I could feel the cold water touching my feet as a warm light touched my skin. I slowly opened my eyes. The sky was an open space before me. Leah's head rested on my chest and her vanilla scent filled my chest with warmth and familiarity. I could hear the ocean moving back and forth, sometimes retreating into itself and other times moving forward toward the shore like an open book.
Leah moved, she threw her arm over my chest and her lips touched the skin right over my heart. I exhaled loudly as if I had no control over myself. I could feel Leah smiling.
"Good morning." She said softly
I averted my eyes from the sky and looked at her, her eyes were emerald green under the sunlight. I moved forward and kissed her, our lips moving slowly.
"Good morning," I whispered into her lips
Yesterday, we had a party at the villa. It wasn't as huge as the previous ones. I was in charge of the music as usual. The party was drama free this time. Jane and Mike weren't at the party. I saw them leave before the party started.
Leah and I spent some time on the beach after the party and we fell asleep on the sand. The sun was already up and I could hear loud commotion in the villa. Probably, Craig hired people to clean the aftermath of the party.
Leah was on her feet already. She put her fingers into her hair, taming the wild brown strands. Her eyes were on the ocean.
"I am going to take a swim." she told me before she took off her clothes and walked to the ocean in her underwear. I stood up and followed her. I took off my jeans and t-shirt, leaving me in my boxers. I walk the short distance to the water. I waded my way to Leah as she emerged back from under the water. I hugged her from behind, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and kissing her on the top of her head. The vanilla scent is amplified by the salty water.
Leah turned to look at me. She put her arms around my neck and kissed me by the corner of my mouth.
"Can't you stay longer?" She asked me as her eyes looked over my face. I could see a hint of sadness in them. I wanted to tell her that I would stay longer but I couldn't do that.
"Even if I want to, I can't do that. We have to go back to Lackbay."
Leah looked away for a brief moment, then she looked back at me. There was a hint of tears in her eyes. She closed her eyes trying to hide the unshed tears. I immediately leaned forward and planted small kisses on her both eyes.
"I just wanted you to be in my life longer." She whispered
"I am in your life, and I am never leaving, leah." I whispered back
She opened her eyes and a single tear fell. I watched it slide down her cheek and fall into the ocean, mixing the two salts into one deep body of water. Her sadness drowned into the depth of the ocean, taking my heart with it.
"I know. I am just going to miss having you in my life everyday." Leah confessed
"I am going to miss seeing you everyday too." I kissed her scar and pulled her into me. Then, this idea popped into my head. I leaned back and looked at Leah with a smile.
"Will you go out with me on a date?"
Leah smiled through her tears and nodded with a small laugh, "Yes, I would love to."
"But, there is a small twist." I said with amusement.
"What is it?" She said through a laugh, as her fingers combed through my wet hair.
"You have to pick the restaurant. You are the local here."
Leah laughed and kissed me, "Don't worry, I have the perfect place in mind." she told me through kisses.
We swam for a while then we headed for the villa. As we approached the house we still could hear the loud noises. The noises were now clear shouting. Someone was having a fight inside. I looked at Leah and she shrugged, but then when I heard Farah's voice I practically started running as Leah followed behind.
The moment I entered the open living room, I found Cole standing in one corner of the room, while Farah was standing on the other side. Craig, Kathy, Emilia and Leo were in the kitchen trying to stay out of whatever was going on between Farah and Cole.
When I stepped forward into the room, I saw Jane standing by the wall that was behind Farah. I looked at her and she pointed her head toward the both of them and mouthed, "I tried."
"What's going on?" I asked looking between Farah and Cole
"Ask him," Farah shouted in frustration before she walked straight up the stairs and disappeared to the other floors.
"I want to hear it from you," I shouted after her, and then I started following her.
"Really, man!" Cole threw his arms in the air in exasperation.
I looked at him over my shoulder as I climbed the stairs, "Really, Cole!"
Farah was in her room, sitting on the bed. Her eyes were full of unshed tears and she looked angry. The moment I entered the room, I closed the door behind me and sat next to her.
"What's going on?"
Farah looked at me as some tears fell down her cheeks, "He called Jennie."
"What?!"
"He drunk dialed his ex-girlfriend Jennie." Farah explained
Jennie was Cole's ex-girlfriend, they dated for six months before they decided to break up. Cole really liked her, but I knew for a fact that Cole has always been in love with Farah. That's why I couldn't understand why Cole would call her.
"What did Cole say?"
Farah stood up abruptly and started passing the room, "I don't want to hear sorry ass excuses." she said angrily.
"Farah! You can't just dismiss him. You need to hear him out. Things might not look like what they seem." I tried to calm her down and change her mind.
Farah stopped walking and looked at me, "You know very well how I feel about Jennie. You were there with us during these six months of hell. And, before that he was flirting with her all the time."
"I understand you. But, you need to talk to Cole. He is the only one capable of explaining things to you. You need to hear him out."
