The summer I met Charlie

part 6

I climbed the stairs and walked into the not so little cabin. I could tell that not only was there an upstairs, but a downstairs as well as the floor that was seated on the beach. Crazy. Cd's were piled in a corner next to a massive stereo, the lights were kind of dim, but in a cozy type way, and the smell of the sea was blowing in threw the open windows.

By now Charlie had moved into the kitchen which was placed in one of the far corners of the room. He was scooting a few things off the counter top and patting a stool for good measure." So what is it going to be tonight? Pasta...Spicy chicken salad?" At this point he had moved to the fridge and was rummaging threw the contents to find something to prepare.  

"Sorry I would have gotten some more things at the grocery if I had known I didn't really have anything."  He turned around then and looked truly annoyed at himself. 

"Pasta sounds great." I jumped down from the stool and moved around the massive counter top in the center of the kitchen. I began to wash my hands at the sink when I felt his presence closer then before. I turned to look at him hands still dripping wet with suds. He moved closer to me then. We were only a about a foot apart. Geez he was way taller then me. I wanted so much to move in and just kiss him. Hmm dirty thoughts...bad girl.

"Great, then i'll get right on it. Meat sauce or vegetarian? My sisters a vegan so I always have tons of veggies and what not left when she's gone."

"Whatever you prefer." He smiled then, and handed me a towel to dry off my hands.

"Meat sauce it is!"

The sky was starting to be filled with reds and oranges. I began to walk out side the kitchen while he was sorting threw pots and pans. I slid the glass door open and stepped out onto the wooden porch. I started to untie the laces of my converse. Slipping out of my low tops I jumped down to the cool sand.  Tracks were marked all up and down the beach, the same ones that were near his backpack when it was left at the other cove.  Strange. Before I realized what I was doing I was siting in the sand and my feet were inches away from the water. An addiction some might say. I closed my eyes and let my mind try to wonder away from the fact that a Mr. Handsome was in his kitchen preparing dinner for me. I then heard soft music coming from inside. The Beatles? Hm good taste. 

"You okay? You looked like you had fallen asleep while sitting?" He laughed little and moved to sit down next to me on the sand. He was holding a flash light in one hand, and the travel book we had bought in another. He set them down in between his legs and picked up a small stone. 

 "I'm fine, I love it." 

"Love what?" He sounded so serious when he asked this. Somehow it didn't sound right with all the other comments I had heard when talking to him.

"Everything. The water, the beach, the seals..."

"The seals? Now I know your crazy!" He was sitting Indian style and was now throwing the small rocks, trying to skip them. He was pretty bad at it though. Every time one would be thrown it would just sink with a loud plop sound hitting the water.

"No really the seals are amazing. Earlier today after my swim, I was sitting on a rock air drying, and this seal was just staring at me. It was beautiful." I looked at him now, and he was just staring at me. Something about him looked familiar and I was happy this moment couldn't be anymore perfect. I felt so calm around him now. Relaxed.

"Beautiful..." He said. He bit his lip for a second and then looked at my lips, almost staring at them. Crap, was there something on them? And then he whipped his head back around and said he would be right back, and that he had to check on the food. 

Had I done something wrong? I mean I was touching my lips now,..and they seemed fine. Oh dear i'm flipping out again. So much for feeling relaxed. He had left the travel book and flash light behind, so I grabbed both and started looking threw the book. Everything there was so lush and green. As I was scanning the book for pictures I came across something bizarre. A picture of a seal. The caption under the picture was three simple words. The selkie onshore. Something about it was so close to home I could barely breath. 

"Oh geez you've managed to find a seal friend in your book." Charlie once again sat down next to me, but this time he had hot chocolate in two coffee mugs. 

"You didn't tell me they have seals there. And look how can you not see how amazing this seal is?"

"Oh yes what a quite fit looking seal that is. I believe his name is John." I slapped him on the knee very gently for that one.

"Oh now your hitting me? We shall see about that!" And with that he was taking the coco out of my hand and setting it on the sand. And then I was off the ground. The sun was almost completely gone by now, and  I was soaked by the time dinner was ready. Charlie had decided that for pay back he would have to pick me up, and scare me by threatening to drop me in the water. It was scary enough, and made me feel almost bad for all the times I had picked Olive up and thrown her over my shoulder. But she did something that always made me put her down. She would slap my butt. Of course this was out of the question for my escape so I had to wait it out. Which wasn't that bad, I mean who doesn't like being thrown over a strong cute guys shoulder? At some point though he did actually drop me only to try and catch me and then get himself completely soaked. He was wet from head to tow. We ran inside and he threw a towel at me. 

"You want something dry to change into?" He was literally dripping now on the floor.

"No i'm fine." 

"Your not fine. Your shaking." And with that I was back up off the ground and over one of his shoulders again. 

"Hey! Put me down." I giggled. "Your gonna end up dropping me down the stairs or something!"

"Hmmm we wouldn't want that."

I was set down on the hard wood floor and then i was running with him. A repeat most would say from our Barns and Noble run about. Pictures were pinned up on the wall. Most seemed to be of faces. Black and whites.  And then we were in a bedroom. The walls were painted a deep navy blue and the bed had to have been a king. Four posts and all. It's sheets were black and grey. And even more cd's and dvd's lined the wall on a giant book shelf around the whole room. He dragged me over to his closet. It was small and dark. I was soon having a pair of sweat pants, and a pac man t-shirt being thrown at my head. 

"Nice aim!" 

"Oh sorry about that."

By the time I was coming out of the guest room bathroom, Charlie had already loaded our wet clothes into the dryer and was now siting on top of the machine. We slid down the bannister and ate our dinner on the beach rapped up in two blankets.  We talked about everything, how life is like in Florida, and how his sister convinced him to move out here to visit her (She moved here last year). 

It was soon 10:00. My mom had said that she had wanted me home by 11:00. We were finishing loading the dish washer, when I had to do it. I had to make this something special. Not that this wasn't. But I needed something more. Because I was afraid that at the end of this, he was going to wake up tomorrow and forget that it all happened. And then it would go back to normal. Us, being strangers.

It had to be the worst time to do it though, loading dirty dishes in a washer. He was drying his hands and I was sitting on the counter top. Old habits. He moved closer to hang the towel, and that's when I leaned forward, and kissed him. His lips were amazing. Much better then the dream I had, had when he had kissed me. He pulled me off the countertop, and my legs were around his waist. And then it was over. 

"Hey little miss, trying to seduce me so quick?" He was smiling though, and did a quick kiss on my lips. It was perfect. 

"Sorry." I had to smile. 

"Don't be, iv'e been wanting to do that all night." And then he kissed ever so slightly on the cheek.

I changed out of my clothes, and was soon saying goodbye to the beach house. I held on tight to Charlie, and the world whipped once again, around us.