A Splash Of Memory
As David and Mary Margaret emerged out onto the deck, their friends were quick to begin again with the apologies. They both reassured them that all was forgiven and that the two of them had agreed to put the past behind them and remain friends.
About 5 miles offshore Killian laid anchor. The guys immediately set about preparing to swim, while the girls' plan was to lay out on the deck and enjoy some sun.
Emma threw a bottle of sunscreen at Killian, which he caught easily. He cocked one eyebrow as he gave her a lascivious smile, "I'm assuming you wish me to use my skilled hands to apply this to your skin."
"That's why I threw it at you. Whatever else that look implies you have in mind is not happening."
Killian pretended to be offended. "I have no idea as to what the lady might be referring to. Maybe you wish to explain it further, so I can be sure it doesn't happen."
Mary Margaret lifted her sunglasses up a few inches and looked pointedly at the two of them. "Watch it you two. Remember what you promised."
Emma burst into laughter. "Mary Margaret, you are such a prude. We were just teasing, you act like we were fixing to make out right here on the deck."
"It wouldn't be the first time."
Emma stuck her tongue out a Mary Margaret, while Killian began to spread the sunscreen along the back of her legs.
"Yes, let's act like we're twelve." Mary Margaret said with a sigh as she lowered her sunglasses back over her eyes, and leaned back on her elbows.
Mary Margaret watched as Graham hesitantly moved to stand near Ruby. "I could help you…with your sunscreen…if you need it."
Ruby smiled as she turned her back to him and pulled her long tresses in front of her shoulder. "Yes, that would be helpful."
Mary Margaret and David were left awkwardly watching the other couples smile and flirt as they applied sunscreen. She could feel the burn in her cheeks as she imagined David's hands rubbing sunscreen on her. She pulled down the brim of the flopping hat she was wearing, hoping to hide the fact that she was blushing from David, or worse, from Emma, who she was sure wouldn't hesitate to point it out.
David's voice interrupted her thoughts. "I'm going to go ahead and get in the water." He pulled off his shirt and placed it on the seat. Turning, he stepped up onto the swim deck and did a perfect dive off the stern of the boat. Mary Margaret quickly looked away as the splash sounded in the water. She was thankful that she was wearing sunglasses, so nobody could see how she'd been staring.
About an hour later, Emma had just turned to lay on her back, when she felt random drops of water falling on her from above. She cracked one eye open to see Killian standing over her.
"Killian, what are you doing?" She said in annoyance. "You're getting me all wet."
"I thought, Love, that I might be able to persuade you to join me for a swim? The water feels great. Besides, I might need someone to save me from man eating sharks, or something."
"How exactly am I supposed to save you from a man eating shark?"
"By allowing him to eat you, of course, so that I may escape."
"And what makes you think I wouldn't leave you to be the one eaten? We both know that I am the faster swimmer."
"Yes, but you love me. You could never leave me to the sharks."
"So what you're saying, is you could? You could leave me to be eaten?"
Killian took on a dramatic flair as he answered her. "Alas, love, you're right. I could never live without you. I guess we shall have to go to our deaths together, holding on to each other as the shark devours us. Then they shall tell our story for years to come. How our love was so strong neither one could bare to part from the other. How we were last seen clinging to each other, in the mouth of the shark, before he dove with us into the depths of the sea."
Ruby stood from where she had been laying nearby, listening to their back and forth. "You guys are weird. But don't worry, you probably both taste so nasty the shark will spit you out anyway."
Killian smirked, "Thanks, Ruby. Nice to know we have your support."
"Anytime. I think I'll go for a swim." Ruby said before jumping from the deck.
Killian held his hand out to help Emma up. "How about it love? Should we follow her lead?
"Yeah. Mary Margaret, how about you? Want to go for a swim?"
"No thanks, you guys go ahead. I'll stay here."
"Please, Mary Margaret. You don't want to be up here alone."
"Actually alone would be nice." Mary Margaret turned to lay on her stomach and brought her hands up to rest under her head. She closed her eyes and turned her head away from Emma in a show of her determination to stay right where she was.
