Black Diamonds

I remember when I had first met him. The glowing smile that graced his lips from across the room and the way it took me off guard. I looked around me to make sure it was me before I even gestured in return, only to figure out that my friends had disappeared and no one was even paying attention to the man who was still looking at me. I shot him a grin back.

He didn’t seem like the type of guy to send a smirk my way, not even a passing glance. He had dark, medium length hair and one of the nicest smiles I had ever seen, but maybe I’m just exaggerating. He wore a gray T-shirt with cigarettes rolled in the sleeve and black denim pants. He was facing me as I walked over from across the bar and spun in his chair my way as I made my way into the seat beside him.

The words we shared were formed into a normal, bar pick-up conversation. He bought me a drink, I offered to pay, and he, of course, insisted. It wasn’t one of those drinks you got from a man who was balding and has been staring at you for the past hour, this one was different. He was different. Sweet, genuine, and someone who seemed like he had it together. Maybe that’s why I stayed for a full hour in the same bar stool beside him. Maybe that’s why I didn’t even check my phone or receive the texts from my worried friends who had already left. And just maybe, that’s why I left the bar with him.

No this isn’t going where it usually does. This goes somewhere entirely different. I was on my way back to the house when the urge to not leave enveloped me. He was standing by the opened taxi door and as I began to sit down, the words fell from my mouth, “Come with me.”

He half-smiled at me and let out a small, relief-filled chuckle. “I thought you would never ask.” I giggled back and scooted over to make room. Somehow we both knew this wasn’t going to end in the night of sex leading to an awkward walk of shame, but something that was rare.

I wasn’t quite sure where it was going to go at the time. Was I just going to take him inside? All of my friends were in there, either passed out or staying up waiting for me to get home. I sat in the cab worried about what to do next. I was in an unfamiliar town so I couldn’t just ask to go to another place. Plus it was already past midnight.

But once we pulled up to the house, it made sense. The moon glistened off the water behind the towering building and I knew where we could go. He tried to pay for the taxi but this time I was the one who did the insisting. I then walked him past the house and to the water. I plopped down in the sand and patted the ground beside me. He followed my command.

Who knew that one smile could lead to a night filled with meaningful conversation. I would have never guessed in a million years. But by six a.m, I didn’t know whether to just let him stay or to have him leave.

“My friends are in there,” I started to say as we groggily got up from the cold sand. He pulled me up from the ground as I almost stumbled. “I don’t want them to get the wrong idea. That’s the last thing I need being cooped up in this place.”

He smiled at me. “I completely understand. Just make sure you answer my calls. I wouldn’t want something like this to go to waste.” I assured him I would do so as I began to dial another cab and walk him to the front.

This time, before he got into the cab, his hand slid around my waist and pulled me close, our chests touching. His face leaned close to mind and his lips pressed against me for a short kiss. “See ya soon, darlin’,” he said before letting go and slipping into the cab. I waved him off and stood outside until I couldn’t see the cab anymore. And by the time I was inside, all was quiet and dark.

The following morning was just as dreadful as I had imagined. I lazed my way down the steps and plopped on the couch after being dragged out of my bed at only nine. She stood over me, looking down at me with disapproval. “What happened to you last night? Where were you? Why didn’t you answer me and Renee’s calls?” The questions spewed out of her and I couldn’t even wrap my head around the first one after only a couple hours of sleep, at the most.

“Kay, please calm down. Can I just talk to you later? I’m really tired,” I tried to ease, but she was not having it. I knew she wasn’t as upset as she was acting, moreover just being nosy and hated the idea of being annoyed.

Kayla groaned and plopped beside me on the couch. Her dark brown hair flew up and landed at the same time she did. She slid some pieces from her face before leaning close into me. “Renee was really worried,” she whispered, making sure she didn’t hear. “She thinks you’re just trying to get out of the house because it’s obvious you don’t want to be here.”

