Hooked Page 10

  “This is amazing. Who painted those pictures? She could sell posters. And T-shirts.”

  “I have no idea. I think her parents probably thought she was insane when she started, but it’s so great, right? And her menu is even better.”

  They walked up to the counter and stood behind two other couples, giving Tayla time to look at the menu.

  Lots of meat options, but lots of vegan too.

  Fried squash tacos with cotija and red sauce. Avocado, fresh corn, and roasted poblano. Brisket with mushrooms. Along with some traditional. Carne asada, chicken mole, and tacos al pastor.

  “What should I get?” Tayla asked.

  “Honestly, anything. I’ve never had a bad meal here. Tacos are little. Taco-truck size. It’s my treat, since I was the pushy one. You can get next time.”

  “Fair enough.” Tayla ordered four tacos and an agua fresca with watermelon and mint. She and Jeremy grabbed a table in the corner, and she reached for her phone only to come up empty. “Oh shit!”

  “What?”

  “My phone and wallet! I was so distracted I left them in the bike basket.” She stood and nearly tripped over her feet. “Shit.”

  “Relax.” Jeremy slid out of the booth. “Calm down. I’m sure they’re still there. Hold the table and I’ll go look.”

  She bit her lip until he walked back into the restaurant, holding her wallet and phone.

  “See? No problem.”

  “I can’t believe they were still there.”

  He gave her a rueful smile. “This is Metlin, Tayla. Not San Francisco.”

  “Crime happens everywhere.”

  “True.” He slid across from her. “But it happens less in Metlin.”

  She didn’t have a comeback because there wasn’t one. Jeremy was probably right; crime was lower in Metlin. So were cultural attractions, plays, concerts, and job opportunities.

  Tayla couldn’t fault the tacos though. “These are amazing.” She took a second bite of the avocado, corn, and poblano taco. “I can’t believe I’m eating tacos on a date.”

  “Too messy?”

  “So messy.” She wiped a smear of salsa from her chin. “You’re hard to say no to, Jeremy Allen.”

  “Good.” He smiled a little. “Keep that attitude and we’ll be just fine.”

  There is no we.

  She should have said it—it wasn’t good for him to get his hopes up—but she didn’t. She finished her first taco and ignored the little tug of doubt in her heart that threatened her equilibrium. “This is a great place. Thanks for suggesting it.”

  “No problem. Cary made me feel guilty about eating frozen pizza. I decided to drag you along.” He was eating vegetarian for the night. “We’re planning a new climb next month, and I’m still feeling a little slow from the winter, so I should definitely be eating better.”

  “You don’t climb at all during the winter?”

  He shook his head. “Not really. Indoor stuff. We did one trip down to the desert last year, but I can’t travel too much with the shop, and my favorite spots are up in the mountains here.”

  “You love the mountains.”

  His smile turned dreamy. “I feel… centered there. I can breathe. When Cary and I are climbing, all I’m thinking about is the next hold. The rest of the world kind of falls away.”

  “All joking aside, you guys are safe, right? I watched that movie with the free solo guy—”

  “Amazing film.” He took a drink of his soda. “Not at all like what we do. I’m too much of a chicken to free solo. And my mother would kill me if she ever found out I did that.”

  “The regular climbing doesn’t bother her?”

  “She doesn’t love it, but she knows how much I do.” He wiped his mouth. “And she knows I don’t climb alone and I’m really careful.” He put his elbows on the table and leaned toward her. “What’s the most dangerous thing you’ve ever done?”

  “Date in San Francisco.”

  He chuckled.

  “I’m only kind of joking.” She smiled. “Uh… I don’t get off on adrenaline, so it’s kind of limited. I ate blowfish in New York once?”

  “The poison fish?” His eyes went wide.

  “Do I look dead?” Tayla laughed. “I mean, yes, it’s poisonous if it’s not cooked right. You have it at a special restaurant where the chef knows how to prepare it. Then it’s safe.”

  “Unless the chef is having a bad day. Then you die.”

  “You have to think positive.”

