This Time Around
Disclaimer: I don't own the O.C.—obviously! Also, I forgot to mention this, but I got the idea from an ABC Family show I saw like 2 years ago...so the storyline is not mine, neither is the title. If anyone has a serious problem with it, don't read it. But I just wanted to mention that!
A/N: Here's the second part. Hope you like it! I'll be posting the next part when I get back in two weeks...unless I have access to a computer on vacation—and I actually feel like typing it up! Also, this will switch to and from Seth's POV, so just be aware...
Chapter Two: Falling
Summer and I made plans to go to the carnival by the pier the next weekend. The whole week I thought of witty things to say to her, and how to further avoid the subject of high school. Ryan and Marissa thought that I was going ahead with their plan of crushing Summer's heart once it had opened up to me.
Honestly, I wasn't sure just what I was doing. I wanted to enjoy myself and not think about what I was going to do. Because as much as I wanted to show Summer how it felt to be heartbroken, I also knew that I liked her. A lot.
The store was busy all week long, but Summer didn't come in. In a way, I was happy that she didn't. I wasn't so good with impromptu meetings.
*
Again, we decided to meet up for our date. I wore a blue Ralph Lauren button down shirt with a Saves The Day t-shirt under it. Okay, so that was kind of risky, seeing as Summer would probably know who I was if she saw my music selection (Seth Cohen the high school emo geek all over again!). But the shirt was buttoned, and you couldn't see the writing on the t-shirt. It was all good.
Two small, smooth hands wrapped around my eyes.
"Guess who?" Summer giggled.
Slowly, I pried her hands from my eyes and turned around so that I was facing her. "You."
Summer smiled and gave me a sweet little kiss that left me wanting more...so much more. She grabbed my hand and led me towards the carnival. I paid for our tickets and couldn't help but laugh when the cashier stamped our hands to show that we had paid.
"Ooh, look, cotton candy!" Summer squealed, pulling me over to the clown who was twisting the fuzzy pink concoction. I watched her as she went up to the clown and ordered one cotton candy. She was wearing Blue Cult jeans and a light blue Juicy hoodie. And she was the same, spoiled, self-centered bitch that I knew. I mean, how rude to get just one cotton candy when you're on a date!
Summer flounced back over to me, grabbing a huge wad of cotton candy and shoving it in my mouth. Oh, so Summer had learned a new trick: sharing! Imagine that. And I always thought she'd skipped that day in kindergarten where they taught you to share with people. Guess you can teach an old dog new tricks!
"You've got some cotton candy stuck to your lip," Summer pointed out, smiling at me in a seductive way. She licked her lips and kissed me, succeeding in swiping the sticky treat off of my lips. God, that was sexy.
"Thanks," I muttered, once I had collected myself. Summer still turned me into jello whenever I was around her. I guess some things never change.
We passed the bumper cars, and I insisted that we wait in the long line for them. After about thirty minutes of waiting, Summer was hopping madly on one foot. She complained that she had to go to the bathroom. I pointed her in the direction of the port-a-potties, and prayed that she would come back. From my experience, when a girl said she had to go to the bathroom, she usually didn't come back.
Summer came back—and just in time. We were next in line as she ran back to me.
"I went back to the spot where you were when I left, and you weren't there," Summer pouted. "I thought you ditched me."
I laughed--on the inside. I remembered the rage blackouts that Summer had had in high school, and I sure as hell didn't want to provoke one.
We got into bumper cars, Summer in this bright pink one, and me in a navy blue one. The ride operator turned on all the cars, and I caught Summer off guard by sneaking up behind her. I rammed into her, and she lurched forward, screaming.
"Seth! You're going to pay for this!" Summer yelled, and I laughed. But apparently I laughed too soon. Summer had somehow backed up while I was laughing, and she rammed into me. Hard.
"Ouch," I yelped, swerving to avoid another hit from her. This went on for a few more minutes until the ride was over. I helped Summer out of her bumper car, and we exited the ride.
