Lovely

by Jez Strider

  A large two tiered cake with one lit candle on top was placed on the table in front of me. The smile on my face was so wide my cheeks ached. I stood up to blow out the candle.

  “Don’t forget to make a wish,” Brody whispered into my ear as he slipped his arms around my waist from behind. It was like he was touching my bare skin through the silken material of my lavender dress.

  I closed my eyes, wished to always be as happy as I was in that moment, and blew out the flame. “Oh, I made a wish, but I won’t tell.”

  He gave me a squeeze. “Good thing they didn’t put twenty-two candles on there. Could have been a fire hazard.”

  I feigned being offended, but leaned back against him. I never wanted to leave his embrace. “A comedian tonight, aren’t you?”

  “And a little tipsy already.” He laughed and released me from the hug. “What’s that box on the lower tier? A gift or decoration?”

  With all the singing and excitement, I hadn’t noticed it. “Probably a decoration.” I set my glass of champagne down and picked up the box. Carefully I peeled the shimmering silver paper off. I didn’t want to ruin my new French manicure. When I saw the ring box, my hand started shaking so severely that I nearly dropped the gift back onto the cake. I turned around, expecting to be eye to eye with my boyfriend, only I wasn’t. He was on one knee. The room was quiet. I wondered if all the guests could hear my pounding heart. It was thundering in my ears. Brody extended his hand and I gave him the box.

  “Farrah Caine, will you do me the honor of being my wife?” He flipped open the box and I saw the ring for the first time.

  “Yes,” I said breathlessly, thinking that I should have said more, but lacking the composure. I extended my hand and the ring was slipped onto my finger. The massive diamond seemed out of place, much too large for my hand, but beautiful nonetheless.

  Cheers broke out around the room, but I barely heard them as Brody rose to his feet, pulled me close, and kissed my lips firmly.

  My eyes glistened as I relived the moment, but I didn’t cry. What was the point anymore? Hadn’t I shed enough tears? I closed my hand around the ring and headed over to the full sized bed in the corner of my studio apartment with the ring hidden from view in my fist. Beside the bed was a nightstand. I moved aside a box of unopened condoms and placed the ring in the drawer. I covered it with the box and then added a few pair of underwear and a red bra for good measure. As soon as possible, I would return the ring… even if I had to mail it. I shuddered to think of what it would cost to insure such a pricey item.

  Chapter 7

  The next day, I did my best to push all thoughts of Brody from my mind and focus on my date with Gavyn. He’d called me and told me to dress casual. We were going out to dinner near the beachfront, but nowhere too fancy. That suited me just fine. I’d had enough fancy dinners for one lifetime.

  I took the time to blow dry my long hair, which was unusual for me. Afterward, I dressed in a black plaid babydoll dress that I hadn’t been able to resist when I’d saw it on sale. I wasn’t even sure they were still in style and I didn’t particularly care. It was cute and good for a first date. It hung nearly to my knees and I had no intention of dressing like I was an easy lay.

  The digital clock on my stove read fifteen minutes after seven when I finally heard a knock at my door. I know because I’d been staring at the numbers change for half an hour in anticipation of his arrival. I forced myself to move slowly across the room. I didn’t want to seem desperate. When I opened the door, I didn’t expect Gavyn to take my breath away.

  He was wearing slacks and a button up with a loose fitting blazer over it. His hair was still wild, but he wasn’t wearing his glasses. The epitome of casual sexy was standing in front of me.

  “Hi,” I said.

  “Sorry I’m late.” He smiled.

  “It’s okay. I didn’t notice the time.” So I’m a liar. Everyone gets a free pass, or ten, on their first date. I grabbed my purse and locked the door behind me. He offered me his arm and I held on at his bicep. Yep. The fireman was definitely more muscular than I’d thought.

  He kept glancing over at me with a strange grin on his face.

  “What?” I asked.

  “You look amazing. I’m glad you’re well again. Seems like it’s been weeks since I was last here.”