Emma motioned to Killian to go on without her and she would follow him in a minute. She walked around and sat on the cushioned sundeck next to Mary Margaret. "Look, I know you're still mad at me, and I know things are still a little weird between you and David, but please, come swimming. It will be fun."
"I am not still mad at you, and things are not weird between me and David. I just don't want to swim. Why can't that be okay? Why can't you ever believe me?"
"Because you're a bad liar. You haven't said more than two words to me all afternoon. We both know the only time you can keep your mouth shut for that long is when you're mad."
Mary Margaret turned around and crossed her arms, irritated that her sister always seemed to know exactly how she was feeling, even when she tried to hide it. "I am not a liar, but if I was still mad at you, it would only be because you still deserve it."
"I knew you were still mad."
"I'm not mad."
"So prove it. Prove that you're not still mad at me, and that you and David are really friends. Come swimming instead of hiding up here by yourself."
Mary Margaret arose with a huff and took off her hat and bathing suit cover. "You know, you can be so annoying that sometimes, I wish I had been an only child."
"Thank goodness you're not. Imagine what a spoiled princess you would be if you were." Emma laughed as she grabbed Mary Margaret by the hand and jumped, forcing Mary Margaret in along with her.
The group spent some time floating around with inflatable tubes, lazily passing a beach ball around, until Killian suggested a game of keep away. A trio of moans from the girls signaled their decline of his invitation.
"Come on, lads against the lasses, loser has to cook dinner."
When no one gave in to his attempt at persuasion, he decided to force the issue. Diving under the water he swam towards Emma. When he reached her, he grabbed her legs and pulled her under.
She came up choking and cursing. "What the hell, Killian?" She swam toward him, intent on giving him a taste of his own medicine.
He backpedaled away from her, holding the ball over his head. "What are you doing? I thought you didn't want to play?" He teased her.
"I'll show you playing. Give me that ball." She lunged through the water towards him. Just as she reached him, he threw the ball over to Graham.
"You're gonna pay for that," Emma pointed at Killian. "Girls, let's go, game on."
The game progressed as each side managed to steal the ball from the other multiple times. With the score tied between them Killian noticed the time and called for game point. The girls had control of the ball. After several successful passes between the three of them, Emma had possession of the beach ball. Killian was moving towards her. Suddenly, he dove under the water, disappearing from sight. Emma scanned the surface nervously, looking for where he would surface. She heard him before she saw him, as he came up right next to her. In her panic, she flung the ball towards Mary Margaret with too much force, landing it several meters behind her.
Mary Margaret turned to swim for the ball. She saw out of the corner of her eye that David was headed that direction as well. She gave it all she had, reaching the ball before him. She turned and gave him a smug smile, until she realized that she was too far away to successfully throw it to any of her teammates. David was directly in front of her. Her only option was to continue swimming backwards out of his reach, and hope Ruby or Emma could get closer.
David realized her plight and a self-assured grin took over his face. He could have lunged for her and ended the game right there, but he found himself unable to pass up the opportunity to tease her a little. He moved slowly in her direction.
"What are you going to do Mary Margaret? It seems you've drifted too far away. You might as well just give up."
"You'd like that wouldn't you? Unfortunately for you, I don't give up that easily."
"I don't mind working for it. It will make the victory that much sweeter." David swept his hand across the surface of the water, splashing her good.
Mary laughed, unfazed, as she propelled herself backwards. "Is that all you've got? I'm not afraid of a little water."
David's laughter joined hers. "Seems I've heard you say that before."
At his words, Mary Margaret was pulled from the present into the memories she had tried so hard to forget.
It was their last date before David would unceremoniously disappear from her life. Of course she didn't know it at the time. David had taken her to one of her favorite restaurants. It was rather expensive, and she had been surprised he could afford it. They stayed at the restaurant more than three hours, lingering over drinks and dessert for as long as they could, talking about anything and everything. Their waitress had actually brought their check multiple times and they would hand it back to her and order another glass of wine. Mary Margaret hadn't even wanted the last one, she had just been loathe to end the night. Reluctantly, they finally left, leaving a rather large tip to make up for their extended stay.
