by Sara Shirley
“Let’s run through it one more time, and then I’m calling it a day,” I shouted, but not before glancing over to where my mother stood before, only this time she was gone.
Jeremy hasn’t said anything all week to lead me to believe our date is still going to happen on Friday. We’ve maybe talked at most for ten minutes, simply because by the time either of us gets home, we’re both completely exhausted and just want to fall asleep. I’ve actually had more communication with Sue and Courtney than I have Jeremy. Their schedules just seem to be more compatible with mine.
I would have thought after what happened between us earlier this week that he would have tried to make more of an effort to be in touch. He was livid with Dave after he barged in on us, but I felt protected with him. Apparently from what info I gathered from Sue, while Jeremy and I were having our sexcapade, her word not mine, she and Dave had a pretty heated discussion in the kitchen about their miscommunication that ultimately ended in them having sex more than once that night. I barely know Dave, but evidently, it was my day to see multiple naked guys. From what I saw of him, he certainly keeps himself in just as good of shape as Jeremy. Jeremy has the more defined “V,” but Dave has more upper body muscle.
Sue carried on about how if she hadn’t drunk all those martinis and then polished off the Patron with Dave, there would have been zero chance of them hooking up. I called her bluff on that one. Somehow I think those two are more attracted to each other than they let on.
Of course, I couldn’t get away from her inquisitive mind before spilling the beans about what Jeremy and I did in his bedroom. There was squealing, and she was jumping up and down and clapping her hands like a rabbit on speed. Grabbing her phone, she quickly called Courtney to tell her the news. I could have nearly died and apparently so could Courtney, as I believe I heard her yell at Sue that she totally didn’t want to know that info about her brother.
Since then, it’s been Sue and Courtney calling me and asking about my so-called date. I have to keep telling them the same thing, though, that Jeremy hasn’t mentioned it at all since I left his apartment. I’ve almost convinced myself that he has already become bored with me and realizes that “we” as a couple could never possibly work out. It’s Courtney who continues to tell me that her brother isn’t like that, and that if he said he was going on a date with me, then he would for certain be going on a date with me. I kind of enjoy having Sue and Courtney to share my life stories with. I guess this is what I’ve been missing all these years.
Now, while back at my place, relaxing on my sofa while watching Friends again, I realize that tomorrow is my date with Jeremy. As I’m about to grab some sushi from the Japanese restaurant down the street, my phone rings. Looking at the screen, I see it’s Jeremy. Maybe Courtney was right after all, and I should really try to think more positively about people.
“Hey, there,” I say, pulling the phone up to my ear.
“Did you miss me?” Jeremy playfully teases back.
After my horrific day, I could use some fun, so I let my hair down a little. “Well, I’m not sure. Last time I checked it was my fingers that got me off.” Hearing him groan on the other end of the line makes me laugh quietly.
“Emily, so help me, if you keep talking dirty to me, I will not be taking you out on a date tomorrow.”
“Oh, we really are going out on a date tomorrow? I assumed since you hadn’t mentioned it, that it wasn’t happening, so I made other plans,” I lie.
He must have taken the bait since his aggravation is evident through the phone. “Emily, why would you make other plans? I told you when you left the other day I was taking you out.” I can’t help but chuckle; he really is quite gullible. “You little devil, you didn’t make other plans, did you?”
“No, I’m just trying to get you all riled up. Did it work?” I say as I lie back on my sofa.
“You’ll pay for that one when I see you.”
“So, where are you taking me?”
“It’s a surprise, but I can tell you to dress nicely, but not too nice. You may need to bring a sweater, just in case, and do not eat before I pick you up. Understood?”
“So, let me get this right. You’re feeding me, and I may or may not need clothing. Is this some sexual ploy of yours to steal my virginity?”
