by Oien, M. K
I pulled open the door and was met with the best looking guy I had ever seen in my entire life. Sapphire eyes, brown hair that was gelled in a perfectly disheveled way. Full lips tilted upward in a smile showing a small amount of perfect white teeth. My gaze traveled lower and I nearly gasped. Zeppelin wasn’t dressed in his usual jeans, boots, and a t-shirt. He was wearing a white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbow. You could only see the tail of the dragon that covered his left arm and in his hand was a small bouquet of white iris flowers. My eyes traveled lower to his dark grey slacks that fit him perfectly before moving back up to his eyes.
“You look amazing Angel.” Zeppelin said as he did his own perusal of my attire. Smiling, I thanked him and lifted a sweaty palmed hand to tuck my hair behind my ear. “These are for you.” He handed me the flowers. “Thank you. Do you want to come in for a minute so I can put these in water?” I asked. With a brief nod, he followed me in to the house. I couldn’t find a vase. I wasn’t surprised, this was a man’s house after all, but I did locate an empty liquor bottle to stow the flowers in.
“So what are we doing?” I asked as I placed the bottle in the center of the dining room table. Zeppelin shook his head and grinned. “I’m not telling you. I think you will like it though.” He said. I narrowed my eyes at him. “You think so?” I wondered skeptically. Truth be told, I wouldn’t mind the pizza parlor as Hannah mentioned earlier. Just being able to hang out with him was good enough for me.
“Come on, we don’t want to be late.” Zeppelin said as he grabbed my hand and led me out the door. I quickly locked it behind us and followed him to his car. He even opened the car door for me and waited for me to get settled before closing it and heading to his own side. He started the car and began backing out of the driveway. “You won’t even give me a little hint?” I asked. “Nope, I did run it by Dixon though if that helps.” He admitted. I raised a questioning brow at him.
“He thinks you’re going to love what I have planned.” I began shaking my head. “I hope so or else I’ll no longer be happy about losing that bet.” I teased. Zeppelin glanced at me briefly and then focused on the road. One hand was resting comfortably on the steering wheel and the other curled around the gear shifter. I noticed how comfortable he looked, as if he was an extension of his car. It fit him so well.
“Did you lose on purpose?” He asked with a wide grin while navigating through traffic. I snorted and rolled my eyes. “Yeah right, you think I would give up a chance to drive this bad boy?” Zeppelin shrugged, “Probably not.” “Thanks for not letting me win by the way. It was a fair race.” I said. “You’re damn good Lucky. I wasn’t easy on you at all.” He admitted. I nodded. “Like I said, they don’t call me Lucky for nothing.” “What’s your real name?” Zeppelin asked as he changed lanes and entered the highway. Where the hell were we going?
“Lucille Marie Harris.” I stated in a mechanical tone. There weren’t many people that knew my entire given name. I watched as Zeppelin’s mouth tipped up slightly after I spoke. “I was named after my grandmother on my dad’s side.” I explained. Zeppelin nodded. “It’s a good name.” “What about you…What’s your full name?” I wondered. He turned to look at me. “Zeppelin Thomas Rhoades,” He stated simply. “Why did your parents name you Zeppelin?” I asked. He replied with a shrug, “My dad is a die-hard Led Zeppelin fan. If I was a girl they were going to name me Kashmir.”
My mouth popped open and I turned my entire body toward him. “No way…” I said. Zeppelin laughed. “It’s true, you can ask them. You wouldn’t think it considering they are both lawyers and pretty straight laced, but I swear it’s true.” “Interesting,” I muttered. “I like the band too, but I would never name my kid after them.” I nodded in agreement. “Be thankful it wasn’t Scorpion or Leppard.” I said and then giggled. “Or Queen,” “Mercury, now that’s a pretty bad ass name.” He said referencing the lead singer of the band Queen, Freddie Mercury. I couldn’t deny it. I liked the sound of that name too.
