Chapter 2
TWO
LEXIE
Lexie didn't have to wait long for her new friend to contact her.
Her phone rang that evening as she was staring at her near empty fridge with a vague hope that food would just appear in front of her.
She picked up her phone from the counter and swiped the screen to answer the call. "Hello?"
There was a momentary pause before she heard a voice.
"Is this a bad time?"
Oh!
She recognized that voice.
It wasn't hard.
She'd never met a man whose voice sounded like sunshine and she could only imagine what the ocean sounded like across the sand, a warm and refreshing rush of sound.
"No. Sorry." She sighed. "I was just staring at my open and nearly empty fridge wondering what I'm going to eat before I sit down to study."
"Ah..."
She heard his hesitation and wondered if he was second guessing his call.
"You know, I don't think I asked you where you were staying."
"Yeah... Well, there's only half of the answer for that right now."
"A half answer?" She closed the fridge door and turned to lean back against the counter. "What's that?"
"Well, I tried looking for an apartment before I got here, but it was kind of hard to get a feel for a place through pictures. You almost have to wonder what they're hiding with the camera angles."
She nodded and smiled to herself. "You know, I get it. When I was looking for an apartment, I was able to look around a few times."
"So, I picked up a cheap Airbnb for about a week to give myself some time to look before I start work. I do have some paperwork to do at CCFD headquarters before that."
"Ahhh," she nodded. "If the FD is anything like working at Cole. You have to do photos and paperwork. I had to do a background check."
"Mmmhmm. I had one done while I was working for HFD so that was pretty much taken care of. I think they had to look and see if I'd broken any laws since the first background check. So, I think I'm okay."
"You mean, if you did something, you've covered it up pretty well?"
"Nothing to add. My family would have kicked my butt if I'd done something stupid."
There was a wry tone in his voice that made her listen in closely.
"You mean besides moving to Center City?"
His laughter filled the air, and she laughed along with him.
"Did I hit it on the head?"
She swore she could see him shrug.
"Kind of. They're holding onto my surfboard and wetsuit, expecting me to head on home within the year."
His words had the sound of humor in them, but they fell like a rock at her feet.
The idea of him going back to Hawaii didn't sit well with her.
Not at all.
She wanted to say something, but she wasn't sure what to say.
So, she blurted out the first thing in her head. "Are you hungry?"
"Starving." His reply was almost a laugh. "I was making a list of apartments to check out, and I lost track of time. When I looked up and saw the clock on the wall, I thought it might be a good idea to see if you have any suggestions of where I could go for a quick meal."
"Where in Center City are you?"
Another hesitant silence reached her ear. "Yeah... I should start with that."
She chuckled to herself. "It's a pretty big city."
"Yeah, I found that out today when I got turned around, ending up on the wrong bus a couple of times."
She hissed a little. "That's your first mistake. The bus. You'll get the hang of public transportation soon. Unless you're planning to get a car."
"Not sure I want one if I can find a place to live close enough to the station. But... Maybe we can talk about this over dinner. That is if we're close enough that we can meet without throwing off your study time."
She wanted to throw caution to the wind and push off studying to another night, but she was so close to finishing everything to get her degree and work full time at Cole that she made herself focus.
"Okay... Why don't you tell me your cross streets, and I'll tell you how far we are from each other. "
"Okay..."
She put her phone on speaker and opened up the map app on her phone.
She plugged in his cross streets and smiled. "You're about five minutes from me via cab or ride share." She used her fingertips to move the map a little to the side. "There's a neat little Peruvian place almost halfway between us. I don't suppose you-"
"I'm game for anything," he replied back. "If I don't eat something soon, my stomach might gnaw its way out of me."
"Eww... I'm a medical student getting my certification as a nurse and that... that sounds gross!"
"Gross? Yes. But I am that hungry."
"Okay. So you're game for Peruvian. I'll send you the address."
"Great."
She reached for the END CALL image but stopped short when she heard his voice again.
"Lexie?"
"Hmm?" For a moment she wondered if he might cancel on her.
"Thanks. I know you just met me today, and you have every right to keep your distance. But you made my first few hours in Center City great and now, I think my first evening is going to be even better."
Wow.
She had no idea what to say to that.
"I know you're studying, so I won't take up too much of your time."
Again, the urge to throw caution and her studies to the wind was strong, but she'd been working so hard for this, she had to see it through.
