True love snapshot # 3

It was a foggy, overcast day in July, and the sky was bluish gray, strewn here and there with bunches of cottony, dirty white clouds. A cool breeze was blowing across the central California coast, and I eagerly anticipated your arrival from my hotel room overlooking the beach.

You came to pick me up early in the afternoon. I introduced you to my three journalist friends who had taken me on an exciting, adventure-filled, week-long road trip through central California that culminated here in Pismo Beach. While I was gathering my luggage, you sat at the foot of my bed and chatted a little bit with them about tattoos and journalism.

Once you had hauled my suitcase into the trunk of your green car, (which, I was told, you had cleaned thoroughly in anticipation of our meeting) we took a leisurely stroll around the hotel, talking and enjoying the view of the ocean amid the cawing of the sea gulls perched on the craggy cliff sides and the crashing of the waves on the rocks below.

We ended up in a wooden gazebo that stood on a cliff jutting out into the sea. A wedding had just been conducted here the night before, and red rose petals were blowing across the gazebo floor. I walked over to the far side and stood gazing out into the ocean, and you followed, gently planting your hands on my shoulders as you silently watched the waves with me.

Later on we found ourselves strolling on the beach. You had your arm wrapped around my shoulders, and I leaned my head against your chest as we walked. On one side of us were rocky, towering cliffs; on the other was the crashing waves of the Pacific, and all around us was a beautiful expanse of pristine beach. There was a midsummer scattering of surfers and tourists around us, but it still seemed as though we were the only two people there.

We talked. And talked. And talked some more. You made me guess your middle name, hinting that it started with an “E," and I guessed what it was correctly the first time. I told you that a year before we had actually started talking, my best friend had already thought you’d be a good match for me and tried setting us up.

After a while, your hand found mine, and our fingers intertwined. I found your hand nicely warm despite the cool breeze.

We stopped walking and tried taking pictures of ourselves, laughing at our attempts to get both our faces in focus, until a friendly lady came up and asked if we wanted her to take our picture.

“You two make a cute couple,” she said smilingly as she handed me back my camera. We exchanged glances and blushed at the same time. She didn’t know we weren’t a couple…yet.

We found a large flat rock to sit on, and we reclined there in a comfortable silence. Your arm slid around my waist, and my hand rested on your knee.

“This is nice,” you said casually. “I like getting to spend time alone with you.”

“I do too,” I said. “I was really looking forward to seeing you again. It’s been…what…two and a half weeks?”

“Yeah, it’s been awhile,” you agreed, brushing an unruly lock of hair off my forehead.

We fell silent again for a few minutes.

“Do you mind the silence?” you asked me after awhile.

“No, I don’t,” I replied honestly. “It would sure seem that way though, because I love to talk.”

You laughed. “Well, it’s just that…I like being quiet sometimes. I like to just sit back and enjoy the moment. Especially when I’m with you.”

You looked at me then, and the sincerity in your eyes stirred up something deep inside me…something warm and nice and wonderful. I took your hand in mine again, without saying a word.

We sat there, snuggled up against each other, on that July afternoon, watching the waves crash on the beach as the sun broke through the clouds.