Nothing left to lose

“now.. if only i could actually do all the things she tried to teach me,” reyna replied with a soft chuckle. “don’t get me wrong, i can cook. but i’m nowhere near her level. i’m not sure i ever will be.” despite the hours upon hours that she’d spent lurking in the kitchen with her grandma, there was still so much that she needed to learn. following a recipe could only get her so far, she still needed to pick up on all the subtle nuances of cooking that her grandma had developed over a lifetime. “my sisters are actually pretty terrible in the kitchen, so someone had to pick up the slack.” 

“That’s only half the battle,” Nat agreed around a laugh. “You can only do the best you can, and I’m sure your grandmother is glad that you picked up the slack in the first place. You could’ve said ‘screw it’ and pretended not to be able to cook. If it were my family in that position, my brother would have done that. I don’t think he has the same strong constitution that you do.” Nat wasn’t sure what she would have done. Ideally, she would be interested in spending hours in the kitchen, especially with a woman like Reina. But her own grandmother had been particularly irritable and slow, making it so that any time spent with her was fairly unpleasant. So, it was a toss-up.

“i doubt she would ever do something like that. you’re not the one back there cooking the meals,” reyna replied, shaking her head slightly. “and besides, it’s not mexican cuisine. she wouldn’t claim to be an expert on someone else’s food.” of course, everyone had their preferences and she was sure that her grandma had opinions on how to improve certain dishes, but a restaurant’s menu was sacred and her abuela didn’t like to offend people. “oh, yeah. she’s been cooking since she was a little girl,” she nodded. “she tried to teach all of us when we were growing up.”

“Valid points,” Natalie hummed with a light laugh. She’d always appreciated Reina’s thoughtfulness when it came to food. “That sounds nice, I can only imagine the kinds of things she taught you.” Recipes too, but there was nothing like a seasoned chef’s tricks, whether it be a shortcut to peeling potatoes or a family technique for making bread. Her own grandmother had taught her a few things, though they’d lived rather far apart so visits were infrequent.

A faint smile formed on her lips and she nodded knowingly. “That’s not surprising,” She replied with a laugh of her own. “She’s always giving some sort of constructive criticism when it comes to food.” Although Reyna considered herself a formidable chef, she knew that her skills were practically non-existent compared to her grandmother. After all, most of the recipes that her chef’s used came directly from her abuela and her father wouldn’t have known the first thing about food if it weren’t for her. “It’ll probably be sometime soon,” She added. “I’m sure she wants me to try all her favorite dishes.”

“I’m just waiting for the day she comes at me with a list of changes and tears me a new one,” Nat admitted. As far as opinions go, Natalia wasn’t particularly concerned with what other’s thought of her. Of course she wanted her employer to appreciate her work and her staff to respect her as a leader, but otherwise, she figured that people would either like her or dislike her but however they felt was up to them. That wasn’t the case with Reina. When it came to the older woman, she wanted nothing more than her approval, so she always made sure that her chefs treated Reina’s meals with a bit more care than the rest. “I’ll be sure to prepare the chefs for your visit. Has your grandmother always loved food?”

“They will,” Reyna replied with a confident nod. Most of the staff that she had hired on as managers were veterans who had been there to help run each restaurant during the immediate aftermath of her father’s death, so she trusted that they would be able to run things properly. They helped hold things together when she was too young to really know all the intricacies of running a restaurant, let alone three. “Your restaurant is in town, right?” She asked as she sat up a bit. “I’ll have to go with my grandma sometime soon. I know she likes it.”

“It is, near the city center,” Nat confirmed, brushing a fallen strand of hair behind her ear. “She gave the most enthusiastic review of a dessert that I’ve ever heard.” She laughed. Nat had been surprised the first time she saw Reina step into the dining room. She’d been coming to the older woman’s house for a few weeks and had mentioned the pride she took in her work, but she hadn’t expected the woman to make the trip to the center of the city based off of that. She’d given her their best table, in the middle of the wall of windows, and treated her to lunch. She would check in every twenty minutes or so, being met by a grin and some compliment about either the service or the dishes. “You’ll have to let me know before you come so that I can save you her table.”

