Dominic sighed as he locked the door to the bar. It was well after three in the morning. The streets were empty and the only sound was the crashing of waves on the shore. The night air was cool and the sky above was clear. A thousand stars glittered overhead as Dominic glanced skyward.

He briefly recalled sitting on the beach with tío Isaac and looking up at the stars. They’d studied the constellations and Isaac had told him stories about them. Their history and their mythology. Miguel had been there as well, asking his stupid questions and pestering Tío with his theories on how the constellations were put in the sky

Dominic clenched his fist and winced slightly. He’d bruised his knuckles on Miguel’s face. His sore fingers had ached all evening while he was working. A constant reminder of the encounter they’d had that morning. He still couldn’t bring himself to believe that Miguel had been there. The very thought made him clench his teeth.

Thankfully, he had another, more important, problem to focus on right now.

He tucked the keys to the bar in his pocket and headed up the street. The bars, restaurants, shops, and clubs were quiet now. Debris and garbage from the tourists littered main street like castoff confetti. Thankfully, the president employed a fantastic cleaning crew that would be out and about in just a few hours. Everything would be put right and the tourists could continue on their merry way without a care in the world.

The walk home was uneventful and gave Dominic plenty of time to try and clear his head. He’d been rushing around all evening and had barely had a moment to breathe. The bar had been packed again tonight. People had crushed into the barroom, all eager to sample the amazing food coming out of the kitchen.

Mike had definitely fulfilled their expectations.

Even with the two extra people that Guillermo had hired to help out, it had been almost impossible for Dominic to keep up. Making drinks, keeping track of tabs, and trying to make sure everyone got served had kept him from being able to fully assess the situation. He’d wanted to ask customers exactly what it was they liked about the food. He’d wanted to take notes and figure out exactly what it was that was so enticing about the barbecue coming out of Guillermo’s kitchen.

He frowned as he tightened his grip on the brown paper bag in one hand. Inside were two styrofoam containers. One with Venison steak and another with a buffalo burger. Just like last night, Mike had invited him to test the food he’d been serving.

At first, Dominic had assumed that he was just that confident in his abilities. Now, however, it felt like he was being taunted. This wasn’t just a challenge. It was a declaration of war from someone so arrogant that he felt there was no chance for him to lose.

He’d already spent all day before his shift trying to break down Mike’s recipe and hadn’t even come close. There was something about it that he was having trouble pinpointing, and the mystery of it had consumed him.

Now it seemed like everyone on the island was talking about Mike’s barbecue.

They were still months away from the competition, and Dominic already felt as if he’d lost. He suddenly regretted the months of leisure he’d taken without working on next year’s recipe. He’d never needed more than a few months to prepare before. Now, he felt as if he could’ve started the day after this year’s competition and still wouldn’t have been ready in time.

He already knew without even testing it that his prize winning recipe wouldn’t be enough this time. The slight changes he’d made to bring it ahead of the game and win against Miguel weren’t going to cut it against Mike.

When Dominic finally reached his apartment, nestled above one of the shops on the main street, he was exhausted. It was well after three in the morning and he’d been awake all day. As much as he wanted to test out new recipes now, it was going to have to wait. He was far too tired.

He glanced around the interior of the cozy one-room apartment. Clothes were scattered around the room. The bed was a mess and dishes were piled high in the sink.

He wouldn’t have been able to get any work done anyway. He was almost certain that there weren’t any clean dishes left to work with. That was a problem he was going to have to tackle later. He tossed the bag of barbecue into the refrigerator, kicked off his shoes, and tumbled into bed with little ceremony.

Only moments later, Dominic was asleep.

* * *

Rest, however, was plagued with dreams.

Tío Isaac stood with Dominic and Miguel, teaching them how to barbecue the old fashioned way; an open flame and a pit on the beach. That had been one of Dominic’s fondest memories for a long time. Even after Tío was taken away. It wasn’t until much later that the memory soured.

The dream was different from the memory. Tío didn’t seem very happy with him for some reason. He kept scolding Dominic for making the simplest mistakes. Then the meat got burnt somehow, and it was Dominic’s fault according to Tío.

When the food was done cooking it tasted terrible. Dominic couldn’t understand what had gone wrong. He’d followed the instructions perfectly. Tío told him it was because he lacked the will and didn’t understand food.

Miguel stood up for Dominic. He told Tío that Dominic was trying his hardest, and that he knew his food would get better in time.

But Dominic only felt resentment towards Miguel.

Then Tío and Miguel were gone.

Dominic was left standing alone on the beach next to the dying embers of the fire and the food that tasted terrible. As the breeze kicked up around him, he could only shudder slightly and stare out at the ocean as the waves crashed on the beach.

Nearby, he saw another man barbecuing in a pit on the beach.

Dominic approached him slowly. As he drew nearer, he recognized Mike.

Mike looked up at him with a grin and offered him a plate of food that tasted as if it was made from hopes and dreams. The ambrosial flavors nearly knocked Dominic senseless.

He looked back towards the pit where he’d been cooking. The terrible food, now cold, still sat neglected. It couldn’t even come close to what he’d just tasted. Even the seagulls wouldn’t go near it as they gathered on the beach.

The high pitched cries of the seagulls slowly morphed into a sea of laughter. Dominic looked back towards Mike and he was laughing as well. The sound rose all around him, drowning out his senses and following after him as the dream faded into blackness.

* * *

The strangeness of the dream still clung to Dominic as he woke. He felt as though he’d just gone three rounds in the ring with a heavy-weight champion and gotten the shit kicked out of him.

