by Anne Carol
“Even if it’s not disco?” he teased, making light of my adoration.
“David, seriously. You were really good up there.”
“Why, thank you. It means a lot to hear you say that.” He squeezed my shoulder.
At the end of the show the four of us joined the mass of people exiting the club, but not before several people approached David to rave about his impromptu guest performance.
As we began walking home, David laced his fingers through mine, shooting sparks up my arm.
I pulled him closer. “Hey, I want a date with a rock star,” I said softly.
He perked up an eyebrow. “Really? Anyone I know?”
I tugged on his arm playfully. “You, silly.”
He tapped my nose with the back of his finger. “Tomorrow night too soon?”
“No, in fact I was hoping you’d say that.”
He smiled, but kept quiet for a moment as we strolled.
“You surprised me tonight.” His eyes did a dance as he looked at me.
“Really? About what?”
“You know what …”
With all the confidence I had, I stopped walking and looked him in the eye. “I’d do it again, too.”
I hardly had time to take a breath before his lips were on mine, stealing a quick kiss. He grinned mischievously as he pulled away. “There, we’re quite even now.”
I touched my lips as we both chuckled, continuing on quietly until we reached the front of Uncle Ned’s. We walked past Jenny and Simon, who were saying their goodbyes on the sidewalk like always, cuddling and kissing.
“Hope you had fun tonight. You were okay with the music after all?” he asked as we held hands on the porch.
“Yes, you can play guitar for me anytime.”
“You are making me the happiest bloke ever.” With that he cupped my face in his hands, reached forward, and kissed me tenderly on the lips. “I adore you, angel,” he whispered.
A warm sensation came over me and I choked up, feeling the intensity of my emotions.
“Me, too, brown eyes.”
“’Brown eyes?” he said as he stepped back. “I like it.”
“It’s fitting,” I explained, running my hand down the length of his arm.
Just then, Jenny breezed by, eyeing the two of us.
“David, great guitar playing tonight. Simon and I both loved it,” she said, before ducking into the house.
“Thanks,” David called after her.
He then turned to me. “I guess I’d better let you go.”
“Until tomorrow night?”
“Until then …”
I hugged him one last time and graced his waiting cheek with a subtle kiss.
He waited until I was inside and then calmly walked away. Of course, I peeked out the door and watched him, suddenly feeling hollow inside. Before he disappeared from view, I noticed him turn back for one more look.
“Beth, are you still sleeping or are you daydreaming? You look positively giddy.”
Jenny poked my side as I lay comfortably in bed. I giggled and reluctantly opened my eyes.
“Stop poking me! I was in the middle of a wonderful dream.”
“Was it about a date with a certain guitar player?”
“Maybe …” I said, trying not to explode from excitement over my evening with David that night. It was our first date, and I was elated over the prospect of having him to myself. No judgmental parents or nosy cousins around, just the two of us.
Those ten hours seemed like an eternity.
By the time I was ready and waiting, hair styled in waves and makeup just right, my heart was beating out of my chest.
“He’s not going to be able to take his eyes off you,” Jenny remarked as she took in my polished appearance. I was dressed in my favorite calf-length skirt, a soft cream sweater, and brown leather boots.
“Stop. You’re making me nervous,” I told her as I checked my purse for gum and mints. I wanted to be perfectly kissable after dinner.
My smile broadened when I heard a tap at the front door. “He’s here,” I said, giggling with joy.
When I opened the door and met David’s radiant face, I knew I had nothing to be nervous about.
“Beth …” He was speechless; it was like he was seeing me for the first time.
“Hi, David.”
“You look lovely,” he said, giving me a shy smile. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.” I turned around and said my goodbyes, assuring Mom I’d be in by my curfew.
Stepping onto the porch, I said, “You look pretty nice yourself.”
I linked my hand in his as I discretely checked him out. He was in a blue and white striped button-up with belted black pants, and his hair looked freshly trimmed on one side while the other side remained a bit longer, just the way I liked it.
“Where are we going?” I asked as we started walking.
“A place called The Tavern. Quite good food. I hope you like Mediterranean.”
“Well, there’s not a lot I don’t like. I just like to eat.” I squeezed his hand.
He planted a quick kiss on my cheek, catching me by surprise. “Me, too.”
We were quiet until we got past a loud group of teenage boys. A few of them were puffing on cigarettes and leering at us. David pulled me closer, glancing back at the guys. Hmm, protective.
Further along, I broke the solitude and asked, “So how’s the job going?”
“Good. And I like that it’s part-time, so I can pursue my other interests.” He smiled at me.
“Like your music?”
“Yes, that too.” He winked, making my knees nearly buckle.
We walked hand-in-hand on the aged cobblestone pavement, passing a busy bus stop and a few noisy bars, until we came upon a quaint pub situated in the same vicinity as the record shop.
“Here we are.” He held the door open, ushering me in to the nearly full restaurant. The interior was casual, even a little rustic, with a bar in the center of the room and dining tables along the windows. The place smelled of garlic, and I was secretly glad I’d packed my mints.
