by Kamille Rose
I peeled my eyes from his face and took in the view of his car, the famous Lucy I've heard so much about. She was a sleek red beauty with a very vintage look, like one of the cars you’d see in an old school car show. It fit Joseph's personality well.
"Hey,” I said with a wave. This was the first time we'd ever been together alone outside of school and I didn't know what to expect.
"Good evening, Sienna."
"Oh, we're doing a formal thing. Gotcha." I cleared my throat and started over. "What's on our itinerary for this evening, Mister Vasquez?"
A slow smirk crossed his face as he answered me. "I'm very glad you asked, Miss..."
"Martinez."
“Of course, Miss Martinez. We'll be dining at Giovanni's pizzeria tonight. I stumbled upon this gem when I first moved back here."
"Intriguing. I've lived here all my life and have never heard of the establishment." My hand flew over my heart. "Oh wait- I know why. Because my mother keeps me locked in a chamber where I live out my days gazing out of a lone window. Woe is me!"
Joseph shook his head, chuckling lightly. "Well please, let me show you a good time tonight.”
"I'd be a fool to say no," I answered with a smile.
On the way to the restaurant, Joseph and I bounced questions off one another and shared little facts about ourselves. Or at least he did most of the sharing. It was a combination of me feeling like I was too boring and me being genuinely more interested in him that left me quiet for a good portion of the ride. When we crossed the subject of his car, Joseph only became that much more interesting to me.
"Lucy was a gift from my dad for my sixteenth birthday. I was the happiest kid on the planet and naturally she is the first and only car I've ever driven.”
“Wow, that’s pretty awesome. For my sixteenth birthday I got a new bookshelf. I’m pretty sure I was the happiest kid on the planet.”
At that Joseph laughed. “I believe it,” he said, keeping his eyes on the road.
“So, was there anything that got you into cars?”
“Not exactly I've always loved ‘em, especially the older models."
"What type of car is Lucy?"
"She's a 1970 Mercury XR7 Convertible,” he said, proudly tapping the dashboard.
"I don't know about cars the way you do, like at all, but Lucy is gorgeous inside and out."
"She sure is, isn't she?"
Looking out of the window, I saw we had stopped in front of a cozy looking building. Perched on the roof was a sign that read "Giovanni's Pizza" lit up in bright red sparkling lights that illuminated the entire block. I couldn't wait to see the inside.
A wide-smiling, very tall, burly man who I assumed was the owner, greeted us. He recognized Joseph immediately and pulled him in for a hug.
"Welcome back, kiddo." The man had a thick Italian accent that was rather pleasant to listen to.
"It's always a pleasure," Joseph responded before resuming his place by my side.
"Who might this beautiful young lady be?"
"Sienna, this is Gio. Gio, this is Sienna, my new friend, and indeed very beautiful date."
My heart ricocheted in my chest.
"Hi, it's nice t —"
In the blink of an eye, I was being hugged tightly by what felt like a bear. Boy did Giovanni have a strong grip.
"It's nice to meet you too. Let me get you two a booth." We followed Giovanni to a dimly lit spot near the corner of the restaurant and took our seats. Joseph slid in on the opposite side as Gio scooted off to the kitchen.
"If you change your mind, there will be a piping hot pepperoni pie on the table in a bit. More than enough for two."
"Bet you can't say that ten times fast."
"What?" he asked, confused.
"Piping hot pepperoni pie," I said, grinning.
"You really wanna bet?" he challenged.
"Oh, not at all. I know you won't be able to do it," I teased, tapping the table with my fingers.
"Ouch. I thought you'd have a bit more faith in me, but that's okay. I like proving people wrong. Let me take a sip of my complimentary water before I start."
I laughed a genuine laugh as Joseph cleared his throat. “You’re a fool.”
"Piping hot pepperoni pie, piping hot pepperoni pie, piping hot pepperoni pie...”
He really did it.
"I have to say, I'm very impressed."
"What can I say? I’m a man of many talents, Sienna,” he boasted, raising his glass to take another swig of his water.