David's truck had been parked five blocks away. They had only made it about a half a block when the light sprinkles began. About a block later the thunder sounded its warning. David just managed to pull her under the awning of a local flower shop before the downpour began in earnest. They waited about 20 minutes with no letup in sight. With a whisper in her ear that he would be right back, David left her and entered the flower shop. He was back a moment later with a single red rose in his hand.
Mary Margaret reached for the rose. "You are so sweet."
He flashed a grin at her. "Oh this isn't for you?"
Mary Margaret flushed with embarrassment as she pulled her hand back. "Oh..."
"It's for me."
Mary Margaret was still embarrassed, but slightly confused as well. She didn't know how to respond. At her silence he pulled out the other hand, which she had failed to notice was hidden behind his back. It was holding a rather large bouquet of roses in various colors.
"These are yours," he said with a wink.
She playfully slapped him in the chest. Whether the gesture was to hide her continued embarrassment or the feeling of relief that flooded her she didn't know. It was probably a little bit of both.
He pulled the flowers back. "Well if you don't want them."
"David give me those flowers." She reached out and took them and brought them to her nose, inhaling the sweet fragrance. She looked up, but suddenly struggled to meet his eyes, as shyness from his romantic gesture overtook her. "Thank you. They're beautiful."
"He placed his hand under her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "You're beautiful."
She swallowed at the intensity in his blue eyes, glad when he released her and she could look away for just a moment. Needing a reprieve from the emotional energy swirling within her, she inquired about his flower.
"So you bought a flower for yourself. That's different."
"Well, I've heard about a game that people play using flower petals, and I thought that maybe it would be fun to try it."
"Oh, yeah, what kind of game?"
David held the flower in his left hand. He shot her a flirty grin before reaching up with his right to pull a petal free. "He kissed her…" He pulled another petal. "He kissed her not…"
Mary Margaret laughed. "That's not exactly how it goes, you know."
"Who's playing this game, me or you?"
"By all means then, continue."
David continued as Mary Margaret watched. He pulled the next to the last petal. "He kissed her." He did not pluck the last petal. Instead, he look up at her, disappointment flashing in his eyes.
In answer, Mary Margaret reached out herself and plucked the last one. With a passionate fire burning in her emerald eyes, she whispered, "He kissed her."
She barely got the words out before David's mouth enclosed around hers. It was not their first kiss. In fact, it had only been a few days before that they had nearly gotten themselves kicked out of the movie theater for making out like a couple of teenagers. But there was something different about this kiss. It felt different. This kiss felt serious. Not a solemn kind of seriousness, but rather the kind that said, this moment is significant, and we are crossing over into new territory here. It came from someplace deep within. The place where true love was born. The small fluttering that was always in her heart anytime he was near, exploded like the finale of a New Year's Eve fireworks show. That was when she realized that she, Mary Margaret Blanchard, was head-over-heels in love with David Nolan.
The kiss was interrupted by the owner of the flower shop stepping out to lock up for the night. After locking the doors, he turned to the couple and held out an umbrella. "My car is just across the street. Why don't you two take my umbrella?"
David was reaching for the umbrella, when he felt Mary Margaret's hand grab his wrist to stop him. "That's okay, but thank you."
David looked at her with a questioning expression. "Are you sure? This rain doesn't look like it's going to let up anytime soon."
"I'm not afraid of a little water." She stepped out from under the awning into the rain and held her hand out to him. "Are you?"
She smiled tauntingly, her eyes twinkling with mischief. His heart did flip flops in his chest, as he took her hand and followed her into the deluge. That was the moment that he knew that she had him. He would willingly follow her into any storm.
The melodic sound of their laughter filled the air, as hand-in-hand they took off running for David's truck. Delightfully, they frolicked through the rain, like children. They danced and splashed through the puddles, stopping to kiss frequently. It was honestly the most fun either of them had in a long time. When they finally reached his truck, both were soaked clean through. He opened the door for her, before going around to let himself into the driver's side.
"I'm so sorry, I don't have any towels," he said as he entered the vehicle.
"I'm so sorry about your truck," she replied, as she noticed that already the seats were drenched from the amount of water they had carried into the vehicle with them.
