Chapter 3

That evening, Kayla snuggled into the worn brown couch in the middle of her mom's living room, wearing the "They Should've Let the Goat In" Cubs shirt Robbie had given years before, with her legs tucked underneath her, and a dessert dish with a hefty serving of flan nestled in her arms. It would be her last piece she promised with an indulgent sigh. Her mom was such a good baker. Feeling a need for mindless entertainment, she hit play on a Mexican novela her mother had recorded and quickly became engrossed in the worn storyline she usually mocked.

Maria, the main character, had been shoved off a cliff by Yesenia, the evil ex-lover of Mariana's one true love, Gustavo. And though Mariana had broken every single bone in her body, and her face had been crushed beyond recognition, she'd gone through numerous plastic surgeries over the last six months and now looked beautiful again. In fact, she looked exactly the same as she had before. But when she came back to wreak havoc on the lives of everyone who'd wronged her, nobody seemed to recognize her. Not even her one true love.

Kayla sighed as a delicious piece of flan slid down her throat. "Maldita!" Mariana cried at Yesenia.

"Maldita!" Kayla repeated loudly, picturing Julia Hamilton.

"Kayla, don't curse in front of la Virgencita!" her mother's voice scolded from the doorway. She turned to see her mother, Graciela, standing at the front door and pointing to the Virgin Mary statue placed prominently in the center of the mantle underneath the TV. Her sister, her niece, and Robbie all marched past Graciela through the open door.

"Perdón." Kayla covered her mouth, feeling like a ten-year-old again. It was one of the few negatives of living with her mom. Tania walked up to her and snatched the flan from her hands before heading toward the kitchen in the back of the house.

"Maldita!" Kayla imitated Mariana's dramatic, piercing cry as she scrambled up off the couch and followed her.

"No, no more sweets! Our hips weren't made to take this type of abuse." Tania held the plate just out of reach, her sleek, fitted black suit and stern expression in strange contrast with the cute red checked curtains and cheery yellow walls behind her.

Robbie came up behind her and pretended to slap her butt, throwing her niece, Mia, into a fit of giggles. "I think you ate the whole pie," he said.

Kayla glared at them. "I'm going through a tough time, okay? No more full-time job. No more boyfriend. Try to understand instead of body-shaming me in front of an impressionable twelve-year-old." It was hard to hide her grin when she saw her words had the desired effect. Ha! Who was ashamed now? Tania reluctantly slid the plate her way, and Kayla swallowed her last bite lovingly. The last spoonful was always the most satisfying. "Why are you all here?" she asked.

Her mother pulled a bottle of sparkling cider from a paper bag, "We came home to celebrate this position Jake Kelly offered you. Jess called Robbie and Robbie called us."

"Jess's so excited, she already sent out a press release. She even mentions I'm your sister!" Tania, a meteorologist with the Chicago Weather Bureau and the weather woman for a local channel, had a healthy following of smitten fans.

"Mr. Kelly sounds like a very generous young man," her mother said as she tore the foil off the bottle's throat. The pay was generous, but it wouldn't be for many hours. Did her family understand that she would still be dead-broke? Probably. But it was in their nature to celebrate even the smallest piece of good news.

"Yeah, great pay. Ask him if he needs a meteorologist to predict the weather for him," Tania joked, as she served herself the biggest piece flan. Kayla took one look at the way her sister's perfectly tailored suit hugged her perfectly toned body and shot her a disgusted look.

"Or a dance instructor to teach him to really connect with people." Robbie smiled. That's when Kayla remembered Robbie's role the night of the dance festival.

"Robbie, did you know Jake Kelly was the guy you forced me to dance with that night a couple of months ago, at Chicago SummerDance?" she asked, walking up to him and watching his face.

"Yes." Robbie watched her just as closely.

"Why didn't you tell me last night, when I told you about this interview with him today?"

"I thought you knew." Robbie's eyes glittered, and Kayla knew he was lying.

"Well, I didn't."

"And what's the problem?" Robbie asked with a grin.

"Yeah, what's the problem?" Tania asked with a frown.

Kayla shrugged and looked away. "No problem. But he didn't recognize me, and my pride has taken enough of a beating lately."

At that, Robbie laughed. "I saw the way he was looking at you that night, and I doubt he didn't recognize you."

"How was he looking at her?" her mom asked with sparkling eyes.

