Little Games of Love: A Novel

by Gabriela Paz

  As they made their way to their favorite bar and grill on the boardwalk called “The Oyster Cove,” Eva muttered, “I really hope we don’t run into anyone we know.” The town only had about 2,700 people, so it wasn’t very hard to see someone they knew.

  “I wouldn’t mind,” Cece said as they made their way inside the bar.

  People were sitting at the tables, chatting and drinking; a couple was even slow dancing to a fast-paced song. “Oh my God, Cece,” Eva gasped, stunned. No, no, no. “I think I know one of the guys sitting at the corner table.” She wasn’t certain, but she didn’t want to look any further in case he saw her.

  Cece, on the other hand, got quite curious about who it could be. “Well, this just got interesting. Who are they?”

  “I only know one of them if it even is him. I don’t know the other two.”

  “Why don’t we go talk to them?”

  “Are you crazy? Let’s just stay here at the bar and eat in peace, please,” Eva begged as she tried not to look in their direction. Please don’t look this way. Please don’t see me.

  “Fine,” Cece said with disappointment in her voice.

  They ordered fried calamari since it was by far the best thing on the menu and a few frozen drinks. The reason they loved the cove was due in part to the bartender who played awesome music, as well as the fact that they didn’t get asked for IDs whenever they wanted to get some cocktails. It was a tropical bar near the beach where they could relax and still smell the salt from the ocean.

  “I feel like I’m on vacation every time we come here,” Cece said as she took a sip of her frozen virgin Margarita.

  “I know what you mean,” Eva responded peacefully until suddenly, she felt somebody poke the back of her shoulder.

  “Hey.”

  As soon as she turned around and saw his ocean-blue eyes and brown wavy hair hanging loosely below his ears, she remembered where she had seen it. Oh crap. He was her neighbor from five houses down the road. Eva had never seen him up close before. He was taller than she imagined, maybe somewhere around six feet, and he had that carefree skater look— with the baggy clothes and the typical vans shoes— all the girls liked.

  He biked and skated on the street near her house all the time. Although she had never officially spoken to him before, Eva knew his name was Daniel. She liked the way he would glance towards her house whenever he had a chance. Even though she knew nothing about him, for some reason, she always sat near the window when she heard him and his friends outside. It’s not that she felt any interest in speaking to him, just plain curiosity. Now that he stood in front of her, she had no choice, though. Her stomach felt non-stop flutters, and her heart experienced a sudden boost—like the ones you get when a roller coaster is about to make its final drop.

  “Um, hey, Daniel,” she said awkwardly, tucking her hair behind her ear.

  “How are you? I’ve never seen you around here. It’s Eva, right?”

  "Neither have I. Yeah— it is,” she said, staggered. How does he know my name? “This is my friend Cece,” she said, trying to avoid prolonged eye contact.

  “It’s great to meet you, Daniel,” Cece said sweetly.

  He shook her hand and quickly brought his gaze back to Eva. He seemed a little bit nervous. “My friends and I are going to the beach shortly, and we were wondering if both of you would like to join us?”

  Not quite comfortable with going anywhere with people she hardly knew, she couldn’t quite think of an appropriate answer to decline his invitation. Without wasting any time, Cece quickly responded, “We would love to!”

  Cece’s laugh was contagious that Sunday afternoon. Eva wasn’t sure if it was because she liked one of the boys or because she liked the attention. Either way, it helped to break the tension. They had taken their shoes off and were sitting on the sand, enjoying the breeze and the company. Daniel sat closer to Eva, trying to make conversation. “So, what do you like to do in your free time, Eva?” he asked.

  “Photography and I like to come to the beach,” she answered while trying not to show too much interest. The waves were loud as they sat near the water, and Eva had to make an effort to hear what he was saying. Her nerves were getting stronger by the second. She had never really gone out with a boy before, and Daniel was clearly flirting with her by the way he looked at her.

  “That’s cool,” Daniel said. “I like the beach too.”