“What’s your favorite type of music?” I asked as we sped down the highway. I tried looking at road signs, but it didn’t help. I had absolutely no clue where Zeppelin was taking me. “I honestly like a little bit of everything, but my favorite is rock. Nothing beats blaring some Slipknot or Avenged Sevenfold.” He said. I nodded and grinned. “I was listening to “Scream” last night when racing you.” I told him. Zeppelin cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes at me.
“Are you joking?” He asked. I shook my head. “Nope, I really was. I always listen to music when I race.” Turning his attention back on the road, Zeppelin merged in to the left lane. “That’s funny because I was listening to “Bat Country”.” He said. “What?” I shrieked. “Are you joking?” Zeppelin shook his head. “Not at all Angel, how crazy is that?” “Huh…Well so far this date is going rather well.” I observed. We liked the same music; we raced to the same music. No wonder I liked him. We had a lot more in common than Jeremy and I ever had and I still had a lot to learn about him.
Taking an exit, Zeppelin merged off the highway and drove around to a parking lot across from a building that looked sort of like a stone cottage or lodge. Though it was beautiful with its sloped roof and vibrant green moss stains on the shingles, my attention went elsewhere. The most breathtaking waterfall I had ever seen flowed magnificently in the background. Multnomah Falls. I knew this place, had been here before when I was younger and my family came up to visit Dixon and his parents. Somehow I had completely forgotten about it.
The falls started at the top of a large and rocky cliff, flowing down into a larger pool and then down a smaller cliff in to a sort of pond that turned to a creek throughout the forest. A foot bridge allowed tourists to hike up a concrete path, across it and up toward the top of the falls. This time of evening, with hardly anyone around and the sun hitting it at the right angle, I was in awe. I felt Zeppelin’s hand slide over my thigh and squeeze gently. I turned my head, meeting his smiling blue eyes.
“You look beautiful when you smile like that.” He said. I hadn’t even realized I was smiling. “This place is gorgeous.” I said. Zeppelin nodded. “I figured we could have dinner here at the restaurant. I have the perfect table for us.”
In a daze and still reeling from the breathtaking scenery, I unbuckled my seatbelt and got out of the car. Zeppelin came around the back of the car and placed his hand in mine.
We walked up to the lodge which didn’t only hold a restaurant, but also a gift shop/museum on the other side. As we entered the lobby of the restaurant, a man greeted us with a warm smile. Zeppelin told him that there was a reservation and we were immediately led to be seated. My gaze wandered around the interior. It was just as beautiful inside as it was outside.
The main area that we walked through had many tables with chairs around them with white walls and dark colored trim around a vast amount of windows. There were even windows on the ceiling and gothic style chandeliers hanging from dark wood beams. Passing though that room, we entered a smaller room with stone walls and a fireplace that matched the walls. I thought me might be seated here, but was surprised to find we were heading toward a door that led outside.
It was intimate and quiet out here on the patio. The tables had candles flickering in the center and there was a perfect view of the falls as well as the sound of the water rushing down. Being that it was mid-June it wasn’t terribly hot and perfect for dining outside. We were seated at a table tucked in the corner of the patio and Zeppelin pulled out my chair for me before seating himself. I was definitely impressed with his gentleman tendencies tonight.
The host handed us each a menu and explained that our waiter would be with us shortly. We both thanked him and he wandered back inside. I held up my menu and began to browse at the selection of dinners. This wasn’t cheap and that made me all the more nervous. I began to chew on my bottom lip as I perused for the cheapest thing.
“You can get whatever you want Angel.” Zeppelin said
softly. My eyes glanced up at him. He was looking at me over his menu, a smile playing on his lips. “It’s all kind of pricey. Are you sure?” I asked. Zeppelin nodded. “I promise. What looks good to you?” He asked. I looked over the menu again. “The Top Sirloin sounds pretty good.” I said after a few minutes. “Then get it. I’m going to have the prime rib, it’s amazing.” I nodded. “Okay.” Our waiter came to the table a few minutes later with glasses of water for each of us. We told him what we wanted to eat and Zeppelin ordered us a couple of local beers.
“Am I making you nervous again Lucky?” Zeppelin asked. He folded his arms on the table and searched my face. I shook my head slowly. “No, I’m just…still in awe at this place, being here with you.” I admitted. Zeppelin cocked a brow. “How do you mean?” He asked. I shrugged and twisted my fingers in my lap. Taking a deep breath, I began explaining.
