It's probably kind of sad that I'm going on my first real date, at my age. I don't have any idea where she's taking me, but it's a date, right? In the OASIS, of course, I had more attention from women than I could have ever wanted.
But I never truly had the full attention of the one woman that I did want. And of course, Arty being obsessed with the hunt, that was both the thing that I loved the most about her, and the reason that she never really wanted to commit to pursuing anything with me.
Ironic, right? She really gets me. At least, the Parcival part of me. It was a fine line that we walked. She would never quite allow herself to really go for it, with me, while the hunt for the Egg was ongoing, and now that it's been found, it's me that has the problem with focus.
How do I focus on the needs of so many, and the needs of just one person, at the same time?
I have a hard time switching gears.
Just for today, though, I'm trying not to think about any of that. No company stuff, no OASIS stuff.
The car lets us out, near a sign that says Short Beach.
Holding Arty's hand as we walk towards the beach. It's still really intimate for both of us, to actually be together, in person. Every little thing tends to overwhelm my senses.
I've never seen a real beach before, so when we walk down from around some craggy-looking hills to see the ocean, dark and dreary, beating against a bunch of rocks, I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
"Not what you were thinking?" Arty asked, still holding my hand.
"No," I answered, but I continued walking towards the breaking wavelets anyway, until my shoes started to get wet from the seawater seeping up through the pebbles. Ocean water lapped at our feet, as we stood there.
"I thought beaches were supposed to be warm and sandy," I groused.
"I'm going to take off my shoes," Arty grinned. "C'mon."
I looked at her dubiously. She's so beautiful, with her hair all blowing wildly around her face. What the hell. I start taking my shoes off, too.
Uh, ow.
The rocky beach, all pebbles and gravel, is painful to walk on, but Arty isn't deterred. Nope. She grabs my hand and walks right out into the water.
Freezing cold.
What the hell, though? Seriously. She doesn't seemed bothered at all by how cold it is, she just grabs my hand again and drags me along after her.
"Look at me!" she turns back to me, with a shit-eating grin, "I'm wading!"
I roll my eyes at her bad joke, while trying not to relive my memories of nearly freezing to death in that van.
It's cold, sure, but my feet feel kind of numb after a minute or two, and I realize that we're just kind of awkwardly standing here in freezing cold water, and suddenly it's like someone removed the blinkers that I've been wearing, maybe for my whole life.
Because I'm actually seeing it. For real. Not just that the beach isn't living up to my expectations, the impossibly perfect high standards of an OASIS beach. The blue skies, smooth golden sand, clear water, all of my preconceived notions.
This, ice-cold rocky mess of dark water and gray skies, the salty, fishy smell of it. It's beautiful. Just as perfect. Moreso, because it's real.
I don't even know what to say, or how to say it. But I want to share it with Arty. I squeeze her hand, and pull her in close, for a hug.
"Thanks," I murmured, into her hair, as it whips all around our faces.