My heart does a happy dance when I see his name flash on the screen.

He’d already warned me he was going to have to work late for some small, corporate party they were hosting, and it thrills me that at least he has the time to call. No matter how much time we spend together, when he leaves, I miss him to the point of feeling stupid.

I’d forgotten what it felt like. I’d forgotten how exhilarating it is to be truly in love with someone. And then I panic as I think of the word. Am I in love with Esteban? I don’t have time to dwell on it right now, so I push the thought aside and answer his call.

“Hey. What’s going on?”

“Are you busy? There’s something I need to ask you. It’s okay if you say no,” he says in a low, hurried tone. Background noises start to fade and I hear something else. A loud bang, the sound of a door shutting.

“Is everything okay? You sound panicked.”

“Overall? Yeah. It’s not a good day. Awful, to be honest. I might need you to do me a favor.”

“You want me to get a refresher on my wonderful waitress skills and come help you out?” He pauses and doesn’t say anything for a second. I raise my eyebrows, waiting for his answer. “Esteban? Are you there?”

“What? How did you know?”

A laugh escapes my lips. “Sixth sense? You sounded worried and that’s the first thing that came to mind. Let’s say I had a hunch. Do you need me?”

“I always do, don’t I?” The tone in his voice goes from tense to buttery and warm.

“Mr. Garcia, let’s gets back to business,” I tease. “Do you need me to come fill in for one of your employees, or you don’t?”

“I do. I really do.” He says the words with such intensity, I’m not sure we’re talking about the same thing anymore. “Would you really do that for me?”

“Are you kidding me? Of course I would. But I have to say, I’ve never heard you this frantic before. Is it that bad?”

I hear some clanking in the back. He must have gotten out of the office to check on something. “Let’s put it this way: how much time do you need to get over here?”

I’m already selecting my clothes and the most appropriate pair of shoes at my disposal when I tell him, “I can be there in thirty minutes.”

“God, you’re a lifesaver. I love you.”

The words leave me speechless, and I’m smiling to myself quietly, mostly because I’m sure he’s going to correct himself in a second. And a moment later, he realizes what he said.

“Shit. Shit, shit, shit,” he says, and I start laughing on my end. I’ve never heard Esteban this flustered before. I bet it’s even cuter in person. “Ines…I can’t believe I just did that.”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to apologize. I’m a pretty lovable person,” I tease, trying to provide an out, and he cracks a laugh, which in turn, makes me smile.

“It’s not that I didn’t mean what I said…”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. I just didn’t mean to…”

“Blurt it out like that?”

“Yes. Exactly that. Any chance you might forget I said it and let me have a do-over at a more appropriate time?” I slip my black pants on as I keep my phone tucked between my cheek and my shoulder. I can’t wait to see him all out of sorts. Embarrassed Esteban is one of the best things I’ve experienced in my life. It’s even better when I manage to make him even more flustered, like when that faint blush shows up across his cheeks. Although I’m going to the restaurant to help, I can’t wait to tease him. I bite my lip, stopping a childish grin from stretching across my face. It’s a good thing he can’t see me right now.

“Sounds good to me. I can’t wait for you to tell me you love me later tonight.” He groans on the other end, and I laugh.

Sheepishly, he says, “You’re going to tease me about this all night, aren’t you?”

“You got that right. Okay, do you have a white long-sleeve button-down shirt for me over there? I have everything else I might need.”

“Yes. There’s plenty of white shirts, you don’t have to worry about that.”

“I’ll see you in fifteen, then. I’m about to leave.”

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou,” he replies all in one breath.

“Hey, Esteban?”

“Yes?”

“I love you too.”

 

 

When I get to the restaurant, things are messy. Messier than I’ve ever seen. Two waiters called in sick, there’s a party scheduled at seven for a group of thirty people who’ll be occupying one of the bigger indoor private dining rooms, a long list of reservations, and then there’s the walk-ins. The waiters who’ve been working for the evening shift are already scrambling, and Esteban is trying to help as much as he can.

“Looks like you’re overbooked,” I tell him, glancing at the list of reservations on the computer screen when I meet him in his office.

“Yeah, tell me about it. I will never leave anyone else in charge of scheduling.” He presses his lips together in a hard line.

He’s been trying to make a few calls and locate another waiter who could pick up an extra shift. I shed my T-shirt and slip in the long-sleeve, starched white waitress shirt. I don’t miss how his eyes pause on me and how the frustrated expression turns into a too charming smirk.

“Maybe I should ask you to pick up shifts more often, if it comes with these perks.”

I cock one eyebrow at him and smile, flattered. “Later, Mr. Garcia. Later,” I tease.

“Right,” he says with a shake of his head, as if trying to shake away his naughty thoughts.

“You could have called me sooner. I would have come.”

“We’ll be all right. Here,” he says, grabbing something out of a drawer. “You’ll need this.” He ties the cross tie that is part of Vida Dulce’s uniform around my neck. My hair is up in a little ponytail and I’m wearing very basic makeup. I was in a hurry and didn’t want to waste more time. Esteban gives me a long look and runs a finger down my nose as I lock my gaze with his.

