16. Jensen
Chapter 16
Jensen
A s he watched cars zoom past him on the Sunset Boulevard sidewalk, Jensen checked the time like his anxious gaze would summon Daisy out of thin air. If only it were that easy.
For a Friday night in the middle of September, Jensen planned to kick off his weekend with some takeout and tackle his backlist of Food Network shows. But those plans crumbled when his parents called, asking for a huge favor.
They were supposed to attend some award function honoring upstanding members of the community and their contributions to the Los Angeles social scene. ‘Supposed to’ became the operative words there as his dad and mom caught a nasty strain of the flu.
Piper and Hayley offered to check in on them, bringing them soup or whatever else they needed. However, someone needed to accept the award for their dad since he couldn’t stop throwing up for more than ten minutes.
Even after his dad called Daisy and asked her to cover for him, Jensen offered to go on his behalf. So, Jensen waited for Daisy to arrive, standing outside in the light of the golden hour.
Jensen’s foot tapped against the plush red carpet outside the restaurant, apparently rented out for the night by the organization hosting the awards. The modern exterior exuded the swanky, high-society vibe promised by these events. A regular snooze-fest of people patting each other on the back and making painful small talk over expensive snacks. After the first few, the rest lost their mystique.
His gaze wandered away from the busy intersection when a dark car rolled up to the curb. The back door flung open, revealing Daisy, dressed for the occasion.
The black, floor-length gown she wore billowed in the breeze when Daisy emerged from the backseat, quick to smooth over any flyaway hairs. The fabric clung to her from her dress's twisted, high neckline until the slight poof around her knees, but the simple bun and elegant dress bore a striking contrast to dark eyes and a red lip so bold it felt like a punch to the throat.
The sunset gathered like a halo around the back of her head, framing her in a shower of gold, orange, and a touch of pink. Daisy glowed in the colors of the fading sky, glittering brighter than a diamond or the sunlight catching on the skyscrapers of the Los Angeles skyline. Radiant, the best word to describe her, reached Jensen's tongue, but he held the thought close to his chest.
Daisy had always been beautiful, untouchably so. Yet, in that moment, she touched a new plane of ethereality, standing right within his grasp.
"Thanks. Expect 20%, okay?" Daisy shouted over the nearby rush of traffic before slamming the door shut. She rushed onto the curb as the car peeled away, tires screeching against the asphalt.
She inhaled sharply, finally noticing Jensen from how fast her face pulled into a resting smirk.
“Daisy,” Jensen greeted, offering her his hand. “Did my poor, very sick dad interrupt something important? Was it a date?”
“Your dad was throwing his guts up between every sentence. I wasn’t about to deny him a favor.” Daisy shook her head to several strands loosening from her bun, framing her face. “And no, I wasn’t on a date.”
“So, what got you so dressed up tonight?”
"I like to go out and have a nice dinner sometimes. No special occasion, no companion. Just me, some nice wine, a candlelit dinner for one, and a slice of cheesecake to go.”
“That sounds really nice, actually.”
"It is. I've only enjoyed life's finer things in the last few years. Plus, when the opportunity arises, I will never deny myself a slice of strawberry cheesecake."
The mention of cheesecake inspired a quiet grumble in Jensen’s stomach, reminding him about the abandoned takeout order on his laptop. Daisy raised her brow at him but said nothing.
Her hand reached toward him, held out for a handshake, and Jensen grasped her hand. The gesture quickly melted into something entirely different when Daisy’s hand slid up his arm, hooking into the crook of his elbow.
"We should head inside. We're a little behind," said Jensen.
“Right. I assume Harrison called the organizer to inform them we're arriving on his behalf," Daisy agreed, heading inside with Jensen.
The two crossed into a gorgeous foyer—all spiral staircases with a balcony overhead and polished marble floors so bright they could see their reflections—when a harried stranger raced over.
The guy grabbed the bright blue pocket square from the breast of his luxury suit, dabbing his sweaty forehead. “You must be Harrison Ramsey’s representatives, yes?”
“Yeah, I’m his son, Jensen. This is Daisy, one of my colleagues at the company. We came as soon as we could. Sorry for any delay this might have caused.”
“It’s no trouble. We wish Harrison and Mrs. Ramsey a swift recovery. You two have only missed a few awards; we placed your seats at the back of the room by Mr. Ramsey's request to not disturb the ceremony."
“When will we be called up?”
