Dawn of the Knight: The Lance Rock Chronicles Volume 1.

by Robert L. Beck

  ***

  After getting dressed, I went downstairs and Stacy asked me, "What would you like for supper?"

  "Oh, I don't know; whatever you three want."

  "Would you like me to get some Chinese take-out?"

  "Sure. That's one of my favorite foods!"

  "Can I come, mom?" asked AJ.

  "Yes. We'll be back in a little bit," and then she turned and left.

  I went into the den, retrieved my Norman ST68 acoustic guitar from its case, and then I began to tune it up. I started playing songs I had written. I was into my fourth set when I sensed a presence behind me. I turned around to see Shannon standing there. She was dressed in a tight pink tee-shirt, super-tight white jeans, and white tennis-style sneakers. She was also wearing makeup like she had been on Tuesday evening. She looked breathtakingly gorgeous! The intoxicating scent of the perfume I had found on her dresser filled the room. In her right hand she was holding a CD. I gasped as my pulse and breathing rate immediately accelerated! "You play beautifully," she commented as she walked over to the stereo and put the disc in the CD player.

  "Thanks. If you want to listen to music, I can go to another room."

  "You can stay because I'm going to teach you how to dance."

  "I… I really don't think that's a good idea," I nervously remarked while putting my guitar down and standing up.

  "You can't take Reina if you don't know how to dance. You said you didn't want to make a fool of yourself and I don't want you too, either. Now come over here and stand next to me."

  I didn't move, so she approached me. I started to back up. She continued to advance and I continued to retreat until my back was against the wall.

  "Lance, you're being silly." She took me by my left hand and led me to the center of the room. "Now put your right arm around me like this, take your left hand and hold my hand like this, and just follow my lead. You're trembling! Why are you nervous?"

  "I… don't know."

  "Just relax."

  She began to slowly move around the room to the tempo of the music and I followed her lead. As we danced, she rested her head against my shoulder and I rested my head against hers. A feeling of total ecstasy began to fill my mind and body. I had never felt anything like this before in my life—holding her in my arms this way! The song on the CD played out and she tried to walk over to the stereo to turn it off, but I held her tight. She looked up into my eyes and softly asked, "Do you like holding me in your arms?"

  "I'm in heaven right now," I sighed.

  She rested her head back against my shoulder. "Are all Canadian boys as fearless as you?"

  "Ah… I'm sure if Keith had been around… he would have done the same thing. That perfume you're wearing, it's fantastic."

  "It's called 'Falling in Love'. It's my favorite." She again, looked up into my eyes and asked, "Why did you come down here all the way from Canada?"

  "Oh, I don't know. I guess… I came down to get away."

  "To get away from what?"

  "I needed a break from… my family."

  "I know what you mean. Was that the only reason?"

  "No. Not really. I… also came down… to… to try and find… a girlfriend."

  "Are there no girls in Canada?" she asked while smiling playfully.

  "My best friend told me that California girls are the most beautiful in the world."

  "And you believed him?"

  "The girl I'm holding in my arms is proof he was right."

  "Thank you. What conviction do you share with me?"

  "That I'm… you know… saving myself… for my future spouse."

  Her eyes grew large. "You mean you're a—"

  "Yeah, I thought you would have figured that out when you were cornering me about my love life yesterday morning," I replied while chuckling.

  While shaking her head in amazement, she then began to slide her right hand over the inside of my left forearm. "What language is this tattoo and what does it mean?"

  "It's traditional Chinese and it says honor and courage."

  "And this one?" she asked while running her left hand over the inside of my right forearm.

  "It means…" I hesitated.

  She stared into my eyes. Her eyes were like two sky-blue pearls and I found myself defenseless under her gaze.

  "It says your mind is your greatest weapon."

  An expression of curiosity and puzzlement came over her face. Then beginning with my stomach, she began to gently slide her hands up my torso while slowly and methodically feeling my muscles. My heart felt like it was going to explode while my hormones raged against the walls of my self-control! I was succumbing to an overwhelming feeling of euphoria. Her right hand stopped over my heart and she asked, "Lance, are you feeling okay? Your heart should not be beating this fast!"

  I smiled and stammered, "It's… normally around… 40 beats… per minute." She laughed playfully while continuing to slide her hands up my chest towards my neck.

  "Why is this key important to you?" she asked while examining it in her hand. "What's it for?"

  "I… never had a father. When I was six years old a man saved me from drowning. He became like a father to me and he homeschooled me almost my entire life. He didn't approve of my coming to California. He wanted to continue teaching me for my senior year. We had an argument about it that resulted in a falling out between us. The day before I was to leave to come down here, I drove over to his house to say goodbye to him. But he had disappeared. When I told my mother about it, she gave me an envelope. Inside it were this key and a note from him. This key is my last link to him.

  "I'm sorry. I know how you feel. I too, lost someone who used to be close to me. What does it open?"

  "I don't know. I only know the location of what it opens. I feel like it is part of my destiny to answer that question."

  I continued staring into her eyes while remarking, "You know, you are absolutely gorgeous and you have the most beautiful, blue eyes I have ever seen." Then I watched as an expression of deep desire came into them.

  "I never told you this," she remarked in a soft, velvety smooth tone of voice, "But I think you're an exceptionally good-looking guy."

  I smiled.

  "And, you have a great smile. Kiss me, Lance."

  Now my heart rate accelerated back to a dangerous level and I began to feel faint! "I can't… kiss you, you're… Keith's girlfriend," I stammered. "I shouldn't even be… holding you like this." And using all the strength of will I could muster, I released my grip on her. But she held me even tighter while replying, "I want to be your girlfriend."

  I could feel my resolve and discipline evaporating as my hormones maneuvered to take control.

  "Don't you want to kiss me?"

  "More… than anything else in the world," I said while gazing down at her full, succulent lips.

  "Then just do it"

  With my right hand I reached up to softly grasp the back of her head. Her hair was thick and silky soft. She closed her eyes as I drew her mouth toward mine. Then without warning, "SHANNON, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" pierced our quiet romantic rendezvous. We both jumped back with a start as Stacy strode into the room! "Come with me young lady!" she angrily commanded. "We need to talk, now!"