Thanks to Diena and Amy for taking the time to read the various drafts. Your suggestions were immensely helpful. And thanks to L for agreeing to this.
Boy Meets Lucas:
"Hi, I'm David and you're gorgeous."
Lucas glanced up from his book to see a guy grinning down at him mischievously. He raised his hand to shield the sun from his eyes then took a better look. Damn. He had the sun-kissed physique of an athlete, the facial features of a model, and an air of confidence that reminded Lucas of Ben. So what's he doing standing here talking to me, wondered Lucas.
"I've struck you speechless. That has to be a good sign." He sprawled out on the sand beside Lucas.
"No. Just wondering how many people you've used that line on today." He was used to being hit on. Guys, girls, creepy old men; they were all the same. Easy to attract and even easier to scare off with his intelligence, his social awkwardness, or whatever it was he kept doing to send people scurrying in the other direction. Not that he wanted to attract the creepy old men, mind you.
"Just you."
"Hmph. You must have just woken up." Lucas reopened his book and tried to ignore the boy sitting next to him. Why are you still here? Can't you see I don't have whatever it is you want?
"No, I just have high standards. I like beauty and brains." He tapped the edge of Lucas's microbiology book.
"Then why are you bothering me?" Lucas jotted down a formula in his notebook and turned the page. He wasn't really reading anything. He was too hyper aware of the body beside him but he didn't want this guy, David was it, to know that.
"Well, you were here and I was here so I figured why not." He grabbed Lucas's book and flipped it over to read the cover. "Wow, pretty heavy reading for a day at the beach. You have an exam or something due when you get back to college?"
"Something like that," replied Lucas with an amused smile. He could just imagine David's face if he'd explained that he was really brushing up on some theories for the sea cucumber experiments that they were starting on SeaQuest. He reached over and reclaimed his book.
"Ah," David nodded wisely. "I'm supposed to be reading Shakespeare but he's not really down with the beach scene. I've already read most of them anyway." He looked a bit closer at Lucas. "You look kind of young for college."
"What can I say? I'm a fast learner."
"How old are you?" Lucas glanced over at David then looked away, uncomfortable with the heavy scrutiny.
"Sixteen."
"Great! You're still legal. Let's do lunch."
Lucas couldn't help laughing. That was definitely a new one.
"Haven't you figured out that I'm not interested?"
"On the contrary, you've neither slugged me nor threatened to call the cops. That sounds like interested to me." David grinned at him manically.
"How about, Go Away." Please. People weren't supposed to still be interested by this stage of the conversation. He should have run away by now. Lucas wiggled his legs feeling his book shift in his lap. He'd never get any work done now.
"I'd love to go away with you. What a wonderful idea."
Lucas sighed and closed his book. Somewhere in the distance a dog barked.
"I'm not going to be able to get rid of you, am I?"
"Nope." David clearly had no sense of shame.
"Fine. I'll have lunch with you. Just stop the whole flirting act. It's unnerving." Lucas shuddered. Every time David complimented him it made his stomach twist unnaturally. He didn't like feeling so unsettled.
"I'm sorry," said David dropping the joker's act. "I didn't realize it was making you uncomfortable."
"It's OK."
"No, it's not. I don't normally go around forcing myself on people. It's just that you looked like you needed to have some fun and then you responded to me so well." He trailed off and stared down at the sand. Lucas realized suddenly that David was much younger and less confident than he seemed. Way to go, Lucas. You've hurt his feelings. David took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. "Look, I'll just leave. I really didn't mean to offend you."
"Wait." Lucas reached out and grabbed his wrist. "You don't have to go." Please don't go.
"But-"
"You didn't offend me."
"I'm glad." He smiled for real this time. Lucas felt an answering flutter in his stomach. "Can we just start over?"
"Yeah."
"Hi, I'm David." He held out his hand. Lucas reached out to shake it.
"Hello, David. I'm Lucas."
"Would you like to have dinner with me, Lucas?"
"Dinner? What happened to lunch?"
"You already said yes to lunch," grinned David. "I figured we could eat while we were getting groceries for dinner."
"I don't know." Lucas stared out at the water. Being around David was making him feel funny. He didn't know if he wanted to be around him all day.
"You don't look like you're doing anything here and I'll be on my best behavior. Scout's honor." He smiled at Lucas again and flashed giant puppy dog eyes.
"All right. You've convinced me," Lucas heard himself say. Why'd he say that? Why wasn't he just brushing this guy off? "Just let me go tell the people I'm staying with where I'm going to be."
"Here. Give them my cell number." David grabbed Lucas's pen and scribbled his number on Lucas's arm. "We'll meet back here in half an hour. Bring your swim shorts."
"OK. See you then."
"It's a date," said David as he turned and jogged back down the beach. Lucas smiled and sighed contentedly as he watched him go. Wait, a minute. Date? He can't mean… Lucas shook his head. No, it's just a figure of speech. He picked up his things and walked up the dune to the Pickering cottage.
"Well, hello, Lucas. How was your morning?"