Reyna nodded along knowingly. “Cooking on the line is a lot of work,” She agreed after finishing off her chip. For the most part, she stuck to her managerial duties because she didn’t want to interrupt the flow of the kitchen but there were times when she slapped on an apron to help during kitchen prep. “All summer, if things go according to plan.” She responded with a shrug. “I’ve been working nonstop for the last several years, they’ll be able to managed a couple weeks without me.” It was difficult spending time away since she was so used to being hands-on but it wasn’t like she could be in three places at once, so she already knew all of her restaurants functioned properly in her absence. “I can send my sisters to check on everything every once in a while, but.. I’ve got a solid team of managers, so I’m not worried.”

Natalia hummed her understanding. In order to maintain three restaurants, she had to have faith in her team. A whole summer off both sounded amazing and terrible to her. Amazing in terms of how much she could accomplish with that time, all the things she could do, but terrible because she knew the stress would eat at her. She was a workaholic through and through, so going so long without a task to keep her hands busy was daunting. “I’m sure things will run smoothly until you’re back at the reins,” she commented, taking another chip.

reyna followed the other woman back to the living room to retake her previous spot on the couch. “i am,” she replied, grabbing a few more chips for herself. “my dad started a family restaurant when he was in his twenties and eventually he opened two more locations, so i manage all three now.” the whole family took part in running the restaurant when she was younger─especially her abuela, who helped pass down all the recipes to the kitchen staff.  “are you a chef?” she asked, finally dipping a chip in the salsa verde before taking a bite. although she’d spent a significant amount of time questioning her grandmother about who natalia was and how they’d met, she still wanted to hear the other woman’s side of things. 

“That’s impressive, managing one is hard enough.” Their commonality soothed her nerves a bit more. Nat shook her head at the question, “Not professionally, I’m also a manager — I think I stepped on the line once and decided never again,” she admitted. “Even at its calmest, Nova‘s kitchen is too chaotic for me.” Since opening seven years ago, the restaurant had built its reputation on crafting an exciting dining experience, featuring a whimsical blue-flaming ice cream dish that Natalia took immense pride in. But, seeing as she rose from hostess to manager within a year despite the old manager’s insistence that she wouldn’t get anywhere in the business, she felt justified. “How long are you in town for? Knowing how things are, I can only imagine they’re missing their star manager.”

“good to know,” reyna chuckled softly, stepping to the side to make room for natalia to enter the home. “she’s here, but she insisted on making dinner because apparently we spend too much time in the kitchen.” the brunette playfully rolled her her eyes, closing the door once natalia was safely inside. she’d learned over the past several days that the two of them had quite a bit in common; namely, that they were both in the restaurant business. “the food should be ready soon but we have some chips and salsa if you want something to munch on,” she added as she motioned towards the homemade chips that she’d previously been eating on the couch.

“I see,” Natalia hummed with a quirked a brow, stepping into the house. It smelled incredible, to the point where she almost doubted whether Reina actually enjoyed her cooking. If it tasted even half as good as it smelled, she would need to up her game in order to impress. Maybe next week she would make the risotto they served in the restaurant — it was a favorite with the critics. And, while she didn’t like to bring restaurant recipes home, she was willing to make an exception. “Sounds like I arrived just in time.” She walked over to the chips and took one before sitting on a nearby chair. “So, you’re in the culinary field?”

reyna was NOT excited to meet with natalia again but, after several days of her grandmother practically begging her to give the woman a second chance, she relented. she didn’t have a problem with her grandma making friends, but she did have a problem with anyone who didn’t give her the proper respect she deserved. fortunately, her abuelita had assured her that natalia was harmless and that she would amends if given the chance. she could only hope that things would go smoothly this time around.

at the sound of the knocking, her grandmother called out to her to fetch the door and she begrudgingly climbed up from her favorite spot on the couch to invite natalia in. “i see you leaned how to knock this time,” she teased, a somewhat playful smile tugging at the corners of her lips. it was probably too soon to poke fun at their last encounter, but she was in a much better mood. and, admittedly, she was a lot more comfortable with natalia’s presence after hearing all the good things she’d done for her abuelita. 

