Free Playing for Keeps by Veronica Chambers Page A

.”
    Alicia groaned. Looking at the dance floor, where her rival continued to sway, she wished that that were true. But sometimes, even the best of boots were meant for sitting.
    A while later, a waiter sporting a felt ten-gallon hat with the words BOSS OF THE PLAINS cross-stitched across the brim, arrived with baskets of warm bread and dipping sauce.
    Alicia reached for a piece of jalapeño corn bread as Valeria started to say, “One thing about the corn break…”
    Too late. Alicia had popped it in her mouth and started chewing. Her face immediately turned bright red. She downed a glass of water, then knocked back Carmen’s, too.
    â€œFirst my legs were on fire, now it’s my mouth. Ohhhh,” she moaned, fanning her face.
    â€œI was trying to tell you, the corn bread is really spicy,” Valeria said.
    â€œAre you okay?” Saniyah asked sweetly, sounding as though she meant it—sort of.
    â€œFine!” Alicia said, straightening up in her chair. “Just fine. But enough about me. What about you ?What’s your life story? How’d you meet my Gaz?”
    â€œNot much to tell,” Saniyah said, avoiding taking the bait. “My mother is Persian and grew up in Mexico City. My dad is from Costa Rica, and he went to med school at the University of Mexico. He’s in public health. My mom teaches in the classics department at UT Austin. And I’m a Texas girl, born to sing and play guitar. Just like Gaspar, music is the most important thing in my life. That’s why I’ve promised to show him the ropes while he’s here in Austin.”
    â€œFascinating,” Alicia said, studying the menu and looking anything but fascinated. She clenched her teeth. “It’s so generous of you to take him under your wing.”
    â€œHow about you guys?” Saniyah asked, not letting Alicia’s attitude get to her. “You’re from Miami, right? Gaspar said you’re here to plan Valeria’s quince . How cool is that?”
    Valeria smiled shyly. “I’m really grateful to have them here.”
    The tension was still high when the waiter came by to take their order. Up on the stage, the house band, Agua Caliente, was getting ready. To distract everyone from the awkward dynamic at the table while they waited for their food, Jamie started babbling away about the customization details of each sneaker in her collection while everyone except an enraptured Valeria, listened to her with eyes glazing over.
    Twenty of the longest minutes ground slowly past. Finally, the waiter returned, with trays of food. “ Buen provecho , amigos,” he remarked as he placed several platters filled with steaming Tex-Mex food on the long wooden table.
    Smiling, Saniyah asked, “Do you have anything with more heat than the house hot sauce?”
    He nodded. “One bottle of Ring of Fire coming right up.”
    Seconds later, he returned and handed the bottle to Saniyah, who doused her entire plate of ribs and smashed potatoes with it.
    â€œWow,” Gaz said, looking impressed. “I tasted the sauce on the table and it was hot. Do you have a four-octave voice to match your four-octave pepper range?”
    Saniyah looked down as though embarrassed. “You know what they say about the heat and the kitchen.” Then she began to sing an old blues song, in the loveliest light soprano voice any of them had ever heard.
    Not to be outdone, and more than happy to cut off Saniyah’s little sing-along, Alicia signaled for the waiter. “Um, excuse me,” she said. “That Ring of Fire sauce is pretty bland.”
    â€œBut you didn’t even try it,” Valeria pointed out.
    Ignoring her, Alicia asked the waiter, “What do you have that’s hotter?”
    He looked at her dubiously. “Next up in terms of heat is Crazy Mother Pucker’s Maniacal Mustard.”
    Carmen put a hand on her friend’s arm. “Lici,