Page 18 of The Art of Scandal

Her hands trembled as she turned off the ignition. Nathan touched her headrest and leaned closer, watching her with worried eyes. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” It came out as a gasp. Her body was still humming. “Nathan, that was amazing. It made me feel so…alive.” She groaned. “That’s corny, I know.”

“No, it’s not.” He smiled. One side of his mouth lifted a little higher than the other. A perfect face with an adorable, perfect flaw. “I could tell as I was watching you. Made me remember driving it for the first time.”

“I always wanted one of these. I forgot until I saw yours.” She ran her hands over the steering wheel. “I think I’ve forgotten a lot of things about myself.”

They fell silent. His eyes were on her again, but this time it felt more like analysis. She was a riddle he wanted to solve. Maybe he’d see something she couldn’t. She could barely track her own emotions from one minute to the next. An hour ago, she’d been standing in front of Sofia Cárdenas, desperate to be seen as something more than Matt’s appendage. Now she wanted to turn the gas back on and keep driving until she disappeared completely.

Rachel looked away and focused on their surroundings for the first time. She didn’t recognize the neighborhood. “Where are we?”

That crooked grin sprang to life again. “A block from the best burger of your life.”

The restaurant was a walk-up with picnic tables out front.The Standwas printed on a large sign in bright red letters and repeated in Spanish on the bottom. If they had been on the west side of town, there probably would have been more kitschy nostalgia like shiny chrome napkin holders that doubled as credit card readers. But this place was authentic and lived-in. The walls had been repainted numerous times. The tables showed signs of repeated weather exposure. The poles that held up a wide awning were covered with rust and overgrown weeds at the bottom.

It was late afternoon, and the tables were empty. Rachel stopped to study a menu posted on a bulletin board, but Nathan kept walking to the counter. He tapped an old-fashioned call bell and leaned through the cashier’s window. “Can we get some service out here?”

His rudeness surprised her. But maybe that was his thing—nice to pretty girls, mean to the waiter. “Hey,” she said, catching his eye. “Can you give them a minute?”

A stocky, gray-haired man appeared in the window and snatched the bell away. “¡Tócalo de nuevo y escupiré en tu comida!”

Nathan rolled his eyes and smiled at Rachel. “He said he’s going to spit in my food.” He gestured toward the man. “This is my friend Miguel. He owns this place.”

She relaxed. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Miguel glanced at Nathan. “¿Tu novia?”

“I’m not his girlfriend,” Rachel interjected, with a quick scan of the parking lot.

Nathan leaned against the counter. “Don’t sound so offended.”

“I’m not offended. I just—” He stood there grinning while she fumbled. Her face warmed. “Forget it.”

“She’s my aunt,” Nathan said, with a different, less crooked smile. This one was broader, all teeth and flirty dimple. “Can’t you see the resemblance?”

She rolled her eyes. “Okay, ha ha, fuck you.”

“What’s your name, beautiful?” Miguel asked.

She hesitated. Nathan must have noticed because he moved to block her from Miguel’s view. “Princesa.”

Miguel shook his head. “Reina.Get it right.” He winked at her over Nathan’s shoulder. “I’m single, by the way. In case you really are his aunt.”

Nathan groaned. “The food, man, come on.”

“It’s coming. Two with everything?”

Nathan looked at her to confirm. She shook her head. “No onions.”

“No onions on either.”

Miguel nodded. “Give me ten minutes.”

They sat down at an iron-lattice table with unlabeled bottles of chili sauce in the center. Nathan grabbed two and set them to one side. “How hot?”

“Nuclear.”

He grabbed another dark red bottle. “Figured.”

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