He beamed at her as they toasted. Chase sipped and then set his glass down, trading it for his phone to thumb through the pictures. He looked at several and then set the phone to play them as a slideshow. “Here, see if you like them. I think they turned out,” he said, handing her the phone.
“They're beautiful! I mean, you are a far better photographer than you give yourself credit for. If you ever need another career, I bet I can convince a few people I know that…” she trailed off, remembering that all those people would be back in New York.
“Look,” Chase began and then hesitated. “I know this move has been sudden for you and . . . I have to say something here which I sincerely hope isn’t going to sour the day, but I wanted to say something.”
She sat back, worrying about what was coming next. Surely Katy didn’t tell him about…
Chase plowed ahead even though he saw the worry flash in her eyes. He had to be up front and honest with her about what he’d figured out last night. “You were very touchy about your white dress yesterday, and I think I know why. When Katy called and asked if I could come to Cupid’s yesterday she only explained that she had a prospective tenant for me and that you might be moving here.”
Sophie folded her arms across her chest. The gesture made Chase think that she was trying to hold herself together. He debated if he should finish or not, but knew there was no going back now. “Well… Berkeley isn’t all that big a town, and there was a wedding at the Bancroft Saturday between the daughter of a Berkeley professor and some film producer from New York. I’ve just today put two and two together with a white satin dress, and I’m so sorry. Some of my comments have been so insensitive. I get that way sometimes.”
“Well, I . . .”
“Look,” Chase interrupted, “I don’t care what the alleged groom thought, did, didn’t do, won't do in the future, but I sincerely hope he doesn’t want you back, because… he’s an idiot and a fool and really doesn’t deserve you!”
Sophie stared at him, speechless, for a full minute or more. While she sat there, unsure of what to say, the server came and stood discretely to one side, placing a steaming pizza on the wire rack that sat on the table.
Chase glanced up at him, saying “We’re going to have . . .” looking at Sophie, “coffee?” She nodded quickly, and he said decisively, “Yes, coffee. And, can you bring us the check? We’d like to sit here a while and enjoy the view.”
The waiter smiled at them and left. Chase looked at Sophie again, seeing that she still appeared in shock over his revelation and comment about her ex. “Oh, wow, I don’t know where all that came from,” he said. “I’m an idiot myself. I don’t even know the guy. Only that it would take a serious fool to let someone like you get away.”
“Chase, I . . . I don’t know what to say. I didn’t mean to burden you with my problems. Yesterday and today have been wonderful, and I don’t want to ruin it. Rob, his name was… is Rob. I worked with him in New York. We were going to honeymoon in Hawaii and instead . . .”
Chase reached out, taking her hand in his, saying, “Look, you don’t owe me any explanations. I wouldn’t blame you if you thought me a fool for even bringing it up. But I thought it would be better if I did, and then it wouldn’t be there, waiting to come out.”
He turned slightly and looked away, out at the harbor filled with sun-dappled ripples and the wind-chime-like clinking of stay lines in the breeze against the hundreds of boat masts around the harbor. When he turned back, he saw the same breeze riffling her hair; hair that sparkled in the sunlight, along with her eyes, which had teared up slightly.
“Chase, I believe you when you say you like me. I do. And today has, well, the last two days have been wonderful therapy for a girl who thought her world ended Saturday afternoon. I am so glad Katy introduced us.”
“But… I’m sensing a but coming.”
A single tear leaked down her cheek, but she smiled despite it. “But… I’m going to need time. It was shocking to find out that the last few months weren't what I thought they were. I’ll get over it. I will. Now that I have a new job, a new start, away from all that . . . that noise, in New York. I’ll be fine. Please don’t take that wrong. I want to get to know you, and I really do like you. It’s just too fast for me to take it all in.”
She stared down at the table top for a second, then looked up at him.
“I have an idea. Can we go somewhere and walk? Oh, I shouldn’t do that to you. You probably have plans for this afternoon.” She saw that he was staring at her again.
