What If

by Ann Ritchie Domela

  Chapter 8

  Pasta Bella, Pismo Beach

  As usual, Duncan was there long before Heather arrived. The chair in the lobby was most comfortable and the coffee was outstanding. He enjoyed sitting there in front of the warm fireplace. It was so relaxing. He looked around the lobby waiting for Heather. It was so inviting and he did like the Victorian style. Even the patterned green rug with the large roses seemed authentic.

  When she walked in, he rose.

  Such a gentleman she thought. So unlike the old Ian. In the discussion she had with the psychiatrist friend of Linda Sue’s, he had explained so much. “Yes, he could have lost his memory completely. And yes, any shock could be disastrous. The mind of an amnesiac was fragile and there were no guarantees as to what could happen. No, she should not tell him who he was or what had happened. Give him more time.” In truth, the psychiatrist felt as Linda Sue did. They both felt that this man was who he said and that what Heather saw and felt was a result of her own guilt and shock. They both believed that in time, she would see all the things about this man that were not the result of her own guilt.

  “Did you want to go and have some breakfast or coffee or do you want to get going on the photos?”

  No, I had breakfast. Photos first are fine with me. Did you have a good breakfast?” Heather was not quite telling the truth. She had eaten breakfast, but it had consisted of a cup of tea and a muffin she had purchased the previous night from the restaurant. “I’m good. I’ve had toast and a few cups of coffee. I’m good for now. I usually prefer to eat an early or late lunch when the restaurants are not quite full and I can savor the meal at my own pace.”

  They were driving along the freeway talking as if they had known each other for years. Heather kept looking at him as if expecting him to recognize her. Would he? How long would it take for him to know it was her, his fiancée? She hadn’t changed. She would have to do some research on amnesia to see what she could do to stir his memory. Linda Sue had seen him, so he couldn’t be a ghost. He was a solid man, her Ian. He had even mentioned passing her at that restaurant where he had noticed her, no matter how briefly. But where had he gone then? She had to relieve her disturbed mind. “I did see you the other day in Morro Bay at Rose’s, but when I went inside, you weren’t there. Can I ask where you went?”

  “Sure. I guess you didn’t hear my explanation to Linda Sue. I didn’t know you were looking for me. I went into visit with the manager to show him the write up I had done on his restaurant. He loved it and we spent quite a bit of time talking.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

  “It’s alright. I do understand.” he barely glanced at her. “Oh, there is one of my favorite views,” he didn’t give her a chance to answer. He pointed to the view of the ocean as they came over the hill. It was astonishing. “This takes my breath away every time I come over that hill.” They had just passed through a series of hills that seemed to close them in slightly and as they progressed over the hill, the ocean opened up to a wide view. “It is never the same. Some days, the ocean is still while others the waves are crashing on the shore.”

  “Awesome. I wish we could stop right here and take some shots.”

  “We can’t right here in the middle of the freeway, but I promise, one day soon, I will manage to find a place for you to get the view and a place to get some shots.”

  “Thank you. About your question, I did think you looked like someone I once knew. It was a bit of a shock.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “If it is alright, I really don’t want to go into that right now. Perhaps some time.”

  Duncan let it go. It would probably not be the right time and he didn’t want to push her. Yesterday, she had been in such a shock after seeing him. But today, she was more open. Heather was such a pretty girl, a little too thin for his personal taste, but maybe time would take care of that small flaw. At least going out with him to various restaurants, she might put on a few pounds. Other than that, her hair was the color of warm chocolate and her eyes, such a soft green. He did tower above her; perhaps he was a foot taller. But then, he did favor short ladies. Duncan pointed out an area off the highway, “Over there are some great spots at Shell Beach that you might enjoy painting. There is even a gazebo where we can picnic and take many pictures.”

  He drove off the highway and headed down the street. “This is Grover Beach and if you look between some of the buildings, you can see the beach.”

  “Wait a minute.” He turned down a street of many shops and restaurants heading toward the ocean, which was in view. “I’ll park right here in this parking lot and we can walk out on the pier.”

  “That sounds wonderful. I love the sound of the surf and the smell of the ocean.”

  “Did you know that the original wharf was built in 1881 by the Meherin Brothers? There used to be two warehouses near the entrance. By vessels coming in and going out with freight, it saved the local businesses thousands. I believe it was in the early 1920’s that they had to build a new pier that cars could actually drive out on. But storms do a lot of damage and this one was built in mid 85.”

