A Spot..
…during the midst of summer
"You have absolutely no heart! I hate you!" Emme slammed down the telephone
in her room where she was taken aback when she realized Drake was in the
room.
"Drake," she continued on breathlessly, "Where did you come from?"
"My mother. Who was that you were arguing with?"
"My conscious got the better of me and I thought calling my brother Craig would
be a good idea, but he doesn't care about Mommy." Emme wouldn't cry, not
tonight but she did need a hug from her boyfriend.
"I'm sorry that he's a jerk."
"He's just like—" She trailed her words off.
It might have been the diagnosis of her daughter having cancer that caused Mrs.
Watson to hit the bottle, but it wasn't the reason. And Emme didn't want to talk
about such things.
"I know it's not much, but I feel up to driving. I can't believe my Mom didn't fight
me on it."
It must have been some independent fall-out from his speech when he revealed
his shaved head to the family.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. And not only that, but I need you to be a little bit more dressed up. I put
my special clothes in your brother's bathroom—I'll see you in a bit."
He kissed her nose.
"Drake, you are full of surprises."
"I know."
Emme wasn't going to check on her mother doing that almost ruined their cuddle
party and truth be told Emme Watson didn't need to go somewhere with Drake,
just snuggling into him on a sofa or lying next to him in bed twisting their legs and
arms into one was all that she needed.
Even though he could give good advice to Emme to show her bald head with
pride and wear a headscarf if you are only cold or being fashionable Drake was
trying, but couldn't get used to his shaved head. He was starting to look like a
military cadet and his hair stubble seemed to be coming in a darker color. He
missed his hair and had to put his knit cap back on. Drake didn't regret shaving
it off; it was all going to fall out eventually. Plus, he did it for Emme so she'd feel
more at ease after she bravely told him in during the heat of their kisses to take
off her headscarf. It was all about solidarity.
Audrey recently purchased for him a dark mint green button down shirt it was the
perfect color of a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream. It went nice with his
black blazer.
Drake heard a quiet knock on the door.
"You can come in, Emme."
She looked beautiful in dark bubblegum pink cashmere twin set and a pleated
above the knee black skirt.
"You look nice, Drake." She went over to kiss him on the lips and straighten his
collar.
"So do you." Her legs looked very appealing in those tights.
"Do you notice anything?"
"Uh-oh. Am I going to be in the doghouse if I guess wrong?"
Emme laughed.
"No, silly. Look," She held up her Burberry Bluebell check shopper tote bag.
"I think the chemo has eaten my brain cells."
"I used my dark purple scarf as a decoration. Aren't you proud of me for finding
creative uses?"
"Yes," Drake felt guilty about keeping his hat on when he wasn't particularly
cold—and well fashionable—wasn't he always? "I am proud of you. Actually, I'd
like you to put your hand in my pocket."
"Drake! I thought that comes after the date."
"In my outside jacket pocket…you have a dirty mind, Miss Priss."
Emme slipped her hand inside Drake's pocket and pulled out a fake satin pink
blindfold.
"You can't see where I'm driving you to." He took the blindfold gently out of her
hands and carefully put it over her eyes.
He couldn't resist sneaking in a kiss.
Drake held Emme's hand escorting her out of her house and into his car
relishing in the fact that no one not even his nosy brother knew about this.
"What radio station do you want to listen to?" Drake asked once they got in the
car.
"You make fun of my taste in music. You say I jump to conclusions, Don
Juanoma, but you just assumed all I listened to was the Backstreet Boys and
Britney Spears."
"Touche."
"Besides, I don't need the radio on," She guided her hand to his knee, "Do you
get the picture, Drake?"
"Emme Jessica Watson, I can't figure you out."
"Good."
She stuck out her tongue at him.
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
It feels right to say it, just like I always knew.
Drake wanted this night to be special and actually remembered to get out of the
car first so he could open the door for her.
Emme knew exactly where she was but decided to let the moment play out.
Drake held her hands as they stood by his car in the parking lot. A parking lot
that was full of more expensive and nicer looking cars than a vintage Pontiac.
But Drake would rather be unconventional than drive an over-the-top-who
needed-it unless they were invading a small country Hummer.
He put his hands on her shoulders and decided to kiss her before taking off her
blindfold.
"Surprise…"
"Drake," Emme was correct. She blinked to prevent herself from crying tears of
joy, "I can't believe you did this.
He put his hand on his hip for her to slip her arm into,
"Emme Jessica Watson would you join me for a spot of tea?" He did his best
posh British accent.
"I would love to."
She was in a state of bewildered shock that Drake surprised her with a trip to the
Crown Room in the Hotel Del Coronado, which was definitely not a Drake Parker
kind of place.
"Drake, I can't believe you----"
"Ssh. I did."
She was pop. He was rock and roll. But those labels didn't matter.
Emme was glad they got seated quickly as her legs were ready to give out. Not
because of her cancer, but of her needing to soak all of this into her brain like a
sponge.
"Drake, you didn't have to do this."
But she loved him for it. How many guys out there would listen to the sobs of a
daughter who only wanted to carry on the mother-daughter tradition of having tea
together? How many guys would even have been bothered to care?
"I wanted to," he held her hand and kissed it, "I know you'd rather be doing this
with your mom, but I hope I'll do in a pinch."
Drake looked at the menu. This place was ridiculously expensive just like those
boutiques that charged half a teacher's salary for a purse. But for Emme he
could afford the two cups of tea and dessert to go with it.
She was worth it. That smile of gratitude on her face was thanks enough.
"You'll do just fine." Emme replied smiling from ear to ear cupping her hand in his
as they waited for the waiter to come by and take their orders.
To Drake that smile was worth the cost of all the tea in China.