The Final Rose

Chapter Twenty: The Date

Jacob leaned against an open-topped Jeep. His eyes were covered by aviator sunglasses, and his face was tilted towards the sun. He looked handsome in his short-sleeved button up shirt and board shorts.

"Okay, that's good, Jacob. We got what we needed," the female producer in khaki shorts proclaimed. The camera man removed the camcorder from his shoulder and wiped at his sweaty forehead.

It was another beautiful day in paradise, and I stood off to the side in front of our resort while the camera crew finished recording B-roll and attached in-car cameras and microphones in the white Jeep.

"Nokomis, honey, I need to check your battery," the producer told me.

"Battery?" I echoed, not really understanding.

Instead of explaining, she lifted up the back of my tank top and fiddled with the battery pack of my on-person microphone that sat in the small of my back. I worked hard not to feel like a Thing, like a piece of machinery myself, as she made sure I had an appropriate charge.

After a moment, she dropped my shirt back into place. "Didn't you receive the package?" she asked me.

"Package?" It was like this woman was purposely speaking in code to make me feel dumb.

"The bathing suit we sent to the suite," she clarified. "You're not wearing it."

"Oh. It didn't fit," I said smoothly.

In truth, I hadn't even bothered to try it on. The tiny scrap of material had no business calling itself a bathing suit. I'd been offended at the thought that Jacob had wanted me to parade around in something so revealing, but now I had a new target for my anger.

The producer frowned, but said nothing more.

"Think we can get this date started?" Jacob questioned, somewhat impatiently. He drummed his fingers on the hood of the car.

"Okay," the producer agreed. "Just make sure you don't look directly into the cameras mounted in the car. Pretend they're not even there. Another group of the crew will be waiting for you on the other side of the island when you arrive."

"Sounds good. Any other instructions, Boss?" Jacob posed with a playful grin.

"Nokomis, you could try to smile a little more," the woman said.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek in familiar anger. "Sure."

Jacob hopped to attention and opened the passenger door for me. "Your chariot awaits, M'lady."

It was cheesy and a little bit dorky, but I let Jacob help me climb into the vehicle even though I was perfectly capable. And I made sure to smile.

I waited for Jacob to rush around the front of the car and settle into the driver seat. The manual stick shift jutting out of the center consol made me wary. Experience told me my date wasn't always comfortable with such things.

Jacob noticed where my gaze had fallen as he turned the key in the ignition. "Don't worry, Grandma." He shifted the car into gear without any noticeable grinding noises. "I might not be able to drive a boat, but I've got this."

My hair blew around my head as we cruised down narrow, partially paved roads. For once, Jacob wasn't a fish out of water as he expertly maneuvered us around potholes and street animals and other obstacles. I let myself enjoy the relative silence and the warm sun on my face and arms. My anxiety about the day started to slip away, and I found myself grinning, genuinely, in Jacob's direction.

My smile only faltered when the Jeep slowed as we approached a small, isolated beach and I realized where Jacob was taking me on our date--it was the beach on the opposite side of the island. Lee's and my beach.