We claimed a table and put our orders in at the bar, after waiting behind a few other couples. Once we finally sat down, he reached over and held my hand. If not for the clinking glasses and light chatter around us, I could’ve pretended it was just the two of us there, alone in our bubble. If only …
Stroking his thumb with my own, I decided to break the ice with a much-deserved compliment. “You were really good last night. I can’t wait to hear you perform with your band.”
“Thank you.” His cheeks darkened as he, in turn, played with my fingers. “We have a lot to iron out before our gig.”
He took in a deep breath and brushed his hair back with his free hand.
“Are you mostly playing covers or do you write any of your own material?”
“Well, we mostly play covers of the big artists, like Joy Division and The Clash, but I’ve written a few originals,” he said, focusing on our entwined hands.
“You’ve written songs?” I was impressed, to say the least. “Will you perform any of them at the gig?”
“Hopefully, if we get them to sound right.” He pinched the back of his neck.
“You really like playing in front of people, don’t you?” I said, offering my admiration. “You looked so comfortable up there.”
“I love it. I feel so alive when I’m performing.” His tone lightened up just talking about it.
“I could tell. So, you think you’ll ever do this professionally?” I was getting the idea that this was more than a hobby for him.
“That’s my hope. My band is actually working towards recording an album. Then we could go on tour, first locally, and then around the U.K., and eventually around the world. There’d be nothing better than to play our music to thousands of fans. Sounds like a fantasy, I know, but the way I see it …”
He went on to discuss his grand scheme of getting a recording contract and establishin
g a career as a professional guitarist. It was clearly an exciting topic for him, as he rambled on so fast his heavy accent made him sound like he was speaking a foreign language. I just kept nodding, until he stopped mid-sentence and asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Grinning at how adorable he was, I touched the back of his hand. “You’re talking so fast I can hardly understand you. Would you mind slowing down for the dumb American?”
His face turned bright red. “Oh, Beth. I’m so sorry. I suppose I get carried away when I talk about music.”
“Don’t worry about it. I love that you have this dream.” I smiled. “Go on …”
He finished describing his future music plans in a slower pace, and I made sure to offer my support.
“For what it’s worth, I think you should definitely go for it.”
With a surprised look, he responded, “Thanks, Beth. It means a lot coming from you.”
I felt his grip on my hand tighten, jarring my senses. Worried that my skin would turn clammy, I diverted my attention to a fussing child a few tables away.
“What about you?” he asked, gaining my attention again. “What are your plans after school?”
As I contemplated how to answer him, our server arrived with our meals. The food looked mouth-watering and smelled even better. David had ordered a rib-eye steak with polenta while I was having lamb chops and red potatoes. “Oh, this looks good,” I said, diving in to a moist, buttery potato.
“So, your plans?” David repeated.
“Um, I’m not as sure as you seem to be. I’d like to go to a university, though. I think I want to major in literature or maybe journalism. I love to write.” I popped a forkful of spongy potatoes in my mouth.
“Do you?” He perked an eyebrow up. “What do you write?”
I shifted around in my seat. I was never comfortable talking about my writing, especially since the last person I mentioned it to, Rick, literally laughed at me and called me a geek. But this was David, so I continued. “I like to write stories.”
His swallowed a bite of steak and gave me a big smile. “What kind of stories?”
I stifled a giggle. “This is kind of embarrassing.” I blushed and looked away.
“Hey, you don’t have to be embarrassed with me. Whatever you write, I’m going to love it.”
“No you won’t. I write love stories.”
“I want to read one,” he insisted.
“No! I just, can’t.” I shook my head. “Besides, most of them are at home in California.”
“But you’re working on one here, aren’t you?”
My eyes grew wide. “How did you know?”
“Because writers are always working on something. I’m constantly working on lyrics. Music, too.”
Wow, he truly gets me.
“I’ll think about it, okay?” I said, hardly believing my own words. Nobody had ever read my dumb little stories.
“Can’t wait.” He winked, sending an electric pulse through me.
We took a short pause in our conversation to work on our entrees, but that didn’t keep us from using body language to flirt with each other. I could swear he was playing footsy with me at one point.
“Here, try this …” I glanced up from my plate to see his fork in front of me, holding the last bite of polenta.
Parting my lips, I let him feed me the creamy mush, which tasted better than it looked.
“So do you have any schools in mind?”
Enjoying the lingering taste of butter, I shook my head. “No. There’s a lot to choose from in California, but I’m not set on a particular school.”
He was quiet for a moment, staring down at his plate as he cut a piece of meat. “Would you ever consider … a university here?”
Wow. At that question, I knew his feelings for me were no joke. But I was glad, because I was falling head over heels for him. “I hadn’t, but I’m definitely keeping an open mind,” I said, using Jenny’s words.
I let that thought sink in as we both concentrated on finishing our meals. Every once in a while, he’d reach over and touch my hand; it was like he couldn’t get enough of me.
After a short time, we started playfully arguing over our music tastes. The shallow debating served to lighten the mood a bit. By the time we were ready to leave the restaurant, I had him convinced to give disco a try … maybe. I think he was just trying to appease me.
