Chapter Twelve
Nick
Bethany jiggles beside me, a happy excitement written on her face. We’re going to the trendiest restaurant in the tri-county area, run by my friend, Sammy Lopez. The restaurant has a tapas bar featuring small plates, each uniquely designed by Sammy to be an extraordinary culinary experience, using only the freshest ingredients.
The restaurant is crowded with patrons mingling in small groups outside and spilling into the small entryway. I give my keys to the parking attendant as we push our way inside. Bethany holds back as if we’re required to wait in the long line, but I tug her along with me as we wind our way through the throng of bodies to the hostess stand.
“Chef DeLuca!” a dark haired fifty-year-old hostess shrieks as she spots me. She’s old enough to be my mother and I love her just like I love my mom.
With my ears still ringing, I reply, “Sofia! So nice to see you again.” She springs out from behind the stand, gives me a huge warm hug and kisses both my cheeks. Bethany looks a little embarrassed at the emotional display. Guests waiting nearby fall silent, then a buzz flows through the crowd, recognizing that I’m either her long-lost son or someone famous. A few people nod as if they recognize me, but thankfully they don’t invade my personal space.
A twenty-something waitress wearing all black and sporting a nose ring approaches. She escorts us to our table in the far back of the restaurant, just as I requested. After handing us some menus, she disappears while I help Bethany into her seat.
My girlfriend grins at me over her menu. “Must be nice to be Mr. Hot Shot. Getting a table when everyone else is waiting an hour to sit down.”
I scowl back at her, pretending to be offended by her words.
She gently nudges me under the table with her knee. “It was kind-of hot the way the hostess greeted you and the whole place fell silent.” Bethany giggles. “You’re a real celebrity. I pinch myself when I’m with you because you’re just Nick to me.”
Blinking back my feelings, I reach across the small table and squeeze her hand. I’m sure she can see the emotion on my face. “That’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.” Being “just Nick” to her means a lot. I love that she’s comfortable with me. She doesn’t fawn all over me and she doesn’t use my celebrity to her advantage. I suddenly realize that I could spend the rest of my life with this woman. The thought hits me like a punch to the gut, making me lose my breath. She squeezes my hand, no words are necessary as we gaze into each other’s eyes.
Our waitress returns with water glasses, a basket of miniature chips, and a narrow plate containing three kinds of salsa presented in miniature bowls. She explains that one salsa is mildly spicy, one sweet, and one volcanic hot. Bethany laughs at the description by the waitress, then boldly dips a chip in the volcanic hot bowl. After taking a good-sized bite, she chugs water and waves her hand in furiously front of her face.
“She said it was volcanic hot,” I tease. The waitress and I chuckle at Bethany’s teary nod.
I order queso-stuffed mushrooms and black-bean burger. Bethany orders manchego croquettes and honey-garlic wings. When the waitress informs her that “tapas” means small plates, she adds another order of queso-stuffed mushrooms for herself.
I raise an eyebrow as I suppress a laugh.
“What?” Bethany replies. “They’re small plates and I’m starving,” she says in a low voice as if anyone can overhear what she’s saying in the noisy restaurant.
I reach out and take her hand again. We sit, content to hold hands quietly for several minutes.
“I enjoyed meeting your kids,” I say, breaking the silence that was stretching out too long for comfort.
“They’re great, aren’t they?” Her voice comes out breathless sounding and I realize the attraction we have for each other is being fueled simply by touching hands. When I stroke her wrist, her eyes beam. She doesn’t pull away, not even in order to eat another chip. I feel warm inside knowing that I have such an emotional impact on Bethany, one that’s bigger than food. Her fingers tighten against mine and her brown eyes turn a darker shade of chestnut. The whole restaurant becomes a haze around us. We have an entire conversation with our eyes and our fingers.
What could be minutes or hours later, the waitress returns with my two small plates and Bethany’s three. She asks if we need anything else, then politely rushes away.
Bethany picks up her fork. She takes a bite, closes her eyes, and smiles. We eat in silence, enjoying the taste sensations created by Chef Sammy. I watch Bethany as she arranges her plates in a semi-circle, trying a bite from each plate, and then repeating the pattern.
“Do you enjoy alternating tastes rather than focusing on one plate at a time?”
She smirks and points in a circle with her fork. “You have to ask? I’m inhaling this merry-go-round of food if you haven’t noticed.”
Laughing, I reply, “Yes, I noticed.”
Looking from side to side, she leans over as if to tell me a secret. “Can I order another plate of these cheese things?” She points to the manchego croquettes. I chuckle as I see only one remaining on the plate. A pink blush spreads over her face as she pops the final croquette in her mouth, then nods towards the empty plate, as if to encourage me to order more.
Amused at her antics, I signal the waitress and order another plate of croquettes for my hungry date. Bethany mouths “thank you” as our server disappears out of sight. I chuckle, then focus back on my black bean burger, overflowing with mango chutney and a thin slice of pineapple. A very interesting combination of flavors that I’m going to need to recreate when I open my own place.
“Nicholas, old friend.” Sammy appears at our table as if by magic. I was too focused on my date and our food to notice him approaching.
We shake hands and I introduce Bethany. Sammy kisses her hand and winks at me.
“Looks like your new place is doing well.”
“What was your first clue?” Sammy replies with a teasing grin.
“Oh, maybe the crowded parking lot and long line at the entrance?”
He laughs.
“Seriously, Sammy, your food is delicious. I’m impressed at all the compelling flavors you’ve combined to provide the perfect taste sensations. Do you grow your fresh ingredients onsite?”
The chef explains his farm-to-table process, while Bethany listens. She doesn’t seem to mind the banter between two chefs, as she smiles while Sammy and I talk shop.
“Bethany was in my cooking class. That’s how we met.”
My friend turns his attention to my beautiful date. “Did you learn anything from this guy?”
She smiles, looks at Sammy, then over at me. “You know the TV show Worst Cooks in America ?”
Sammy nods, looking a little confused by her question.
“Well, that’s me. Poor Nick had his work cut out trying to teach me anything more than how to boil water.”
He raises his eyebrows and turns to me. “Is that true?”
I nod. “But she’s a quick learner. She got an A+ for her crepes before they were drenched when another student started a fire that activated the sprinklers.”
Bethany and I laugh, while Sammy shakes his head. One of his students caught a table on fire in a class he was teaching, so he knows all about cooking class mishaps.
“I need to get back to the kitchen. Lovely to meet you, Bethany.” He turns back to me. “Nick,” he says as he pats my back, “Don’t be a stranger. I’ll come to Cold Spring and try your new restaurant after you open.” He turns, then stops. “Oh, and say hello to Henri for me.”
“I’ll let you know when we work the kinks out,” I add as Sammy walks off.
“He’s so nice and he has those Latin good looks,” Bethany whispers. “Those dark brown eyes and dimples get me every time.” She fans her face.
A bout of jealousy hits. Scowling, I reply, “He’s dating someone.”
She lifts her gaze to mine, takes my hand and tugs me towards her. “I’m with the guy I want,” she says in a low voice. I gaze at her and my heart flips. If we weren’t in this crowded restaurant, I’d kiss her.
The moment passes when the second order of croquettes arrives. Bethany happily digs in; she winks as she pops one of the cheesy pastry puffs into her mouth.
This woman fills my heart, making me happier than I ever thought possible. I dread the fact that I’m the one putting distance between us in a few days.