Page 49 of Picking Pismo

“I’d be happy to teach you what I know.” The line inched forward, and they slid along the wall, moving closer to the beginning of the line. David continued, “It isn’t a lot.”

Claire pursed her lips together. “Come on David, don’t be modest.” She nudged him with her elbow. “What do you text with Alexis about? She mentioned you check up on her.”

David rubbed his jaw. “Ahh…” He didn’t want to reveal they mostly talked about Claire. Alexis brought her up at every turn, feeding him unnecessary intel on how to fix whatever was broken between them. “Mainly, I ask her about Los Angeles. Her dance classes. We’ve talked about which instructors she likes and the ones she doesn’t. That sort of thing.”

Taking a sidestep, Claire moved to face him, leaning a single shoulder against the wall. “What does she say about Los Angeles?” Her brow furrowed.

The line moved significantly forward, so David pushed off the wall and walked to catch up to the end of it. Claire followed him. Once they stopped again, David gulped. “Alexis doesn’t like Los Angeles.” Exhaling, he shoved his hands into his pockets. “But I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know.”

Claire exhaled, making her shoulders droop. “I know, but there’s nothing I can do about it.” She gazed past him, down Main Street toward the pier and ocean. “I wish I could give her everything she wants, including living here, but I can’t.”

“Alexis might learn to like Los Angeles,” offered David. “Give her time.”

With a look of defeat, Claire said, “I hope so. We’ll see.”

They arrived at the front of the line and ordered their clam chowder. After settling into their seats to wait for their food to arrive, David broke the lull. “I’m sorry about how I acted the night of Alexis’s dance performance.”

Her back stiffened, but Claire waved it off. “It was for the best. I was leaving.” She didn’t look at him but kept her gaze on her soda. Fiddling with her straw, Claire continued, “The inevitable was coming, and you helped to rip off the band-aid. We couldn’t be together.” Her gaze skidded anywhere but on him.

“Still,” David leaned forward. “I wish I had found a better way.”

“David,” said Claire, stopping him mid-sentence. She placed a hand on top of his forearm. “Let’s leave the past in the past. We can just be friends.”

The words felt like a sucker punch to the gut. He gulped. “Friends,” repeated David in a nauseous haze.

But is that what he was doing, right? Being friendly. Friends? The word felt like chalk in his mouth. After spending only a few minutes with Claire again, David realized he didn’t want to be her friend. David wanted to kiss her. Love her. Be with her.

They were interrupted by the food arriving at their table. A waitress set down two sourdough bread bowls filled with steaming clam chowder. His mouth watered from the sight. The smell wafting straight off the top.

Plunging her spoon into the thick white chowder, Claire pursed her lips and blew over it. Her hair nearly fell into the bowl, so she flipped it over her shoulder. She caught him staring at her. His body ignited and heat splashed his cheeks. His thoughts were a whirling and thrilling mess. Claire was beautiful. Beautiful in a way where her goodness shone from the inside. She didn’t need to be constantly told, because she embodied what it meant to glow.

Gulping, David glanced down at his food. With a shaky hand, David forced himself to take a spoonful of his clam chowder, shoving it into his mouth without thinking. The liquid was boiling hot, David managed to swallow half of it. Then he coughed and sputtered, trying to get it down without burning his entire mouth.

Claire laughed. “I thought you’d been here before.” She raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.

David wiped his chin clean then took a big gulp of his soda. “I—” he coughed. His taste buds were completely gone. “I—have.”

Blowing on another spoonful of chowder, Claire said, “You of all people should know they serve this stuff like liquid lava.”

“I know. I was a bit distracted.” David plunged his spoon in again, but this time he took the time to blow lightly on his spoon.

Spoon in hand, Claire asked, “By what?”

David shifted in his seat. Unsure if the clam chowder was cool enough to eat, he timidly tested it. Confirming its cool temperature, he ate the entire bite. Once he swallowed, David said, “By you.”

Her cheeks reddened, and Claire’s lips formed a tight line. She didn’t reply but ate another spoonful of chowder.

David tried to remember why he let her go to begin with. She moved to Los Angeles. You flipped after seeing Lauren. But suddenly Los Angeles didn’t seem like a long distance. As for Lauren, he didn’t want her to take one more thing from him.

Shifting in his seat, David filled in the gap of silence. “How is your job going? Are you happy to be back at work?”

Claire shrugged. “It’s nice to be back with my patients and co-workers. The days certainly pass by faster than before, and I find the routine cathartic. It helps me forget about the past five months. I didn’t have anything to distract me, and now I do.”

Nodding, David took another bite of his food.

Once their meal was complete, David walked Claire out to her car. Stopping in front of her car, David lingered. Heart hammering, he finally sputtered out, “Could I call and talk to you sometime?” He shoved his hands into his pockets. He rambled on, not giving her a chance to respond. “I know I already call Alexis, but I’d really enjoy talking to you too. I miss hearing your voice.”

Claire reached into her purse, pulling out her keys. Fidgeting with them, she said, “I don’t know…” Her voice faded away. Claire glanced out toward the pier and ocean. The sound of the waves crashing on the shore distracted her for a moment. She continued, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

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