White Cloud

21- We're Adults

"I'm on my way to eat lunch with my family," I tell Vincent over the phone as I get on the elevator to go up to the restaurant on the top floor of the hotel. "And I'm telling them about us."

"That's good. Am I going to get fired?" He wonders but he laughs so I think that he's joking. I'm glad that he's more laid back about this than I am because I'm kind of nervous.

"No, I won't let him do that," I assure him. "I don't think that it'll go badly or anything, I just don't like them knowing. I think that my mom will be too excited that she won't know what to do with herself. My dad... I don't know, I guess that we'll see. He's been hard to read about this lately."

"I think that he'll be more understanding than you think. I mean, once he sees how bad you've got it for me, he'll be fine," He says teasingly and I laugh, rolling my eyes even though he can't see me. He's still at his apartment since it's only a little bit after noon and his shift here doesn't start until three. He offered to join us for lunch to be there to tell my parents that we're together but I want to warm them up to the idea slowly and I want to be able to talk to them before they get a chance to talk to Vincent.

"I hope so," I sigh. "They'll probably want to sit down with you and talk, maybe a dinner or something. So prepare yourself. I know that it's ridiculous because we're not in high school anymore but my mom hasn't accepted that fact yet so I don't know."

"I don't mind going to dinner with your parents, Bea," He laughs. "I think that your dad likes me despite how terrifying he is. Well, he likes me as an employee without knowing that I'm dating his daughter so that might change."

"Not going to lie though, I'm really going to miss making out with you in the lifeguard office," I admit jokingly as the elevator soars up to the top floor and I'm almost there now.

"Bea, if you think that just because your parents are going to know that we're dating, I'm going to stop making out with you in the office then you are sadly mistaken," Vincent tells me on the other end of the phone and that makes me laugh a little bit.

"Okay, well that's a relief," The elevator opens at the front of the restaurant so I walk out, through the open doors to the podium where there's a host standing. "Anyway, I have to go but can you come over tonight?"

"The second my shift is over," He assures me. "As long as you stop by the pool later to let me know how lunch goes."

"I will," I promise before saying goodbye and hanging up. The host recognizes me and then leads me to the table where my parents and Dylan are already sitting, waiting for me to show up. I'm not late so I guess they all just showed up early.

"So," My dad begins. "What is it that you wanted to talk to us about? I hope it's about this mystery boyfriend that you've got because we're both getting very curious."

"It is, actually," I confirm with a small nod. "But before I tell you who he is, I want you to absolutely promise that you won't be hard on him, especially threatening his job. Even if it doesn't work out between me and him, I don't want you taking it out on him."

"Oh, come on," Dylan groans, looking very bored at the conversation and I can't blame him because this probably is a really boring conversation t have through his eyes. "Just tell them that it's the lifeguard, it isn't that hard."

"The lifeguard?" My mom pipes as I try to kick Dylan under the table but I only end up kicking the table's leg and stubbing my toe. So I just glare at him, wishing that I could kick him without stubbing my toe again, that little jerk. "Which one?"

"Vincent," I finally give it up with a long sigh. There it is, out in the open, not our secret anymore. Granted, a lot of employees had already heard the rumors about us so it wasn't really a secret to begin with but now that my parents know, there's no going back. "The taller one with the dark hair."