He smiled, wickedly. “You two are keeping it on the down low.” He picked up the tray with the drinks Grace just put on them. “Makes sense, him being the boss and all.” He took the tray and walked away in a rush.

Grace froze, feeling the mortification sink in as Oscar walked away. Was she
that
obvious? She turned to see Sal walk out of the kitchen and into the office. What if it got back to him? What if Oscar mentioned it to Sal? Melanie
had
told her that Oscar and Sal went way back to Sal’s early college days. She felt her face warm. This was a nightmare.

Oscar was on his way back to the bar and Grace made sure to get his attention. He walked over to her side of the bar. “What’s up?”

“Where uh… ” She wiped off the counter, avoiding eye contact and cleared her throat. “Where would you get the idea that me and Sal are…?”

Oscar laughed. “He told me.” Grace stopped wiping and looked at him. “But don’t sweat it. I won’t say anything to anyone. I need a pitcher of Bud and two mugs.”

“What do you mean he told you?” She took a step back to grab a pitcher out of the freezer but never once took her eyes off Oscar.

Oscar shrugged. “Look, I’m sorry. He didn’t say it was a secret; maybe I wasn’t supposed to tell you he said anything.”

Grace began pouring the beer into the pitcher. “What exactly did he say?”

“He just asked about me taking you home the other day.” Oscar looked away from her, scratching his head. “He got a little pissy and just made it clear that you were off limits.”

She finally had to take her eyes off him when she felt the cold beer on her hand from the overflowing pitcher. “Damn it.”

“Here he comes. Don’t tell him I told you.”

Grace glanced back at Sal, her stomach completely in knots now.
Pissy?
She cleaned up the pitcher and put it on Oscar’s tray along with two chilled mugs. She caught the exchanged glance between Oscar and Sal just as Sal reached the bar.

“Any word on them babies?” Oscar asked, picking up the tray.

“Looks like they’ll be here tonight. The doctors can’t seem to stop the contractions. The whole crew is down there except Angel who said he might close down early and head to the hospital. I might do the same, so you guys may get to leave early tonight.”

“I’ll let you know.” He glanced around the restaurant. “Looks like it’s slowing down.” He checked his watch. “Yeah, more than likely I will.” He headed to the front and Oscar walked away, leaving Grace there to try to make sense of what Oscar had said.
Off limits?

She hoped to catch Oscar before he left but she got caught up by a sudden rush and before she knew it, he was gone.

Sal began closing up as soon as the last of customers were out just after seven so she at least wouldn’t have to stand at the bus stop after eight.

Melanie rushed out and Grace was pretty sure there was no one else left in the restaurant besides her and Sal. Oscar’s words still rang in her ears as she pulled the apron off over her head.
He got a little pissy and just made it clear that you were off limits.

“No, really it’s okay.” Her heart sped up at the very thought of being alone with him in a car. “I don’t know why everyone acts like it’s such a terrible thing. You have to go be with Alex, remember? Poor guy’s probably falling apart over there.” She laughed nervously making her way to the door.