string bean | wilbur soot

28

The dinner itself went great. Although we were a little tipsy from the champagne given to us, we still decided to go through with Wilbur's plans for the night. As we walked into the place his friend suggested, he took off his suit jacket and laid it over my shoulders. 

We looked around the place and Wilbur shook his head. I looked up at him. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"I expected a little more. I mean, this place is empty!"

I agreed with him, the place was pretty empty. "Maybe we should go. Skip this part."

"Wilbur?"

Both of us looked to the side and Wilbur's face lit up. "Techno, hey!" he said, giving the guy a hug.

"I didn't think you were coming tonight! I should've told you that Wednesdays are a little dead."

"No, that's okay. Vee, this is my friend, Techno. Techno, this is my girlfriend, Vee."

Girlfriend. I'm his girlfriend. It feels really great to say that. Even greater to hear him say it.

I smiled awkwardly. "Hey."

"Hi, Vee. Wilbur told me a lot about you."

I nodded slowly, not sure what to say. I suck at talking to people. I just stood there awkwardly and let the two catch up with each other. I bit my lip and leaned back and forth on the heels of my feet. Wilbur must have noticed because he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer to him.

I was surprised when Wilbur said, "Well, we better get going. We'll have to hang out before I head back home."

"Yeah, totally! Have fun guys," Techno smiled and waved as we went back outside.

Wilbur and I walked back to my car, getting in it to drive to the beach. He hummed along to whatever song was playing on the radio. When we got to our destination, he said, "I'm gonna blow your mind on the beach," he said.

"With what?" I asked. 

"My brilliant music skills."

I laughed with him as we got out of the car. As Wilbur got his guitar from my trunk, I ran as best as I could to the water. He told me to wait up, but he could catch up if he needed to. He has long legs.

I took off my shoes and stepped into the sand, letting out a sigh of relief as the tide came in over my feet. It wasn't too cold, which was good.

"What're you doing?" Wilbur asked when he finally reached me.

I looked over at him and smiled. "What does it look like?" 

He just laughed, shaking his head at me. "C'mon," he said. He grabbed my hand after I grabbed my shoes and lead me over to a small bridge where we sat down, our legs hanging off the edge. It was just low enough for me to dip my feet in.

I looked out at the water as Wilbur got his guitar out of its case. When he started to tune it, I looked back up towards him. He looked beautiful; his skin glistening in the moonlight. His curly brown hair fell into his eyes as he looked down at the guitar's pegs. He was perfect.

"I haven't played for anyone in a while," he said, "so this might be rusty."

"That's what you said to me when you sang A Song For a Guilty Sadist and it was great, Will. And that song in the car? You said it was recent."

"I mean, like, in person."

"Whatever. It's gonna be great."

"You're great."

"You're procrastinating."

"You are absolutely right, Vee."

I giggled, "Shut up and play."

"Okay, okay!" Wilbur laughed, smiling at me. "This is the first song that came to mind- I don't actually agree with this when it comes to you, just so you know-"

"Wilbur, I swear to god."

"Sorry, you're right-" he smiled, placing his hands in their right placements as he started to strum the intro to a song. It didn't take long for him to start singing:

"Darling, I'm with St. Bernard's and we're scouring the Alps and the Andes. And if they die then it is on my head. They follow paw prints in the snow to my throne to my bed..."