Worth It (Damie)

Part 30

A/N: Hope everyone is having a great summer, mine has been a whirlwind! Thank you for all the love you shower on this story, it means more to me than any of you could ever realize! Enjoy this update, xo

***

Dakota has been in Vancouver for ten godforsaken days. I can't believe I've survived this long without going to her. Evelyn's done her best to keep me grounded and focused on not fucking this up for us, but she's not going to hold me back any longer. I miss my beautiful girl.

I tap my foot against the floor of an exclusive restaurant on Sunset. I'm waiting for Mel who is surprisingly two minutes late, not her usual. Her friend owns this place, and she assured me we'd be able to dine in peace. I'd called her to meet up so I could apologize face-to-face for how I'd acted at our engagement cookout. I've been kicking myself since I told her sorry over the phone the day after Dakota left. It didn't feel right to apologize on a call to someone who means a great deal to me. Plus, I'm low on company in LA, aside from lunch with Eddie when he was in town, so getting out of the house will do me good.

"Honey, I'm so sorry," I hear Mel say before I see her rushing towards me.

I stand to embrace her in a tight hug. "No worries."

"Couldn't get my sister off the phone. She's excited about a new exhibit she'll be part of."

I usher her to her chair, sitting back down where I was. "Your apology is unnecessary."

She smiles warmly at me. "You found the place okay? No problems getting in?"

I look around the dining area where the only other company we share is with a long table of older men who look like they've been out golfing.

"Perfectly fine, yeah. Your friend has a lovely restaurant."

"He's an old friend of Antonio's actually, but I still claim him. It's quiet this time of day, but they'll be shoulder to shoulder later. That's why I wanted us to meet now. You could've come to the house."

I shrug. "It's nice to be out in public like a normal human."

She chuckles, pouring herself a glass of wine from a bottle that was served to me by her friend on the promise it was her favorite. "You want to be where the people are, I can relate. It can be a suffocating lifestyle. You'll never truly live publicly. You just adjust the places you go and meet people who help you avoid the paparazzi or fan infested nights out."

"I'll drink to that," I say. We tap our glasses together and take a sip. "What's their best dish?"

She doesn't even open her menu as she responds. "Oh goodness, everything. Let's share a few small plates, and you absolutely must try Roberto's tiramisu. Best I've ever had outside of Italy."

I smirk. "Works for me."

***

Mel and I split piadina with fontina and prosciutto, tomato bruschetta, fried calamari, and stuffed mushrooms. Everything has been exceptional, and I will be bringing Dakota here on date night soon.

I wipe my mouth before speaking. "Aside from getting out of the house, I wanted to meet and apologize in person for my behavior."

She wrinkles her forehead slightly. "For what, darling?"

"I didn't mean to be guarded and quiet the night of our engagement cookout. I'm sorry if I upset you or Jesse or anyone else. It wasn't my intention."

"Goodness, that's in the past. You didn't owe me anything to begin with. No one is perfect, and this family doesn't expect you to be. You love our Coqui and that's all we care about. At the end of the day we know you're treating her like a queen."