Read Online Bella by Lisa Samson - Free Book Online Page B

could fool himself into thinking he was such a horrible person he could hide from the world and be justified.
    He wrapped it back up.
    A suited businessman wearing fine shoes pushed a dollar bill into an empty paper coffee cup by José’s feet and walked into the store.
    José plucked it out and shoved it in his pocket. Oh well. Maybe today was his lucky day.
    Nina exited the bodega and he stood up.
    â€œOh man, that was crazy,” she said.
    â€œWhat happened?”
    â€œDid you see that guy rush out?”
    José
nodded. “Very angry.”
    â€œHe had a run-in with the cashier. It sounded like the clerk, who was Chinese, was speaking Spanish. Just a typical New York moment.” She looked around her. “I’d hate to have to leave this place.”
    They walked by a parking lot, a high chain-link fence lining their path to the right.
    â€œWhy would you leave?”
    â€œIt takes money to live here, and right about now they’re seating the Gallegos party in my section. They’re usually good for a two-hundred-dollar tab.”
    â€œYou’ll be fine. Don’t worry. I mean, there’re plenty of restaurants in this city.”
    â€œIt’s not that. It’s looking for a job. It stinks, José. The applications, the interviews. I’m going to need references. What do you think Manny is going to say about me?”
    â€œList me as a reference.”
    Nina sighed and took a sip of her drink. “Who knows? You’ll probably be pounding the pavement right along with me.”
    â€œHey.” José grinned. “Today is my first time. It takes three times.” He held up three fingers, mimicking Manny.
    â€œYeah, but you’re the chef. And you walked out.” She screwed the lid back on the bottle.
    They continued down the street, José trying to figure out how to bring up the subject of Nina’s pregnancy. He had come with her to talk about it and now they were doing anything but. His mother always knew what to do to draw him out when he had troubles. “You hungry?”
    â€œI could eat,” Nina said.
    â€œI know a good place.”
    They stepped from the subway station back out onto the street. Nina hadn’t traveled around the city this much in years. She’d become such a creature of habit. Home. Work. Home. Work. Nina picked at her uniform. “What am I going to do with this dress? Probably sell it on eBay.”
    José shrugged.
    They continued down Houston Street and Nina longed to put her hand in his, not because she was feeling romantic, but because José knew her secret and that drew him to her somehow. But she held off. Everybody at the restaurant knew that José never went out with women. José was some kind of strange penitent, they said, but without the pilgrimages and glass in his shoes. Although, who knows, maybe he did have glass in his shoes. He’d been wearing the same pair ever since he started. Raggedy sneakers. One time she asked him why he never got new shoes, and he said shoes just weren’t his thing anymore.
    Weird.
    No. No hand-holding. And maybe she was just feeling so unable to cope that she’d hold hands with Marilyn Manson if he were the day’s companion.
    She stole a glance at José.
    Okay, no. Definitely not Marilyn Manson.
    A man sat on the sidewalk, delicate origami pieces resting on boxes and crates: dragons and swans, hearts and butterflies and frogs. His blue eyes contrasted with his walnut skin, and a constellation of dark moles spotted his face. His gray T-shirt was darkened by dirt and grime and too much time on his back, but something about him told Nina he was a friend.
    When he spoke, unable to meet her eyes, Nina realized he was blind.
    â€œCan I interest you in one of my creations, young lady?” He held up an intricately folded creature. “How about this nice frog?”
    How did he know she was a woman?
    â€œI’m sorry. I don’t