*
Summer and I walked along the beach, holding hands. The waves lapped at our feet. We had stashed our shoes in our cars after the carnival, and descended upon the dunes. There was a slight breeze, and Summer's hair blew softly in the wind. Her ponytail had become quite tousled, but it was sexy nonetheless. I breathed in the clean ocean air and wondered how I was so lucky. After all, it wasn't every day that the high school loser got to date Miss Popularity.
Okay, so Ryan and Marissa were somewhat like that, too. But Ryan was popular; he played on the soccer and baseball teams and dated the social chair. The only thing wrong with him in high school was that he lived with me. Which most people chose to ignore, anyway.
"It's so beautiful out here," Summer said, "When I come here at night, it's like I'm the only one in the world."
"I know what you mean," I agreed.
"I'm really happy I found you," Summer told me. "Your incompetent employee should really get a raise. If it weren't for her inability to handle customers, we wouldn't have met."
Was it just me, or did my heart start beating faster? "I was thinking the same thing."
Summer turned towards me, and leaned in for another sweet kiss. Not that I was counting or anything, but it was our 5th kiss. And in just a week—and two dates. It took me 17 years to get my first kiss!
*
A few months went by. I felt like I was in this dreamland, a movie, maybe. Summer and I went to Disneyland in Anaheim. We went to the zoo, rode the trolley in San Francisco—all the couply, storybook dates that were so romantic. I even took her on a moonlit boat ride. Not my boat, of course. The Summer Breeze was my private sanctuary. That, and the fact that if she saw it, she would a) realize who I was, and/or b) think I was a total creep for naming my boat after her.
We went ice-skating, parasailing, and jet skiing. I could tell Summer was falling for me—and hard. I still didn't know what I was going to do. Ryan and Marissa seemed to think that I was going to let her fall to the ground, but part of me wanted to catch her before she fell. I would even go as far as to say that she was beginning to love me. I never would have seen that coming. Summer Roberts, loving me?
Yeah, in an alternate universe. Well...this is sort of an alternate universe. Same town, different decade. Same people, different personalities. I was definitely more confident and outgoing than my high school self. And Summer was definitely less bitchy than hers. I guess we both "grew up", if you want to call it that.
"I got you your favorite—mint chocolate chip," Summer plopped down next to me on the park bench. Central Park was gorgeous this time of year-the leaves were turning and the whole park was red and brown and orange. We had decided to take a trip to New York, a romantic getaway, if you will. So far, we'd done all the things Summer loved to do. Well...there was only one thing she really liked to do. And that was shop. So basically we blown through Madison, Fifth, and 57th Avenues. We spent the better part of a day in Tiffany's. Then Summer, in a charitable mood, had offered to spend the afternoon doing what I wanted to do. Which was going to Central Park, riding the carousel, and enjoying the weather.
I was slightly disappointed after we walked to the carousel and were told that it was undergoing renovations and we couldn't ride it. Summer had run off, promising something to cheer me up. And mint chocolate chip was my favorite flavor. That was sweet.
"Thanks," I took a lick of my cone, which had already begun to melt. "You're the greatest."
"I know," Summer replied, matter-of-factly. She squealed, "Look at that squirrel!"
I'd always had a fascination with squirrels...ever since I saw Summer feeding this poor helpless squirrel in grade school. Okay, so, I was a pathetic loser who had wasted his whole life chasing after Summer. But let me have my fun, okay?
So I whipped my head around to see what this alleged squirrel was doing that was so funny. When I turned back, there was a big chunk of ice cream missing from my cone. I looked at Summer, who guiltily licked her lips, not realizing that she had the incriminating evidence on her nose and chin.
I gently wiped the ice cream off her face. "You could've just asked," I pointed out.
Summer smiled. "I know, but where's the fun in that?" I had to agree.
