by Alesha Cary
Thank goodness there hadn't been many cars or trucks on the road. That was one of the advantages of living in such a rural area. The roads might be narrow, but there was a lot less traffic.
Tony pulled off onto a dirt road and headed inland for about a half mile. He turned off the bike when they came out at the top of a hill overlooking the ocean in the distance on one side, and the edge of the lake on the other.
Sarah jumped down from the bike and pulled off the helmet, setting it on the seat. She looked around, and decided it had been a good choice to come out today with Tony.
She was amazed at how far out on the ocean she could see. That jut of land must be the false point 30 miles or so down the coast. The winter waves were huge, crashing along the coastline below. You could even hear them if you listened closely. The air was clear and cold, and the sun was blindingly bright.
On the lake side she could see the ducks and cormorants floating along the top of the water, dipping heads in and then preening their feathers. A small flock of cormorants took off all at once, flying low above the water, away across to the other side of the lake. The trees here still looked like winter - the alder were bare, branches stark against the deep green of the fir and pine.
She took the blanket and food from the side pouches and picked out a spot up near a tree. They could look to either side, and if the sun got too hot (not likely) or too bright, they'd have a little shade.
"What a lovely spot, Tony. How'd you ever find it?"
"When I was a kid, me and my dad would come up here. We used to fish in the lake back when they still let ya do that. It was a long time ago."
"You don't strike me as a fisherman."
"Not so much now. It was cool when Dad was alive. I got to spend time alone with him, away from everyone else."
She looked up at him from her place on the blanket. He was framed against the sky and the sun was behind him. She couldn't see his face, but she noticed the yearning in his voice.
"It made me happy when he'd come get me to go fishing." He sat down beside her on the blanket and took a sandwich.
"I didn't get much time with him. The folks called it quits when my brother and me were pretty young. We only saw Dad a couple times a year," he said between bites.
Sarah watched his face. It was an interesting mix of wistfulness and anger. She decided to keep quiet and let him talk.
"Mom was good, I mean, she did her best, but it just wasn't the same without Dad there."
He seemed kind of lost in his own thoughts, and in the silence Sarah noticed just how still it was up on the hilltop. She could hear the birds, the call of the quail, and the buzzing of the insects someplace close at hand.
"Tony, do you see your brother much?"
"Dammit!" he said, "Johnny was killed in Afghanistan. The idiot. He volunteered, wanted to go be a soldier. Now there's just me." He had that sullen, brooding look again.
Sarah reached out and put her hand on his arm. "Tony, I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"Yeah, still makes me mad. We was close. Almost like twins. But the fool's gone."
"But he served his country. You can be proud of that."
"He was running away. He and his girl broke up and he just couldn't stick around so he signed on and went overseas. Not for me, though. No one's gonna put me through the wringer and make me run away!"
It must be really hard to lose a brother. She couldn't imagine how that might feel. She knew how difficult it had been when her mom was so sick. Tony's been through a lot, Sarah thought, feeling sorry for him and wanting to make it better.
He glanced over and saw her look of concern. He pulled her over to him, resting his head on her shoulder.
Sarah felt a thrill of tenderness go through her. This guy needed someone to be nice to him. At the same time, she felt a little awkward, not quite knowing what to say.
She put her hand on his cheek, wanting to sooth some of the anger she saw in him. He grabbed her hand and put it up to his mouth. The kiss sent shivers down her back, stirring feelings inside that had long been dormant.
"Sarah. I don't got anyone now. It's just me."
She sat there, wanting to make him feel better, but not yet sure of her feelings for him.
He held her hand to his mouth and ran his other hand down her arm, then along her leg. Sarah was aroused by Tony, but startled that he was moving so fast with her.
As she wrestled with her own confused thoughts, Sarah's heart started beating harder. Tony stroked her leg, murmuring into her hand. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but that didn't really matter because her body was starting to tremble where he was touching her.
He moved his hand between her legs, stroking downward towards her knees, even as his hand inched upwards.
"Tony!" she gasped.
"Baby," he whispered, "you make me feel so good."
She was trembling. He had his hand firmly between her thighs and she could feel it moving closer to the center of her womanhood.
He nuzzled her neck, pushing her backwards onto the blanket. Her body seemed to melt into shivers as he continued to gently bite her neck.
She felt her excitement rise, but something held her back. This was more than she had expected - and it was happening way too fast.
He had pinned her down and she could feel his excitement building through his jeans.
"Tony! Tony stop!" She rolled away from him.
"Baby! What's the matter? I thought you liked me?"
"Tony, I do. But this is too fast."
"Baby," he said, pulling her close to him and covering her protests with a bruising kiss. "You know this is what you want."
"Stop it! Stop it!" She pushed him away. "I'm not ready for this."
He glared at her. "What are you a tease?"
Sarah covered her mouth with her hand. Did he just call her a tease? What did he think was going to happen here?
"Tony, that's not fair. I want to go home. Now." She stood up, straightening her shirt.
"Baby. Sarah, Baby. What'd I do?"