Bright sunlight streamed through the shutters on the window of his apartment. He blinked several times as he dragged himself upright. Judging from the bubbling murmur of the crowds outside, it was already well past noon. La Bonita was wide awake and locals and tourists alike were no doubt flooding the main street below.

He sighed to himself as he shook away the last vestiges of the dreamworld and rose to his feet. There was work to be done and he’d already wasted a good portion of the day.

Over the next several hours, he sampled the food he’d brought home last night. He’d never had venison or buffalo before. The flavors of this new meat were enhanced by the sauce that covered them. The sauce itself was still an enigma to him, however.

Several batches of barbecue sauce came close to matching the flavor, but they never quite closed the distance. There was something about Mike’s sauce that kept it just out of reach. A mix of flavors that Dominic couldn’t pin down.

It was around three o'clock when Dominic threw up his hands in frustration. He was making no progress at all. In just a few hours he’d have to put all of this on hold for another night of work. He’d be faced with Mike’s latest creation, and he’d still have no idea what the secret was.

The warmth of the afternoon and the heat from cooking had made the apartment unbearably sticky. Even with several fans going and all of the windows open it was too much.

Dominic mopped the sweat from his brow and stepped out onto the landing that lead to his front door. The wooden porch wrapped around the second floor of a shop on main street and connected several studio apartments. The stairs down to the street were only a few feet from Dominic’s front door.

It was several degrees cooler outside than it was inside.

The smell of street food mingled in the air. Shopkeepers and peddlers stood in the street and advertised their wares, calling out to tourists as they passed by. The crowd of visitors to the island flowed down the street like a nearly unbroken river. The murmur of a hundred different conversations almost drowned out the distant crash of waves on the shore.

Normally, when Dominic was stuck on a recipe, he would head to Guillermo’s and share his ideas with his boss. He’d test out his batches and use his father and coworkers as guinea pigs. He couldn’t do that now though.

Mike would be there. Mike was always there. Not only was he shattering Dominic’s confidence, he was robbing him of the one place he relied on when developing his recipes. Dominic found himself dreading the thought of going to work that night. Something he’d never done before.

Dominic hovered near the top of the stairs and looked down at the crowd below as he tried to gather his thoughts. If he was being honest with himself, Miguel was probably better at this whole thing than he was. His hated rival had won more often and had more confidence in his cooking.

Just like Mike.

A quick internet check at the library before work yesterday had confirmed Mike’s story. He’d won contests in nearly every single state in the U.S. and had access to premium cuts of meat thanks to his industry contacts. He’d even been the subject of his own television mini-series called “King of Barbecue.” Mike exuded confidence in his cooking.

Alone, Dominic didn’t stand a chance.

His breath caught in his throat for a moment. A pair of green eyes stared up at him from the crowd. The world around him seemed to stand still.

Was that...Miguel?

Standing alone amid the stream of people, his broken arms cradled in slings, Miguel locked eyes with Dominic. There was determination in his face, as if he’d specifically sought Dominic out and was prepared for a violent confrontation.

Hadn’t it been just yesterday that they’d run into each other in the graveyard? Hadn’t Dominic made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with Miguel?

Dominic clenched his fist experimentally. The bruise on his knuckles throbbed dully as the skin tightened. He could feel a glare already forming on his face. It was a reflex now. He didn’t even have to try.

To his surprise, Miguel approached the foot of the stairs. The glare on his face, staring back above his blackened nose, was a reflection of Dominic’s.

“Let me make this clear,” said Miguel as he placed a foot on the bottom-most step. “I’m not here because I want to work with you. I’m here because I want to win.”

“And what? Are you going to betray me at the last minute? Turn on me just when I start to trust you the way you turned on Tío?” Dominic shook his head emphatically and turned to head back inside. “I don’t want anything to do with you.”

“This impostor is trampling all over our island’s traditions!” interjected Miguel as he climbed halfway up the stairs.

Dominic froze in place and glanced sidelong at Miguel.

“Now there’s prize money in the mix. Enough to settle the hospital bills my parents took on for me. Enough to open the restaurant you always talked about. That guy doesn’t need the money. He doesn’t even care about it. But for you and me, that money is life changing. This contest...this is what you and I live for.” Miguel stood and looked up at Dominic with pleading in his face.

“So?” asked Dominic, feeling a flare of anger in his chest. “What do you want me to say? Maybe I can beat him on my own? Did you stop to consider that? Even if I can’t though, it would be better to lose than to work with you.” He clenched his teeth.

“And how’s that going?” challenged Miguel. “Have you figured out his recipe yet? I tried it out and even I’m stumped. So please, if you’ve learned the secret, why don’t you enlighten me?”

Dominic flared his nostrils. “I don’t owe you anything.”

“No, you don’t,” agreed Miguel. “But it’s gotta hurt. Guillermo invited him into your place, even knowing that he was going to compete. He gave a complete stranger the job he’s been denying you for years. Everyone knows you’re probably one of the best cooks on this island. Yet you’re never going to get a place of your own as long as you’re working for Guillermo. This is it, Dominic. This is your chance. Are you really going to throw that away just to spite me?”

“A 50/50 split isn’t enough to buy a restaurant around here,” said Dominic, the anger was slowly dying down. “Even if we did this, it doesn’t get me there.”

“I only need enough to cover the hospital bills,” said Miguel, tentatively taking another step upward. “Whatever’s left should be more than enough. We can put aside our differences long enough to make that happen, can’t we?”

Dominic sighed and looked away. “I’ve got some of the stuff he was serving last night in the refrigerator. Your sense of taste was always better. Maybe you can tell me what I’m missing.”