As she rounded the corner, ready to return her books to the library, she collided with someone who'd rounded the same corner, going in the opposite direction at the same time as she. Her books went flying, the papers swirled around her and she fell into the wall. "Damn it!" she cried out. She'd bumped her head, and already, there was a swelling knot just above her ear. "Watch were you're going, all right?" she said to the person who had knocked her down.
Before her stood a tall figure, someone she knew quite well, and he looked sheepish as he bent down and began to help her collect her things. "Sorry about that," the young man said.
"I didn't mean to be so rude," she apologized as he handed her a stack of loose papers. Papers that had once been tucked neatly into folders. She rubbed the bump on her head and grimaced. The spot was tender and it throbbed with pain.
"It's ok," he said. "I wasn't looking where I was going."
She bent down to collect some of the books.
"No, let me. That's too many for a lady to carry all by herself."
"I'm perfectly capable of carrying them," she stated.
"I'll carry them for you. What kind of gentleman would I be if I let you walk around like that?"
She was a little embarrassed, but didn't have the time for an pointless argument about who carried the books. "Thanks," she said. He took the stack and followed her to the library, where the pig-tailed librarian took them one by one. Her cheeks burned bright pink to be seen with this playboy who insisted upon being nice, despite her protests.
"So, do you have any plans for the weekend?" he asked, as they headed towards the cafeteria.
"Work, as usual," she replied.
"That's it?"
"That's all I have time for," she replied.
"That's too bad," he said. "I was hoping you'd have dinner with me."
"Are you kidding?" she asked, astounded at the thought.
"No, I'm not. I'd really like to have dinner with you. I thought we could get to know each other better, since it seems all we ever have to say to one another is directly related to work."
"That's all I do is work," she said. "Haven't you noticed?"
"Yeah, I've noticed," he said. "I know there's more to you than that."
"Not really," she replied and stepped up to the cafeteria counter and ordered a Caesar Salad. It was strange of him to ask her to dinner. No one had ever paid her much mind. Besides, she'd always thought he had a thing for someone else. Not that he wasn't attractive, because he was, though she'd never really noticed before now.
"You know what your problem is?" he asked as they sat down at a table near the back.
"Dare I ask?"
"You don't know how to have any fun. You're so busy trying to stay in control that you've forgotten what it means to enjoy yourself."
Had she ever really known what that meant? She didn't think so. Being an adult most of her childhood had robbed her of any sense of fun, really, and she probably wouldn't have know fun if it asked her to dinner. "Really," she said and she lifted an eyebrow as if she had mindless, crazy fun all the time and he just didn't know it.
"Yes, really."
"And you think you can teach me how to have fun."
"Sure! Why didn't you say so before?" he said.
Was he crazy? Here he was acting as if she'd begged him to show her a good time, when she'd done nothing of the sort. The horrible thing about it was that everything he said was the truth. She tried not to let it show. She tried to pretend that nothing was further from the truth. "But I didn't . . ."
"See, there you go again," he interrupted, "trying to be in control again. Just relax, will you? I don't bite . . . much."
Her cheeks colored at the remark, but she laughed as she said, "You're impossible!"
"Laughter. That's a start," and he patted her on the arm. He had lovely eyes, she noticed. The kind one could get lost in.
"I laugh," she protested. It was true, but when was the last time she'd laughed for real? A long time ago, she'd guessed.
"Not enough," he said. "Now, first things first. You're going to go upstairs to your room and you're going to let your hair down, put on something other than that uniform and get ready for a night on the town."
"Since when . . ."
"Just for one night, forget that you're a SeeD, ok? If you don't
like it, I won't ask you again. Sound fair?"
"I have things to do," she said, indicating the folders and the stack of papers. "I have to organize all this again, which will take me hours, plus a thousand other things I need to get done."
"Will one night of mindless fun kill you? Me thinks not. Besides, you have the weekend to take care of this," he said.
She sighed. "It might."
"It will not. Now, go and get ready. I'll wait by the front gate."
"Listen," she said, "You can not tell me what to do."
"No, I can't. Only you can do that. But I'll be disappointed if you choose that boring stuff over me."
He was going to bug her until she said yes, she could see. Would it really hurt to blow off her responsibilities for one night? She hadn't had a date in so long, and the most recent had been a disaster. "Fine," she said. "I'll be ready in twenty minutes."
"All right!" he said. "You won't be sorry. I promise."
Fifteen minutes later, she met him at the gate dressed in hip hugger jeans and a tiny pink T-shirt with the words 'Hot Stuff' scrawled across the front. Her hair hung down her back, thick and lustrous, and she wore just the tiniest bit of make up.
