Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
At exactly six o’clock, David arrived at Claire’s house. Adjusting his jacket, he climbed out of his truck. His insides did a somersault.
After his divorce, David was left so battered and bruised, he swore off women. Then he slowly inched his way back to the land of the living, accepting invitations to dinners or blind dates. But this was different, even huge. After spending the day with Claire, David liked everything about her. He liked the way her hair fell across her shoulders, the way her eyes twinkled when she found something amusing, her wisdom and thoughtfulness, her openness about trying to piece her life together. The little snippets of time he spent with her didn’t seem like enough, because try as he may, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Wandering up to her front door, David gripped his hands into tight fists, capturing the nervous energy pulsating through his veins. Inhaling, he forced himself to relax his hands, making them hang naturally at his side. Then, with his heart in his throat, David knocked.
Twelve thumps of his heart later, the door swung open, revealing Claire. His jaw dropped. Dang. Claire wore black slacks with a soft tan cashmere sweater. Her hair was curled into soft beachy waves, swinging back and forth across her shoulder blades. Trying to recover, David rubbed the back of his neck and shifted his weight. Gulping, David tried to remember how to speak.
Tilting her head to the side, Claire smiled. “David,” she said. “It’s good to see you.”
“Claire,” said David. He stood frozen in place. Throat dry, he cleared it. “You look beautiful,” David stammered.
Fiddling with a strand of her hair, Claire dropped it then flipped it over her shoulder. “Thanks.” Her cheeks tinged pink, making her look more adorable than David thought possible. Claire glanced down at her feet. Shifting, her eyes slowly slid up the length of his body, making his skin ignite. Her gaze bored into his, and David almost forgot to breathe. “You clean up good yourself,” replied Claire.
His ears perked up. David regained a tad of confidence, squaring his shoulders. “Are you ready to go?” he asked.
“I’m ready,” stated Claire.
Closing the door behind her, Claire adjusted her purse and took a few steps closer to him. The space on the porch stoop was close and intimate. His nostrils flared from a whiff of the tantalizing scent of her perfume. Half stumbling a step back, David shoved his hands into his pockets. Once he regained his balance, David took a few paces toward his truck. Claire followed.
“Thanks for agreeing to go out with me,” David heard himself say, though he felt like another person was talking. His mind was still reeling from being so close to Claire.
Without hesitation, Claire replied, “I enjoy your company.” Arriving at the truck, Claire stopped next to David. “Anyways, where are you taking me?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Cracked Crab. I hope you aren’t allergic to shellfish.” David reached for the passenger side door, then twisted back around to face Claire. His eyes dilated. “I should’ve asked you that before our date.”
Reaching out, Claire touched him on his forearm. His skin immediately warmed from her touch, sending a tingle down the side of his body.
“I’m not allergic,” Claire paused, glancing down at her outfit. “But… I fear I might have overdressed.”
“No way, like I said before, you look fantastic.” David swung the passenger side door open, motioning for her to get in. “And they give you those little plastic bibs.”
Claire slid onto the truck bench, glancing over at him after she settled in her seat. “I know, but they also give you huge wooden mallets to crack open the crabs, and the tables are covered with paper.”
Reassuringly, David added, “I promise I’ll crack open everything for you if you don’t want to get dirty.” He gripped the corner of the door, letting himself take in the entire gorgeous sight of her. “I’ll take as my personal mission to make sure you don’t ruin your outfit.”
“Oh, I’m not that worried about it.” Claire waved it off. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. I only wish I had worn something more casual.”
“Would you rather we go somewhere else?” David held his breath. “I’ll take you wherever you want to go. I don’t care where we eat, only that I get to be with you.”
Rubbing her hands back and forth over her black slacks, Claire said, “Well I can’t argue with that.”
David smiled, closing her door. He walked around to his side to climb in.
They drove the few blocks to Pismo’s small downtown located near the pier. After parking and checking into the restaurant, they were led to a table covered with paper. While looking over the menu, David suggested they order the big bucket for two. It was what they were famous for, a mix of shellfish and corn on the cob, which they dumped right on top of the table. Instantly, Claire agreed and closed her menu, setting it aside. A server came by a few minutes later and took their order. Both enjoyed the view from their table of the ocean and pier.