"I don't care about the car. I'm only worried about you."
"I'm fine, though I must look an awful mess." She attempted to wipe under her eyes, where she was sure that her mascara was smeared. Then she ran her fingers uselessly through her long black hair, which was tangled in knots.
He grabbed her hand and gently pulled it away from her attempts to fix herself. He took her face lovingly in his hands. "You've never looked more beautiful." And it was true. Her cheeks were flushed pink from the run through the rain, her wet hair had reverted to its naturally curly ringlets, which bounced playfully as she moved, and her green eyes glistened like the water droplets on her face.
As he touched her lips to his he couldn't help but notice how cold they felt. Mary Margaret shivered with desire at the tenderness of his kiss. David felt her shiver in his arms. He mistook it as a sign of her getting a chill. He released her and settled himself into the driver's seat.
"You're cold. Let's get you home so you can get out of those wet clothes."
Before he could even insert the key into the ignition, David was distracted by movement from the passenger side of the vehicle. Mary Margaret had other ideas. David Nolan had ignited a flame within her that was burning out of control.
"Getting out of these wet clothes is a good idea." In one swift move, made all the more impressive by the fact that she was sitting in a car, she pulled her dress over her head and threw it on the floor, while crossing the center console to plop herself in David's lap. She was pretty sure she heard several threads rip on her dress, but she couldn't bring herself to care.
David was rendered mute by her tongue pushing itself past his teeth seeking out his own. That wasn't what had captured his focus though. One thought was on repeat throughout his head. Black lace. She was wearing black lace. He had not taken a breathe from the moment he saw it. Suddenly he was consumed by the fact that he needed air. He leaned his head back as he inhaled with a gasp. Mary Margaret reacted to the loss of his lips, by shifting her focus to his neck. He struggled to regain control of his desire for her, and the physical manifestation of those urges that was presenting itself. When he felt her hand go to the button of his jeans, he reached out to stop her. His voice croaked out a barely discernible, "No."
He couldn't believe that he was doing this. He was really going to stop her. He ached with the pain of it, but his mind was made up. Three days ago, he had almost had his way with her in the back corner of a darkened theater. He'd wanted nothing more at the time. He was pretty sure, if not for the blinding flashlight, that had put a halt their elicit activities, he would have. At the time he had cursed the usher under his breath, while Mary had tickled his neck with a fit of giggles, at their being so embarrassingly caught.
But something had changed during their time together tonight. It wasn't that he didn't want her. He had never wanted anything more in his life. It's just that he didn't want her like this…cold, wet, and pressed against a sticky leather seat, with a gearshift sticking uncomfortably in her back. Not for their first time. Maybe another day they would continue this little scenario. Yes another day quite soon, if he had any say in it. But not today. A plan had already begun to form in his mind. A plan that included a little trip to procure a certain ring from his mother. A plan to make the first time he made love to her, the first in a lifetime of making love to her.
The feel of his hand pulling hers away in an effort to stop her advances, caused her to look up at him, prepared to tease him for his shyness. But the look on his face as he said no, told her that he was serious. She had certainly not expected such a reaction. She sat up straight. Humiliation and embarrassment flooded her as she scrambled to remove herself from his lap. He could tell that he had unwittingly hurt her.
"Mary." He called her name softly, with a tone of apology. She didn't respond to him, pretending to be too focused on returning her dress right side out so she could put it back on.
"Mary, please stop, and look at me," he begged her.
She had managed to get her dress back on. Refusing to allow herself to cry, she schooled her features before daring to look his way. "No, it's okay. You're right, we should get home. It is cold, and we don't want to get sick. I have that fancy reception in honor of my father to attend tomorrow evening, and you leave for boot camp in a few weeks."
The drive to her house was awkward to say the least. He opened his mouth several times to explain, but nothing came out right. He could have simply told her the truth. That he wanted their first time to be a romantic moment that they could remember forever, not cramped in the seat of his old, rusty truck. That he wanted to marry her. That he planned on asking her…soon…like before he left for boot camp. But he wanted it to be a surprise, to be a moment worthy of her, so he said nothing.