  “You sure are a wealth of information. Is this just local knowledge or did you read it somewhere?”

  “Something I read. Like I said, I do recall a lot. Good memory is necessary to my business. If someone saw me taking notes in an interview, they could hold back. I like my subjects to be comfortable. That way I get great interviews. So I have learned how to develop my memory.”

  “That’s amazing. Do you ever just forget something and rack your brain to remember?”

  “Sure. Everyone does that. The secret is to stop. Pretend your mind is like an older car. If you rev it up and flood it with gas, it won’t start. But, if you stop, let it idle a bit, it will go. So I let my mind idle and not get flooded with ideas of I can’t remember things and then, just like that,” he snapped his fingers, “it all comes right back.”

  “I never thought of it that way, but I will give it a try next time I let the engine flood.” She smiled.

  Within minutes, he had taken her by the hand and led her to the long wide pier. Though it was quite windy, there were about fifty or so people coming and going along the pier. A few children were holding out bread to the many sea gulls. “Just like my home,” Heather sighed. I used to play along the beach, near Kinnaird Lighthouse feeding the gulls too.”

  “Tell me about your home, Heather.” Duncan asked as they walked out along the creaky boards. They could hear the roar of the ocean waves as they crashed.

  She wanted to tell him to just remember her, but suppose he couldn’t? Should she just tell him he had to be her Ian? But she didn’t know if that were true or if it were, what damage could she do? She could still hear the words of the psychiatrist. Maybe if they just kept company a little longer, he would begin to remember.

  “I loved my home in Rosehearty. It was a very small town on the ocean, but it really was all I knew. Oh, of course, we went into Aberdeen for major shopping, but I loved our sleepy little village. There was another nearby town called Fraserburgh, quite a bit larger and we walked the few miles to go there on occasion. I lost my father at a young age and my mom worked too hard to take me many places.”

  “Does she still live in Rosehearty?”

  “No, she moved on to live with her aunt in Fraserburgh in council housing. Oh, that is government housing for those who are elderly or in need. She is sort of a caregiver to her aunt.”

  “I know about council housing.” Duncan began to explain how, but stopped. “Wait. Turn about. Now this is a shot you should take.” He faced her toward the shoreline. “Wouldn’t this make an unusual painting?”

  Heather agreed by nodding her head and aiming her camera. She took photos from one side of the pier, then the other and even a few from the very end of the pier toward the beginning. Although she rarely used people in paintings, this would be one worth the practice on people in action.
r />   “Just a minute,” she again took shots from the end of the pier toward the ocean further down on both the right and left side, leaving out the shoreline past the beach. It would look as if she were painting from a moving boat in the water. That would be unusual. Maybe a little difficult to paint the waves from this other view, but she would do it. “Thank you so much, Ia; Duncan.” She hoped he hadn’t heard her error. She had to talk to that doctor first before she disclosed who he was and who she was to him.

  Duncan ignored the partial name. “Now that you have these photos, let’s take a short walk along the boardwalk. That will give you a few more views.”

  “Fine.” Heather was excited, almost enough to forget that this man was her fiancé with loss of memory. She kept taking shots as they returned to the beach from either side of the pier. What a wealth of photos. She could probably do the thirty-five paintings that Linda Sue had mentioned just from this collection.

  Within a short time, they were walking along the boardwalk in the sand. “This goes quite a way from the Pismo area to Grand Ave in Grover Beach. But, if it okay with you, I’d love to get a bite to eat.”

  “Oh, of course, what time is it?” Heather didn’t usually wear a watch.

  “Almost two.”

  “I didn’t realize how fast time was flying. Where shall we go to eat? Would this be one of the places you will critique?”

  “I’m not quite sure. The food is great and the service friendly. It is definitely good enough to write about. But I would love your opinion.”

  “What kind of a place is it?” They were walking past the large parking lot and up the street of many shops. Some of them looked interesting to Heather. She thought she might return here at a later time. Actually, she knew they weren’t too far from Linda Sue’s gallery.

  “Italian. I do hope you like Italian cuisine.”

