Let Me Explain

T W E N T Y T W O

Easton Sandoval

FRESNO was about a four hour drive from where we were from. The rodeo was a good ten minutes away before we stopped somewhere to sit down and eat.

It was a simple sit down restaurant. The food was fine too. Just a light filler until we could get to the rodeo.

I looked up the familiar events in order to not seem stupid in front of her. I knew that she was more of a fan of PBR than the rodeo, but I didn't figure the difference until a few days ago.

A hand tilted the front dip of my black cowboy hat down, making it cover my eyes. "I'm back, cowboy."

I placed my phone down on the table before lifting my hat back up. My eyes found Layla as she walked over to her seat in front of me.

Her brown hair was curled and rested down her shoulders. A few pieces framed her face, closely matching the color of her eyes. Her jeans fit her right and so did the long sleeve shirt she wore.

The square toe, cowboy boots on her feet had sunflowers etched into them. From the dust and worn down material, I could tell that she had them for a long time.

I never knew she owned a pair.

"Thought you left." I revealed, letting my full attention be on her. "You could've at least told me if you wanted to dine and dash."

"I had to use the bathroom and you wouldn't stop for two hours." She rested her forearms against the table. "I was going to take a long time."

"Who decided to drink two bottles of water the first hour in the drive?"

"At least it wasn't beer." Layla pointed out, joking with me. Her gaze switched somewhere else when she noticed the waitress coming back over.

The waitress smiled and placed down a white, square plate. A slice of chocolate cake was placed on its side, right in the middle of the plate.

She placed down a fork before walking off to another table to take an order.

Layla looked down at the plate. I watched her features as she read the chocolate writing.

Her eyes met mine once she looked up. "You told them it was my birthday?"

"Surprise."

She leaned closer. "I might die if they sing."

"They won't," I leaned my forearms against the table too. "I told them not to."

Her gaze softened. "You did?"

I lifted my shoulders to show that it was nothing really. "I wanted you to have a cake since you told me you didn't get one. You can't have a birthday without one."

I ordered the cake while she was gone. I knew that she didn't like surprises, but I felt inclined to do it this way.

When Layla told me she didn't get one for her birthday, I had to.

A birthday wasn't a birthday without cake.

Her brown eyes stared at me for a long second and I realized that her gaze was softer than it had ever been. She truly looked at me with an undefiled look that it had my heart rate picking up.

My eyes flickered down to her lips once they slowly came into a smile. Her eyes would crinkle at the sides and lightly peer when a real smile would touch her lips.

She had a real smile when she looked at me.

Layla always looked so much younger when genuine, simple acts would happen. She had looked at me like this last night when I had gotten her flowers and decorated her car with them.