Claire sipped on her drink. “I’ve been here so many times.” She peered out at the restaurant then back at him from across the table. “I think I have the menu memorized. How about you?”
Fiddling with the ends of his sleeves, David finally pushed them halfway up his forearms. “Oh yes, too many times to count. I mean Pismo isn’t huge. There are only so many eating options, but the ones they do have are delicious.”
Claire nodded. A beat of silence.
David added, “I’m surprised we’ve never run into each other before, with Pismo being small.”
Shrugging, Claire replied, “Maybe we did, but we were strangers then.”
Without thinking David said, “No way.” His gaze skidded across her face, illuminated by the sunlight sneaking in through the window beside them. “I would’ve remembered you.”
Claire slowly moistened her lips. Her cheeks reddened. “Frankly…” She gulped. “I would’ve remembered you too.” Shifting forward, she leaned her elbow on the table, cradling her chin. “You’re definitely my type.”
“Ruggedly handsome?” asked David teasingly.
Claire laughed then shook her head, and said, “That’s a given, but no, kind, generous, compassionate. Those qualities are more of what I’m looking for.”
“Isn’t that what everyone is looking for?” asked David.
“You’d think so.” Claire glanced out the window. “But I don’t always think that’s the case.” She waved it off. “Anyways, I’m glad I met you now, not earlier.”
Shifting forward, inches from her, fire filled his gut. His pulse galloped while his hands became clammy. David reminded himself to reply. “Luckily, most of life is in the timing.”
Claire’s posture stiffened. His words hadn’t landed the way he planned. What he meant to be fun and flirtatious came out entirely wrong. The timing of her mom’s death certainly wasn’t good timing.
“I— I’m sorry,” David stammered. He tried to backtrack. “I think that came out wrong given the circumstances of your mom’s passing.”
With misty eyes, Claire swiped at them. “I do believe that, most of life is in the timing. I even believe God has a hand in everything.” She ran a hand over the top of her hair then swept it to the side. “It’s hard though. I still don’t understand the injustice of it. Mom dying…”
David reached out and grabbed her hand, letting his fingers intertwine with hers. “I’m sure it’s difficult. I wish I had anything better to say.”
Claire glanced out across the restaurant. “This was Mom’s favorite place. We came here a lot before Alexis was born, when my dad was still in our lives. After he left, Mom didn’t like coming anymore, at least not until the memory of my dad was so far gone…” Her voice faded away. “It was like he never even existed.”
Giving her hand another squeeze before letting go, David said, “Maybe we can make new memories here. Ones which remind you of the good times not the bad.” Shifting, David glanced out the window, watching the people on the sidewalk walk on by. He exhaled. “I used to come here with my ex-wife too.” He swung his gaze back to Claire, gauging her reaction.
Pausing, Claire bit her bottom lip. “Divorced?”
David gave a slight nod.
“How long?” asked Claire.
David took a sip of his water before he answered. “Three years.”
Rearranging her silverware, Claire asked, “Do you have any kids?”
“No,” David shook his head. “No kids. She didn’t want them, but I did. I hold out hope someday to have them. How about you?”
Claire paused, her hand lingering over her fork. “Am I divorced?”
David shook his head. “No, do you want kids?”
Smiling, Claire replied, “Yeah, I want kids. I want a whole minivan of them.” With a wave of her hand, she added, “I’m not divorced by the way. I’ve never been married.”
Their conversation was interrupted by the delivery of the food. The steaming hot bucket of crab, shrimp, mussels, and corn on the cob was dumped onto the middle of the table. A server gave them their crab cracking kits, complete with a bib, wood mallet, and metal shell cracker tool.
Claire’s hands flew to her cheeks as she took in the sight of the table. “This is a ton of food.” She laughed, loosening a knot he didn’t know he had in his stomach. “But it looks delicious. My mouth is watering already.” She tied the bib around her neck.
David mirrored her movements, doing the same. He grabbed a crab and pounded it with the wooden mallet until it cracked. Digging out the meat, he popped a piece into his mouth. “I find this part highly satisfying.”
