California Fire And Life

36

"I mean she quit," Letty says. "Had quit. Like, over a year ago."

They're sitting outside at a table at Harpoon Henry's, down at Dana Point Harbor. Their table overlooks the channel, so they can sit in the sun and watch the sailboats and sportfishing boats come in and out. Jack had heard that the yellowtail were running like crazy and so they're fresh and that's why he takes her here.

Letty says, "She, you know, went to rehab. That famous place where they make you take your own garbage out. Like that's a big deal. Anyway, she came out, she was clean. Doing the meetings and all that."

"Maybe she had a slip that night," Jack says.

"She didn't have a slip," Letty says. "She was doing great."

They stop talking because the waitress comes with food: grilled yellowtail tuna with roast potatoes and yellow and red peppers. A minute later Bob, the owner, is at the table to say hello to Jack.

"How's the surf?" he asks.

"Pretty good," Jack says. "The water's warm."

"I think that's why we're hitting the yellowtail."

"Trunk water," Jack says.

"Trunk water," Bob agrees.

"Bob, this is Letty…"

"It's still del Rio," Letty says.

"I'm Bob. How's your meal?"

"It's great," she says.

"Well, let me know if you need anything," Bob says. He smiles at Jack and takes off.

"Bob's your buddy?" Letty asks.

"He's a good guy."

"He always come around to get a look at who you're fucking?"

"Hey, Letty…"

"Sorry," she says. "What's trunk water?"

"It's water that's so warm you don't need a wet suit," Jack answers. "You can go in wearing just your trunks."

"So you're still surfing?" she asks.

Jack answers, "Work to live and live to surf."

He says, "There's a purity to the ocean. A cleanliness. It's an absolute."

"Wow," she says, only half making fun of him. "An absolute."

Jack says, "The ocean's going to do what it's going to do – what it has been doing for millions of years – with you or without you. So if you go into the ocean you just deal with its… absolute power. Which I find soul cleansing."

She says, "Good for you it's a big ocean."

Which makes them both laugh, and they eat in silence for a while and look out at the boats and then he gets the guts to say, "Letty, isn't it possible that she was having a real rough night and hit the bottle and the pills again?"

"No."

"Letty…"

She shakes her head. "You'd have to know her."

"Tell me," Jack says.

Tell me about Pam.