DEMETRI
"Your life is like a dramatic romance movie," Lorr said through the phone.
I was on a joint call with him and Josiah. They were the only other people who knew about the fake relationship.
"Tell me about it. But anyway, Quinn's due to get here soon," I told them while looking at my watch. It was almost two in the afternoon.
"You know, a few months ago, I would have thought this thing with you and Quinn was just a faze," Josiah said.
"A faze?" I asked.
"Yah," Lorr added, "You even know that most of us guys usually go through a faze of liking an older girl."
"But after that stunt you pulled after her birthday, you my man, are a goner," Josiah said.
"Do you think it's a faze?" Lorr asked me.
"How am I supposed to know?" I asked, "I just know that every other woman dulls in comparison to her.
Despite all odds, I want her. I want to see her smile, to be her shoulder and try as hard as possible to be by her side through everything."
After a moment of silence, both my stupid cousins broke into laughter.
"He has fallen, I repeat, we have lost a brother," Lorr said.
I rolled my eyes. I had fallen for her. Something about her always draws me.
"Have you told her though?" Jo asked.
"I don't think it's the right time, especially with the whole fake dating thing," I told them.
"Well, don't hold on too long. Quinn looks like a rational person, she might just begin logically thinking over everything," Jo replied.
I heard a car pull up in front of the lake house.
"We'll finish this conversation later, Quinn's here," I told them.
"Sure loverboy, have fun, say hey to mamacita for me," Lorr said and I ended the call.
The front door opened the closed and Quinn walked into the room in black leggings and a white tunic sweater. It was October so winter was rolling in.
"Sorry I'm late, last minute emergency," She said while putting her bag down.
"Well I'm just glad you're here, we have a long trip ahead of us," I told her while wrapping my hands around her waist.
"En realidad, I just thought we'd be here cuddling while I made fun of you reading," She told me.
"I'm sure you'd enjoy that but I have other plans, now wait here while I go pack some things in my car," I told her while walking to the kitchen.
"Where are we going?" she asked from the living room.
"Somewhere only we'll know," I joked.
"Wow," She said then laughed at the song reference.
I put the fresh foods into a cooler box and put ice into another for the cold drinks.
The other things were already packed so it was just these left. I got them in and went back to the house.
"Let's get going Trixie," I said to Quinn.
She looked up from the photos on the wall she was looking at.
"Your sister was really beautiful," she said.
I walked and stood behind her, looking at the photo. Zia's happy face looked back at me while she stood next to a younger me who looked like he didn't want to take the photo. It was taken the year she died.
This month marked another year of her gone.
"Thank you," I said.
"This was the last picture I took with her. She died on the 15th of this month."
"That explains your Tattoo," she said. I never thought she noticed it.
"Sure the tattoo is tiny but during the nights I spent here, you never slept with a shirt on, so I noticed the 15.10~ZL on your lower abdomen," she added as though reading my mind.
I grinned at the thought of her checking me out while I was asleep.
"So what's the story behind this right here?" I asked while tracing my finger from her midspine to the bottom of her back.
I felt her shiver from my touch. Though I was mainly tracing her tattoo. Was it why she was always covered around here?
"No story. Just rebellious teen moment, mamma wasn't happy. She hit me with her cooking stick when she found out," she said before laughing as she remembered the moment.
"Anyway let's go," she said.
"Okay, you follow me behind," I told her as we walked out.
"We're using separate cars?" she asked then pouted.
"Yep, though I'll connect my car to yours so that we can talk," I said while handing her an earpiece Bluetooth trucker.
"Grazie," She said and walked over to her car.
I walked over to my car and got in. I put on my earpiece and connected it to hers.
"Try to keep up Trixie," I said into the mic piece.
"Just sad that I don't know where we are going, otherwise you wouldn't be saying that," her voice came through to my ear.
I grinned before pulling out of the driveway. Her car tailing behind mine.
The drive was absolutely fun despite us being in different cars. Eventually we got a bit out of town but still close to the coast. The road was clear and the views were stunning.