"You look great," he exclaimed as she approached.
"Thanks," she said, embarrassed. She wasn't used to compliments. "So where are we going?"
"You'll see," he said and opened the passenger door of his tricked out pick-up truck. "But you have to promise me. No work talk. Not tonight."
"I'll try my best," she said. The truth was, she didn't know anything other than work. She had no idea what to say to him beyond Garden politics and policy.
As he drove to Balamb, he sang along with the radio. He carried a tune quite well, she noted and smiled a little at this. "After SeeD, you could have a career as a musician," she said.
"Yeah, I'm a regular Michael Bolton."
She laughed at this.
"There you go. You're relaxing a little."
She wasn't relaxing at all. For some reason, she was terribly nervous. A fluttering feeling had gripped her stomach, as if an army of sparrows had been let loose inside. Maybe it was the way he kept looking at her, the way his eyes took in her own. Still, it felt good to be free of Garden for a little while, though her mind kept returning to work.
"We're here," he said, as he parked the truck in the Harbor parking lot.
"What are we doing here?" she asked as she looked around. "This is your idea of fun?"
"Just wait," he said and he hopped out of the truck and opened the door for her. "Out you go, hot stuff,"
"Don't call me that."
"Your shirt says . . ."
"It's not mine," she said, once again embarrassed. "I borrowed
it."
He pulled a picnic basket and a small cooler from the bed of the truck and lead her to the picnic area overlooking the harbor. She waited patiently while he laid out the spread, and smiled when he produced two small candle holders and lit them.
"A candle light dinner?" she asked. "How romantic."
"Mr. Romantic is my middle name," he said and he handed her an icy bottle of beer.
"You're trying to get me into bed with you, aren't you?" she asked as she looked suspiciously at his offering.
"That would be nice, but no," he said. "Not tonight anyway."
"Pervert," she said, but she laughed and opened the bottle.
"That's my other middle name," he joked. "Hope you like ham sandwiches and pasta salad."
They ate their dinner and watched the shrimp boats come in for the night. She noticed, as they talked, he would occasionally touch her arm and smile at her. That too, made her stomach tingle a little. However, she found herself relaxing a little in his company, and it was a good feeling.
The thing was, she was already falling for him when all he'd done was take her to dinner and make her laugh. She had never expected to be so suddenly enamored of someone like him after one silly date, but she was. She was certain that she was making starry love struck eyes at him, and she felt a little stupid for doing so.
"Having fun yet?" he asked as he packed up the remainder of their dinner and handed her another beer.
"Getting there," she replied.
He took a seat beside her on the bench and laid his arm around her. "You know, I've had a crush on you for a while," he said.
"You've had a crush on me?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"Oh, my," she exclaimed and began to giggle. The giggle turned into a laugh. She laughed so hard, her stomach started to ache. She found it hilarious that someone would have a crush on her. She who had never had a boyfriend or been kissed with passion.
"That's funny to you," he said, unamused.
"Yes," she said and started to laugh again. "I'm sorry, it's just that . . ." She dissolved into giggles again, unable to continue.
He sipped his beer and looked away.
When she realized she'd hurt his feelings, she stopped laughing. "I'm sorry," she said. "It's just that no one's ever said that to me before. Pretty sad, right?"
"Maybe no one's ever said it because you're so unreachable," he said. "You always have been."
It was true, so she said nothing. What could she have said?
"You know what?" he asked as he turned toward her and looked her in the eyes.
"What?"
"You have to learn to let go. Learn to fall and the world will be yours."
"Fall?" she asked. She didn't understand what he meant. Fall where? Down? In love? What was he getting at?
He nodded and shrugged. "Just let yourself fall. Let yourself lose control."
"I don't know if I can do that," she whispered and cast her eyes downward. Her heart raced. The way he was looking at her, the way his eyes roamed her face, it was exciting and scary to her. No one had ever looked at her like that before.
He leaned in close and placed his lips gently upon hers. She felt
an electric thrill pass through her body as he gently cupped her face in
his hands and smiled. "Then I'll show you how."
***author's note***
I'm not telling which two this story is about....you have to figure it out! Wrote this in about thirty minutes, so there are probably some mistakes, and not enough description....don't be too hard on me. Been thinking about this one for a while....might make an interesting romance peice.....I just had to write it down to clear my head.....
So...who is this mystery couple? Review to make your guess.....
(next Oceans Apart chapter expected up later tonight or tomorrow)