Daniel walked me to his car, which he’d parked next to my SUV in the driveway. That’s Jonah’s spot. Then I banished the thought from my head. “Where are we going?” I asked as he held open the passenger-side door.
“The Stoned Crab. You’re not vegan or vegetarian, are you? I probably should’ve asked sooner.”
“Nope, just allergic to seafood.”
“You’re kidding. I can’t believe—”
I smiled. “I am kidding. I’m fine with seafood.”
He stood with his hand on the door frame. “Fine with seafood. That’s not the same as actually liking seafood.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and thumbed the screen as he spoke. “I don’t know why I didn’t ask you what kind of food you like. That was stupid of me. Let me see where else we can get in.”
“Daniel, I’m great with the Stoned Crab. Really.” The last time I’d eaten there was the night I’d been released from the Wellstone Center, but I’d try not to think about that.
We were seated at a table next to the windows. Had we arrived thirty minutes earlier, we would’ve been able to watch the sunset. But by this hour it was already dark and the marine layer had rolled in, so the view was of a dark sky filled with clouds. We both studied our menus as if we were going to be quizzed on them. After the waiter took our order, we sipped our water and stared out at the starless sky.
“I really should’ve planned this better,” Daniel said.
I felt sorry for him. It was obvious he was trying. He’d even ordered a ridiculously expensive bottle of wine. Jonah would not have approved. Then I banished thoughts of Jonah from my head.
“I used to be a planner,” I said, “but not anymore. I’m much more impulsive now.”
“Really?” He seemed genuinely intrigued. “Why?”
I was saved from having to answer by the waiter who brought our wine.
The alcohol helped, as it usually does. The conversation flowed more freely after we’d both consumed a glass of wine. Mostly I asked Daniel questions because I preferred listening to him talk then divulging information about myself. He told me he’d grown up in Santa Veneta but moved to northern California for college and then got a job in Silicon Valley after graduation. He’d only moved back to Santa Veneta last year.
“Were you a teacher in Silicon Valley too?”
“No, a techie.”
That explained the wine. And the Tesla. I’d wondered how he could afford such an expensive car on a public-school teacher’s salary. “Like Mark Zuckerberg?”
Daniel laughed and I focused on his full, pink lips and his straight white teeth. Did he whiten them or did they just look that bright because his skin was brown from the sun?
“Sorry,” he said, “I’m not a billionaire. But I have met the guy.”
“Really?” I’d been joking about Mark Zuckerberg. I knew some wealthy people, but they were multi-millionaires, not billionaires. “What’s he like?”
He hesitated then said, “No comment.”
Now I was intrigued. “What did you do in tech? Were you just a worker bee for some company or did you invent an app I’ll never be able to figure out how to use?” Jonah used to tease me for being so incompetent with technology.
“Both. I created a networking app Facebook bought and promptly shutdown.”
“I’m impressed. But why did they shut you down?”
“It’s the Facebook way. They see purchases as talent acquisitions. I had two partners who went to work for Zuck after the sale.”
“But not you?”
He shook his head. “I decided I needed a life change. So I came back to Santa Veneta and got a job as a math teacher.”
Silicon Valley tech bro to math teacher in a public high school. There was more to this story. “That is a major life change.”
Daniel topped off both of our wineglasses. “My dad had a heart attack. He survived,” he quickly added, “but it caused me to reevaluate some of my decisions. It also made me realize my parents weren’t getting any younger. I thought it would be nice to spend some time with them as an adult. Of course, six months after I moved back, they announced they’d sold their house and were retiring in Arizona.”
I laughed. “Sorry. I know it’s not funny but—”
“It’s fine. I don’t regret it. I like it here. It’s more laid back than Silicon Valley, although it’s very different than when I was a kid.”
“How so?” I’d only lived in Santa Veneta for a few years.
“When I grew up here, everyone was middle class. Or, at least, that’s how I remember it. I didn’t know anyone who was rich or poor. It’s much more economically segregated now.”
“I think that’s the whole country not just Santa Veneta.”
“You may be right.”
Then our food arrived, and the rest of the meal passed in a blur. Before I knew it, we were the last two people in the restaurant. When Daniel retrieved his car from the valet, he didn’t ask me where I wanted to go. He just drove to my house and again parked in Jonah’s spot in the driveway.
When he shut off the engine, I said, “Thanks for dinner. I had a nice time.” Initially, I was worried because we didn’t seem to have much in common. But the evening got better when we started drinking. I knew I should’ve stopped after I’d finished the first glass of wine, but the alcohol helped me keep thoughts of Jonah at bay.
“Me too,” he said. “I’ll walk you to the door.”
Was he just being chivalrous or was he expecting to be invited in? I was hoping to avoid the awkward goodbye where you don’t know if you’re supposed to kiss or hug or not touch at all. I was so out of practice dating.
He seemed as surprised as I was when the words, “Would you like to come in?” floated out of my mouth. I immediately regretted them. I blamed it on my alcohol-soaked brain. It had been a long time since I’d drank this much.
