by Lisa Shelby
“You really aren’t going to take no for an answer are you?” With a slow shake of my head I tell her no. “Ok, well you asked for it. I will have three mojitos and an ice water. Do you feel as though your southern hospitality will survive the evening?”
With a raise of my hand I get the attention of the sassy little bartender working behind the brick walled bar. “Stacy, how’s it goin’, Doll?”
“J, good to see you! You got Shell and D with ya tonight? I was sure hoping we’d get to see you three before you have to take off.”
“Yep, the boys are here. Nine days left before we head out, but who’s counting?” I say with a smile on the outside but inside I just don’t have a good feeling about this deployment. I push that aside and carry on. “We came here to meet up with some new friends. Stacy, this is Emily from Portland. Emily, this is Stacy from Dukes.”
Emily gives a little wave and says, “It’s nice to meet you, Stacy. I love your hair! I wish I had the balls to go pink because you look bad ass!”
Stacy gives her hair a little flip and replies, “Why thanks, Emily. Nice to meet you too.” With a nod of her head in my direction Stacy says, “I like her J, she’s got excellent taste. Now what can I get you guys?”
“I like her too, Stacy,” I say as I turn to Emily and see her blush again, “how about three mojitos, 3 Corona’s with lime, and a large ice water.”
“Comin’ right up, honey,” she says with a knowing smile.
As Stacy puts our order together Emily taps her fingers on the bar to the beat of the Bruno Mars tune that’s playing and looks everywhere except at me. I just can’t figure her out. She’s playful one minute and then quiet the next. It’s like she’s forcing herself not to have fun but she keeps slipping up and forgetting she’s not supposed to be having a good time.
“Here you go, kids,” Stacy says even though she’s probably only a couple years older than me, “and the Corona’s are on Duke’s, J. You, Shell and D aren’t paying tonight, so enjoy and be sure to say goodbye before you leave or you’ll have to come back in before next week gets here.”
“Ah, thanks Stac. I’ll be sure to the let the boys know. I know they’ll appreciate it. And don’t you worry we’ll say a proper goodbye before we head to the sandbox next week.” I say with a hidden lump in my throat.
I pick up the three Corona’s by their bottle necks in one hand and the large ice water in the other and find Emily is already balancing the three mojitos in her hands and headed off towards our friends.
Once we’ve joined everybody else at the table the girls had already snagged, Emily seems to loosen up a bit. It’s crowded and we’re all standing around a tall table that is really only meant for a few people. The seven of us make conversation like we’ve known each other forever. These girls are easy to be around and not like any college girls on vacation I’ve ever met. Well, maybe the two blonds . . . Sam and Steph I think it was? Emily and Cami are cool as shit though.
Yes, the two blonds are hot enough, I guess, but they look like your typical California girls. Emily and Cami stand out though. Where Cami is short, fair and has dark red hair, Emily is the complete opposite. Where Cami is the epitome of cute and fiery, Emily is girl next door beautiful. Emily is long and lean, yet curvy in all the right places. Her light brown hair and tan skin are natural and beautiful. There is nothing fake about her. Add those captivating blue eyes to the mix and she is beyond stunning. She is sexy as fuck but adorable at the same time. I guess you could say she is the epitome of the girl next door.
Because of the crowd and the small space at our table, Emily and I keep bumping into each other. Not that I am complaining. There are so many people pushing to get by that I find I keep putting my arm around her shoulders to pull her out of the way—and closer to me to let people by. I don’t mind at all though. The thought of anybody touching her, even just to squeeze by, is not something that sits well with me.
“So, Emily, what do you girls have planned for the week?” I have to yell into her ear so she can hear me over the music.
When she answers back she has to put her hand on my shoulder and raise up on her toes to yell into my ear. “We don’t really have any set plans. The plan is just to relax and have some fun before our summer jobs start next week.”
Leaning back down to reply I can’t help but catch the smell of vanilla and coconut. Just like this afternoon, she smells like vacation. She smells fucking delicious.