When the door opened to reveal Reyna, Natalia had to fight the urge to sigh. She didn’t have the spirit to argue with the woman again, even though she wasn’t needed at work until much later. A repeat of last time was not what she wanted from today, not when her day had been going so well already. But, there was something different about the woman that gave her pause. Was she smiling at her? “I knock when I know someone’s home,” she retorted, though a light smirk accompanied her remark to show there was no malice behind it.

Nat found it odd how differently the interaction was going, hell even the tone was different — but she wasn’t about to complain. Jokingly, she asked, “Is your grandmother home or is it just going to be us again? I didn’t go grocery shopping this time.” Her skepticism had begun to slip away and, with it, her hesitance.

“And I don’t have time to wait around for you to learn some manners. So, I suppose that makes the two of us,” Reyna responded, instantly scooping up the spare key to slide it into her pocket. “For future reference, you don’t let yourself into someone’s home and then start cooking without a proper introduction.” A part of her knew it was petty to get caught up on pleasantries, but a person’s home was supposed to feel like their safe space and she wasn’t going to pretend she felt comfortable with a random person in her kitchen. Deep down she knew that Natalia was harmless and, pending a much needed conversation with her grandma, she might even go as far as to say that she was thankful to the other woman for thinking of her abuela. But the two of them clearly had strong personalities, and she was used to calling all the shots. “Don’t worry. I will,” She hummed, folding her arms across her chest once more as she watched Natalia make her way towards the front door. “You’ll be lucky if I tell her to call you at all.” 

“On the other hand, I did answer your question, so maybe you should change the way you answer the door,” Nat didn’t hesitate to retort as she reached the door. She could understand protectiveness, but this had exceeded her limits. At least now she could get a head start on the papers that we’re sure to have found their way onto her desk. She gave a humorless laugh at Reyna’s comment, “Wonderful, that will only negatively impact her.” And, with that, she was out the door and in her car in less than a minute. Hopefully, this setback wouldn’t impact Reina too negatively, though she doubted that Reyna’s pride would allow her to finish the dish in her stead. Nat briefly considered sending the recipe to Reina and then quickly rethought it — no, if Reyna wanted to question her character and kick her out, that was fine. She wasn’t the one who had to deal with a disappointed and deceptively feisty elderly woman. 

“There’s a pretty big difference between the people who ‘come and go’ at my house and a random woman spending time around an older lady,” Reyna scoffed, stepping over into the kitchen to reach out and turn the burner off on the stove. “I don’t know if you’ve seen the news lately, but elderly abuse is common. So, yeah. It’s a little strange that my abuelita failed to mention some random woman coming to her house every week. Especially since I talk to her damn near every day.” If Natalia’s story checked out, then her grandma would probably chastise her for being so rude but she couldn’t care less. It was her job to take care of her family and it hurt to know that she’d been left in the dark about something that was clearly a vital part of her grandma’s weekly routine. In her rational mind, she knew it was probably because her abuela didn’t want to seem like a burden or ask for help but it made her heart ache nonetheless. If her grandma needed company or help around the house, then she should have been the person providing it. “I’m not going to watch anything, because you’re not going to be cooking anything in my house. And, yes, it is my house. I pay the bills around here,” She said as she motioned towards the light fixture to emphasize her point. “Quite frankly, I don’t like your attitude. And honestly? I think it’s a little weird that you spend so much time around my grandma and don’t even know who I am. So, I think it might be best if you just leave and come back some other time when my abuelita is actually here.”