Her eyes sparkled back at him. “The aggressively hitting something with a mallet part?” Claire raised an eyebrow, picking up her mallet.
“Yes, precisely.” David continued to prod the crab, digging out the loosened meat. “Give it a try. Hitting things almost always makes anyone feel better, promise.”
Claire replied with mallet in hand, “Here goes nothing.” Whack. Whack. Whack. Claire pounded the shell of the crab. Then she burst out laughing. A sound more beautiful than anything he’d heard before. “I feel better already.” Then she tugged out a piece of the exposed meat. “I need to come here more often. Just to use this mallet.” Shoving the piece of crab meat into her mouth, she sighed, “It’s delicious too.”
“We could make it a weekly thing.” David picked up his mallet again, pounding on another crab shell. “Come here and pound out all our pent-up stress.”
Next, Claire picked up corn on the cob. “I like the way you think, David. I need to keep you around.” Holding his gaze, she took a bite of her corn.
His heart thundered. Sweat poured down his back. Fiddling with a crab leg, he set it down and wiped his messy fingers on his napkin. David gulped. “I’d like you to keep me around too.”
Claire paused mid-bite. Nodding slightly, she replied, “Then we agree, neither of us is going anywhere.” After chewing and swallowing, she wiped her mouth with her napkin. “Well, at least not for another two months.”
Whoosh. The mention of their dreaded timeline brought him back to reality and a list of tally marks in his mind of why things might not work between them. If he was smart and guarded his heart, tonight needed to be their first and last date. But then David glanced at Claire completely at ease and adorable, with her fingers all goopy, chowing down on corn on the cob, and his reasonable self withered away.
“I don’t care.” David picked up a mussel, prying open the shell. His voice became stronger as he pulled back his shoulders. “I’d rather spend the next two months with you, even if that’s all I get, I’ll take it. Because I like you Claire. I love the conversations we have together, and I look forward to learning more about you.”
Claire grinned. “Okay then, it’s settled.” She swept her hair over her shoulder making the silky strands glisten from the sunlight cascading through the window. His chest pinched tight. Shifting forward, Claire continued, “Now, tell me why you wanted to become an orthodontist, because the thought of sticking my fingers into someone else’s mouth makes me want to gag.”
David chuckled. “Good question. Luckily it doesn’t bother me one bit.” He cracked another crab leg with the metal tool. “When I was a child, I listened to a guy speak at career day at my school about being a dentist. He worked with Operation Smile, and I knew right then that’s what I wanted to do.” He took a sip of his water then leaned closer to Claire. “I wanted to help people. Orthodontics came about in dental school. I applied and received one of the few coveted orthodontics residencies.”
“Have you ever done anything with Operation Smile?” asked Claire.
Nodding, David replied, “Every chance I can. It’s very rewarding.” He lightly touched her on the forearm. “But believe it or not, seeing the transformation of people’s smiles after braces is rewarding too. Especially in the teenagers, when they get those braces off and look at their perfect smile for the first time.” He blissfully sighed. “It’s incredible. I could live off that forever.” He removed his hand.
“I’m glad you found something you loved.” Claire shifted her body toward him, only inches apart.
They ate some more, nearly touching, but not quite. It drove him batty.
Then glancing around the table, Claire patted her stomach. “I’m stuffed. I don’t think I can eat one more thing.”
“Me too.” David looked around the restaurant and motioned to the server.
They chatted until the server returned with their check. He couldn’t remember an evening he enjoyed more. The loneliness of the past three years was whittling away. Claire was reminding him of what it was like to have someone you looked forward to seeing.
After paying, they left the Cracked Crab. The last rays of sunlight stretched across the sky. Sunset was minutes from completion. “Do you want to walk to the end of the pier?” asked David.
He didn’t want the evening to end. A taste of Claire wasn’t enough, he craved to be around her longer.
Claire glanced at her watch. “Sure. I need to be home in an hour. I don’t want Alexis to beat me home.”
“I’ll get you home on time,” stated David. “I promise.”
Hiking up her purse on her shoulder, Claire nodded, turning toward the pier. David reached out, interlacing his fingers with hers. She didn’t move away but drew her body closer to his, gripping onto the crook of his elbow with her other hand. Her nearness sent a zing down his back. Breathing in her sweet intoxicating scent, fire raged in his gut.
