by M. R. Polish
“Haha. For your information, I don’t usually talk with strangers, stalkers, or drug dealers; you all just kinda showed up.”
We talked until my eyelids drooped. By the early morning hours I knew his favorite color, animal, and that he hated sports. We stayed away from our pasts, which was great for me. The less he knew about that part of me, the better I felt. I wasn’t ready to divulge my personal nightmare yet. I knew he had a past as well, but for the time being, it was perfect being at that—in the past.
I didn’t want to hang up, but neither did he. I wasn’t sure if I fell asleep before we hung up or what, but when I awoke, the phone was still in my hand, close to my ear. I smiled and couldn’t help but giggle. That was the best night I ever had. Vahn was so perfect. Well, at least in my mind he was.
We made plans to actually meet the next day, and I couldn’t wait. Despite all the stranger danger warnings my parents installed in me since birth, I was flying off the edge and jumping right in. Vahn was taking me out on his boat. If my parents, especially my dad, found out about my plans about meeting some strange man, they’d kill me. My heart raced a bit as I called for a cab. I couldn’t really believe I was doing it.
My anxiety level was over the top and I started having second thoughts. I gripped my cell in my hand contemplating whether or not I should cancel. After everything I’d been through in the short amount of time in Utah, maybe this wasn’t the best idea. I sucked in a sharp breath and stuffed my phone in my pocket. No. I wasn’t going to let Steve and all his bullshit ruin my life—I could do that all by myself.
After waiting for what felt like forever, the cab finally pulled up and I darted out the door. The ride to the Salt Lake Marina wasn’t too bad, but the smell of fish was horribly strong in the air.
I paid the driver and got out. There was a nice cool breeze coming in off the lake. Letting out a long deep breath, I walked out on the dock and looked for his boat. He said it was The Lady Violet, and that it was his dad’s and he named it after Vahn’s mom. I thought that was sweet, but Vahn closed up about it so I figured his family was a sore subject.
I wrung my hands as I strode down the dock. What was I doing? I was insane and glutton for something bad to happen. I stopped and hesitated. It wasn’t too late to turn around and go home. I twisted on my heel to see if the cab was still there. My shoulders slumped, it was gone and all hopes of leaving vanished. After a small pep talk, I told myself it would be okay, then continued walking.
Off to my right I saw The Lady Violet and stopped. She was a good fifteen feet from stern to heel, and I was in love with her.
I closed my eyes and relished the peaceful memory from my childhood to take over. The sound of my dad’s voice filled my ears as I giggled beside him. It was the first time he let me steer the boat. His face told me everything—he was proud of me. His instructions kept me from feeling overwhelmed as I grasped the wheel with small eight-year-old fingers. I opened my eyes to stare at the white boat again. It was so much like my dad’s that I felt in tune with her already.
I heard footsteps on the deck of the boat on the other side of the wheelhouse and held my breath. I wasn’t ready. I painted picture in my head of who Vahn was and I didn’t want to ruin it. And then there was me. What if once he really saw me, not just from a dark parking lot, but really saw me, he wouldn’t like me? I wasn’t the most beautiful girl. Self-consciously, I pulled my shirt down and sucked in my stomach, trying to hide some of my curves.
I saw him before he saw me and I froze. I couldn’t breathe or move even the slightest of muscles. It was him. Of all people in the world, Vahn was my mystery guy. I stood there taking him in when he saw me. His half smile was sexy and just like in the classroom, I melted, right there on the dock. Everything inside me tingled and my stomach filled with butterflies. He had shades on that reminded me of aviation sunglasses, but they totally fit him.
“It’s you.”
He jumped down from the boat and walked over to me. “I wanted to tell you, but I thought I’d wait and surprise you.”
“Do you know how many times I wanted to say hi to you?”
He laughed. “No, not really. But I saw you flirting with me yesterday morning.” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.
“I did not. You smiled at me first.”
