CHAPTER 5
Encounter at the Beach
"Foxworth, you need to start looking for a suitable wife."
"Grandfather, I'm only 19 years old. I don't need to get hitched." "Senator Michaels daughter is quiet a catch."
"Do I strike you as someone who cares about that?"
"Foxworth, you will do as I say. Before you leave for Europe, there will be a party. You are going to take the beautiful Sarah. You will be her escort and you will get to know her."
Fox sighed.
"I'm not going back to Europe and I will not be taking her to that party. In fact, I don't care if he is the president's daughter."
"Do I have to threaten to cut you off again?"
Fox cringed at that thought.
"Fine, I will do it. But it will be a one time deal."
He heard the clicking of the phone line. His grandfather always did that, he enjoyed hanging up on people.
"Fox, you would be wise to listen to your grandfather. You know that he is serious about this."
"I don't see why this is so important, I am not the heir. I should be able to marry whoever I want whenever I want."
"If you're talking about Teresa, you should put her out of your mind."
"Father, this has nothing to do with her."
"Yes, it has everything to do with her. You don't think I see the way you look at her? You don't I know why you came back to Harmony?"
"What if I wanted to be with her? What would you do about it?"
"Fox, take a wife and keep her as a mistress."
"I will never do that."
"Like I said, keep the girl out of your head. I'll admit, she is beautiful woman, but it is no reason. Sleep with her, get it out of your system and take that Sarah person. Marry her and let us live our lives in peace and have Father shut up about this already."
Fox was staring at his father with feelings of disgust.
"Teresa is not a piece of meat."
"How noble of you Fox, but she's a woman."
"Whatever Father. Whatever."
He left the library leaving Julian be Julian.
***************************************
He walked for a while. He found himself at the beach. It was getting dark and the first stars of the night were starting to light up, like thousands of candles. He sat on the sand closed his eyes and listened to the waves.
"Nicholas, is everything alright?"
He felt her hand on his shoulder. He took her hand from his shoulder and pulled her down.
"I'm fine Teresa. Same old stuff with my father and grandfather." She was now sitting beside him leaning her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her.
"Well, you never listened to either one of them and you've been fine."
"I know, what do I even bother? The truth is it upsets me the way they are, always pushing everyone around."
"They are just two bullies. Don't pay attention to them."
"You're right."
He looked at the moonlight reflecting in her hair.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Since when do you ask for permission, Nicholas?"
She was smiling at him teasingly.
"Well maybe because I want to do something and I'm afraid you'll slap me if I don't give you the heads up."
"What is it that would make me want to slap you?"
"This."
He leaned in and kissed her. She pulled away from him surprised. She stood up and so did he.
"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have..."
She didn't give him the time to finish. She planted her lips on his and let him part them. It was a soft and passionate kiss at the same time. He put his arms around her with one hand on her back. Her arms were around his neck, pulling his closer and closer. They finally broke apart. Teresa stared at the sand, and he looked at the sky. They looked at each other and smiled. He took her hand and they started walking toward the estate.
"I wanted to do this the since the say I came back to Harmony."
"I didn't expect this. I liked it."
"So did I."
"Ah Nicholas, there was a time when the thought of kissing turned our stomachs. Remember that kiss you planted on me at the pool."
"You mean the day Luis almost killed me? Oh yeah, I remember it very well. I had to run for my life."
They both started laughing at the memory of that day. Fox had never ran that fast in his entire life. They split apart when they arrived on the Crane estate. She made her way to the cottage and he went to the mansion. They both went to bed thinking about the kiss they shared and what it meant for them.
"Foxworth, you need to start looking for a suitable wife."
"Grandfather, I'm only 19 years old. I don't need to get hitched." "Senator Michaels daughter is quiet a catch."
"Do I strike you as someone who cares about that?"
"Foxworth, you will do as I say. Before you leave for Europe, there will be a party. You are going to take the beautiful Sarah. You will be her escort and you will get to know her."
Fox sighed.
"I'm not going back to Europe and I will not be taking her to that party. In fact, I don't care if he is the president's daughter."
"Do I have to threaten to cut you off again?"
Fox cringed at that thought.
"Fine, I will do it. But it will be a one time deal."
He heard the clicking of the phone line. His grandfather always did that, he enjoyed hanging up on people.
"Fox, you would be wise to listen to your grandfather. You know that he is serious about this."
"I don't see why this is so important, I am not the heir. I should be able to marry whoever I want whenever I want."
"If you're talking about Teresa, you should put her out of your mind."
"Father, this has nothing to do with her."
"Yes, it has everything to do with her. You don't think I see the way you look at her? You don't I know why you came back to Harmony?"
"What if I wanted to be with her? What would you do about it?"
"Fox, take a wife and keep her as a mistress."
"I will never do that."
"Like I said, keep the girl out of your head. I'll admit, she is beautiful woman, but it is no reason. Sleep with her, get it out of your system and take that Sarah person. Marry her and let us live our lives in peace and have Father shut up about this already."
Fox was staring at his father with feelings of disgust.
"Teresa is not a piece of meat."
"How noble of you Fox, but she's a woman."
"Whatever Father. Whatever."
He left the library leaving Julian be Julian.
***************************************
He walked for a while. He found himself at the beach. It was getting dark and the first stars of the night were starting to light up, like thousands of candles. He sat on the sand closed his eyes and listened to the waves.
"Nicholas, is everything alright?"
He felt her hand on his shoulder. He took her hand from his shoulder and pulled her down.
"I'm fine Teresa. Same old stuff with my father and grandfather." She was now sitting beside him leaning her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her.
"Well, you never listened to either one of them and you've been fine."
"I know, what do I even bother? The truth is it upsets me the way they are, always pushing everyone around."
"They are just two bullies. Don't pay attention to them."
"You're right."
He looked at the moonlight reflecting in her hair.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Since when do you ask for permission, Nicholas?"
She was smiling at him teasingly.
"Well maybe because I want to do something and I'm afraid you'll slap me if I don't give you the heads up."
"What is it that would make me want to slap you?"
"This."
He leaned in and kissed her. She pulled away from him surprised. She stood up and so did he.
"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have..."
She didn't give him the time to finish. She planted her lips on his and let him part them. It was a soft and passionate kiss at the same time. He put his arms around her with one hand on her back. Her arms were around his neck, pulling his closer and closer. They finally broke apart. Teresa stared at the sand, and he looked at the sky. They looked at each other and smiled. He took her hand and they started walking toward the estate.
"I wanted to do this the since the say I came back to Harmony."
"I didn't expect this. I liked it."
"So did I."
"Ah Nicholas, there was a time when the thought of kissing turned our stomachs. Remember that kiss you planted on me at the pool."
"You mean the day Luis almost killed me? Oh yeah, I remember it very well. I had to run for my life."
They both started laughing at the memory of that day. Fox had never ran that fast in his entire life. They split apart when they arrived on the Crane estate. She made her way to the cottage and he went to the mansion. They both went to bed thinking about the kiss they shared and what it meant for them.