  Eva nodded, unsure of what to say next. Then Cece interrupted. “So, are you boys getting in the water, or what?” she asked the other boys while she started to undress.

  It didn’t even take a second for them to agree before they all sprinted towards the water. Cece was the queen of flirting. She could talk to people in millions of ways and get everyone to like her. Eva didn’t care if people liked her; she was fine with being herself and not talking to anyone if she didn’t feel in the mood. It’s not that she didn’t want to date. In all honesty, she was terrified of heartbreak.

  Daniel chuckled as he watched Cece and his friends get in the water. “Your friend seems like a lot of fun. Should we join them?” he asked Eva.

  “She definitely is. But that’s why I love her. I would rather stay here if you don’t mind. But you should go.”

  “Nah, it’s okay. I’d prefer to keep you company.”

  Really? She blushed, not knowing how to respond. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Eva kept wondering, Should I be nice to him? Should I ask him questions? She couldn’t figure out why she was so nervous, but it was the first time she felt this way.

  “Are they your best friends?” she asked nervously.

  “Yes, you could say that. I have a lot of friends at school, but I definitely have more in common with them because we all skate. What school do you go to?”

  “I go to Gulf Breeze,” she answered. “How about you?”

  “I go to a private school not too far away.”

  “Oh, that’s nice.”

  “Not really… I sort of hate it. There are so many rich spoiled kids breaking the rules constantly. It gets old.”

  “Really? I wouldn’t know how it is in private schools, but kids break the rules in my school all the time, and it’s completely normal,” she chuckled, keeping her gaze towards the ocean. But somehow, his comment gave her hope that maybe he was a decent boy worth her time. “That sucks. I’m sorry to hear that,” she said finally making eye contact.

  Every time Eva looked at him, she couldn’t help but notice how adorable he was. His eyes were penetrating and intense. His lips were quite red and a bit chapped from the sun. Every time he spoke, Eva wondered what it would be like to kiss him. She felt embarrassed that such a thought would even cross her mind. Stop it, Eva. Focus.

  “So, I noticed, you live with your mom?” he asked timidly.

  “Yeah, I do. My mom is great. She works a lot, though.” She didn’t want to reveal too much information about her family, so she quickly asked, “How about you?”

  “Well, my parents are divorced, and I chose to live with my dad. My mom moved to the center of the city, but I still see her every time I get a chance.”

  Eva felt somewhat guilty after listening to him talk about his life so openly. “Do you have any siblings?” she asked.

  “Nope. I’m an only child.”

  “Me too,” she said, beaming. Daniel didn’t ask any further questions about her family, which she appreciated. She wasn’t sure if he could sense her reluctance to talk about it or if he was just considerate that way. Either way, she was glad not to have to speak about her father in their first conversation. “So I wanted to ask you earlier. How did you know my name?” she asked, embarrassed. But she couldn’t resist. She had to know.

  He laughed nervously as he looked away, “I was hoping you didn’t ask me that.”

  “Why not?” What are you hiding?

  “Well…i
f you must really know. I asked one of the guys I skate with if he knew you. I’ve seen you around quite a bit, but you always seem kind of busy or distracted, so I never had a chance to talk to you. Luckily he knew your name since apparently, you had a play date when you were little? And ever since he told me, I’ve been trying to get a chance to get to know you,” he blushed as he quickly glanced back at her.

  Wow. Her heart felt as if it was about to come out of her chest. He asked about me? He wants to get to know me? Why? She smiled nervously. You are so cute. Wait, what? Playdate? “Oh, I’m guessing that was Sam. That was such a long time ago. I haven’t spoken to him in ages.”

  Cece and the boys suddenly returned from the water, dripping wet. “Oh my God, the water is freezing! Eva, I need to change,” Cece said, shaking. The sun was still out, but it wasn’t as hot anymore.

  “Here, grab the towel,” Eva answered, surprised. “Do you want to just go?”

  “Do you mind?”