“Keep talking like that, Emily, and your virginity will be long gone after tomorrow night.” I gasp in shock because I’ve never considered him to be that forward, and he did say he wouldn’t push me too fast, but I did provoke him a bit. Sensing my apprehension, he says, “Emily, you know I’m just teasing you. I told you I wouldn’t push you, and I won’t. You’re in control of everything, just like the other day. But, for now, let’s just focus on our first date tomorrow, okay? I’m really glad I’m the guy who’s giving you so many firsts these days.”
After finalizing the details for what time he would pick me up, I make a mental note to head over to the salon tomorrow morning to get waxed, just in case his hand turns into Thing from The Addams Family. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but I also never expected what occurred between us the other day either. There’s a level of comfort when I’m with him, which I can sense brings out a different side of me. It’s foreign, but it’s exhilarating. I hear him ask me a question, pulling me from my thoughts.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you. What did you ask?”
“I asked if you had any plans for Sunday evening?”
Thinking for a moment, I say, “Well, I have something Sunday morning, but no, nothing on Sunday evening, why?”
“My family has Sunday dinner every week, and my mother asked me to invite you over. Would you maybe want to come by? Courtney and Josh will be here, so it won’t be too painful.”
He seriously thinks that meeting his family would be painful. Everyone so far has been sweet and loving. Now, if I was to invite him to have dinner with my family, that would be painful, but I don’t tell him that.
“Of course, I’d love to come over. I can’t wait to meet your parents.”
“You say that now, but my mom will probably force you to eat a ton of carbs and my dad will drop more swear words in one dinner than you’ve probably heard in your life.”
“Sounds perfect,” I say just above a whisper because it does sound perfect. It sounds like a real family.
Last night after hanging up with Emily on the phone, a strange feeling came over me. I couldn’t place it, but I knew in more ways than one I missed her. I missed her smile and her laugh. I just missed the little things she has no idea she does when she’s around that absolutely drive me wild.
I didn’t have any practice with the team this morning, so I made my rounds around town. I managed to get a haircut, clean out the truck, and pick up the most beautiful bouquet of flowers for Emily. I said to the florist that I wanted something elegant, but simple. Once she was done mixing and matching flowers, I ended up with a large arrangement of sunflowers, calla lilies, and daisies.
It’s now Friday afternoon, and I’m at my place sitting in the backyard with Dad and Josh as we toss Aspen some toys in the yard. Dad’s been busy cleaning the hot tub, and Josh and I have been helping with the yard work. Apparently, Dad got wind that he is going to have a special guest at the house on Sunday afternoon, so he wants to make a good first impression. I’m not sure who’s going to be more nervous, Emily or my parents. This will be a first for everyone. I’ve never had any girl back here, ever.
“Do you think I ought to go buy new seat cushions for the patio furniture?” Dad asks. He is trying too hard to make the house presentable.
“Dad, everything is fine. Emily won’t care about any of that stuff. Trust me,” I state firmly.
Josh makes his way over toward us after putting away the lawn mower. Standing next to Dad, he tells him, “You know, Dad, you never did anything like this when I brought my girlfriends around.”
With a loud deep laugh that only a Page man can evoke, Dad emphasizes, “Yeah, well, none of those girls
you ever brought around made it to the front page of the sports section of the Globe.” Josh laughs because we know he’s just kidding with Dad.
It’s true, though. Emily made the cover of the sports section of the Globe this morning. I have no doubt her parents were behind the article, which sells her out as being the next favorite to win the US Figure Skating National Championship in Boston in January. It discusses her achievements since last year’s World Championship, where she placed fourth, and how she has the potential to medal at the Olympic games in February.
Her picture is nothing but stunning. She’s wearing long leggings that go over her boots and a tight high-necked long-sleeved top, which shows off her curves. My father bolted from the kitchen table this morning with his coffee in hand just to show the picture to my mom.
“Grace! Grace! I can’t believe it. We’ve got a major athlete coming to the house on Sunday! Look.” He shoved the paper in her hands, and she took one look at Emily’s picture and then glanced up at me as I was putting my coffee cup into the dishwasher.
I’m not sure, but I could almost say I saw tears in her eyes as she whispered, “She’s beautiful.”
