Chapter 67: Two to Tango

February 6, 0006

My mom and I spent the second day in the pool area. I wore my red bikini; she wore her green one.

Yeah, my mom rocked a bikini. Remember, she's only twelve years older than me; she was thirty-three at the time.

I looked around for Pete, but I couldn't find him. That put a damper on the morning, so I scouted out the guys once again, but it was the same old same old from yesterday. I was becoming frustrated.

After a couple of hours, I saw someone I did recognize.

It was Chrissy.

"Aerith!" she happily greeted.

"Hey there!" I replied.

It was funny because we wearing matching bikinis.

"Oh, this is my mom, Elmyra," I introduced.

"It's nice to meet you," she said. "I'm Chrissy."

I then noticed she was alone.

"Where's your husband and son?" I asked.

"In the hotel room," the redhead replied. "He was so sweet; he gave me this whole day to myself."

"He sounds amazing," my mom said.

"Did you try the pool bar?" Chrissy asked.

"I'm not twenty-one until tomorrow," I said.

"And?" Chrissy retorted. "Does anyone have ID here, anyway?"

She had a point.

So the three of us jumped into the pool and waded to the bar.

My mom and Chrissy ordered a couple of girly drinks.

The other warning signs were still about the pool area as well.

"NO UNSUPERVISED CHILDREN."

"NO OPEN ALCOHOL CONTAINERS."

"NO SMOKING."

"NO STEREOS."

"NO TOPLESS BATHING."

"This bikini top is getting annoying," Chrissy muttered. "You two aren't going to Northern Point, are you?"

Remember, Northern Point is the topless area.

"That's not the plan," my mom replied. "But if it happens, it happens."

I cringed a little. The idea of going topless with my mom was out of the question. In the fourteen years she's been my mom, we've never seen each other naked.

"But your husband wouldn't mind if you went?" my mom asked.

"He's trusted me all four years we've been married," Chrissy replied.

"You've been married for four years?!" my mom asked.

Chrissy nodded.

"I got married at eighteen," she admitted.

"So did I," my mom said.

This made me feel left out. I was about to turn twenty-one, and I think I mentioned this already, but I always thought I'd be married by now. I expected to be a housewife like Chrissy, living the dream.

It made me feel depressed on the inside, and that was visible on the outside as well.

Chrissy was the first to notice this.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I was hoping to get married at eighteen," I replied. "Actually, I almost did. I had a boyfriend for two years, and by the end we were living together. And then, when I was seventeen, he vanished without a trace. To this day, I don't know what happened."

"I'm sorry," Chrissy said as she place her hand on my shoulder.

"I should've married him sooner," I lamented. "I could've forged my age somehow."

"Then you'd be going through a divorce," Chrissy pointed out.

She did have a point there. I never really considered that until then.

"Besides," Chrissy continued, "you came here to meet a guy anyway. I'm sure you will."

"There's other reasons I came here," I said.

"Like what?" Chrissy asked.

I decided to be open about it. There was still the other problem, and maybe Chrissy would know how to deal with it.

"Shinra's been looking for me," I replied. "And I wanted to get away from that, too."

Chrissy was silent at first.

Then, she said something totally unexpected.

"Shinra's been stalking Ben, too," Chrissy said.

At that moment, I wondered if Ben was also a Cetra. I always thought I was the last one, but, you know, you never know.

"Why?" my mom asked.

"They've been capturing people at random and forcing them to join their military," Chrissy replied.

"What?" my mom asked in shock.

"They randomly select people from the public," the redhead explained. "Well, not exactly randomly. They do it by an aptitude test everyone over eighteen has to take. And if you're a match, they stalk you, and they capture you. And when they capture you, they put you through some kind of test. If you pass, you join their military ranks."

"And if you don't?" my mom asked.

Chrissy sliced her index finger across her neck.

"And you think they might be after Ben?" I asked.

"That's what it looks like," Chrissy replied nervously.

LATER...

