“Fuck me, you’re cute.” We go over the basics, and then I climb on. I hold my hand out to Laken, and for a second I think she’s going to back out, but then she takes it.
She’s so short that she has to step on the peg to get her other leg over. Once she’s settled I grab her hands and pull her until her arms are wrapped around me. I start my bike, kick up the kickstand, and then we’re off.
It’s impossible to talk, but I can tell she’s enjoying herself because she just starts giggling out of nowhere, and I feel it vibrate against my back.
One of these days I’d love to take her for a ride on the PCH, but that’s an all-day affair. From time to time my dad and I will go on road trips.
It’s our bonding time he says, especially since I’ve been away at school because he’s then surrounded by women; of course he loves it, though. My mom and Bree spoil the man.
I reach the spot I wanted to bring Laken to. It’s a bluff that overlooks the ocean, and when the sun is out the water looks like sparkling diamonds. I roll to a stop, shutting my bike off before helping her off. Our helmets hang off the handlebars as I grab her hand and walk her over to the ridge.
“Wow,” she whispers softly. It is a magnificent view.
Without hesitating I wrap my arm around her shoulders, and thankfully she lets me as we stare at the water. “I love to come here sometimes when I need a break from things.” I look down at Laken, and she smiles up at me. “You’re the first person I’ve ever brought here.”
She surprises me by wrapping her arms around my waist and giving me a squeeze. It ends sooner than I’d like, but at least Laken initiated touching me. That’s got to be a good sign, right?
We ride around a little while longer before I take her to Oscar’s Mexican Seafood where we both order the surf and turf tacos. Once they take our order and leave, I grab Laken’s hand and rub my thumb back and forth over her knuckles.
“Where are you from?” I ask.
She tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m from Riverside, born and raised. What about you?”
“Hermosa Beach. My parents moved there at the beginning of their relationship the second time. Before that it was Temecula.”
“Second time?”
I always, well not always, get nervous sharing my parents’ story, but I don’t like people who judge my dad for something he did because he was protecting someone he loved. “My parents met on a cross country trip. Dad said he tried not to, but he fell in love with Mom right away. Toward the end of their trip they were in Vegas and got fake married. The next morning my mom woke up, and my dad was gone.”
“Gone? Like he left her?” Our waitress sets our drinks down, and I watch Laken wrap her lips around her straw. I feel my dick jump at the sight, but I ignore it so I can finish telling the story.
“Yep, and for two years they were apart. See, my dad was on his way to California to turn himself in to serve time in prison.” Her eyes widen. “He beat the shit out of the guy who raped my aunt.” Laken grabs my hand.
“My dad had no clue he was going to meet my mom and that she’d be the one. Anyway, long story short, he stalked her a little when he got out. Took care of her lawn and landscaping so she didn’t have to worry about it, but she was with someone else by then. He fought hard to win her back, and by the time they got married for real, in that same chapel, she was already pregnant with me.”
“Oh wow, that sounds like it could be a romance novel.”
I laugh because that isn’t the first time I’ve heard that. “I know, right. Those two are so ridiculously in love, that’s for sure. I know I’m lucky because so many people I know are divorced. What about your folks?”
“Nothing as romantic as that, but my dad met my mom at a Pearl Jam concert. Sparks flew between them from the very start. My dad’s a lawyer and my mom works part-time at a local winery. I have a brother, Jay; he’s eighteen.” She thanks the waitress when our food is set in front of us.
While we dig into our food, I realize Laken turns a lot of the conversation back to me. I mean, I get she’s shy, but I’d love to learn more about her.
After we finish, we kick off our shoes and walk out onto the beach. I reach out and grab her hand, lacing our fingers together. Thankfully she doesn’t pull away from me.
We reach the edge of the water, and I let go of her hand so we can roll up our pant legs. Laken steps into the water first and sighs happily. She turns to me and smiles. “I love the water. My dad says they’d bring me to the beach, and I’d play and play until they’d have to drag me out kicking and screaming.”
I step up next to her and dig my toes into the sand. The sun is starting to set, and the light breeze feels amazing. Out of the corner of eye I watch a single silvery tear slide down Laken’s cheek.
“Hey, what is it?” She lets me hold her, albeit reluctantly. “Did I do something?”
Laken shakes her head. “No, this has been the best date I’ve ever had.”
Why does it sound like she’s saying goodbye? Her actions say otherwise because she holds onto me tighter. I kiss the top of her head and inhale the scent of her hair, which is coconut.
What
