Page 4 of Taco Daddy

Which he was now.

Owen owned the Taste of Brie truck, but they’d initially met at the Outlands and become friends there.Getting a spot next to each other for their trucks had been part luck and part planning—getting the spot in front of their friend Marcus’ plant nursery had been an even bigger stroke of luck.

Unlike Andres, Owen didn’t feel the need to anonymously hear what his customers were saying about his food.He was happy reading reviews and accepting what people said to his face.He did his hours of work, then came to Andres’ window for a taco before they packed up and went home.

When Andres didn’t answer, his jaw clenched too tightly for him to get the words out, Jose jumped in and did it for him.While Andres was too angry to say the words consciously, he’d been muttering about it since Rita and her friends left.

“Apparently, a customer said something about how Taco Bell would be just as good but without the wait.”Jose shrugged, but the muscle in Andres’ jaw ticked again.“Papiover here is all worked up about it.”

Yes, he was because it wasn’t true, dammit.First of all, his tacos were worth the wait, and second of all, it would have been nowhere close to the same.

His hand tingled as her face came up in his mind again.

Damn, he wished Rita blondie was a subbie at Outlands.He would have had her over the spanking bench in a heartbeat and shown her what a realrojo fondowas.The idea of her giving a heartfelt apology on her knees before he showed her a better use for her mouth than making such comments was enough to stir his arousal.

Which was frustrating all over again.He didn’t want to be attracted to strangers on the street, much less ones who didn’t appreciate damn good food when it was presented to them.

“Ouch.Harsh.”Owen’s grin widened, his dimples deepening.“If his face gets any redder, he might have to change the name of the truck.”

“What’s going on?”Marcus, the third member of their little group, stepped up beside Owen, dusting dirt from his hands.He must have just finished with a customer at his nursery, Flower Power.Like Owen, at the end of the day, he usually took a moment to get some food, though he switched back and forth between Rojo Fondo and Touch of Brie.

He was wearing a Flower Power shirt in bright green with the logo in pink and yellow, which contrasted with his dark brown skin.There was a tiny stem sticking to his goatee and what looked like pollen on top of his bald head.

It was a far cry from the suit and tie he’d worn nearly twenty-four-seven when Andres first met him.Two years ago, his fiancée had left him because of his workaholic work habits, which was when Andres and Owen met him at the Outlands.He’d come in to blow off some steam, and they’d ended up making friends.Then he’d had a health scare when what he’d thought was a heart attack turned out to be angina.

He'd done a complete turnaround in his life—stopped eating red meat, started meditating, quit his job as a stockbroker, bought Flower Power, and sold cultivating plants.His house was completely overrun, and both Andres and Owen joked the real reason he’d bought the nursery was so he’d never run out of room for more plants.

He was healthier and happier than ever, and Owen and Andres were both glad to see it.

Andres wished Marcus had shown up a few minutes later or after Owen had already gotten his food because now he had to listen to the whole storyagain.

Hearing his friends and nephew laughing at his expense only made him more frustrated, but he knew better than to give them more ammunition, so he bent his head and scrubbed at the spot on the counter he’d been targeting.

“You need to blow off some steam.We should go to the Outlands tonight,” Marcus said, surprising Andres with the suggestion that was so close to his own thoughts.

Owen raised his eyebrows.

“Are you sure?You haven’t been there in a year now.”After that first visit when he’d met them, Marcus had only come with them to the Outlands once or twice.He’d realized he wasn’t ready for a hookup, much less a relationship.

“I’m sure.”Marcus sighed and ran his hand over his head, dislodging some of the yellow pollen that had settled there.“It’s time for me to move forward with this part of my life, too.I need to finish getting over my old life, and that means putting myself out there again.”

“Good for you, man.”Owen’s hand came down heavily on the back of Marcus’ shoulder in a supportive pat.“I think this is incredibly healthy.I’ll definitely go tonight.”

“Me, too.It’s been too long since I put myself out there.”No real reason Andres hadn’t before, unlike Marcus, who had been hung up on his ex since Andres had met him, but it wasn’t something he’d made time for.

“My mom will be glad to hear that,” Jose chimed in.“What’s the Outlands?”

“I’ll tell you when you’re twenty-five,” Andres said, interrupting before Owen or Marcus could clue Jose in.Even though Jose was technically an adult, Andres did not want to talk about his sex life with his nephew.His sister would kill him, though she would be pleased to hear Andres was going out on a date.So would his mom, for that matter.He eyed Jose.

“How much to keep this entire conversation to yourself?”

“Monday off and a hundred bucks.”

“Done.”

The surprise on Jose’s face had Andres wondering if he could have gotten away with less… and probably had Jose wondering if he could have gotten away with more.He would have to make sure Owen and Marcus knew there would be no more talk about the Outlands or kink when Jose could overhear.

It would get far too expensive for Andres.

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