The line is moving swiftly, and the guys have a couple of security guards to ensure nothing gets out of hand. And I have to admit, it’s a little funny watching how happy and glowy every girl looks going toward Karl and then how sad they look on their way out.
Mid-shift, I notice Sofia, who is helping one of the food stands hand out plates, and she pauses to glance over at Bren. As if he can sense it, Bren’s eyes raise to meet hers, and he looks at her with a smoldering gaze like he wants to eat her alive.
I sigh dreamily. I want someone to look at me like Bren looks at Sofia—how I look at pizza.
“Two, please,” someone says, annoyed, and I glance up.
“Oh, sorry. Two tickets. That’ll be ten dollars.” I take the cash from the annoyed woman and give her change, moving her along toward Karl’s line.
We all work for three more hours, and the crowd starts to dwindle a little, so Roger announces that Bren and Karl are taking a short break.
I, on the other hand, keep selling tickets but smile when Karl darts straight toward Paco’s food stand. I really need to find a way to get him off this taco diet.
I lose sight of him for a while after he finishes eating, and for an hour, I have no clue where he’s gone.
Only when he comes into view, he isn’t alone. He walks in from a door leading to who knows where, Carolina all giggles and long lashes batting as she walks next to him. Have they been gone together this entire time? They pause to face each other and keep talking. He says something, and she laughs, then brings her hand to his forearm, squeezing it a bit.
She issofangirling, and could she be more obvious? Okay, I know that’s not Carolina. Maybe I’m imagining things?
My mouth dries up. They look so perfect together. Carolina is almost as tall as Karl and so beautiful. She is so elegant when she moves, so poised. Always put together.
The pillar of her community, Carolina exudes a grace that makes men fall at her feet. And the way Karl is looking at her, and that smile of his so warm and inviting, makes me feel a little bit sick.
Has he asked her out? Because what man in his right mind wouldn’t?
I have no doubt Karl will honor our contract, but maybe they’re making plans for after I leave. As they walk away from each other, Karl’s hands go into his jeans pockets. He heads back to his table, not once glancing over at me.
When they call an end to the festivities, I sell my last ticket and watch as Carolina grabs a microphone and stands on a small stage set at the end of the gymnasium. She calls attention, and everyone stops to look at her.
She is unaffected by all the eyes on her. “Thank you,” she starts, “for being here tonight. I couldn’t be prouder of this community and how we always come together when someone is in need. Today is for Lucinda. Many of you know her. She is a hardworking mom of three. She always has a smile on her face, and she’s been there for many of us when we’ve needed her help. Always quick to give a kind word and a hand, she is more than just part of this community. She is part of our family. She can’t be here today. She didn’t ask for this fundraiser, and she actually was embarrassed when I told her I was doing this.” Carolina pauses to laugh. “But I have my ways. Still, she sends her deepest gratitude on her and her sons’ behalf.” Then she smiles wide. “And I have great news!” she all but squeals. “We raised over ten thousand dollars today to go toward Lucinda’s treatment. In addition to that, we have received an anonymous donation of eighty thousand dollars to cover the rest of Lucinda’s treatment and her rent for the next year.”
The collective gasps flutter through everyone at the event. Roger directs photographers and a reporter covering the fundraiser like a stage manager.
Could it have been . . .? I look for Karl, not finding him anywhere in the crowd until I realize he’s right next to me. He looks down at me with a smile. “You ready to go?”
On our drive back home, I wait until we’re close to home to ask him. “It was you, wasn’t it?”
“What are you talking about?” Karl asks.
“You’re the anonymous donor.”
His lips purse, but he keeps his eyes on the road. “It was an anonymous donation, Lo. You don’t get to know who it was.”
“But I saw you. You went away with Carolina, and when you both came back, she made the announcement. It was you.”
He throws me a mischievous side glance but admits to nothing.
This man.
Could he be any more perfect?
24
LOLA
On December twenty-fourth, I wake up to the smell of grease.What is that?
When I get to the kitchen to investigate, I find Karl and Adrian arguing over a pan on the stove. When I call out to them, they both turn around, and I have to bite back my smile. They’re both wearing aprons, looking absolutely adorable. The backdrop to the scene is a heavy snow falling in thick plumes outside our windows.