“You look cute.”

“Thanks.” He steps closer to me and I can feel the hum of electricity emanating from his body. I’ve yet to kiss him, and I’ve been dying to, ever since he let some very important words slip over the phone.

He loves me. And I love him too. I’m not even sure for how long I’ve been in love with him. Sometimes I think I’ve been in love with him right from the start and I’ve been lying to myself.

He takes one more step, and his body is flush with mine. His green eyes are loaded with naughty intentions and I loop my arms around his neck.

“Hello,” I tell him. I haven’t been this close to him since last night, but it doesn’t mean that my body isn’t aching for his touch. In Esteban’s arms, I always feel like a guitar that needs strumming, a drum that needs caressing with gentle and steady fingers. My skin, my whole body comes alive when he holds me like this.

“Hi,” he responds. “So, about what I said earlier…”

“You don’t have to say anything. We can wait,” I tell him with a light shake of my head. His body tenses, and I feel the taut muscles of his chest through the thin cotton of his dress shirt. I love seeing him all dressed up. Or undressed. At the thought of undressed Esteban, I lick my lips. As if he could read my mind, I feel him long and hard against me.

“I don’t have to…but I need to, Ines. I’ve been wanting to tell you for days. Weeks, actually.” His voice comes out as a low rumble. I look into his emerald eyes, and I’m rewarded with one of my favorite looks: part sexy and seductive, part bashful, one hundred percent Esteban. If I could bottle up this very look for eternity and remind my eighty-year-old self one day how it felt to be loved by this man, I would. My heart starts mimicking the wings of a hummingbird and it’s impossible not to smile, not when he’s looking at me so carefully and so impatiently. I close my eyes, reeling from the rush of adrenaline running through my veins, and feel Esteban’s nose brush against mine, his lips a breath away from my mouth.

“I love you, Ines Sanchez,” he murmurs, his breath minty with a hint of cinnamon. A giant grin stretches across my face when I open my eyes and stare at him, drinking it all in for a few seconds.

“I love you too, Esteban.” I mold my lips to his, and soon his soft mouth is replaced by his hungry, needy tongue, stroking against mine slowly, as if we didn’t have anything else to worry about. He walks me backward against the door, and nothing can stop us, not even the clatter coming from the kitchen.

He keeps kissing me like it’s his job, like it’s the only thing he’s meant to master. And boy, does he succeed. A few minutes and several kisses later, I’m completely out of breath and a mess of a woman. I buckle my hips against his and tug on his shirt playfully.

“Wow,” I say, breathless, as he stares at me, pupils dilated with intensity. “Who knew kissing the boss could be this hot?”

A raucous laugh emerges from his lips and his eyes crinkle at the corners. He’s happy and I am too. The happiest I’ve ever been.

“Am I your boss now?” he laughs.

“At least for the night. And you’re certainly the boss of my heart.” I wink.

“Is it wrong that I like the sound of that?” he asks, eyes bright with amusement.

“Have at it. It can’t be helped. It’s probably time for me to join the workforce, don’t you think? You don’t want them to think I’m your favorite or something,” I tease, and he chuckles, shaking his head in the process.

“Right. You almost made me forget what you were here for.”

He pulls away, slowly, fingers laced with mine until another step separates us.

“So now it’s my fault?” I ask, feigning offense.

“No. Never yours. It will always be my fault for not being able to resist you.”

I sigh, hands pressed behind me against the door, not ready to leave. I need a minute to recover. I feel like all the oxygen has been sucked out of the room, and Esteban and I are just trapped in some kind of weird dimension in outer space. The truth is out. Declarations of love have been made. I would like to say that I feel lighter, but instead I do feel the weight of his love grounding me into place, and a voice in my head keeps telling me that this is where I belong.

There’s a very good chance Esteban might be my future, and even though I’m sure of my feelings, something about it all scares me as much as it excites me. My heart drums in my ears, and I know that if I don’t get out of here right this minute I’m in danger of latching myself onto him like a crazy woman, needing his body like a lifeline.

“I think I need to go use the restroom before I can start working. I’ll meet you outside. You’re going to show me around, right?” I’m about to turn the doorknob and open the door, but he stops me. He takes my arm and pulls me to him.

“One more sec,” he mumbles. I smile, realizing how we’re once more on the same page. As I rest my head on his chest, I listen to his erratic heartbeat. Something stirs in my chest and a knot forms in my throat. A tear escapes from my eye, rolling down my cheek. Overwhelmed by the depth of my emotions, I feel somehow both happy and sad.

He kisses my head before he lets go, and when he sees my glassy eyes, he frowns, but I wave it off.

“Nothing to worry about. They’re happy tears. Carry on.”

He lets out a sigh and gives me a circumspect look. “If you say so. I’ll catch up with you in a minute, okay? Don’t run away.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”