Sweet Nothings: A Bethany Beach Romance

by Lacy Hart

  I bounded out of the bathroom again and saw Jodie sitting on my bed, looking at her phone. She took a quick look at me, giving me the once-over.

  “Let me do your toenails,” Jodie said to me, pointing for me to sit on the bed.

  “Jodie, I never do my nails. It’s not worth it.”

  “I’m not talking about your fingernails. The way we work, I wouldn’t waste my time. But you can at least have nice-looking toes if you’re wearing sandals all day.” Jodie walked over and grabbed a nail kit and nail polish off my dresser.

  “Fine,” I sighed, “but make it fast. I still need to get dressed, and Damian’s going to be here in like twenty minutes.”

  “If you stop fidgeting around, I can get started.” Jodie grabbed my feet and pulled them up onto her lap.

  “Remember when we used to do this when we were in high school?” Jodie said as she sculpted my toenails and got them ready for painting. I giggled a little as she gripped the sensitive sole of my left foot.

  “I do,” I told her. “You were always helping me get ready for dates. You know I was never good at this stuff. Thank God I had you around; I don’t think I would have ever gotten any second dates without your help. I was the older sister and should have been the one helping you.”

  Jodie was deftly putting a coat of nail polish on my toes.

  “You did help me,” Jodie said to me. “Just in different ways. I would never have made it through school without your help. And remember who the one was crying to you on the phone when you were in New York, and I was back here, trying to find my way and what to do with my life? If it hadn’t been for you, I probably would have run off with Ben and gone out to Oregon. Who knows what would have happened then. Then you came back here, and you gave me some direction and a career. I don’t know if I have ever told you this, but I am so grateful for all you have done for me. I couldn’t ask for a better big sister.”

  “Don’t get me all misty-eyed, Jodie,” I said to her as I choked up. “I have a date coming in about five minutes.”

  “Sorry,” she replied, wiping her own eyes and laughing. “Your toes are done. You better get dressed.” Jodie handed me some clothes, and I saw she had given me a thin-strapped yellow dress.

  “Jodie, I’m not wearing a dress,” I said to her, handing it back to her. I walked over to my dresser and pulled out a pair of white shorts and a purple tank top to wear instead.

  “What’s wrong with the dress?” she asked me as she held it up. I had already put on my panties and was just fastening my bra as quickly as I could.

  “There’s nothing wrong with it, I just don’t want to wear a dress all day and worry about it flying up if we’re walking on the beach. Not to mention that I don’t want to flash all the teenage boys that hang out under the boardwalk hoping to look up skirts. I’m wearing shorts.”

  “Okay,” Jodie said in a huff, “but I am packing this dress for you in case you want something to wear tonight.” Jodie stuffed the dress into my bag and closed it up. Just as she finished, I heard a knock on the door.

  “Shit, he’s here already,” I said as I zipped up my shorts. “Jodie, get the door please so I can finish getting dressed. And be nice to him. No prying.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” she said, waving her hand at me. I knew she wasn’t going to pay attention to what I said as she closed my bedroom door.

  I snatched up my tank top and put it on, adjusting the straps, and then I slipped into my sandals. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror and was happy with what I saw. I looked like I wanted to: no makeup, no fancy hairstyle, just me.

  This is how I want him to like me, I thought to myself as I smiled.

  I picked up my sunglasses from my dresser, grabbed my keys and purse and the bag Jodie had packed, took a deep breath, and opened the bedroom door. I walked down the short hall into the living room, where I saw Damian sitting on the couch, with Jodie sitting in the chair across from him, and Alice firmly planted in front of Damian as he scratched her head and her tail wagged happily.

  “So how many limos do you own?” I heard Jodie ask as I came closer.

  Damian stood up as I stood next to Jodie, bumping her chair with my hip to get her to keep quiet. I could see Damian looking at the bag I was carrying.

  “I packed a few things because I wasn’t sure what we were doing today,” I said, hoping to temper any expectations he might have about how the day or night might go. “I hope that’s okay.”

  “That’s perfect,” Damian said to me. I felt his eyes scanning over me, looking at my less-than-tan legs in my shorts. His gaze worked its way up to meet mine, and we stood staring at each other for a moment.

  “Well, I guess I’ll take Alice and go,” Jodie said, breaking the spell between us. She stood up and grabbed Alice’s leash, and Alice rushed over to her, bouncing up and down, knowing she was going out or in the car.

  “You two have a great time today,” Jodie told us. “Call me or text me and let me know when you want Alice back, Kelly.” Jodie shot a big grin while she looked at Damian from behind him, taking notice of his strong legs in his own pair of shorts.

  “Shall we go?” Damian asked me, offering to take my bag for me.

  I nodded and handed him the small duffle bag as he led the way out the front door. I saw a big white pick-up truck in the driveway waiting for us.

