Chapter Fifteen

"El almuerzo ha llegado!" called Rogelio, popping his head around the edge of the door to the control room.

"Just what I wanted!" said Susan. "What is it today?"

"Beef taquitos." He brought the bag over and she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"It smells wonderful. Can you stay?"

"Lo siento, no puedo. I must get back to work. Las touristas don't know which way the ocean is if I'm not there to point to it!"

"Well, muchas gracias, Rogelio. I'll see you tonight." She squeezed his hand, and he raised hers to his mouth and kissed it. She smiled and waved as he went out the way he came.

"That's, what, the fourth Wednesday in a row he's brought you lunch?" Sandrine said. "Something is going on."

"Rogelio is just a friend," Susan said in between bites.

"Mmm-hmm. Mere friends do not demonstrate such devotion, nor get kisses for their reward."

Susan rolled her eyes. "He's trying to win my heart. The silly boy thinks he loves me." She licked the salsa off her fingers and picked up another taquito.

"If you hadn't noticed, that 'silly boy' is a man, chica," Sandrine corrected. "And what makes you think he loves you?"

"He's asked me to marry him."

"And you said no."

"Of course I said no."

"That was the wise thing to do," Sandrine said.

"What?" Susan was incredulous.

"Are you going to eat all these taquitos?" She picked up one of the rolled tortillas and bit off the end. "Mm. Excelente."

"Don't evade my question. Why do you think I shouldn't marry Rogelio?"

"Did I say such a thing? No. I merely said you made the wise decision."

"Okay, why was saying 'no' the wise decision?"

"Because I'm sure you gave it much thought, and made the right choice."

Susan sat back, unsure what to say. "I thought you were going to tell me he was below my social station or something."

"I don't know the man," she said. "I've only met him a few times, and you've told me next to nothing about him. Do you think he's below your social station?"

Susan stabbed the end of her taquito into the cup of salsa while she thought. "He lives in a shack," she said, "but then again, so did I. He does have a high school education, and has applied for several educated jobs around the city. So he's ambitious."

"And he's an excellent cook," Sandrine said, taking another bite of her taquito.

"So what do you think I should do?"

Sandrine held up her hands. "I am out of the giving-Susan-advice business."

"But... you have to help me. I feel like I'm leading Rogelio on."

"Do you believe that he truly loves you?"

Susan thought in silence for a while. "Yes, I believe he does," she finally answered.

"But you can't love him back."

"I care for him," she protested. "I... want to love him."

"But you can only love one man at a time."

Susan nodded and looked at her left hand, where Rich's wedding band still shone.

"Do you believe in fate?" she whispered.

"Do you mean, do I believe that our lives are predetermined? No. It says in the Bible that God gave us free will. But if you mean, do I believe some things happen for a reason, then I do."

Susan was silent for a while, staring at the ring.

Sandrine placed her hand over the ring and gave Susan's hand a squeeze. "That doesn't mean everything has a reason," she reassured. "The God I believe in is not that cruel. But I believe that when we feel the most lost, that is when we need to let Him guide our steps to where we need to be."

"Do you think... God led me to Rogelio?"

Sandrine spread her hands. "Yo no se. But I do know how your face lights up when he comes in the room or whenever you mention him. He seems like the only light in your life right now."

Susan gathered up the remaining taquitos and put on her hardhat. "If you don't mind, I've got some thinking to do," she said. "I think I'll go for a little stroll."