Chapter Seven: Playing Along…

"You wanna…?" I nodded over to the beach across the street as we headed out of the restaurant. It was pretty much dark already, but I figured why not…I always had liked the sound of the waves.

"Sure…"

I checked for traffic before grabbing Letty's hand and heading across the street to the sand, pulling Letty along behind me.

"Some day, I'm gonna have a house on the beach somewhere…" I murmured, still pulling Letty along. I don't stop until we're right at the edge of the water.

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Letty POV

He was rambling about a house on the beach somewhere, pulling me along until we were right at the water's edge.

"D'you like the beach, Letty?" he asked, turning to look at me, still holding my hand.

"Yeah…" I nodded, eyeing his hand holding mine, trying to be subtle about it.

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Dom POV

She was looking at our hands, clasped together, and so I let go, figuring I shouldn't push my luck.

"Didn' have t' do that…" she said quietly, shrugging her shoulders.

"Oh yeah…?" I was tryin' not to grin as I reached down and grabbed her hand again, stroking her skin with my thumb.

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Letty POV

"Yeah…" I couldn't help shivering when his thumb stroked my hand. Something about this felt so right, but it was kinda scary, too…

"You cold?"

"Maybe…" I shrugged, not wanting to let him see that he was getting to me. "Maybe just a little…"

He dropped my hand and shrugged out of his jacket, putting it over my shoulders, waiting to see what I'd do…if I'd put my arms through the sleeves or leave it like it was…

Out of instinct, I put my arms through the sleeves, still watching him for a sign of reaction.

He nodded to himself, laughing at something…probably how big his jacket is on me. He reached down and pushed up the sleeve just enough so that he could grab my hand again.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yeah…" I nodded, a small smile on my face when he grabs my hand again.

He looked at me before looking back out at the water, listening to the waves crashing.

"I come here sometimes…" he admitted quietly. "At night…"

"Yeah…?"

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Dom POV

"Not, uh…" I started, looking over at her quickly again. "Not with anyone…by myself…"

"Yeah…?" she asked again.

"Yeah…" I answered, laughing a little, wondering if she realized that's pretty much all she'd said since I gave her my jacket. "When I'm thinkin' about my mom and stuff…"

"Must be nice…havin' some place you c'n go an' actually hear your self think…"

"Yeah…" I pulled her closer to me. "Spend hours out here, sometimes…"

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Letty POV

He'd pulled me closer to him. I thought it'd freak me out if he did that kinda thing but I really didn't seem to mind.

"'s beautiful…I can see why…"

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not complainin'…" he said. "Pops is…jus' 'bout the best dad I could've ended up with, an' even Mia…she's not so bad, most of the time…the house is just always…busy, y'know?"

"Thought that was what you had your 'harem' for…" I said casually, but it came out sounding harsher than I'd intended.

"What?" he asked, looking down at me, not quite sure what I'd meant.

"Seems like if you weren't at the house or at the shop, you…" I threw my hands up, gesturing a 'you know…'

"Yeah, well…" he shrugged. "Not always…" I stayed quiet, not sure what to say.

"'m not gonna lie…you're right, there's been a lot of girls." He shrugged. "Was flattering, at first…make some good plays on the field, win a few races, an' girls all over me, non-stop…"

"But…?"

"You ever tried t' have a conversation with one of them…?" he asked, looking at me, eyebrows cocked.

"I deal with most of 'em in any one of my classes…" I snorted.

"Yeah, well…you should know, then… they're all… fake …" he said this like he's telling me something I didn't already know.

"'Bout as fake as their tits are…"

"Yeah, well…" he laughed. "I'm tired of fake…maybe…"

"The real girls aren't that easy. So don't count on an easy time."

"Ain't exactly been easy…" he laughed again, but it was a little deeper this time.

"What, you a'ready been goin' for some legitimate girls…?"

"Tryin'…" he shrugged. "One, 't least…"

"An' how's that goin'…?

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Dom POV

I laughed again, damn sure Letty already knew exactly how it was going.

"Yeah…dunno, exactly…gotta lotta convincin' t' do, seems like…"

"Ya don't say…"

"She, uh…she might be comin' around, though…" I teased, looking over at her

"Oh, yeah…? You take all your girls to the beach…?"

"No…" I murmured, still watching her. She nodded, not sure what to say. "'ve never taken any other girls here…" I continued, looking back out over the water.

"An' the deal with the cheesecake…?"

"What d'you mean…?"

"You do that for all your girls..?"

"No…" I shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed to admit it for some reason. "They…uh…don' eat much…" I said after a minute.

"Too busy bringin' it right back up again when nobody's lookin'…"

"Probably…" I shrugged. "'s fuckin' annoying…" She laughed. "What?" I asked, nudging letty a little with my shoulder.

"What, what?" she asked back.

"Whatcha laughin' about…?" I nudged her again.

"Nothin'…" she shrugged her shoulders.

I just looked at her, wrapping my arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to me, looking back out over the water, feeling her relax into me.

"You an' me on a beach in Mexico…" I whispered, more thinking out loud than for her to hear me.

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Letty POV

"What was that…?" I asked, not sure I'd heard him right

"Hmm?"

"What'd you say? Just now…?"

He shrugged like he wasn't sure of himself or something.

"Somethin' 'bout a beach in México, maybe?"

"Yeah…that…"

"What about it?" he shrugged again.

"What'd you say? All I heard was Mexico…"

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Dom POV

"Uh…" My mind's racing, wondering if I should tell her what I'd actually said, if it would freak her out again, like the whole idea of tonight being a date had. "The beach house I been thinkin' 'bout…someplace in Mexico…"

"Sounds cool…" she shrugged against me.

"Yeah..?"

"Sure…I mean, who wouldn' want some'n like that?"

I shrugged, not really knowing what to say. After a minute or so, I change the subject.

"You should keep it…"

"What…?"

"The uh…the jacket. Could wear it to games or somethin'…"

"Dom…I'm not your girlfriend, man…I wouldn't be caught dead wearing it…giving people the idea that I'm a slut? I don't think so…"

"An' how would it make people think you're a slut?" I asked, trying to hide the hurt in my voice.

"Uh, hello? You've got more women than you can count! Why add my name to the list?"

I let out a deep sigh.

"None of them ever wore that jacket, Lett… " I muttered, getting frustrated.

"I'm not your girl. Answer's no."

"Fine." I muttered, taking a step away from her.

"I think it's time you take me home…" We can both feel the awkwardness blending with tension now.

"Sure…whatever…"

It killed me…how could she sit there, playing along when I let her in, just to push me away when I suggested that maybe she might be feeling something for me, too…