Part Four

    At exactly one hour later, Justin strolled in finding her sitting on the couch waiting. “You ready?”
    “You bet,” she said as she got up. She then backed away when Justin approached her with one of his bandannas. “What are you doing?”
    “I’m gonna blindfold you,” he said with a grin.
    She laughed. “I don’t think so.”
    “Umm…I think so,” he said as he turned her around. “It would ruin the whole concept of tonight.”
    “I hate being blindfolded,” she mumbled as he tightened the blindfold.
    “Oh, stop your bitchin’,” he teased. “Okay, ready?”
    “Ready when you are.”
    “Okay, just walk slowly with me,” he said as he led her out. “Here comes the steps…..there you go.”
    She laughed. “I can’t see a thing.”
    “That’s the idea. Okay hold up.”
    He stopped there and then loosened the blindfold. He stopped there and then loosened the blindfold. “Ta-da!” he exclaimed like a magician who had just performed his latest trick.
    She breathed in sharply. He had built a fire and it flickered and crackled with life. He had laid out a blanket and on top of it was a picnic basket. He then walked in front of her and pulled a single red rose from behind his back. “For you, m'lady.”
    She smiled softly. “Justin, you didn’t have to do this,” she said as she accepted the rose.
    “I know,” he said as he took her hand and led her to the blanket. “I just wanted to do something special, so you could keep your mind off of……were not even gonna say his name.”
    She laughed. “I don’t have a problem with that.”
    “Here, sit down,” he said as he held her hand while she plopped her butt down on the blanket.
    “What ja got?” she asked with a grin while examining the picnic basket.
    “Well,” he said as he plopped down. “I got two bottles here. One’s a glass of champagne and the other is sparkling cider.”
    She laughed. “Okay.”
    He smiled. “Well, I didn’t know if you drank, but hey we are legal right now.”
    “Oh, one glass won’t kill us,” she said with a sly grin.
    “My thoughts exactly,” he agreed. He handed pulled out two paper cups and handed one to her. “Hang on, let me get up to open this, I don’t want it to splatter on you.”
    With a smile, Jennifer watched him unwrap the foil and then nudge the cork until it popped open. “Woah,” he laughed as it spilled to the side. “Okay, hold out your cup.”
    She obliged and then gave him a suspicious look as he filled up almost to the rim. “Are you trying to take advantage of me?”
    He chuckled. “Sorry, here pour some of that in mine…..I was distracted.”
    “By what?” she asked as she poured some in his cup.
    “By you,” he said softly.
    She was about to take her first sip, but she stopped it right at her lips. He was looking at her with those deep blue eyes, and his face looked mesmerizing from the flicker of the fire. She let out a shaky sigh. “Well, that makes two of us, then.”
    The corner of his lip lifted. “So what should we toast to?”
    “Hmmm….”
    “How bout love?”
    “Love?”
    “Yeah,” he said softly. “May we both find love.”
    She smiled. “To love,” she said as she tapped her cup to his, before taking a sip.
    “All right, are you ready for my big surprise?” he asked as he put his drink down and rubbed his hands together.
    She set her drink down as well. “What’s that.”
    He opened the basket and pulled out a bag of marshmallows and graham crackers. “Smores!”
    She laughed. “I haven’t had smores in forever!”
    “You can’t have a campfire without smores, it’s just not right. Here’s your stick.”
    “Thanks,” she said and then helped herself and tore open the bag of marshmallows. “Now, are you one of those people who puts them about an inch above the fire, or do you burn the hell out of them.”
    “Are you kidding,” he said as he poked the marshmallow on the stick. He stuck it in the fire. “I fry ‘em till their burned to a crisp.”
    She laughed. “Good, me too….I hate the toasters. That’s just wrong.”
    “I know. Watching them on fire is the best part.”
    “Totally,” she said and then quickly blew out the flaming marshmallow.
    They were both silent for a while, as they carefully made their smores. Jennifer took her first greedy bite. “Mmm, that’s good,” she said with a mouthful.
    Justin took a bite as well. “A little messy,” though he laughed.
    “That’s okay,” she said as she took another bite.
    He chuckled as he dabbed the corner of his mouth. “You got a little something right there.”
    “Oops,” she giggled as she tried to wipe it off. “Did I get it?”
    He smiled. “Nope, you just wiped more chocolate on you.” He scooted closer to her. “Here, let me get it for ya real quick.”
    She paused as he gently cupped her chin, as he rubbed the corner of her mouth. Without thinking, she licked her lips and her tongue brushed his thumb. He froze and his eyes flickered up to hers. She looked up shyly to him as she nervously bit her lip. He smiled softly as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Tell me something about you?” he finally asked as he broke the silence.
    “Tell you something?”
    “Yeah, I want to know more about you.”
    She looked at her lap. “There’s nothing really to tell. I lead a pretty boring life.”
    “I doubt that,” he said. “Are you in school?”
    She looked back up. “Yeah, I’m taking classes at a small college near my neighborhood.”
    “What are you studying?”
    “English. I want to be a writer.”
    He raised his brows. “That’s very cool. What kind of writing do you do.”
    “Oh, all kinds, but my favorite is poetry.”
    “I’d love to read your work sometime.”
    She smiled. “Maybe I’ll send you some your way someday.”
    “I’d like that.”
    “On one condition though,” she teased.
    He grinned. “Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
    “Sing for me?” she asked hopefully.
    “Oh, man,” he laughed. “Should have seen that one comin’.”
    She laughed. “If you don’t want to, that’s fine, I was just….”
    “What do you want me to sing?” he asked, cutting her off as he shifted up.
    “Uhh…don’t ya’ll sing that song, God must of spent, or something like that?”
    He chuckled. “Yeah, we sing that.”
    “I love that song, sing that one,” she said with excitement as she drew up her knees and rested her chin on them.
    “You’re the boss,” he said and then he cleared his throat.

