Scene 3- The Beach
They walked toward the door, both more that tipsy but not quite drunk. Neither knew that the other was thinking the exact same thing.
Aadriana had the strangest goofy smile on her face and she knew it too. She tried to blame it on the liquor, but who was she kidding. You can't lie to yourself, " and I never lie," she finished her thought out loud.
"Excuse me?" Howie was confused as to how she managed to complete what he was thinking.
"Oh, I was just thinking I'd be lying to myself if I thought that either one of us would be able to drive anywhere and arrive in one piece," she covered quickly. He looked so tasty standing there; eyes glazed from the alcohol, hair curling and damp with sweat. Visions of helping him getting even sweatier crossed her head. She had to shake away the images; they were making her shiver.
"You're not cold are you," wondering how she could be; he was getting hotter by the second.
"Not a bit, I just caught a chill, my granny says that means that a goose just walked over my grave." She thought it sounded stupid but it was the first excuse she could think of, it was getting harder to think straight. Maybe if she changed the subject, "So how are we gonna get there," she asked.
"Get there?" he was having trouble concentrating too. "Oh," he said remembering, "We're going to take a cab and then we'll walk the rest of the way if you're still game." He said as the cab stopped at the curb.
"So, tell me about this perfect place," she said, "And what makes it so perfect at 2 am?"
"I can't explain it, I mean the words wouldn't do it any justice. It's just one of those places where no matter how bad you're feeling when you get there, all is right with the world when you leave."
"Wow, you make it sound like paradise," she realized they were whispering.
"It is, for me anyways. I've missed going there almost as much as I've missed my family. Touring really takes a lot out of you, she noticed he sounded almost sad.
"I can only imagine, it all seems so demanding. You'd really have to love what you do to put yourself through it over and over like that. I used to feel that way about performing, I quit when it wasn't fun anymore. I mean my job now is demanding and almost as rewarding but sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have my own band. To have something was dependent on me to make it great you know?"
Howie was amazed that she could relate. "I know I'd miss it if I gave it up to do something else," he said, "but sometimes I just want to take a break and do all the things I've miss out on being so busy all the time."
"That's the reason it quit playing, it wasn't fun anymore," she whispered back.
He leaned in to touch her cheek. Just as his lips were meeting hers, the cab stopped.
"Damn!" they said in unison.
He paid the man and walked to a car nearby, as he opened the trunk she got suspicious. He took out a blanket and a book bag, closed the trunk, and walked back to where she was standing.
" Did you set me up?" she was trying not to get mad.
"No way, that's my car and we aren't all that far from my house. C'mon I wanna show you my spot." He grinned but his thoughts were on another spot he'd like her to see.
She shrugged, but she too was thinking of a different spot; one on his anatomy she'd like to get to know very well. She allowed him to take her hand and lead her towards the beach.
"Okay," he said, "Lose the socks and shoes and roll up your pants."
Obediently she removed followed his directions. "What's in the bag and how far are we walking?" she asked as she trailed after him up the beach.
"Not too much farther, just try to keep up," he stopped and waited for her to catch up. When she reached him he smiled, grabbed her hand, and took off running. She had to run or be dragged behind him, and he was laughing like a crazy person.
After about 5 minutes she'd had enough, she pulled her hand back and stopped. "Dammit slow down, I need to catch my breath," she yelled.
"Oh, come on it's just up the beach a bit. You're not backing out on me are you?" He looked like a little boy asking for something that he knew he wasn't gonna get.
"Okay, lets get there already, I'm not in good enough shape for a damned 10 mile hike through the sand!" she pouted, "I'm thirsty and I could really use a cigarette. You're sure it's not that far now?" How could she refuse those pleading eyes? He could've said it was 20 miles down the beach and she would've followed him like a little puppy. He couldn't know that he; the object of her obsession for so many years was her reason for moving this far south. The heat and bright sunshine gave her migraine. She'd been half in love with him for almost 3 years and this without even meeting him once. All of these things she thought as they walked in silence.
"Okay, we're here," he said after a few more minutes. "I'm just gonna spread out this blanket. If you look in my bag there's something to drink and a glass. The only thing I ask is that you don't throw you're butts on the beach. Just put them out in the sand and stick 'em in that side pocket."
As she lit her cigarette she asked, "Do you just keep all this stuff in here? I mean were you just being a good boy scout, you know always prepared?"
He had the decency to blush, "Okay, don't laugh but I come here all by myself when I'm home. You see there's only one glass. I love the peace of it," he patted the blanket beside him, and continued, "This is my favorite place to be, I can just lay here, day or night, and think without distraction. Some nights I come out here and just wait for the sun to rise....."
As she sat there sipping her drink, he got a good look at her profile. She was the only woman he'd met in ages who just let him talk. She listened for the longest time and said nothing.
" So now I'm curious," he said, "you've told me everything I could want to know but one thing still makes me wonder."
She knew it was coming and she didn't want to lie to him.
"Why Orlando," he asked finally.
Now it was her turn to blush, she decided she wouldn't lie, "It seemed like as good a place as any and well, honestly, it was you."
He reached for the glass and downed the contents in one long swallow. "What did you just say?" he was confused again and slightly scared.