  “No Mustang today?” I asked Damian as we got to the truck.

  “No, I told James he could use it today. I thought the truck might be good for us.”

  Damian opened the passenger door for me so I could climb in, and I had to climb, bracing myself on the door frame with my right hand while Damian held my left to help me get a boost up.

  “I think I need a ladder to get in and out of this thing,” I said, looking over my shoulder at Damian. I could see that he had taken a quick peek at my backside as I was getting in, and he looked a little sheepish that I had seen him looking, but I said nothing about it and just enjoyed it.

  Damian came around to the driver’s side and got in and started up the truck with a roar. He backed out of the driveway, and I glanced out the window and felt like we were towering over anything and everything outside.

  “Ready to start our adventure for the day?” Damian asked me, smiling at me.

  “You bet,” I answered, smiling back. I wondered just what the day was going to hold for us, and the butterflies in my stomach started to ease a bit as Damian slid his hand over and took mine in his as he started to drive.

  13

  Kelly

  The morning was already quite warm, and I was grateful for the cool air conditioning in Damian’s truck as he started down the street. I looked over at him as he drove and I could see the signs of some stubble on his face, giving him a rugged look I had not noticed in him before that made my stomach flutter a bit more. It was only after I was staring at him for a moment that I noticed we were stopped at a stop sign and he was asking me a question.

  “What was that?” I said, breaking the spell that was on me.

  “I said do you want to grab some breakfast first before we start out for the day?” Damian smiled at me, almost as if he was taking pride in the fact that I was staring at him.

  “Sure, that would be great.” I regained my composure and turned my eyes straight ahead.

  “Any recommendations about where to go?” he asked. “This is your town, you would know the best places to go.”

  “I know just the spot,” I said to him with a smile.

  I directed Damian over to where we could park and walk to the boardwalk and go to the Turtle Beach Café, my favorite spot for breakfast at the beach. Not that I got to go there much anymore since I was always at the bakery at breakfast time, but Turtle Beach was always a place I enjoyed in my younger days. Jodie and I went here often when we were teens during the summer, or after we went to church on Sundays and wanted to get out of the house for a bit.

  Damian and I walked up to the café and entered. There was a crowd, just as
there always was, but it was a bit less on Mondays, making it a little easier for us to get one of the tables and sit down.

  “Are you sure this is where you want to go?” Damian said as he looked around. “You’re at the boardwalk every day. Maybe you want something a little…”

  “A little nicer?” I said to him, staring back at him. “This place has been here for years, Damian. It’s a beach landmark, the people are great, and the food is awesome. Not everything has to be served on fine china with fancy silver and cost fifty dollars you know.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said to me. “I didn’t mean for it to come out that way. I just… I just want to make sure we have a nice day. If this is what you want, then it is perfect for me.”

  After the waitress came over and took our orders for coffee, I put the menu down and looked over at Damian. I could see he was struggling to find something he might want to try. I reached over, pulled the menu from his hands, and put it on top of mine.

  “How about this,” I stated. “We each get to choose different things we do today. It will give us a chance to get to know each other a little better and maybe try some new things. We’ll start with me choosing breakfast for us, and then you get the next choice.”

  Damian seemed a little reluctant to go along with me, and I could see some concern on his face.

  “Well I did make some plans for things to do today,” he told me.

  “I’m sure it’s nothing we can’t change or cancel if we have to. Besides, if you’re planning to spend time living down here, don’t you want to know about the area you’re living in? Who better to show you around than someone local? Trust me, it will be a good day.”

  “Fair enough,” he told me as the waitress arrived with our coffees.

  “What can I get you?” the young waitress said, turning to me with a smile.

  “We’ll both have the breakfast panini, bacon, egg, and cheese,” I said to her, handing her the menus.

  Damian looked at me as he sipped his coffee. I think he was both taken by surprise that I was willing to take some control of the situation and impressed that I would say what was on mind.

  “So,” I started, “I told you all about me last night. Let’s hear a little about more about you. Besides knowing that you own a big company, have a big house, lots of cars and a driver, I don’t really know much about you. I mean, I guess I could have Googled you, but I would rather hear it from you.”

  “Okay.” Damian put his mug down and looked straight at me. His eyes felt like they were penetrating mine as he told me about his family, his brothers, and his life as the son of a congressman. He talked about how hard it was after his mother passed away when he was a teenager, and what life was like for him growing up.

  “What made you want to start a business like yours?” I asked him.