*
"I think I'm falling for him," Summer admitted to her closest friend, Dana. She and Dana had been roommates at UCLA, and stayed in touch since graduating. Dana lived in West Hollywood with her boyfriend, a rising actor.
"So tell me what he looks like again," Dana insisted. She was happy for Summer, really. It sounded like this guy was too good to be true. He was apparently hot, sweet, smart, and rich. And he never got tired of shopping with Summer. And the most important thing of all: Summer hadn't gotten tired of him yet. Now that was an accomplishment. Dana had seen Summer with more guys in the 6 years she'd known her than Dana had been with in her whole life.
"Okay," Summer twirled the cord absentmindedly around her finger. "He's got this adorable Jew-fro—a whole head of dark curls, Dana. And he's muscular, but not like Mr. Universe muscular. That...would just be, like, ew! He knows how to dress also, and he works at Neiman Marcus. But that's just while he's in business school for his undergrad. And of course he's loaded. Almost everything he owns is designer--not in the gay way though, you know what I mean?"
"He sounds perfect," Dana gushed. "Where is he from?"
Summer paused, "I think he's from the East Coast. Well, I'm not sure, but he looks like it. I mean, he's somewhat pale, and definitely not the surfer type."
"Sounds like you've got yourself a perfect catch," Dana told her.
"I'm not going to disagree on that one. He is, like, everything I've ever looked for. In one guy!"
"Do you think he's into you?" Dana asked.
"Like, totally! He's so sweet and always wants to make sure we're doing what I want to do, I mean how many guys care if I'm having a good time? At least I hope he's into me...that would really hurt if he wasn't," Summer stated.
*
"Would you like anything for dessert?" the waiter asked, reaching into his apron to get two dessert menus. Summer held out her hand to take one, but Seth gently pushed it down.
"No, thanks," Seth said. He turned to Summer, "I want to take you somewhere special for dessert."
He paid for the meal and handed his ticket to the valet. While they were waiting for him to return with the car, Summer demanded to know where they were going.
"You'll see," Seth told her, but as he tried to lean in for a quick kiss Summer pushed him away.
"Not so fast. None of that until we get there, since you're being a stubborn ass and won't tell me where we're going," Summer grinned, placing her hand over Seth's impatient lips.
The valet pulled up to the curb in Seth's sleek blue CL-Class Mercedes. Seth opened the door for Summer and waited until she had smoothed out her rose colored Tracy and Michael pleated dress. He walked around to the other side, tipped the valet, and off they went.
*
"Here we are," I announced. I parked my car at the pier, and ran around to the other side to open Summer's door. "Leave your shoes in the car, Summer."
"I don't want to walk in the parking lot with bare feet," Summer pouted. I didn't blame her. The parking lot by the pier was often littered with shards of broken glass, ABC gum, and cigarette butts.
In one big motion I swept her into my arms, so I was carrying her like a baby. I kissed her on the forehead and walked--barefoot, no less!--onto the beach.
When I finally let her down she wrapped her arms around me and enveloped me in this warm, sweet, tender kiss.
"What was that for?" I asked, eyebrows raised slightly. "I thought I wasn't getting any action until you found out where we were going!"
Summer smiled, with that special look she reserved only for me. It was like we were sharing a secret. Well...technically, we were. But I was falling, hard. And I hoped she was too.
"That, Seth Cohen, was for everything. And you weren't, but there's always a loophole in the rules," she told me. Thank God for loopholes, then.
We walked hand in hand, the waves lapping at our feet. Not our first time doing this, and I hoped it wouldn't be our last. The full moon shone and sparkled across the water. There was this light that cast its shadow on Summer, like she was in the spotlight. She was in my spotlight, to say the least.
As we approached my special dessert surprise, I covered Summer's eyes with my hand. She tried to pry my hand off, but to no avail. Finally, when we reached the candlelit table, I told her she could open her eyes.
"Oh..." was all she could say. I took that as a good sign.