“What about last night? I distinctively remember you starting the flirting last night.”
I was still trying to process that Vahn was him, and that he was the one who saved me the night I was drugged. The one who warned me, the one who continued to warn me. The one I stayed up all night talking to. My heart raced faster than I ever thought possible.
“I’m not sure if I should hate you right now or thank you,” I said after a long moment of silence.
“I’ll go for the thank you. I don’t think I’d like you hating me. Especially after spending a night together already.”
I still wasn’t moving. “You’ve been watching me since I started school.”
“No, I haven’t. I saw you the first day and just thought you were pretty. It wasn’t till I saw you at the party that I started to look for you.”
I placed my hands on my hips. “So the first day of school.” I paused. “You thought I was pretty?”
He smiled. “I think you’re beautiful. I’ve thought that every time I saw you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
I should have been upset, even raving mad, but it just wouldn’t come. “I’ll forgive you, this time, but only because you said I was pretty.”
He took my hand, and I swore the heat turned up twenty degrees. “Thank you. Let’s get out on the water. I promised you a fun day.”
A fun day was an understatement. It was the best day—ever. Vahn proved to be an expert sailor, and I surprised him with my own boating knowledge. Growing up in Maine, sailing or spending the day on a boat in the summer was routine. My dad never missed a weekend off to take me out.
After Vahn docked the boat, he jumped off onto the deck. He reached up and helped me down. I took every opportunity I had to touch him, or just be close. There was no doubt about it, I was one-hundred percent attracted to him. Not just physically either; he was fun to be around, and he made me laugh. That was something I hadn’t done a whole lot of lately, so it was nice to finally feel alive again.
I was impressed with not only how he acted like a gentleman around me, but I also found out that he ran his own business that his dad passed down to him, and he still had time for a couple of classes at the college. I couldn’t imagine doing all that.
He walked me up the dock and to a car. It was an older Firebird with copper red paint. White stripes went up the hood and down the trunk with shadowed flames in the middle.
“Is this yours?”I asked, stunned.
Vahn pulled me by the hand, closer to it. “Yeah. She’s all mine. Get in,” he said as he opened the passenger door. I jumped in and he closed it for me. In seconds, he was beside me in the driver’s seat.
He started up the car and the engine rumbled, coming to life. I loved the sound of loud engines and anything fast. Well, I used to anyway. After not driving for so long, the thought of doing so created an excited fear inside me.
Inside, the dash lit up with red instead of the stock green. He had the radio turned down low, but I could still hear the bass from a system that was probably a custom install. “Sweet car.”
He smiled. “Thanks. It was something my dad and I worked on together. It took us four years, but it runs healthy now.”
I smiled back. “Well, it’s nice.”
“So, do you wanna catch a movie tonight or something?”
I didn’t want to shout yes, so I slowed down my response time. “Sure, that’d be fun.”
“Great. I have to do some things real quick, but I can pick you up.”
“That’s perfect.”
After an hour, we pulled up next to my apartment, and as much as I didn’t want to get out of the car, I knew I had to.
“So, I’ll see you in an hour?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
He walked me to my door, which I thought was cute, and waited for me to unlock it and enter my apartment. After I closed it behind me, I did a small dance. I wasn’t sure the day could get any better.
I did my best to look as good as I could before seven o’clock. I tried on at least five outfits and redid my hair twice before deciding to loop a pink bandana through the middle of it like a hairband. It was me, completely, and I didn’t feel like I needed to be anyone or act like anyone else for Vahn. I picked out a cute pair of capris that I rolled up the bottoms on, wore my Toms and my favorite pink shirt that had slits in the sleeves.
Right at seven, there was a knock on my door. I restrained myself from running to answer it. Vahn stood outside wearing his leather jacket. There was that same, sexy half-smile. I decided right then and there that it was my favorite smile—ever. “You look beautiful. I really like the bandana thing you have going on.”