“You know, you really do have the most beautiful eyes.” Chase saw the waiter coming with the check. He waved at him to bring it over, left enough cash for the bill and a tip, and stood.
“Tell you what, I know the perfect place. Have you ever been to Muir Woods?” he asked, as he stood to pull out her chair.
“No, but I’d love to go there. I’ve seen it in pictures.” She stood, reached up on her tiptoes, and kissed him on the cheek.
As she pulled back from the kiss, he put his hand under her chin gently, and said, “Then, that’s where we’ll go.”
Arm in arm, they walked out of the restaurant to the car. The waiter began to clear their table, stopping for a second to look after them and smile. He smiled, even more, when he saw the size of the tip.
Chapter 15
The parking lot at Muir Woods was crowded, but they found a spot a short walk away from the entrance and left the car. As is often the case, there was a swirling mist in the trees, through which the sun peeked out occasionally. They walked past the entrance toward the packed earth trail and into the towering forest. Surprisingly, there was little traffic at the beginning of the path. They walked in silence for a few hundred feet. Birdsong from robins, jays, and mourning doves mixed with the distant children's voices.
Chase stopped, and Sophie walked a few paces, enthralled with their surroundings. She turned and joined him at the edge if the path.
They spoke at the same time. "I . . .”
Sophie laughed. "You first!" she said.
"Look up,” Chase said, pointing.
Sophie looked up and saw the towering trees appearing to lean into a center point high above, blue sky filling the hole in the swirling mist. "Oh," she breathed, “it's breathtaking."
"And that, sweetheart, is how I feel when I look at you," he whispered near her ear and pulled back to looking into Sophie’s eyes.
"I . . ."
“There you go again," Chase joked, hands on hips. "Speechless. I know, it grabbed me that way the first time, too."
She saw, in his face and the way he looked at her, the double meaning of his words that that he meant the first time he’d seen her. Without hesitation, she stepped up to him, put her arms around him, and kissed him on the lips.
The kiss turned into something more than Chase had expected. Caught off guard, he moved his hands to her shoulders gently, backing away slightly. He didn’t want to scare her away.
“Does this mean you’ll go out with me again?” he asked.
“Why yes, Mr. Peters, I believe I will,” she said.
His grin was carefree and happy, but Sophie saw something in his eyes and face, something that looked a lot like her future. Oh, I think we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.
“What?” Chase asked, standing close with his hands on her shoulders still looking down into her eyes.
“Nothing,” Sophie said, taking a step back. She wasn’t ready to share those sort of thoughts yet; especially since she had asked him for some time, but it was nice to think that they had a future together. “I just remembered where we are. In the middle of the woods, but I don’t want to go too far in and get lost.”
“No, we can head back if you want. I have an idea. It’s kind of cool and damp right now. So, let’s go somewhere and get something hot to drink. Or we could drive up the coast a little ways and let the sun warm us.”
“I like the first idea better,” she said. “My Dad took me up the coas
t road when we were here before, and frankly, I’m not up to that scary of a drive today.”
“You’re right. It’s easy to see that if you miss one of those sharp curves, you’ll drive right off the cliff’s side and into the ocean. The locals drive it like it was a straightaway, and tend to tailgate you to try to get you to go faster. Hmmm. I know a place on this side of the bridge.” He turned back toward the parking area and placed her arm under his. They walked arm in arm back to the car.
Chapter 16
“Oh, this is perfect!” she said as they settled at one of the outside tables in front of the small bakery and cafe, overlooking the water across Bridgeway. They had each picked out a pastry and ordered lattes inside. The sun was out once more, and the street was busy, but it was Monday, so most of the traffic was tourists.
“I thought you’d like it,” he said, pulling out her chair and then moving to his chair.
“Oh, I do, but I am going to have to go for a run tomorrow. Mexican last night, waffles and sausage for breakfast, pizza for lunch, and now lattes and pastry.”