  “Was it worth it?”

  Tayla wrinkled her nose. “Honestly? No. I don’t recommend. I didn’t think it tasted good at all. It’s just the thrill. I went with a guy I was dating who thought trying weird foods would impress me.”

  “In New York?”

  “I moved there for a year once. Just wanted to try it out. But I didn’t like it as much as San Francisco, so I moved back.”

  “Hmm.” He leaned away from the table. “So did it? Impress you, I mean. Should I start looking for scorpions or snails or something?”

  “Please don’t.” Tayla started to laugh. “That was all about him, not me. He had a very boring job and ended up doing all sorts of weird stuff to prove how manly he was. Not a good look.”

  “Ah, I get it. You get some of those guys at the climbing gym sometimes.”

  “Yeah? Do they have tactical gym bags?”

  Jeremy laughed. “Yeah. And beefed-up trucks. They don’t usually make it very far. Climbing’s not really a show-off sport.” He stretched his arms across the back of the booth. “Or it isn’t around here. I don’t know. I tend to stick with my friends, and none of them are assholes.”

  Tayla watched the lean muscles flex in his arms and chest. The easy comfort with his own strength and his self-confidence.

  What was it about him that was so damn attractive? He was handsome, but he wasn’t the most handsome guy she’d ever dated. He wasn’t the most successful. He was into her, but he wasn’t fawning.

  Jeremy said, “Those kinds of guys are the ones that usually beat me up in high school, so I tend to avoid them. They always seem like they have shit to prove, you know? And that’s not me.”

  There it was. That was it. He had nothing to prove. Jeremy Allen was a man who knew exactly who he was and what he wanted. He didn’t need to show off, because he knew his worth.

  A slow smile grew on his face. “You enjoying the view?”

  “Yep.” She pushed her empty plate to the side and leaned her elbows on the table, staring at him. “It’s very scenic.”

  He made his pectoral muscles jump. One side, then the other. “Better?”

  Tayla nearly had to grab her napkin to cover her snort. “You didn’t just do that.” She laughed into her napkin.

  Jeremy started laughing too, his deep chuckle filling the booth. “You were the one staring.”

  “You are… impossibly cute.” She curled her finger at him to come closer, and he did. Slowly she ran her fingers along his jaw until he leaned far enough forward that his lips touched hers. She kissed him, enjoying his lips like dessert.

  Jeremy Allen was very fun to kiss. If she wasn’t careful, she could get addicted.

  He licked the edge of her mouth before he sat back. “Spicy.”

  “Me? I’m sweet as sugar.”

  “You’re sweet and spicy.” His smile reappeared. “I bet you’re even a little sour sometimes.”

  “Maybe.” She sipped her drink. “Do you like sour candy?”

  “It’s my favorite. Makes my mouth water.” He licked his lips.

  “Oooh.” She narrowed her eyes. “You know exactly what you’re doing, don’t you?”

  His smile slipped just a little. “Most of the time. With you, Tayla, I’m never sure.”

  “I’m going up to interview at SOKA next week.” She didn’t know why she blurted it out. “They asked me to come up and meet their team.”

  Jeremy nodded. “Cool. That’s exciting.” His warm brown eyes didn’t waver from
her face. “You’ll kill it. I’m sure of it.”

  Tayla couldn’t speak. Her heart was racing. Why was she nervous? What was it about this man that made her break her own rules? She was out with him on a night she’d planned to stay home, riding a bicycle, for God’s sake, eating messy food and kissing him in the middle of a restaurant.

  “Come on.” Jeremy rose and held out a hand. “I love hanging out with you, but I can’t lie—I’m beat and Pop’s going to be home soon. He’ll start calling me if I stay out too late.”

  “Is it totally weird living with your grandpa?”

  “Uh… Yeah. Sometimes. But he’s a pretty good roommate and a decent cook. Plus if I didn’t live with him, he’d have to move up to the mountains with my parents and leave his house and all his buddies. My sisters are both married, so my living with him is the best solution.”