I let out a small sigh. “You and her both know I don’t want to be here. I made it obvious for a reason.” It’s only the third morning of us being here and I already want to go home. Renee had called us all to her new beach house in California, but she forgot to tell us all who would be here. Sure I was still friends with a few of us, but the others, I could say very little good things about still. “But that’s not the reason I was out.”

“Then why were you?” Kayla asked. I began to instantly regret leaving a hole in our conversation for a question like that. The last thing I wanted was for her to find out about last night. I started to feel pressured and I could feel my face getting hot. “You met a boy, didn’t you! Did you sleep with him?”

“No!” I instantly shut down her thought process. I knew she would ask me that, she was the biggest snoop around and was always waiting for the next thing to run and tell everyone.

“So you didn’t meet a guy?” she questioned, now getting confused. Then she smirked. “I knew you weren’t that type.”

“Well, I--” What she said began to click in my mind. What did she mean by that? “Wait, what type?” I asked, squinting my eyes and starting to get defensive.

“The type to actually talk to a guy at a bar and attempt to start a conversation. And god forbid go home with him. You’re too shy for that, Lace,” she explained casually.

“Oh like you ever would! You’ve dated Jacob for the past year and met him in a class you guys took together. You won’t even accept a drink from someone at a bar,” I defended.

“Neither would you,” she replied.

“Yes I would. I did last night,” I flatly stated, still offended. Then I realized what she had done, she weaseled the information she wanted right out of me. I scowled once this realization hit me and she smiled cheerfully.

“So who is this guy? Is he cute? Did you guys hook up?” The questions flew all over the place again, confusing me all over again.

After I let them all process in my sleep-deprived mind, I began to answer. “Well his name is Jackson,” I started off. “And no I didn’t sleep with him. He just stayed for awhile last night.”

“You brought him here? Renee would kill you.”

“No she wouldn’t. She would be shocked and proud of me. The others, I’m not so sure about. They would just be assholes, probably.”

“Who? Nick and Trey?” Kayla lowered her voice as she said their names. “They are just assholes in general.”

Nick and Trey, two of the many who are in Renee’s home, have been best friends for awhile and within our group, when we were friends, we kind of all had a thing with or for them. Hearts were broken, friendships were lost, yada yada yada. I’ll get into it later. It was a long time ago. Life goes on, you know? And you definitely don’t think you’d end up spending your summer with them.

Both of them, mostly Nick, were pretentious and pompous asses, able to make you feel like dirt at the drop of a hat. If you didn’t like whatever they are into, you’re obviously stupid and uncultured. Especially if you don’t want to listen to Nick talk about space theories for hours on end. Even Trey can’t handle that. We just ignore him.

I shrugged. “Well what they don’t know won’t hurt them. So don’t blab all over about this,” I hissed, making sure she knew I was serious. Kayla had a problem with these sort of situations.

“Okay, Okay. I promise,” she assured. “When do I get to meet this Jackson?”

“Hopefully not for awhile,” I muttered under my breath as I decided to get up and try to sleep again. I heard her shout after me and grab for my hand to pull me back down but I swatted her off. “I’m too tired for this,” I moaned out, making my way up the stairs.

Unfortunately, she chased after me. I kept walking up the steps behind me, poking her nose into my business with every question that flew out from her mouth. I tried to quiet her with every fiber of my body, spinning around, covering her mouth, almost pushing her flat on her back down the stairs. I knew she wasn’t serious, she just loved to get this rise out of me. “Would you stop? I don’t want everyone to hear you.”

We were at the top of the steps by this point. I started going into my room before she said, “I doubt he’ll even call you back. He probably just wanted someone to mess with.” She rolled her eyes. “Most guys at bars are like that.”

I shook my head and pulled her into my room, closing the door behind me. “I told you, I didn’t even sleep with him. And I bet you he will call.”

“Yeah. Right,” she chuckled sarcastically.

I growled. “I regret letting you in here. Now, out, out, out,” I swatted, closing the door tightly and sliding back into bed. It was only nine in the morning. He’ll call later.