"Well, you'll definitely have to show me what else you can do sometime. Maybe I’ll learn a thing or two."
He paused before the glass touched his lips, giving me a pointed look. "Miss Martinez, are you flirting with me?"
My mouth was a loose cannon around this guy. “What? No, I uh —"
"Oooh! The pizza's comin'. I'm starved," he said as Giovanni came into view with a silver tray in his hands. I was more than thankful for the delicious smelling distraction.
Joseph was not kidding when he said Giovanni’s cheesecake would be the best I’d ever have. He was on his fifth slice of pizza while I was finishing my second piece of cheesecake.
"Haha, I told you it was good." He laughed, watching me in amusement.
"Mmm. Not good. Amazzimphh," I said, enjoying the cherry sauce left on my fork. Occasionally I checked my phone to be on the safe side and it was 7:10. I had to be home by 8, but I was nowhere near ready to go.
"I don't want this night to end," I groaned.
"Mom?" he asked, cleaning his face with a napkin.
"Mhm. I've got approximately 50 minutes of freedom left."
"Is there a chance she'd let you stay here a bit longer?"
"That’s the thing. She thinks I'm with Alex right now, preparing for the English presentation tomorrow. Ya see, I might have fibbed."
His eyes widened in feigned shock. "I didn't think you had it in you, Martinez."
"Usually, I'd like- gag if I tried lying. It's like my body physically won’t let me be dishonest," I told him with a shrug.
“Then can I ask you something and get your totally honest answer?” There was a mischievous glint in his eyes.
I didn’t think he’d want to test the theory, but I was going to answer him truthfully. Besides, if I didn’t tell him the truth, all he had to do was look at my face.
I nodded slowly. “Go for it.”
"On a scale of one to ten oranges... how handsome am I?"
"A whopping ten oranges. It’s almost unfair.”
Hearing this, Joseph’s right eyebrow lifted in surprise.
“But on another note, I don't have much time left here and I'm getting a little anxious," I continued.
He physically shook off my admission, which made my lips quirk up into a tiny half smile.
"You're right. We need to calm you down. I'll go pay real quick and then take you somewhere with nothing but open air."
"But —"
"No te preocupes, mi mariposa pequeña. I'll have you home on time." (Don't worry, my little butterfly.)
"Okay."
And with that, we were en route to a destination unbeknownst to me. I was nervous to say the least.
⋅. ✯ .⋅
"Is this the part where you take me to your underground bunker and hold me captive for twelve years?"
The flit of Joseph’s eyes was amusing.
"I'm just trying to match your dark humor. I lay dead bodies in my foyer while you kidnap people. We’d be wonderful together, no?"
He grinned at me in response and muttered something under his breath that I didn’t quite catch. A couple of minutes later, we were driving down a dirt path before pulling over to park. Joseph led me down a narrowing rock trail. It was beginning to get dark, so I clung onto his jacket as he walked in front of me. We were about to reach what I assumed was the final stop, he halted in his tracks and turned to face me.
"Aaand you're going to kill me now."
"Enough with your tain
ted thoughts. Close your eyes for a second."
I obeyed and let my eyes adjust to the darkness of my eyelids. That was when I felt Joseph's warm hand latch onto mine. The touch alone was enough to send a volt of electricity through my veins. I shook, never having felt anything like that before.
Probably mistaking my response for fear, he lightly squeezed my hand and cooed into my ear. "Don't worry, I'm right here."
We resumed a slow walking pace for what seemed like hours. But soon he let go of my hand and told me to open my eyes. I gaped at the landscape before me, completely in awe. We stood on a cliff overlooking a sparkling ocean lit by the full moon that rested overhead. It appeared so big that I could distinguish the many sizes of the craters that scattered it. A million stars were out, and I couldn't peel my eyes away from it.
"This is- wow, it’s beautiful out here, Joseph."
"I'm really happy you think so,” he replied.