As we strolled over to the cinema, I looped my arm in his; it felt so natural to be close to him. It was like the world around us disappeared, leaving the two of us, and I didn’t want it to end.
Once inside the dark theater, he put his arm around me and whispered in my ear, “I adore you, sweet girl.”
Melting into the seat like chocolate on a hot summer day, I whispered back, “And you amaze me.” I let my lips travel the curve of his jawline, intoxicated by his scent and the texture of his freshly shaven skin.
He squeezed my shoulder and pulled me closer so we were sitting as snug as possible with an armrest between us. Another couple maneuvered past us, nearly causing me to drop my box of candy.
“Did you ever let Rick read your stories?” he asked in a low voice.
I heard someone clear their throat behind us.
Putting my mouth next to his ear, I whispered, “He wasn’t interested. Nobody’s ever read my stories.”
“But you’ll let me read one?”
I nodded. “Probably.”
He responded by kissing my temple, and I felt shivers run the length of my body. I guessed that the people behind us were tired of our teenage love-making, because they immediately got up and moved to the end of the row. A wise move since David didn’t stop when the movie began. In fact, throughout the movie he kept leaning in and giving me light kisses along the side of my face. I wasn’t getting much out of the show and at one point I turned to him and softly giggled, “Are you going to kiss me the entire movie?”
“If I can get away with it, yes,” he breathed into my neck. “You’re so sweet.”
In response, I rested my head on his shoulder, after which he trailed his finger along my chin. “You have no idea how I feel about you, do you?”
“I do, because I feel the same way,” I whispered.
As I made the statement, a heaviness swept over me as I realized how deep those feelings were, and how impossible it seemed to fall for someone on the other side of the world.
We took a slow pace on our walk home, which was perfect because I needed a chance to cool down, and besides I didn’t want him to leave my side.
“My mum wants you to come to dinner tomorrow,” he said, trying to sound casual though I detected an eagerness in his voice.
“Okay, I’m sure my parents will be fine with it,” I said. Hopefully, because I’m going.
When we got to my uncle’s house, he walked me to the porch and we held hands as we stood facing each other.
“I had such a nice time tonight. Thanks for everything,” I said.
“It was one of my best nights. Thank you for going out with me.”
Reluctantly, I did a quick check of my watch. Almost curfew.
I sighed. “Guess it’s time to say good night.”
“Yeah, I suppose so.” He tugged me in closer and set his lips gently on mine.
After the kiss he embraced me, smoothing down my hair in back, while I buried my face into his shoulder. The sound of his rapidly beating heart was hypnotic. We held each other for a long moment, savoring the closeness.
“Okay I really need to go in, before they come out to get me.” I backed out of his arms. “Good night, David.”
“Good night, Beth.” He gave me one last peck on my forehead and waited for me to enter the house. As soon as I crossed the threshold I turned around and waved as he strolled away.
Oh, David, I think I love you …
Clutching my stomach, I said, “I’m not sure I’ll be able to eat, David.”
“Why not? Are you feeling alright?” He ey
ed me with concern as we made our way to his house from Uncle Ned’s, a mere three blocks.
“Yeah, I’m just a tad nervous. You know, meeting your family.”
“Rubbish, don’t be nervous. They’ll love you.” He kissed my hand. “Besides, you have to eat. Mum’s making haggis just for you.”
“Haggis? What’s that?”
“It’s a Scottish dish. You’ll like it, trust me.”
His comment was punctuated by a hint of sunlight filtering through the trees. The way the sparkle hit his eyes, I could read the enthusiasm in his face, so I tried to relax my nerves.
“So when did your mom move here?”
“Her family moved from Edinburgh to a neighborhood not far from here when she was thirteen. That’s when she met my father, who lived on the same street. They were childhood sweethearts, you know.”
“Aww …” I wanted to hear more since I had a weakness for real life love stories, but we were about to his house.
The terraced house looked similar to Uncle Ned’s, except the front yard was covered in roses of every shade.
“Wow.” I couldn’t help but inhale over their heavenly scent.
David tugged on my hand. “Come on, angel.”
As soon as we crossed the threshold, I was hit with an incredible aroma of spices. The kitchen was to the right of the entryway, and the living room was straight back and to the left. From what I could see of the décor, it appeared homey, with an abundance of floral prints. As I was busy taking in the interior, Mrs. Somers, a dark-haired petite woman, came out of the kitchen donning a simple apron.
I’d never felt more cherished than in those next few moments as David introduced me to his mom.
“Mother, this is Beth,” he proudly announced.
“Good to meet you, Beth.” She gave me a welcome smile.
“Same to you, Mrs. Somers.”
“David has told us quite a lot about you, dear. We’re so pleased you could join us for supper. Take a seat whilst I finish up the last bit,” she said as she backed her way into the kitchen.
“How much longer, Mum?” David asked.
“Fifteen minutes.”
“I want to show you my room, but I suppose we can wait till after supper.” His room? Should be interesting.