The Bennett Boys

CHAPTER 19

I'm having déjà vu all over again. Me, in the passenger's seat. Lucas, driving. Me, looking out the window. Him, scowling.

"This is such bullshit," he mumbles under his breath as he turns the engine on, but I hear him loud and clear. I mean, I'm not too thrilled about this little outing either. I feel his gaze on me because I know what he wants. He wants me to break the ice. As always. He wants me to say 'sorry' for the fact that he got suckered into this like last time. Except, I'm not sorry. I don't feel bad for him. I'm done feeling bad for him.

It takes us about 45 minutes to get to Claudette's. I want to say that the silence during the entire car ride was awkward, but it wasn't. Silence with Lucas isn't really silence. It's not awkward, it's not quiet. It's...nothing, really. Yet everything at the same time.

I know that the restaurant is named after Bridget's best friend Claudette Rimes, but what I didn't know was that it was part of a vineyard.

We pull into the driveway and Claudette is waiting with a wide smile on her face. "There's my boy," she says with her arms open wide when Lucas comes into her view.

"Hey, Cici," he says, meeting her embrace. She holds him tight as she pats him on the back.

"How was the drive?" she asks, and Lucas shrugs his shoulders.

"Not too bad. You know I can get here with my eyes closed, right?"

"I mean, I would hope so. I've only known you since you were this big," she says, dropping her hand down to her knee.

Lucas smiles and then shifts his body to me. "Cici, this is Lily. She's working for my mom this summer."

I take a step forward with my hand out. "It's so nice to meet you," I say, and she takes it with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you too, dear. Welcome!"

My first impression of Claudette is that she's got this big, fun personality. Don't let her small size fool you, the woman's got character. She gives us a tour and some history behind her vineyard business, which she founded before she married her husband Richard, and Lucas nods his head at everything she says like he's heard it all before. It's clear that he knows his way around here as I digest it all in astonishment. I mean this place is pretty spectacular. Not to mention beautiful with all the vines and greenery.

In addition to the vineyard, Claudette owns the restaurant that's connected to it, and she's been catering the gala ever since the very first one.

Claudette closed the restaurant for the tasting today, and she leads me and Lucas to a center table. We take a seat, and the waiter approaches, using the tong in his grip to serve us each a piece of bruschetta first.

"This will be served before the appetizer," Claudette informs us, and Lucas and I take a bite into the Italian dish.

"This is so fresh, Cici," Lucas says, holding a fist in front of his mouth as he chews.

"It's delicious," I add on, and before I know it, we've gone through a Caesar salad that was served in a taco shell, miso cod, grilled flank steak with garlic and rosemary, and homemade butternut squash gnocchi with sage brown butter.

"Cici, you outdid yourself," Lucas says as he leans back on his chair.

"That was nothing. Wait until you see the dessert."

When dessert rolls around, we're presented with 3 different dishes: raspberry cheesecake, chocolate mousse, and coconut sorbet. They're all superb, but the raspberry cheesecake is my favorite.

"So?" Claudette asks. "What'd ya think?"

"10 out of 10, Cici," Lucas says, making an 'a-okay' gesture with his fingers. "As always. Mom's going to love this menu."

"Everything was amazing. Truly. Thank you again for hosting us," I say.

"Oh, I'm so glad. And it was my pleasure," she smiles.

After the tasting, Claudette sees us out and gives Lucas another big hug. I can tell that she cares about him deeply. She grasps his chin with her fingers and then says, "Take care of this one for me, will ya, Lily? He's a special one."

"Ah, Cici, you hold me in too high of a regard," Lucas says. "You always have."

"That's because you don't. You're a gem of a human, don't forget that."

"Thanks," Lucas says with a bashful smile. It's so innocent that it almost doesn't belong on his not-so innocent face.

She walks back inside as Lucas and I head for his car, but he stops beside me. "Want to walk for a little? I could use one before heading home."

"Okay," I say. "Where do you want to go?"

He smiles, but it's the kind of smile that has something hidden underneath. "I'll show you," he says, his eyes lighting up when he does.