Cherry Two

Part 13

Chapter 11

Calley had been given the option. She could fly to San Francisco with Alain then backtrack in a rented car; or drive up the coast highway to Monterey in Alain's Mustang and sightsee.

Of course Calley chose to drive the historic route, exactly as James had done in Robert's open Bentley twenty-five years earlier. Most of the captioned Polaroid photos her father had saved before she was born were burned into Calley's memory and imagination. Just the thought of retracing that scenic drive sent tingles along her spine.

They set out early on a Monday from Castellamare before Sonia was awake. Where the foot of Sunset Boulevard connected to the Pacific Coast Highway they struck northwest as the morning sun peeked over the Santa Monica Mountains. It sent an elongated shadow of Alain's Mustang convertible cascading across Highway 1 and into the ocean.

With the top up for the first part of the drive, Calley made most of the incidental small talk. The girl did indeed have a mental photographic record of places she'd never visited, pointing out the beaches and towns strung out along the coastal route; naming them even before some of the signs came into view.

They joined Ventura Freeway at Oxnard and decided to make time for another hundred miles before pausing for a break. Once clear of Santa Barbara the freeway cut inland and began to reconnect with the Pacific coast, 90 miles north at the Arroyo Grande exit to Grover Beach. This time Calley seemed puzzled by the overhead signs as they veered off the freeway and onto the ramp.

Alain looked over, sensing Calley's confusion. "What is it?"

"I think Dad was here, but something's different," she said with hesitation. "He always wrote the names of places on all his Polaroid snaps."

Alain nodded. "Sure, I can guess what it would be. In the eighties Grover Beach was called Grover City—it's expanded a bunch since your father passed through this berg. You have one hell of a memory for old photos. We'll find a place to eat then I'll pick up the coast road again. If you're into scenery, the best is yet to come."

"The scenery's nice even when there's no scenery. I'm in the car with you." She deliberately invoked a blush to a depth only James could match—a neat trick only matched by its insincerity.

Not that anything that obvious fooled Alain.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Try to play with me? You've been doing it since you got here. Am I supposed to be impressed or something?"

She wanted to touch him again, but resisted the urge. "If that's true and you can't stand the way I act... then why are you going along with it? You don't have to take me to Monterey." Her head tilted, eyes waiting, watching.

A smirk infiltrated Alain's face as he overtly changed the subject. "How come you blew off Kent? All those muscles? He'd have shown you a good time."

Calley started to giggle. "I think your brother has one muscle too many. It's up here." She tapped her temple. "Kent has plenty of girlfriends, I'm sure. What do you call them—valley girls?"

"Yeah, airheads more like. He can't handle any girl that thinks faster than he can talk. So why me, sugar? Tell me it's not just because I'm willing to go along with your obsession... or perhaps I'm kidding myself?"

They turned onto West Grand Avenue and began to cut through the center of town towards the beach. Calley deliberated her answer, knowing it would make all the difference for the remainder of the trip. Alain was as sharp as Kent was thick. There and then she decided to stop being coy and try it straight for a change.