" I have always heard about this place but never had a chance to eat here " Harlee pulled her lemonade towards her " Really ? this is probably the best spot in Pensacola to chill and grab some proper grub " Joe said before munching on a fry .
" Well when you have parents like mine you can't live a normal life " she shrugged
" Well what do your parents do exactly ? if you don't mind me asking … "
Harlee pulled a strand of hair behind her ear and sighed before explaining the madness " Aside from being bigoted ? my father was a lawyer and now he's trying to become a councilman in Atlanta where he is originally from . We ended up in Pensacola because of my mother's job as a professor and now she wants to just stay at home and be a wife because it's the " american way " … they both get on my nerves " she shook her head " My dad was hardly ever around and it was understandable , he needed to provide for us but when he and mom found out about Kal I felt their rage was not justified in the least bit … they broke him so bad and then wanted to depend on me to be their golden child "
" Well you are golden … sorry if that sounds wack but it's true " he winked and caused her to blush
" You are too sweet Joe … and in some ways I want them to be proud of me … but right now I don't want to talk to them . They wanted me to abandon my best friends Kal and Nai … but I couldn't allow my brother to be hurt like that . I have the most disappointing parents in the world … Now that I think about it they probably know about Arjay if they keep up with the community news " she stroked her chin " … I'm sorry for bringing that up it's just …. "
Joe grabbed on of her fingers that was resting on the table and pulled her hand in closer " It's alright … it's just us … you can vent if you need to …. " he nodded " I asked you remember ? "
" I know you did … but it's our first date and I mentioned that idiot's name … I just don't want them in my business and trying to police my decisions … they do that every once in awhile "
" I think you worry too much for no reason babe , you get all worked up but at the end of the day you do what you wanna do … that's what I like about you " he pressed his thumb into her hand and charmed her endlessly " You are hard as a rock Harlee …. not gonna lie when I saw you in the pizzeria with Nai you were a little tough to read at first … I needed to get your attention so I had to be a bit of an asshole … my bad " he teased and they shared a laugh.
Harlee placed her hand on her shoulder and rubbed her lips together while thinking back on that day " It's okay … I was in somewhat of a sour mood that day and I was actually being rude to you guys … and to be honest … this is bad but I really didn't care when you told me you were going to swallow me whole " she covered her face and laughed .
" Nasty " he began cackling " I'm just teasing you baby … but I had to take it there … cuz I wanted you to remember me . I gotta do better with my approach … but I'm beyond blessed that you gave me the time and the day to express myself … I just wanna treat you right and let you know that I'm there " he placed his hand in the center of his chest and slowly nodded " …. I know I'm just this bulk ass football player but I like holding hands … and just holding you period " he winked and rolled his tongue across his bottom lip.
Harlee's butterflies nearly tore through her stomach and she couldn't hold in a smile for nothing " Joe … you say all of the right things … and I don't think what I am about to say is foolish but … you come from such a genuine place … and I just … I'm so sorry " she began chuckling while shedding a few tears .
" Harlee what happened to you ? " she had suddenly become so emotional and Joe felt the the need to comfort her , he quickly made his way across the table and took her into his arms " Baby … why are you crying ? " he whispered into her ear " Do you wanna leave ? you want me to take you someplace else ? did I say something you didn't like ? "
Harlee wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder " Nothing is wrong …. I'm just happy because everything is right " she wiped her eyes and began caressing his thick neck " Please let's just keep each other company … I know some people think we can't possible be into each other in such a short amount of time … but it's more about the connection … and we connect … " she looked up to him and placed a soft kiss on her neck " Joe …. I'm soooo glad I went with Nai that day " she giggled and ran her hand across his chest.
" Me too … please believe it … let's get outta here … see the area a bit more " he squeezed her arm and kissed her forehead " …. Okay " she took his hand and stood infront of him .
Joe placed the money on the table to cover their food cost and took her under his arm " Let's go beautiful "
Joe and Harlee ventured off in his vehicle after leaving Peg Leg Pete's , they walked hand in hand everywhere they went without a care in the world .
After about an hour of arcade games and such the two finally made it to the beach area just in time for sunrise .
With towels in hand they allowed the warm sand to absorbed their bare feet as they looked for the perfect spot " Right here is good " he smiled and took her behind a nice sized boulder .
Joe took a seat and allowed her on his lap , he took her in by her waist and allowed her to lean into his chest " … This is so pretty … " she sighed blissfully " It's so quiet … and peaceful "
Joe tapped her stomach tickled her neck with small kisses " I knew you would like it … I used to come here by myself all of the time .. didn't mind but it's alot better when I have a sweet thang by my side " he tickled her wrist. " Honestly …. trust is something so big to me and I have had so many trust issues in the past, some time ago I thought I was in a good relationship but … it didn't work out the way that I wanted it to .. and I was afraid of opening up for a long time "
Harlee felt his heart beating against her back and appeared be more protective holding her in his grasp " Joe … I'm so sorry .. " she massaged his knee and looked to him " I don't want you to think I expect you to act a certain way because you are a guy … even the strongest people in the world can feel pain … and I want this to be a relationship where we can be open with each other … you know ? " she smiled and kissed his cheek causing him to blush .
" I appreciate that … but right now I want us to enjoy ourselves for the rest of the night … " he ran his hands across her stomach in a rather sensual manner causing her to moan slightly " It is a nice night … and the beach is empty " she giggled as he released her " I want to remember this night forever " she stretched blissfully and allowed him to take a moment to admire her beauty .
" We will … " he stood himself up and before she knew it her feet were off the ground and Joe lifted her by her waist and gave her a playful twirl , the laughter and joy in her face pleased him and the two shared an embrace while going in a circle .
" Joe … let's go " she kept her arms wrapped around him and allowed herself into a bridal style position , he was long overdue for a good deep kiss and they soon went for it .
" You have the best lips I swear to god " he smiled and tap kissed her once more
" Thank you … I'm ready to go now " she smiled and let him know how anxious she was through her body language " Alright baby … " he kept her in his arms and they wandered off to a secluded area to conclude the evening in a way that was special to the both of them.
I wanted to make a nice peaceful chapter for you all before the horror begins for Joe and Harlee :( I am not sure how many people will like the next chapter but I will add a disclaimer .