Page 45 of Something like Desire

“I’m Lexi,” I say.

“Love the cat print,” he says with a laugh. “We have a table on the patio for you two. Maybe your bold outfits will attract some more customers.”

“It looks like you’ve got your fair share of regulars, Danny,” Zach says, gesturing at the people sitting at the tables.

“Yes, I agree, but it’s always nice to meet someone new,” Danny says, giving me a friendly smile.

He leads us to our table on the small patio beside the entrance. Overlooking the parking lot, it’s not exactly scenic, but it’s clean and has small floral arrangements in all four corners.

“This place is a hidden gem,” Zach says. “I promise you’re going to love the food. Danny used to be a chef for a popular chain but quit because it got too stressful. Now he’s his own boss, making food he feels like making, at a pace he feels like working at.”

“He seems really nice.”

“He is. And super talented. He had the chance to move to a bigger space where he’d make more money, but decided against it. He likes a slower pace. He’s got his regulars and they’re loyal customers. And as soon as you taste the food, you’ll see why.”

It seems like there’s a common thread in Zach’s attitude. He deeply respects when people do jobs they’re passionate about. Hopefully in a few weeks, I can find one I love.

Danny returns with two glasses of water and laminated black-and-white menus.

My eyes rove over the lunch selections—mini lobster and filet mignon sliders, surf and turf tacos, beef tenderloin with garlic butter lobster tail, barbecued pulled pork with Cajun shrimp sandwich, seared scallops with creamy risotto. How the heck am I going to be able to choose with options like these? Thank goodness I wore a romper instead of jeans today—more room for a hearty meal without buttons popping open involuntarily.

“I’m getting the tacos,” Zach says without as much as a glance at the menu. “But if I’m being honest, I’ve been thinking about what I was going to get since I texted you last night. And I keep going back and forth between that and the risotto. What are you thinking?”

I take off my pink glasses and set them on the table—they’re hilarious but they’re also not the best for reading small print. “I am a sucker for scallops,” I say. “And it’s been years since I had them.”

“Years?” Zach repeats. “Really?”

“Lately I’ve mostly been ordering in from Nova.”

Zach jaw drops in exaggerated shock. “Nova’s good but there’s a whole world of cuisine out there waiting to be discovered. For a small town, Driftwood Cove’s got a good selection.”

We order, and when Danny comes back with our meals, I take a bite of my dish, and the caramelized buttery crust of the scallop sends me into culinary heaven.

Zach takes a bite of his taco and closes his eyes like he wants to fully concentrate on the moment. “Mmmmm,” he moans, and I feel a blush spread over my face. Him moaning about food shouldn’t be turning me on... but here we are.

“How’s your mom’s restaurant project?” Danny asks, perching on a chair at the table next to ours.

“She’s opening next month,” Zach says, a flash of pride in his eyes. “She’s in a really good place right now and she’s found some awesome staff. I think the delay helped her iron out some details.”

“That’s great to hear,” Danny answers with a warm smile. “If she needs any help from me with anything, please give her my number.”

When Danny leaves, I give Zach a small smile. “That’s so good about your mom,” I say. “She’s doing better?”

“Yeah, now that she’s had time to process, she seems genuinely happy and much calmer. I think she’ll be good for her new launch date.” Zach takes a sip of his water. “Mylast relationship ended kind of abruptly, too, and it hurt for a while, but when I had time to process, I realized it was for the best and that I’d actually learned from the experience.”

“Yeah,” I answer vaguely, not saying what I really want to. Although I’m curious to learn more about the breakup he mentioned, I don’t want our conversation to venture into previous relationship territory just yet. No need to spoil whatever it is we have building. “Hey, you said we might be going to the beach later. Which one?”

Zach squints at me for a second like he’s keenly aware of my sudden subject change but isn’t going to push it. “I’m going to guess that you’ve never been there,” he says with a sly smile. “Another hidden gem.”

As expected, Zach knows a beach that has fewer than fifty people on it as far as the eye can see. This guy is all about finding places that are off the beaten path, that’s for sure. I’m focusing on the ocean and sky, trying very hard not to stare at Zach without his shirt on for too long—again, trying very hard not to seem scary-interested.

“How do youfindthese spots?” I ask as we walk side by side, the sand warm beneath our feet, the sun mellow in the late-afternoon sky. Seagulls swoop around, making little M shapes against the horizon.

“This was another location where I did a shoot,” he says.

I take this opportunity to glance at him, my eyes trailing over the rippling muscles of his stomach and the broad curve of his chest before I snap out of it. “For a swimsuit brand?”

Zach smirks. “Try again.”