Page 57 of California Love Songs
“Sounds great. But I can’t make a reservation?”
She laughed again. “You line up and wait like everybody else. But the food will be worth the wait.” He wrote down the name of the place and directions and then thanked her for her help.
As he and Crystal were leaving Arch and Tessa’s place, he asked, “Are you hungry?”
“I am,” she said, splaying a hand on her stomach. “There’s a nice plant-based restaurant not far from here that we could try. I haven’t been there, but I hear it’s good. It’s new since you were last in town.”
He shot her a secretive smile and said, “Nice suggestion, but I know exactly where we’re going.”
She raised an eyebrow, surprised but smiling. They got into his car, both of them enjoying the warm evening air and the anticipation of the night ahead. He drove for a while, and once in Monterey, he pulled over and started checking his GPS for directions, trying to shield the screen from her.
Laughing, she said, “Why are you being so secretive?”
“Because I want to surprise you.”
Her dark eyes softened. He could see her watching the scenery go by and obviously wondering what he had in mind. And then, as they drew closer to their destination, she said, “I don’t believe it.”
He pulled into a busy parking lot, where a food truck was surrounded by basic picnic tables. The lot was full of cars and trucks and, as Sofia Lopez had promised him, there was a long line of people waiting.
Crystal burst out laughing. “I cannot believe you brought me to my favorite place to eat.”
He was happy he’d got it right—with help, of course. “I had inside information. I checked with your mom.”
Again, Crystal’s eyebrows shot up. “It’s a good thing she likes you. Mama does not share the location of this food truck with just anyone. She would hate for word to get out and make the line even longer.”
“Your mom and I have a bond,” he told her loftily.
“She’s always asking me when I’m going to bring that skinny Davenport boy around so she can feed him.” Suddenly Crystal frowned. “But there’s nothing plant-based here but plantain tacos. Will that be enough?”.
“I’m not always plant-based,” he reminded her. “I just like to eat that way because it makes me feel better. I’m not rigid about it.”
So they joined the line, chatting away. He kept the baseball cap pulled low and his sunglasses on, but if anybody recognized him in the line, they didn’t care. The only rock star in this parking lot was the food.
When it was their turn, he said to Crystal, “You order your favorite meal for two.” She didn’t need to be asked twice. She conversed in rapid Spanish with the guy behind the high counter. He went back and forth until she was satisfied.
Damien had let her order, but he insisted on paying. He didn’t think he’d ever taken a woman out to dinner with a bill so low, or food smelling so good. There was Guacamole con Totopos to munch on, along with Carne en su Jugo, which Crystal explained was meat cooked in its own juices and mixed with bacon, beans, and green salsa; Tacos de Barbacoa; and a Torta Ahogada. And, of course, plantain tacos. To drink they had Agua Fresca flavored with hibiscus, and sat down with their feast at a free picnic bench.
While they ate, they chatted about the day, about Opal’s surprising launch and how quickly things might start to change for the young singer. He couldn’t get over how easy their conversation was and yet how sexy, how charged each exchange was between them. He wanted to reach over and kiss her, but didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable. They hadn’t yet figured out how to be in public together. He held back, conscious of his own need to make sure Crystal always felt good. Even if it meant trying to hold back some seriously strong desire as thoughts of her little black dress slipping to the floor of the hallway returned again and again and again.
By the end of the meal, he could not eat another bite. “This was great,” he said. “I think you’re going to introduce me to a whole new world of things that I don’t know about yet.”
She laughed, but then the beautiful sound abruptly died away. Her face took on a serious expression. “Well, for as long as you’re here. But let’s be absolutely clear. I know that eventually you’ll go back on the road. This is just a fling.”
Damien was so shocked he was speechless. He could only stare at her. How could she think for one second that this was just a fling? It was a thousand times more than a fling. He wanted to argue with her, to tell her she must be crazy if she thought he wasn’t taking this seriously… but then he remembered how badly her dad packing up and leaving the family had affected her. How she expected men to just leave. He was willing to work hard to show her he was different, that this was different. But he also needed to make sure he didn’t scare her off.
So he gathered himself and simply said, “Well, this is the best fling I’ve ever had.”
She looked as though she hadn’t expected such an easy agreement. Maybe she wanted him to argue, to say something to contradict her, but he was determined to do this with actions, not words. So, he stood and decisively put the trash into the garbage can. “Okay,” he said. “Ready for jazz night?”
She jumped up from the bench, smiling again. “You know it.”
“I have one more trick up my sleeve before we go to the club.”
Crystal’s smile turned into a grin. “I hadn’t pegged you for such a planner, Mr. Davenport. Maybe you could join my company if this whole music thing doesn’t work out.”
Damien laughed and grabbed her hand, leading her back to the car.
“So,” he said, as she buckled up and they hit the road, “I’m taking you on a little detour.” Cypress trees lined the route, their silhouettes swaying slightly in the breeze coming off the Pacific. The air smelled faintly of salt and eucalyptus—a crisp, clean scent that clung to the open windows. They passed charming storefronts and quiet neighborhoods, where bougainvillea spilled over fences in bursts of pink and orange. Tourists lingered near Cannery Row, their cameras aimed at the rocky shoreline, but the drive veered inland, away from the crowds. He had spent some time researching local student hangouts and had picked a place where he thought Crystal might feel at home.