There were two wine glasses and a bottle of her favorite-Krug NV Brut Rose, imported directly from France. And on our plates, were chocolate truffle desserts-also her favorite. The chef had used Ferrero Rocher truffles and Belgian chocolate. It was heaven...
After we were seated, I opened the Krug and poured its pale, tawny pink contents into our glasses. The bubbles snapped and popped, as we toasted each other.
"To many more good times," I said.
"And to us," Summer added. We clinked our glasses together and sipped the smooth, silky wine. I hadn't ever had a wine quite like it before I met Summer. Actually, I wasn't too experienced with wine. But Summer had an extensive knowledge of the drink; her father was an avid wine collector, and in turn, Summer was quite the wine connoisseur.
I also expected it had to do with the fact that her father left the wine cellar unlocked when he went on business trips, which had been almost every month, back in high school. That was when Summer and Marissa were still friends--and I was sure that they'd sampled their fair share of the Roberts family wine collection.
We dug into our desserts after that, silent save the occasional "Mm.." or "Ahh..". I couldn't help but watch Summer eat her cake. She made it look so tasty. Don't get me wrong. My cake tasted the same as hers. It was just...the way she ate it was such a turn-on, I can't even describe it. Besides, I wouldn't want you to know. It's private!
Sometime during the dessert, my foot bumped into something hard. And then I remembered, the CD player! I'd brought that for a little romantic time after we ate. Come on, all girls wanted to dance on the beach under the stars with their boyfriend...and Summer was no different.
Can you tell that I was a fan of the cheesy, storybook romantic dates? Hell yes! But they all worked like a charm, so who was I to complain? I mean, Summer was slowing falling into my trap...was it a trap though? I had decided last week that I was going to make her fall in love with me and then dump her. But right after I told a triumphant Ryan and Marissa, my heart sank. I liked this girl. A lot. Did I want to ruin that just because she was a bitchy snob in high school? And was I even doing this for myself? Or did I just agree to it to make Ryan and Marissa happy? I didn't know anymore. I guess I would have to wait it out. And see what would happen from here. God knows I wanted to stay in that moment forever.
I turned on the boom box, and stood up. Summer looked at me like I was slightly odd-which I can't deny. I realized that the music wasn't playing. I held up one finger to her, and bent down under the table to turn it on, since apparently I hadn't the first time.
The beautiful voice of my good old friend Rod Stewart came wafting through the speakers.
I took Summer's hand, "Would you care to dance," okay, so I was being majorly cheesy. But it felt good. Maybe this was what being in love felt like...being able to be cheesy and not considering it cheesiness.
"Yes, sir," Summer replied. I kissed her hand and led her onto the sand.
With the ocean breeze carrying mist onto our slightly shivering bodies, we began to dance. In the true fashion of all those 1930's movies, we danced like old people. Distant, but close enough that we could feel the heat emanating from each other. I longed to pull her in closer. I was afraid that, like this, she would be able to slip away. Well, I knew she wouldn't, but I desperately wanted to close the gap between us.
Slowly, ever so slowly, I noticed that Summer was inching closer towards me. Finally, she rested her dark head on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, and we stood there, shifting back and forth like an awkward middle school couple at a dance. But this was nicer. And all of your friends weren't urging you to slip your hands a little lower, just a little lower. Well, technically, this hadn't ever happened to me. But I'd seen it happen to Summer many times. Yes, back in the day...when I was the loser who drank so much punch at the dance that I peed in my pants. Don't even make me start with that.
I was jolted out of my thought world by Summer. She had just whispered something, but I hadn't heard her.
"What?" I asked, and found myself whispering too.
"Seth...I think I'm in love with you," Summer whispered again. Holy shit. "Seth..."
"I'm falling for you, Summer," I answered her, and silenced her with a closed mouth kiss, just like they used to do in those old black and whites.
And we danced.
Under the stars, it was just Summer and I.
