Saturday, July 1
The first thing I register in the morning is that the sun is unnaturally bright. I throw my arm over my eyes to block out the light, but freeze halfway. Something's wrong- the earth seems to be moving beneath me.
Earthquake?
I open my eyes curiously and blink as a grinning face comes into focus.
“Morning, Alli,” Luke smiles. “I was wondering how long it'd take for you to wake up. You sleep like a log.”
I blush, embarrassed. “Where are we?” I push my hands against his chest and move into a sitting position. He shifts his weight so that he's still carrying me and I inconspicuously check out his body. I can feel his muscles through his shirt, rock hard and solid. It's then that I realize I'm still in my pajamas.
“Lucas!” I shriek, flailing my legs.
“What, Allison?” he asks in amusement, purposely enunciating my full name.
“I'm wearing my pajamas!” My voice is shrill with a tinge of hysteria. I clear my throat.
“I know,” Luke replies.
“So?” I demand, struggling to get out of his arms. He carries me tighter and my pulse quickens.
“So what?” He balances me on one knee and opens his car door. “Here you go, m'lady,” he says before gently setting me in the passenger seat.
“Why am I out here in my pajamas?”
Luke grins. “You still owe me a date, remember? I'm just trying to make up for yesterday.” He slams the door shut and hurries to the driver's seat. “Besides, I ought to take my girlfriend on at least one date before she leaves, right?”
My chest tightens. Girlfriend. There, he said it. So it wasn't just all a dream. The ignition starts and Luke whoops with glee. “Here we go!”
“To where?” I ask suspiciously.
Luke smiles cryptically. “You'll see.”
*
The engine sputters as Luke shuts the car down. “You all right?” he asks me quizzically.
“You drive like a maniac!” I glare.
“Thanks,” he laughs. “I think it's a California thing.”
He jogs over to my door and opens it for me, a gentlemanly gesture. “Thanks,” I mumble before stepping out of the car.
Even at 10 A.M., the beaches are filled with people. Over by the lifeguard station, two girls chat in their bathing suits, obviously hoping to catch a glimpse of the lifeguard. A family with two little boys plays on the beach, the father chasing his boys while the mother laughs. To the left of us, a group of bikini-clad girls play beach volleyball.
“Uh, Luke?” I ask.
He's glancing at the shoreline with a satisfied expression on his face. “Mmhm?” he responds.
“I don't have a bathing suit,” I say.
“You could skinny dip,” he suggests hopefully.
I scoff. “Not a chance.”
He laughs and shrugs. “Oh well, it was worth a try.” He runs over to the trunk of his blue car and pulls out a basket. “No worries,” he reassures me. “As much as I'd love to see you in a bathing suit, you don't need one today. I was just thinking we could enjoy the view.”
He takes my hands and drags me onto the sand. “Come on!”
It's warm out, and I kick off my flip-flops, feeling my toes sink into the sand. As I pass by the group of girls playing ball, some of them give me weird looks. It must look strange to them, though, a mediocre girl in her pajamas being dragged along by a total hunk.
Luke stops to nod at one of the guys hanging out with the girls. “Hey, Jake!”
Jake nods back at him before grinning. “That your girl, eh? Nice choice. Get some!” He winks, and Luke blushes.
We wave by to the group of teens, and Luke leads me to the base of a slope. “Now this is the tricky part,” he warns me. “We've just got to climb these rocks.”
He takes off his shoes and slings his basket onto his arm, where it rests in the crook of his elbow.. “Need help?” he asks, holding out his hand, but I shake my head no. I've got this,
I hold my flip flops in one hand and scamper up the rocks in another. Although the sun is beating down, the rocks aren't scalding hot, and actually feel quite nice. It's a picturesque scene, the heavy brown rocks surrounded by green moss, with the sandy beach right under it. Luke stands about three feet above me, surveying the view, and I hurry to catch up with him.