"It should be any moment now. If you'd like to stay for the rest of the ceremony, we can provide dinner and two drink tickets for the bar."
“We’ll think about it.” Daisy smiled, tight crinkles forming around the corners of her eyes. Jensen watched the organizer nod mutely, noticing how his eyes boldly ran over Daisy’s figure.
Her hand on his elbow squeezed tighter, scooting closer to him when Jensen's arm snaked around her waist.
“Thank you.” Jensen guided Daisy through the double doors as a lucky award recipient wiped at their eyes mid-speech. Jensen brought him and Daisy closer to the back wall, whispering, "Hopefully, we're up soon."
“Same here. It’s not that I’m not happy for your dad, but I could've been sliding into a food coma right about now." Daisy's voice rose slightly when the room erupted in applause, awarding the recipient on stage one last time.
Jensen clapped politely as the stage cleared. Right then, the Mayor of Los Angeles, Emilio Canales, sauntered onto the stage. His pearly white smile gleamed almost as bright as the pomade slicking back his dark curls.
He waved, garnering vigorous applause and whistles from the crowd when he reached the podium with a glittering award. Emilio adjusted the microphone, pausing for the cameras to snap some photos. That man never met a camera he didn’t love, apparently.
“Evening, everyone. I’m honored to be here with you tonight. We’re celebrating the movers and shakers of this city, and our night wouldn’t be complete without honoring a man whose track record with success shines like a star on the Walk of Fame. I’ve been honored to host events on his properties and take my family to The Ridge every summer. Not only does he give this community opportunities for high-end experiences, but his generosity and dedication to giving back to those who welcome him speak volumes. Would Harrison Ramsey please come to the stage?”
Whistles and clapping filled the room again as people looked for his dad, bringing Jensen forward. Daisy nudged his arm off her waist, looping their arms together instead. In a crowd of strangers, holding her like that might raise a few questions.
Jensen led Daisy through the crowd, weaving through the applause. Some faces flashed in recognition as he passed; he knew some of these strangers, mostly as vague memories from work events of the past.
So, Jensen smiled while helping Daisy onto the stage, aware of the cameras on them. Daisy strode over to Mayor Canales, who brightened and shook her hand, speaking to Daisy too softly for Jensen to hear.
Daisy beamed at whatever Mayor Canales said, accepting the award from the mayor. She glanced over her shoulder—award cradled to her chest—and Jensen bridged the gap in two strides.
"It's a little sharp, so be careful," she whispered before passing the award into his arms. Jensen leaned in to properly hold the trophy. Daisy failed to mention how heavy it was for a tiny little thing.
Jensen cleared his throat. “Thanks. I’ve got it.” He maneuvered enough to shake the mayor’s hand, who lingered off to the side. Daisy paused, standing short of the microphone’s range.
"Do you want to say something, or should I?"
“We can both say something short.”
“Okay.” Daisy cleared her throat a few times until a hush fell over the crowd, giving the spotlight to them. "Good evening. Jensen and I are here on Harrison’s behalf to accept this award. I have been privileged to know Harrison as a boss and mentor for the last ten years. The first thing anyone will tell you about him is his commitment to Hidden Oasis. However, everyone should know that he wouldn't be half the success story he is without his humility. That comes from how close he keeps good people around him, like his family."
Daisy’s eyes flickered to him as she spoke, leaving Jensen to fight a stupid grin stretching across his face. Someone should capture the moment on film because Daisy saying nice things about him didn’t happen often.
Jensen sidled up to the microphone. "My dad started Hidden Oasis with a simple mission: create enjoyment and entertainment. He continues that mission when he shows up to work, bringing the same enthusiasm to every task crossing his desk. As his son and a proud company employee, I can confidently say we all look to the future and know he’ll lead us to a better tomorrow. He will cherish this honor once he recovers from the flu. Thank you.”
A few laughs mingled with applause, signaling their cue to leave the stage and let the ceremony continue. Jensen secured the award in his arms as he walked. Daisy’s hands slipped down his sides as she trailed behind him.
Jensen turned to her, leaning his mouth to graze her ear. “I think we should get out of here. The split pea soup doesn’t look all that appetizing.”
He eyed the bowls of murky, green soup at the nearest table and the small portion sizes of the other entrees. Yeah, none of that looked more appetizing than the promise of greasy takeout. Jensen wasn’t sticking around.