Disclaimer: I don't own the O.C.—obviously! Also, I forgot to mention this, but I got the idea from an ABC Family show I saw like 2 years ago...so the storyline is not mine, neither is the title. If anyone has a serious problem with it, don't read it. But I just wanted to mention that!
A/N: Here's the second part. Hope you like it! I'll be posting the next part when I get back in two weeks...unless I have access to a computer on vacation—and I actually feel like typing it up! Also, this will switch to and from Seth's POV, so just be aware...
Chapter Two: Falling
Summer and I made plans to go to the carnival by the pier the next weekend. The whole week I thought of witty things to say to her, and how to further avoid the subject of high school. Ryan and Marissa thought that I was going ahead with their plan of crushing Summer's heart once it had opened up to me.
Honestly, I wasn't sure just what I was doing. I wanted to enjoy myself and not think about what I was going to do. Because as much as I wanted to show Summer how it felt to be heartbroken, I also knew that I liked her. A lot.
The store was busy all week long, but Summer didn't come in. In a way, I was happy that she didn't. I wasn't so good with impromptu meetings.
*
Again, we decided to meet up for our date. I wore a blue Ralph Lauren button down shirt with a Saves The Day t-shirt under it. Okay, so that was kind of risky, seeing as Summer would probably know who I was if she saw my music selection (Seth Cohen the high school emo geek all over again!). But the shirt was buttoned, and you couldn't see the writing on the t-shirt. It was all good.
Two small, smooth hands wrapped around my eyes.
"Guess who?" Summer giggled.
Slowly, I pried her hands from my eyes and turned around so that I was facing her. "You."
Summer smiled and gave me a sweet little kiss that left me wanting more...so much more. She grabbed my hand and led me towards the carnival. I paid for our tickets and couldn't help but laugh when the cashier stamped our hands to show that we had paid.
"Ooh, look, cotton candy!" Summer squealed, pulling me over to the clown who was twisting the fuzzy pink concoction. I watched her as she went up to the clown and ordered one cotton candy. She was wearing Blue Cult jeans and a light blue Juicy hoodie. And she was the same, spoiled, self-centered bitch that I knew. I mean, how rude to get just one cotton candy when you're on a date!
Summer flounced back over to me, grabbing a huge wad of cotton candy and shoving it in my mouth. Oh, so Summer had learned a new trick: sharing! Imagine that. And I always thought she'd skipped that day in kindergarten where they taught you to share with people. Guess you can teach an old dog new tricks!
"You've got some cotton candy stuck to your lip," Summer pointed out, smiling at me in a seductive way. She licked her lips and kissed me, succeeding in swiping the sticky treat off of my lips. God, that was sexy.
"Thanks," I muttered, once I had collected myself. Summer still turned me into jello whenever I was around her. I guess some things never change.
We passed the bumper cars, and I insisted that we wait in the long line for them. After about thirty minutes of waiting, Summer was hopping madly on one foot. She complained that she had to go to the bathroom. I pointed her in the direction of the port-a-potties, and prayed that she would come back. From my experience, when a girl said she had to go to the bathroom, she usually didn't come back.
Summer came back—and just in time. We were next in line as she ran back to me.
"I went back to the spot where you were when I left, and you weren't there," Summer pouted. "I thought you ditched me."
I laughed--on the inside. I remembered the rage blackouts that Summer had had in high school, and I sure as hell didn't want to provoke one.
We got into bumper cars, Summer in this bright pink one, and me in a navy blue one. The ride operator turned on all the cars, and I caught Summer off guard by sneaking up behind her. I rammed into her, and she lurched forward, screaming.
"Seth! You're going to pay for this!" Summer yelled, and I laughed. But apparently I laughed too soon. Summer had somehow backed up while I was laughing, and she rammed into me. Hard.
"Ouch," I yelped, swerving to avoid another hit from her. This went on for a few more minutes until the ride was over. I helped Summer out of her bumper car, and we exited the ride.