In a haze, David walked hand and hand with Claire to the end of the pier. When they arrived at the very end, David let go of her hand leaning over the wooden railing, glancing out at breathtaking view. The water glistened with the tiny bit of sunlight. Rhythmic sounds of the ocean waves sounded in his ears. Claire came up next to him, touching her shoulder to his own. She ran her hands over the rough surface of the pier railing.
Both stood watching until the sun completely disappeared, trading the sun for the moonlight and a smattering of stars. It was breathtakingly beautiful, and David appreciated Claire next to him, enjoying and appreciating the view too.
“I’m going to miss it here,” said Claire. Staring out to the vast ocean, Claire’s shoulders stooped. “I’ve missed this place every day since I moved away to Los Angeles. I didn’t realize how much until being here these last weeks.” She gnawed on her bottom lip. “I wish there was a way I could stay here. For Alexis.”
Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, David pulled Claire closer to his body. Mirroring his movements, Claire wrapped an arm around his waist, keeping her gaze at the ocean.
“Alexis is lucky to have you.” His words failed him. David didn’t know how to make the situation better. Claire didn’t have enough money to stay. Her job and life were in Los Angeles. Somehow, he wished he magically had the ability to fix it for her.
Glancing up at the dark sky, the stars twinkled back at him. David cleared his throat, “What about you? You say you’ve missed Pismo since you moved away.” David shifted, leaning his back against the wood railing to face Claire. “Would you ever live here permanently, for you?”
Claire’s hair flew in every direction. Without thinking David reached out, tucking her wisps of hair behind her ear. His hand lingered, cupping her neck. Claire took a step closer, standing between his legs, making him all too aware of the warmth of her body. Claire inhaled. Silence followed, so wide and so vast, it made his temples pulsate. The air between them crackled and sizzled. Her hand found his chest, and she laid her palm flat against it. He tugged her closer, wrapping his arm around her waist bringing them hip to hip.
Tilting her chin up, Claire whispered, “Maybe, if I had someone to stay for. I would stay. Especially if it was someone like you.”
David ran his thumb down the length of her jaw. Her skin was smooth and silky against the pad of his finger. He unconsciously licked his lips. “How about if it was me? In a perfect world, I’d want to be here in Pismo with you.” His gaze bore into hers. Waiting for her to indicate, she was feeling the same heat building between them.
Claire stood on her tiptoes, bringing her face closer to his. David didn’t hesitate. It was all the invitation he needed. Crossing the mere inch between them, he made his lips collide with hers. Immediately, Claire melted against him, running a finger along his collar bone. Her fingertips tucked around the collar of his shirt. His insides did a somersault, making his pulse triple its speed. The worries of the future faded away, because in the here and now, David was kissing Claire. And he never wanted it to end. He tugged her closer, tightening his grip around her waist, supporting her.
As her lips danced with his, David remembered again what it was like to have someone, someone who made the little pieces of your life fit back together, so you felt complete. He remembered how hope could feel, because for the first time in who knew how long, he hoped for the possibility of something—someone.
Since his divorce, David hadn’t allowed himself to believe in anything. Instead, he put a cage around his heart and declared love never lasted, people never stayed, and maybe he was better off alone. But kissing Claire, holding her, David’s prior arguments no longer held their shape. The constant dull ache in his heart, his steady companion for the past few years, fluttered away with the ocean breeze.
Brushing his tongue along her bottom lip, he tasted the fruity tang of her lip balm. Inhaling her scent, his nostrils flared, while his skin ignited. He wondered how kissing someone could feel this right, feel this perfect.
Finally, David forced himself to pull away. Gasping for air, his hand flew to his exploding chest. His chest heaved as he waited to regain control. Kissing Claire on the temple, David wrapped his arms around her, bringing her tight against his chest. Claire mirrored his movements, resting her head in the crook of his neck.
“I— I—” David chuckled. Half delirious. “I don’t even know what to say.”
He felt Claire smile against his chest. “Please don’t say anything.” She loosened their embrace a tad, enough to peer up at him. With a sly smile, Claire said, “Why don’t you just kiss me again?”
So he did.