light shining on her hair.
“You really do look stunning tonight,
Noelle.”
She gave him a look as if she didn’t
totally believe him and he held up his hands in protest. “I swear
that isn’t a line either. I truly mean it with you. Thank you for
agreeing to dinner tonight.”
Noelle laughed. “Did I really have a
choice?”
He stopped near the passenger door and
waited for her to look at him. “I hope you know I’d never force you
to do anything you don’t want to do. If you really don’t want to do
this I’ll understand. It’ll suck, but I understand.”
He held his breath for a moment while
she thought it over. Finally she shook her head. “No. I want to go
out with you.”
He couldn’t help but pull back and
study her face. “Really?”
Her laugh caused his chest to
tighten.
She nodded. “Yeah, really. Now stop
talking about it because I’m nervous enough.”
He saluted her and opened the car
door. “Then let’s get going.”
She motioned to the car, “I should
have guessed you were a Corvette man.”
Trent smiled and nodded. “Yes I am. My
Tío Ricardo used to own a body shop and he got me into cars. This
is a ’77 convertible that was a total mess when he found it at a
junk yard. We rebuilt it together. She only comes out on special
occasions.”
“She?”
“Yeah, she . We dubbed her Belleza Blanca
which means ‘white beauty’.”
Noelle took a long look at the car and
then him. “She looks amazing. You guys must have put in a lot of
work, but I would have never guessed you for a guy to get his hands
dirty.”
He shrugged. “I have my moments. There
are a lot of things I think you’d be surprised to know about
me.”
She looked over her shoulder at him
and smiled. “We’ll just have to see about that.”
He smiled back, liking this
flirtatious side to her. He motioned for her to get into the car
and then shut the door for her.
He walked around to the driver’s side
and slipped in behind the wheel. It was a gorgeous early November
night. The sun had set an hour earlier, and the final tinges of red
were fading into the horizon as they drove down near the
beach.
“It’s so beautiful.”
Trent looked over at Noelle. She had
her elbow on the windowsill and her chin in her hand as she gazed
out across the ocean. Her hair danced in the wind coming through
the open window.
“Yes it is. Maybe sometime we can come
here earlier in the evening and you can get the full
show.”
She looked over and gave him another
smile. Trent knew in that moment he was done for.
He drove south into San Diego to one
of his favorite restaurants. “Do you like Mexican food?”
Noelle shrugged. “If Taco Bell counts
then it’s alright.”
Trent gave her a sour face. “That
isn’t real Mexican food. I’m going to take you to this hidden gem I
know that is almost as good as what my abuela makes.”
“Your who?”
Trent laughed. “Abuela. It means
grandma in Spanish.”
Noelle tested the word and did
wonderfully. “That’s a pretty word.”
Trent nodded. “It fits her. She’s a
beautiful woman, both inside and out. But I’m a little
biased.”
Noelle smiled. “So you are close to
her?”
“Absolutely. I’m close to almost all
my family. In our culture family is everything. Just yesterday I
was at her house and there were several dozen family members
there.”
Noelle gave him a look of disbelief.
“Really? What was the occasion?”
Trent shook his head. “There wasn’t
any. It was Saturday and that means dinner at my grandmother’s
house. It’s like a standing appointment. Are you close with your
family?”
Noelle shook her head but didn’t give
any other answer. She dropped her hands into her lap and picked at
imaginary lint balls.
“You’re a very private person aren’t
you?”
She nodded, but kept her eyes on her
hands. “I have to be.”
Trent pulled into the parking lot and
turned the car off. He shifted in his seat so he was facing her.
His right arm
“You really do look stunning tonight,
Noelle.”
She gave him a look as if she didn’t
totally believe him and he held up his hands in protest. “I swear
that isn’t a line either. I truly mean it with you. Thank you for
agreeing to dinner tonight.”
Noelle laughed. “Did I really have a
choice?”
He stopped near the passenger door and
waited for her to look at him. “I hope you know I’d never force you
to do anything you don’t want to do. If you really don’t want to do
this I’ll understand. It’ll suck, but I understand.”
He held his breath for a moment while
she thought it over. Finally she shook her head. “No. I want to go
out with you.”
He couldn’t help but pull back and
study her face. “Really?”
Her laugh caused his chest to
tighten.
She nodded. “Yeah, really. Now stop
talking about it because I’m nervous enough.”
He saluted her and opened the car
door. “Then let’s get going.”
She motioned to the car, “I should
have guessed you were a Corvette man.”
Trent smiled and nodded. “Yes I am. My
Tío Ricardo used to own a body shop and he got me into cars. This
is a ’77 convertible that was a total mess when he found it at a
junk yard. We rebuilt it together. She only comes out on special
occasions.”
“She?”
“Yeah, she . We dubbed her Belleza Blanca
which means ‘white beauty’.”
Noelle took a long look at the car and
then him. “She looks amazing. You guys must have put in a lot of
work, but I would have never guessed you for a guy to get his hands
dirty.”
He shrugged. “I have my moments. There
are a lot of things I think you’d be surprised to know about
me.”
She looked over her shoulder at him
and smiled. “We’ll just have to see about that.”
He smiled back, liking this
flirtatious side to her. He motioned for her to get into the car
and then shut the door for her.
He walked around to the driver’s side
and slipped in behind the wheel. It was a gorgeous early November
night. The sun had set an hour earlier, and the final tinges of red
were fading into the horizon as they drove down near the
beach.
“It’s so beautiful.”
Trent looked over at Noelle. She had
her elbow on the windowsill and her chin in her hand as she gazed
out across the ocean. Her hair danced in the wind coming through
the open window.
“Yes it is. Maybe sometime we can come
here earlier in the evening and you can get the full
show.”
She looked over and gave him another
smile. Trent knew in that moment he was done for.
He drove south into San Diego to one
of his favorite restaurants. “Do you like Mexican food?”
Noelle shrugged. “If Taco Bell counts
then it’s alright.”
Trent gave her a sour face. “That
isn’t real Mexican food. I’m going to take you to this hidden gem I
know that is almost as good as what my abuela makes.”
“Your who?”
Trent laughed. “Abuela. It means
grandma in Spanish.”
Noelle tested the word and did
wonderfully. “That’s a pretty word.”
Trent nodded. “It fits her. She’s a
beautiful woman, both inside and out. But I’m a little
biased.”
Noelle smiled. “So you are close to
her?”
“Absolutely. I’m close to almost all
my family. In our culture family is everything. Just yesterday I
was at her house and there were several dozen family members
there.”
Noelle gave him a look of disbelief.
“Really? What was the occasion?”
Trent shook his head. “There wasn’t
any. It was Saturday and that means dinner at my grandmother’s
house. It’s like a standing appointment. Are you close with your
family?”
Noelle shook her head but didn’t give
any other answer. She dropped her hands into her lap and picked at
imaginary lint balls.
“You’re a very private person aren’t
you?”
She nodded, but kept her eyes on her
hands. “I have to be.”
Trent pulled into the parking lot and
turned the car off. He shifted in his seat so he was facing her.
His right arm
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