Page 35 of Café Diablo

I scan the room and the coffee bar several times and I don’t see her dark hair and mischievous stare. In fact, when I look through the crowd, I notice everyone isn’t just nursing glasses of wine, but all of the booths have table easels and blank white canvases on them. Instead of utensils, there are paintbrushes, and every group seems to have a basket full of tiny paint buckets.

Whatisthis?

“You came!”

I spin around at the sound of her voice, thankful that I’m not going to be the lone lumbering cynic in the room, gawking at the zoo of beatniks guzzling craft beer and painting.

“I’m currently considering walking back out the door,” I say, turning around to see Olivia smiling at me with a sly look in her eye.

“Of course you are,” she says sarcastically, not waiting to bring out the sass. “Anything outside your comfort zone makes you want to flee. I’m quite aware of this fatal flaw, Edwin.”

“That’s not entirely true,” I grumble, starting to realize I’m actually seriouslyoverdressed. Olivia is wearing a casual black T-shirt and shorts, both covered by an artist apron decked out with pockets and paintbrushes and a swath of paint splotches to match.

“You’re going to need one of these.” Olivia holds up a clean black smock for me to put on over my suit and I frown at her like she’s handing me a block of moldy cheese.

“We’re painting?” I say skeptically.

“You’repainting,” she says, taking me by the elbow and leading me to an empty booth

near a small stage at the head of the room. The stage has space for a small live band, though currently it’s only sporting a tall standing easel.

“I’mpainting?” I ask pointedly, not missing that small little word. “As in singular? You expect me to do this alone?”

“Not exactly.” Olivia shakes her head, rolling her eyes at me like I should lighten up and trust her on this.

“Start explaining, before I—”

“Edwin, relax!” She hooks the apron over my head and reaches around my torso to tie it in the back, effectively pushing her whole body against me and making me do the exact opposite of loosening up.

“You realize relaxing isn’t really my strong suit?”

She looks up at me through her lashes, smiling softly. “Really?” she teases. “I hadn’t noticed.” I glower at her sarcasm as she finishes tying the knot, jerking me left and right in the process. “Painting will be good for you.” She steps back and pushes me into the booth, adjusting the table easel and blank canvass in front of me.

“I don’t paint,” I growl, but she pulls a paintbrush from the bucket and hands it to me.

“Yes, I know,” she says. “You spend all your free time memorizing laws and reading obscure court cases so you can be the biggest bad-ass lawyer in all of Hawaii.”

“And that’s a problem because…?” I look at her in defiance, raising my eyebrows.

“Because it makes you shit at small talk,” she says point blank, throwing her hands on her tiny hips. “And an even shittier date.”

“So, this is a date?” I frown, only she reaches out and boinks me on the bottom lip like I’m a five-year old she can’t help but pinch on the cheek till I turn bright red. It makes me flinch and pull away, causing her to laugh.

“God, Edwin! If you didn’t look so fucking adorable when you pout,” she says, her eyes glittering, “then I wouldn’t want to push every one of your buttons!”

“If this is a date,” I continue, ignoring her mockery, “why is there only one of these easels on this table?” I point to the fact that her side of the booth is empty.

“Because it’snota date, Edwin,” she says, leaning forward and uncapping all of the paint jars in the center basket.

“Excuse me?”

She tilts her head toward me and her face is only inches from my own. Those freckles run up her neck to her cheekbones, and against my better judgement my eyes are lingering. She also smells amazing, like orange peels and something floral.

She holds my gaze, those brown eyes twinkling somewhere between mischief and patience. “It’s a painting class, Edwin. Buy the ticket. Take the ride.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means try something you wouldn’t normally try.”

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