*
Summer and I walked along the beach, holding hands. The waves lapped at our feet. We had stashed our shoes in our cars after the carnival, and descended upon the dunes. There was a slight breeze, and Summer's hair blew softly in the wind. Her ponytail had become quite tousled, but it was sexy nonetheless. I breathed in the clean ocean air and wondered how I was so lucky. After all, it wasn't every day that the high school loser got to date Miss Popularity.
Okay, so Ryan and Marissa were somewhat like that, too. But Ryan was popular; he played on the soccer and baseball teams and dated the social chair. The only thing wrong with him in high school was that he lived with me. Which most people chose to ignore, anyway.
"It's so beautiful out here," Summer said, "When I come here at night, it's like I'm the only one in the world."
"I know what you mean," I agreed.
"I'm really happy I found you," Summer told me. "Your incompetent employee should really get a raise. If it weren't for her inability to handle customers, we wouldn't have met."
Was it just me, or did my heart start beating faster? "I was thinking the same thing."
Summer turned towards me, and leaned in for another sweet kiss. Not that I was counting or anything, but it was our 5th kiss. And in just a week—and two dates. It took me 17 years to get my first kiss!
*
A few months went by. I felt like I was in this dreamland, a movie, maybe. Summer and I went to Disneyland in Anaheim. We went to the zoo, rode the trolley in San Francisco—all the couply, storybook dates that were so romantic. I even took her on a moonlit boat ride. Not my boat, of course. The Summer Breeze was my private sanctuary. That, and the fact that if she saw it, she would a) realize who I was, and/or b) think I was a total creep for naming my boat after her.
We went ice-skating, parasailing, and jet skiing. I could tell Summer was falling for me—and hard. I still didn't know what I was going to do. Ryan and Marissa seemed to think that I was going to let her fall to the ground, but part of me wanted to catch her before she fell. I would even go as far as to say that she was beginning to love me. I never would have seen that coming. Summer Roberts, loving me?
Yeah, in an alternate universe. Well...this is sort of an alternate universe. Same town, different decade. Same people, different personalities. I was definitely more confident and outgoing than my high school self. And Summer was definitely less bitchy than hers. I guess we both "grew up", if you want to call it that.
"I got you your favorite—mint chocolate chip," Summer plopped down next to me on the park bench. Central Park was gorgeous this time of year-the leaves were turning and the whole park was red and brown and orange. We had decided to take a trip to New York, a romantic getaway, if you will. So far, we'd done all the things Summer loved to do. Well...there was only one thing she really liked to do. And that was shop. So basically we blown through Madison, Fifth, and 57th Avenues. We spent the better part of a day in Tiffany's. Then Summer, in a charitable mood, had offered to spend the afternoon doing what I wanted to do. Which was going to Central Park, riding the carousel, and enjoying the weather.
I was slightly disappointed after we walked to the carousel and were told that it was undergoing renovations and we couldn't ride it. Summer had run off, promising something to cheer me up. And mint chocolate chip was my favorite flavor. That was sweet.
"Thanks," I took a lick of my cone, which had already begun to melt. "You're the greatest."
"I know," Summer replied, matter-of-factly. She squealed, "Look at that squirrel!"
I'd always had a fascination with squirrels...ever since I saw Summer feeding this poor helpless squirrel in grade school. Okay, so, I was a pathetic loser who had wasted his whole life chasing after Summer. But let me have my fun, okay?
So I whipped my head around to see what this alleged squirrel was doing that was so funny. When I turned back, there was a big chunk of ice cream missing from my cone. I looked at Summer, who guiltily licked her lips, not realizing that she had the incriminating evidence on her nose and chin.
I gently wiped the ice cream off her face. "You could've just asked," I pointed out.
Summer smiled. "I know, but where's the fun in that?" I had to agree.
