to be her chambelan. While he knew most of the town’s guys had known better for years to get any ideas about Isa, this would make it official. Quinceañeras were, after all, traditionally a celebration of the passage from girlhood to womanhood. So, her asking him to stand in as her escort would speak volumes.
But he understood Isa’s hesitation. If they put it out there like that, even if only for the sake of the traditional celebration, Isa worried her mom might give her a harder time about spending so much time with Alej. Her abuela’s angst about what everybody might say or think would only intensify.
Isa walked over and met him and Cido as they reached the big trees. Alej noticed it before they even reached each other. She seemed down—or something. Of course, Cido didn’t even notice, opting instead to rush over to one of the unoccupied hanging tires and jumping on it.
“Something wrong?”
Her eyes went a bit wide. “No, why?”
“I dunno.You seem . . . agüitada?”
“No.”
She shook her head and smiled, but even that seemed a little off. Her big eyes were still as beautiful, just not as bright as they usually were when she smiled at him. Okay. They started toward the trees where there was another unoccupied tire now.
“So, how’d it go today? The placita still staying busier than the norm?”
“Yeah, we had a good day. But it was too hot.”
Alej smiled, nodding as she sat down on the tire. “Well, that’s probably why you had a good day selling cold aguas frescas.” He nudged the tire with his knee, giving her a good push. “How’d you do with the hot chur—”
“I told mama and abuela that you’ll be my chambelan for my quinceañera.” Isa blurted the words out but stared straight ahead. “You’re gonna have to get a suit now.”
Alej peered at her, confused by her odd demeanor, but his insides excited about this prospect. “I can get a suit, Isa.”
“Good. Then it’s settled.” She turned to look at him with that still unsettling and forced smile. “You’ll be my galán at the ball.”
“Why’d you change your mind?” He pushed the tire again, still curious.
She was quiet for a moment. “I just didn’t think it such a big deal if everyone knows my first choice would be you.”
Smiling even bigger, Alej pushed the tire again. “Even if your abuela might worry more?”
Lowering her eyes to the ground and away from Alej’s gaze, she was quiet for a moment. “We met the Negretes today. Well, two of them.”
Alej didn’t even know how that had anything to do with what they were talking about. But given the weird demeanor he’d noticed since their eyes had first met, her blurting out her unexpected change of heart about her not having an escort for her quinceañera, and now this, his entire body tensed as he braced himself.
“Yeah? Which two?”
Again, with the slow response and avoiding eye contact, she said, “Their dad and the youngest of the brothers, Luis. He mentioned attending the same preparatoria as you.” Finally, she glanced up at him, her eyes still nowhere as bright as they usually were when she spoke to him. “They bought some of our aguas frescas and churros and introduced themselves. They were very nice.”
“Were they now?”
Alej didn’t push the tire again but made sure to keep the eye contact as he waited for a response. Isa glanced around as if not wanting others to hear.
“I knew the whole pueblo had gone gaga over the Negretes.” She went on quickly as Alej felt his insides warm. “Well, not me, but you know what I mean. I didn’t think my mom and abuela had too. But you should’ve seen them.” She rolled her eyes. “My mom was all giggly the whole time she spoke with Señor Negrete, and my abuela was quick to take over the stand so that my mom would be free to chat. Then she did it to me.”
She paused for a moment as two girls passed by close by on their way to grab the tires a few trees down.
“What do you mean she did it to you?” Alej was beginning to understand Isa’s strange demeanor, but he wanted this clarified.
“Well, I don’t know if that’s what she was doing for sure.”
She explained about her abuela’s behavior and stepping up to take care of their stand almost as if to give Isa and her mom time to chat with the Negretes. That alone was maddening enough, given