“Can this be true, tell me can this be real,
How can I put into words what I feel?
My life was complete, I thought I was whole,
Why do I feel like I’m loosing control.
Never thought that love could feel like this,
You changed my world with just one kiss.
How can it be that right here with me,
There’s an angel... it’s a miracle.
You’re love is like a river, peaceful and deep,
You’re soul is like a secret that I never could keep.
When I looked into your eyes I know that’s it true,
God must have spent, a little more time…”

    He paused there, grabbed her hand and linked his fingers with hers. He planted a kiss on the back of her hand. “On youuuu.”
    Her body shivered at the touch of his lips. Funny, she thought. When Peter kissed her, it was nice and all, but it didn’t make her toes curl. But her body easily responded by just one single touch from Justin. “You have a beautiful voice,” she finally said.
    “Thank you,” he said with a crooked smile.
    “I bet you always end with a kiss of the hand when you sing to the ladies,” she teased.
    “I wouldn’t know,” he said as he looked out into the ocean. “I’ve only sung to one other person besides you.”
    Her heart fluttered up to her throat. “Really? Who? If you don’t mind me asking.”
    He looked back at her with a sheepish grin. “My mother.”
    “Oh,” she sighed as she put a hand over her mouth. “I think that’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”
    He felt himself turn red. “Oh, don’t start that, come on now.”
   She giggled. “You’re blushing.”
    “I am not,” he denied.
    “Yes you are!,” she teased. “Justin’s blushing, Justin’s blushing.”
    “That’s it, you’re dead!”
    She shrieked as she got up and tried to run away, but of course he caught up to her. She let out a laugh as he grabbed her from behind and twirled her around. And for that moment, she forgot all about a man named Peter.

    It was around midnight when they finally made their way back to the bungalows. They had spent the evening making more smores, playing in the surf, and Justin even gave in and sang a little more to her. This was exactly what she needed. She turned to him, when they got to her bungalow.
    “Thanks again, Justin,” she said. “It’s exactly what I needed.”
    Justin stuffed his hands in his back pockets of his faded blue jeans. “It was my pleasure, Jennifer.”
    With a smile she leaned up and gave him a peck on the cheek and hugged him. “You’re my angel, you know that right?” she whispered.
    He smiled softly as he took one hand out of his pocket and placed it around her waist. “Right back at you.”
    She pulled back and put a hand lightly on his cheek.“I’ll see you tomorrow?”
    “Count on it,” he said with a smile.
    “And tomorrow I plan the activity,” she said.
    He laughed. “All right.”
    “Good night, Justin,” she said and started to walk up the steps.
    He watched her walk in and as soon as she shut the door, he let out his breath that he didn’t know he was holding. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her so bad, but he didn’t want to take advantage of her while she was still vulnerable over Peter. With a sigh, he turned to walk away.
    “Justin?” she said frantically as she ran back outside.
    He quickly turned around. “Yeah? What’s wrong?” He watched her trot down the steps and run to him and the next thing he knew, she was in his arms kissing him. He stumbled back a little, surprised from the kiss. But then he lifted his hands and cupped her face while he deepened the kiss.
    He buried his fingers in her hair as he softened the kiss, nibbling had her lips before he took her mouth again. He finally let up, nibbling her bottom lip before he completely pulled away. “Well, that was a nice surprise.”
    She smiled shyly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so sudden. I’ve never done that before and I….”
    Justin muffled her words as he kissed her again. “I love surprises.”
    She smiled. “I thought you would.” She leaned up and brushed her lips with his. “Good night, Justin.”
    “Night….Oh, hey Jen?”
    “Yeah?” she said at the top of the steps.
    “What do you have planned tomorrow?”
    He grinned. “Saddle up cowboy, were going horseback riding.”
    He chuckled. “Great.”
    “I hope you can ride as good as you can sing,” she teased and then left him there with a grin on his face. He hadn’t been that happy in a long time.

Part Five