I’d never get any sleep if I let it wait that long.
I pulled into their driveway around eleven-thirty and sighed. Guilt filled my gut as I opened my car door and headed for the alleyway to get to their front door. Guadalupe and Yuslan’s place was situated a bit differently. Still, it lent itself to a beautiful backyard setup that they had. Their front door was actually in a widened alleyway. Their home itself was a once-abandoned building with connected brick townhomes that had long since been neglected. They had purchased the property for pennies on the dollar—or so Yuslan had told me one day—and they had used the money from their spa to renovate the entire place.
Now, they rented out three of the townhomes and lived in the corner one. The one with the largest backyard.
I stood on their “porch” and drew in a deep breath. But, when I raised my knuckles to knock on the door, Yuslan whipped it open. He gestured for me to come in without a word spoken, and I stepped through the threshold, breathing in the wonderful smell of tamales and tea.
“Got some food for you!” Guadalupe exclaimed.
I navigated my way into the kitchen. “You’re up cooking this late?”
Yuslan pulled out a chair for me at the table, and I thanked him before sitting. Guadalupe didn’t answer my question as she set a plate of tamales onto the table. Her husband gathered condiments for the fresh hot tea as well as the food in front of us. Rice came off the stove, and vegetables came out of the oven. It was a fucking feast at damn near midnight, and I wondered if they had already been up or if they were putting on a show because they saw me pull up.
Then, they both sat down with me and started dishing up food.
“So, what’s on your mind?” Guadalupe asked.
I shrugged. “Just a lot of stuff.”
Yuslan filled my plate with food before handing me a fork. So, I took it and had a few bites while Guadalupe continued with her line of questioning.
“You drive from his place here?” she asked.
I snickered. “That obvious?”
She smiled. “Is the new job going okay?”
I felt my gut clench. “It’s going really well, actually. I really like it.”
“Bueno! Wonderful. That is so good to hear, Eva.”
“He’s a wonderful father, Guadalupe. And devoted to his career. He just needs help, you know? Nothing wrong with that.”
She shook her head. “Nothing wrong with that at all.”
“And besides, it’s not like I wouldn’t be around. I’d come to visit just as often as I’m there now. I mean, I’d still be a member at the spa, and I need those facials Yuslan does. I don’t know what he uses, but they’re outstanding.”
She cocked her head. “You’re talking as if you’re not coming back to the spa.”
And when I paused, Yuslan’s voice filled the air. “He’s asked you to work full-time for him, hasn’t he?”
My eyes didn’t waver from Guadalupe’s. “Yes. He has.”
She reached out and took my hand. “And you like the job?”
I nodded. “I really do. He’s willing to pay me a full-time salary to do it as well. He’s offered to move me in and not charge me rent. He’s even willing to put me on his and his daughter’s health insurance. It’s—it’s the perfect plan, you know?”
Guadalupe squeezed my hand. “I think it sounds like the perfect position for you, then.”
I felt shellshocked until Yuslan spoke.
“Sounds like you’ve found youralto, oscuro, y guapo. Eh?”
Guadalupe started laughing as my jaw dropped open. I slowly looked over at him to find him smirking at me, and I tried to rack my brain for the last time I had seen Yuslan do anything but be stoic and keep quiet.
“Thank you for stealing my line,cariño,” Guadalupe said through her giggles.
I shook my head. “So, you’re not upset?”