"Yeah, how was he looking at her?" Tania repeated with narrowed eyes.

"I can't describe it in front of minors." Robbie winked.

"So not fair... I want to know how he was looking at her, too." Mia took the dessert dish from Tania and had a spoonful of flan.

"I swear he didn't recognize me. He drew a complete blank." Kayla gestured over her face with her hand.

"So what? I don't remember anyone I danced with that night. He must've made quite an impression on you if you remembered him." Tania raised both eyebrows.

"Well, I'm not sure I'll vote for him if he forgot my daughter." Their mother crossed her arms, and Kayla laughed.

"Let's just toast to Kayla's success and order some pizza already. I'm starving." Tania changed the subject.

"Pizza?" Kayla perked up. "From where?"

"From anywhere you want. It's your celebration." Tania came around and kissed her cheek.

"Lou Malantis'?" She salivated.

"Okay, anywhere you want, within a five-mile radius," Tania clarified.

"Giordano's," she decided, and a chorus of mmmms followed.

"Giordano's it is."

An hour later, they all sat around the living room, watching the end of the novela, each with a spoon in their hand, passing around another pan of flan.

"Can Mia and I stay over tonight?" Tania asked. "I'm too stuffed to move, let alone drive. And we want to spend time with Kayla."

"Of course," their mother agreed, and Kayla squeezed her sister's hand.

"By the way, how's Carrie?" she asked Robbie, thinking about his younger sister. Robbie and Carrie shared their late mother's house, which was right behind theirs.

"I barely see her anymore, and she gets mad if I ask her where she's been. She comes home really late and sometimes not at all." Robbie stifled a sigh, his concern palpable.

"Hm. Come to think of it, I haven't seen her much, either. Is she still in school?" Graciela asked.

"Yes, that much I know. She switched her major to marketing, and she seemed pretty excited about that."

The credits for the novela rolled, and Mia clicked back to local television. She Said, She Said was wrapping up, and with not much else to do, they all watched Gretel, Tess, and Samantha, a fun, a mismatched trio who hosted the popular local talk show. Today they were talking about politicians' personal lives, and a picture of Jake Kelly came on. Kayla squirmed in her seat. He really was handsome. In a cold, calculated kind of way.

"Madre mia, no wonder you remembered him," Graciela remarked.

"Why do you suppose mayoral candidate Jake Kelly has refused to come on our talk show, even though we've repeatedly invited him?" Gretel, the most serious, asked. With her sleek, slate grey pin-striped suit, she looked more like a high-powered attorney than a TV host of a popular show.

"I think he's afraid of us, and we just want to get to know him a little better." Samantha shrugged innocently. She was dressed in a pink sundress and sitting perfectly straight.

"Oh, I think he's terrified," Tess, the oldest and the most outrageous, agreed. With her feet curled under her long skirt, her wild, long silver hair falling over her shoulders, she was the youngest in spirit. "And since it appears he's decided to stay the heck away from us, I guess we'll just have to piece his personality together with what little details we have." She fake-sighed.

"We received a press release about him today." Gretel held up a piece of paper, "A paragraph about him hiring a musician to help him with one of his crusades. And while we admire his zeal for the city's public school system..."

"That's me!" Kayla enthused, surprised and delighted.

"We didn't really finish reading it," Gretel continued. "Just more black and white mumbo jumbo when what we want is to hear him describe his love for our city right here, in his own words." She crumpled up the press release, and Graciela gasped, indignant.

"But, we were then emailed photos of him and this musician, and boy did that catch our attention." Tess pretended to fan herself, and every muscle in Kayla's body tensed, wondering what in the hell they were talking about.

Then, full-screen pictures of her and Jake Kelly at Chicago SummerDance began to play. "Holy Mary Mother of—" Tania began.

"Tania, don't—" Graciela's stern voice began to interrupt, but less than a second later she was transfixed by the images on the TV. There Kayla and Jake were, looking deep into each other's eyes while holding each other close. The air stuck painfully to Kayla's lungs, and she struggled to breathe as she watched. In one particular picture, it looked as if he were getting ready to kiss her, and like she was just begging to be kissed. She shot up off the couch, feeling hot and uncomfortable.

"So that's how he was looking at you. It's got to be at least PG-13." Mia breathed out, her spoon halfway to her mouth.

Dizzy from not breathing, Kayla managed to tear her eyes away from the TV to look at Robbie. "Was it you?" she sputtered.

