Moonlight House (Book 2, Lonstino & Greenwood Series)

Chapter 19 - Second Date

SAM

Part of me feels guilty for missing Erin and Noah's original song debut, but since I heard it often during their rehearsals, I felt I could skip it. My biggest hope is that the clubgoers receive it with open arms because Erin needs the encouragement to share her talent. Since we were children, she kept notebooks around with poems, and I'm sure the one she always has in her purse is full with great songs waiting to be heard.

Marisol and I are having our second official date at the apartment tonight, and I've been looking forward to it. We see each other often, but not exactly under the ideal circumstances or completely by ourselves. I stop by her chocolate shop in the morning on my way to the club, but people come in and out while picking gifts before starting their day, or she's busy on the phone making purchases and we barely can talk. Then whenever she can, she comes around lunch time to the club to eat something, but besides a hello and a goodbye, the food orders don't allow me to spend time with her. Also, her father had a minor stroke and she's been to check on him for the past two weekends. We talk on the phone and text often, but I'm always left wishing it was just us.

So finally, my wish came true and until Erin comes home it will be Marisol and I. Not knowing what will happen tonight has me slightly anxious. Erin believes that I went to bed with Marisol after our first date, but besides a heavy make out session, nothing else happened. I did spend the night at her house because we drank a bottle of wine together and she felt it wasn't responsible for me to drive. The doorbell rings and my heart warms at her sight as always.

"Come in," I hold her hand while cupping her chin to kiss her.

"Alone at last. Can't believe it took us this long to have a second date," she laughs and looks around the apartment. "You've got a beautiful place here!"

"It's all Erin's work. I wouldn't even know where to begin when it comes to decorating. I let her do whatever she wants and I just live here."

"She's welcome to come to my place and do something to make it pretty. I put a lot of effort to decorate the shop, but as you saw, my apartment is still as plain as when I got it. Have you heard anything from her about the song debut?"

"Nothing yet, but I have no doubt it will be a success. You know, they have been rehearsing in the basement of the club non-stop, yet this afternoon, during a quiet moment, I heard them playing it once more and got a knot in my throat. Suddenly her words seemed to touch me and I'm not exactly a sentimental guy. I'm also trying new things," I invite her to sit on the couch.

"And what are those?"

"Getting out of my comfort zone for starters. I'm letting Claire take the lead sometimes and she's doing a fantastic job. It's freed time for me to experiment with new recipes or to mentor some of the sous-chefs. Her experiences have opened my eyes to see what I find meaningful as a chef. I love food and find cooking a very satisfactory experience, but I feel that way because the memories I have of cooking with Gretchen Sommer. She would let me take charge of food at the bed and breakfast sometimes. When you think about it, that's a big deal. She trusted a high school teen with caring for her guests. She also had the patience to teach me new things all the time. When I went to cooking school, it gave me an advantage."

"I hope I get to meet the Sommers one day. I have a lot to thank them for."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know your parents, and you don't talk much about them either, but I believe the Sommers made you the man you are today."

"My parents are fine when they are around. They are hard workers and really good at what they do. I guess they figured too late that raising a child and combining it with a career on the road wasn't exactly what they wanted. They love me, I've never doubted that, but they are committed to their careers. At times, they would tour with different artists and won't even see each other for months at a time."