Page 7 of Say Yes

5

CASEY

Philip’s kisswas burned into my forehead for hours after his lips no longer touched me. It was a heady feeling. If I felt the heat from just the briefest of touches, I expected I’d go down in flames before this was all over. Even as fear tickled my brain at the thought, another more prevalent emotion took the reins. Excitement danced in my belly. I’d woken up this morning giddy and nervous, but in a good way.

Normally, I didn’t put much stock in my appearance, but today, I found myself taking a little extra time to get ready. I dabbed on some light pink lip gloss, added some eyeliner and mascara, and barrel curled my hair. I painstakingly flipped through every piece of clothing I owned, eventually settling on a bright yellow, maxi-dress with big, white flowers and a pair of white wedge sandals. I almost added some jewelry, but I thought that was a little overkill.

I had one of my textbooks out, and I was desperately trying to study, but I found myself glancing at the clock every ten minutes. Knowing that I needed to turn in this assignment tomorrow, I made myself focus. Luckily, it worked, and I’d become so engrossed, I lost track of time. The knock on the door broke my concentration. My heart raced, and I smoothed my suddenly sweaty palms on my thighs. I attempted to look busy as I heard Philip say my name when he walked in.

“Morning,” he greeted me looking relaxed and casual, as though our entire dynamic hadn’t shifted yesterday. Maybe it hadn’t. Maybe I was making more of it than he was.

I tried to act natural. “Oh, hey.”

Clearly, acting was not my forte since my greeting sounded forced and awkward.

“You look like you’re busy, so I’m going to put the groceries away, and then do a quick walk around outside. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

He disappeared down the hall. My shoulders slumped. He hadn’t said anything about me looking different today. Maybe I had gone through all that effort for nothing.

“Oh, you look especially beautiful today, by the way.” Philip popped his head around the corner before he disappeared again. A stupid, silly smile crossed my face now, and I spun around in circles in my office chair.

He must have made quick work outside, because suddenly, he was standing in front of me again.

“I have a surprise for you,” he said, plopping down in the recliner across from where I sat. “You haven’t eaten lunch yet, have you?”

“No, why?” I looked at him suspiciously.

Philip stood and reached out his hand. “I told you, it’s a surprise. Now, do you trust me?”

I hesitated for only a moment before placing my hand in his. He gently pulled me out of the chair and looped my arm through his bent one.

“Thank you for your trust. I won’t lead you astray, I promise.” He looked down and winked at me. “Much, anyway.”

My chest tightened, and my heart dropped with slight panic when he began leading me out the front door. He slowed his stride when he felt the hesitation in my footsteps. I gathered up my courage and kept silent as Philip escorted me out to his truck, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. Ever the gentleman, he opened the door for me, then closed it after I’d secured my seatbelt.

He hopped up in the driver’s seat, threw me a one-hundred watt smile, and started up the vehicle. He fiddled with the radio, stopping on an oldies station.

“So, how are the studies going?”

It took me a minute to realize Philip was speaking to me over the sound of rushing water in my head. I was outside, and he hadn’t prepared me for this. I never went outside without at least a day’s prep. My palms were sweaty, and my whole body felt clammy.

“Oh, um, they’re going okay. This semester has been a lot tougher, but I guess that’s expected since it’s so close to graduation. Only a few months left.” I wondered if Philip could hear the tremble in my voice as loudly as I could.

A warm hand covered mine. I looked down at Philip intertwining our fingers. My head shot up to look at him. He squeezed my hand even though he didn’t speak. He just sent me a look that said, “You’re okay. I’m right here.” And suddenly, a light bulb went off, and I realized he was right. Everything was going to work out just fine. After that, the rest of the drive was actually pleasant. We talked about his youngest niece’s birthday and how his oldest niece was broken hearted about her first boyfriend breaking up with her. She alternated between crying her eyes out and being pissed off about what a jerk he was.

I found it oddly fascinating. I’d never had a boyfriend, so I’d never experienced the teenage angst. I could imagine the heartache she felt though. My glance darted to Philip, who kept his eyes on the road as he talked and drove. It made me more appreciative of having Philip in my life, because right now, I couldn’t imagine it without him.

When the truck came to a stop, he let go of my hand and shut it off. I hadn’t even realized we were at our destination. I peered out of the front windshield, my neck craning as I looked up and around at where he’d brought us. I’d been paying more attention to the sight of a Ferris wheel, roller coaster, and clock tower than to Philip, because I startled when he opened my door. When I looked over at him, I saw he was carrying a picnic basket.

“What is this place?” I asked in wonder.

I placed my hand in his free one as he helped me out of the cab, releasing it when my feet hit the ground. I turned in circles in the empty lot. Grass grew through cracks in the sidewalk and the place looked like one of those spooky old ghost towns you see on TV with the sagebrush rolling through the street.

“This, my dear Casey, is Poppy Park. Or rather, it used to be back in the day. It was the place to take a girl on your first date when I was a kid.”

“Wow, no wonder it’s shut down. That was eons ago.” I couldn’t help razzing Philip about his age, even though you’d never know how old he was based on his looks. With his Viking good looks, especially when he smiled, he could pass for ten years younger.

He nudged me with his elbow. “Hey, watch it, you. I can keep up with guys half my age, I’ll have you know.”

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