Page 90 of Bubbles at the Beach House Hotel

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Late afternoon, aftera swim in the heated pool, Vaughn and I got dressed to go downtown. During these times, Vaughn usually wore a baseball cap and sunglasses to help hide his identity. Our friends in town recognized him anyway but were careful not to draw a crowd to him.

Today, he was wearing a black Tampa Bay Rays hat with his favorite Ray Ban sunglasses, tan slacks, and a lightweight black sweater.

“You’re looking mighty handsome,” I teased.

He laughed. “I have to try to measure up to my date.”

He took my arm and escorted me to his sports car. We’d park close to downtown and get out and walk from there.

Sabal was an upscale small town whose merchants strived to outdo one another at holiday time. Between their decorations and the lights wrapped around the trunks of the palm trees lining the streets, the town looked like a fairyland as we entered Main Street.

We strolled down one entire side, stopping to buy Christmas gifts when we saw something we liked.

As we started back, Vaughn said, “How about a stop at Al’s?”

Al’s was a neighborhood bar that had fantastic appetizers. That and a beer for Vaughn and a glass of red wine for me sounded perfect. Besides, it’s where the locals hung out. We might run into a few people we knew.

From the outside, Al’s looked nondescript—a white stucco exterior with a dark wooden sign announcing “Al’s, a Bar.”

Many visitors would pass it by in favor of something with a more upscale appearance. And that’s how the owner, Al Jolley, liked it. Inside, the wood-paneled walls and simple sea-blue and white décor were attractive and well-maintained.

Vaughn and I walked inside and over to the bar.

Al smiled when he saw us. “Haven’t seen you guys in a long time. How are you? Any more movies in the making?”

Vaughn chuckled. “I just finished one. How about you? How’s business?”

“Booming,” said Al, smiling. “It’s that time of year when people are out and about and thirsty.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” said Vaughn. “Ann, what would you like?”

“I’ll go for a glass of Pinot Noir,” I said, looking over the drinks menu to see if Al offered something the hotel might be interested in.

“Just an IPA for me,” said Vaughn. “We’re on our way to dinner in a bit and wanted something refreshing before we finish window shopping.”

“Looks like you’re doing shopping for real,” said Al, turning away to get our drinks.

Vaughn and I were still chuckling when Al returned and set glasses in front of us. After the tense, last few days, it felt refreshing to relax.

I listened as Al talked to others at the bar, but I was content to sit quietly with Vaughn. The ability to have comfortable, quiet times with him was something I always enjoyed.

After a short while, we left for our stroll on the opposite side of the street.

Darker now, the lights sparkled even brighter.

When we finally made it to Andre’s for dinner, we were both carrying packages. The thought of a tasty French meal was my idea of perfect.

Margot greeted us with a kiss on both cheeks and assured Vaughn we had the perfect table tucked in a corner.

We took our seats, set down our packages, and faced one another.

“Thanks for a fun time,” I said to Vaughn.

He grinned, lighting his dark eyes. “That’s what I love about you, Ann. You make everything enjoyable. Nothing has to be fancy to make it that way. In the world of entertainment, it’s difficult to find that.”

“We’re very lucky to have found one another and to be able to share moments like this,” I said. “I still sometimes find myself surprised to realize how much my life has changed.”

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