Daisy paused, but her mouth twitched. “You have a place in mind? I’m still thinking about my cheesecake.”
“I know just the place. I’ll drive.”
Cruising down Franklin Ave, Jensen watched the light above the intersection as his car sped through, catching the last few seconds of yellow. He sailed across the crosswalk on the opposite end before the yellow switched to red.
The road ahead appeared sparse with other drivers, so Jensen brought his car to a smooth drive along the Los Angeles roads.
To his right, the flutter of Daisy’s sandy blonde waves on the wind caught his attention. Jensen glanced over, finding her curled against the passenger side door while basking in the dusk. The sun dropped below the horizon, so the pinks and purples drained into the nighttime.
Daisy stared straight ahead as the wind continued to swirl around them, carrying the distant taste of cigar smoke and car exhaust into the distance.
In her lap, she balanced a grease-stained paper bag with their dinner—picked up from a mom-and-pop burger joint Jensen liked. While checking out with their sloppy cheeseburgers and French fries, they agreed that a good burger defeated a fancy meal every time.
Daisy’s slender fingers hovered over the dial to the radio, hesitating to change the song from the pop station she chose at the start of their drive.
Jensen remembered how his brows arched when the cheesy pop throwbacks from the nineties spilled out from his radio, but Daisy shrugged noncommittally. The music provided a nice layer to their aimless cruise, filling the space instead of silence as their backseat passenger.
The fresh air and the promise of food gave them every excuse to leave the award ceremony, not sparing split pea soup a second thought when sprinting from the restaurant.
“Jensen,” Daisy whispered when the radio hit a commercial break, lowering the volume. Their dinner rustled on her knees when she leaned toward him. “Griffith Park is coming up in a block.”
“Yeah?”
"The observatory has a parking space with a good view. Want to stop there so we can eat for a little while?”
Jensen thought about it, already hitting the turn signal. The left-hand turn onto the winding side roads into the park approached. “Sounds like a plan. Have you been there before?”
“Once, on a field trip in the fifth grade.” The mistiness in Daisy’s voice wasn’t lost on Jensen, who rarely heard her speak with such fondness about anything. Daisy laughed. “I remember how excited I was to visit the telescope even though it was daytime. I got lost in the gift shop for half an hour, trying to find something cheap to take home if I skipped lunch at the food court. I regret never catching a planetarium show since we left early.”
“You never came back?” asked Jensen, thoroughly invested in the tales of ten-year-old Daisy running amok in the observatory. Somehow, he imagined a little girl with blonde pigtails and as much attitude as her adult self, peering at the planet-shaped dioramas or wandering the gift shop with stars in her eyes.
“Never, but I always wanted to visit.” Daisy shrugged. In the dying light of dusk, Jensen almost swore her cheeks darkened from the rosy kiss of the cold. But he kept his eyes firmly fixed on the road.
The two lapsed into silence as Jensen drove through the winding path around the Hollywood hiking trails, heading for the observatory at the top of the hill. At that hour, Jensen only anticipated a few people milling around the observatory, free from the rush of school buses and families.
Jensen’s convertible sped into the parking lot. As expected, the empty spots outnumbered those filled with cars, but as Daisy guessed, the view from Griffith knocked the breath clear of Jensen’s lungs.
The city skyline glittered darkly against the final touches of sunset as building lights began to flicker on. Traffic roared past in blurs of light like little rockets, turning into a steady trickle of light spilling from the streets.
Jensen chose a spot overlooking the city, one in the front row by the observatory’s manicured lawn. He cut the engine, beckoning Daisy for his burger.
The rustle of the paper bags echoed through the quiet air shortly before Jensen sank his teeth into a juicy, everything-on-it burger. He moaned through the first bite when the patty melted on his tongue like butter.
Beside him, Daisy snorted while devouring a handful of fries. Her eyes fluttered shut, humming delightedly. “No offense to the chef, but I’m taking the burger over roasted quail every time.”
“I feel like the chef would understand,” Jensen chuckled, wiping at his mouth when burger sauce trickled out from the corner of his lips. He wolfed down half the burger in several quick bites, starving. “Those events are nice sometimes, but do you ever feel like the small talk grows. . .”
"Tiresome?" Daisy finished his thought, lips downturned while she held her burger.
“Exactly. It’s usually the same conversations recycled by people you vaguely recognize unless you're close. Even then, there are so many layers of pleasantries to dance around. It’s exhausting.”