  She couldn’t make a joke about that. Not even a little bit. “You’re a good guy.”

  “I’m lucky.” He twisted their hands until they were knit together, palm to palm. “I have a really great family. You gotta take care of that.”

  Tayla and Jeremy unlocked and hopped on their bikes, waving at the people outside who lifted a hand to wave goodbye.

  Farewell, unknown people. I don’t know who you are, but you seem friendly. Everyone smiled in Metlin. It had creeped Tayla out when she first moved here, but she was starting to get used to it.

  People smiled in San Francisco too. Maybe not as much, but they smiled.

  Kind of.

  They rode back to Main and turned right, going against traffic as they biked single file. Tayla stayed behind Jeremy. Not only did he know the town better, but if she stayed behind him, she got to enjoy the view of his tight little butt.

  It was an excellent view.

  The streetlamps were on and the sun was down when they got back to the bookstore. Jeremy leaned across his bike and gave her a quick kiss. “I can already feel my phone buzzing. Apparently it’s past my curfew.” He grinned. “See you on Friday.”

  “See you!” Tayla was smiling as she waved.

  You have become one of the waving people. What is wrong with you?

  She sighed when she locked Emmie’s bike on the street and unlocked the door to INK. It was late and she wanted to sleep. Too bad all she could think about was Jeremy Allen.

  Tayla spent Thursday afternoon double-checking her plans for Friday night. It was the first time she’d ever planned a date, and she was surprised how much fun it was. Everything was set and would be amazing. She was positive.

  Friday morning was spent scouring the SOKA website. She’d set an interview date with them for the following Thursday. She could take the train up Wednesday night, stay at her parents’ house on the edge of Russian Hill, and grab a car the next day before her interview. After that, she’d try to crash at Tobin’s apartment for the rest of the weekend. Since she had an interview at SOKA, maybe Tobin would be curious enough to put her up.

  She had a key to her parents’ house and access to her room there, but Tayla avoided the Mansion of Guilt whenever possible. If Emmie was still living in the city, she would stay with her, but Emmie was in Metlin of course.

  Tayla scanned the household accessories section and found a few items. A small footstool made in Northern Thailand and some baskets from Peru. Very few choices.

  She browsed through some of the new dresses from a Nigerian dressmaker she’d ordered from before and seriously considered grabbing a handbag from a designer in Yunnan Province in China.

  All the merchandise on the SOKA site was made either by individuals or small fair trade businesses. Unlike other sites, everything was curated and leaned toward the higher end of the market. You weren’t going to find a thirty-dollar pashmina, but if you wanted to spend real money for the handwoven Kashmir original, you could find the genuine article at SOKA.

  You could also find bargains if you happened to find a new designer who was trying to promote their shop, but those items were rare. Usually, by the time SOKA picked up a shop or artist, they already had a decent market. SOKA was closer to a really great online international department store. They carried menswear, women’s clothing, of course, and a decent selection of kids’ stuff—if you wanted to spend hundreds of dollars on a handmade baby wrap, that is—but they were lacking in housewares and accessories.

  Interesting. That was definitely an area they could expand.

  It made Tayla even more excited about the interview. Working for a company like SOKA would be a dream come true. It would be a challenge to find new products and the right promoters for them. It would also be amazing to work for a company with such clearly stated social goals.

  She’d have health insurance. She’d have a retirement fund. She’d have workmates.

  She’d also have a boss. Tayla wasn’t too sure how she felt about that part, but bosses didn’t have to be jerks. It just so happened her last two had been. That wasn’t a rule though. Maybe she’d just had bad luck.

  There was a link to a Chronicle article in the media section, talking about the founders of SOKA, Azim Asani and Kabisa Nandi, a husband-and-wife team from Kenya who had taken the idea of a tech start-up into the fashion world, seeding money from their own successful womens wear line to smaller companies who then gave them exclusive rights to sell their products. Their business had only expanded from there.

  It was an innovative approach to world fashion that created a lively site with positive user interaction, inclusive fashion, and ethical manufacturers.