There would be time later for the rest.
"Hey, it's okay," she reassured him. "I need to eat, too, and what I have in my fridge is a couple of packets of condiments and leftovers that should've been tossed out. So get going and I'll see you there."
There wasn't a line at Lomo Saltado Grill. In fact, about half of their tables were empty.
Lexie frowned as she walked in with Kaleo.
"This is strange. It's usually busier than this when I come in."
"Lexie!"
She lifted her hand and greeted the server. "Mia! How are things?"
She shrugged and lifted an eyebrow at Lexie. "A little slow tonight, but now that you're here..."
She shook her head. "Where do you want us to sit?"
Mia gestured to the room. "Anywhere you like." She stopped by the register and picked up a menu. "Except for someone's lap. That gets confusing."
A few of the people in the room chuckled, but no one was being sarcastic or mocking.
It was just the vibe of the place.
The colorful walls and pottery in the alcoves along the length of the room were all deep earthy colors and brighter accents.
There were also live potted plants around the room that she could see were healthy and thriving.
She turned to look at Kaleo. "Why don't you pick a place to sit?"
The tables in Lomo Saltado Grill weren't all the same.
Some could seat two or four, depending on how the configuration was. There were a pair of two-seater tables along the side wall, and he gestured to the one closest to the kitchen.
Nodding, she walked with him to the table, but just before she touched the back of the chair to pull it out from the table, his hand was there.
Lexie didn't know what to think.
She certainly didn't know what to do.
She looked up at him as she heard the soft scrape of chair legs across the floor.
When she didn't move to sit, she felt someone touch her arm on the opposite side.
It nudged her gently toward her seat and when she found herself in the chair, she turned her head in the opposite direction and saw Kaleo's tanned fingers as he moved his hand away from her arm.
As he moved to his seat on the other side of the square table, Mia stepped in and put a menu in front of Kaleo. "Welcome, first timer."
Kaleo smiled at her. "Thanks?"
Mia turned to look at Lexie and mouthed her. 'NIIIICE.'
Lexie tried to wave off her friend's implied meaning, but Lexie couldn't really do it with too much confidence, because Kaleo really was exactly the kind of guy she'd love to date.
"Don't mind me," Mia turned back to Kaleo. "Lexie picks up a shift or two here and there when we need a hand. She's awesome. And..." Mia swung a knowing look at Lexie, making Lexie blush, "she's never brought anyone with her. So..." She turned to look at Kaleo. "Are you her boyfriend?"
"Mia!"
Lexie reached out and grabbed her friend's arm.
"Kaleo's new in town. I just met him today."
Mia took a step back and looked from one side of the table to the other side, smiling as she went, ending on Kaleo.
"Okay. Speed round."
Lexie sank into her chair and dropped her chin toward her chest.
"Kaleo. Are you single?"
"Yes."
Lexie bit into her bottom lip.
The answer was quick and decisive.
"Are you looking?"
"Ahhh-"
Lexie squeezed her eyes shut and prayed this would be over soon.
"So," Mia hummmed, "not actively looking but if you bump into the perfect girl... err, guy-"
"Girl." He confirmed and Lexie felt Mia give her a light pinch on her shoulder.
"So if you bump into the perfect girl, would you be open?"
"Very."
Her heart kicked against her ribs, and she wanted to kick herself for the feeling.
"And have you bumped into the perfect-"
"Mia?"
The curtain across the doorway to the kitchen moved aside and Mia's dad, Cesar, peeked out.
"Oh, Lexie! Number Three?"
Lexie almost jumped out of her seat and hugged the older man.
"Yes," she might have sounded a little too enthusiastic about her order, but what else could she do when Mia was going to make her die of embarrassment?
"Number Three." Lexie sagged back against her chair. "I'm starving."
He nodded and pointed his spatula at Kaleo. "And the guy Mia's interrogating?"
Lexie looked at Kaleo and found him smiling at her, clearly enjoying the joke.
That made one of them.
Kaleo closed the menu and leaned in over the table looking at the man in the kitchen. "I'll have a number three, too."
Mia's dad nodded. "You know, son. You know."
He let the curtain close and Mia turned back to the table.
"Sorry. I just wanted to see if you two were... compatible."
Lexie felt a little adrift at the moment.
She'd spent most of her life with her head down in books. Studying.
Working toward her goals and her career.