  “No, of course not, let’s go,” Eva said, already regretting her words. She would have liked to stay and talk to Daniel for a little while longer, but she was sure they’d see each other again soon. Hopefully.

  “It was nice meeting you guys. That was fun!” Cece blurted.

  “See ya,” the two boys shouted while they waved. Daniel waved at Cece as he got up and walked up to Eva. He extended his hand out while making eye contact. “It was nice to officially meet you, Eva,” he grinned, looking at her with his intriguing eyes.

  How can they be so blue? Is that even normal? “Likewise,” she said politely as she shook his hand softly and gave him a shy smile.

  As soon as they came back to Eva’s house, Cece impatiently demanded details about her conversation with Daniel. “Tell me everything! I had a nice time with the boys, but I’m sure it’s nothing compared to your thrilling conversation with the hot skater boy.”

  Eva gave her a grin. She wanted to talk about it, but she hadn’t even digested it herself. “I don’t even know where to start. I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

  Cece chortled, “That means you like him.”

  “You think so?”

  “Oh, come on. I know you do. I watched you. Spill it already.”

  “He is cute,” Eva admitted, not being able to hide her simper, “I was so nervous, but somehow we talked for a while, and it was nice. I enjoyed it, which has never happened before.”

  “What did you guys talk about?”

  What did we even talk about? Hmm… His eyes, though... Quit it, Eva, enough. “I don’t remember,” Eva said as she got up from the bed. She kept walking back and forth in the bedroom, biting her nails like a lunatic.

  “Would you stop it already? These are normal feelings. Eva, there’s no need to panic.”

  “But I like him. I’ve never liked anyone before.”

  Cece clapped her hands together and marveled, “That’s great news! He obviously likes you too. That is the best part. You will get to know him now, and you guys will date until you either fall in love or realize that you are not meant for each other. It really isn’t that bad.”

  “It better not be. I hope I stop feeling so anxious and scared. I don’t want him to be able to tell I’m panicking or that I like him.”

  “Who cares? Just enjoy it.”

  She bit her bottom lip and took a few seconds to answer. “I don’t know. We will see what happens, I guess.”

  “Sure, you will. Chill out,” Cece commanded. “I will be here every step of the way.”

  She let out a giddy laugh and gave Cece a soft punch on the shoulder. “Oh, shut up! Let’s change the conversation, please. I don’t think I can take any more of your relationship advice.”

  “As you wish,” Cece grinned mischievously.

  CHAPTER 2

  It’s You and Me

  As Eva heard a distant thump outside of her house, she rushed towards the window. Daniel had been skating by her block literally every day to get her attention—and to avoid being so obvious, she had been pretending to go jogging—just to run into him. They had already taken a few strolls together up and down the block.

  She was getting to know him rather quickly, and so far, there weren’t any red flags to be concerned about. Thankfully. It was easy for Eva to talk to him; he was so simple, so understanding, and extremely sweet. Day after day, he was growing on her. They’d have lunch together on the weekends and go for a movie on weekday nights. She felt lucky and guilty at the same time for being the reason he didn’t visit his mother as often as he used to. But she couldn’t help herself.

  Their first kiss happened after exactly one month. Though she’d been dying to kiss him, it was more important to her to make sure she didn’t appear desperate or indecent. The kiss was surely a moment Eva would never forget. It happened while they were watching a movie at the theater.

  After getting a bag of popcorn and soda to share, they entered the theater Saturday night. Everything was dark already. They found two seats by the last row and sat close to each other, excited to watch the movie. In all honesty, Eva had been dying to kiss him for days now. But she wasn’t going to make the first move. Of course— composure first. Or at least that’s what her mother always told her. She only hoped her first kiss would be everything she dreamt of. Daniel placed the popcorn in between them and said, “Take as much as you want.”

  “Thanks,” Eva smiled charmingly, but as she tried to grab some from the bag, a bunch of popcorn ended up dropping on the floor. She felt so clumsy and embarrassed. “Oh no, I’m so sorry. I will get it.”

