CHAPTER 19
FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
Fox began to start a fire as Teresa readied their blanket and set up the food for their picnic. The night was amazing. The sky was clear and their were countless stars in the sky. A slight breeze blew and the waves of the ocean crashed making beautiful music below them. Tonight was perfect. Tonight would be everything they both hoped it would be. Tonight the possibilities were endless.
"Fox, we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful setting." The breeze softly blew Teresa's hair and she tucked a stray strand behind her ear.
"You're right, Teresa. It's amazing out here tonight." Fox stood to his feet and dusted off his hands. "Finally, I never thought I'd get that fire started."
"I take it you were never in the boyscouts?" Teresa said teasingly.
"Are you kidding? Mother would've never allowed that. The boyscouts were too rustic. Too uncivilized for a Crane. Swim lessons at the country club were as rustic as we got."
"I'm sorry about that, Fox."
Fox looked down toward the ocean, "Don't worry about it, Teresa. I don't." Fox almost whispered.
Teresa looked down a little disappointed that she had allowed the topic of Fox's childhood to work it's way into their conversation. Tonight that was the last thing she wanted to talk about. "Come on," she patted the blanket beside her, "dinner awaits."
"Excellent! I'm starving."
"Good, there's plenty here to eat. I pulled out all the stops tonight." Teresa pulled the lid off of Fox's plate. "Voila!"
"Wow, Teresa, this looks...truly...truly amazing." Fox was speechless. Teresa had truly pulled out all the stops. She had prepared some of her native dishes. The ones her grandmother had taught her growing up when she would come for visits.
"I hope you enjoy it." She handed him a fork. "Give me your opinion."
"I'm sure it's delicious." He took the fork from her. "If it's anything like breakfast, that is." He took the first bite as Teresa looked on in anticipation. Fox smiled, "I don't know what to say."
"It's bad, isn't it? I'm sorry. I've ruined dinner haven't I? I'm sorry I ruined tonight." Teresa rambled.
"Teresa..."
"I wanted tonight to be so perfect."
"Teresa..." Fox tried to interrupt.
"I knew I'd ruin it. I always ruin everything."
"TERESA!" Fox said breaking Teresa out of rambling. "Would you shut your trap for just one minute." He said smiling.
"I'm sorry, my mouth has gotten the best of me yet again."
"It's absolutely, positively delicious."
"Really?" She smirked.
"Really."
"Good, cause I think I went a little overboard. We could feed an army with everything I have here. I guess we'll have plenty of leftovers."
"Leftovers, huh?" Fox said in between bites.
"Yeah, I love leftovers. I've always said food is better the second time around."
"I've never had leftovers." Fox said.
Teresa looked over at Fox, "I guess you haven't, have you?"
"First time for everything, huh?"
"Yeah." She smiled at him, "A first time for everything."
"Seems I'm experiencing quite a few first lately." Fox smiled taking another bite of food.
"Me, too Fox. Hopefully, there will be many more to come." Teresa looking closely at Fox as she said this.
"Really? How is that?" Fox said putting his fork down.
Teresa inched toward him. "Well, I'm in love for the first time in my life, and this is my first visit to L.A..."
Fox interrupted, "Hold up, hold up. Did I just hear you right? Did you just say that you were in love for the first time?"
"Yes, and you're point is?" She inched closer to Fox.
"I thought..."
"Turns out you and I both thought wrong. I was never in love with him, Fox. Just a childhood dream. That's all. Who hasn't had a childhood crush? Unfortunately, I got carried away a little with mine. Things are different now. I've changed, I've matured. I'm not the same person I was when I thought I was in love with Ethan. Like you, Fox, my life has taken me down paths that I often couldn't understand. Now I know that everything was leading me to you. If I had never met Ethan and thought I was in love with him, I would've never ran to Bermuda chasing after Julian to take him back as a Crane after he learned he wasn't Julian's son. I would've never in turn conceived my son. Ethan would probably still be with me, and we would've undoubtedly moved out of the Crane mansion. You would've never read an article in the papers about Gwen and Ethan's wedding announcement. Most importantly, I wouldn't have been there that night you crawled back into your old bed."
