“Well, that’s good because it’s not going anywhere.” She sighs, and I can see she’s ready for the entrée, so I reach into the basket and pull out a half-dozen tacos and some chicken fajitas.

“This is a lot of food.”

“I didn’t know which you’d like better, so I just got a little of each.”

“That’s a lot of each, but I’m not complaining.” She reaches for a taco and takes a bite. “Jesus, I just found my new favorite restaurant.”

“I’ll take you in there sometime. Javier is a master in the kitchen.”

“Obviously.” She takes another bite. “So, what were you like as a kid?”

“In what sense?”

“Were you shy? Nerdy? A jock?”

I laugh and pile some chicken onto a tortilla. “I guess I was a nerdy jock. I liked sports a lot. Mostly baseball and basketball, although I also played football in high school.”

“Definitely a jock.”

“But I also like to read, and I did well in school.”

“A well-rounded kid, then.”

“I guess so. What about you?”

“I definitely wasn’t shy. I was the social butterfly. I had lots of friends, but no super-close friends. Does that make sense?”

“Yes.”

“And I was totally a cheerleader. I know most people make fun of girls who cheer, but I have to tell you, it was hard work.”

“I don’t make fun of it,” I reply.

“And then I went to college and wanted to be a meteorologist on television.”

I take a sip of my margarita. “I remember you saying that before. So, you wanted to be a weather girl?”

“More than anything. Still do, actually. I love the weather. I study it still and keep track of what’s going on and where. It’s actually quite interesting.”

“So, why don’t you do that, then?”

“Because my parents wanted me to work for the family business. Because of that, I had to minor in business in college. As soon as I finished, I started working at my dad’s office. It was soul-sucking.”

“And why did your parents have so much say over what you did with your life?”

Her mouth opens and closes twice, and then she gazes out at the ocean for a moment. “Because they held the purse strings. And let me tell you, that’s not easy to admit. Some of it was also guilt. I felt like I should be a good daughter and help them.”

“And now?”

“Now I see that it was a way for them to control me. I was there because I was dependent on them for my income and wanted their approval. They even chose Troy for me because his father and mine are friends. And he’s wealthy. The relationship looked really good on paper. I’m not often asked for my opinion or for what I want.”

“And what do you want?”