A Taste for Love Page 17

  Jeannie walks up then, holding a roll of paper towels and a spray bottle.

  “What’re you two talking about?”

  “I’m trying to convince Liza to come out with me and the guys tonight,” Grace tells her before transferring some dirty bowls onto the cleaning cart.

  “Which guys?”

  I stare hard at Grace, but she doesn’t get the hint.

  “Ben and James. They’re contestants nine and ten. We met them right before graduation.”

  Jeannie turns to me with an oddly hurt expression. “You didn’t tell me about them. Are you keeping secrets from me?”

  “Of course not.” I keep my eyes on the station I’m wiping down. “There was nothing to tell.”

  “Maybe not then,” Grace insists. “But there’s definitely something happening between her and James now.”

  “There is not!”

  “There’s not what?”

  Oh no. Mom. Grace clamps her mouth closed, while I scramble for a reasonable lie. Ultimately, it’s Jeannie who saves us both.

  “We’re talking about the contestants. Grace thinks we can already predict a winner, but Liza disagrees.”

  Mom glances at the three of us in succession before nodding.

  “Well, Liza’s right. No matter how well one of these boys does, there are plenty of chances to mess up later.”

  Grace fakes a convincing shrug. “I stand corrected. I guess we’ll have to wait after all.”

  “We need to finish clearing everything out, girls,” Mom goes on to say, pointing at the still dirty stations. “Chef Anthony needs to lock up.”

  “Yes, Mom.”

  “Yes, Mrs. Yang.”

  None of us relax until she’s out of earshot. I slump against the table.

  “That was close.”

  “Too close,” Jeannie agrees.

  We move quickly. Gloria and the other students clear the bowls, utensils, and equipment while we clean the stations. Even with all of us working, it’s almost an hour before the room is put back together. We walk out as a group, but Grace, Jeannie, and I hang back so we can talk without being overheard.

  “Jeannie, can you tell Liza she needs to come out with me tonight?”

  I sigh. “Grace, I already told you. I can’t come out. This is peak stress time for Mom. She’ll throw a fit if I ask to go.”

  “Then let me handle it,” Jeannie offers, threading an arm through my elbow. “She’ll be fine as long as one of us is home. Plus, Dad will help me keep her calm.”

  “But you’re on vacation! Besides, you were supposed to go to dinner tonight with Nathan, right?”

  “We’re actually meeting up tomorrow,” she counters. “And don’t change the subject. You deserve to relax. It’s summer.”

  I nudge her shoulder. “Are you sure?”

  “The world won’t end just because Liza Yang actually has fun for once. Go. Enjoy being a newly minted adult.”

  I laugh. “You say that like it’s a good thing.”

  “It is right now, but not forever. Make the most of your last summer before college. You’ll never get this time back. Trust me, I know.”

  There’s something forlorn about how she says this, but in a flash, she’s back to her regular, cheerful self and shooing me toward the door.

  “Fine, fine. I’ll go.” I wrap my arm around her waist. “Thanks, Jeannie.”

  “Always.”

  We reach the parking lot, and Grace tugs me toward her car. I pull out of her grasp.

  “Hold on! I want to go home and change out of this dress. I’m sick of being in it.”

  “Actually, you should go with her,” Jeannie comments. “It’s easier for me to convince Mom to let you stay out when you’re already gone.”

  “Besides, you look great,” Grace says. “James seemed to like it a lot too.”

  I’m glad it’s already dark outside because my face flames at the memory of his smile.

  “Let’s just go and get this over with.”

  Chapter 18

  “It’s a really nice night.”

  Ben glances up at the sky as he says so. I pause and take it all in. Houston was hit with a thunderstorm two days ago, and it washed away some of the sweltering June heat. Not that any of this helps with our current state. We’ve just filled our stomachs with bowls of piping hot noodles at Kingu Ramen, and we all stepped out onto the sidewalk with sweat beading across our foreheads.

