Page 29 of Capicú Summer

I wipe my sweaty palms against my jeans and head back inside, the air thick with the remnant smell of fried empanadas my aunt cooked earlier.

Ignoring the pang of hunger, I busy myself organizing the shelves that contain women's products. My hands move absentmindedly, while my thoughts race inside my head trying to come up with a solution. Only to conclude social media is the best way to spread the news and fast. The small bell hanging by the front door chimes, signaling a customer.

The energy shifts in the room, her presence hard to dismiss—it’s like a mosquito, nagging and insistent. Looking over my shoulder, I take in Estrella, who saunters over to one of the fridges and opens the door. As much as I want to kick her out, she’s a paying customer and we have a business to run. But that all goes out the window the moment she grabs the malta and deliberately opens her hand. The glass bottle falls onto the ground with a soft crash.

I rise to my feet, storming towards her.

“Seriously?” I sneer through gritted teeth, biting the urge to make her eat the shards that adorn the floor. “Get out.”

Her big brown eyes go round, Estrella puts on her best performance. “It was an accident,” she quips. “Don’t you know. It’s bad for business to be such a bitch.”

She smirks, and I want nothing but to wipe it from her face. Then the bell chimes again, the sound cutting through the air like a warning. Lenny steps in, dressed in a green polo and black slacks, very much business casual. But he’s not alone, beside him—investors. The kind who look at Altura and see numbers instead of people.

“Adri,” he greets me like it’s not the first time we’ve spoken since I left. Then he turns to the two men beside him. “Gentlemen,” he adds smoothly, “this is Adriana, my partner.” The words land like a slap to the face and I flinch, though I recover quickly. If I was pissed before, I’m raging now.

I straighten my posture, and with a firmness I say, “Ex. Ex girlfriend.”

Lenny’s eyes narrow, anger quickly flashing in his features before it fades into a charming smile—a dismissive one that down plays my words. From where I stand, I can see Estrella as she watches with a raised brow, delighted by the spectacle I’m sure. “Oh, this just got interesting,” she murmurs loud enough for all of us to hear.

“Can we talk?” I ask Lenny, ignoring her and the investors, emphasizing the word… “Privately,” when I say it.

He gestures towards the back door with a smug look on his face. “Of course.” With that, he turns towards the two men and tells them it shouldn’t take him long and for them to browse around, which they immediately do. We walk towards the back, stopping right before the steps that lead to the inside of the main house.

I cross my arms. “Back off, if you stop pushing the investors…” My voice drops. “I’ll consider coming back.”

He laughs, low and cruel. Surprising the fuck out of me.

“You think love outweighs money? Altura’s dying, Adri. The only way your plan wins is if they all band together, and they won’t.” Then he leans in, voice dropping to a whisper. “Your grandfather’s mortgage is behind, I could help… if you come back.”

My stomach twists. “You’re lying.”

He shrugs. “Believe what you want. I’m just offering options.”

With that, he walks away with his hands tucked inside his pockets. Each step full of confidence, like a man soaking up his victory. I swallow down the bile, realizing I never really knew the real Lenny, because there’s no way I thought I loved him.

No way.

The rest of the day dragged by. Thankfully, Ruben was kind enough to step in to close, giving me time to rest, eat, and shower before meeting up with Yael tonight. I scroll through my phone, researching which social media platform could help us reach the most people. The problem is obvious—we have no following. That’s when I stumble upon Yael’s page.

That’s when the lightbulb goes off.

Thirst traps.

After hours of scrolling, it’s clear. The post that pulls the most views is always the one that shows off skin and raunchiness. And then the idea comes to life, all I have to do is get Yael on board.

By the time the moon emerges from behind the clouds, I’m ready to go. Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself, only to change, but my options are limited when you’re wearing things from when you were just a teen. Everything fits me too tight, but not in the way that’s uncomfortable… instead it makes me look hot. My tits poke out the top of the hot pink halter top that rides a little high, showing off my midriff. My jean skirt hugs my curves, my pulse hammers away, and the anticipation has me dizzy and creating scenarios in my head. All of which lead to me naked and spread open for him. Pressing a cool hand against my forehead, I groan loudly.

“No seas tan pendaja,⁠*” I mutter to myself. “Stay focused.”

I give myself a few seconds of panic before I reel myself back in and head out. When I step outside, the warm night air clings to my skin, it’s humid and sticky. Just the kind of heat that makes you want to dive head first into ice cold water. Why he would want to meet here is beyond me. Yet, here I am, clinging to my phone, my heart beating so fast I can feel it in my throat as I climb the stairs that lead to the roof.

Yael is already here, when I finally make it up. Sitting on the ledge wearing nothing but basketball shorts and black Forces, his pencil moving over the paper with artist precision. He looks up when he hears me. “You’re late.”

I shrug. “Be happy that I’m here. I also came up with an idea,” I say, dropping beside him. “A good one.”

He arches a brow. “A good one? Then I gotta hear it. Lay it on me, beautiful.”

I roll my eyes, ignoring the flutters that fill my belly. “Thirst traps, that’s how we’ll get visibility.” Using my shoulder, I nudge him. The contact sends sparks all through me. “And with a hot papi Chulo promoting the tournaments, it’s an instant hit.”