Page 24 of California Love Songs
It was a dangerous thought. One she didn’t take lightly. She almost cursed Damien for bringing it to the surface. On the other hand, this was what she had missed during the years he’d been away. Their easy closeness. The way they were able to swing between light and deep subjects. How he had known her as a geeky student who only wanted to study and dance salsa in the rare moments she allowed herself to step away from her books. Now she had him back. For longer than she’d ever dared hope. Would Damien really be able to shrink his world enough to stay in one place?
As they made their way down from the high summit of their hike, Crystal swigged from her water bottle and allowed herself a moment to catch her breath—right before the view took it away. The air was sun-warmed, carrying the pungent scents of pine and oak and the earth beneath their feet, the silence only broken by the occasional rustle of wind through the trees, punctuated by birdsong. The landscape felt vast and serene, offering a peaceful respite from the world below.
She was lost in all that beauty when Damien suddenly said, “Remember the dare game?” He turned to look at her with a mischievous grin.
“Vaguely.” Crystal took a deep pull on her water bottle. She had a feeling she knew where this was heading.
“Come on, we used to dare each other to do ridiculous stuff. It was about stepping out of our comfort zones.” He stopped and turned to face her. “I dare you. In the next few days, I dare you to take one step toward your dream of becoming a doctor.”
Her heart pounded against her ribcage; a wild rhythm that refused to be ignored. But the real world roared back. “It’s not that simple,” she began, but even as she spoke, the weight of possibility tugged at her resolve.
“Isn’t it?” He stood closer now, and she could see the sincerity etched into the planes of his face. “You’ve got this incredible talent. Your attention to detail, your compassion, your intelligence, the way you care about people—it’s all perfect for medicine.”
“But my company…” Her protest sounded weak, even to her own ears.
“Will thrive because it’s built on solid ground. You’ve made sure of it.” Damien’s hand found hers, callused fingers gently squeezing. “You’ve boasted to me before about how good your staff are. I know you have qualified planners who could run the business while you check in and take care of the big-picture stuff. Maybe you take on a few less gigs, but you’re not abandoning anything. You’re embracing another part of who you are.”
Crystal looked at their entwined hands, feeling the strength in his grip. The idea unfurled within her like the first bloom of spring, fragile yet insistent. Could she really do this? Was the risk worth the reward?
“Damien, I never even went to college. It would take me years to qualify as a doctor.”
“So? You’re not even thirty yet. You have plenty of time. I’m not asking you to apply to Stanford Medical School. Start small. Junior college. One step.”
“Okay,” she whispered, almost to herself. “One step.”
“That’s all it takes to get started.” His smile was a promise. “One step, Dr. Lopez.”
The forest around them breathed a chorus of life, the afternoon breeze rippling through the leaves, creatures scurrying across the cool earth. Nature knew all about change and growth, and as they continued down the trail, Crystal’s mind buzzed with plans and questions.
The afternoon was getting late as they headed back to the car. Crystal’s heart felt lighter than it had in years, buoyed by the possibility of her dreams, made possible partly by the reality of her successful business. She had not grown up with money and so she had saved scrupulously as soon as she started to turn a profit. Apart from the fancy dresses she wore to look and act the part at her events, and the dance studio she’d added to her small house, Crystal had continued to be savvy with money. She had enough put away that she could at least contemplate going back to school. Maybe the years she’d spent planning, organizing, and keeping a hundred balls spinning in the air at once could be transferable skills. How would she know if she never even tried?
Then again, she didn’t want to be out on that limb alone.
“Your turn to take a dare,” she said playfully, nudging him with her elbow.
“All right, hit me with it,” Damien replied, his eyes glinting with amusement.
Before Crystal could concoct a worthy challenge, his phone rang. It was oddly jarring and Crystal felt the ring tone slice through their comfortable camaraderie, forcing her to remember that a whole big world existed beyond the two of them.
Damien glanced at the screen and a smile spread across his face—a smile that didn’t seem meant for her. Without hesitation, he hit the answer button and said, “Hey, Opal!” with a warmth to his voice that chilled Crystal to the bone. A moment later he said, “Yeah, I’m just out with a friend.”
Crystal’s step faltered as she listened to the happiness seeping into Damien’s voice, a tone filled with an affectionate familiarity that wound a tight coil of unease through her stomach. He turned slightly away from her, his fingers raking through his tousled dark hair while he laughed at something this Opal person said on the other end. She could just make out a young, playful-sounding voice. Very sexy, and very female.
“When are you coming?” she heard him say. “Great! The sooner the better. You’ll like the house and I can’t wait to get started.”
Each word stung more sharply than ice pellets against Crystal’s skin. She strained to keep her expression neutral, but her chest tightened uncomfortably. Who was this Opal that Damien was so excited to see? How had she never heard the name before? And what was this about a house?
How was it possible to still be as misguided as she’d been at fifteen, when she’d let herself fall into the fantasy that Damien was interested in her as more than a friend?
She was such a fool.
Swallowing the realization like a bitter pill, she kept walking by his side. When he ended the call, she said, “New girlfriend?” like it was nothing.
Damien shook his head. “That was Opal Dahlberg. She’s a talented up-and-coming artist I’ve been mentoring. I was going to tell you about her, but I got so caught up in the idea of getting you into pre-med that I forgot.”
“Oh,” Crystal said, a little dumbfounded, but more than a little relieved. “That’s so nice of you.”
Damien shrugged off the compliment. “It’s important to me to give back to the music community. It’s a tough industry. And this girl reminds me of myself when I was starting out. I was lucky enough to have guidance from successful musicians and producers, so I wanted to pay that forward.”
