The salty breeze blew my hair causing it to dance in the wind as I walked the sandy beach of Panama City Beach. Somehow Alfread manged to get the state to let him rent the beach out, so the place was deserted other than us, the segauls, and the crashing waves. It was too chilly out to acutally swim so I came to the beach wearing a light blue crop top with a matching skirt that went to my mid-calf. My pair of light blue sandles had sand in them, but I didn't care.
"Alfred?" I asked, as I toyed with the heart charm on my black choker. He hummed in response and glanced at me. "What are we doing on this date?" I asked,
"I don't think I actually think I thought this one through..." He trailed, "Well, we could use it as a time to get to know eachother?" I suggested as we contuined to walk. "We could play twenty questions?" He asked, "Sounds great!" I smiled, "You go first!" "Umm..." He pondered, "Favorite color?" He asked nervously, "Really?" I asked taken aback, "Thats all you got?" I laughed, "It's F/C." I responded before thinking about my question. "How do you deal with the inevitable?" I asked,
"What the fuck?" He asked confused, "What does that even mean?" He added in shock. I laughed slightly before responding "How do you deal with knowing that you will one day die, you will one day be married and have kids?" His mouth opened up into an "oh" shape before pausing to think about his answer.
"Well, considering that I am in a courtship of sorts with you... that kind of eases the settling down part, because although I've only known you for a day or so it feels like I've really gotten to know you." He explained, "For death however, I try to not think about it. Kinda gives me anxiety ya know?" He added and scratched the back of his neck. I hummed in response and thought about his answer. Maybe this will work out...
Hours came and went that we spent on that beach. Just walking and talking as if we were good friends or a couple on a date. In a way, we were a couple, one that wouldn't last long due to only having two more date with one another before a final decision was made. My decision on where're or not I wanted to settle down with him specifically.
But out of all the courtships, he's been the best. Caring about my opinion on matters and how I feel personally. In all, he was a great guy.
I laughed slightly and leaned myself closer to his shoulder as we walked down the board walk of a Pineapple Wiley's hand in hand. He had told the funniest story about how his father constantly burned the kitchen down with his horrible cooking.
"How many seats?" A waiter asked shortly after my laughter had died out,
"Just two, and can we have it outside please?" Alfred asked politely, the waiter smiled before speaking "Yes, follow me." And lead the way to our seats. After being seated and given menus the waiter left to let us decide.
"You know, this place has really good food." Alfreda stated as he looked up from his menu.
"I know right?" I asked with a smile, "I used to come here for my birthdays when I was little, back before my parents were pushing marriage on me." I spoke, "Well," stated and grabbed my free hand with his and held it, "I wish we were allowed more time to get to know each other before a decision was made." He spoke gently and began to trace circles on my hand with his thumb. "I would hate to force someone like you into something you don't want." He continued, his words laced with an emotion I couldn't pick out and his eyes holding more.
I don't know what it was, but the way he spoke made me feel something I never felt and it hurt. It hurt my heart to not know what this feeling was. Was it pity? Was it sadness? Or was it joy that my parents had finally picked out such a sweet, kind, considerate, funny, and handsome young man such as Alfred? I sighed slightly and held his hand back. This small action shocked him slightly, but he smiled anyways.
"Have you guys figured out what you would like to drink?" The waiter asked coming back, Alfred glanced at me asking for permission to order in which I nodded.
"I'll have a coke and the lady will have a-" he paused and leaned over the table, "What will you have?" He asked in whisper,
"A virgin Piña Colada." I laughed slightly at his attempt to order for me, "She will have a virgin Piña Colada!" Alfred added in his normal voices. The waiter smiled and wrote it down.
"Would you guys like an appetizer?" He asked and looked up from his notebook.
"Yes!" I shouted excitedly before Alfred could speak. The waiter looked up and nodded for me to continue. "Just an order of the gator bites." I smiled. He nodded and wrote it down before leaving to get them. Meanwhile Alfred looked like he was having an asthma attack from all the laughing he was doing.
"What?" I asked confused,
"You!" He continued to laugh, "What? I'm just a girl who loves her food!" I stayed defensively but laughed anyways. "Not that! Just the way you jumped up in excitement when he mentioned appetizers, it was cute." He explained with a blush and seemingly calmed down. I blushed a bright red and looked down at the table. It was like being a seventh grader again whenever another person called me cute. "I uhm... I'm not cute..." I mumbled, my face still beet red. "Y/N..." he trailed softly before grabbing my hand again. I glanced up at him, my face still warm from the comment, "I will tell you everyday that you're cute and beautiful until you believe me, then I'll just continue to say it so that you remember." He smiled softly and looked at me lovingly. "And I will just continue to deny it." I responded back in a stubborn manner.
After dinner Alfred walked me back to my home in Florida.
"I had a great night tonight..." I trailed off smiling as we stood in front of my door.
"So did I." He responded, "Hey uh, do you want to come inside for a bit?" I asked, "If your parents don't mind sure." "Alfred, I'm sure they won't considering they engaged us!" I joked before opening the door to the house. He engulfed me in a hug before I had a chance to turn the light on and swayed us side to side slightly. I hugged him back and buried my head in the crook of his neck. Unknown to us, my parents were hiding at the top of the stairs watching us with smiles on their faces.
"How about you stay the night tonight?" I suggested as it was twelve AM and I wasn't about to let a tired Alfred walk himself home alone at this hour.
"If it's ok with you." He yawned. I smiled, "I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't." I stated the obvious, "Come on, leads head up to my room now." I suggested and pulled away from the hug and lead him up the stares. My parents hurriedly rushed back to their room as if nothing happened and we had resigned into my room for the night.
