Chapter 14 Chanel #2
They shared a look and burst out laughing. Chanel said, “I hear you. And it probably helps that you don’t have to worry about
all the people going to the beach taking up all the parking around your place, especially in the summer.” She’d gone to the
Santa Monica Pier several times, and there was always a crowd until later in the evening, particularly on the weekends. “The
noise from the pier would make me want to move.”
“That’s exactly why I live where I do. I can get my beach fix while still maintaining my quiet time.”
“I’m sure you appreciate the silence after growing up in a house with four boys. That had to be wild at times. I don’t know
how your mom put up with that kind of noise. One of my aunts has three boys, and I was always ready to leave whenever we went
to their house.”
“It did get crazy sometimes, but we knew how far to push. One look from either her or my dad would straighten us right up.”
Vincent shared more of his and his brothers’ antics, and from everything he said, it sounded like his parents were amazing.
It made her even more curious about his family. While she still had some apprehensions about meeting them, each detail piqued
her interest a little more.
“Tell me more about your family,” Vincent said, drawing Chanel out of her thoughts. “You mentioned you and your mom aren’t tight. What about your dad?”
Chanel stared out the window, not really wanting to discuss her family. “There’s nothing really to tell. My family was nothing
like yours. And I haven’t seen my father in several years. He wasn’t much on being responsible.” Or sober. Or loving.
He grasped her hand. “I’m really sorry, Chanel.”
A faint smile curved her lips. “Not your fault. I hope you know how blessed you are to have a great family.”
“I do, and I never take it for granted. Maybe once we know each other better, you’ll feel more comfortable sharing.”
The tone of his voice, the strength of his hand holding hers, and the sincerity in his gaze had her about two seconds from
telling him everything he wanted to know. “We’ll see.”
“I’ll go with that.”
They rode the rest of the way in companionable silence. She tried to keep her surprise hidden when he pulled into the valet
lane of an upscale steakhouse. Okay, he’d said dressy, but this place had her thinking she should’ve found something closer
to semiformal. Vincent was out and around to her side before the valet could open her door. She placed her hand in his, and
just like after their lunch date, he didn’t let go. This time, she didn’t have to worry about nosy coworkers. He escorted
her inside and gave his name to the hostess. It only took a couple of minutes for them to be led to a booth near the back.
Chanel scanned her surroundings. The dim lighting and elegant décor gave a definite romantic feel to the space. She picked
up the menu and felt her eyes widen at the à la carte prices.
“Are you okay? You seem a little uncomfortable.”
Her head came up. “Um . . . yeah. I wasn’t expecting all this. It’s a little expensive, and I—” She cut herself off.
Vincent angled his head and smiled. “Every woman deserves to be treated like a queen, Chanel, and this is one of the ways I choose to show it.”
This man is going to make me fall for him before the drink order. “You’re a really special man, Vincent. Thank you.” She hated to compare him to her ex, but just two dates had shown her that
she’d been right in kicking her ex to the curb. That man’s definition of upscale had been taking her to Applebee’s. And then he’d had the nerve to be offended when she didn’t volunteer to contribute to
the bill. Pushing aside the irritating memory, Chanel refocused on the menu. “Do you have any recommendations?”
“No. I’ve never been here before,” he added, his gaze locked on hers.
Yep, I’m falling. They went back and forth between the many choices, and both settled on a seafood entree and agreed to share a couple of the
sides. By the time the server appeared, they were ready to give the drink and food order.
As soon as the young woman walked away, Vincent said, “So tell me something about you—what you like to do for fun, favorite
foods, favorite vacation spot.”
Because fun had only been part of her life recently, she had to think for a moment. “Let’s see, for fun, I like hanging out
at the beach and bingeing old Blaxploitation movies with my sister while we stuff ourselves with popcorn and root beer floats.
I also enjoy putting puzzles together. It relaxes me. As far as foods, I’ll take seafood and any kind of potato every day
of the week. My sister always complains because that’s my go-to for most meals.”
“Does that mean you’re a good cook?”