  The comment had me wearing a grin to match his. I’d always been a sucker for a compliment. “Thanks. It does feel like it. I’m glad we are spending more time together.”

  “Me too.” He opened the car door for me and I slid into the seat.

  “You cleaned up the car,” I said, taking note of the missing plastic bottles.

  Gavyn laughed briefly. “Yeah. For some reason I’m a slob when it comes to my car. I swear I’m not like that at home.”

  “I guessed that when you took your shoes off in my apartment last week.” I smoothed my dress and my fingers fidgeted at the hemline. “When I had a car, I kept it washed, waxed, and vacuumed. It was a stupid obsession.”

  “What kind of car was it?” He asked.

  I hesitated, but answered truthfully. “It was a black sports car.”

  “Wow, nice. I don’t think even I would be messy if I had a sexy ride.”

  “It was just a car.”

  He nodded. “What happened to it? Or is that in the category of none of my business?”

  “I left it behind when I transferred here to go to school.”

  “Well, with the buses and things being in walking distance, the added fees associated with a car are pretty excessive.”

  I watched him, studying his features as he drove. He caught me staring and I turned my head quickly to observe the scenery outside the passenger window. “I try not to tie myself to material possessions anymore.”

  Gavyn had to be curious, but he didn’t press the subject further. We made small talk about the history class we shared until we parked at the restaurant.

  Once again, I held onto his arm and we walked into the restaurant. It was a seafood place called Clawz ‘n’ Finz. It became obvious why when I saw the huge tank containing the lobsters when we stepped through the front doors.

  “If you’re allergic or don’t like this, we can go somewhere else. I’ll tell you, the food is heavenly.”

  “No, it’s fine. I like seafood.” I smiled.

  “Good, because I’m starving.”

  A hostess called us up when it was our turn. As Gavyn spoke to her about our reservation, I looked at the décor. The decorator had gone way too literal when using the restaurant name as inspiration. On the walls were mounted fish on plaques. Underneath the fish were engravings with dates and the names of the individual who had reeled in the catch. I wasn’t lying when I said I loved seafood, but I didn’t like the idea of the big-eyed fish watching me devour their buddies.

  “Right this way,” The hostess said and we were led to a table in the back.

  Gavyn pulled out my chair before taking a seat across from me and opening his menu. “Go ahead and choose what you want to drink, Farrah. Anything. They have some great daiquiris. I’m driving, anyway.”

  “I’ll have the strawberry lemonade,” I told the waitress.

  “Sounds good, I’ll have the same.”

  The waitress walked away and I turned my attention to the menu in my hands.

  “Well, guess the alcohol didn’t interest you.” He laughed. “I wasn’t trying to get you sloshed.” His accent had become more evident. The more time we spent talking, the more prominent it became. I hoped it meant he was relaxed with me.

  “I guess I’m a weird college kid. I don’t drink.”

  “At all?”

  “Nope.” I didn’t look up, focused on choosing what to order.

  “What about champagne at a wedding?”

  Slowly, I lifted my gaze from the plastic covered menu. Something I’d wanted to keep hidden must have shown on my face because his teasing grin faded. “Not at all,” I said.

  “So, what are you go
ing to eat?” He asked, obviously changing the subject.

  “Crab legs, I think.”

  “Want to get a big platter and share?”

  I nodded and closed my menu, smiling. “That works.”

  Gavyn placed our order when the waitress returned with our drinks. I caught him staring at me as I sipped from the straw. His big brown eyes were locked on mine. I swallowed the lemonade in a slow gulp.

  “I’m kind of rusty with the dating game,” He said.

  “Me too.”

  And completely unprepared to like a guy again.

  “I’m going to guess your favorite color. That’s a basic fact two people need to know about each other.”

  I laughed. “It can be important, I guess. Do you want a hint?”

  “Nope, I got this.” He rubbed his chin a little as he thought about an answer. “Purple.”

