From Dusk Till Daylight

Countdown - Part Two

WEEK 3 - dedicated to Wedding Gown, Bridesmaid's Gowns and Tuxedo's...

I awoke with ease mornings later to the soft sound of blue birds singing and bright sunshine pouring pinkie-peach through my eyelids. I turned over in my sleep and clutched the pillow under my arm, hearing my heartbeat through layers of duck feathers. Peeking through my lids, I saw Jacob gazing at me, perched up on his elbow.

"You look exhausted." Jacob whispered, reaching over and pulling back a stray strand of hair that dangled in front of my face. I smiled, as she traced the bags under my eyes; I kissed his palm.

"No surprise." I whispered back, scootching closer to him and resting my nose at the base of his throat. I snuggled up to him like a firefly to warmth and inhaled his scent.

"How does the beach sound?" Jacob whispered and craned his neck to kiss my forehead whilst tangling his fingers in my hair.

"To swim?" I asked, my nose wrinkling at the idea.

"That is what people do at the beach." Jacob sighed, "Unless you have another idea?" Jacob chuckled darkly. My eyes snapped open and I gazed up at him.

"At a public beach?" I asked, blushing. "Don't be ridiculous." I laughed, closing my eyes again. I laid in silence for a moment, thinking. Truth be told, Alice owed me some peace and quiet for at least the week if not until the weekend. "Fine." I sighed, simply.

Riffling through my drawers five minutes later, I found my cream bikini. Quickly, I stripped off Jacob's old t-shirt and slipped into it, tying the tie-dyed sarong around my waist. Glancing over my shoulder, I watched Jacob pack our large red day bag full of towels, sun cream, bottles of water, CD's, tanning lotion, sunglasses, cell phone and sketchbook.

"I hope you're not forgetting anything?" I joked, tying my hair up in the bathroom mirror.

"Haha," He smiled, zipping the bag. "I'll put this in the car." Jacob asked, from the corner of my eye, I watched him slip on his swimming trunks.

"Be down in a sec." I smiled, walking back into the bedroom as he walked out the front door. Facing the wall lined with novels, I ran my finger against the spines, looking for an afternoon read. After a long moment, I closed my eyes and picked one at random. Opening my eyes, I smiled, holding Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. Sighing, I unfolded my teal and lime green Vera Bradley tote from its corner and dropped the novel inside. Glancing around, I wondered if we'd forgotten anything. Then flip-flops popped into my mind. Shaking my head in dismay, I opened the wardrobe and grabbed a yellow pair. Quickly, I snatched my bold black Gucci sunglasses off my dresser, crossed the hard wooden floors and closed the tree house door behind me.

Stepping out into the summer sun, the blazing heat immediately set my skin on fire. Slipping on the flip-flops, I strolled down the spiral staircase, with my tote full of day-at-the-beach essentials. Jacob's Mustang was parked on the lawn, with the engine running and windows down.

"Hey," I bent into the passenger side window. Jacob was flipping through a handful of CD's. "Just going to stop by the manor, maybe pack a picnic?" I asked, watching Jacob finally pick one and slip it into the CD drive. The soft sound of drums erupted from the speakers.

"Hop in." Jacob smiled, putting the Mustang into gear. I got in, closed the door, put on my seat belt and set my tote on the back seat with spare beach blankets. Instantly, my bare legs, arms and back stuck to the leather seat.

It was such a quick ride to the manor; it almost wasn't worth putting on the AC. Instead, I rolled down the window, feeling the urge to stick my head out like a little kid. Within minutes, Jacob parked outside the manor and killed the engine. Getting out, I opened the trunk, shifted through the Jacob's junk: blank canvases, paint palettes, clean tracksuit, spare sneakers, baseball bat and ball; to find my cream sunhat with a pink lace sash. It was a gift from Nanna Renee from Florida. Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I closed the trunk as Jacob clicked a button on his keychain. There was a tiny beep and then the beige convertible roof unfolded and tucked itself within the leather seat.