Page 13 of A Table for Two
Dana sidled up next to Serenity. “A man that offers to help in the kitchen without being asked…yes, yes,yes. You think he has any friends?”
Chuckling, Serenity bumped her playfully. “Girl, bye. Take these green beans outside.”
“I’m just sayin’.”
Serenity shook her head and looked at Natasha and Terri. “I don’t want to hear one word. Just bring the wine and bread.” Terri mimicked zipping her lips, picked up the rolls and butter, and sashayed out to the deck. Natasha followed suit with the wine. Both, thankfully, kept their comments to themselves. Serenity picked up her wineglass, as well as Gabriel’s, and joined her guests. Dinner turned out to be a relaxed affair, with Serenity not having to be on guard and worrying about what Gabriel thought of her.
“Gabriel, you’ve been here a week now. What do you think about the town?” Terri asked.
“It’s small,” he answered. “And it’s hard getting used to the quiet and everything shutting down well before midnight.”
Serenity nodded. “I thought the same thing when I first moved here—no fast food or being able to jump in the car to go out for a late-night snack. But the Bay Area isn’t too far, and Napa Valley is even closer. So, I get my city fix that way.”
“I’ll have to keep that in mind. Are there any parks or running trails around?”
“Plenty,” Natasha said. “And all within five miles. Seaside Meadows Park is a great one for running, and it’s near the lake, so the view is spectacular.”
Gabriel nodded as he chewed a piece of the lamb. “I’ll have to check it out. Serenity, once again, this meal is incredible. I’m definitely going to have to pick up some of the olive oil.”
“Thank you.” His praise should not have warmed her heart, but it did. They fell silent for a few minutes, but every time she looked Gabriel’s way, his eyes were waiting.
“Okay.” Dana held up a rib chop. “Am I the only one who’s tired of trying to eat this thing with a knife and fork?”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Gabriel said, “but I didn’t want to come up in here and act like I didn’t have any home training.”
Serenity burst out laughing. “Nobody said you had to cut it with a knife. Just pick it up and bite it.” She picked up one from her plate and bit into it. “See? Easy.”
His eyes sparkled with mirth and he followed suit, taking off nearly all the meat on the small chop in one bite.
Smiling, they all enjoyed the tender pieces of meat sans utensils and continued to converse while finishing the meal.
“Oh, wait. This is mysong.” Natasha raised her arms in the air and started singing along to Mary J. Blige’s “Just Fine.”
It took only a moment for the infectious rhythm to have the other women joining in, including Serenity. They belted out the lyrics as if they were seated front row at a concert, and Gabriel simply nodded in time with the beat and smiled. Serenity wished she knew what was going through his head, but these were her girls, and they always had fun when they got together.
When the song ended, Gabriel clapped. “You ladies ought to take this show on the road. I have to say it’s nice getting a meal and entertainment all in one place.” He lifted his glass in salute.
Serenity fanned herself and stood. “I’ll bring out dessert.” She was gone and back in a flash with the berries and set the two plates in the center of the table. “These are kicked up with champagne and whiskey,” she said, pointing to each dish as she spoke. She could never leave them plain and had drizzled white chocolate on the milk-chocolate- and dark-chocolate-dipped ones, the opposite on the white, and had done a few half-white and half-milk. Natasha quickly snatched up one from each plate, while Dana and Terri chose strawberries infused with champagne.
“Where did you get these?” Gabriel asked, reaching for one infused with whiskey.
“I made them.” She held his gaze as he bit into the sweet treat and tried not to think about the sexy way his lips closed around the fruit.
He groaned and reached for another one. “I think this is the best dipped strawberry I’ve ever eaten. I can easily get addicted to these.”
The way he stared at Serenity made her think he was talking about more than just the strawberries.Friends. That’s it.Nothing more.
Chapter 5
Gabriel arrived at his grandmother’s house and pulled into the driveway thirty minutes before her appointment. She opened the front door as he stepped out of the car.
“Morning, Gabriel. Can you park in front of the house? We’re taking my car.”
“Hey, Nana. Sure.” He climbed back in and did as she asked. He met her at the top of the driveway and placed a kiss on her cheek. “If you give me your keys, I’ll go ahead and pull the car out.” She still drove the same Buick from twenty years ago.
Nana eyed him. “No need.” She pressed the remote in her hand. The garage opened, and she went to the driver’s side.
His heart started pounding. Surely she didn’t plan on driving. Gabriel hadn’t driven with her since he was a kid, and he recalled her being an extra-careful driver. But she was much younger then and her reaction time faster. Although he knew she’d been getting around town on her own, he’d still feel more comfortable being behind the wheel. And he wanted to get there on time. “Ah, Nana—”
