Marco
Millie stood there, her mouth slightly agape, her red curls wild around her face and shoulders. She was wearing a dress that clung to her body in all the right ways. In one hand she held shells and in the other her heels. I glanced down at her bare feet, covered in sand, and then looked back up to her face. Her eyes were bright, happy to see me, and a smile hovered on her lips.
It felt like it was the first time I was truly seeing her. The first time that I was truly appreciating her. The first time that I wanted to commit every inch of her face to memory. The first time I’d ever wanted to capture a moment and put it in an album to revisit over and over again.
“It’s a pretty cold night,” I just said. I wanted to kiss her, wanted to pull her into my arms, but I didn’t want to disrespect her, didn’t want her to think that the only reason I was here was to be with her sexually. The way I felt about her transcended the physical. I realized that now. I wanted to laugh out loud—how quickly it all had happened! How fast I’d fallen for her. Me, the man who didn’t do relationships. Didn’t fall for any woman.
I’d fallen hard and fast and without warning, and she would never believe me.
“It is.” She nodded, her fingers moving up to play with one of her curls.
“You look cold.” I could warm you up if you want.
“I’m okay.”
“It’s good to see you.” It feels like it’s been years since I’ve seen you.
“You too.”
“Shall we walk along the beach?” Can you run into my arms so I can hold you close and kiss you?
“Sure, do you want to take your shoes off or are you okay like that?”
“I’ll keep them on for now.” I closed the small gap between us, resisting the urge to take her hand. “Do you need me to hold any of the shells or your heels?”
“I actually wouldn’t say no.” She looked sheepish. “Would you mind holding my heels? That way I can continue to gather the shells and then I’ll put them into my bag.”
“Of course.” I took her heels from her and we started our walk along the side of the ocean. “Too bad we’re not next to a warmer ocean. We could have gone swimming.”
“Do you mean skinny dipping?”
“Would you have gone skinny dipping with me?”
“No,” she said quickly, and I laughed.
We continued walking in companionable silence for a few minutes and then I cleared my throat and spoke.
“I just wanted to apologize again for the other night. I shouldn’t have let my ego influence me. I never should have given that guy your panties.”
“It’s just gross, Marco,” she said with a sigh. “It’s just a lack of respect toward me.” She stopped, her chin jutting out obstinately and her eyes flashing. She wasn’t smiling now. “Do you know how that made me feel?”
“I’m guessing it made you feel cheap.” I bit down on my lower lip and sighed. “And I hate that I made you feel that way. It was never my intention.”
“I’m not some whore or stripper,” she snapped. “You can’t treat me like that. I don’t care if we’re not in a relationship, you have to respect me and treat me better than that.”
“I know.” Her cheeks were flushed with anger, and I knew that I couldn’t just go home tomorrow without trying to give this a real shot. “Come with me,” I blurted out before I had time to think. “Come with me to Los Angeles tomorrow, stay the weekend, and give me a chance to make it up to you.”
“What?” She looked as shocked by my words as I felt. “What do you mean?”
“I have miles. I can get you a plane ticket on my flight or I’ll wait for a flight you can get on. Spend the weekend with me. You said you want an adventure, right? You said you want to travel? Come to LA. You can stay with me at my house, and if you don’t want to stay at my house, I can get you a hotel room, anywhere you want. West Hollywood, Santa Monica, you name it. Just give me another shot to show you I’m not the douchebag you think I am. Let me make it up to you.”
“I don’t know what to say.” Millie still looked flabbergasted. Avoiding my eyes, she opened her bag and dumped her shells inside. “That’s a huge offer, very generous of you, but I really don’t know if it’s a good idea.”
“I’d really like for you to come.” I looked away from her and toward the water, my eyes trying to focus on a horizon that I couldn’t really see. My heart pounded as I waited for her decision.
“What would we do?” she asked quietly.
“Anything you want us to do.”
“I’d like to see the Hollywood sign and go down Rodeo Drive—oh, and also watch a Dodgers game, and maybe go to Venice Beach,” she said breathlessly. “That’s if I decide to go, of course.”
“We can go anywhere you want to go. And yeah, I’d love to take you to a baseball game.” I risked a little smile. “Maybe we can even throw a ball around a bit?”
“You’d throw around a ball with a girl?” she teased me, and I couldn’t help myself. I dropped her shoes on the ground and put my arms around her, pulling her toward me.
“I wouldn’t throw the ball to just any girl.”
“Oh, no?” She gazed up at me, eyes shining.
“Just with you.”
“Well, with an offer like that, how could I refuse?”
“How indeed?” I leaned down and kissed her on the lips. She kissed me back passionately, but I stopped the kiss before it could go any further. I didn’t want this night to be about sex. “So is that a yes?”
“I guess so.” She nodded. “I’m only coming for the free trip though, not because I like you.”
“Well, of course. Why would you like me? I’m only a hunky baseball player who can make you come with his lips, fingers, and cock.” I winked at her and she swatted my arm playfully.
“Don’t push it, Marco, or I won’t come with you.”
“My lips are sealed.” I grabbed her hand and brought it to my lips. “Shall we go back to your place so you can pack some things and then head back to my apartment?”
“What? Why?” She frowned. “I’m not sleeping with you, Marco.”
“I think it will be easier for us to head to the airport together tomorrow. I’ll sleep on the couch.” I bent down and picked up her heels. “You feel cold, we should go now.”
“It’s not that cold.”
“You’re freezing, Millie.” I rubbed her shoulders to warm her up. “Don’t be obstinate, just accept the fact that you’re cold.”
“Fine,” she huffed and we headed toward the street. “I don’t want you coming back with me to my apartment, though.”
“Why not?” I cocked my head to the side and stared at her face. “Is it because of Talia?”
“Why do you want to come back to mine so badly? Hoping to have a threesome again?”
I hid a smile. I loved it when Millie was jealous. “I have no interest in Talia. Look, we can just go back to mine, and you can get some new clothes in LA. Would you prefer that?”
She shook her head. “I’m not wearing this dress on the plane.”
“Then we’re going back to yours first.”
“Why do you have to come as well?”
“Because I’m scared that if I let you go home alone, you might change your mind about coming on this trip,” I admitted quietly.
She looked up at me with a little smile on her face. She held on to my arm as we walked back across the sand and we didn’t say anything else for a few more minutes. As we got to the sidewalk, I handed her the shoes, and she slipped them on. I grabbed my phone and opened the Uber app.
“So, to your place or mine?” I asked her.
She thought about it for a moment. “We can go to mine.” She sighed. “But we should spend the night there because I’m too tired and drunk to pack anything right now.”
She yawned to emphasize her point, and I laughed before pulling her to me and kissing the top of her head.