"No!" Robbie's hands shot up, eyes wide.

"Jake Kelly, we didn't know you had it in you to run hot! Care to come on the show and tell us a little more about these photos? Chicago just wants to get to know you," Samantha said with a smile.

"Well, viewers, you know we always end the show with a bang but be sure to stay tuned to your local news next. We hear Megan Cull has some interesting footage she recorded during a press conference today at Jake Kelly's campaign headquarters. You'll never believe who stole the show." Tess singsonged the last sentence.

Horror-stricken, Kayla couldn't do anything but stare at the TV. She knew who'd stolen the show. Her phone buzzed, and her gaze slid down. It was a message from Jess: Is there something you forgot to tell me???!!!

* * *

It was almost six p.m. and Jake and Marcus were still working. When Filip invited them across the street to have tacos and nachos with some of the local kids, they quickly agreed, knowing Filip wouldn't go home until he was sure they'd eaten. Alana, Filip's wife of forty-five years, had passed away last year, and he was never in a hurry to go home anymore.

"I want you to know that Kayla is an amazing young woman. You'll enjoy working with her," Filip remarked as they crossed the street.

Kayla. Kayla Diaz. Or Miss Diaz as Jake planned on calling her. He needed to put that distance between them. Something about her disrupted his sense of control. And he knew that men who let women have any kind of power over them ended up failing in their commitments. His own father had taught him that lesson well, by abandoning his family and devastating his wife one too many times over nothing more than lust.

"I'll only need three meetings, about two hours each, to pick her brain and discuss ideas. I don't need to enjoy working with her," Jake replied.

"Still. I know you like to surround yourself with loyal, honest people, and that's my Kayla."

My Kayla? Did Filip adopt everyone?

They reached the entrance, and the spicy scent of South Side Taqueria wafted out to beckon them in. "Did you tell them to put the order on my tab?" Jake asked, suddenly remembering Filip liked to treat the kids with his own money.

"My fireman's pension is more than enough to treat these kids to a fun meal now and then. It makes me feel useful."

Jake quickly backed off. He didn't want his friend spending his own money, but he understood. Filip often told him about his family's roots in Chicago. From the very beginning, Nowaks had a proud history of doing honest work and being helpful to their community. They'd worked in everything from the Michigan Canal, the railroad, the steel mills, and the lumber wharves, to the public school system, and the police and fire departments. Jake knew Filip wouldn't be happy if he didn't feel he was personally contributing.

They sat down at the rec room table Marcus had claimed, and Jake welcomed the noisy atmosphere. A couple of kids were playing air hockey, and a few teen girls were sitting around watching the annoying hosts of She Said, She Said. Others were hanging out, their homework already completed with the help of volunteer tutors.

"So, tell me, when are you both finally going to find wonderful women to marry and make happy homes and happy babies?" Filip asked, before biting into a soft chicken taco.

"Never," Jake answered.

"In five years, when I've helped enough politicians win high profile races, and a news network hires me as a senior political analyst. I'll be teaching political science at a local college, and married to a seriously smart, seriously gorgeous woman, and have a house full of beautiful babies. I'll invite you two over, and we can sit by my pool and barbecue," Marcus answered, quite seriously. Jake and Marcus had met as freshmen in college, and Marcus had immediately outlined his twenty-year plan.

"So Jake, am I to die and not bounce your children on my knee?" Filip asked.

"Yes, you and my mother both. You can shake your heads at me from the great beyond and have long, detailed discussions about what's wrong with me," Jake said with an affectionate smile.

For a moment, Filip just concentrated on his taco. When he finished it off, he wiped his hands on a napkin, leaned back as if lost in thought and said, "My father used to smoke these rich, sweet-smelling Arturo Fuente cigars he'd buy at Old Town every once in a while, when he felt the need to indulge in something special. After he died there were several times when I wasn't sure what my next step in life would be, and I wished badly he could be there, to help guide me. And I tell you that the scent of those particular cigars would reach me in those times and suddenly I would know what I needed to do. How am I going to reach you, Jake, when I'm no longer here? The good Lord knows you need more help than I ever did."

Jake put his taco down and swallowed uncomfortably. To hear Filip discuss his death so casually made him lose his appetite. "I don't know, Filip," Jake he said, wanting to rid himself of the awful feeling. "I'm not sure what scent reminds me of you." He pretended to take a whiff and said, "Bengay, maybe? With... a hint of Vicks VapoRub? It's not exactly the sweet smell of cigars, Filip, but I guess it'll have to do."

