“Where are we going?” Jasper asked as they walked away.
“To the food court. I want to get something to drink and talk for a while.”
When they got to the food court, Jasper tried to pay for their drinks, but Emma refused to let him. For some reason, she wanted to pay for everything.
“What’s going on with you?” Jasper asked as they sat down.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I’m the guy. I thought I was supposed to pay for things like this. I mean, I’ve got the money. My parents . . .”
“I don’t want you to pay for anything else that has to do with me on this trip.”
“I don’t understand. Did I do something wrong?”
“No, not at all. The girl that Evan talked to just said some things when I got the wallet. To make a long story short, she pointed out how most girls take things from guys, even if they don’t directly rob them. I started thinking about it, and when we were out the other day, I don’t think I would have called it a date or been that interested in you if I had to pay for the meal and movie. That was wrong, though. Me liking you was contingent on what you could do for me. I don’t want to use anyone. I’m intelligent, and my parents give me as much money as yours give you. I want to be with you because I like you and for no other reason. So here’s what I want. I want to pay for everything else we do on this trip.”
“So wait a minute. You’re going to hang out with me, kiss me, and pay for everything. I don’t think I can say no to that,” he joked.
“I’m really sorry about making you pay for everything before. I hope you know I’m not like most girls. I like you because I enjoy being around you and not for what you can do for me.”
“I knew that beforehand. You don’t have anything to prove. I wasn’t paying for the movies because I felt like I had to. I was doing it because I wanted to. I felt like you deserved for someone to treat you. I wasn’t wrong either. You’re pretty amazing.”
“Why do you say that?”
“What you did for Evan today was great. I can’t believe you tracked that girl down and forced her to give you the wallet back. I figured you were going to have some trouble with her. What happened?”
“She just gave it back. She wasn’t willing to fight over so little cash. I’ll be honest. I was a little worried. I know my mom was this tough agent who could fight when she had to, but that’s not me, or at least I don’t think it is. I’ve never gotten into a fight before.”
“You look feisty enough to me. I think you would have done fine. It’s pretty cute that you’ve never gotten into a fight, though.”
“Hey, don’t make fun of me. It’s not like you’ve ever been in a fight, is it?”
“Paul and I get into fights all the time, and I’ve had problems at school a couple of times, so yeah. I’ve been in a few fights.”
“I didn’t expect that. So how does the boy I’m interested in fair in a brawl?” Emma asked with a smile.
“I don’t know if I should lie here or tell the truth.”
“The truth is always the best way to go.”
“All right, then in a room full of a hundred guys, I’m probably in the top ninety,” Jasper joked.
“Ninety? That’s just great. First, my date stops paying for anything, and then I learn he can’t even protect me. I think a lie might have been better,” she teased.
“Okay, then I’m the captain of the boxing team at school. They expect me to go pro as soon as I turn eighteen. You’re pretty much the safest you could be with me.”
“Pretty much?”
“Well, I do a lot of steroids, so you’ve got to watch out for my rage. You never know what I might do,” he said and smiled.
“So let me get this straight. In the true version of your story, you can’t protect me, and in the fantasy version, you might beat me up. I don’t know if I like this.”
“I’m just joking with you. I could never hurt someone as beautiful as you, and I might not be the strongest guy in the world, but no one’s going to hurt you while I’m around.”
As Emma looked into his eyes, she sensed a warmness in him. She didn’t know why, but she felt so safe with Jasper. Somehow she just knew that he would keep her safe when it came down to it. She reached across the table and stroked his cheek. Then she leaned in and kissed him.
Throughout the day, they enjoyed each other’s company, and even if the concert they were dragged to was a little lame, it was nice to be by his side. Emma couldn’t admit it to herself, but this was love. If only their trip could have lasted forever.
Chapter 5
The Plan
The following morning, Emma woke up early before anyone else and rolled over. As she looked up at the ceiling, she thought about everything that had happened over the last few days. A couple of weeks ago, things seemed so hopeless for her. Sure, she had a great family and more than she could have ever dreamed of, but something was missing. Emma was starting to feel like no one could ever love her because it appeared that even though she was ready to give her heart away, there were no takers. Things had changed in what seemed like an instant, though. It was incredible, but it was also scary. She knew in the back of her mind that all of this only had the potential to end badly, and that was the scariest part. How would losing this feeling affect her? For that matter, how would it affect Jasper? If there was one person she couldn’t take hurting, it was him.
As she pulled herself out of bed, she had too many questions running through her mind to even begin to think of anything else. When it got to be too much for her, she blanked her mind and grabbed some clothes. It was early, but the hotel would be serving breakfast. It might not be a bad thing to get out of her head by simply focusing on a hot meal.
Once she made it downstairs, Emma discovered that the source of all her worry had gotten the same idea as her. Jasper was sitting alone eating. After she fixed a plate, she walked over to him and sat down.
“What are you doing up so early?” Emma asked.
“I could ask you the same thing,” he said.