  “We should go for a walk around Hermann Park,” Grace suggests.

  Ben beams. “Oh, let’s do it! I haven’t been there yet.”

  Imagining the mosquitoes likely out in force, I prepare to back out.

  “Will you come?”

  The question comes from the last person I expect, and the answer just slips out.

  “Sure,” I hear myself say.

  James smiles. I catch sight of his dimple, and I forget to breathe. Grace smirks devilishly, but I ignore her.

  “Maybe we should take one car,” she suggests, pointing in the direction of her tiny sedan.

  “I can drive,” Ben immediately volunteers. “I’ve got plenty of room in the car.”

  James, for once, doesn’t object. The four of us follow the row of cars parked in front of the storefronts until we reach a black Mercedes SUV. Ben unlocks the car and helps Grace into the front passenger seat. That leaves me with James in the back.

  I jump as he comes around and grabs the handle.

  “Oh, I didn’t mean—”

  Too late. James already has the door open. I offer a sheepish smile and climb inside. Ben starts the engine and glances at us through the rearview.

  “Seat belts, please.”

  I reach over my right shoulder, but when I tug the belt over my torso, it hitches halfway over. I let it retract and pull again, then again, but can’t loosen it far enough to reach.

  “May I?”

  I press my back against the cushion as James stretches an arm across to grab hold of the belt. With one smooth motion, he secures it into the clasp at my hip. The movement brings his face so close I can make out the black outer rim of his eyes and smell the clean scent of him. It reminds me of warm laundry, mixed with fresh air. Not the overpowering body spray I’m used to with guys I’ve dated.

  “Is that okay?”

  Oh yeah. More than okay.

  I swallow hard. “Uh-huh.”

  His gaze trails down to pause on my lips. My mouth is dryer than a bag of Saltines.

  Ben clears his throat. “Ready back there?”

  In a flash, James is back on his side like nothing happened.

  “Uh, yeah, we’re ready when you are,” he says.

  I turn to stare out the window as Ben backs out, my trembling hands clasped in my lap. He and Grace carry on a steady conversation on the way to the park, but it isn’t enough to drown out the silence in the back. The air is stifling, and when we finally arrive, I can’t get out fast enough. Unfortunately, I’ve forgotten I’m restrained, and I’m jerked back by the seat belt. My face burning with the heat of a thousand suns, I quickly release myself and stumble out into the night.

  We make our way past the zoo and onto the path that encircles the man-made pond in the center. The moon is high and bright, and stars dot the usually hazy sky. Ben loops an arm over Grace’s shoulder and pulls her against him. They walk ahead of us, talking with low voices as we stroll along the partially tree-lined path. At first, there’s enough distance between James and me to drive a car through. As the minutes pass, he gradually closes the gap.

  When we come around the first curve, my voice slices through the silence.

  “So, where did you learn to bake like that?”

  James turns to me, and a tender smile blossoms onto his face.

  “My mom. She loves to bake,” he explains. “I
t was one of the things my sister and I always did with her.”

  “I didn’t know you have a sister,” I reply as I match my steps to his. “What’s her name?”

  “Gigi. She’s eighteen months younger than me.”

  “Is she here too?”

  He shakes his head. “She’s on a trip with her school abroad in Italy. She’ll be back in a couple of weeks.”

  “I have an older sister. Her name is Jeannie.”

  “Yes, I know,” he says, eyes twinkling. “We ran across each other when you were visiting.”

  “Ah, right. I . . . knew that.”

  My, that lake looks awfully refreshing. Maybe I should swan dive into it.

  “So, how long have you been baking, Liza?”

  I pull my eyes back to the path. “For as long as I can remember. Mom’s always complaining I spent more time folding dumplings than laundry.”

  He laughs, a throaty sound that invites me to step closer.

  I peer up at him. “Is your mom a professional baker too?”