Farah sat next to me again and rested her head on my shoulder, "I will, but not now."
We heard a small knock on the door, then Leah's head peeked through the door, "Can I come in?"
Farah nodded as I ushered Leah in, "Yes, sure!"
As Leah sat next to Farah, I stood up to walk out of the room, "I'll go talk to Cole."
Leah nodded as she hugged Farah, "I am here."
Cole was outside in the backyard. He looked deep in thoughts. I sat next to him.
"What happened?"
Cole didn't say anything right away, then he looked at me, "I didn't call Jennie. She called me."
"Why did you pick it up?" I asked him
"I had too. I've been avoiding Derek and Emily's calls for a while now, so when Jennie called I had to pick up."
Jennie was also Emily's cousin, and that's how Derek and Emily met three years ago.
"I figured probably something bad had happened since Jennie was calling. I tried to explain to Farah but she was drunk last night so I didn't want to make things worse and I thought in the morning we could talk but she did all the talking." Cole added
I tilted my head to the side, looking at him, "Do you blame her? With your history with Jennie, do you blame her?"
"I am not! If she just listens to me I'll tell her what I just told you."
"Why did she call? I mean Jennie."
"Because I was avoiding Derek's calls. He wants his minivan back. He is coming on Monday to get it."
It was because of me, since I insisted on staying one extra week. I looked apologetically at Cole, "Sorry, I didn't mean to cause this problem."
"Don't worry about it!" Cole nodded
"We are leaving on Sunday of next week anyway, why is he coming on Monday to get it? He will have his minivan by the end of next week."
Cole exhaled loudly, "He's mad because I ditched him. Don't worry, we will take the plan back home. I already booked our flight."
"I am really sorry for causing all this," I apologized again, I really felt bad for causing these problems.
"Don't! You needed this time here." Cole patted my shoulder and smiled at me.
Suddenly, we heard small steps behind us, "I am sad and you're sad. Then, we need to talk." Farah said as her voice broke.
Cole stood up and walked to her. He hugged her tightly before they held hands and walked down to the beach.
Leah smiled at me then looked back at them, "They will be fine."
"I wonder what you said to convince Farah to change her mind." I walked to Leah and pulled into me. She hugged me back, tightening her arms around me.
"I'll keep that to myself," She kissed me on the neck, "We have a date to get ready for."
I kissed the top of her head, "We're going to have an amazing date."
*****************************
Leah was wearing a long dress with a side slit that reached her mid thigh. Her thick brown hair fell down her back. She took steps down the stairs to the front yard as I watched her approach me. The warm depth of her voice reached me first.
"You look hot in that three piece suit."
"And, you look like a vision." I kissed her the moment she was standing before me. She leaned back with the force of my kiss as her fingers wrapped around my neck.
"You taste like happiness," I whispered the moment we broke our kiss.
Leah smiled and kissed me on my jaw, "I hate to cut this moment short but our reservation is waiting for us."
Leah said that she gave fake names to convince the restaurant that we are some type of celebrities, so she would be able to make a reservation on short notice. So, she made sure we dressed the part.
She said the restaurant was fancy and it's an hour drive from the villa.
"I want you to experience the other side of Sandburg." Leah told me after she made the call.
"Are you going to afford that experience? That's the real question." Craig teased as he was relaxing on the couch, smoking a joint.
"Oh, yes! We are going to afford it, don't worry." Leah offered with a smile.
I looked at Craig, "Is it that expensive? And why do I feel that you are going there with a plan?" I turned around to look at Leah.
Craig exhaled a cloud of smoke before he answered, "I took Kathy there on some weekends and the menu looked like it was written by Shakespeare himself. For a minute I thought I'll be having dinner with the Queen. The check is sure something you won't see in Lakebay."
Leah took a seat next to me. She threw her arm around my shoulder and kissed me on the neck, "Don't worry, we are going to afford it."
"No, You don't worry," I kissed her back on the neck, "I asked you on a date and I am the one paying."
Leah nodded and smiled at me. But, there was some weirdness in her smile. "Sure," she said, "we are going to have so much fun."
"I am for sure keeping my wits about me this evening." I was sensing a prospect of an adventure coming our way. Leah didn't say anything, she just laughed.
We drove downtown then passed the center of the city into a more secluded area. The houses there were larger and more luxurious than the one around the area of the villa. The entrance to the residential area where the restaurant was located was private and we had to show them that we have a reservation through the restaurant app. I am grateful that Leah insisted that I wore a three piece suit. The air smelled salty, which means the ocean wasn't too far from here. After a few minutes of driving and following the GPS instructions, we reached our destination.
On top of the restaurant there was like a glass dome from the future. It was surrounded by vines of purple flowers and Jasmines that smelled like you were in heaven.
The restaurant was simple yet elegant and obnoxious reflecting the amount of wealth around us. We entered the restaurant, Leah gave out our fake names and they took us to our table. The dinner was a five course dinner. We had our table by the windows overlooking the ocean.
