Happy Times

Jeff

I got nervous as I slid back into the driver’s seat. Madeline was already comfy; slouching and reading Shirley by Charlotte Bronte. She looked up from her novel as I closed the door and started the car.

“You ready for the beach?” I asked and added a smile.

She smiled back and nodded, “Do you have my sunglasses?” I nodded as I gave her them. “Thanks.” She added before closing her book and putting it in her beach bag.”So,” She said awkwardly.

“So,” I answered, talking to her use to be so easy, what happened?

In the end, I turned on the radio and she returned back to her book. She looked pretty content with a half smile on her face. “So what’s… What’s the book about?” I asked trying to make conversation. To say the least, I was nervous about telling her. No, I can’t do it. Not now, not on this supposedly perfect day.

“Um,” She hesitates breaking me away from my thoughts, “It’s about this girl. It’s a romance.” She paused again, “There’s this guy named Robert and he’s poor but he’s in love with his cousin Caroline and you know how it is in those times, people would marry their family.”

I laugh slightly, “That’s interesting.” She sarcastically glares at me, I laugh again, “Sorry, continue.”

She laughs a little too, “He tries to forget about her though and wishes to marry another girl named Shirley, hence the name. Shirley is rich, pretty, and outgoing which is the complete opposite of Caroline who’s poor and quiet and never speaks out.” The more she talked about it the more it made me think of real life. I guess I’m Robert and Sierra is Shirley and Madeline is Caroline. “Robert actually proposes to Shirley but Shirley refuses his offer because she only wants to marry for love. When Caroline hears of the proposal she is devastated and refuses to eat becoming very sick.”

The rest of the ride went by quickly as she continued to describe Shirley. I told her I wish could read it but what would the guys say. She just laughed and shook her head.

“I like the book, I just… I don’t know, I just do.” She finished as we pulled into a parking spot along the beach. I nodded in agreement as I got out and walked to the trunk of the car to get the beach umbrella and beach chairs. She slung her beach bag on her shoulder and grabbed the towel bag. We slowly walked the boardwalk to the beach in silence.

Madeline

When I decided we walked enough in the sand, I set down my bags and walked over to Jeff to help him with the beach umbrella. We opened the chairs under the umbrella and sat down taking in our surroundings for the first time. It wasn’t crowded but there were quite a few people here. I looked at the warm sand and the blue sky and the water… ah the water. I stood up and grabbed Jeff, pulling him up too.

“What?” He asked as he let me pull him up.

“I want to go into the water.” I answered as I let go of his hand and slid off my white beach dress to reveal my kelly green bikini. “I meet you in there,” I said as I turned around and began to head towards the water.

He grabs my hand and pulls me back into his arms. I smiled, his lips inches from mine. My eyes fluttered closed as he pressed lips again mine. He pulled me closer into his chest and ran the tips of his fingers down my bare spine making me shiver. I felt my back heating up in the sunlight and gently pulled away from him so I could put on suntan lotion so I wouldn’t get burned. He took the bottle from my hands and began to rub it on my back.

I laughed, “Okay.” I said standing there, waiting for him to be done. Afterward he took of his shirt and I took the bottle and began to rub lotion on him. “Wow,” I said distracted by his abs.

He looked at me self-consciously and I laughed, “ You’re like… built. I don’t see why you wouldn’t want to show it off.”

He smirks at me as I rub lotion on his shoulders and back. After I finished he turned around and pulled me in for another quick kiss. I laughed as I saw a kid looking at us with a disgusted expression.

I playfully pushed away from him and ran into the ocean. He followed, being a lot faster than me reached me as I met the water. I tried to keep running but I became slower by the current and he came up behind me and picked me up.

“Put me down.” I said, laughing.

“Not a chance,” he answered taking me deeper into the salty water. It wasn’t until he was waist deep that he dropped me. I plopped into the water feeling the cool water and salt spread through every part of my body. I waited a second before coming back up to surprise him.

“Ahhhh.” I said coming back up but he just looked at me like I was crazy. I smiled, shrugged and plunged back in the water so I could swim farther out.

When I rose up I turned and he was right beside me.

“You’re so fast.” I complain.

“That’s what you get for being an athlete.” He answered, grinning.

“Really? I thought it was the abs.” I said as I playfully poked his rock hard stomach.

He looked at me self-consciously again and I just rolled my eyes and got ready to go back under. Before I could plunge he had me by the waist and pulled me back up. Next thing I knew he was kissing me. I wrapped my arms around his neck getting us as close as possible. He slid his hands down my waist and rested them on my hips.

I laughed as I thought about what John would say, “No P.D.A.” I sighed in between kisses. I missed him.

“What?” Jeff asked as he pulled away noticing my change of mood.

I shrugged, “I miss John.”

Jeff’s face changed from a playful smile into a half scowl. “What?” I asked with a sarcastic pouty voice.

“He doesn’t like me.” He answered plainly.

I laughed nervously remembering when they met. Jeff pulled away from me and began to swim back to shore. “Jeff!” I called after him. “Jeff! C’mon!”

I began to swim after him but he was already drying off when I finally reached shore.

I looked at Jeff’s face, expecting him to be mad but he wasn’t. He looked guilty about something, but what?

“What’s going on?” I asked sternly.

He avoided my eyes and kept drying himself off.

“Jeff, what is it? You can tell me.”