let’s go sit down for a little while.” He led her over to a lifeguard tower. They climbed up and sat on the top platform. “So you mentioned your dad earlier, I’d love to hear about your family. Your childhood. What makes you…you.”
“Well, there’s not a whole lot to it. My parents are still together after forty-five years. My mother was an elementary school teacher and my dad worked as a technician for the electric company. Sam and Donna Stone. They’re both retired now and live in New Mexico. And I have an older brother, Jace. He’s head chef at a nice restaurant in downtown Chicago. And that’s my family. And I’m the slacker of the family.”
“No you’re the baby. No wonder you’re so carefree and happy. You’ve been well loved.” She gave him a guilty look. “I know what you’re thinking. So stop it. You have nothing to feel guilty over, because you have a loving family. It just gives me hope that it’s all possible. Love, family…happiness.” Gabe gazed at her, hoping to convey in one look, how much he wanted that with her. A week ago I couldn’t imagine dating one woman exclusively. And now I’m imagining a lifetime with this one.
“You should believe that it’s possible, because it is. And I think you deserve that happiness more than most.”
He had to change the subject before she made him cry or something horrible like that. Jesus! “So, what else?”
“What do you mean, ‘what else’?”
“Tell me stories about your childhood, what made you who you are?”
“There’s not much to tell. I played outside till the streetlights came on, drank from the garden hose, and ran through sprinklers in the summer”, she shrugged.
“All of which sounds like perfection. But what made you so shy and self-conscious when it comes to men? You can be so down on yourself, and I just don’t get it. You’re beautiful.”
“Ha.” She laughed without real humor. “Maybe you think so, which is strange to me, because most of the time I’m ignored by guys. And it only became worse when I got here, to California. But anyway, I guess it’s because I was teased when I was a kid for being chubby. And I just haven’t gotten over it.
“I didn’t date all throughout high school and college. I was too shy and the guys I liked didn’t like me. And the guys that did like me, were way to sexually aggressive for my virgin sensibilities. They scared the crap outta me. It wasn’t until I was twenty-two that I lost my virginity, when I met my first love. Who turned out to be a minor klepto. That relationship lasted for a year. And I’ve only had one more relationship since then. That lasted four years and was a huge waste of time. He was a total commitment-phobe, and strung me along the whole time, claiming that he wanted to marry me. But I guess motorcycles and Mustangs were more important than buying a ring. That was four years ago. In the end I’m glad that it didn’t work out, because in hindsight, we were not a good match. The main thing I regret about that relationship was letting him keep my dog when I moved out here. Oh, and guess what?”
“What?”
“My ex made sure he called me up this past Christmas to let me know that he proposed to his girlfriend of only one year. And he used my dog to propose! I swear you can’t make this shit up!” Sunny just shook her head.
Gabe was speechless. This girl was amazing, and yet she had been made fun of, ignored or treated like shit. Thank God! Gabe realized his good fortune, because in normal circumstances, she’d have been snatched up years ago.
“I’m truly baffled, but so incredibly thankful that none of them realized your worth.” Gabe jumped down to the platform that was a few feet below where they were sitting putting them more at eye-level, and stepped between her legs. “You’re stunning, and I can’t keep my hands off of you.”
He brought his hands up to her face and pulled her in for a kiss. He gave her a soft peck, and
“Well, there’s not a whole lot to it. My parents are still together after forty-five years. My mother was an elementary school teacher and my dad worked as a technician for the electric company. Sam and Donna Stone. They’re both retired now and live in New Mexico. And I have an older brother, Jace. He’s head chef at a nice restaurant in downtown Chicago. And that’s my family. And I’m the slacker of the family.”
“No you’re the baby. No wonder you’re so carefree and happy. You’ve been well loved.” She gave him a guilty look. “I know what you’re thinking. So stop it. You have nothing to feel guilty over, because you have a loving family. It just gives me hope that it’s all possible. Love, family…happiness.” Gabe gazed at her, hoping to convey in one look, how much he wanted that with her. A week ago I couldn’t imagine dating one woman exclusively. And now I’m imagining a lifetime with this one.
“You should believe that it’s possible, because it is. And I think you deserve that happiness more than most.”
He had to change the subject before she made him cry or something horrible like that. Jesus! “So, what else?”
“What do you mean, ‘what else’?”
“Tell me stories about your childhood, what made you who you are?”
“There’s not much to tell. I played outside till the streetlights came on, drank from the garden hose, and ran through sprinklers in the summer”, she shrugged.
“All of which sounds like perfection. But what made you so shy and self-conscious when it comes to men? You can be so down on yourself, and I just don’t get it. You’re beautiful.”
“Ha.” She laughed without real humor. “Maybe you think so, which is strange to me, because most of the time I’m ignored by guys. And it only became worse when I got here, to California. But anyway, I guess it’s because I was teased when I was a kid for being chubby. And I just haven’t gotten over it.
“I didn’t date all throughout high school and college. I was too shy and the guys I liked didn’t like me. And the guys that did like me, were way to sexually aggressive for my virgin sensibilities. They scared the crap outta me. It wasn’t until I was twenty-two that I lost my virginity, when I met my first love. Who turned out to be a minor klepto. That relationship lasted for a year. And I’ve only had one more relationship since then. That lasted four years and was a huge waste of time. He was a total commitment-phobe, and strung me along the whole time, claiming that he wanted to marry me. But I guess motorcycles and Mustangs were more important than buying a ring. That was four years ago. In the end I’m glad that it didn’t work out, because in hindsight, we were not a good match. The main thing I regret about that relationship was letting him keep my dog when I moved out here. Oh, and guess what?”
“What?”
“My ex made sure he called me up this past Christmas to let me know that he proposed to his girlfriend of only one year. And he used my dog to propose! I swear you can’t make this shit up!” Sunny just shook her head.
Gabe was speechless. This girl was amazing, and yet she had been made fun of, ignored or treated like shit. Thank God! Gabe realized his good fortune, because in normal circumstances, she’d have been snatched up years ago.
“I’m truly baffled, but so incredibly thankful that none of them realized your worth.” Gabe jumped down to the platform that was a few feet below where they were sitting putting them more at eye-level, and stepped between her legs. “You’re stunning, and I can’t keep my hands off of you.”
He brought his hands up to her face and pulled her in for a kiss. He gave her a soft peck, and
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