*
"I think I'm falling for him," Summer admitted to her closest friend, Dana. She and Dana had been roommates at UCLA, and stayed in touch since graduating. Dana lived in West Hollywood with her boyfriend, a rising actor.
"So tell me what he looks like again," Dana insisted. She was happy for Summer, really. It sounded like this guy was too good to be true. He was apparently hot, sweet, smart, and rich. And he never got tired of shopping with Summer. And the most important thing of all: Summer hadn't gotten tired of him yet. Now that was an accomplishment. Dana had seen Summer with more guys in the 6 years she'd known her than Dana had been with in her whole life.
"Okay," Summer twirled the cord absentmindedly around her finger. "He's got this adorable Jew-fro—a whole head of dark curls, Dana. And he's muscular, but not like Mr. Universe muscular. That...would just be, like, ew! He knows how to dress also, and he works at Neiman Marcus. But that's just while he's in business school for his undergrad. And of course he's loaded. Almost everything he owns is designer--not in the gay way though, you know what I mean?"
"He sounds perfect," Dana gushed. "Where is he from?"
Summer paused, "I think he's from the East Coast. Well, I'm not sure, but he looks like it. I mean, he's somewhat pale, and definitely not the surfer type."
"Sounds like you've got yourself a perfect catch," Dana told her.
"I'm not going to disagree on that one. He is, like, everything I've ever looked for. In one guy!"
"Do you think he's into you?" Dana asked.
"Like, totally! He's so sweet and always wants to make sure we're doing what I want to do, I mean how many guys care if I'm having a good time? At least I hope he's into me...that would really hurt if he wasn't," Summer stated.
*
"Would you like anything for dessert?" the waiter asked, reaching into his apron to get two dessert menus. Summer held out her hand to take one, but Seth gently pushed it down.
"No, thanks," Seth said. He turned to Summer, "I want to take you somewhere special for dessert."
He paid for the meal and handed his ticket to the valet. While they were waiting for him to return with the car, Summer demanded to know where they were going.
"You'll see," Seth told her, but as he tried to lean in for a quick kiss Summer pushed him away.
"Not so fast. None of that until we get there, since you're being a stubborn ass and won't tell me where we're going," Summer grinned, placing her hand over Seth's impatient lips.
The valet pulled up to the curb in Seth's sleek blue CL-Class Mercedes. Seth opened the door for Summer and waited until she had smoothed out her rose colored Tracy and Michael pleated dress. He walked around to the other side, tipped the valet, and off they went.
*
"Here we are," I announced. I parked my car at the pier, and ran around to the other side to open Summer's door. "Leave your shoes in the car, Summer."
"I don't want to walk in the parking lot with bare feet," Summer pouted. I didn't blame her. The parking lot by the pier was often littered with shards of broken glass, ABC gum, and cigarette butts.
In one big motion I swept her into my arms, so I was carrying her like a baby. I kissed her on the forehead and walked--barefoot, no less!--onto the beach.
When I finally let her down she wrapped her arms around me and enveloped me in this warm, sweet, tender kiss.
"What was that for?" I asked, eyebrows raised slightly. "I thought I wasn't getting any action until you found out where we were going!"
Summer smiled, with that special look she reserved only for me. It was like we were sharing a secret. Well...technically, we were. But I was falling, hard. And I hoped she was too.
"That, Seth Cohen, was for everything. And you weren't, but there's always a loophole in the rules," she told me. Thank God for loopholes, then.
We walked hand in hand, the waves lapping at our feet. Not our first time doing this, and I hoped it wouldn't be our last. The full moon shone and sparkled across the water. There was this light that cast its shadow on Summer, like she was in the spotlight. She was in my spotlight, to say the least.
As we approached my special dessert surprise, I covered Summer's eyes with my hand. She tried to pry my hand off, but to no avail. Finally, when we reached the candlelit table, I told her she could open her eyes.
"Oh..." was all she could say. I took that as a good sign.