I know Mom, I know. I’m just hoping not to screw it up again.
Leaving Dad and Josh to the backyard affairs, Aspen and I return to the apartment because I have to get ready for my date. I putter around in my closet, looking for something to wear tonight as Aspen curls up on his bed on the floor in my bedroom. Standing there in front of my closet, I run my fingers over the slight stubble on my jaw.
“What should I wear, buddy?” Aspen’s ears perk up. Grabbing a black button-down shirt and gray dress pants, I lay them out on the bed. I forego the tie because I know my plans for the night aren’t that formal.
Checking the time, I realize that I’ve got about an hour before I need to leave, so I quickly hop into the shower. I skip shaving, deciding to leave a slight amount of stubble on my face, and throw some gel into my hair to tussle it a bit. I dress quickly and grab everything I need from the kitchen counter, ensuring three times that I haven’t forgotten anything.
I head out to my truck, and as I’m about to shut the door, I see Mom and Dad on the front porch. Dad’s arm is hung over Mom’s shoulder, and Mom has her arms wrapped around his waist. She smiles as she sees me leaving and then blows me a kiss. As I pull out of the driveway, I see my dad place a kiss on her forehead as they turn around and head back inside. I absolutely love my parents. Not a day goes by that I don’t envy what they have going for them. After all these years, they are still in love with each other and want nothing but happiness for Josh, Courtney, and me. I hope one day that will be me.
Pulling up outside of Emily’s garage, I rub my hands together, trying to dry the nervous sweat from my palms. I know. I’ve already had my hands down her pants, and now I’m nervous. It’s just the fact that this is the date that we should have had years ago. This is my shot to finally make Emily Cameron my girlfriend. Taking the flowers from the passenger seat, I make my way out of the truck and through the garage door that’s already open. Once at her door, I knock softly, hearing movement on the other side.
“Be right there,” she says. A few seconds later, the door opens, and I’m at a loss for words. Emily stands before me as she finishes placing an earring in her ear. She’s wearing black leggings with brown knee-high riding boots and a low-cut white blouse underneath a blazer matched with a cheetah print scarf. Her blonde hair is all loose and curled at the ends. She’s absolutely breathtaking. She normally is regardless, but tonight there just aren’t words.
She gives me a questioning look as if she’s wondering why I still haven’t said anything, and I snap out of my daze. “What?” she asks with a slight pitch to her voice. “Am I not dressed up enough?” Really? How could she think she’s not dressed up enough?
Bringing the flowers in front of me, I start making my way closer to her. When I’m right in front of her, she softly takes them in her hands as I lean down toward her ear and say, “You could be wearing a plastic poncho, and you’d still be gorgeous.” I slowly place a soft kiss on her cheek before pulling away, never taking my eyes from hers.
“Are these for me?” she asks as she smiles and then glances to the flowers.
“I wasn’t sure what your favorite was, so I went with a variety.”
She smiles even brighter. “Well, you’re in luck because gerbera daisies are my favorite!” Why doesn’t that shock me? Of course, she loves daisies, simple and cheerful, not stuffy and formal like roses. She walks to the kitchen, opening a cabinet and pulling out a vase before arranging the flowers on her kitchen table. She grabs her purse from the counter and heads back my way. Placing her hand gently on my chest, she looks up at me and says, “Thank you for the flowers. They’re beautiful.” I’m pretty sure she can feel my heart beating through my shirt at the moment, because if I didn’t already have the perfect night already planned out, I’d be content just sitting here all night with her in my arms.
“We should get going if we’re going to make our reservation,” I tell her, trying to get her out of the apartment before I change my mind and just strip off her clothes and our first date never happens.
“Where are we going?” she asks, while walking out the door. Placing my hand at the small of her back, I close the door behind me.
“You’ll find out soon enough, but it’s going to be the best first date you’ve ever had!” Glancing back up at me, she points out, “Well, that won’t be hard. I’ve never gone on a date before.” Shit. I forgot she’s never dated, kissed, or even been with a guy before me. I’m a total ass.