  Heather smiled. “Mmmm.” She hesitated to tell him that she had never tasted many styles of food. There were only a few places in which to eat in her small town and when they went to Fraserburgh or Aberdeen, her mom would never enjoyed any foods other than the Scottish kind. It was kind of a loyalty to her chosen country. Even coming to the United States had not changed Heather’s habit. Not only had her diet been limited, but she had little appetite.

  They soon came to the corner restaurant called Pasta Bella and went inside. The walls inside were brick with two large windows that offered a view of each street, Dolliver and Pomeroy. It was clean, bright and painted in a sunny yellow.

  “Hi,” a warm voice greeted them. “Have a seat and here are the menus. Take your time and when you are ready, you can come up to the counter and give your order. An attractive dark haired young woman dressed in a crisp white shirt, black vest and black slacks pointed to the tables. Have a seat anywhere you like.”

  When they went to give their order, they saw a copy of the menu over the back of the counter.

  “Can I make a suggestion?” Duncan pointed to the sign.

  “Yes,” what a relief. Heather didn’t know what she should order.

  “Do you like white or red sauce?”

  “Red,” Heather wasn’t sure what the white would be and she had heard of red sauces. She should have told him the truth.

  “There, at the bottom of the sign, we can order the kind of pasta, the kind of sauce and the kind of toppings. Is it okay if I order my favorite for both of us?”

  “Yes.”

  “We’ll have the lunch ‘do it your way’. Angel hair pasta with red meat sauce and olives, roasted garlic and fresh mushrooms. I’ll have ranch on my salad and on yours?” He asked.

  “Honey mustard sounds good.”

  “And to drink?” the waitress asked.

  “I’ll have lemonade.”

  “A cup; of hot tea, plain.” Heather remembered what Linda Sue had suggested she order instead of a cuppa. Some habits were just so hard to break.

  The waitress placed the lemon drink on the tray and stated that she would be bringing the hot tea along with fresh bread to the table of their choice.

  When he paid for the bill, he handed the waitress a small piece of paper asking if it was good.

  “Certainly,” she punched in a few numbers and Heather watched the register price cut almost in half.

  “Do you mind me asking what that was?”

  “It’s a Dine Out coupon. I purchase a book of them every time I am in the area.”

  “What is that?”

  “Kind of simple, really. In order to introduce locals and tourists to their restaurants, merchants advertise in this book. They offer a one-time coupon for a patron to come in and try their establishment with a buy one, get one free coupon. I hope you don’t mind, but I use them as often as possible. It keeps the cost down.”

  “I think that is wonderful,” she said, “and so thrifty. You are a true Scot.”

  Duncan didn’t know how to answer that. “I guess my mom would be proud.

  At two thirty, the place was just about empty. Heather glanced around. It was nice and did have a few Italian decorations. She should tell Duncan the truth about her lack of food experience before she tasted the food and didn’t like it.

  She sipped her tea and took a bite of the bread stick. “Oh, I do love fresh bread. This is great. Duncan, I do hate lies. I apologize. I should have told you that I have never tasted Italian food. I may not like it.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t want you to think I was so inexperienced with foods and you are so knowledgeable.” She hung her head slightly.

  He took her chin in his hand and raised her face. “Come on. That doesn’t matter. If you don’t like it, I will eat it all and take you somewhere else.”

  He was so nice. It almost brought her to tears. The old Ian would have been annoyed. The conversation was stopped by the arrival of the meal.

  “Here you are and is there anything else I can possibly get for you?”

  “More of this wonderful bread?” Heather asked hesitatingly.

  “Absolutely.”

  “And a little more hot water?”

  “More coke for you?” she asked.

  “No. I’m fine.” Duncan offered. “You know; I’ve been in here a few times and never asked your name. You give such good service and so pleasantly.”

  “It’s Mari. And thank you.”

  “Ready, Heather.” He smiled as he picked up his own fork.

  She picked up her own and twirled a few stands of angel hair pasta around her fork swirling it in the red sauce. A hesitant bite. “Mhmm. Oh this is so so good. She reached out to pick up a mushroom and a bit of the roasted garlic. “Oh, yes, this is good.”

  “I’m glad you like my selection.” He also continued with his meal.

  “I can’t believe I didn’t try this before. I love it. Is the white sauce good too?”

  “One of my favorites too. It’s a creamy, cheesy sauce. I’ll have to start showing you some recipes and what is in some things. They might appeal to you more.”

