Vodka and Lemonade

He drove me to a secluded part Santa Monica. The only marker for the place was an old overgrown lot with a “for sale” sign across the street. Brian took my hand and led me through a patch of rough shrubs and prickle-bushes toward the ocean. He stopped to take off his shoes, deposited them by some bushes, and walked until his feet touched the water before he sat down. Wordlessly, I joined him with my toes in the water.

“This is my favorite spot just to sit and think,” he told me after a few minutes of silence.

I looked up at the clear night sky. Thousands of stars littered the sky. It nearly took my breath away. I hadn’t seen stars like this in a long time. It always bugged me when someone said that a place looked beautiful. I couldn’t ever figure out what they meant. But now I see. I can see exactly what they were talking about.

“I don’t take many people here, but there’s something different about you. Something special,” Brian rattled on. I was barely paying attention as I stood up and looked around me. “Hey! What are you doing?” he asked, still seated on the warm sand.

I sucked in a breath, letting the gentle breeze and the sounds of the waves calm me. I had never felt this at peace in my life. It seemed that all my tension was being washed away by the waves. I turned to face him. “If there is a Heaven, I think I’ve found it,” I half-whispered.

He grinned and patted the ground beside him. I sat back down. “I know what you mean,” he said in a soft voice as he put his arm behind me. “There’s just something so smoothing about this place. It’s like…I dunno, magic I guess.” He shifted his body closer to me.

“Personally, I don’t take much stock in magic. There’s nothing that can make it all better. It’s up to you. It’s your choice.”

He shifted around to look at me. “So, if you were given the choice, would you choose to make your life better?”

I bit the right side of my lip in thought. After much thought, I casually shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know. I mean, I’ve been living like this all my life. It’s almost…comfortable, I guess.”

“So, you’re telling me that you’re happy.”

I shrugged again. “I don’t know anything else. I don’t have family and all of my friends just use me as a drug hook-up. The only person I can go to talk to is Meeri, and even then she complains when I talk about my problems,” I fumbled for my pack of cigarettes and lighter. When I got one lit, I slowly exhaled the smoke. “I’m just happy that I live in an apartment, even if it is inhabited by creatures and the water pressure is crap, if it’s working at all. I’m lucky that I have two jobs and many people my age with my background don’t. Some people get mansions, others get cardboard boxes. It’s the way life is, I guess.”

“That’s very cynical in an optimistic way.”

I bowed my head. “I don’t understand.”

“I mean that it’s depressing, but your tone was happy. Wow, yeah, that doesn’t make sense,” he chuckled. “So, what else?"

I gave him an odd look. “What?”

“What else are you going to tell me about you? At the diner, we just talked about me.”

I grabbed another cigarette and lit it. “There’s nothing to know. You already know about my present.”

“Well, what about your past? What do you want for your future?”

I shook my head and stood up. “I knew this was a bad idea,” I mumbled, starting to walk to where my shoes were.

Brian caught my hand. “Wait, no. Stop. I’m sorry. We’ll stick to more platonic things. What’s your favorite color? Mine’s purple”

I looked back at him. “That’s a very girly color.”

He shrugged, standing up also. “So? It’s fun and it makes me happy,” he said, there was a lustful glint in his eye. “What about you? What color makes you happy?”

I shrugged, cursing myself for allowing him to get me sidetracked. “Haven’t thought about it really.”

He smirked and grabbed my other hand. “We’re just going to have to fix that,” he replied, his face inching closer to mine.

“Are you seriously about to kiss me after we had a conversation over colors?” I asked.

“Sure, why not?” he asked, grinning mischievously, his face was getting closer. “I’ve wanted to kiss you ever since I first saw you."

I shook my head and ducked out at the last possible second. I chuckled at his expression. “Sorry, but it takes more than words and a pretty face to get this,” I said, gesturing to my body.

He sighed and dropped his head. After a split second, he lifted it. “I have a thought.”

I stepped back, not exactly liking his expression.

“You want to see a different life. Ah! No talking,” he quickly interrupted my protest. “You say you’re happy, but I can see it in your eyes. You want something different- something new. I can give that to you. Just go out with me.”

“I don’t date.”

“But you want to. I’ve seen you looking at couples. Your eyes are more revealing than you think. You wish that you could have someone to just sleep with, no sex needed. You want to know what it’s like to be wrapped up in someone’s arms. You want to know what love feels like. You want to know what a home is, what friends are.”

I turned away from him.

He took a step closer. “You don’t need to be so afraid. I won’t let anything hurt you.” He touched my arm gently. “Three months, that’s all I’m asking for.”

I turned back to face him and smiled. “You really don’t take “no” for an answer?”

He smirked, “not at all,” he said, leaning down and capturing my lips.

I was surprised at how soft they were. Normally, I stay away from kissing because that’s when emotions get involved, but if I absolutely have to kiss the guy, they normally have either chapped or greasy lips. And those are really nasty, but not Brian’s. Brian’s were very nice, and he knew how to work them. It wasn’t before long that I granted his tongue access. My mind exploded in pleasure as he worked his magic. I had to consciously stop myself from pushing my body into his.

He pulled away and smiled. “Here, I’ll take you home.”

I stomped my foot and groaned.

He smirked and pecked my lips. “Uh-uh, I don’t give everything away on the first date. What kind of guy to do take me for?” he smiled playfully.

“The guy that takes ex-hookers out on dates,” I smiled as I playfully punched him in the stomach.

He grunted. “I don’t think I deserved that.”

I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter, because I think you did.”

“You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”

I grinned. “Not at all,” I replied before walking back to his car.