“Well, if you guys need tour guides, Devon and I are available all week. Shell has plans with his family in the next day or two but Devon and I will be around.”
“Yeah? We just might take you up on that. I’ll have to talk to the other girls but I’ll let you know.” She replies while pulling at the top of her ponytail, which I can only assume tightens it. All I know is that she seems to play with her hair whenever she gets anxious about something.
We keep making casual conversation but it’s hard with Lady Gaga and Beyoncé blasting through my head, so I finally bite the bullet and grow a pair.
“Hey Emily, do you wanna get out of here and maybe go for a walk?” Her eyes nearly pop out of her head in alarm and I feel I have to calm her by saying, “No pressure, it’s just really loud in here and I could use some air. I’d love the chance to talk without screaming at each other.”
I brace myself for her rejection because I just know she’s going to say no but she surprises me by saying, “Actually, that sounds great. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
She waves to get Cami’s attention and yells, “Cami, Jonathan and I are gonna get out of here and go get some air. Text me if you go somewhere else and I’ll meet you there.”
“That’s my girl! Go have some fun hot stuff and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, Emily Grace!” Cami yells.
“Just a second,” I yell while I squeeze through the crowd to Cami.
“Cami, let me give you my number so you know that you can reach both of us if you need to.” She gives me her phone and I add my information and tell her to have a good time and to take care of my boys for me.
Emily is looking at me with suspicion in her eyes as I make my way back to her. I just give her a wink and put my hand on the small of her back and guide her to the door.
Once we’re out in the fresh air Emily does a little spin and the way her long sun dress spins around she looks like an angel—an angel in red, but an angel just the same—as she walks backward and says, “Thank you so much. It was hot in there and soooo loud. I know I’m on vacation and Dukes’ was fun I guess, but I am just not feeling that crowd tonight.”
“Glad I could come to your rescue, madam. How does some ice cream sound?”
Knowing I brought the smile before me to her face fills me with an emotion, but I am not sure what word I would use to describe it. All it took was the word ice cream and her face lit up and as she answers me with a high five and says, “Wow, Georgia. You really know the way to a girl’s heart.”
As her hand connects with mine she realizes what she’s said and that blush that I’ve seen several times tonight comes back. It’s sneaking up her neck and then coloring her cheeks, as she takes her hand away as fast as she can. Only one word comes to mind . . . adorable. I don’t know where the fuck that word is coming from. I am a Marine for fucks sake! I don’t use words like, adorable. I describe women as hot, fine, cute, smoking hot, fuck-able or maybe beautiful, but not adorable! I sound like my mom when she gets her hands on some little kid’s chubby cheeks and gives them a squeeze.
It’s now that I realize that I couldn’t even tell you if there were other women in that bar. My mind was so focused on this one woman and her mega-watt smile that I didn’t even see anybody else. I don’t even know who I am right now! It’s Saturday night and I just left a loud crowded bar, where my drinks were free for the night. I’m sure the place was crawling with willing chicks, but I’m going to go get ice cream with the adorable, blushing woman walking next to me. This is not what the guys and I had
planned when we talked about our last wild week in Cali before heading to the desert and who knows what else waits for us there. She already told me she doesn’t date and for all I know isn’t even attracted to me. But she has this light about her that has me playing the moth to her flame. I just have this insane desire to be near her.
As we take a left onto Avenida, Icons Ice Cream Parlor is right where I left it when my mom and I were here on her visit last year. Man, my mom would love this girl.
“Wow, how convenient was that? If I had known there was ice cream around the corner I would have just come straight here,” she says as she practically skips past me with excitement.
I open the door for her and as she walks past, there’s that hint of vanilla and coconut again. She smells so damn good! I have a feeling she tastes better than any ice cream they serve here at Icons, but I’ll have to settle for ice cream for now.