When I reach the ledge he is standing at, I turn around to check out the view, and gasp. It's beautiful. The ocean is a deep blue, not aqua colored, like in the postcards of tropical islands, but a blue that reminds me of velvety nights and secrets and promises.
“Do you like it?” Luke asks, squinting in the sunlight.
I nod enthusiastically. “It's beautiful,” I say.
Luke grins. “But wait, there's more!” He pulls a large blanket out of basket. “We're going to have a picnic!”
On this ledge, there is a cozy little cave, and he squats in it, setting the blanket out and looking in the basket with a fussy expression on his face. As he starts setting up, I lean against the rocks, crossing one ankle over another.
“Did you bring canned food this time, or did you make your own?” I tease.
He puffs out his chest. “I'd like you to know that I made these all by myself.”
“Oh really?” I straighten up, interested. “What did you make?”
“PB and J,” he says, looking satisfied with himself.
I snort. “PB and J? Wow, Mommy Cooper must be so surprised you know how to make those! I mean, those are so hard to make.”
Luke frowns. “Hey, at least I made you something. You're the woman, you should've been making the sandwiches!”
“Don't be sexist,” I snap.
“I was just kidding, geez,” Luke smiles. “Speaking of Mommy Cooper, I was telling her about you the other day. She'd really like to see you again.”
I smile, I've really missed Luke's mom. Back in Michigan, she made the best pecan pies, and she always treated me like she would her own daughter.
“Sounds great! Maybe I'll drop by Monday or Tuesday?” I say.
“Yeah, she works from home, so whenever works. You should come for dinner, too. My stepdad wants to meet you.”
My heart drops into my stomach. “Your stepdad?” I ask. Ever since I've known him, Luke's mom has always been single. She's just the type of lady who's so independent they can't stand being tied down. I'm surprised she even got married again. “Wow, a lot happened in those few years we spent apart!” I exclaim.
“Yeah,” Luke scratches his head. “Don't worry though, Ron's a nice guy, you'll like him. And I'm sure he'll like you.”
“I hope so,” I say. What if he doesn't? A pit forms in my stomach. I don't have to worry about his mom not liking me, but what if his stepdad didn't approve? I look up at Luke uncertainly. “What does your stepdad do?” I ask.
“He's a lawyer,” Luke responds, staring at me strangely.
Yep, he definitely will not like me. Why would a lawyer want his stepson associating with some emo girl who lives in the middle of nowhere?
“Don't worry,” Luke says, reading the worried expression in my eyes. “He'll like you. I've never met anyone who hasn't.”
I smile and push the matter to the back of my head. “Yeah,” I say. “So how about that picnic?”
I sit down and settle my back against the wall of the cave as Luke crawls in after me. A seagull flies by, so close I could have reached out and grabbed it.
“Thanks for doing this for me,” I say.
“Anything for you,” Luke says sincerely, smiling.
*
It is almost sunset when we finally pack up the basket and head down. The beach is still bustling with activity as people stop to admire the beauty of the scene. The glowing sun, surrounded by pink, is reflected in the endless sea, shrouded by darkness. The surface of the water glimmers.
“I'll take you back here someday so you can enjoy the beach,” Luke promises, “but now, we have to get home, or else your Uncle might think I've kidnapped you or something.”
My stomach growls, and I look down at it, embarrassed.
“And you're hungry,” Luke points out. I glare at him.
“So are you coming over Tuesday night?” Luke asks, “I should probably let my mom know so she can prepare stuff.”
“No, really, it's fine,” I say. “She doesn't have to make a fuss over it. She already knows me anyway. I mean, I know your stepdad doesn't, but still...” I ramble.
Luke laughs. “Okay, I'll let her know.”
He opens the passenger door for me and I slip inside. As I close the door, a thunking sound comes from behind me, probably the trunk, and then Luke is by the driver's door, picnic basket nowhere to be seen.
He turns the engine on and grins at me. “Okay now, hold on tight. Buckle up, we're going home.”
“Oh no,” I groan. “Can you try to drive slower?”
Luke just grins at me.