As we make our way out through the garage, another car pulls up just as Emily presses the button to shut the door to her stall. The woman gets out of the car and begins walking toward Emily. As my eyes dart between Emily and her, I wonder how this is going to play out. Emily’s body goes completely rigid. Then, the woman, whom I can now only assume is her mom, stares directly at me. Those eyes are not kind, and I know I’m not anything she wants her daughter to be involved with. She quickly snaps her head back to Emily before expressing her disapproval.
“Emily, where do you think you’re going? Who is this guy?” Thinking there is no way she’s about to ruin my night, I head back close to Emily, wrap my arm around her waist and reach my hand out to her mom.
“Mrs. Cameron, my name is Jeremy Page. It’s nice to meet you, but if you’ll excuse us, Emily and I have to be going. We have dinner reservations that we must get to.” She doesn’t make any effort to take my offered hand, so I pull Emily back toward my truck and open the door to allow her in. Making my way back to the driver side, I see Emily’s mom still standing there, staring in disgust and anger. “Have a good evening, Mrs. Cameron, always a pleasure running into you,” I say sharply before shutting my door and starting up my truck. Because I’m a complete ass sometimes, I drive over the dusty gravel driveway close enough that the plume of dust engulfs that wretched woman as I watch her in my rearview mirror. I laugh at my brazenness, but once I glance over at Emily, I realize the smile that was on her face back in her apartment has disappeared. Grabbing her hand, I bring it up to my lips, giving it a soft kiss.
“Hey, first date, remember. I will not allow you to be unhappy. It’s you and me tonight.”
A slight smile forms at the corners of her lips, and I know she’s back from wherever her mom just sent her mind. “Let’s get this date started then.”
With that, I chuckle and turn on the radio as The Black Eyed Peas sing about tonight being a good night. Fuck yeah, it is!
About twenty minutes later, Jeremy drives us through downtown Newburyport and heads toward a small island community called Plum Island. It’s been years since I’ve been down this far, and with the increasing number of coastal storms the past few years, I’m surprised to see many of the houses on the island are still standing. We drive to the far end of the island near a lighthouse and boardwalk toward the ocean. I wonder why he would brin
g me here? After parking the truck, he reaches for a backpack from the backseat and hops out of the truck.
Once he’s at my door and opens it, I question, “I thought we had dinner reservations? I didn’t exactly bring beach attire.”
Smirking at me, he playfully says, “Don’t get your panties in a ruffle. We have a while before dinner. You just have to trust me.”
“Okay, but there is no way I’m skinny dipping, and you’re going to have to give me a piggy-back ride since I wasn’t aware I needed flip-flops tonight,” I tease back, shrugging my shoulders as I get out of the truck.
“Emily, if you ever want to hop on and ride me, you don’t have to ask,” he says with a huge cocky grin on his face. Opening the backpack shoulder straps for me, he helps me push my arms through and then bends over, saying, “Hop on, babe!”
Laughing at the ridiculousness of the scene, I grab onto his shoulders and pull myself on his back as he carries me down the boardwalk toward the crashing waves and blinding setting sun. Once he’s at the end of the boardwalk, he lowers me to the ground while he takes off his shoes and socks, rolling up the bottom of his pants. Handing me his shoes, he motions for me to return to his back as he carries me to a secluded clearing where he lowers me to the sand. He removes the backpack from my shoulders and opens it to reveal a large blanket that he throws over the sand. Sitting on the blanket, he takes my hand to pull me in front of him to sit in between his legs.
I watch as he pushes his heels into the sand, and I concentrate on his breathing as he settles his chin on my shoulder. We watch the boats go in and out of the harbor as the waves crash and the lowering sun glistens over the water. We’re quiet for a moment before he says, “You know, back when we were in high school, that night I dropped you off, I wanted to ask you to go to prom with me.”
Turning my chin to look at him, I say, “You had just met me. Why would you have wanted to ask me? I thought you wanted to go with Morgan?”