“Do you have 'coolest and most romantic places within a ten-mile radius' tapped into your phone?"
He shook his head. "Nah... beautiful things are everywhere. Solo tienes que buscar los.” (You just have to look for them.)
“You know, that’s true.”
"Let's go a bit closer," he said, beckoning me to follow.
Joseph and I sat on the edge of the cliff, letting our feet dangle below us. It was just the two of us, the stars, and the open air. I was content.
"I could live outdoors, right here,” he said, breaking the comfortable silence. “As a kid I loved camping and stargazing. It was pretty much all I did.”
"I've never been camping.”
He tore his eyes from the sky and looked at me in disbelief. “What?!”
"I've never been camping?"
"That means you've never enjoyed life. It also means you've never had s'mores, or-or talked for hours with the sun and stars being your only source of time."
"...I’ve had a s'more."
He scoffed. "I bet it wasn't a real one! You probably toasted marshmallows in your house over the stove."
I burst into a fit of giggles. "Hey! It’s a great life hack. Especially for the nights that are too cold to be outside."
"Too cold,” he mocked, adding an animated roll of his eyes that made me laugh harder. "Sienna. There is no excuse not to be out in nature, completely basking in all its glory. You have to go camping at least once in your life."
"Maybe I will. But that's clearly not happening tonight."
He looked away from me and back at the open ocean as he ran a hand through his hair. "We may not be able to go camping tonight. But we can jump."
I stared at him incredulously. "You mean... jump... as in leap from this cliff and into the deep, dark abyss below?"
"Precisely.”
"I-I don't know. I mean, we didn't even bring swimming suits."
"Do we really need them, though?" he asked, finally looking at me.
"Joseph! I'm not skinny dipping."
He laughed at my outburst. "I wasn't suggesting that. We both wear underwear, right?"
I deeply considered this for a second. Do I jump or do I find every excuse not to?
Being so caught up in my decision making, I didn't realize that Joseph had gotten up and began undressing. His t-shirt fell to the ground on top of his socks and sneakers. Next, followed his jeans. I looked up to see him standing in nothing but a pair of fitted black Polo boxer briefs. My breath got caught in my throat. He flashed me a wink before back-flipping into the ocean and landing with an inaudible splash. It was all on me now.
“Oh gosh, am I really going to do this?”
I took several deep breaths as I could barely contain my nerves. Slowly, I slipped off my shirt and then tossed my chucks aside.
"You coming in or what!?" I faintly heard Joseph shout from below.
Ignoring him, I took another deep breath and stepped out of my jeans. Clad in my panties, bra, and my tank top, I closed my eyes, following his footsteps to the very edge and plunged into the frigid water with a shriek. When I resurfaced, Joseph was cheering.
"How's it feel?" he asked, observing my attempt to float.
"F-f-feels fine. I c-can’t believe I just did that!"
"Haha, are you cold?" he chuckled, but I heard the concern lining his voice.
"A little."
"Swim a bit closer to me."
I waded through the water until I was a few inches in front of him. He secured his arms around me and I wrapped my legs around his waist without even thinking. I wasn't the best swimmer and Joseph was like a human buoy.
Me clinging to him was probably the last thing he was expecting because his normally confident smirk was traded for a shy, boyish simper that made my heart skip a beat. However, it was gone quickly.
"Do you trust me?" he asked.
"Y-yes... for some reason,” I replied, still shaking in his arms.
Before I could register, he submerged me along with himself under the water. My scream was muffled by the waves. When he brought us back up, I smacked him across the chest as hard as I could and as a result, there was a loud splat. He stared back at me completely unfazed. Delighted even.
"What the heck, Joseph??!"
I was mad at him, but my grip on his body only grew tighter.
"Are you warmer now?”
“I guess! But why did you do that?"
"Your body needed to get used to the temperature of the water. I simply sped up the process."
"You don't have to be such a —"
"Such a what, Sienna?"
"Shut up."
“No, please give me your worst.”
“Seems to me like you wanna get smacked again.”
