Chapter Fifteen
Alma forced herself to pull away from him, but she didn’t want to.
She wanted to lean in for more. More kissing. All the kissing. Jaime’s tongue in her mouth, licking her body, tasting her—
Jaime’s eyes were wide. Hopeful.
“Alma, I, we—”
This is what she had wanted all night. To be with him, to sleep with him, to reunite and experience the passion they shared.
But now that it was right in front of her face, she couldn’t do it.
She wanted to so, so badly, but she couldn’t give in when she was still so hurt.
“Jaime. I think you should go. Now, please.”
He nodded. “Can I at least walk you home? It’s late.”
“It’s safe here, Jaime. I don’t need you to walk me a block. I do get myself home every night after work perfectly fine.”
Jaime shrugged his shoulders. “Okay.” He walked toward the door. Alma hated to see him leave but knew it was the right choice.
He turned back toward her. “Are we still on for brunch on Sunday?”
Alma should’ve said no. This, whatever this was, had gone on long enough.
She should limit their interaction to the festival.
He could honor his commitment to help her with her socials, but he didn’t need to be around her for that.
And he could easily arrange to get that critic to come without getting her involved.
She had already taught him a bit about tequila tonight; a simple Spanish lesson for when he promoted her bar should be sufficient, right?
There was no need to go to brunch on Sunday.
But she wanted to.
“Yes. You can pick me and Tequila up here at ten.”
“Did you make reservations?”
Dammit. She had totally spaced. “No. But I can now.”
He squeezed her hand. “Let me take care of it.”
She exhaled. “Okay. That’s fine. Good night, Jaime.”
He exhaled. “Great. Good night, Alma.”
He left the bar, and she locked the door behind him. She quickly cleaned up the tequila tasting, wiped the countertops. She rubbed her eyes. It had been a long night. She locked up the bar and walked the quick distance to her home.
—
On Sunday morning, Alma milled around her condo frantically. She should’ve canceled this brunch when she had the chance. But she couldn’t deny how much fun she’d been having with Jaime. Maybe this day would give her the closure she needed to move on…or move forward.
She curled her long hair so it framed her face, applied her makeup in natural tones with just a hint of sparkle, and spent a full hour choosing a dress, finally settling on a white sheath that was slightly transparent, without being too tacky, and flowy, not formfitting.
She still wasn’t sure what she wanted, if anything, from Jaime, but either way she wanted to make his mouth water.
She had to admit that his reemergence in her life was exciting.
Lately, she had been in such a rut. She had one focus, making her bar the best. She wasn’t proud of the fact that this had caused her to withdraw from her family and friends.
Just being involved in the festival would be a welcome change from her daily routine.
Jaime would be on his way to pick her up at her bar.
Why had she not only agreed to go out with him but also suggested brunch?
She could’ve said coffee. Coffee was easy and quick.
Brunch was not a quick day date, well, definitely not with Jaime.
Back when they were together, they would drive somewhere in the wine country, have long, luxurious meals complete with lots of wine and indulgent desserts.
Then they would spend their days shopping in the cute local boutiques and finally check into a hotel and stay up all night making love.
It had all been so easy, so effortless. She was so in love with him back then that their past seemed like an endless stream of dates and decadence.
She secured the leash on Tequila’s pink harness, checked her reflection in the mirror one last time, and locked her condo door.
As she walked the block to her bar, her refuge, she saw Santi’s orange Porsche drive up the street.
But Santi wasn’t driving nor was he anywhere to be found; not that she had expected him to show up.
It was Jaime who was in the driver’s seat.
There was no turning back now. She was about to spend significant time with her ex.
He pulled up to a loading zone near the turnabout, stopped the car, and opened the door for her. He wore a perfectly fitted blue suit with no tie. He looked like a movie star.
“I told you to meet me at Mezcalifornia.”
“I know. But I saw you walking so I thought this was easier, and I didn’t have to park. Unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Unless you want to actually give me a tour of your condo.”
Alma studied him. He was so handsome. His black hair skimmed his brows, and his cheekbones were chiseled. He had lost a bit of his boyish looks that she had fallen in love with, and now he was all man; not that she was complaining.
