Page 20 of The Uncomplicated Café
While Mia and Nadia enjoyed a lively debate over who was the best leading man in the romantic comedyThe Holiday, Jack Black or Jude Law, Jayce immersed himself in his surroundings, letting the sights and sounds transport him back to the past. The crackling logs and rumbling waves. The cool, silky granules beneath his bare feet. The earthy scent of sand, salty sea air, and smoldering embers.
His chest heaved at the memory of CeCe’s moonlit figure, the way her dark eyes danced in the flickering flames. He often found himself transfixed by her, memorizing the way herwindswept curls fluttered across her face. Even though he’d kept his emotions expertly hidden, he still sometimes wondered how she couldn’t sense his feelings ran so much deeper than friendship. At times, they consumed him so wholly, he felt certain they’d bubble to the surface and give away his secret. But after all these years, CeCe still had no idea. It was almost as if she didn’t realize how easy she was to love.
“Who doesn’t adore Jack Black’s character?” Mia cried so fervently, she yanked him away from his thoughts. “During that scene when they’re in Blockbuster and he hums the scores from famous movies, I fell in love with him right alongside Kate Winslet.”
“What about Jude Law’s Mr. Napkin Head?” Nadia countered with equal enthusiasm. “Every woman in the world swooned when he put that napkin under his glasses and made his adorable daughters giggle.” She cast a sheepish glance at Evan. “I mean,almostevery woman.”
“Hey, no jealousy here.” Evan grinned an easy, slanted smile. With his blond hair still damp from a sunset surfing session and his tanned legs stretched lazily across the sand, he’d never looked more relaxed. Moving back home suited him. And so did the black-haired beauty sitting beside him.
Not for the first time, Jayce wondered if Evan had the right idea returning to Blessings Bay. Should he follow his lead? What had moving to Los Angeles accomplished other than providing the escape he’d so desperately needed? Sure, he’d distanced himself from the turmoil at home, but at what cost?
That wasn’t your only reason for running away, a quiet voice reminded him. Silencing the intrusive thought, he tried to focus on his friends’ conversation.
“The guy’s a stone-cold stud,” Evan freely admitted. “And so is Jack Black. Although, I think the real superstar of the film was Eli Wallach, who played Arthur Abbott.”
“True,” Mia conceded. “He may have been ninety when they filmed the movie, but the man had charisma. And a sexy career as the Oscar-winning screenwriter who added thekid, to the famousCasablancaline, ‘Here’s looking at you, kid.’ Pretty impressive. Right, Jayce?” Mia shot him a pointed look before taking a swig of lemonade.
Subtle, Mia. Really subtle. She didn’t pester him about his sidelined dreams very often, but if a rare occasion presented itself, she wasn’t beneath a carefully aimed jab or two. “Itwouldbe impressive if it wasn’t completely fictional. That line was actually improvised by Humphrey Bogart during filming.”
“Okay, butsomeonehad to write the original line for Bogart to improvise,” Mia retorted. “The script is the foundation of any good film. And with all the rubbish Hollywood is churning out lately, we need more good ones.”
“No argument there.” Jayce took another sip, ignoring the career-altering secret burning a hole in his chest.It’s too soon to tell.
Noticing Nadia’s confused expression, Evan explained, “Mia likes to remind Jayce that he originally moved to LA to pursue a career in screenwriting.”
“Oh, that’s right.” Nadia’s dark eyes glinted with recognition. “I remember you mentioning that.” Turning to address Jayce, she added, “But then you took an acting class and discovered you had a knack for it, right?”
“Something like that.” He’d taken the class to deepen his writing craft but had enjoyed the escapism of disappearing into new characters, especially as the feud between his parents fueled unhealthy stress levels in his personal life. At the prodding of his acting instructor, Gretchen came to a performance to observe him. With her killer powers of persuasion, she convinced him to pursue acting as a gateway into Hollywood, insisting he couldreturn to his writing later. Thenlaterturned intosomedayuntil it eventually became a distant memory. At least, until recently.
“Seems like you enjoy acting,” Nadia offered kindly. “I love all your movies.”
“Thanks. It’s fun. The acting part, anyway. I could do without all the other junk that comes with the job.”
“Such as?” Nadia asked in the genuine, caring tone of a newfound friend, not an intrusively curious fan, which Jayce appreciated.
“The three Ps,” Mia interjected, ticking them off on her fingers. “Parties, publicity, and paparazzi.”
“That about sums it up,” Jayce agreed. Fame served as a curse more often than a blessing. And nights like this one—where he could count flickering stars instead of flashing bulbs—were few and far between. Thanks in part to the town’s lack of lodging options, it mostly remained a safe haven from the prying media.
“All the posturing and pretense of Hollywood must make it difficult to find someone special.” Nadia’s gaze drifted to Evan, and they exchanged the kind of private, intimate smile shared between two people deeply in love.
Once again, Jayce marveled at how happy Evan looked. And not just happy, butblissful, with a depth of contentment that stemmed from being exactly where God wanted him to be—with exactly the right person.
Despite what he knew about the longevity of love, Jayce hoped beyond reason that their relationship would last. Or, at least, last for as long as possible. Nadia, with her well-intentioned knack for speaking her mind, had given Evan the nudge he needed to reassess his life choices. And perhaps even more crucially, she’d helped him summon the courage to make new ones. Everyone needed a voice like that, to prod and encourage them down the right path.
For him, that voice belonged to CeCe.
Missing her even more acutely than before, he said, “Excuse me a second,” and pulled out his phone. They still needed to spill the fake engagement news to their friends. Why wasn’t she here by now?
What’s your ETA?
He hit Send on the text, then set the phone on the wide wooden armrest so he could easily keep an eye on the screen.
His phone buzzed a second later.
Sorry. Can’t make it tonight.
What? It wasn’t like CeCe to cancel plans at the last minute. Something must be wrong.