"Just take me home. I want to go home. Now!"
"Sure. Sure," he told her.
Clearly confused and upset, he stood up and pulled his jacket back on, muttering under his breath, "If she didn't want to play, why'd she call? Women!"
He rolled his eyes and shook his head, reaching down to pick up the keys from the blanket.
Sarah was fumbling around trying to repack everything. She felt tears stinging her eyes. She was trying not to be angry. How did I talk myself into this, she wondered. What a big mistake.
"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Tony took Sarah by the arm. "I thought you liked me. I guess I moved too fast, huh?"
She looked up at him. Those brooding eyes. They looked truly sorry. She closed her own eyes for a moment, willing herself to calm down.
"OK, just take me home."
"No prob," he told her.
Sarah had more on her mind than scenery as they rode back to town. She tried to use the time to sort out her thoughts, but she was acutely aware that she was holding on to Tony, and she could feel his heart through his shirt - beating hard and fast.
What would he think of her now? It wasn't that she was a prude - at least she didn't think she was a prude. And it wasn't that she disliked the way he made her feel.
But he was definitely moving too fast - and that made her more than just a little uncomfortable.
~ # ~
Sarah was glad that they were on a motorcycle. The air streaming past seemed to help clear her head, and there weren't a lot of awkward moments like there might be if they were riding back in a car.
It gave her time to sort through her thoughts and feelings in silence. Not that she had them figured out, but at least she didn't have to talk them over with him.
Leaning up against him like this was okay - it felt good to her, and he couldn't do anything that made her feel uncomfortable or threatened like back at the picnic.
He'd brought back fe
elings she'd almost forgotten. His touch made her tremble with longing. But even in the excitement she felt uneasy. At least this way she didn't have to figure out something to say. And thank goodness, Tony actually was a good driver.
They pulled onto her street and he brought the bike to a stop in front of her car. She handed Tony his helmet and pulled out her keys, standing there for an awkward moment.
He watched her in silence.
"Sarah, I'm glad you went up to the lake with me. I haven't been there in a long time."
"Tony, it's a lovely spot."
"I liked being there with you. Look, can I kiss you goodbye?"
She looked down for a minute, feeling shy. She was glad he didn't seem mad at her, but she didn't want to fight him off again, either. "Tony, I don't know. I don't want you to think I'm leading you on."
He laughed, "Come on, Sarah, I know you like me. You can't act like a scaredy cat with me, ya know."
There were those sultry eyes again. What was a girl to do? He could be very charming!
He leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "That one okay?" he grinned at her.
Sarah was a little surprised. She smiled.
"Good," He smiled back. "Now how about going to the Rusty Spike next Friday? They got a good band lined up."
Sarah looked at him, trying to read his face in the fading light.
She liked him, but regardless of how charming, he'd seemed pretty insistent back at the lake. She wasn't totally sure of this guy, but she had to admit that she did find him kind of exciting. And he'd listened when she asked him to stop.
"Come on, Sarah. You like music? What's to think about?"
She looked at him again and sighed. What else was she going to do on her night off? That last little kiss on her cheek was sweet, and well, if Tony was going to be like this, she decided she could give him another chance.
"Okay Tony, that sounds like fun. But I have to get back early. I'm on duty Saturday."
"So you gonna let me pick you up this time?" he asked her.
Oh yeah. She'd forgotten about that. "Follow me up the hill. That way you'll see it in the daytime."
She started up the car, feeling better now that Tony seemed to understood what had happened for her at the lake. If he could accept that she didn't want to move so fast, she could stop thinking of him as just another guy out to get whatever he could get.
CHAPTER THREE
The next week was uneventful for Sarah - just the usual in-hospital stuff fit in around her normal school activities and studies. She appreciated that the hospital and staff were pretty accommodating to her academic schedule.
Anna, the cute little nurse in ER, had continued to be particularly nice, showing her the ropes and helping her figure out how to fit in. She had first come to Sarah's rescue when the head nurse had accused Sarah of misplacing some patient records.
It had nothing to do with Sarah, and she had appreciated that someone had spoken up for her. They'd found the missing records and Sarah had been exonerated. She still didn't know Anna very well, but they'd had lunch together at least once a week after that.
"How's it going with the new flame? You doing anything… special… this weekend?" Anna grinned at Sarah over cokes in the cafeteria.
Sarah blushed. She had already confided in Anna about the ride up to the lake. "Mm hmm, Tony's taking me to the Rusty Spike. He says there's a good band on Friday."
Anna laughed at Sarah's discomfort. "Honey, you know I'm teasing you. Have a good time, just be careful. I know you're attracted to the guy, but you just met him."
Sarah blushed deeper, knowing her friend was right.
"Don't worry. I think I like him, but I don't intend to be a pushover." She took a sip of her coke.
"So." She said changing the subject, "How fancy is this place? What should I wear?"
Sarah liked having a girlfriend to talk to again. She really missed her friends back home. She simply hadn't had enough time between school and work to make new ones yet.