  The memory of the lavender dress from my birthday/engagement party flashed in my mind briefly before I forced it into hiding. “How did you know that?” I eyed him suspiciously.

  “Secret.” He grinned, sipping on his drink with the straw in the corner of his mouth.

  “You are a spy.”

  “I am in deep cover, lovely. Keep your voice down.” Gavyn embellished his accent and lifted one eyebrow and gave it a wiggle to tease me.

  It was sexy as hell and I bit my lip involuntarily for a second before I realized it. “That was amazing. You should be an actor.” I laughed. Well… it may have been closer to a giggle than a laugh if I’m being honest.

  “You think?”

  “Mmhmm. I’d go see all your movies.”

  He smirked. “I suppose I should tell you why I knew it was purple. Other than being a spy. There’s a lot of purple in your paintings, so I figured it was a good guess.”

  “How am I supposed to guess yours? I haven’t been to your house.”

  All he did was shrug and keep the smirk.

  “Okay, let me think.” I steepled my fingers. “Green.”

  “Wrong. Why green?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Because you like to recycle.”

  “That kind of makes sense, but only a little bit. Want to try again?”

  “Hmm. Blue.”

  “Nope, why blue?”

  I sighed. “Because you’re a male.”

  “You’re not a very good spy, Farrah.”

  “I give up.”

  “Red.” He pushed his drink aside to make room for the large platter of crab legs the waitress brought to our table.

  “Those smell so good.” The scent alone made me salivate.

  She placed two shell crackers on the table and smiled. “Anything else I can get you?”

  “No, thanks,” I said and Gavyn echoed my words.

  “Enjoy!” She checked a table nearby before heading off again.

  “These legs are massive. What do they do? Feed them steroids?” I picked one up and eyed it up and down in approval before going for a pair of the crab crackers.

  Gavyn did the same, making short work of opening the shell and pulling out a long strip of meat. “Whatever it is, it works.”

  I frowned, struggling with my own crab leg. I switched to two handing the cracker and squeezed as hard as I could. I’d never been skilled at opening them. Gavyn had a smug look of amusement on his face as he watched me fighting with the limb.

  “Need some help?” He asked after a bit.

  “No, I’m fine. I’m making progress.” Independent Farrah, that was me.

  When the shell finally cracked, I grinned triumphantly. That was, until half the leg shot from the left side of the cracker as it broke into two pieces and went rocketing at the neighboring table. The projectile smacked into a mug of beer, knocked it over, and the contents began spilling over the edge of the table onto the floor.

  “Oh. My. God.” I said. Each word was a slow sentence of its own.

  Gavyn stared in shock from me to the couple that was the victim of the accident. When they started laughing, he relaxed and joined in. I was frozen with cracker still in hand, but when I saw him doubled over cackling, the giggles took me over as well.

  “I’m so sorry,” I told the couple. They reassured me all was well. The waitress was already at the table with a fresh drink and cleaning up the spill.

  “I have never seen anything like that in my life.” Gavyn could barely speak between the chuckles, had tears in his eyes, and his face was a little red. “I’ll open them from now on.”

  I shook my head, feeling completely mortified, but I couldn’t deny the hilarity of the situation. “Deal.”

  He cracked open a leg, pulled out a strip of meat, dipped it in butter, and then extended his hand in offering. I leaned forward and took a bite. The remaining half, he popped into his mouth. Once again, his casual intimacy surprised and pleased me, but it was still unsettling. The date certainly was more comfortable than a first date should have been.

  We continued talking throughout the meal, both relaxed in the other’s company.

  Chapter 8

  “How about some ice cream?” Gavyn asked outside when we exited the restaurant an hour later and headed to our right down the sidewalk.

  “Even though I’m full, I can’t say no.” I smiled.

  A short distance away, we stopped at a tiny, crowded ice cream shop. Though the place was packed, the employees were efficient and we moved through the line quickly. I chose a waffle cone and rainbow sherbet. I only asked for one scoop, but the guy smacked two huge ones on top of the cone. As soon as he handed it to me, I started to work on it before it melted and made a mess all over my hand. Gavyn chose vanilla and we were on our way again.