"Is this a kidnap or what?" Quinn said through the earpiece.
"Absolutely, we turn left in a few meters. Then I can ship you off to Mexico," I joked.
"Ha ha, my father would have your head on a platter and sent to Mexico before I even get there," she said.
I knew she was joking too but I definitely feel like it's true. Marco DelaCruz gave me mafia vibes.
I drove into a graveled road. I could see Quinn's car in the rear view mirror.
After driving past the trees, we reached an open space when we went off the gravel and I parked my car, she parked next to mine.
"This is beautiful," Quinn said while getting out of the car.
She took in the clear view of the pacific. Waves crashing onto the beach a few feet away from us.
I smiled while taking out the picnic basket and the cooler boxes from my car.
"Aww, a picnic. E possibile innamorarsi ancora di piu so qualcuno," She said.
I honestly did better when she spoke Spanish. Italian on the other hand.
"Glad you like the view. You can get your part time entertainment while I set everything up," I told her.
"I can help, we can even be faster," she said.
"Uhm. Sure," I said while placing the things on an open spot in front of the cars.
She lay down the blanket and handled the plates, cups and other cutlery. I dealt with the food and drinks.
We then sat down to have some food.
"I guess you reading novels really paid off huh," She teased before taking a sip of her wine.
I laughed before replying.
"Maybe, though I just wanted to spend time with you without being disturbed.
I'm going to Arizona for a preseason game next week."
"Then the season begins," She said with a sigh.
"It's really peaceful here."
The fresh air, the nature, the ocean. The woman next to me. It was refreshing.
"I actually doubted bringing you here, then I remembered it's just lakes that you don't like," I said.
"Silly right," She said and I shook my head.
"I just don't fully know your story," I told her.
"Okay story time," she said while sitting up.
"As you know, I was born in Columbia. My mom was from Italy and went to Columbia for work. She got pregnant for dad out of wedlock while there.
She came from a family of dedicated catholics so she was scared of telling them."
She finished her wine, "Dad whisked her off and they had a Vegas wedding.
Then, the problems began."
I sat up.
"Dad and I were close til we weren't. He started drinking a lot. Yelling at mamma and at me.
Eventually he left but returned when mamma got pregnant with Lorayne. They wanted to 'work' it out.
He became even colder to me. I remember the day he found me crying. He was drunk and told me alcohol took the pain away and he made me drink some."
She stared at the glass she was holding.
"So one day, I stole a bottle just to test his theory and I liked it so I didn't stop.
A year after Lorayne, mamma had Rosaline. Eventually Lorayne started getting sick a lot but dad always turned a blind eye.
I began stealing money from him to buy her medication. When he found, he was very angry and very drunk. I was with my friends playing by the lake when it happened.
I remember him grabbing me and pushing me into the lake while I struggled against him, it was like he wasn't realizing that he was doing that to his daughter.
The stones in the lake left me with bruises. One of our neighbors came and pulled him away.
When he looked at me it was like he didn't know what was happening. He looked surprised."
"What did your mom do?" I asked.
"Nothing, she became depressed after he told her that he'd leave again.
She told me that he was actually a good person with many things he had to battle.
That he sometimes got so angry to the point were he'd do things without realizing until later."
"That must have been hard for you," I said.
"Well he made it easier by leaving us. I convinced mom that we should leave too and we left for Italy.
My grades were good and I had a passion and talent for design so I applied for jobs immediately we arrived. I still decided on continuing school though.
I was eventually recognized and made the right connections. My Tia helped me out and we created Montanari.
I wasn't old enough and I didn't have all my papers yet so Tia helped run it for me until I finished college and was 21.
We then created Lorayne & Co, the rest is history."
"Wow," was all that managed to come out of my mouth.
Part of me was sad that she went through all this. Part of me was angry that she went through all of this. Part of me was in awe of her.
"Let's not get all speechless, you want to me to continue the story to the part were I met Lucas?" she teased and arched her brows.
