Chapter 54: What´s so funny

“So. You gonna ask her?”

I groan and run my hand down my face. “Yeah, I guess. It’s probably my best bet.”

“For sure.” He glances at a new message on his beeping phone and sighs. “Amy needs me to pick up tomatoes for the salad.”

“Want me to get them? I know how much you hate going to the store,” I tease him.

“Ugh, please. That place gives me the creeps. There are so many types of tomatoes and fruits and veggies. I feel like no matter what I get she’ll say it’s the wrong thing!”

“Whatever, Bo,” I chuckle. “I’ll grab the tomatoes. Meet you at the house?” “Yeah, sure. Thanks Faust,” he says, grumbling on about tomatoes and lettuce.

I hop in the Escalade and leave the work site, quickly merging onto the byway and heading to one of the smaller grocers on the way to the Burke house.

The stop only takes a few minutes, and before long, I’m on my way to Bo’s with three pounds of Roma Tomatoes, which I’ve noticed are Amy’s favorite for using in salads.

When I pull into the driveway of the Burke house, I see that the front door is cracked open. After getting out of my car and locking it, I slowly approach the doorway, breathing a sigh of relief

when I hear Bo and Amy bickering.

“The point is that I asked YOU to get the tomatoes, Bo! Why do you always foist your duties off on someone else?”

“Ames, c’mon. You know I get crazy anxiety looking at all those tomato varieties. Ask me to get anything else, but not tomatoes,” Bo says.

I push the door open and watch the siblings arguing, a bemused grin forming on my face. “It’s tomatoes, Bo! For moon’s sake, why can’t you just get them? If you’re confused about

which ones, text me. It’s not that hard!”

“Aw, c’mon, Sis, don’t be like that. Faust will be here any moment with your tomatoes.”

“And I’m grateful to him for getting them, but he shouldn’t have to when I asked you to! You’re always putting your duties onto someone else! First the company, then the council, now the stupid tomatoes! When are you going to grow up?” Amy’s face is red and pinched with anger when I spot her through the kitchen entry. “You know what, never mind. It doesn’t matter. I’ll do it my damn self next time, since clearly nobody can rely on you!” she adds, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation.

For a moment, I debate leaving and coming back in a few minutes but quickly shake the thought out of my head and clear my throat.

“So … uh … I heard that you ordered some tomatoes?” I ask Amy and glance between her and Bo’s tense form.

She takes the bag from my hands with a tense smile. “Thanks, Faustino.” She glances in the bag and grins, her face transforming from anger to surprised delight. “You got Romas,” she says in disbelief, looking up at me.

“Yeah, you always use the Roma/Plum variety on salads, I’ve noticed,” I tell her with a smile. “Thanks, Faustino. You’re awesome.”

Her words make my heart race, but I realize she doesn’t mean them in the way I wish she did.

Bo clears his throat lightly and grins at me, giving me two thumbs up in encouragement as he leans against the kitchen entry. When I don’t move, Bo makes a shooing motion. I roll my eyes at him and take a deep breath before entering the kitchen and clearing my throat.

“Oh, hey Faust,” Amy says, glancing at me over her shoulder while she washes the tomatoes. “Is there … uh … anything I can help you with?” I ask her, uncertain of why I’m so nervous.

This is Amy, Bo’s little sister. Yes, she’s gorgeous and sweet, but it’s still just Amy. There’s no need

to be this nervous.

“Oh, yeah. If you don’t mind getting down the plates and salad bowls, that’d be a huge help.

The chicken’s about done.”

“Sure,” I say, reaching up into the higher shelves to grab the dishes, chuckling at the memory of Amy hopping up on the counter to get to the dishes that her much taller father and brother put out of her reach. Once I’ve set the dishes on the island counter, I turn and watch Amy for a moment as she dices and chops the ingredients for the salad. “Hey, Amy?”

“Hm?”

“Can I ask you a question?” “You just did,” she says.

I chuckle. “Fine, can I ask you a few questions?”

“Sure,” she replies, sliding the carrots and tomatoes into the large salad bowl before wiping off her hands and turning to face me. “What’s up?”

I swallow hard. “Well … uhm, I was actually wondering … if … do you have a boyfriend or anything?” I mentally kick myself for how stupid I sound. Why can’t I just behave normally?

Amy’s eyes widen in surprise, and she clears her throat. “Uh … no, I don’t. Why do you ask?” she asks, glancing nervously toward Bo who’s shaking with silent fits of laughter. Amy narrows her eyes at him before looking back at me expectantly.

“Okay. I mean … what I’m trying to say is,” her eyes narrow further as I struggle to find the right words. “I just … I was wondering if you would be willing to go to the Burke and Co barbeque?”

“Well, yeah. I’m going. It’s my family’s company after all.”

I groan and glance up at the ceiling, struggling to find the words that I need when Bo’s laugh breaks my train of thought.

Amy glares at him. “What’s so funny?”