I stalked Pete that afternoon. I checked the pool area several times, and couldn't find him. I checked the beach, but he was nowhere to be seen, either. There was a shopping complex nearby, and I checked every store, but there was no Pete to be found.

I wanted to kick myself for not looking to see what room he went into.

Defeated, I went back to the hotel. But when I entered the lobby, I spied with my little eye an area to the left of the lobby. It looked like some club or restaurant. And inside, Pete was sitting at the bar.

"Eureka!" I said to myself.

Now was my chance to get to know him more. So I went to the hotel room and quickly showered to rid myself of the pool smell. I then dried off, dressed, and quickly but carefully put my makeup on.

Minutes after that, I was back down there. I checked myself out in the lobby mirror before I went into the restaurant, hoping I'd look as good as possible for him. I wore a red crop tank and my extra tight capris jeans to show my butt off.

I say that whenever I'm about to go after a guy, don't I? I've been told my butt's my best feature, so I may as well show it off to attract the man of my dreams.

I then peeked in.

Pete was still there, thankfully.

At first, I wondered if he'd know I'd been stalking him, and get creeped out. Then again, if I didn't go to him, I'd blow my big chance.

Finally, I gathered my courage and walked into the restaurant. I walked right up to the bar and stood next to Pete.

"Hey there!" I greeted with a smile.

"You again," Pete greeted. "Aerith, right?"

"That's me!" I giggled.

"I thought I might find you here," he said. "You seem like a fun girl to be around."

"Totally!" I replied

"Want to join me?" he offered as he patted the seat next to him.

"Sure!" I replied happily.

I sat down next to him.

"So who are you here with?" he asked.

"My mom," I replied.

"Where's she?" he asked. "I'd kind of like to meet the woman who made someone beautiful."

"She's in the pool area," I replied as my heart did another flutter-flutter.

I didn't bother to tell him I was adopted and my mom looked nothing like me; that could wait.

"Who are you with," I then asked.

I did have it in the back of my head that he could be with a girlfriend or a wife.

"Just me," he replied. "I had planned to take my girlfriend, but we broke up a week after planning the trip. I couldn't get a refund. So I just came. At least one of the tickets didn't go to waste."

"I'm sorry," I said as I put my hand on his shoulder.

"No worries," he assured me. "I suppose bad news early is good news."

I noticed more people were beginning to crowd into the restaurant. I also noticed a dance floor nearby.

We each ordered our dinner, and then, to my surprise, Pete covered me. It was beyond kind of him, since this wasn't officially a date.

"It's your last night as a twenty-year-old," he insisted.

It led me to ask the inevitable question.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-seven," he replied.

I smiled; I was hoping he would be several years older than me.

We finished eating. By that time, the place was packed.

And then came the moment of the night I'll never forget.

Some guy who must have been the manager made an announcement over the speaker and invited a couple to open the dance floor with a tango.

I was excited to see this; it was the one dance I was not familiar with.

"Come on!" Pete suddenly announced.

I was caught completely off guard.

"Wait a minute!" I exclaimed. "You want us to tango?"

"It's not hard," he assured me. "I'll lead you."

I've been a dancer all my life. I was a cheerleader and a figure skater when I was a teen. But I never learned to tango.

Normally, I would've said no to this, but something about me trusted Pete.

He led me from my seat.

We got to the floor.

The music began.

He took my hand.

We danced.

He led me.

He twirled me.

And then, his hands were on the skin of my midriff.

It sent chills up my spine.

It was over in two minutes.

But the thrill lasted for the rest of the night.

LATER...

Sadly, even the best nights have to end.

It was ten when Pete walked me to my hotel room.

"Well," I said, "this is it."

Pete smiled and nodded; I could tell he didn't want to end the night, either.

"I really had fun tonight," I said.

I really hoped he took the hint.

"Hey, Aerith," he suddenly began.

"Yes?" I replied.

Pete took a few breaths.

I could tell he was gathering the confidence to say something.

Please ask me out, I thought. Please ask me out.

"I was wondering," he continued, "if you'd like to go on a date with me."

