She gave him a nod, but the tightness in her expression remained. “Sure,” she said. He might see more enthusiasm if she’d been summoned to jury duty during Christmas break. “Of course,” she added. “Why don’t you go ahead and take a seat. I’ll be out in a moment.”
“Very well.”Yes.Victory. A small one, but he’d take it. He made his way to the bright patio, eyeing the table and chairs. Swooshing sounds of the lapping ocean waves urged him to relax as he lowered himself into the only chair facing the beach, but he stood back up in a blink.
Camila should have the view. He moved to the other side, putting his back against the ocean.Wait, that was weird too. If he moved to a side chair, they could both enjoy the view.
A quick glance told him Camila was already heading his way, tray in hand. James scooted his chair back, moved into one of the side chairs, and rolled his shoulders to ease the tension.
She kept her eyes trained on the tray as she slid it onto the table. “Here we go,” she said, placing a delicious looking breakfast plate before him. “Avocado toast with poached eggs, yellow pear tomatoes, and crisp hash browns.” She slid a bowl of watermelon beside it. “And a side of your favorite—fresh watermelon.”
“This looks amazing. Thank you.”
Camila nodded as a playful smile pulled at her lips. “Looks like I missed a good game.”
James racked his brain. “Game?” Her comment made him worry that he’d missed the Dodgers game, but that wasn’t on until tonight.
A small laugh sounded in her throat. “I was talking about the musical chairs you were playing out here a second ago. Looked like fun.”
His face went hot. “Oh,” he said, shaking his head. “Yeah, I was trying to find the best way for us to both see the ocean. This works, right?” He motioned to the chair across from him.
Camila held his gaze with a questioning look. “Yes,” she said. “Thank you.”
She set the other plate and fruit bowl in place, then did the same with the drinks. “This is freshly squeezed lime juice, sparkling ginger ale, and peppermint leaves. It’s one of my favorites. To me, it tastes like…” She paused there, seeming to look for the right word. “It’s like summertime on ice. Crisp, invigorating, and just plain happy.”
“Well, with a sales pitch like that, how could I refuse?”
Camila grinned.
“No, really,” he continued. “I think at this point, even if I were allergic to limes, ginger,andmint, I’d still probably taste it just to see what all the fuss was about.”
That earned a laugh from her. “I know I get passionate. I can’t help it.”
He didn’t want her to try; it was the very quality that drew him to her. He brought the iced glass to his lips and glanced up to see her watching him. At last he took a pull from the straw. She wasn’t kidding. The flavors were tart and sweet all at once. And the mint, it seemed to make the crisp drink taste even colder.
“I have to say…it’s worth the praise.”
She gave him a rather humble looking nod. “Thank you.”
Just what was it about this woman that made her so easy on the eyes? Her complexion was hard to ignore, the way her olive skin glowed in the sunlight. Her cheekbones were high, but not sharp like Adel’s. It was a softer look. And while her almond eyes were kind and innocent, they held hints of mischief too. The best part about them is they smiled right along with her, a sight that made his pulse rev like a jet at takeoff.
James tore his gaze off her and focused on his plated meal. He used his knife to cut into the avocado toast and took his first bite. The flavor, rich and savory, was accented by something he couldn’t place. He only knew it gave the dish an extra kick. He took two more bites before speaking up once more.
“This is great. Really.” He wasn’t exactly used to complimenting the chef; Mark usually headed to his next job as James sat up to the table, but the compliment was sincere.
“Thank you,” Camila said before biting into a piece of cantaloupe. “I always squirt lemon juice over the avocado. Seems to really enhance the flavor.”
“It does,” he agreed. He also liked the assortment of seeds she sprinkled over the dish. Roasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds adding the perfect crunch.
It remained quiet, save the sounds of the ocean, while James finished the main course. Yet as he moved onto the fruit, spearing a piece of watermelon with his fork, he decided it was time to confront the less-than-savory topic of Adel’s post.
“After we talked—upon your arrival, that is—I took it upon myself to find the post you mentioned.” At the mere words, a few of the cruel comments shot to his mind. “It was horrible. I’m ashamed to admit that I was ignorant to it for so long.”
Camila lifted her chin to look at him, and a dose of heat flooded his chest. She held his gaze, searching his face with a subtle nod. A loud bird cawed in the distance.
James shifted in his seat, leaning to rest his forearms on the table. “What Adel said was careless, unnecessary, and frankly, inaccurate.” He shook his head. “And then herfaithful followershad to jump on board and push things to a new level.”
“Yeah,” she said, tucking a strand of hair behind one ear. “They really did. I’d been cooking for Ricco Shimwah for months before that happened. But then he canceled the jobs he had scheduled, and he hasn’t called me since.”
A mean ache sank into his gut. Adel was oblivious.
