The bells over the entrance of La Vida Dulce Chocolateria rang a lively peal as the door flew open. Don Francisco Flores walked in with a spring in his step, every button polished on his army uniform. He swept off his hat, pushed back a lock of dark hair falling over his forehead, and smiled.
He should be careful with that smile, thought Luisa Rodriguez. It could melt a girl's heart like cacao butter on the stove. She really ought to be immune to it by now, regular customer that he was. It didn't escape her that he was wearing an orchid in his buttonhole. No doubt some noblewoman had staked a claim on him already.
"Happy Sweethearts' Day, Luisa! And may I say, this place looks delightful."
He spun around to take in the chain of paper hearts across the ceiling, the vase of orchids on the counter, the candles and teddy bears on the shelves and, of course, the sight and smell of chocolate everywhere. Luisa was uncomfortably aware of all the gaps already showing in the display case, the fingerprints on the glass and the spatters on her white smock, but as usual, he gave his compliments as if he meant every word.
"Thank you, Señor. Busiest time of year, you know, except Navidad." She bobbed a curtsey and wiped her palms on her skirt. "How can I help you?"
"I'm looking for a gift for a girl who is … special to me. Perhaps you could give me some advice?"
"Oh! Um … yes, of course." So she was right about that orchid. Somehow the idea gave her very little satisfaction. "There's our Sweetheart's Day special, two extra large heart-shaped chocolates and a scented candle. We have our gift boxes in seasonal packaging, six-piece, twelve-piece, twenty-four-piece … "
She rattled off her sales pitch rather breathlessly, gesturing to a row of red and pink boxes and spools of ribbon, struggling to sound professional, even though the thought of him sharing her family's chocolates with someone else made her feel anything but. What was wrong with her? She knew better than to fall for a customer. A noble, no less.
"Come now, how long have I been your customer?"
"The twenty-four-piece box, then?"
"You know it." Don Francisco picked up the biggest, pinkest, shiniest heart-shaped box and popped it open with a self-deprecating grin. "All that's left to decide is what to fill it with."
"Well, that's … that's up to you, of course, Señor. Whatever you think the lady would prefer."
"Ah, but I'm afraid I don't know her very well yet." He leaned on the counter, brown eyes twinkling. "At least not well enough to guess her favorite. That's why I need you to help me decide."
And how do you expect me to do that? she almost snapped, but bit her tongue just in time. She was responsible for this shop while her parents were away getting supplies. They would expect her to behave like a competent tradeswoman, not a silly teenager. That meant serving this customer to the best of her ability, no matter how she felt about it. Heartaches could wait until after closing time.
"I can always pick out a random assortment … " At his dismissive shake of the head, she went on: "Or maybe it would help if you could tell me a few things about the lady. What does she like? What kind of person is she?"
She pictured someone as tall and slim and charismatic as he was, with exotic coloring maybe, a blonde or even a redhead. Someone who could afford nice clothes and didn't have to cover them up with a smock. Whoever this woman was, Luisa wanted to hate her, unkind as that was.
"Excellent questions," said Don Francisco. "But … you keep saying that word. What makes you so certain she's a lady?"
"She's not?" Luisa faltered.
"No." His deep, cultured voice became very soft. "She is a chocolate maker of uncommon skill and pride, who works hard every day to support her family business. Her favorite color is orchid pink. She gets a little frown right between her eyebrows when she thinks I'm being an idiot. And if she could spare a few moments out of her day for an idle fellow like me, well … that would make me happier than I can say."
He took the orchid out of his buttonhole and held it out to her over the counter. The flower trembled. For the first time since she'd known him, he looked unsure of himself, even nervous.
Luisa pulled her orchid-pink sleeves down over her hands. "Me?" she squeaked.
"Is that so surprising - or so unwelcome? If I misunderstood … "
He began to pull the flower back, but she caught his hand. He'd always had a way of touching her when money and packages changed hands between them, but this was altogether different. She took the flower and placed it behind one ear. The look he gave her made her feel like the most beautiful woman in Avalor - smock and all.
"No! Oh, no, you didn't. I - I really like you. I was surprised, that's all. You didn't have to be so roundabout, you could have just asked me! These are my favorite, by the way, but - " She let out an irrepressible giggle as she pointed to the hazelnut clusters in the display case. "There's no way I could eat twenty-four of them! Tell you what, why don't I take my lunch break right now - only half an hour, mind you, I can't afford longer - we can go to Castillo Park, and you can have half?"
"That sounds like a wonderful idea, but I have one condition."
She looked up from counting out hazelnut truffles into the big pink box. "What's that, Señor?"
"No more calling me "Señor". My name is Francisco."
"All right … Francisco. Just give me a moment and I'll be right there."
She did the fastest packaging job of her life. When he tried to add an extravagant tip to her payment, she pushed the excess coins back, keeping no more and no less than the chocolates were worth. She had her pride, after all. He took the coins back with a good-natured shrug, picked up the box and held the door open for her, making the bells overhead ring out in celebration. She all but skipped out from behind the counter, flipping the sign on the door from OPEN to CLOSED.
Whoever wanted a last-minute Sweetheart's Day gift could take their chances until she came back. She, Luisa Rodriguez, was going out with a sweetheart of her own.