  He half shrugs. “She was, but my aunt—Ben’s mom—needed help managing her commercial properties. That’s actually why we’re here. Mom and Aunt May are watching over a major renovation of one of her apartment complexes.”

  “Is that how you guys know Mrs. Lee? Through your mom?”

  James hesitates. When he does speak, his voice is drawn tight like a bowstring.

  “Not exactly. Our families ran in the same circles.”

  “Oh, does that mean you know her son? She mentioned—”

  He cuts me off. “We should catch up to the others.”

  James strides forward, and I force myself to fall in line with him. As we continue along the path, my eyes keep straying over to him. Part of me wishes I hadn’t mentioned Mrs. Lee. James was relaxing up until then. In fact, he was actually quite . . .

  Likeable.

  I trip on a crack in the path. Thankfully, I catch myself before James notices. My heart has just slowed to a normal rhythm when he suddenly turns to me.

  “You and Grace seem really close.”

  I nod, the memories flooding back immediately. “We’ve known each other for years. I knew the day I met her that we were going to be best friends.”

  “Really? How?”

  “Well, we met at the pool the summer before sixth grade. She was on one of the swim teams and was practicing in the deep end. I didn’t actually know how to swim, so I was taking lessons,” I reply softly as I glance at the water. “Some of the other kids were pointing and laughing because I was the oldest one there. Not only did Grace stand up for me, she offered to teach me herself.”

  “That was really nice of her.”

  “It was more than nice. I’m really lucky to have a friend like her.”

  James pauses for a brief moment under an oak tree. I come to a stop beside him.

  “That’s how I feel about Ben. Sometimes I forget we’re only cousins. I always wanted a brother, but my parents weren’t able to have another kid after Gigi.”

  “I hope you won’t take this the wrong way,” I say after a beat, “but it’s funny when I see you guys together.”

  He leans against the trunk and eyes me curiously. “Why?”

  “I guess it’s because you’re so different. Ben is so cheerful and friendly, and you’re . . .”

  I search for the right words. The ones I choose now don’t match the ones I would have used just days ago.

  “You’re quiet, more reserved.”

  James smirks. “You know, I could say the same about you and Grace.”

  I open my mouth to deny it, but nothing comes out. He’s right. Grace and I are pretty different. He smiles and pushes himself off the tree, and we start walking again.

  “Ben complains I’m too serious,” he admits. “But I can’t help it. I feel responsible for him, even though we’re only a few months apart. Ben tends to jump into things without thinking, and it’s gotten him in trouble before.”

  Something clicks in my brain. “Is that why he moved down here?”

  He says nothing for a long time. I’m beginning to think I overstepped when I hear his voice.

  “Ben trusted someone he shouldn’t have, and he got hurt.”

  That’s something I know firsthand. Hell, James was there to witness it.

  I cock my head. “And you? Why did you come?”

  His attention shifts to Ben and Grace just a few paces in front of us. “I’m here to watch over him.”

  Their laughter floats through the air. Even from where I’m standing, I know Grace is happier than I’ve seen her in a long time.

  I smile. “You don’t need to worry about Grace. She’d never do anything to hurt him intentionally.”

  “Broken hearts are unavoidable,” he says quietly. “Even when you do everything possible to protect yourself.”

  There’s a melancholy to his voice I’ve never heard before.

  My heart clenches. “Are you speaking from personal experience?”

  “Actually, I’ve never really been in a relationship,” he admits, rubbing the back of his neck.

  I nearly trip on my own feet. “Why not?”

  James shrugs. “I’ve been too busy. You already know that Ben wants to be a doctor. Believe it or not, he actually chose to do that. His parents didn’t force him. My dad, on the other hand, wants me to follow in his footsteps.” He stops, turning to me in the dark. “He’s been after me to work on my résumé, which is why I’ve been working at the satellite site here. I think he’s hoping I’ll take it over one day.”

  I feel the answer in my bones, but I still ask. “Is that what you want?”