There were two wine glasses and a bottle of her favorite-Krug NV Brut Rose, imported directly from France. And on our plates, were chocolate truffle desserts-also her favorite. The chef had used Ferrero Rocher truffles and Belgian chocolate. It was heaven...
After we were seated, I opened the Krug and poured its pale, tawny pink contents into our glasses. The bubbles snapped and popped, as we toasted each other.
"To many more good times," I said.
"And to us," Summer added. We clinked our glasses together and sipped the smooth, silky wine. I hadn't ever had a wine quite like it before I met Summer. Actually, I wasn't too experienced with wine. But Summer had an extensive knowledge of the drink; her father was an avid wine collector, and in turn, Summer was quite the wine connoisseur.
I also expected it had to do with the fact that her father left the wine cellar unlocked when he went on business trips, which had been almost every month, back in high school. That was when Summer and Marissa were still friends--and I was sure that they'd sampled their fair share of the Roberts family wine collection.
We dug into our desserts after that, silent save the occasional "Mm.." or "Ahh..". I couldn't help but watch Summer eat her cake. She made it look so tasty. Don't get me wrong. My cake tasted the same as hers. It was just...the way she ate it was such a turn-on, I can't even describe it. Besides, I wouldn't want you to know. It's private!
Sometime during the dessert, my foot bumped into something hard. And then I remembered, the CD player! I'd brought that for a little romantic time after we ate. Come on, all girls wanted to dance on the beach under the stars with their boyfriend...and Summer was no different.
Can you tell that I was a fan of the cheesy, storybook romantic dates? Hell yes! But they all worked like a charm, so who was I to complain? I mean, Summer was slowing falling into my trap...was it a trap though? I had decided last week that I was going to make her fall in love with me and then dump her. But right after I told a triumphant Ryan and Marissa, my heart sank. I liked this girl. A lot. Did I want to ruin that just because she was a bitchy snob in high school? And was I even doing this for myself? Or did I just agree to it to make Ryan and Marissa happy? I didn't know anymore. I guess I would have to wait it out. And see what would happen from here. God knows I wanted to stay in that moment forever.
I turned on the boom box, and stood up. Summer looked at me like I was slightly odd-which I can't deny. I realized that the music wasn't playing. I held up one finger to her, and bent down under the table to turn it on, since apparently I hadn't the first time.
The beautiful voice of my good old friend Rod Stewart came wafting through the speakers.
I took Summer's hand, "Would you care to dance," okay, so I was being majorly cheesy. But it felt good. Maybe this was what being in love felt like...being able to be cheesy and not considering it cheesiness.
"Yes, sir," Summer replied. I kissed her hand and led her onto the sand.
With the ocean breeze carrying mist onto our slightly shivering bodies, we began to dance. In the true fashion of all those 1930's movies, we danced like old people. Distant, but close enough that we could feel the heat emanating from each other. I longed to pull her in closer. I was afraid that, like this, she would be able to slip away. Well, I knew she wouldn't, but I desperately wanted to close the gap between us.
Slowly, ever so slowly, I noticed that Summer was inching closer towards me. Finally, she rested her dark head on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, and we stood there, shifting back and forth like an awkward middle school couple at a dance. But this was nicer. And all of your friends weren't urging you to slip your hands a little lower, just a little lower. Well, technically, this hadn't ever happened to me. But I'd seen it happen to Summer many times. Yes, back in the day...when I was the loser who drank so much punch at the dance that I peed in my pants. Don't even make me start with that.
I was jolted out of my thought world by Summer. She had just whispered something, but I hadn't heard her.
"What?" I asked, and found myself whispering too.
"Seth...I think I'm in love with you," Summer whispered again. Holy shit. "Seth..."
"I'm falling for you, Summer," I answered her, and silenced her with a closed mouth kiss, just like they used to do in those old black and whites.
And we danced.
Under the stars, it was just Summer and I.