Page 3 of Rainstorm

Yes, she was. So thoughtful. I almost rolled my eyes again.

“There’s no way out of this, right?” I sighed, mocking resignation. I was trying to distract her though. First chance I got, I was breaking out of there.

“Please, Rose, please come with me,” she begged one more time, and my resolve faded away. “What if I promise to bring you breakfast for a month, I know you’re craving my mother’s strudel and apple cobbler.”

“You’re bringing all the big guns, eh? You really like this man?”

“A lot!” she sighed dramatically. “I think he could be The One.”

Another One? Mandy had met her ‘one’ at least ten times in the previous year. Instead of the one, she should’ve called them the flavor of the month.

“Aaaaaaaaand... I’ll bring you one of those green juices you love so much every day.”

“Every single day? No excuses, Mandy Sue!”

“Promise,” she swore, lifting her right hand. “And I’m not crossing my fingers behind me.” She lifted her other hand, being serious, at least as serious as she could be.

“There is no escape?”

“Only in your wildest dreams, babe.”

“Fine, see you later, then.” I walked off to my meeting, mumbling under my breath, as I didn’t really want to go. But a month full of baked yumminess was worth the effort.

And what the heck, other than my bed, nothing exciting was waiting for me at home. I could humor my friend and after that get all the sleep I needed.

???

Before leaving the studio, Mandy made sure her make-up and hair were impeccable, as well as checking out her tight little dress. I decided to change my work outfit for something more casual, my favorite pair of faded jeans, a cute white top with straps crossing over the back and a fabulous pair of heeled booties. I did some retouching of my eyeshadow, nothing too flashy, it was Mandy’s moment; the last thing I wanted was to steal her thunder.

An excited Mandy drove us to a restaurant located a bit too far away from the studio if you ask me, but what the hell, it was a long weekend and I wanted to have a good time.

The vibrant energy and the delicious aroma of the food hit me as I opened the door of The Sand Crab. As I expected, the place was full and the noise of loud conversation and laughter echoed on the wooden walls, filling the big room.

A hostess dressed in tight black slacks and a matching top greeted us.

“We have an estimated twenty-minute wait for a table,” she stated, at which point I gave Mandy Sue the stink eye. She’d dragged me there, but we had to wait and I was hungry. “If you want, you can wait at the bar. Ask Bryan, our bartender, for one of our appetizers. You won’t regret it, I assure you.”

Good thing Mandy was paying.

Now she was the one with no escape.

Only in your wildest dreams, babe. I silently said to her, smirking, as we followed the hostess toward the bar.

My gaze traveled over the busy place, taking it all in. Mandy chatted about the restaurant being new, but already having a great reputation, which explained why none of the colorful tables were empty. Waiters were hustling around filling orders, the bartender was busily mixing drinks and the kitchen doors were opening every two seconds. The place was buzzing.

Yeah, coming here had been a great choice. The decor was a hit, something modern, something Mexican and something chic.

Even the sunlight streaming through the large windows was on point.

And speaking about the windows, my scrutinizing suddenly came to a halt as I glanced over to take in the view of the ocean on the opposite side of the street, because at that moment, I was pretty sure the entire world stopped too.

A dark blond haired boy was sitting by the windows talking to someone. Only he was not a boy, he was a man. The most handsome man I had ever seen. As cheesy as that sounds, it was the truth.

The sunlight streaming through the large windows behind him was illuminating his hair, making him look like a god with a halo and all the props. He was laughing at something the guy sitting opposite him had said, his eyes glimmering with amusement. And although his companion was attractive, he didn’t compare to this guy.

Living in the city of angels, you get used to seeing handsome, well-groomed men walking around, chasing dreams, begging for an opportunity, eager to reflect the perfect image for the next shining star in the firmament. This man seemed untouched by pretension, looking so damn attractive in his own way.

So primal.

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