  “That sounds like a good idea.” Heather was leaning over her plate struggling with a long piece of pasta.

  Duncan laughed aloud, handing her a large spoon. “Here, use this to twirl your pasta into a small ball, like this.” He began swirling it around his spoon.

  “Is there anything else I can get for you?” the waitress was smiling at them.

  “And how is everything?”

  “It’s fabulous, wonderful,” Heather answered. “I just love this.”

  “We’ve had a lot of rave reviews about our food, but few so enthusiastic.”

  “She’s new to Italian.” Duncan explained. We’re Scots.”

  Heather was startled. He was admitting to being from Scotland. Was he beginning to remember? Should she say something or wait? She decided to wait and see what happened.

  Within a few moments, another gentleman approached them and introduced himself as Josh Ortiz, the owner. “My waitress tells me you are q
uite happy with the food. I want to thank you personally. I really have tried to make this a good restaurant, not fancy, just great.”

  “It’s certainly all that.” Duncan said.

  “That means a lot to me. Thank you. Come back any time. And feel free to try our other specialties.”

  Duncan thanked him, telling Mr. Ortiz that he would be definitely back to try other specialties.

  A short time later, they had both cleaned their plates and were walking back to the truck.

  “I was surprised. Don’t you tell restaurants that you are a reviewer? Wouldn’t they give you the best meals and perhaps not charge?

  “Sure, sometimes they could do that, but I feel like I want to experience what the average person does. I take pride in the fact that I only review favorably the best of the restaurants and just don’t mention those I don’t like. I don’t want to feel an obligation to any place and I would if I accepted any favors. I’m not even sure, if they knew my work, if I would get the same food as the normal patron. So, no, I don’t tell anyone.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “I hope you got enough pictures today. What are you doing tomorrow?

  “I’m afraid I have to work at the studio to get started on a painting.”

  Duncan looked disappointed. “When are you available? I have so many more places to show you.”

  Heather did want to spend as much time as she could with him. It would be the only way she could get him to remember. “The day after tomorrow I should be free. You can call me at the hotel, but ask at the desk what room I am in. I think it will be in 300, but I’m not sure. Linda Sue has some arrangement with the hotel and I do get to move about a bit until her guest room is done.”

  “According to Linda Sue, that should be soon. Now if there is anything else I can do to help facilitate that move, you just let me know. Here is my cell phone number so you can reach me anytime.”

  What an unusual man, not at all like her Ian. He would never offer to do so much for a perfect stranger, not after only a few days.

  “When you do live in your fifth wheel, do you stay close to here?”

  “I usually stay in several parks. Whatever is nearest the area I am checking out?”

  “What area did you have in mind? But yes, I would love to see whatever you think would be good for my art.”

  “Okay,” one day we can go to the area around Hearst Castle. And then tour the castle. But we should make a reservation first for the castle tour. I hear it can get terribly busy at times. How does that sound?”

  “I have heard of the castle, but not that much. Wherever you want to go will be fine with me.”

  On the way back to the truck, they were walking past the many shops.

  “Before we go back, I’d like to introduce you to a specialty of the area. Call it a kind of dessert.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “I’m not sure you will like it, but it can be fun.” He led her into a candy shop.

  “Candy? I don’t know. My figure.”

  Duncan just looked at her small frame and smiled.

  As they approached the counter, Heather saw many varieties of lollipops. She raised her eyebrows.

  Duncan laughed. “Can we see a few of these?” he asked the sales girl.

  “Any special bug?” she asked, sensing that this was Heather’s first time in the shop.

  “No, just a few.”

  All Heather could do was again raise her eyebrows.

  Duncan picked up one of the wrapped pops and holds it up. “This one is a roach and this tequila flavored one has the worm and tastes like tequila.”

  “What? Yuck. Do you really expect me to put that in my mouth?”

  “No, I just wanted you to see them. I’m sure Linda Sue knows about them. Is there anyone you would send one to?”

  Heather was laughing too. “No, I don’t think so, but if I think of anyone, I’ll be sure to come here.”

  “Well, I have a few friends to send some to. I’ll take a dozen assorted. And we will have a couple of your choice real chocolates; no ants.”

  Heather smiled. What a sense of humor this Ian had.

  Back to the Apple Farm, she had so enjoyed the day. This new Ian was such an improvement. She hoped he wouldn’t change when he remembered.