“Well, you sound like you look forward to a run anyway, so why not have the energy to do that tomorrow,” he said and then tilted his head to the side, eyes brightening with an idea. “Would you mind if I joined you? I skipped my run yesterday and today, and I normally run at least five days a week.”
“Why no, if you think you can keep up.” Sophie’s smile twinkled with mischief. “I’m pretty fast!”
Chase tapped her nose with his finger and said, “I bet you are.”
“After the run, would you be willing to help me find a car? I can’t afford anything as fancy as a Porsche, but something new, maybe? I really don’t want to buy someone else’s problems.”
“Well, it just so happens that I have several friends who are in the car business. What do you have in mind?”
“I can afford something in the neighborhood of $25,000 to $30,000. Maybe a Toyota?”
“Well, you're in luck there. There’s a dealership within walking distance of your place, right on Shattuck. Not far from my office. I can meet you for a run early, and we can have breakfast again at Cupid’s.”
“Sounds good to me,” she said. “Is 6:30 too early? I’m normally an early riser and usually run at least two miles before breakfast. All kidding earlier aside, I just run for fun and exercise. I’m not really a sprinter.”
“Me neither. I just try to get a good cardio workout every day. Running and some playing racquetball with one of the guys I work with.”
When they finished their lattes, they decided to stroll along the shop front on the way back to the car.
Sophie commented, “This reminds me. I have some other shopping to do as well. I’m going to call my roommate in New York and let her know there will be someone coming to pick up the boxes I packed. Most of my clothes are good for either here or back East, but I need some things for work here. Jeanne mentioned it was casual dressy, and I don’t have much of that.”
Sophie stopped at a window with an appealing clothing display. Turning to Chase, she asked, “Would you mind terribly if I went in here for a minute and looked at a couple of things? I won’t be long. I promise.”
Seeing an opportunity to get some work done, Chase readily agreed. “Okay, that’s perfect! I’ll go back to the bakery and use their Wi-Fi to do some business. That way you can take your time and not feel rushed. Meet me back there when you're done.”
Sophie waved goodbye to Chase thinking how considerate he was. Rob was always in a hurry he never would have let me take my time. Sophie moved toward the shop’s glass door and walked in.
A sales person immediately came forward and asked, “May I help you?”
Sophie plastered her face with the smile of a girl on a shopping expedition. “I’m sure you can. That outfit in the window, does it come in different shades? And may I try it on?”
“You most certainly can,” the woman said. “May I show you some things to go with that outfit as well?”
They headed for the racks in the rear of the store.
Chapter 17
With her new outfit in a logo bag from the shop, Sophie walked back to the bakery. As she approached the door, she stopped suddenly. Inside she saw Chase and a young woman, standing by a table, talking. As she watched, Chase bent down and kissed her on the cheek. The woman smiled at him, and rested her hands on his shoulders, saying something Sophie couldn’t hear.
She turned and fled back down the street, hurried past the shops, and turned left on Princess Street, tears blurring her surroundings. She stopped, pulled a tissue out of her purse and wiped her eyes. How could he! He spends the day telling me how great I am, and not half an hour later he’s kissing another woman. I thought he was a gentleman, but he and Rob are cut from the same cloth.
She crossed Princess Street and approached a shop with a patio table and chairs for customers. She went over to the empty table and sat in one of the chairs. I need to get out of here. Now! Searching in her purse, she pulled out her phone and called up the Uber app, which she hadn’t used since New York, but had been a regular with them there.
She was in luck. She logged on, and there was a driver not five minutes away. She put in her request and sat back. She didn’t care if Chase searched the entire city looking for her. He deserved it for deceiving her that way.
