Page 66 of A Table for Two
When they made it to Oakland and Jack London Square, Gabriel said, “Since this is my first time here, I’ll defer to you for parking.”
Serenity had been there only a few times herself. “We can park in the garage next to Yoshi’s. That way we don’t have to worry about moving the car or adding more money to the meter.”
“Works for me.” He followed her directions to the garage. As they walked back out to the street, he stopped to glance in the window. “They have a restaurant?”
“Yes. If you eat there, you can get a reserved seat for the concert. Otherwise, it’s first come, first serve.”
“We can eat here if you want to do the reserved seating.”
“Oh, no. I’m fine with standing in line. I’ve got my taste buds set for some barbecue. The doors open half an hour before the show, so we should probably plan on being back at least thirty minutes before then. Natasha came to a concert here, and she mentioned that the line gets long pretty quick.”
He nodded. “Barbecue it is. Do you want to eat now, or a little later?”
Serenity checked her watch. “It’s a little past four now. Maybe we can walk for a little while or sit near the water, then head over to the restaurant in an hour or so.”
“Sounds good.” Gabriel took her hand, and they started toward the water. “How far is the restaurant?”
She pointed. “On the next block. Everything is in walking distance. There’s a movie theater right across from the garage, a few more restaurants, and even a hotel or two.”
“Now, that’s convenient. I like this place,” he said as they strolled leisurely down the street.
So did she. And she likedhimeven more. They ended up sitting on one of the wooden benches near the waterfront. With the weather in the high seventies, several people milled around, taking advantage of the late-summer weather. Gabriel scooted close and slung an arm around her shoulder. She leaned her head against him, and they sat enjoying the sounds of the water. A slight breeze blew across her face like a whisper, and she snuggled closer to Gabriel, feeling a closeness she’d never felt with another man. She closed her eyes briefly, inhaling deeply and letting the breath out slowly.
She had no idea how much time passed before she heard Gabriel whisper, “I could sit here all night with you.”
Serenity lifted her head, and their gazes fused. “Then we should come back after the show.”
He gave her a soft smile. “Whatever you want, sweetheart.”
She resumed her position, and they stayed that way until he suggested they walk a little farther. The two of them went from one end to the other, then retraced their steps and headed for the restaurant. It was crowded, and they had to wait twenty minutes to be seated. After poring over the menu for several minutes, they decided to share one of the combination meals with chicken, ribs, and brisket, with sides of candied yams, macaroni and cheese, greens, and cornbread.
“Wow,” Gabriel said when the food arrived. “This is a lot of food.” He rubbed his hands together. “Okay, let’s try this. Ladies first.”
Serenity had to laugh. “You remind me of a kid in a candy store.” She added portions of everything and shook her head when he filled his. “It’s a good thing I got my food first.”
He grinned sheepishly and shrugged. “You already know.”
She waited for him to try everything. “Well? What’s the verdict?”
“It’s really good.” He leaned forward and whispered, “But your yams taste much better.”
“Andthat’swhy I brought you a little dessert.” She tossed him a bold wink and went back to her food.
“Wait. I know that’s not all you’re going to say. What is it?”
“You’re not even done with dinner yet. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Gabriel lifted her hand and brought it to his lips. “Come on, pretty baby, tell me.” He kissed the back of her hand, turned it over and repeated the gesture on her palm.
Her breath stacked up in her throat. His lips were soft, and his hazel eyes teased and seduced her. If he kept staring at her like that, she was liable to hand him the dessert and anything else he asked for. “Brownies,” she said breathlessly.
“My favorite.” His smile turned wicked. “Next to you.”
Serenity almost slid off her chair.Trouble. I’m in so much trouble.She slowly extracted her hand, but she had a hard time concentrating on her food for the next few minutes. She managed to get through and enjoy her meal without any more distractions. However, her palm was still tingling from his kiss later when they walked back over to the venue. Fortunately, there were only a few couples ahead of them in line, and she and Gabriel ended up withgood seats on the floor less than twenty feet from the stage.
He scanned the space. “This is the perfect grown folks’ venue.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” The intimate club’s floor level featured three rows of tables for four, while the upper levels had a choice of tables or booths. There wasn’t a bad seat in the house. Animated chatter filled the air, while efficient staff moved through throngs of people, serving food and drinks, as music poured through hidden speakers. At exactly seven thirty, the announcer came on, gave some house rules, and introduced Jill Scott. Serenity couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun. She danced in her seat and sang along like she was one of Ms. Scott’s personal backup singers.