Marcus laughed, too and Filip chuckled, shaking his head at the lost cause that was Jake.

The older man had been in Jake's life since he was a young boy. He'd been seriously injured in the line of duty during a warehouse fire, but he'd been unwilling to stop working altogether. Jake's father had hired him as the superintendent of one of his buildings; the one Jake and his mother lived in on Chicago's Gold Coast. Jake had been only ten, but they had become fast friends, with Jake following Filip everywhere. Fixing leaky pipes and broken locks, painting, finding short circuits, and everything else Filip had been hired to do had been far more interesting to Jake than any video game.

And seeing the pride, Filip took in every job and listening to his ideas of what a good citizen should be made him think hard about his own decisions and his future.

Laughter from one end of the room brought Jake back to the present and to his taco. He tried to take a bite.

"Dang Jake, that's hot!" a voice rang out.

"Caliente!" Another yelled. A few whistled.

Jake looked up to see what they were talking about. His mouth went instantly dry, and he again found he was unable to swallow.

There, on the large screen, was a picture of him and Kayla. He was leaning toward her and looking into her eyes. The taco crumbled in his hand as four admittedly captivating pictures of two people completely into each other flashed on the screen.

The images on the screen now gone, Jake couldn't hear what the women of She Said, She Said was saying because the entire rec room had erupted into catcalls and whistles.

"Is there, uh, something you forgot to tell me?" Marcus asked. Filip laughed.

* * *

Later that night, after Graciela and Mia had gone to bed, Tania and Kayla Googled Jake Kelly. Kayla had been away almost three years, and she didn't know anything about the Chicago political scene and its players.

The shock of having been on She Said, She Said and on a small segment of the evening news had not worn off, but she did feel a little better about it because Jess had been right; the fact that Jake had hired her, and that she had accepted, despite a very vocal disagreement during his press conference had gone over well. Both newscasters had commended both him and her over it. And Tania had assured her that although the public would be curious about the pictures and over what her "real" relationship with Jake was for a few days, the attention would soon wear off. Nothing lasted long in today's news cycle, and that, Kayla knew, was true. Despite still feeling uneasy, her only choice was to deal with whatever came her way.

"Wow, look at his mother." Tania broke into her thoughts. Kayla's eyes widened. It was obvious Patricia Kelly had gone through numerous plastic surgeries. The skin around her eyes, mouth, and forehead was too tight, and the lift of her eyelids and eyebrows gave her a look of being perpetually surprised.

The picture was part of an article about how Jake's late father had left them numerous times, always coming back, until five years before he died. He left permanently that time, filing for divorce and then quickly marrying a much younger woman. It was then that Patty, as the first Mrs. Kelly was known to her friends, began going through her surgeries.

How sad, Kayla thought, remembering how her own father's eyes had shone every evening when he came home to his wife and family.

The article said Jake was very close to his mother and very protective of her. Interestingly, Edward Kelly had changed his will a few months before his death and left very little to his new wife, who in turn married her chauffeur and moved to London a few weeks after the funeral.

It was like one of the novelas her mother so enjoyed, but in a reality where people, like Jake and his mom, got hurt.

"You know, I remember how disliked his father was," Tania said thoughtfully, tapping the picture of Edward Kelly on the screen. "He went into poorer neighborhoods that held potential because of their proximity to the loop, bought up property, forced tenants out by underhanded means, and then tore buildings down to build luxury condos instead." That was so awful. Kayla thought about how Jake had instead focused his efforts on mixed-income developments that helped neighborhoods. It was so needed! But his opponents minimized his successes by pointing out he’d used his “daddy’s money”, and they now accused him of using it all as a jumping board for politics. Hopefully, she’d figure him out.

"Will you be volunteering with school music departments again?” her sister asked.

Kayla nodded. "Yes. I have to find the time."

She listened to Tania, read the stories, and looked at the pictures, completely engrossed in the story of a life so different from her own, unable to understand why her memory of the night they danced was colored in such a rosy glow. She wondered how Jake Kelly had reacted to tonight's evening news. He had no choice but to remember her now, but it didn't matter. Clearly, she hadn't made the impact on him that he'd made on her. Bad for her pride, but good for their working relationship.