  When we stepped into the sand leading to the nearby ocean, Gavyn entwined his fingers with mine. I glanced over at him and he smirked.

  “I think he gave me more ice cream than you,” I said, still tonguing the dessert in a quick fashion that was probably less than ladylike. It was already melting and threatening to make my entire hand sticky.

  “It’s because you’re pretty.” He crunched into his cone, already having made his way far enough down to begin eating it.

  It was nighttime and the weather was hot, but the burning heat in my cheeks came from blushing. “Thanks. If it had been a girl server, you would have definitely gotten more scoops than me.”

  “Is that your way of saying I’m pretty, too?” He joked.

  “Handsome, not pretty. I am curious, since you mentioned you were a firefighter…” I hesitated, grinning mischievously.

  “Yeah?”

  “Have you ever done one of those sexy calendars?”

  He nearly choked on his ice cream cone, sputtering out a few particles of wafer when he coughed. “No way.”

  I laughed at his reaction. “Too bad.” I teased without elaborating and continued to eat in silence as we strolled along the water.

  As we moved closer to the edge and with my treat finished, I slipped off my shoes and carried them as we made our way to the ocean. The water lapped at my toes, cooling me down in the hot Miami night. We didn’t try to make conversation, but enjoyed the time together. As the crowds continued to thin, we returned the way we had come.

  “You ready to head back?” He whispered near my ear. We were still hand in hand, but our bodies had moved closer together.

  I turned my head slightly and my forehead brushed the short rough hair on his cheek that had grown since we’d been out, but I didn’t look up and make eye contact.

  “I think so. Hate to end a great date.” I whispered back, unsure of why I felt the need to keep my voice low.

  Gavyn leaned lower and in response I lifted my chin a little. His lips grazed against mine softly. He kissed the bottom one, then the top separately before pressing his mouth firmly against mine and sliding his free hand to the middle of my back to hold me close.

  Lightning struck.

  I was electric and alive, but unsure if I could survive the shock as I returned the kiss. The hair on my arms stood up. G
avyn tasted like sweet vanilla. When he broke contact with my mouth, he rested his forehead against mine and breathed heavily. I did, too. It wasn’t from the exertion of kissing, but from the intense emotions it brought forth.

  “Does that end it on a high note?” He kept his voice low to match mine.

  “Now I definitely want the moment to last forever.”

  He was smiling when he stepped back and our bodies broke contact. He led me along the sand and toward town where we’d parked earlier in the evening. “Memories last forever.”

  I almost frowned, but nodded and kept a smile. The bad ones, too. As quickly as the thought had come, I pushed it aside and gave his hand an affectionate squeeze.

  Gavyn escorted me to my front door like a gentleman. We said our goodbyes and he didn’t try to make a move or kiss me again. It was a good thing to take it slow, but I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of disappointment. Maybe the kiss hadn’t resulted in the same spark for him. I had started to invite him inside, but I knew where that would lead and I wasn’t ready to take a step like that after a first date… no matter how great it was or how much I liked the guy.

  I shed my dress and draped it over the back of the first chair I walked by. My pajama pants were tossed on my bed from where I’d dressed earlier. I tugged them on and tightened them at the waist before putting on an oversized t-shirt that fell past my butt. There were several splotches of dried paint on the clothing already.

  Feeling inspired, I set up my easel and prepared to paint. The glaring white of the thick paper made me close my eyes a little as I bit the end of my brush between my front teeth. I stayed this way for a while, envisioning the finished product.

  The colors were easy. This painting would be done mostly in black. My arm moved gracefully, the hand simply guiding the brush in simple strokes to create the outline. I never used photos to help me paint people or places I’d seen before. I had a photographic memory for that sort of thing. Besides, after staring at Gavyn all night, I certainly wasn’t forgetting what he looked like.