“I’m pretty handy in the kitchen.” Cooking might have been the only thing her mother had passed down to her and Jada. Both could cook well. “And when it comes to desserts and snacks, chocolate tops my list, with potato chips a close second,” she added with a little laugh.
“Chocolate is on my list too, as well as just about every other sweet dessert. I may grab a bag of chips every now and again,
but I definitely have a sweet tooth.”
“Oh yeah, you mentioned your sister-in-law’s pound cake. Maybe you can sneak me a little piece the next time she makes one.”
“Or if she makes it for dessert, you can get—” He paused when the server returned with their wine. Vincent picked up his glass.
“To the start of something beautiful.”
Chanel touched her glass to his and took a sip. The intensity in his gaze made her heart beat a little faster.
“As I was saying, if Kam makes the cake when you come to dinner, you can get your own piece. But you’d better move fast or
you’ll lose out. Tariq loves his wife’s food, and my parents are the only people he’ll let get their pieces first.”
She chuckled. “See, now you’ve got my mouth watering for that cake.”
He leaned forward, and a sexy grin kicked up the corner of his mouth. “Is that the only thing that makes your mouth water?”
Her pulse skipped, and in an instant, the mood went from playful to sensual. The brother was smooth, and she’d never engaged
in this kind of banter with her past boyfriends. But for him, she’d try. Giving him a sultry smile, she said, “I guess you’ll
have to find out.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Yeah, baby, I’m definitely up for that challenge.”
The look in his eyes and the timbre of his voice had Chanel snatching up her glass and taking a hasty gulp. She was way out of her league and thought it best that she keep the topic on something safer. “So I’ll throw your questions back at you. What are some Vincent facts I should know?”
“We’ve pretty much covered the food.”
“Yeah, you have a sweet tooth. Got it,” Chanel said. “Aside from that, what do you like?”
“I enjoy being on the grill and pretty much do it year-round, unless the weather is really bad. We’ll have to cook together
sometime. My skills in the kitchen are okay, though.”
He slid that cooking together comment in so smoothly, she almost missed it.
“As far as hobbies, I get on the basketball court with my brothers or my buddies, and I’ve picked up the sax again. I played
in high school but let it go once I hit college.”
“Oooh, you have to play for me sometime. I’ve always wanted to be serenaded, especially if it’s something slow.” She and her
sister loved watching movies and agreed there was something especially romantic about a hero serenading the heroine, whether
by instrument or singing.
“We’ll see once I get back up to speed. My practice time has been limited since I started school,” Vincent finished as the
server returned with their meal. He took Chanel’s hand and recited a short blessing. “Go ahead and fix yours first.”
She added portions of the sides to her plate and waited while he did the same. While eating, he told her about his travels
to DC and Hawaii with his family, as well as the weekend trips to San Francisco and San Diego with his friends. The farthest
she’d been was Las Vegas with her sister and best friend. Now that she had a measure of freedom, she planned to take a trip
somewhere soon.
“Do you want anything else? Dessert?” Vincent asked when they finished eating as the server cleared the empty dishes from
the table.
“No, thank you. I’m so full, I can’t eat another bite. Thank you so much for dinner. Everything was delicious.”
Vincent turned to the server. “Just the check, please.”
Nodding, she said, “I’ll be right back.”
“So what are your plans for the rest of the evening, besides getting ready for work tomorrow?” Chanel asked.
“I’ll probably put in an hour or two of studying.”
“Oh yeah. You mentioned going to school. How many nights a week do you have to go to class, and which program are you doing?”
“It’s online, which makes it easier, and I’m doing the radiologist assistant program.” The server slid the portfolio on the
table as she passed. “I should be finished in another year and a half.” Vincent opened the bill, then placed his credit card
inside and set it at the end of the table.
The advanced certification would definitely give him a pay bump, and she had been considering doing something similar. “Cool.
I thought about going back for the mammography certification.”
“You should do it. We can study together, although you’ll be finished far sooner.”
The mammography certification would be roughly equivalent to a semester since she’d already completed a radiology technologist