When Friday rolled around, she was glad she had the evening off. Besides, Tony had promised music! She hoped they had a dance floor because she totally loved to dance!
Taking a shower after work, Sarah still couldn't decide how to dress. Obviously it couldn't be too fancy since they'd be traveling by motorcycle.
She settled on a nice pair of stretchy slacks and a soft blue lacy knit top. She could wear her favorite cowgirl boots and she had a great suede jacket that would work fine on the bike, but still looked a little dressy.
Even though they'd gone up to the lake on that picnic last weekend, this was feeling like a first date to Sarah.
She couldn't remember the last time she'd gone on an "official" date with a guy. She'd been pretty tied to the house with her Mom duties - not that she was complaining. And she couldn't count her nights with the girls because that was totally different.
So yes, it had been more than three years. No wonder she felt excited.
She pulled her long auburn hair back into a loose bun at the nape of her neck. No sense in getting it tangled on the ride, and when she let it back down it would be soft and wavy - just the way she liked it.
She glanced at the clock just as the doorbell rang. Good, he was on time. She opened the door and there was Tony with those smoldering eyes and that crooked grin. She couldn't help but smile back, her heart fluttering in her chest as she grabbed her jacket on the way out.
"Hey you," she said, "Did you realize you're my first date in three years?"
"Girl, you definitely need to get out more," he laughed at her, handing her the helmet.
~ # ~
The Rusty Spike was a well known hangout for the local college kids. The music was usually pretty good, and they had a limited bar-food/appetizer menu. Not what you'd consider a sit down dinner, but sufficient for the college crowd.
Sarah and Tony found a table in the corner and ordered drinks and a plate of calamari strips and french fries.
Like most bars, it wasn't very well lit and even though it was night, it took a moment or so before Sarah could see very much. There were plenty of kids milling around, carrying their beer bottles and laughing among themselves, having a good time.
The music hadn't started yet and even with the crowd, it wasn't so loud that they couldn't talk to each other.
Sarah sipped her wine, and as the band set up, she and Tony made small talk. She began to feel a little more relaxed with him.
"So where'd you grow up in Sacramento?" he asked her.
"We moved around a bit. Mostly Fair Oaks, though. It was pretty rural when I was younger. Not a lot of traffic. But then it grew. Like L.A., it just kept getting bigger."
"I've been here my entire life," he told her proudly. "Can't imagine living anywhere else."
"I wasn't so sure at first about coming up here. I mean, I read the brochures and all, and it seemed charming. But I think what convinced me the most - besides the excellent nursing program at the University - was that it was on the ocean."
"Valley girl."
"Ha, yes. I guess I was. I loved going to San Francisco when I was little. And Big Sur is one of my favorite places on earth. There's just something about the ocean that is so soothing. And after three years of taking care of an invalid, I had a lot of re-focusing to do."
"So who was the invalid?"
"My mom. She had cancer. Everything's okay now. For the moment anyway. But that's why I had to delay college for a few years."
"Sarah. That's special. Very special. Taking care of your mom like that. Is that why you're in nursing school?"
She told him about when she was seven and had gone to visit her aunt in the hospital. And how she had been so excited to see all the young girls in the red and white aprons. They had seemed so busy and important, even though they didn't seem much older than she was.
"I've always had an interest in helping and healing, but that visit is what started my love affair with medicine and nursing."
"Aw, you're a natural," he told her.
She smiled.
The band started and could no longer hear each other. So they sat quietly listening to the sounds of the local country rock band. Tony was tapping his fingers on the table in time to the beat.
In between songs they chatted, getting to know each other a little better. Tony told his favorite jokes, and she was laughing at them, as silly as they were.
Once the band started playing "All My Ex's Live in Texas", Tony grabbed her hand, dragging her up onto the dance floor, laughing at the look on her face.
He was a fair dancer, and what he lacked in finesse, he made up for in twirls. In fact, that was his main dance step, keeping her twirling around, first in one direction and then in the next. He was just tall enough to swing her through easily without her having to duck.
They stayed up on the floor for two more songs, twirling, joking and having a good time. As they walked back to the table, Sarah was thinking that maybe she'd been wrong about Tony. She was glad she had come out with him again.
They chatted through a couple more songs, and ordered another round of drinks. While Sarah sipped her wine, she noticed that Tony kept stealing glances over towards the bar.
She wondered who he knew, and why he didn't simply go over and say "Hi". The band moved to a slow song.
"Come on," Tony took her hand again to pull her up onto the dance floor.
Suddenly he was much more attentive. She'd started to feel relaxed with him, and had been having a really good time, but now he was acting possessive. Not exactly like the other day at the lake, but he was holding her way too close, and it was beginning to make Sarah feel uncomfortable.
"Hey, you're being awfully friendly all of a sudden," she said to him, trying to make a joke. He just kind of growled and pulled her closer, moving his hand down her back and drawing her hips tightly against his.
Sarah's breath caught in her throat as she felt his heat against her, insistently pressing through his jeans. Uh Oh. The way he was moving his body against hers seemed more suited for the bedroom than the dance floor.