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She rolls her pretty eyes, but her lips tilt up in a smile, and I can’t stop my own from spreading. “I don’t understand why you’re such a fish hater. It’s delicious.”
She finally looks at me and lets out a laugh at the pure mortification on my face. The sound sends warmth through my belly and my smile grows. “You’re crazy.”
“Nice comeback, Ace,” she teases, using the nickname she graced me with in high school. It’s been weeks since I’ve heard it, and I didn’t realize how much I missed it until this moment.
The waiter comes over and takes our orders before leaving us alone. Well, as alone as you can be in a restaurant that feels like it’s explicitly set up for celebrities to be visible to the paparazzi. There are restaurants that cater to celebs who want privacy, and then there are restaurants like this one that cater to those who want to be talked about in the media and entertainment outlets. I’ve never purposely put myself in the limelight like this, and I have to admit it’s disconcerting.
A quick glance at the couple next to us only enhances that feeling. The couple are arguing with smiles pasted on their faces so anyone taking pictures would have no idea. The Hollywood A-lister on my other side is laughing at a joke that’s not funny, and I’m guessing it’s some producer or director sitting across from her that she’s trying to schmooze. Her acting skills are far superior to the reality TV star’s, that’s for sure, but the whole situation just reeks of fake.
When I look back at Alayna, she’s already watching me, a thoughtful expression on her face. “What are you thinking?” she asks.
Leaning forward, I lower my voice so no one at the nearby tables can hear us. “I’m thinking I miss going through the In-N-Out drive-thru and then taking our food to the beach and eating it with sand between our toes.”
She smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes before she drops her gaze to the table. “We’ve come a long way since those early days in California.”
“Maybe. But this place still isn’t us.”
She shrugs and looks around before staring at me point-blank. “I don’t know. It could be.”
I part my lips to argue, but our waiter shows up with our dinner and places two large white plates in front of us. On mine sits a brown piece of meat that’s half the size of my wallet and decorated with frilly garnishes that don’t look edible. Alayna’s plate doesn’t look much better. She has a piece of salmon the size of her pointer finger.
The waiter smiles at us. “Enjoy.”
Before he steps away, I say, “Um…sorry, but where’s the rest of our meal?”
“Excuse me?” he replies, his smile stiffening.
“Dom,” Laney says, but I don’t look at her before I continue.
“The rest of our meal. This is…” I glance at the plate, trying to find the words for what this is. “Well, it looks more like an appetizer, honestly.”
The waiter’s smile evaporates. “This is exactly what you ordered.” Then he walks away.
I stare after him for a moment before I turn back around and find Laney laughing into her hand.
Her laughter is contagious and soon my own escapes. “This is the most pathetic-looking meal I’ve ever seen.”
She nods and then snorts, causing us both to burst into an even bigger fit of laughter. We’re getting looks from the tables next to us, and the cameras out the windows are flashing like crazy, but neither of us care.
“I’m afraid if I sneeze, my food might blow away,” Laney chokes out, causing both of us to keel over in a new fit of laughter.
“What’s the macro numbers for flavored foam?” I ask.
Tears form in the corner of Laney’s eyes as she braces herself against the table, her whole chest heaving with laughter. My own laughter starts to subside, but I can’t stop smiling to save my life.
I love her like this—uninhibited, beautiful, and most of all, happy.
Throwing my napkin on the table, I stand up and drop a hundred on the table before offering a hand to Laney. “Alright, enough of this nonsense. Let’s get some real food.”
With her eyes still bright with laughter, she doesn’t hesitate to place her hand in mine. “You’re on, Smith.”
I pull her up from her seat and keep her hand in mine as I move swiftly out of the restaurant.
It takes us thirty minutes to drive to her favorite taco truck and order—fish tacos for her and a chicken burrito for me. We eat at a picnic table nearby, surrounded by a handful of strangers as we chow on some of the best Mexican food I’ve eaten in my life—apart from Gabe’s mom’s tamales.
It’s the best date I’ve ever been on. Hands down.
But it’s made even better by Laney’s relaxed shoulders and genuine smile. Her eyes aren’t tight at the corners anymore, and it feels like any other night we’d go out for dinner. It feels more like how I imagined this being. Not fake or forced, but real and relaxed.