Looking down the street, she saw a car turn off Bridgeway and come slowly up the street toward her. She stood, waving, and the car pulled up in front of the patio, as the driver peered at her through the passenger window. She approached the car, got in, and gave him her address in Berkeley. She paid a little extra, using her Amex card, for the time of day and for him to take her out of the San Francisco area, but the driver didn’t look unhappy about it. She leaned back and pretended to look for something in her shopping bag so he wouldn’t feel it necessary to start a conversation. She was in no mood for talking with anyone right now.
Wisely, the driver kept his eyes on the road. He could probably feel the heat of her anger from behind him and kept silent for the entire drive back to Berkeley. That suited her just fine. She asked him to drop her off a couple of doors down from her building, just to be on the safe side.
Letting herself into her apartment, she dropped the bag with the new outfit just inside the door. She had taken great pleasure buying it; her first, well, second real step in becoming a Californian again, but all that had just changed. Cheated on twice in less than three days! First, Rob runs off with another woman and now Chase, whom I thought was a really nice guy, turns out to have someone else! I liked him. A lot! I should have known it was too soon.
“And then there’s Jeanne… I committed to taking the job offer. But Chase and Jeanne are friends. What should I do?” she said, pacing the floor of her apartment. She almost wished she had a cat, so she didn’t feel so stupid talking to herself.
Frustrated and heart worn, she went over to the kitchen and got a bottle of water out of the fridge. She headed to the living area, turned on the flat screen TV mounted to one of the bed cabinet doors, and pressed the mute button. Turning back to the kitchen she opened the freezer and took out the pint of vanilla fudge ice cream she had bought yesterday. Sophie took a spoon out of a drawer and went back to sit on the sofa, where she sat silently, eating ice cream, staring at the TV with the sound off. After finishing half a pint, she set it down on the coffee table and snuggled back into the couch. In the kitchen, in her purse, her muted cell phone flashed with ten missed calls.
The ice cream sat heavily in Sophie’s stomach. She had a decision to make. I’m tired of other people controlling my life. So, I’ll stay, and I’ll take Jeanne’s job offer. She still felt that going back to New York wasn’t an option. But she vowed to herself that she was through with Chase and all men in general. They weren’t to be trusted!
Unable to bear the thought of sleeping in the pull-down bed, designed by Chase, she curled up to fit on the two cushions, hugging one of the pillows, tears leak
ing from her eyes. The grief of her heart breaking a second time exhausted her, and she fell asleep.
Chapter 18
Chase had left Sophie in the dress shop and walked back to the bakery, intending to accomplish a few things online with the free Wi-Fi the cafe offered. As he entered, he saw a young woman at the counter, just turning from having purchased coffee and a pastry. He stopped short when he realized it was Larry’s daughter, his cousin, Vanessa. Chase hadn't seen Vanessa in a few years.
Vanessa had stopped at the bakery after visiting her father that morning. She had visited him every week or two since he started his thirty-year sentence, and was hoping he might be out in five years for good behavior. Prison had changed him. Really changed him. He had lived in enforced sobriety for fifteen years, and never spent a day not thinking about what he had done. Vanessa had tried to explain all this to Chase at least a dozen times, but he hadn’t believed her.
She could understand and even sympathize. She missed her aunt and uncle too, but she wanted to give her father a chance to apologize to Chase. Vanessa just had to get Chase to visit him, but that proved difficult. He took to avoiding her and blocking her calls. It hurt. Their family had lost so much, and she’d lost Chase as well as her aunt and uncle. Not today! Vanessa marched over to Chase, determined to speak with him.
Chase saw Vanessa approach and knew that he’d been spotted. Normally, he’d make a polite excuse about being late and then run from the bakery, but being with Sophie today had put a few things in perspective. Family was important. The first thing he needed to do was see if he could mend his relationship with Vanessa.
“Vanessa,” he greeted.
“Chase, I . . .” Vanessa began, but Chase took her arm gently and led her over to a table by the window.
Waffles & Weddings (Cupid's Cafe Where love is on the menu Book 1) Page 6