“I’ve just been thinking a lot. I didn’t sleep well at all last night.”
“Me either. What were you thinking about?”
“You first,” Emma said nervously.
“You. I was thinking about how much fun I’m having here, and that was a happy thought, but then I realized we would be leaving in three days. I know I shouldn’t complicate things, but I can’t stop thinking about it. I don’t want things to just end as us being friends who shared a few good days together.”
“I know what you mean. That’s what I was thinking about, too. I think we’re ruining the time we have left, though. I don’t want to spend the next three days concentrated on what we’re about to lose. Still, my mind just won’t cut off.”
“What if I had a fix for that?”
“For my thoughts? Good luck with that one. I’m a classic over-thinker, and I think you might be, too. How would we cut that off?”
“It’s simple. We’ll just have to stay so busy today that we can’t think about anything other than what we’re doing.”
“What do you want to do?”
“I don’t know, but we could plan it out now. There are tons of water parks around here, and there are a lot of other parks in general other than Disney. We could check all that out. They even offer scuba diving experiences at some of the parks around here. You can swim with dolphins and sharks.”
“Sharks . . . really?”
“You go to the beach all the time. You swim with them every time you step foot in the water. You just don’t realize it.”
“Yeah, thanks for ruining the beach for me. I’m going to say no to an experience where we swim with things that could bite our faces off. Going to a few parks doesn’t sound bad, though.”
“Something that doesn’t sound so bad isn’t what we need. We’ve got to think of something that will keep our minds occupied on what’s really important.”
“And what is t
hat?”
“Having the best time we can while we’re still here.”
“I’ve got an idea. You treated me at Disney and took me to a movie. Maybe I could treat you to a traditional date with dinner and all the standard romantic things that are normal.”
“And what are those things?”
“I don’t know yet. I haven’t ever been on what I would classify as a romantic date. The closest I’ve gotten before you is a day at the bowling alley with my boyfriend and his ex.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah, now you know why I didn’t have a high opinion of boys when I came here.”
“I think you should abandon the idea of paying for things just for today. If you’ve never been on a romantic date, then I want to take you on one. That involves me actually being able to pay for things, though.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“That’s for me to plan and you to look forward to. What do you think? I can come by your room around six tonight, and we’ll go on this romantic date.”
“Are you sure? I was really going to treat you for the rest of the trip.”
“I’m positive. This is something I want to do. Besides, I’ve never been on a romantic date either. In fact, when we hung out at the park, that was the first date I’ve ever been a part of.”
“You’re kidding. I couldn’t tell. I guess you’ve got a lot of thinking to do, though. If you’ve never even been on a date, how are you going to plan out the perfect romantic evening?”
“No pressure, huh?” Jasper joked.
“Oh, none at all. This is just going to be the first date I actually remember as being a real one. I’ll probably compare it to every one after it, so no, there’s no pressure at all,” Emma teased.
“Well, I’ve got a lot of work to do then. Are your mom and dad going to be fine with us going out tonight?”
“Yeah, they’ll probably be the ones taking us. It’s not like either of us can drive. That’s going to be the only bad part. I love my family, but I’m never very comfortable when they’re watching my every move.”
“I’m sure I can do something about that. I’ll see you tonight, Emma,” Jasper said and kissed her hand. Then he started walking up to his room.
The further he got away from Emma, the more nervous he was. Had he bitten off more than he could chew? Jasper didn’t know how to plan the perfect date. Why had he even suggested that? He sighed as he made his way up to his room. As much as he didn’t want to, he knew that he was going to have to ask his family for advice.
Once he got inside, he saw that everyone was up. He talked to his dad first. Jason had good intentions, but his advice wasn’t very helpful. It started out as a lesson on how to treat women and ended with a lecture on safe sex. Jasper simply listened in horror. How had advice about a date turned into a conversation about sex and the best ways not to get a girl pregnant?
“And then there’s the best way to be safe. If you never have sex at all, there can’t be any consequences. I know you really like this girl, and . . .”
“Dad, please stop! You’ve been very helpful, but if I hear the word condom leave your mouth again, I think I’m going to throw up,” Jasper joked.
“Okay. I just want you to be safe. You’re reaching an age where your body . . .”
“Oh, God! Please, no more!”
Jason simply laughed and let him go. Jasper still had nothing that would give him a chance at giving Emma the perfect time. For some reason, he tried Paul next. His brother’s knowledge of women was no better than his own. In fact, Jasper felt like he might have been in a worse position because he listened to his brother. Finally, he talked to the one person who might know what a girl would want in this situation, considering she was female.
“Mom, can we talk for a minute?” Jasper asked Chloe.
“Yeah, what’s wrong?” she asked and walked with him into his room.
“I asked Emma out on a date tonight, and she’s never been on a romantic one. In fact, most of the people she’s ever been out with either made a mess of the whole thing or she had to go with her parents chaperoning it. I want this to be different. I asked Dad for advice, and all he talked about was safe sex, so we can skip the conversation about that. Paul suggested bowling, laser tag, and pool. I didn’t think any of those were good ideas. Do you have any advice?”