“It’s all just been kind of physical with you since we met. I mean, I sort of thought at first that we might just hook up or something that night after the fight and then it would be the end of it. I haven’t been on a date in quite a while. I guess I’m just not used to doing things backwards.” “I like you Lucky. Like I’ve said before, there’s something about you. I don’t really date either. I mean I’ve had a few girls here and there, but nothing serious. Don’t put too much pressure on this okay? It’s dinner with two people that are attracted to each other. There’s no expectation.” He said.
I think what he was trying to say was meant to calm me down, to help me ease up and to just enjoy our time together tonight. For some reason, I didn’t really take it that way. I was hung up on the fact that he said there was no expectation and that he never really dated. Was he just a typical player then? Why would he wine and dine me for the sole purpose of just having my company? I groaned internally at my thoughts. Seriously, why did I have to analyze everything? I thought about Hannah again and how she told me to lighten up. I thought about what Zeppelin had said last night about how he preferred living in the moment.
I decided to ignore my mind and just run with this. Follow my feelings, enjoy the moment and stop trying to plan ahead. It was easier said than done, but I needed to relax. With a small smile, I looked at Zeppelin. “Sorry, I tend to over analyze.” I confessed. “Well stop.” Zeppelin chuckled. “You said last night that spontaneous was your middle name and you lived in the moment. Do you have any plans at all, for anything?” I asked. Zeppelin shrugged. “I would like to say that I have some plans, but I’m just not sure how things will pan out.” He replied before taking a sip of his water.
I furrowed my brow. “You seem kind of unsure of your future.” I observed. Zeppelin dropped his eyes the table and slowly set his glass down. His shoulders tensed and he was silent for so long that I thought maybe I had upset him. I was about to apologize but his blue eyes lifted and he began speaking.
“The future isn’t guaranteed to anybody. I just don’t like to focus too much on what might be when I can enjoy what will happen here and now.” He said. “I would love to have things pan out for me and I look forward to my future. I just don’t want to forget the present either.” I tried to see things from that perspective. Perhaps there were things that I was missing out on by focusing too much on my future.
“That makes sense.” I replied. Zeppelin seemed to relax his posture in the seat across from me. “I take it since you’ve already confessed to being analytical that you’ve never been even a tiny bit reckless?” He asked with a sly smile. I narrowed my eyes. “Are you hinting that I’m boring?” I tried to sound hurt, but the way his eyes lit up made it difficult.
“Of course not,” Zeppelin shook his head. “I mean you like cars and racing so you have some sense of fun.” I scoffed. “I like to have fun. Hannah and I used to have tons of fun in high school. Honestly though since I’ve been in college, I kind of scaled down on the social situations.” “Why is that?” He wondered. I shrugged. “I just really want my career plans to happen. It’s important to me.” I admitted. Zeppelin was about to say something but the waiter interrupted us.
Setting down each of our plates along with our beers, he asked if we needed anything else. After he left I looked at Zeppelin expectantly. He was laying out his silverware, focused on the food in front of him. I unrolled my napkin and laid it across my lap before reaching for my glass of beer.
“I think it’s amazing that you know what you want to do with your life.” Zeppelin said quietly. My eyes shifted to his, my glass remained halfway to my lips. He furrowed his brow. “I always wanted to have my own business. This sounds really lame, but when I was younger, I swore that I was going to open up my own garage for race cars. I wanted to restore them, fabricate things and the like.” I shook my head. “That’s not lame Zeppelin.” He half smiled and shrugged. “I got into college and decided to major in business. I figured I would need to know the ins and outs of owning my own place. After I turned twenty one though, I decided that I didn’t want to do that anymore.”
His face fell a little and his eyes unfocused as he looked past me. “I decided that I didn’t want to do anything for a while. I went back home to Seattle because my parents needed me back there. While I was there I thought a lot about my future and the things I had once dreamed. I realized that whatever career path I chose, it wouldn’t matter. And so I dropped out of college.” His gaze moved to mine and he looked perplexed. “I don’t know why I just told you that.” He said softly. “Anyway, I guess I just lost the drive to seek out a definite future for myself. It’s really admirable that you have such a passion for yours.”