I step up to the hostess to ask for a table for two and when I turn around I see Emily down on her knees, with a stuffed bear in a Buzz Lightyear outfit in her hand. She’s talking to a little boy who seems as captivated by Emily as I am. I don’t hear what they’re talking about but I see the huge smile on his face as he nods his head in agreement to something she’s asked. It feels like I’m looking at a mini version of what I must look like when I’m around her. She hands him the bear and then ruffles his hair as she stands.
“Bye Jacob, it was sure nice to meet you. Hang on tight to Buzzy Bear there. You don’t want to lose him.” She gives him a wave and leaves him with a little bit of that light that she has.
“Sorry, I made a couple of new friends and got distracted. Do they have a table for us?” she asks.
“Right this way,” the hostess says as she leads us to our table.
As I follow behind her I lean down to her ear and ask, “So, should I be jealous of Jacob and Buzzy Bear? Jacob sure seemed pretty happy by the time you walked away from him.”
“Jacob was pretty cute, and it is his birthday,” she says with a sigh as she takes her seat and thanks the hostess. “Best of all, he comes with Buzzy Bear. I mean, that’s a package deal right there,” she says as she sits back crossing her arms as though she’s reassessing being here with me. “I think you’re right, you should be jealous, Jonathan. Lucky for you I really love dessert and not even Jacob and Buzzy Bear could get me to leave without my ice cream. So, it looks like you’re stuck with me,” she says with a shrug of her shoulders.
“I am so not stuck with you, and you should know that there is no place I would rather be.” I hold my menu up next to my face and lean closer to her as I pretend that I don’t want anybody else to hear me. “I’m also pretty competitive, and ole Jakey Boy and his bear had me worried back there. Don’t tell anybody. It might ruin my rep.”
“Oh, is that so, Georgia?” She says with narrowed eyes. “Why do I feel as though I don’t need to worry about your confidence being shaken for too long? I think you can handle some toddler competition. Now, let’s order some ice cream!”
As if she heard Emily’s plea for ice cream our server appears at our table ready to take our order. She pulls her pen out of the bun on the top of her gray head. “What can I get for the two of you?”
“I will have The Queen of Caramel sundae, please.”
“I’ll take a chocolate shake.”
With that the server leaves and with a scrunched up nose Emily says, “Well, you won’t have to worry about sharing your shake with me.”
“What’s wrong with a chocolate shake?”
“That would be the chocolate ice cream. I love chocolate but there is something about chocolate ice cream that is . . . just so . . . gross,” she says with a shiver like the thought of chocolate ice cream creeps her out.
“Wow, who am I spending my Saturday night with? What planet are you from? You really don’t like chocolate ice cream? Am I being Punked?” I pretend to look around the restaurant like a camera crew is going to jump out of the shadows. She just rolls her eyes as I continue, “Maybe we need to dig a little deeper and get a few things out in the open to make sure we don’t need to rush back to the safety of our friends.”
“What else would you like to know?” she says with a grin.
“Well, let’s start with something that could make or break this new friendship right off the bat. You ready?”
“Bring it.”
“Coke or Pepsi?
“Coke,” she says with all seriousness.
“Oh, thank God. There’s hope for us after all.”
“Creamy or Crunchy peanut butter? And don’t you dare say you don’t like peanut butter, because I might just have to take my shake to go if that’s the case,” I say with mock intensity.
“Creamy,” she says. Still taking this very seriously.
“Well, that’s not a perfect answer, because crunchy is clearly the correct answer, but I think it’s something we can overcome. You know they say relationships are hard work and this just means we’re starting things off with challenges earlier on than most, but I am sure we can work through it.”
Looking down at her hands she whispers, “Jonathan, I don’t do relationships. I don’t want to lead you on. I want to be sure that it’s clear,” she says as she lifts her eyes to mine and I can see the hurt in hers. Somebody has clearly done a number on this gorgeous woman. What a prick!
“Shhh . . . you’re going to ruin my fun,” I say placing my hand on top of hers. “I heard you say you didn’t date before, and I wish I knew why, but I’m not going to pry. Let’s just try to have some fun shall we, Emily Grace?”