“You’re telling me. At least you have it a little easier.”
“And how’s that?”
Daisy raised her brow in the middle of a bite into her burger. But she chewed fast, covering her mouth. "As a guy, the expectations of you aren't as high. You could wear the same suit to every event, and no one would bat an eye. If I want to represent the company in a good light, people expect me to show up in a perfect outfit, all done up. There can't be a hair out of place. My makeup must look acceptable, not too much or too little. The outfit I choose needs to be not too frumpy but not too sexy, just right to show off my body. I need to be attractive enough to make me eye candy for the men who dangle their checkbooks over my head."
Jensen’s throat dried, and his appetite wavered with it. He put the burger back into its bag, sampling a few fries. The salt hit his tongue, but the bitterness edged the taste right out.
He sighed. “Do you think about how different your life could’ve been?”
“All the time,” Daisy whispered to the sky, tipping her head back to study the faint view of the stars through the light pollution. Jensen's eyes traced down the edge of her jaw as her profile bathed in the first touches of moonlight. The graceful silver softened the woman he knew most for her fierceness. “But I try not to. I’ve been given a chance to make my life mean something, at least something more than being a girl whose potential outweighed the rest of her.”
“I don’t know. I feel like your sheer stubbornness would have driven you to be great at whatever you did,” Jensen murmured, but his levity was lost on Daisy.
She shook her head, voice shaking. "No, you could've done anything you set your heart on. The world should aspire to be so lucky."
"Yeah, but for a long time, I wandered aimlessly. I liked life, but I didn't love it, not like how I do now. I had everything I could ever want, but money couldn't buy ambition, purpose, or happiness."
“That’s why you stay in the business? It gives you purpose?”
“That. . . and it helps me feel like I'm making my dad proud. I don't know. I get up every morning, and while work sometimes gets on my nerves, I can't imagine doing anything else with my life."
Jensen’s gaze wandered back to Daisy when her breathing quieted, following the line of her vision. Her wistful eyes, back to that damn shade of whiskey he’d become so attached to, stared at the observatory.
No more what-ifs.
Jensen clicked the button for the convertible's roof. The mechanical sounds snapped Daisy straight from her trance. She jolted, eyes darting between Jensen and the roof sliding back on.
“Jensen, what?” Daisy stammered.
“Griffith doesn’t close for another few hours.” Jensen unbuckled himself and grabbed the burgers. He tossed the bags into the backseat beside the trophy and pulled one of his discarded coats to cover it. “We should go inside and catch a planetarium show.”
Daisy’s face flustered in a dark shade of pink, stretching across her cheeks and nose. She opened her mouth to say something until Jensen’s hand clicked her seatbelt for her.
Instead, her mouth pulled out the prettiest smile Jensen had ever seen, and she grasped his hand. “Okay, and if the gift shop’s open, I want one of those Newton’s cradles for my desk.”
“I have no idea what a Newton’s cradle is, but I’ll take your word for it!” Jensen breathlessly exclaimed while he and Daisy scrambled out of their seats. The car doors chirped behind them while he and Daisy raced toward the observatory.
Despite her low heels and dress, Daisy's strides looked more like those of an Olympic track athlete. Jensen fought to keep up with her while the few people they passed stopped and stared at them, racing down the pavement in black tie attire.
However, neither stopped running until they burst through the double doors of the Griffith Observatory. Jensen’s hand grasped Daisy’s while he dragged her toward the short staircase, taking her through the hallowed halls of scientific discoveries memorialized and enshrined for curious young minds.
The two stumbled outside the planetarium’s doors, where a ticket machine blinked at the ready. Jensen’s credit card emerged from his pocket faster than Daisy could fumble for her clutch. Within a minute, two tickets to the final show of the planetarium fell into his grasp.
Jensen presented them to the worker at the door, who waved them along. He and Daisy plunged into the dim planetarium room, staring into the ceiling with celestial bodies painted around its circumference.
“Grab seats at the front!” Daisy whispered, but her voice pitched slightly when she nudged Jensen toward the front row. Most of the chairs were empty, but Jensen liked the front.
He and Daisy crashed into two seats in the first row, muffling their laughs when sinking into the plush chairs. And, in the dimly-lit room underneath the painted stars, Jensen's eyes met Daisy's shining ones.
Somehow, the look in her eyes put the rest of the universe to shame.