“Maybe later.” She slid into the slick leather car seat and placed Tequila on her lap. “I hope Santi likes pug hair. That was nice of him to let you borrow his car.”
“He’s the best. I really missed him.” He gazed at her and winked. “And you.”
Alma ignored the wink that caused her core to burn for him. “Where to? There are some great new places in Marin. Or we could go to San Francisco.”
“Alma, I said I got this. We’re going to Sonoma.”
Her hands shook. This was her fault for not making a local reservation and then agreeing to let him handle it when he asked the other night.
She had worried that Sonoma was where they were headed.
The romantic wine country. How could she possibly return to the area where they had fallen in love and resist his charm?
Did he really want her back? The kiss Friday night said he did, but maybe it was just an in-the-moment kind of thing with the tequila flowing.
In what way could this ever work? Was this some power trip just to see if he could get her?
There was no way Jaime wanted to settle down.
He was only twenty-five. She didn’t know if he would ever settle down.
Hell, Ramón didn’t settle down until his thirties.
They drove back through downtown Tiburon, past the dog park, and alongside Blackie’s Pasture.
With the top down on the convertible, it was hard to carry on a conversation, which was probably a good thing.
Tequila’s tiny ears flapped in the wind.
Maybe the long drive might be too much for her precious, sturdy-yet-fragile pug.
Alma tapped Jaime’s leg. “Can you put the top up on this car? I don’t think the air is good for Tequila’s eyes.”
“Sure.” Jaime pressed a button in the convertible and the top went up. “When did you get her?”
“A few months after we broke up. Pugs N’ Roses, a pug rescue, had her up for adoption and I couldn’t resist her wrinkly face. And let’s face it—I needed someone to cuddle with after you dumped me.”
Jaime exhaled. “Alma, all I can say is I’m sorry.
Unfortunately, I can’t go back in time. I know how I ended things abruptly was fucked-up.
I thought just doing it suddenly would actually hurt less than dragging it out and having long conversations about it.
I loved you—though we both know we were too young to settle down.
That sounds awful but it’s true. I don’t want to continue living in the past.”
“Neither do I. Hence why I was so surprised when you showed up in my bar!”
Jaime sighed, his lips turning down. “I apologize again for showing up here and invading your life, but I don’t regret it. I missed you. And your family. Is there any way we can move forward?”
Forward? “What does that even mean?”
“It means we start fresh today. Here. Now. Forget about our past and see if we have anything between us today that we can build on.”
Hard no. “I already told you I don’t want to date you.
That kiss last night, though enjoyable, was nothing but confusing.
And this friendship, or whatever it is, is awkward at best and painful at worst. You don’t even live here.
I can’t imagine ever being friends with you. I have to trust my friends.”
Jaime just nodded and looked at the road.
Maybe Alma was being too hard on him. They had been so young. And they were still young. She hadn’t expected him to marry her at age twenty-two. She was just so heartbroken that she couldn’t let go of the pain.
Alma tried to focus on the present. Maybe she could be more zen and start meditating. Zoila was always obsessed with that new age crap. But Alma had taken some of the messages to heart too. Live in the present. Maybe she could be happier if she lived for today.
It was a glorious spring day in the bay.
The sun shone brightly in the sky, and cautious excitement replaced Alma’s nervousness.
What would it be like to return to the area where they had fallen in love?
Would her feelings toward Jaime soften? Would she be lost in their past and blind to the problems they would most definitely have if they considered a future?
As the grand mountain in the distance came into view, Alma’s heart leapt.
Napa was so magical. She had been such a shy, nervous girl when she had moved here to start college.
She had never been away from her parents’ house and was a first-generation college student, and it had been so surreal for her to be on her own.
Then Alma had met Jaime the very first week in school, at one of those Latino student get-togethers.
She had fallen fast in love with his dimples and his charm.
As Jaime took a familiar exit, there was no doubt. He was taking her to their favorite café in downtown Sonoma.
The landscape was decorated with glorious vineyards and rolling hills. A beautiful place for some other couple to rekindle a romance—but not them. Alma couldn’t be swayed by looks, whether they belonged to the gorgeous wine country or the man by her side.