"You know, Teresa, this crap you're always feeding us about fate just may turn out to be legit after all. Seems we were fated to be a part of each others lives in one way or another."
"I think everything we've been through, Fox, will only make us appreciate our relationship even more. We've both had struggles and heartaches. Both thought we were in love with someone else. Both thought at times that no one loved us. Now we know that everything was leading us to each other. Everything happened for a reason."
"Teresa?" Fox leaned in toward Teresa. His lips almost touching hers.
"Yes, Fox?" She gazed deep into his eyes.
"You're amazing." He traced the side of her cheek with his hand.
"You're not so bad yourself, Fox Crane." She leaned in and kissed him.
Above them on the pier a young woman stepped out of the shadows. They're closer than I thought." The woman said.
"Don't worry. Things won't be that way for long." The man said coming up behind her.
"I think we have our work cut out for us." She groaned.
"Yeah, well, you're not backing out on me now. We have our orders, and when Alistair Crane gives orders you'd better make sure the job gets done."
"Oh, trust me, I'm not back out." The young woman crossed her arms, "It's time Teresa Lopez Fitzgerald went down."
"Wait a minute, we made a deal. The only hurt that Teresa will experience is a heartache. Fox is who we're after. You know that."
"Oh, come on. Can't we rough her up in the process?"
The man grabbed the woman's arm, "NO! If you hurt her I swear I'll make sure you're exposed in the end. Do you hear me?"
"Okay. Geez, calm down. I didn't mean to ruffle your feathers." The young woman broke free of his grasp.
"Teresa, will be mine in the end. And that's that. You just concern yourself with the details of this job. Got it?"
***Okay, guys. Who are the mystery people. Could it be Dylan? He is attracted to Teresa. Remember, Fox and him did have a confrontation over her. What about Ethan? He is of course still in love with Teresa and despises his half-brother. Gwen? She hates Teresa, that's a given. Or the unexpected, could it be Whitney. Seems Teresa may have stepped in Fox. She had starting falling for him.-------Anyways, give me some ideas. Who do you think it will be? Who do you think it should be? I'm willing to use your ideas.***
FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
Fox began to start a fire as Teresa readied their blanket and set up the food for their picnic. The night was amazing. The sky was clear and their were countless stars in the sky. A slight breeze blew and the waves of the ocean crashed making beautiful music below them. Tonight was perfect. Tonight would be everything they both hoped it would be. Tonight the possibilities were endless.
"Fox, we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful setting." The breeze softly blew Teresa's hair and she tucked a stray strand behind her ear.
"You're right, Teresa. It's amazing out here tonight." Fox stood to his feet and dusted off his hands. "Finally, I never thought I'd get that fire started."
"I take it you were never in the boyscouts?" Teresa said teasingly.
"Are you kidding? Mother would've never allowed that. The boyscouts were too rustic. Too uncivilized for a Crane. Swim lessons at the country club were as rustic as we got."
"I'm sorry about that, Fox."
Fox looked down toward the ocean, "Don't worry about it, Teresa. I don't." Fox almost whispered.
Teresa looked down a little disappointed that she had allowed the topic of Fox's childhood to work it's way into their conversation. Tonight that was the last thing she wanted to talk about. "Come on," she patted the blanket beside her, "dinner awaits."
"Excellent! I'm starving."
"Good, there's plenty here to eat. I pulled out all the stops tonight." Teresa pulled the lid off of Fox's plate. "Voila!"
"Wow, Teresa, this looks...truly...truly amazing." Fox was speechless. Teresa had truly pulled out all the stops. She had prepared some of her native dishes. The ones her grandmother had taught her growing up when she would come for visits.
"I hope you enjoy it." She handed him a fork. "Give me your opinion."
"I'm sure it's delicious." He took the fork from her. "If it's anything like breakfast, that is." He took the first bite as Teresa looked on in anticipation. Fox smiled, "I don't know what to say."
"It's bad, isn't it? I'm sorry. I've ruined dinner haven't I? I'm sorry I ruined tonight." Teresa rambled.
"Teresa..."
"I wanted tonight to be so perfect."
"Teresa..." Fox tried to interrupt.