When they arrived at her house, he turned off the car and exited his door to go around and open hers for her. She didn't wait for him though, jumping out before he could get there. He stepped in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Mary please don't go in like this."
"Like what?" She tried her best to act nonchalant.
"Upset with me."
"I'm not upset with you." She lied.
The whole drive home, she had simply stared out the window, able to think of nothing else but how mortifying it had felt to be straddling him, wearing nothing but her best black bra and panties, and he had turned her down. This was the first time she had ever been the one to make the first move with a man. The first time she had ever had feelings strong enough to want to. She had felt him tense up whenever she had made her move. He had actually squeezed her hand hard enough to hurt when he'd asked her to stop. She had been taught that men didn't say no. Books, magazines, friends, they all said that sex was the most important thing to a man. That they almost never turned it down. That could only mean one thing. Somewhere along the way, she had miscalculated his feelings. He definitely didn't love her.
Though the rain had stopped, it had left a chill in the air. David rubbed his hands up and down her arms, in an attempt to warm her up.
"Do you promise you're not mad?" He couldn't help but ask again.
She noticed the glistening tears in the corner of his eyes at the thought that she would be upset with him. Nobody could say that David Nolan wasn't an honorable man. Her heart softened. How could she stay mad at him? She supposed she should be grateful that he hadn't taken advantage of her. She looked at him shyly and shook her head indicating her promise.
He leaned down to kiss her. She had made up her mind on the drive home, to resist if he tried to kiss her goodnight. Now she found herself unable to fight her feelings, as the warmth of his lips covered hers. It was a very gentle, yet passionate kiss. Confusion flowed within her. Why push away her advances earlier, but kiss her goodnight like this? Was he one of those men who was so driven by ego, that although he had decided that he didn't want her, he still needed her to want him?
"I'll pick you up tomorrow at 7pm, to escort you to the governors reception? That is if I'm still invited." He asked hesitantly, afraid she might have changed her mind about the invitation, and tell him no. He had certainly made a mess of things tonight, but he planned on fixing it soon. By this time tomorrow he decided, he would be asking her to marry him.
Tell him no, her bruised pride screamed at her. "Of course, you're still invited. I'll see you then," she nodded affirmatively before turning to make her way inside the house. She didn't know whether to kick herself for being so stupid, or to let herself have hope at the smile he gave her. She did not understand this man at all. Maybe things would be clearer tomorrow.
That had been the last time she had seen him, until this weekend, nearly two years later.
The sounds of the boys whooping as David successfully plucked the ball from her grasp brought Mary Margaret's mind rushing back into the present. She could vaguely hear as Emma berated her for losing the game, but suddenly she cared only about getting out of the water, and as far away from David Nolan as she could.
"Sorry guys." She smiled and shrugged her shoulders, trying to act as if nothing was wrong. "I will go ahead and get dinner started, since I lost us the game. You guys can stay here."
"You don't have to do that," Emma said, starting to swim for the boat as well.
Mary Margaret insisted. "No, seriously, I want to. Besides, Emma, we all know that you can't actually cook.
Emma acted as if she was offended at Mary Margaret's remarks, but her sister knew that secretly she was relieved. Killian apparently was too, as he began sharing with the others about a disastrous recent attempt of Emma's at cooking him a romantic dinner. Mary Margaret took advantage of the distraction to head for the boat. She could feel David's eyes on her, and it felt as if everything was crashing down on her again. She still remembered so clearly the moment that her heart broke. The moment that she realized that love could bring indescribable joy, but it could also bring indescribable pain. The moment that she had decided that it was better to make decisions with her head than with her heart.
The memory of that pain strengthened Mary Margaret's resolve that marrying Frank was the right thing. He was a good man, with grand dreams of really making a difference in the world. Maybe Frank was lying to her about those girls, but she was sure that once they were married that would all stop. Her daddy would see to that, and Frank's career was too important to him to chance making an enemy of her father. Most importantly Frank felt safe. No matter what he did he would never be able to hurt her as much as David had. Frank had her loyalty and her fidelity, but he didn't have her heart. That was a mistake she wouldn't make again.