She removes her clasped hands from mine and sets to playing with her necklace with one hand and grabbing her glass of water with the other. I give her the moment she needs and then start the game again.
“Do you drink coffee?”
With a smile she replies. “I do. I love the stuff. I don’t have to have it to survive like some people but give me a non-fat, white Chocolate mocha, no whip and I am a happy girl. How about you?”
And just like that she’s back to having that light about her that I can’t get enough of.
“I love coffee but I am one of those people that have to have it in the morning to ‘survive’ as you say. I prefer to say that I need it to function but survive is probably a truer statement. Not sure your fru-fru drink counts as you being a coffee drinker, but we’ll go with it for the sake of argument. I’m just a straight Americano guy myself but I don’t judge.”
As I finish my statement my gross chocolate shake and her sundae arrive, her face lights up and she rubs her hands together. After the server walks away she pulls on her ponytail and tightens it like she’s about to go into battle. Adorable.
Before we take our first bites she holds her spoon up and motions with a nod of her head to my silverware. I finally get it and pick up my spoon and we tap them together and she says, “Cheers!”
Fucking. Adorable.
Things quickly go from adorable to hot as hell when she takes her first bite, closes her eyes and lets out a soft moan that is so hot it wakes things up down below. My shorts suddenly feel a little tight and I have to shift in my seat to stay comfortable. She’s moaning over ice cream, and that should be adorable too, but man do I wish it was because she was under me and it was me making her moan like that. The problem is she doesn’t date and I leave in a week. So, I better get my head out of the gutter and get my shit together and enjoy what I can, while I can. If that means eating ice cream every day for the next week, so be it.
Our conversation continues with more mundane questions about our likes and dislikes but getting to know her feels far from mundane. I feel like I’ve known her my entire life; like we’re long lost friends just seeing each other again for the first time in years. This is the best Saturday night I’ve had in a long time.
Before we know it the sound of spoons scraping the bottom of our dishes is upon us. Watching her try to get every bit of caramel out of the bottom of that sundae is something I c
ould sit and watch all night. When she finally waves the white flag she puts the spoon down, leans back in her seat, and raises both arms with pride and says, “That was amazing!”
The server walks up as her arms are still in the air and says, “I see you finished, nicely done.”
“Thank you! Hey, Marcie don’t leave me hanging,” she says as the server realizes that she wants her to high five her.
This brings a smile to Marcie’s face and she gives her a high five. It’s then I realize that this is something that Emily does. She makes people smile. She notices and remembers our servers name and she picks Buzzy Bears off the ground so that his little boy doesn’t forget him. She also compliments a rough around the edges bartender on her pink hair. Special is what she is and how she makes people feel. She’s the kind of special you just want to be around.
“Marcie, if you could bring the check for us when you get a chance that would be great.” I ask. Not that I want our time to end.
“Of course, darlin’. Anything else I can get either of you while I’m at it?”
“We’re great Marcie, thanks. Oh and I love your nails, that color is awesome,” Emily says with all sincerity. She isn’t saying it just to be nice. She really means it.
Marcie holds her hand out and looks at her nails like she’s just noticed they’re painted. “You’re right, they are awesome, thanks.”
Special.
With that Marcie clears our dishes and it’s just the two of us again.
“So, Emily Grace, how ‘bout we go for a walk along the pier? You up for that?”
“I would love to go walk some of this sundae off and the pier sounds great, but you aren’t really going to call me that now are you?”
“I think Grace fits you well. What’s wrong with it? Is it after anybody special?”
She smiles and says, “It’s after my Grandma Grace. Her middle name was Grace as well but my grandpa always called her his Gracie. Grace stuck with all of us in the family. Only Gramps called her Gracie though. It was his subtle yet romantic little way of making her feel special. It was never spoken but we all just new Gracie was his name for her so we all just stuck with Grace. She was an amazing woman but passed away when I was around ten. So, you see it’s not that I don’t like the name, I’m very proud to be named after her, it’s just when you say both names together it feels like I’m about to get into trouble or something.”