Oh yeah, he was worth keeping. No one ever appreciated my colorful use of bandanas. I smiled and felt the familiar rush of heat in my cheeks. “Thank you. You look pretty amazing yourself.” And he did. He still wore his white tee but his leather jacket made all the difference.
Vahn walked me to the car and opened the door for me. He made sure I was in completely before shutting it and dashing around the front to get in. I wanted to squeal out loud in excitement but was able to hold it in by biting the inside of my cheek.
“So, earlier I didn’t ask you what you wanted. Is there a certain movie you’d like to see?”
I laughed. “No. I actually don’t even know what’s playing. So whatever you were thinking is perfect. I like all types of movies so you don’t have to worry if its action or whatever. I just don’t do horror.”
“Alright.” God. That smile again.
We pulled in to the parking lot of a small theater and got out. He pulled out his wallet and I grabbed a twenty from my back pocket. I was always prepared and never assumed my date would pay.
Together, we walked to the ticket window. “Two for the seven-thirty showing.” He handed her the money, then handed me my ticket.
“I could’ve paid.”
He grabbed the theater door as he spoke. “I know, but I asked you.”
“Thank you,” I said as I walked through the door that he held open.
He bought a large tub of popcorn and two large drinks for us and carried them into the showing room. We sat in the back of the nearly vacant room. Only one other couple sitting close to the front was there. I was surprised that hardly anyone was at the movies, or maybe it was just my luck changing, working in my favor.
Vahn threw a piece of popcorn up and caught it in his mouth.
“Oh yeah? I bet I can do better.” I picked up two pieces and tossed them both in the air at the same time, then caught them with my tongue.
He laughed and grabbed a handful.
“You can’t do that many,” I challenged.
One right after another, he threw them up and all but one landed in his mouth. We both laughed. I barely noticed when the lights dimmed; all I felt was how close he was to me.
The movie was funny, and I completely enjoyed myself. Vahn made me laugh with his commentary throughout the movie, making it even more hilarious. When we left the theater to go to his car, it was dark. He walked to the passenger door but stopped me from getting in, resting his elbow on the roof of the old red Firebird. “You know, I had a good time today.”
I smiled. “Me too.”
He hesitated before taking my hand. Tingles ran up my arm like a twitterpatted schoolgirl. His hand was warm, almost sweaty, but I loved that the action excited me so much. Being that close, touching him, stirred feelings in me that I didn’t know I had. My previous boyfriends never provoked such hot sensations that filled me like this.
He gave me a devilish grin. “I want to show you something, give us time to talk more. I guess maybe I don’t want the day to end.” He chuckled.
My heart hammered in my chest. “Show me something? Like what?”
“Come on.” He motioned to the car with his head as he opened the door. “I have to show you.”
We drove to the outskirts of town. “It’s right up here. I’ve never brought anyone here before.”
“Really?” I wasn’t sure whether I should be relieved or worried. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous.
We pulled through a tall gate with a sign half hanging on one hinge that read: Private Property. I swallowed and took a deep breath. “Um, maybe we should go back.”
“No, it’s okay. The people that own this place gave me permission. It was kinda willed to me when they died.”
I watched as we drove close to a brick wall on the back side of the property. On the other side it looked like a house—a dark, condemned house. A broken window on the second floor over the brick wall was boarded up. The headlights lit up the shadows and my mouth fell open as I saw the most beautiful mural painted on the wall.
“Oh my gosh, that’s gorgeous.”
Vahn parked the car, leaving the headlights on, and opened the door. I followed suit, not taking my eyes off the artwork. He came around as I was getting out of the car and took my hand. “I hoped you’d like it.”
We walked closer to the wall. A huge red rose was in the middle. It was only partially filled in with color, but every petal was meticulously painted, shades and colors blended perfectly together to give the flawless look of a real rose. Wilted petals were painted alone, falling from the main bud. A river washed away the fallen petals, landing in a garden of clouds. It was amazing.