  “I’ve always loved the ocean, ever since I was little and we would go out on the boat with my father. I thought about becoming an oceanographer first, but I decided I could have an even stronger impact if I had a business that focused on helping to clean up the ocean waters, making things better for everyone globally and not just in my backyard. So, I went to work coming up with ideas, and when we came up with a system that would help reduce the plastic in the waters to get rid of the pollution, it was a real breakthrough. Once countries saw it could work, they started taking the issue to heart, and I was able to grow the company. We’ve come up with some great methods that can help get rid of the garbage islands in the Pacific, and we’re working on water bottles that are completely biodegradable and not made of plastic, which will be a big step towards eliminating trash in the oceans and in landfills. I feel like I’m really making a difference, and it’s fun to go to work each day feeling that way.”

  “Wow, your family must be really proud of you,” I replied.

  “I think they are, though I have butted heads more than once with my father as he does his work with the government. My brother Chris is a lawyer whose clients I have fought with a few times as well, so it makes for some spirited conversations at holiday dinners. Other than that, I think they are glad about what I have been able to accomplish.”

  The waitress arrived and placed the plates down in front of us. Damian looked down at his sandwich, nicely toasted with layers of perfectly cooked egg, crisp bacon, and melted cheese. He watched me as I picked up a sandwich half and dove right into it, making a loud crunch. He followed suit, biting into his sandwich and leaving a long trail of cheese pulling from the sandwich and eventually clinging to his chin. After that first bite, Damian ate his sandwich with greater vigor as he realized just how tasty it was. Before we knew it, we had both polished off our breakfasts.

  I glanced up at Damian and saw him licking the crumbs off his fingers and laughed out loud. I think he felt a little embarrassed at first, but within moments he went right back to finish what he was doing.

  “That sandwich was awesome,” he said, taking the last bit off his index finger.

  “See, I told you to trust me.” I reached to pick up the check the waitress had left on the table, but Damian snatched it up before I could get it.

  “There’s no way I’m letting you pay for this,” he said to me, taking the check in his hand.

  “Why not?” I said to him. “It was my idea to come here.”

  “I was the one who asked you out for the day. I should be taking care of you.” Damian stood up from the table, took a ten out of his wallet, and left in on the table as a tip.

  “I’ll let you take it this time, Damian,” I told him. “But you should know that I don’t expect you to pay my way, even if you did ask me out. I can take care of myself.”

  “Oh, I don’t doubt that for a minute, Kelly, not for one minute.”

  Damian paid our check, and we began a leisurely walk along the boardwalk back towards where we parked the car. There were a lot more people out and about now, and the sun was beating down on us as we moved along. Even though we had just stepped outside, I could see that Damian was already starting to perspire a little.

  “It’s a lot hotter out than I thought it might be,” he said as he wiped his brow with the back of his hand.

  “August at the beach,” I said to him casually as we walked along. “Once September rolls around it will be a lot more comfortable. You’ll enjoy it more. It’s still sunny and nice, the ocean water is warm, and there are a lot fewer visitors around here.”

  “That’s not great for your business,” Damian remarked.

  “No, business slows down a lot once the summer ends, but we still manage to do well throughout the year. We cut back our hours some, close on Mondays and Tuesdays, don’t make quite as much of a variety of things to save money, things like that. I also do more cake decorating then to supplement the business. It’s worked out pretty well for us so far.”

  “Sounds like you have things pretty well covered,” he said as we reached the staircase to lead us off the boardwalk.

  Damian took my hand as we walked down the wooden steps, looking back to make sure I made it down okay. When we got to the bottom of the steps, he kept holding my hand as we walked along to the car.

  “Now what?” I asked him as he opened the door for me and boosted me up so I could get in the truck. Damian walked around to the driver’s side and let himself in, starting up the truck.

  “Now it’s my turn to do something,” he said as he looked at his watch. “I think we have plenty of time still to get there.”

  “Get where?” Now I was curious as to what he had planned.

  “You’ll just have to wait and see,” he told me as he hit some buttons on his phone to pull up the GPS to guide him where we were going. “Just sit back and relax for a little bit,” he told me.

  I watched out the window as the truck made its way north up Route 1 for a while, before heading west to 14 and crossing into Maryland.

  “Damian, where are we going?” I asked as we kept heading west.

  “It’s not much longer. We’ll be there s
oon.”

  Not much longer turned out to be almost another hour as we reached the Eastern Bay area. I was watching keenly out the window, hoping for some clue to see where we were going when I saw Damian turn left and start heading towards a large clearing. As we came up over the hill, I saw looming before us a hot air balloon. The balloon was a rainbow of colors and looking at it against the clear blue sky made the color formation pop even more to me like it was right off a calendar page.

  Damian parked the truck on the grass about fifty yards away from the balloon, right next to a couple of other pickups in the area. Damian got out of the truck and walked over to my side, opening the door for me.

  “We’re here,” he said with a smile, offering his hand to me to help me out.

  I kept staring at the immense balloon over in the clearing and finally looked at Damian once I was on the ground. He was walking over to the back of the truck, grabbing a small knapsack and slinging it over his shoulder before walking back over to me.