"That's called Rose Ocean," Leah said as we both watched the view outside.
"Rose Ocean," I repeated, "Why do they call it that?"
"Because during the sunset the whole ocean turns a shade of red, just like the roses."
I extended my hand and caressed her cheek, "I love that you know all these small details about random stuff."
Leah laughed as she leaned into my hand and kissed my wrist, "Are you calling me random on our first official date?"
"Of course no! You know what I mean," I laughed with her, "I love how you care about the little things."
Leah exhaled loudly as she put a smile on her face. She looked a little sad and emotional, "What's going on?"
"I am going to miss you when you leave."
I couldn't answer at first. The sea of the emotions inside me was overwhelming. We were going from seeing each other every day to not seeing each other at all. Of course, we were going to call and facetime each other but it wasn't the same as this.
"I am going to miss you too. But, tonight we're going to enjoy it and have fun. Let's keep those thoughts at bay for tonight." I kissed her hand as I intertwined our fingers together, "you promised me a fun date, are you going to deliver oceanside's Leah?"
Leah laughed and nodded, "Damn sure, I will."
After having our hors d'oeuvre, appetizer, salad, and the main course, we were having dessert.
The rest of the date was great, we shared memories and stories. We laughed and talked some more. It was the moment the waiter put the check on our table that everything turned into an adventure. Leah's expressions changed and the look in her eyes went from playful to mischievous.
When I reached out to the bill, Leah reached to it first. I looked at her in confusion, as she smiled that wicked smile of hers.
"What are you doing, Leah?"
She leaned forward and whispered for only me to hear, "George The Third, I dare you to eat and run."
"What?!"
"We are going to eat and run. We're not paying" She explained
I looked at her and then at the room around us. It was packed and full of hushed conversations and laughter. Waiters and waitresses were moving around the room like a busy hive of bees.
"How are we going to do that?" I asked Leah. I knew that I shouldn't be giving in to her dare but, I let my emotions get the best of me. I was going to miss this mischievous gleam in her eyes. I was going to miss everything about her.
Leah grinned and murmured, "Let's keep our cool and just leave. I'll leave first and ask the valet to get our car. You go to the restroom and then leave from there, you don't go back to the table. I'll be in the car."
After she was done explaining, she stood up and walked straight through the room and out of the door.
I followed her plan to the teeth. I marched to the restroom. I washed my hands and waited for a few minutes. Then, I left. I didn't look back, I just walked out of the room, straight outside. Leah was in the driving seat. My heart was beating so fast. I got into the passenger seat and without a minute to spear, Leah started driving.
We drove in silence for a minute then we both started laughing. It was a hysterical laugh.
"I can't believe we just did this!" I shouted through the laughter
"Me too!" Leah shouted back
We drove through the mansions and the pine trees. After a few minutes of driving and before we reached the gate, blue and red lights gleamed in the distance behind us. The adrenaline that was running through my veins changed in nature. Panic was all that was left now.
"Leah," I whispered
I looked at her but she was looking at the rear-view mirror. Her eyes reflected the blue and red lights behind us. The sirens were getting closer. Leah was stoic, unyielding.
"Leah," I called her name again.
She stopped by the side of the road and killed the engine. She didn't move, her eyes were fixed on the road. I looked back through the back window as the police cars approached us.
"Leah," I called her name again. I reached to her and tried to get her out of her tance, but she didn't move.
"Don't worry, everything is going to be alright. We'll pay the check and we'll tell them that everything was a misunderstanding."
Leah didn't move and didn't respond to any of my pleas. I looked through the side-view mirror; two police officers approached our car. One walked to Leah's side and the other one to my side. The one by Leah's side peered into the window and shined a light on Leah. He looked at her with some familiarity.
"Let this be quick, Leah." The officer said in a sympathetic tone.
Leah didn't say anything, she just nodded. I looked at the officer by my side as he asked me to step out of the car.
"It's a misunderstanding officer." I told him as I opened the car's door and stepped out.
"I can explain this." I added.
"There is nothing to explain. Please step aside, sir." He instructed me as he searched me and checked my ID, then walked to the other side of the door. Leah was standing with her back to me.
"Leah Lynn, you're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. If you do say anything, it can be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have a lawyer present during any questioning...." The officer read the Miranda rights to Leah.
I was confused. I looked around me, not understanding what was happening. I started walking toward Leah, as the police officers took her to their car. They weren't arresting me. The confusion deepened even more.
"What's going on?" I called after them, "Leah! What's going on?"
The police officer looked back at me, "You're free to go sir."
"I am not going anywhere, where are you taking her and not taking me?"
They both ignored me as they escorted Leah to the backside of the police cruiser.
"Leah!" I called her name for one last time. Her eyes filled with unshed tears as her lips quivered.
"I am sorry," she mouthed