"Good, Mrs. P."
"I'm really sorry about Biff going off like that and leaving you alone today. He knows better than to make plans when he has a guest."
"I don't mind. He would have invited me if I'd been old enough." The last thing Lucas would have wanted was Biff not being able to do something because of him. Lucas copied David's number onto a piece of paper. "I've made plans for the day. You can reach me here. I'll see you sometime tonight."
"Oh," called Mrs. Pickering as Lucas headed down the hall to his room. "Your Captain called. He wants you to call him back."
"OK. Thanks."
Well that cut his time. Lucas threw a towel and some shorts in his bag and tossed his book onto the floor. He hurried to rinse off misplaced san then changed his clothes. Money. Sunblock. Sunglasses. PAL. OK, he was ready to go. He glanced won at his watch. Ten minutes left from him to call Bridger.
"Connect me to SeaQuest, please," he said after dialing the UEO's system. "Hey, Tim How are you?"
"I'm fine. How's your vacation going?"
"Wonderful. Florida's beautiful."
"We've missed you around here."
"I'll be back next week." Lucas glanced at his watch. "Is the Captain available?"
"Yeah. I'll patch you through to his quarters."
"Lucas," said Captain Bridger as the screen reformed. "You're looking tan."
"Thanks. So what's up?"
"I just called to see if you're having a good time."
"Yeah, I am. I'm glad Biff invited me. How's Dr. Westphalen? Are the preliminary results going well?"
"Kristin's fine and you'll find out about the experiments when you get back. You're on vacation. No work."
"But-"
"I mean it. You're still a teenager even if you don't get many opportunities to act like it. Enjoy your Spring Break. SeaQuest wills till be here when you get back."
"Yes, Captain," smiled Lucas. It was funny hearing the Captain lecture him about not doing work. Usually, it was the other way around. "Look, I have to go. I'm meeting a new friend for lunch."
"See you later then. Take care, kiddo."
"Bye." Lucas cut the connection and hurried out the door. David was going to think he wasn't coming.
"Oh good! You came! I was beginning to be afraid that I'd frightened you away. Lucas stared at David realizing just how good looking he was. Suddenly his heart was pounding in his throat. He shook his head mutely. What was going on with him today?
"Sorry," he said finally as he pulled himself together. "I had to make a phone call."
"Good news I hope."
"Yeah. Just checking in with-" Lucas paused searching for the right word. He smiled when he found it. "My family."
"Ah. The parental units." David nodded wisely. "Mine are out of town for the week. So! How does pizza sound for lunch? Nice, greasy, and loaded with cheese."
"When you put it that way, I'm not sure," replied Lucas wrinkling his nose.
"You'll love it. Come on, my car's this way." Lucas followed David across the sand wondering just what he'd gotten himself into this time. A few minutes later, Lucas was sitting in a booth in the tiny pizza parlor, holding a giant slice of pizza.
"You're right. This is good," he said after the first bite. He scooped the cheese that was trying to ooze onto his lap back on top of the dough.
"Told you. So where are you from?"
"Originally I'm from Buffalo but I've always moved around a lot."
"What about now? Where do you go to college?"
"What is this? Twenty Questions?" asked Lucas trying to stall. He didn't want to lie to him. "Shouldn't you be telling me about yourself, too?"
"Not much to tell. My family has always lived in this town. I'm an eighteen year old, sophomore, chemistry major at Florida State. And I'm sitting here with you." David grinned.
"A chemistry major, huh? I like chemistry. Are you enjoying it?"
"For the most part. Some of the classes are dull and most of my classmates are lame but I like the actual chemistry part."
"Yeah, until someone mislabels a bottle and you accidentally ruin a $20,000 experiment by adding the wrong chemical." He'd almost been kicked out of college for that one. No one had believed that the chemical had been mislabeled until a professor made the same mistake a week later.
"Ouch, that must have sucked," said David grimacing sympathetically.
"Yeah." Lucas poked at his drink with his straw. He picked it up and took a sip. Across the table, David looked up meeting his gaze. Wow, he has really nice eyes. Lucas choked on his drink almost spitting it out. Where the hell did that thought come from?
"Are you all right?" asked David, patting him on the back as he coughed.
"I'm OK," he said hoarsely. "I just swallowed wrong."
"OK." David frowned at him then looked at their empty plates. "Are you ready to go?"
"Sure." David threw a few bills on the table. "How much do I owe you?"
"Nothing. I invited you out so I pay."
"Are you sure?" asked Lucas uncertainly. David paying made it seem like a date. What if this was a date? Lucas waited for the horror or discomfort that he should be feeling but nothing came. The idea that this might qualify as a date didn't really bother him. It should bother him, shouldn't it? It's not like he wanted to be on a date with David. Right?
"Positive," said David confidently, not noticing Lucas's uncertainty. "How good are you at video games? There's a great arcade next door."
"Wanna try me?" grinned Lucas; the prospect of having a new victim distracting him from his worries.
"Ooh, you are so on!"