"I knew I'd ruin it. I always ruin everything."
"TERESA!" Fox said breaking Teresa out of rambling. "Would you shut your trap for just one minute." He said smiling.
"I'm sorry, my mouth has gotten the best of me yet again."
"It's absolutely, positively delicious."
"Really?" She smirked.
"Really."
"Good, cause I think I went a little overboard. We could feed an army with everything I have here. I guess we'll have plenty of leftovers."
"Leftovers, huh?" Fox said in between bites.
"Yeah, I love leftovers. I've always said food is better the second time around."
"I've never had leftovers." Fox said.
Teresa looked over at Fox, "I guess you haven't, have you?"
"First time for everything, huh?"
"Yeah." She smiled at him, "A first time for everything."
"Seems I'm experiencing quite a few first lately." Fox smiled taking another bite of food.
"Me, too Fox. Hopefully, there will be many more to come." Teresa looking closely at Fox as she said this.
"Really? How is that?" Fox said putting his fork down.
Teresa inched toward him. "Well, I'm in love for the first time in my life, and this is my first visit to L.A..."
Fox interrupted, "Hold up, hold up. Did I just hear you right? Did you just say that you were in love for the first time?"
"Yes, and you're point is?" She inched closer to Fox.
"I thought..."
"Turns out you and I both thought wrong. I was never in love with him, Fox. Just a childhood dream. That's all. Who hasn't had a childhood crush? Unfortunately, I got carried away a little with mine. Things are different now. I've changed, I've matured. I'm not the same person I was when I thought I was in love with Ethan. Like you, Fox, my life has taken me down paths that I often couldn't understand. Now I know that everything was leading me to you. If I had never met Ethan and thought I was in love with him, I would've never ran to Bermuda chasing after Julian to take him back as a Crane after he learned he wasn't Julian's son. I would've never in turn conceived my son. Ethan would probably still be with me, and we would've undoubtedly moved out of the Crane mansion. You would've never read an article in the papers about Gwen and Ethan's wedding announcement. Most importantly, I wouldn't have been there that night you crawled back into your old bed."
"You know, Teresa, this crap you're always feeding us about fate just may turn out to be legit after all. Seems we were fated to be a part of each others lives in one way or another."
"I think everything we've been through, Fox, will only make us appreciate our relationship even more. We've both had struggles and heartaches. Both thought we were in love with someone else. Both thought at times that no one loved us. Now we know that everything was leading us to each other. Everything happened for a reason."
"Teresa?" Fox leaned in toward Teresa. His lips almost touching hers.
"Yes, Fox?" She gazed deep into his eyes.
"You're amazing." He traced the side of her cheek with his hand.
"You're not so bad yourself, Fox Crane." She leaned in and kissed him.
Above them on the pier a young woman stepped out of the shadows. They're closer than I thought." The woman said.
"Don't worry. Things won't be that way for long." The man said coming up behind her.
"I think we have our work cut out for us." She groaned.
"Yeah, well, you're not backing out on me now. We have our orders, and when Alistair Crane gives orders you'd better make sure the job gets done."
"Oh, trust me, I'm not back out." The young woman crossed her arms, "It's time Teresa Lopez Fitzgerald went down."
"Wait a minute, we made a deal. The only hurt that Teresa will experience is a heartache. Fox is who we're after. You know that."
"Oh, come on. Can't we rough her up in the process?"
The man grabbed the woman's arm, "NO! If you hurt her I swear I'll make sure you're exposed in the end. Do you hear me?"
"Okay. Geez, calm down. I didn't mean to ruffle your feathers." The young woman broke free of his grasp.
"Teresa, will be mine in the end. And that's that. You just concern yourself with the details of this job. Got it?"
***Okay, guys. Who are the mystery people. Could it be Dylan? He is attracted to Teresa. Remember, Fox and him did have a confrontation over her. What about Ethan? He is of course still in love with Teresa and despises his half-brother. Gwen? She hates Teresa, that's a given. Or the unexpected, could it be Whitney. Seems Teresa may have stepped in Fox. She had starting falling for him.-------Anyways, give me some ideas. Who do you think it will be? Who do you think it should be? I'm willing to use your ideas.***