Dominated

Chapter 39

When Amelia and Calvin arrived at the old-fashioned diner on the beachfront, she was surprised to find it empty and partially torn down. The corners were smashed in, and the roof had completely collapsed. The door was gone, and on top of the debris inside the entryway was a faded sign that read "Christo's." Beside her, Calvin disappointedly sighed and bent down to retrieve the sign.

"This used to be my favorite place," he told her. He stood up, abandoned the sign on the ground, and brushed his palms against his pants. "It's a shame that this is what it's become."

Amelia offered an apologetic smile and patted his arm comfortingly. "I'm sure you have a lot of great memories here."

"I do," he said. He lifted his head and looked directly at where the door used to be. "I met Damien's mother here."

She raised her brow, intrigued. "You did?"

He nodded. "I was a law student, and she was a waitress. I would come here to study just so I could see her, but she never noticed me. She never even looked in my direction.

"Then one day, she asked me how I did on my exam," he continued to tell her. "I was confused, until she pointed out that I didn't come in with my textbook. She assumed I'd taken an exam, and based on my solemn look, I didn't do so well. We spent the rest of the night talking. One thing led to another, and before I knew it, Damien was on the way."

"He told me that she left before you could meet him," Amelia stated.

"She did," he confirmed. "The love of my life left and took my unborn son with her."

"Do you wish things would have worked out between you two?"

Calvin shook his head. "If they had, I never would have met Harper who gave me Wes. I never would have known you, and Damien never would have found happiness with you."

Amelia smiled, but it faltered. Calvin noticed this and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, embracing her.

"Things will work out the way they're supposed to," he told her. He steered her away from the old diner and walked next door to a French bistro. "In the meantime, let's get some breakfast."

She separated from him upon arriving at the bistro and entered first. There was a hostess at the front who greeted Amelia with a welcoming smile and grabbed two menus from underneath the podium.

"Welcome to La Chérie," the hostess said. "Will you be dining in with us this morning?"

"Yes," Calvin responded.

The hostess turned her attention to Calvin, and her lips twitched before spreading into a wide grin. "Welcome back, Mr. Anderson. Would you like your regular table?"

He smiled, but he didn't appear nearly as pleased to see her. "Yes, thank you, Emily."

Emily blushed upon hearing her name and bowed her head in an attempt to conceal her red cheeks. "Follow me, please."

Calvin gestured for Amelia to walk ahead of him and followed the women to the back of the dining area. She couldn't help herself from looking back at Calvin to catch a peek of his coy smile and wandering gaze. When he met hers, she smirked, but she didn't say a word.

"Is there anything I can get for you right away?" Emily asked as they approached an isolated table.

"No, thank you," Calvin hastily answered.

Emily flinched, taken aback by his tone, but she recovered swiftly and placed the menus on the table. "Your waiter will be with you shortly."

Calvin hummed. As the woman returned to the front with a wavering smile, he pulled a chair out from underneath the table and jerked his head toward it, prompting Amelia to take her seat.