“The first thing you have to figure out is how to go without her parents being present. I don’t know if I like the idea of you going out with her alone, but if it were done the right way, I guess it might be all right.”
“What options do I have?”
“It depends. I would have to talk to your dad about that.”
“Why? I don’t understand.”
“Romance can mean a lot of things, Jasper. It can be a simple day on the couch with the person you love, but I don’t think that’s what you’re wanting here. I think you want something impressive. How about a limo? It would only cost a few hundred dollars, and I’ll let you work it off in the summer. You and Paul normally do most of the yard work, and we give you some spending money for doing it. I’m pretty sure I can sell your dad on making sure that you and Emma have the perfect night, if you forfeit your allowance for a few weeks when we get home. What do you think?”
“A limo would certainly solve the problem. I like it. Thank you. Where do I take her, though?”
“That’s something you probably need to talk to Nathan about.”
“Why would I talk to her dad?”
“First of all, you need to get his permission to take her out on your own. Secondly, Nathan knows everything about that girl. He knows her favorite foods, music, movies, and anything else you can think of. If you want to plan the perfect date with someone, it needs to revolve around things they enjoy. Nathan can tell you exactly what you need to do. Plus, I think it’ll look good for you to ask his permission before you do this.”
“When did you start caring about what he thought? I can still remember when I kissed Emma when we were little. You almost never let him live that down.”
“I don’t really care. Here’s the thing, though. You need to. I know you won’t be seeing her for a while after Thursday, but you never know what a good impression can do. You might need her dad on your side one day if you two do end up dating again in the future.”
“Thanks, Mom. I don’t know what I would do without you. If Dad and Paul had their way about this, I would be taking her to play laser tag with pockets full of condoms and abstinence pamphlets,” Jasper joked.
“I’ll talk to Jason about that. You’re a good kid. We don’t have to worry about anything like that with you. I’ll tell him to reserve those talks for Paul, although, if his idea of the perfect date involves laser tag, then I fear that’s all the birth control Paul will ever need. Maybe I should be the one to have a talk with him,” Chloe said and smiled.
Jasper talked to his mom for a while longer, but then he stepped out to talk to Emma’s dad. He knocked on the door, and Sam opened it.
“Can I talk to Mr. Grey?” Jasper asked nervously.
“Sure, come in,” Sam said.
“I kind of need to talk to him alone. Is there any way he could step out into the hall?”
“Yeah, one second.”
After a minute, Nathan came out into the hallway and looked at Jasper expectantly. He had lost his words, though. How was he supposed to ask Nathan if he could take his daughter out specifically without him being around?
“Sam said you needed to talk to me,” Nathan said.
“Yeah, I . . . umm . . .”
“Calm down, Jasper. I actually like you. If you’ve got something to ask me, then go ahead. I don’t bite.”
“Okay, I want to take Emma out tonight. I was wondering if I could get your permission to do that.”
“Of course you can. Emma already mentioned it. We’ll take you guys wherever you want to go.”
“That’s the thing. She mentioned that she had never been on a good date. Th
e guy either messes things up for her, or she has to be chaperoned by parents. I want to give her this really romantic date that she’ll remember for the rest of her life. Part of that involves us going alone. I already talked to my mom, and I can get a limo for a few hours. I need your permission to do that, though.”
“It depends. What do you plan to do tonight?”
“That’s the other thing I want to talk to you about. The first thing Emma mentioned when we started talking was how she never had a good experience with guys. That’s why I want tonight to be perfect. I can pick a random restaurant and activity, but I don’t think that will be good enough. You’re her dad, so you know her better than anyone. If I were going to give Emma the night she deserved, then what would I do?”
“She likes Italian food, and for some reason, lame vampire and werewolf teen movies. She also likes pop music, but her favorite romantic song is My Only One by The Runners. Oh, and her favorite flowers are lilies. For most girls, it’s roses, but she’s different. I think it’s a good thing that you want to give her a special date, but I’ve got to ask you a few questions before I trust you with Emma alone.”
“Okay, what are they?”
“Why are you dating her? You two were friends when you were little, and you’re going to be apart soon. It just makes more sense for you to stay friends and not experience the letdown when you’re apart.”
“Just between you and me, I’ve liked Emma since we were little. I didn’t understand those feelings then, but I do now. I know letting myself feel something for her is going to end in pain because we have to leave, and we won’t see each other for a year, but it’s worth it. The memories we’re making over this vacation will overshadow anything that could come after it. I really care about her, and before you even ask or wonder about it, Emma is always safe with me.”
“You’re the first guy I’ve ever said this to when it comes to her, but I trust you. Get the limo, get some lilies, and find a nice Italian restaurant. Then just be you. She obviously likes you for who you are. If you do those things, you’ll blow her away with this date.”
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