It must have been a funny picture that I painted in his mind. My arms and legs were tightly wrapped around his neck and torso like a koala wrapped around a bamboo tree. On my face was an evil glare. Or at least I hope I looked intimidating.
I watched as he slicked his hair back with his free hand. The longer I looked, the harder it was to remember why I was even upset with him. The moon lit up his gorgeous tan skin and I could make out every line of his muscular, not overly defined frame.
My eyes followed the beads of water that dripped from his luxuriant hair and slid down his chest. I’d never been this close with a guy, but I fully appreciated Joseph and how he carried himself.
"You know, it is very impolite to stare, but it's another issue to drool," he commented, breaking me from my trance.
"What?! I am not drooling."
"Maybe you weren't drooling, but you didn't deny the staring."
"So what, I was staring. Is that what you want to hear?"
"Maybe. All I know is that your face is way too deep a shade of pink to be innocent.”
He took my burning face in one large hand and gave my cheeks a gentle squish. Joseph provoked more nerves than I'd like to admit. I tried turning away, but his lingering hand on my chin stopped me short.
“Hey, what’s the matter?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I just...”
Maybe it was my imagination or logically the growing dark of the night, but when I finally looked up at him, his normally hazel eyes appeared inky. That’s what made me lose my train of thought, and the intensity only grew as the moments passed.
A gasp escaped my lips upon feeling one of his arms snake around my shoulders, tugging me impossibly close. Our chests were connected, and mine quickly rose and fell.
“Joseph...”
His eyes flitted from my face and down to my lips before going back up. I was sure he was going to lean in and seal what little space was left between us, but I wasn't ready for that.
Taking in a quick deep breath and closing my eyes, I sunk into the water and freed myself from Joseph's grasp, ending up behind him. He whirled around, confusion evident on his face. I had to suppress a laugh.
"What just happened? I felt a vibe. Did you not feel a vibe?" he asked.
/> A naughty idea came to mind.
"Oh, I felt a vibe. But it was more like this.”
Before he could ask any follow up questions, I splashed him with the cold water and swam away before he could retaliate.
His voice boomed in the open air. "You wanna play? Fine, we can play... but you'll regret messing with a master splasher."
As if the night could go on forever, Joseph and I frolicked about in the ocean. That was until I heard the distant hum of a ringtone that sounded exactly like mine.
Sienna- 1 Mom- 1
"Oh my gosh, is it 8 already?!" I shouted, panic building within me.
Joseph's face fell before he remembered the time crunch. "C'mon, there are some steps around here that'll lead us back to the top," he said.
We swam to the shallow end and hurriedly made our way back to the cliff. I slipped out of my sodden tank top and threw on my dry clothes before running for the car. I didn’t even care that my untied shoelaces could’ve killed me. My heart was drumming at an alarming rate as Joseph grabbed his keys from the now soaked pocket of his jeans and unlocked the car.
When he reached for his phone that rested on the dashboard, I held my breath.
"It's 7:48, but I'm confident that I can get you home within the next ten minutes."
I let out a deep sigh. "I trust you; this was just too close."
My heart eventually regained its natural rhythm, and I was able to enjoy the ride back. Joseph had turned on the radio and sung along to a few songs. The sound of his voice quickly lulled me to sleep.
7:56 p.m.
"Hey, sleepy head," Joseph said, gently nudging me awake.
"...are we home?" I asked, stretching my arms above my head.
"Yup, it's crazy how fast you can fall asleep. But I made sure to park a few houses down like before,” he said, holding the steering wheel. “I also called Alex and told her that we were together. Your mom called and I figured you needed a stronger alibi."
"Thank you, Joseph, I-I don't know what to say. Tonight’s been amazing."
"You’re welcome and I’m glad. I really wanna-
7:58 p.m.
A loud banging on the passenger side window cut him off. I turned to meet the familiar fawn-haired menace.
"Alex, what the fu —"
"Your mom is coming over to check on you! Get your happy ass out of the car!!" she screamed through the glass.
