He nodded and puffed his chest. “I like how you do that.”
“Thanks. This does look amazing. I’m actually pretty hungry after hanging on for dear life all that time.”
“Yeah, but you were hanging ontome,so you liked it, right?”
“Maybe,” she winked at him when she said it, and reveled in the fresh smile that transformed his handsome face. Her breath hitched.
The moment was surreal, if Camila let herself think about it. Here she was, about to sit back and eat lunch on the beach with James Benton, a guy she loathed just a few days ago. Even more, she was on a date with the man. And she liked it. She wasn’t sure which detail surprised her most.
The paddleboards and canoes waited along the shore side—one end tucked into the sand, the other bobbing in the crystal blue water—courtesy of the crew from the Midnight Express. She figured that, after lunch, they could explore the water on those next.
As Camila settled into the beach chair, she discovered an array of meats and mustards to go with their meal. And there, propped on a tiny stand nearby, stood a copper pot filled with stunning white flowers. But not just any flower. “These are Camellias,” she said, a smile crossing her lips. She leaned in to inhale the familiar scent and sighed.
“My grandma used to grow these in honor of my mother, since they were her favorite flower. In fact, Grandma used to say they made a mistake in the flower’s name. They were supposed to be called Camila, like me.” She didn’t finish that line aloud, but Camila could almost hear Grandma doing it for her…because you’re so beautiful, my sweet Camila.
A sudden longing came over her. A desire to see her sweet grandma. Toss her arms around the woman’s fragile frame and pull her in for a long embrace.
James looked over the flowers thoughtfully. “They really are beautiful. And unique. I don’t know that I’ve seen flowers like that before.”
In her mind’s eye, Camila blew her grandma a kiss. At least she was in good company up in the clouds. She pushed past the emotion and set her attention back to the food. It was meant to be enjoyed, after all. And with the wide selection spread before them, an idea was coming to mind. “You know what we should do?”
“What’s that?” James asked as he reached for the champagne.
“Let’s make little bite-sized samples for each other. Pick whatever meat, cheese, and mustard we want, and let the other one try it. We’ll see which ones we like best.”
“You’re on,” James said. “But I’ve got to warn you. I’m going to be better at this than you think.”
She lifted a brow. “Oh yeah?”
He shook his head now. “No. But I’ll give it my best.”
Camila was first to stack a creation of her own while James closed his eyes. After she fed it to him, James had one thing to say. “Why don’t we have you do all of them?” He moaned and grinned. “So good.”
He played along though, creating a small sandwich of his own. This time Camila spoke up after trying it. “The grape was an interesting choice,” she said. “Maybe this was a bad idea.”
James’ eyes widened. “I’ll do better next time. In fact, I think I’ll use a thin slice of baby cheddar cheese with a salty, crisp cracker, and the delicious mustard with all the spice…”
The two broke into laughter.
“Baby cheddar?” Camila asked through a grin. “How could I resist that?”
They spent the next hour preparing samples for one another to taste and rate. He got better as the game went on, but he continued to sneak hints of fruit into his creations.
“Okay,” he mumbled. “This is the last one. It’s almost ready.”
Camila kept her gaze on a distant palm tree as a breeze blew in, adding a slightly cool contrast to the wonderful warmth of the sun.
“This one is going to be amazing,” he promised. “I’m seriously going all out.”
Camila couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s not going to have a surprise grape in there again, is it?”
“Hey, I sampled that one before you tasted it. I thought it was good.”
She shook her head. “I should probably be scared right now.”
“Why? Because you have to taste my latest creation?”
“No, because I’m cooking for a guy with such messed up taste buds.”