Watching the burner be turned off, Natalia sighed and turned to face her, leaning back against the counter. There definitely wasn’t time to make dinner before she had to go to work — the restaurant couldn’t run without her and she hadn’t been late yet. Having to prove her purpose was one thing, but being accused of senior abuse was another. She could be charming when she wanted to be and at that moment she wasn’t in the mood. And her day had been going so well. “Look, I come here twice a week before work to help her, which means that I really don’t have time for pleasantries. Who knows why I don’t know who the fuck you are, but I signed up to help out, not to be berated by random homeowners.” Feeling her temper flare and knowing that she didn’t have the time to get in a fight over groceries, Natalia put the spare key on the counter and made her way towards the door. “Take it up with your grandmother and maybe mention why instead of beef stew she just has two pounds of raw beef chuck and a can of Guinness.” Why couldn’t Reina have stayed home and been there to explain the arrangement with her granddaughter? Especially on a day when she could have been having the beef and Guinness stew she’d been asking Natalia to make for weeks. “She has my number, tell her to call when she doesn’t have guests.”

“I shouldn’t need to introduce myself in my own home,” Reyna retorted, staring on in disbelief as the woman brushed passed her to enter the kitchen. Without a second thought, she followed suit and folded her arms across her chest while she watched the woman navigate throughout the area with ease. It was obvious that the stranger was familiar with layout of the kitchen, but she couldn’t figure out why her grandma had never mentioned anyone by the name of ‘Natalia’. “But, if you must know, my name is Reyna.” If the woman did know her grandmother, then there was no doubt in her mind that the name would sound familiar since it had been passed down for generations. The only real difference, in her case, was that she was given an alternate spelling. “That’s because she wasn’t expecting any guests. I wanted to surprise her,” She responded, still carefully eyeing the woman as she moved. “Why has she never mentioned you?”

Nat went about her unpacking without paying much attention to the indignant woman — Reyna. The name fit and from the way she had yet to run away, the woman figured she must be telling the truth. So, she nodded and retrieved the skillet she would be needing. “I’m not sure, but then why would she? I can’t say I’ve seen you around the city and I haven’t run into you here before, so maybe it’s something she figured she could leave out. I’m assuming you don’t tell her who comes and goes at your house?” Nat looked up from her skillet full of bacon with a raised brow. “But, since we’ve established that neither of us knew about the other and you are here now, you can watch the stew when I leave. Make sure your grandmother’s house doesn’t burn down and all that.”

Reyna arched her eyebrow at the woman’s response, her gaze briefly shifting down to the key in the other brunette’s hand. “Who am I?” She sputtered, blinking a couple times in shock. If she weren’t so concerned that a random woman had access to her grandmother’s house, she probably would have been amused by the situation but she was in no position to to let her guard down. “I live here,” She stated firmly as she pointed to the rather large family portrait on the wall that displayed a much younger version of herself. After her parents passed, she and her sisters took refuge at their grandmother’s house because they couldn’t stand to be in their own home─not while it still contained all of their parents’ old belongings. It took a good seven months before they were ready to move back home, and even then she couldn’t find it in herself to clear out the master bedroom. “Well.. I used to,” She corrected. “Why do you have a key to my grandma’s house?”

Natalia looked at the portrait, noting the girl who did look like the woman standing before her. Grandma. That explained it… almost. She could even see some of the resemblances between this woman and Mrs. Ramirez, but she wasn’t keen to give up so easily. It was easy enough to lay claim to an elderly woman’s home by claiming she’s your grandmother — she might have found the spare key and the portrait was either planted or just a coincidence. “You still haven’t introduced yourself.” Still, she had a fair amount of produce in her bag, so she continued on into the kitchen, keeping an eye on the other woman. “I’m here twice a week to help Mrs. Ramirez,” she explained, a faint accent adorning her words as she began to put away the groceries she didn’t plan on using. “She told me where the spare was... and I don’t believe she mentioned expecting guests today.” She’d walked in on a book club once or twice, but usually, there was notice so that she didn’t immediately think the worst. Like now.