Page 24 of The Charade
"Do you know the story behind this place?" I asked, hoping to keep up the more relaxed vibe Rosa had seemed to bring to Carter so we didn't have to go back to the awkwardness that had been in the truck.
"Yeah, Rosa is actually one of the owners." He leaned his elbows on the table and pointed in the direction Rosa had gone. "She came to the United States with her parents when she was a lot younger but grew up making traditional Mexican cuisine. She enjoyed cooking enough that she went to culinary school, and while there, she ended up dating a guy named Lucca who was originally from Italy and had just moved to the U.S. for school.
“Anyway, they got married and soon after, they moved to Eden Falls and started a restaurant together. And since they were blending two cultures into one with their family, they decided to do the same with their restaurant."
"And so, The Italian Amigos was born," I guessed.
He nodded. "That's the story Rosa told me, anyway."
"You and Rosa seem close. Do you come here a lot then? Or is she just like that with everyone she knows?"
From our minimal interactions, I already guessed that Carter wasn't so friendly with everyone he knew.
"A little of both, I suppose." He shrugged out of his blazer, setting it on the booth beside him. "But I did come here a lot when I first moved here." He pulled on the long white sleeves of his button-up that had ridden up his forearms, which was kind of a shame because the guy had amazing forearms—all veiny and muscular with just the right amount of golden arm hair.
Rosa brought us our drinks. She had two other glasses on her tray and said she'd be right back to take our orders.
"You said you came here after you moved here. Does that mean your family isn't from Eden Falls?" I asked, picking up where we'd left off. For some reason, I’d assumed the Hastings family was like a founding family of this small town. Something to do with them having an estate and all.
Carter fiddled with a small gold chain bracelet around his wrist. "My great-great-great-grandfather Hastings actually settled the town. But, um, I lived in Guatemala until I was eight."
"Your family lived in Guatemala? That's cool."
"No." He shook his head, letting go of his bracelet and reaching for his glass of water. "That was just me."
"Oh." He had lived separate from his family for the first half of his life? He'd said he and his siblings had different moms.
My mom had told me about a documentary she’d seen one time about a pilot who had two separate families who didn't know about each other. Was this something like that? Had Carter's father kept him a secret for the first eight years in Guatemala and brought him to the U.S. only when his other family found out?
And if so, what did that mean for Carter's mom? Was she still in Guatemala or had she moved to the U.S. with him?
I wanted to ask questions, to see if it was something similar or something completely different, but before I could, he continued by saying, "Anyway, I didn't speak English when my dad found me, so I ended up hanging out here with Rosa a lot those first few years since she was the easiest person to talk to."
Which explained the Spanish book he'd been reading at dinner yesterday and the slight accent I detected when he said Rosa's name. I was vaguely wondering if he spoke more Spanish than English when my mind picked up on the other thing Carter had said. That his dad hadfoundhim in Guatemala.
Had Carter been kidnapped then?
All kinds of new scenarios started forming in my mind until Rosa came back with her notepad in hand. "Are you ready to order?" she asked.
"Um, almost." I looked down at the menu, realizing I'd barely even glanced at the food since I'd been so caught up in the conversation with Carter. But knowing we were short on time, I said, "Actually, do you have chicken enchiladas?"
"Of course," she said, followed by something in Spanish that I didn't understand.
When I just looked blankly at her, Carter said, "She says she doesn't like to brag but her enchiladas de mole are the best you'll ever have."
Rosa's jaw dropped. "Now you make me look like I'm bragging." Rosa tsked at Carter, making a show of being embarrassed that he'd revealed what she'd really said.
"Well, I guess I better try them and see if they really are the best." I smiled at Rosa, enjoying the playful energy she and Carter had together.
"Good choice." Carter folded his menu up and handed it to Rosa. "I'll have the same thing."
"Two enchiladas de mole coming up," Rosa said in her accented voice before heading toward the kitchen again.
"Should we get started on those questions for class?" Carter asked, pulling out the notebook he'd brought in with him along with his phone.
"Sure." I opened my math notebook, and when Carter noticed the cover, the biggest smile I'd seen from him so far stretched across his face.
And man, he really was gorgeous when he smiled like that.
