Victoria's Secret Angel

Twentyone

I snuggle up with Tony in the backseat of his car, his arms wrapped around me. He's warm and smells of expensive cologne. 

Exhausted, I fight to keep my eyes open long enough to enjoy this quality time with him. My eyelids feel heavy, but I force them open to see the beautiful landscape outside my window. We are driving along the beach just as the sun is setting. The light blue ocean catches yellow rays from the sun and the sky is pink and orange.

"The beach is so pretty," I comment, my voice just above a whisper. I feel Tony's body move under mine to catch a glimpse of the scenery.

He rests his head on mine and makes a sound of agreement. "Do you want to stop here?" he asks after a moment.

Even though I really don't want to get up from this very comfortable position, I can't pass up the chance of a romantic walk on the beach at sunset. It's storybook perfect. So, I nod.

He tells his driver to get off the nearest exit to the beach. Five minutes later we are parked along the side of the road and getting out of the car.

"Wow," I gasp in awe and marvel at the colorful sky. The smell of ocean water alone brings back joyful memories of various family vacations.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, I rip off my shoes and skip into the sand. I wiggle my toes into the cool sand, loving how it feels on my skin. "I absolutely love the beach."

"Well, you're welcome," Tony says.

I turn towards him and cock my head. "What?"

"California has lots of nice beaches, you like beaches, I brought you to California, so you're welcome."

"Uh-huh, thanks," I say sarcastically, jokingly shoving his arm.

Tony laughs as I walk away. I stop at the end of the dry sand, watching as the tide comes up the beach and back down to the water, leaving the sand damp.

Feeling eyes burning into me, I glance back to see Tony standing in the same spot. I hold out my hand to him. "Aren't you going to come be romantic with me?" I joke.

His eyes light up with amusement and he finally walks over to me. Taking out a hand from his suit pocket, he grabs a hold of mine and we start our stroll down the beach.

I swing our hands gently back and forth with the ocean breeze. "So, did you grow up here?" I ask.

"No, I actually grew up in New York, but I did come here almost every summer."

"Lucky. That must of been fun spending your summers on these beautiful beaches."

"Not really." Tony's head drops down and he stares at his feet. "My mother didn't like the beach, so we never really went."

"Oh. That stinks."

"Yeah, but I was used to it. She doesn't like most things," he says, his voice thick with emotion. His eyes almost seem to have darkened, as if he had run into some unhappy memories. I give his hand a squeeze, letting him know that it's okay to tell me. He must of sensed the reassurance because he then continues.