  “Oh, don’t worry,” Daniel blurted as he also leaned forward from his seat to help her. As they both bent down, they accidentally bumped their heads lightly.

  “Are you okay?” Daniel whispered while she was still close. “I’m sorry, I cannot see anything.”

  “Me neither,” Eva chuckled. All she could see were his incredible blue eyes staring at her as he spoke. She wasn’t really thinking about kissing him at that moment, but before she could register what was happening, she felt a tender and warm sensation brushing her lips. Whoa. Finally, was all she could think of before she leaned into him and kissed him back. Butterflies sprang all over her stomach, and goosebumps emerged all over her body.

  She had never kissed anyone before. So this is what it feels like. Please don’t stop. Never, ever stop. She closed her eyes as Daniel grabbed the side of her neck and pulled her closer. He seemed to get more into it as he noticed Eva kissing him back. It was sweet and soft at first, and then it became more passionate. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing from the way his tongue played around, and for a first kiss, it was quite long.

  The moment their lips separated, she grinned at him, hoping he would read her mind. Please let’s do it again. But the movie suddenly started playing, and he quickly turned away. Dang it.

  As Eva got more and more comfortable with Daniel, she started to bring him home. Sometimes she invited him for dinner, and sometimes they just hung out in her bedroom. Eva hadn’t been to Daniel’s house yet. She knew who his father was, and though he seemed like a nice man, she was scared to go there on her own. A home full of men was certainly intimidating. I mean, even the dog is a male, for Christ's sake. From the bits and pieces Daniel had told her, his father dated a lot and wasn’t home much. She didn’t know what the reason was for his parent’s divorce, but she wasn’t about to ask. None of my business.

  On the other hand, her mother seemed to be fond of Daniel. Daniel was smart. He complimented her food and her decorations, which literally seemed to make her day.

  “So, Daniel, it seems that you are becoming a regular guest at our dinner table. I must say I’m glad to see Eva smile this much. You two make a great couple,” her mother surmised one night at the dinner table.

  “Mom we—.”

  “Of course we do,” Daniel interrupted, giving
her a discreet grin. “I’m really glad she agreed to be my girlfriend.”

  What? I must have missed the part where you asked me. “Right,” she coughed awkwardly. “I did. It’s official, I guess.” She glanced back at him with the corner of her eye and caught him starring at her, laughing. “What’s so funny?”

  “That you’ve just agreed to be my girlfriend in front of your mom and that you can’t take it back now.”

  “Daniel!” she squealed, looking at her mother embarrassed and then down at her plate. Just bury me now. To her surprise, Daniel quickly got up from his chair and gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek, making all the embarrassment and awkwardness vanish. Just like that. Gone. He’s mine. Only mine.

  After clearing up the official details of their relationship later that night, Eva felt more at ease. In her mind, they were in a ‘serious relationship,’ which meant there was a future there and that it wasn’t precisely casual dating how everyone did nowadays. She truly never imagined being one of those couples who walked the boardwalk holding hands or that kissed endlessly by a bench until the sun set. In the past, she used to be the girl staring at these happy couples as she enjoyed taking their photo. But now, she was one of them, and she had to admit that she liked being the girl in the photo much better.

  She felt invincible as she walked towards the beach the following morning with him by her side. Even though there were many pretty girls around in their bathing suits, Daniel barely looked their way. Instead, he put his arm around her, making her feel safe and secure. She didn’t know if he meant to or if he read her mind, but he always reassured her in more ways than one.

  “Is this a good spot?” he asked her as they came to a stop. The day was perfectly sunny, and judging from the many people jumping waves, the water had to be at a decently-warm temperature. Eva’s plan was to tan for a few minutes—without getting sunburned since that happened rather easily for her— and to then jump in the water with Daniel.

  “It’s perfect,” she said, laying down her towel on the sand. As she took off her dress and sandals, she noticed him staring at her without being at all discreet. “What are you looking at?” she frowned. I knew I’m too pale for the beach. Who am I kidding?