"Don't start," I told her while pulling her onto my lap.
"But I like Jealous Timmy," she joked as I wrapped my arms around her.
Her past was gone, I couldn't do anything about it except just be here for her and try my best to bring her happiness.
Eventually we talked a bit more, played by the beach and had dessert. Then she retrieved her sketchpad because she found inspiration for a beachhouse for one of her clients. I decided to grab a book.
She put on her headphones while I listened to music from the mini Bluetooth speaker. It was such a comfortable space.
I looked up from my book to her. She had the end of her pencil between her pouty lips as she stared at the sea. Her hair was messy from the ocean breeze. The sunrays kissed her skin and illuminated her bright emerald orbs.
She was previously singing along to My love by Westlife playing from her headphones.
I took out my Polaroid camera from the basket and took a picture of her.
She abruptly looked at me and took off her headphones.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Following that saying, 'Take a picture, it'll last longer' ," I said and grinned at her.
She took some popcorn and threw them at me.
I laughed, "Don't worry, just go back to singing along to Westlife."
"Oh my days. The baby knows Westlife," she teased.
"Firstly, my dad is a huge fan," I started.
"Secondly, you're only like one to two years older than me, yet you don't look like it, so behave."
She swatted my arm and I pulled her to me while tickling her. We both laughed. The sun was beginning to set.
The Mates of Soul by Taylor John Williams began playing from the Bluetooth speaker.
"May I have this dance?" I asked with a stupid grin on my face.
"I'd say no but I love this song," She said while putting her hand in mine.
I pulled her up and her body flushed against mine.
We held each other as we sang along to the song and dance around. The lyrics and beat moved through us.
With Quinn, it's like I fall for her everytime we are together. I'd do it many times more and still be happy.
By the time we reached the interlude part of the song, she had her back to my chest and my arms around her as we looked at the ocean were the sun was setting.
She looked up to me with a smile and I kissed her before we continued swaying to the music like that.
"How about we make s'mores by the fireplace when we get back?" I asked her when I finished packing everything in my car.
"Absolutely. The sooner we get there, the better," She replied.
"Okay then, you know the way back?" I asked.
"Yep, so prepare to eat my dust," She told me.
This is going to be fun.
"But no fast and furious here though, I do not want any accidents. So a reasonable speed," She clarified.
"Meet you back at the Lakehouse babe," I told her while getting into my car.
I swear I heard her cuss at me in Spanish before she got into the car.
I got onto the gravel road then found the tarred one.
Her car was tailing behind me.
I changed gears and moved along the curved before changing again and went faster.
A few seconds later, her car sped past me.
"Sorry 'babe', I'll get the fire started when I get home okay," She said through the earpiece making me laugh.
I switched gears and increased speed. I was very aware that she was also driving a manual car.
We cruised along the empty road as had sun fully set leaving a slight orange-gold tint to dark night the sky. We moved next to each other or one ahead of the other. Still talking and laughing.
I joined the main road first and lost her from there.
As I pulled up in front of the lake house, I found her parking and coming out of her car, leaving it running.
"Woo!! I won!! Take that!" she exclaimed while jumping around, "We should have made a bet."
I sighed, turned off my car and got out.
Immediately jumped into my arms. I caught her as she wrapped her legs around my waist.
"It's okay to lose, you're not upset right?" she asked with fake sympathy.
I was very sure that she wasn't even feeling an ounce of sympathy. She was happy she won and she was going to rub it in my face for as long as I lived.
She then placed a kiss on my lips before saying, "Buy a mustang okay."
She then jumped off and ran into the lake house screaming that she won.
"Your car is still running!" I shouted.
"Turn it off loser!" she shouted from the door.
She might have been one of the most mature and shut off women I knew, but she could be very childish when she let herself to be.
I smiled as I walked to her car. I turned it off, got her bag and locked the car. She mostly likely left her phone in her bag.
The night ended with s'mores, karaoke, intense make out sessions and her bragging about winning.