I reached out to touch a petal the size of my hand. It was much smaller than the other ones and I wondered what made the artist make one so insignificant compared to the others.
The mural still had a way to go before it was completed, but it was a stunning piece of work. It struck an inner chord with my emotions as I stared at the heavenly garden. I wondered if Celeste was in a place like that, and if all the tears I’d cried could be felt there.
“I have no words.” My voice broke. I hated that my emotions were still so close to the surface.
He reached up, touching another petal. “It’s not finished, but one day I’ll be able to look back on it with a smile.”
I tore my eyes from the wall and stared at Vahn. “You? You’re the artist?”
He looked over at me with a soft expression in his eyes. “Yeah. It’s something I’ve never shown anyone before.”
“It’s amazing, Vahn. I mean, really. This is my favorite piece of art I’ve ever seen. It really hits a special place in my heart.”
He gave a half laugh. “You haven’t seen a lot of art then.” He looked back up at the wall. “It comes from my heart though.”
I touched his arm. “Why is your heart so sad that it can create something so beautiful?”
He smiled at me. “You’re the only one I know that thinks sadness is beauty. When I look at you, I see something different. You see things that others can’t comprehend, a world filled with loneliness and grief.”
I swallowed and looked away. He pulled my face back to look at him. “Don’t do that. Don’t look away. For the first time in over a year, I feel alive. You make me happy and life doesn’t seem so dark.”
“I was beginning to think the same thing earlier, but I’m not sure I deserve it.” I glanced down. I couldn’t look him in the eyes.
“Keeley, everyone deserves happiness, it’s a question of whether or not we accept it. It’s hard though, I get it. The dark is easier to live with than light.”
“Wow, quite the philosopher,” I joked. I needed to lighten the mood before all my emotions opened up like a floodgate. Not what I would hope for on a first date.
He laughed. “Yeah, I guess I was getting kinda deep. Sorry. My mom was like that.”
I gently shook my head. “No, it’s fine, it’s just…”
“I get it. Let’s go get some ice cream or something,” H
e took my hand again and we drove back into town.
The night went on without talking about any more about the wall. He dropped me off at my apartment and even walked me to the door. I couldn’t keep the wide smile off my face as I watched him drive away through the living room window. I squealed and laughed as I danced through my house. There was no way I could sleep. I was too excited as I replayed my day with Vahn in my head. The only thing that would have made it better was a kiss. I know, a kiss on the first date was probably taboo, but who cares, I really, really, really liked him. I imagined his smile, his lips, and how wonderful it would be to feel them on mine.
A knock on my door made me dash toward it. Vahn was on the other side. He leaned against the doorframe with one arm, looking up and sliding his free hand through his hair. His breathing was a little quicker than it was minutes before and I tensed, wondering if maybe something was wrong. “Keeley, I know we just met and all. I mean, we haven’t um…” He released a long breath. “What I’m trying to ask is…”
I smiled and decided to take things into my own hands. I grabbed his shirt and pulled him to me. Our eyes locked and his body relaxed as he wrapped his arms around my middle and held me tight against him. He lowered his head until his lips touched mine, turning my body to butter. My knees trembled and I wrapped my hands around his neck, deepening our kiss. It was urgent, yet filled with so much more than I could explain. It was, truth be told, the best first kiss—ever.
He leaned back and rested his forehead on mine. We both laughed. “Goodnight,” he whispered.
“Night,” I whispered back breathlessly.
He jogged down the three steps to the street where he parked. I reached up and touched my lips. They still tingled and heat radiated from them. His headlights flashed across the yard as he turned around and headed back down the road. I stood there watching his taillights disappear in the night.
I turned to head back inside, a smile still plastered on my face, probably permanently.
My cell vibrated on the kitchen counter. I dashed over to snatch it up. Vahn sent a text: Had a gr8 time 2nt. Can't wait 2 c U again. Breakfast? I squealed and danced around in a little circle.