“What happened in Seattle?” I asked as I set my glass down in front of me. Zeppelin’s shoulders straightened and he looked down at his untouched food. “Nothing really, it was just a minor issue that needed to be taken care of.” He muttered and then began cutting in to his dinner.
There was a heavy silence between us as we both began to eat our food. My mind was running the entire time, trying to figure out what it was that happened to him. Why would he just lose the drive to achieve his dream? It had to have been something significant. I suppose that I could understand why he wouldn’t tell me though. We didn’t know each other that well and maybe it was something he was embarrassed about or it was just too personal to share.
After we were finished eating, mainly in silence, and the waiter removed our plates, Zeppelin finally met my eyes again. A slow smile formed on his full lips. The sun was nearly set and the air was cooling. “What did you think of the food?” He asked. “It was really great. Thank you for dinner Zeppelin.” I said. He nodded. “Of course, are you ready for the next part of our date?” A smile played on his fill lips. My brow furrowed. “There’s more planned than just dinner?” “Remember last night when we made the bet? I told you one night, one date…” His voice trailed off.
I thought back to when we were making the bet at the race the night before. He had said that. Did that mean that he meant the entire night? Zeppelin chuckled and my gaze flew back to him. He must have read the confused and slightly panicked expression on my face.
“There’s another place I want to take you, if you’re okay with that.” He said. I knew that I wasn’t ready to go home yet. I had relaxed considerably from the beginning of the date thanks to the beer with dinner. “That’s okay with me. You’re not going to tell me where it is you want to take me though.” I spoke as more of a statement than a question and Zeppelin’s smile grew wider as he shook his head. “Not a chance Angel.”
We talked a little bit more as we waited for the check. I watched the waterfall, so majestic and powerful behind us. It really was beautiful at this time in the evening with no tourists interrupting the view. After Zeppelin paid, he stood from the table and reached for my hand. I took it easily as we made our way out of the restaurant. When we got to Zeppelin’s car, he opened the door for me again. Once he was seated in the driver’s seat, he turned to look at me.
“You look really pretty tonight.” He said as his eye
s searched my face. “Thank you.” I said shyly and tucked my hair behind my ear as I looked down. Zeppelin stretched his arm toward me and placed his index finger under my chin, guiding it up to look at him. Without a word, he leaned closer to me and placed a kiss on my lips. It was tender and sweet. He pulled away from me and started the car.
We drove back toward town before Zeppelin took another exit and we were cruising along a winding road through the vast trees. “So do you have any brothers or sisters or anything?” I asked. Zeppelin shook his head. “Nope, it’s just me. What about you?” “Nope, I had Dixon though. He was more like an older brother to me than a cousin.” I said. “You guys are pretty close then?” He asked. I nodded. “Yeah, I was really sad when he moved here. He and my uncle Eddy were the ones who got me into cars. I pretty much followed Dixon around everywhere.” I said with a smile as I remembered our younger days.
“He’s lucky to have you.” Zeppelin said. “I have a few cousins but we were never really close. I mostly just saw them at family reunions and stuff.” “Do they live in Seattle too?” I asked. Zeppelin nodded. “My whole family is from that area. My parents didn’t really like it there and that was why they moved here to Portland before I was born. After my grandfather on my mother’s side passed away, they decided to move back to Seattle to be close to my grandmother.” He explained. “Do you prefer Seattle?” I asked. Zeppelin shrugged. “I think I like both cities equally. Since I grew up here though, Portland feels more like home to me.”
I had been so wrapped up in our conversation that I barely noticed that we had come to the top of the road. Zeppelin turned in to a small gravel parking lot with a short stone wall around it. We were at some sort of scenic area. The sun had set by now and the sky was a dark blue with an array of stars twinkling throughout. The moon was full and golden, setting off a glow. Zeppelin shut the car off and grabbed his door handle. “Come on Lucky.” He said with a wide grin.