DING! DING! DING! went my heart.

"Yes!" I replied happily. "I'd love to!"

"Sounds great!" he said. "When are you free?"

"How about tomorrow?" I suggested.

Pete scratched his head.

"Isn't that your birthday?" he asked.

It is," I replied. "And I'd like to share it with you by going on a date."

"I'm good if you are," he said. "Where do you want to meet?"

"I'll text you," I assured him.

With that, I hugged him goodbye.

Just a hug; a kiss might be too forward.

But not tomorrow.

LATER...

I was in the sitting area on the couch with my mom. She had just gotten back from the shopping complex, and both of us were somewhat worn out from the day.

Both of us were in our pajamas, and we were about to crash. But first, there was something I needed to tell her.

"Mom," I began, "I think I need to tell you something."

"Sure," my mom replied. "What is it?"

I smiled.

"I have a date," I said happily.

"That's great!" my mom said. "With who?"

"His name is Pete," I explained. "I met him last night by the vending machine."

My mom smiled.

"I'm so happy for you," she informed me. "I was hoping you'd find someone while down here."

"Thanks," I replied.

"When is your date?" she asked.

"Tomorrow," I replied.

"Does he know it's your birthday?" my mom asked.

I giggled and nodded.

"He's going to spoil you rotten," my mom said with a smile.

I love how my mom is always supporting me. She didn't even object to not spending my birthday with me.

"Have you decided where you want to go?" she asked.

I was a little nervous about answering this question. I started thinking about this soon after Pete dropped me off at the hotel room. It was a wild idea, but I felt it would definitely capture that chemistry the way I had thought of it after having Ronaldo over.

I just wondered what my mom would think.

"I was thinking Northern Point," I replied.

"That's the topless area," my mom pointed out.

"Yeah, I know," I said.

In technical terms, Northern Point is top optional, meaning you can go topless (but not bottomless) on the beach and boardwalk, but you don't have to.

"This is the closest thing to a mom question I'll ask," she began, "but do you think he'll be focused on you, or that he'll be distracted?"

"He'll be focused on me," I replied. "I'm pretty sure."

"Be careful," my mom warned. "Men can be lustful creatures."

I don't think she understood yet. It was time to tell her the full story of what I had planned.

"I'll be topless, too," I announced.

I thought my mom would tell me I'm crazy, but she didn't.

"On a first date?!" she asked. "That's not too...forward, is it?"

That wasn't a mom question; anyone in their right mind would probably ask that.

"It's a level of intimacy I've never experienced before," I replied. "And when are we going to be here again? I'll never get another chance to have that kind of experience. Even if it doesn't work out with Pete, it'll be an incredible memory."

"Good point," my mom said.

I then looked at my mom, and smiled.

"I'll spend the first part of my birthday with you," I promised.

"Of course," my mom agreed. "We can have the morning and early afternoon. And then...is there anything I can do for you about this date?"

"Not too much," I replied, "but I did have one small thing in mind."

"Of course, Aerith dear," she assured me.

"You'll walk me to the boundary," I began. "I'll cross the boundary, and hand you my bikini top. And then, I'll go meet Pete."

"If that's what you want," my mom replied. "You have my support."

We soon retired to our rooms.

Before I got into bed, I texted Pete.

"I think I know where I want to go tomorrow," I said.

"Anywhere at all," was his reply.

"Northern Point," I texted.

I then awaited his response.

It occurred to me that he might think I was being to forward, and pull out of the date. It made me regret texting that.

But, seconds later, he replied.

"I'll see you there. What time?"

"Five," I replied. "Wear a nice shirt and pants, please."

I hoped I wasn't asking to much, but there was a reason for it.

"Will do," he replied.

"Also, please face the ocean," I texted. "I'll come up and tap you on the shoulder when I arrive."

And that was the reason. He would be expecting me to be in some kind of formal dress. I couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he saw that I was topless in my bikini bottoms.

"Sure," he texted back. "No problem."

I smiled.

The trap was set.