  SOKA was ready to take off, and Tayla could be a part of it. She could make her mark on something meaningful and big, along with something she was passionate about.

  All she had to do was leave a town she’d started to love.

  Chapter Ten

  Jeremy stood in front of the mirror and straightened the knot on his bow tie. He might have gone for casual on his date with Tayla, but with her date—even though she hadn’t clued him in—he erred on the side of formal.

  He’d inherited one of his grandfather’s suits from the 1960s and had it tailored to fit him—he was a bit slimmer than Pop when he was in his prime. He didn’t think a full suit was the right look, but he’d taken the blue-and-green tweed vest and teamed it with a tailored shirt, slacks, and a green bow tie. The look was sharp but also a little playful. He thought Tayla would appreciate it.

  While he dressed casually day to day, Jeremy had inherited a love of dressing up from his grandfather. Jeremy still remembered his grandparents putting on their best and going out dancing when he was little. His grandfather’s suits and his grandmother’s fancy dresses had made an impression. He liked feeling fancy, and he loved that Tayla did too.

  “Pop!”

  His grandfather’s voice boomed up to the second floor. “What?”

  “You remember I’m going out with Tayla tonight, right?”

  “And I’m having dinner with the queen. What are you bragging about?”

  Jeremy couldn’t stop the smile. “I just wanted to remind you.” He sprayed on a few shots of cologne, patted his beard with a little oil, and combed through it before he looked at his face from the right. From the left.

  Ready.

  He looked good, and so would she.

  Jeremy walked through the kitchen on his way out the door, pausing for his pop to give him the once-over. A raised eyebrow and a long nod was all Gus had to say, but that was enough.

  “You show that young lady a nice time,” he said. “See you tomorrow.”

  “See you.”

  He walked down Ash and around the corner to Main. Tayla had told him to meet her in front of the bookshop, and he was there in the space of a few minutes. He pushed the door open and smiled when he saw Emmie.

  “Hey, girl. How you doing?”

  Emmie grinned when she saw him. “You look perfect.”

  “I take it you know what we’re doing?”

  “I have been sworn to secrecy, so don’t even try.”

&nb
sp; Jeremy looked over at Ox. “You?”

  The man was looking through equipment catalogues or something and barely registered Jeremy being in the room. “Huh?” He looked up. “Oh hey. Looking sharp, man.”

  “He has no idea what you’re doing.” Emmie clapped her hands. “But I do! Tayla will be down a minute.”

  He heard her steps moments later. She had to be wearing heels. That was the only thing that made a sound like that. When she walked through the door, his heart nearly stopped.

  She leaned against the doorjamb and appraised him. “Heya, handsome.”

  “You’re gonna kill this man before he reaches thirty.” Jeremy put a hand over his heart. “You look sexy as hell.”

  She was wearing some kind of tight blue dress that hugged her curves and made her eyes even bluer. It looked like it wrapped around her body and tied at the waist, but there were drapes and hems and a pair of chunky heels with a strap. Jeremy didn’t understand women’s fashion, he just appreciated it when it was done right.

  And Tayla was doing it so very right.

  He wanted to get her alone and unwrap her down to her skin. If he was a betting man, he’d bet on garters and lacy something or other holding everything in place.

  He whistled. “Damn.”

  She stepped into the shop, and Jeremy walked slowly around her. They looked each other up and down.

  “Doesn’t he look perfect?” Emmie couldn’t contain her excitement.

  “Don’t you look perfect?” Jeremy muttered.

  “You look pretty good yourself, Mr. Allen. Love the tie.”

  “You look like the femme fatale in a film noir. But hotter, ’cause you’re in color.”

  The cool fell away and her eyes lit up. “That’s exactly what I was going for. We’re going to have so much fun.”

  “And no joke, I bet you can dance in those heels, can’t you?”

  She turned and cocked her hip at him. “You bet I can. And they make my legs look great.”

  They make your ass look even better.

  Jeremy cocked his elbow out. “Miss McKinnon, shall we?”