  His head drops. “I’m not sure what I want just yet. Ben says I should go into medicine too, but—as you might have noticed—I’m not very good at talking to people.”

  I press my lips together to keep from smiling but give up when he flashes a disarming grin. I glance back at the lake with a shrug.

  “I know how it feels. I really love baking, but my parents expect me to do something more practical.”

  “What would you do if you could?”

  I’ve been asking myself that same question for weeks. What do I want to do? What if Mom and Dad never change their minds about culinary school? Worse yet, what if they’re right and I end up working at Yin and Yang for the rest of my life? I swallow hard.

  “I’ve always imagined going to culinary school and becoming a pastry chef. But now . . . I don’t know. My parents are right about one thing, though. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life working at some small local bakery.” I sigh. “I think sometimes it’s better to chase new dreams.”

  “Do you have one? A new dream?”

  I don’t know why I tell him. Perhaps it’s the magic of the moon, or the boldness lent to me by the inky night.

  “Something to call my own. Maybe a book. Not like a novel or anything. Like a baking book, with my own original recipes.”

  A long silence follows my admission. I start to regret saying anything. Then I hear James’s soft voice just over my shoulder.

  “There is one other reason why I haven’t dated anyone.”

  As if compelled by our newfound connection, I turn to face him. With the moon at his back, I can’t make out his expression, but I nonetheless feel the intensity of his gaze.

  “I haven’t met anyone worth risking my heart for.”

  The last word hangs heavy in the air, the sentence feeling oddly incomplete. James takes a step toward me, his face finally coming into view with the dip of his head. I lick my lips nervously, and his eyes trail down like a caress to settle on my mouth. Maybe he leans in, or maybe it’s just my imagination, but slowly, the distance between us evaporates.

  “Hey, you two! Keep up!”

  I jerk back at the soun
d of Grace’s voice. My cheeks burn hotter than Dad’s Szechuan chicken as I spot her and Ben waving at us from the next bend. I muster a half-hearted smile and point in their direction.

  “We’d better catch up.”

  We continue on to where Grace and Ben are waiting. We then walk, two by two, through the wooded area, with the scattered moonlight between branches our only source of light. It’s about as peaceful as it can get, but I’m more on edge than ever before.

  Slowly, Ben and Grace pull ahead again, but I barely notice. My mind plays my words to James over and over. At some point, the path takes a sharp turn, and in my distraction, I keep going straight.

  “Liza, wait!”

  James grabs me by the hand and pulls me back before my foot sinks into a large area of mud. I blush, grateful for the darkness.

  “Oh, jeez. Thanks. I totally missed that.”

  He laughs. “Come on. It’s this way.”

  He doesn’t let go of my hand when we’re back on the trail, but his grip is loose enough I could pull out of it. My grip tightens. I’m definitely better off sticking with him.

  “Guys! Come look at this!”

  We quicken our pace until the tree line opens to reveal a bridge spanning the stream that feeds into the pond. The moon glistens on the water’s surface, waves rippling from the gentle breeze. The landscape looks totally different at night, the murky water turning into an indigo mirror. Grace is the first to notice our joined hands, and she pokes Ben in the ribs. His eyes go wide, and he stares at his cousin. I start to pull away, but James threads his fingers through mine and locks me in place.

  “Are we going to keep admiring the view, or finish our walk?”

  Ben laughs. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”

  We resume our stroll around the rest of the pond, ending up back in the parking lot. I let go of James to get in the car. Before I can mourn the loss, he settles in and immediately wraps his fingers back around mine. I don’t dare look at him, but there’s no denying the tension between us. The air feels charged somehow, like some invisible force is pulling us together.

  Ben has just parked beside Grace’s car in the shopping plaza when something buzzes beside me. It’s my phone. I accidentally left it in the car. Reluctantly, I slip my hand away to take a look. It’s a text from Jeannie.