chapter 11
I woke up late, and found that my parents had already taken off for the day. My mom left me a note:
Sweetie!
We went out to have breakfast with the Medlers, will see you in a little while.
Love,
Mom
I showered and had a quick bite to eat before I made my way up to the office to wish Travis a happy birthday. He said he was getting off at ten, so he only had an hour left. I hoped I’d be lucky and get a moment alone with him.
I walked in to find Travis behind the counter reading a magazine. When the bell of the door rang at my opening, he looked up and graced me with the most gorgeous smile. He was wearing his typical black t-shirt and low cut jeans, with a black leather cuff around his wrist. His hair was slightly spiked and he looked good. I couldn’t help but bounce over to him. “Happy Birthday!” I cried.
“Thank you,” he said, placing the magazine on the counter. “So are you going to kiss me today, or am I too old for you now?” he inquired with an amused smirk on his face.
I looked up at the ceiling pretending to contemplate it for a second when he grabbed my waist, pulling me across the counter for a kiss. It was better than all of the others, and I melted on the spot.
“I guess six months really isn’t that much older,” I teased as our lips parted. I could feel his smile against my mouth
“So is your birthday in December?” he asked.
“Yes, December twenty-fourth actually.”
“Aw, so you were a Christmas Eve baby,” he said, brushing my cheek with his finger.
“Yep. So whatcha doin’?” I asked, playfully running my fingers down his chest.
“Trying desperately to get through one paragraph in this magazine article but I can’t seem to get my mind off you.” His flirtations were cute and his honesty was a breath of fresh air. There were no games being played, he was just putting his feelings out on the table, or on the counter I should say, and it made me feel good.
“What are you going to do when you get off work?” I asked, wondering if I was going to be able to spend the day with him. I knew that there was a possibility that his parents or his friends were going to celebrate with him, but part of me was hoping that he would want to spend it with me. Just as he was about to answer, the bells on the door rang and Ashley, Britney and Scott walked in.
“Hey Paige!” Scott called.
“Hi,” I said, placing a pack of lifesavers on the counter to purchase. Travis rang me up, while they all wished him a happy birthday.
“So babe, what are we going to do today?” Ashley asked and her term of endearment made me cringe. I didn’t want to stick around to listen to their plans that I knew excluded me, so I quickly paid for my candy then left.
I called my mom on the way back to the campsite to ask her if it was okay if I took the car. Since I wasn’t going to get to spend the day with Travis, I figured a little shopping therapy was in order. I wasn’t happy about having to keep things a secret with Travis, but had to remind myself that so far everything was telling me he was worth it. My mom gave me permission to take the car, so I let her know I was venturing into Burlington for the afternoon to catch a break from all the trees. I think she picked up on my hidden message, because she was more than willing for me to do so.
“Shopping should cheer you up. Let me know if you find any cute shops, sweetie!” she said before getting off the phone. I grabbed a few things and then headed into the city.
When I got into town, I was surprised to see that Burlington was actually a bustling little city. The downtown marketplace was lined with street vendors and unique shops. People were eating in outdoor cafes, and being entertained by musicians. It was really cute. I started wandering through the shops and happened on one that was filled with lots of trinkets. Not really looking for anything in particular, I stumbled upon a little wooden key chain that was in the shape of a kayak paddle. It reminded me of Travis, so I decided to get it for him as a birthday present. It didn’t seem like too much since we had just met, but would hopefully show him that I was listening when he told me how much he felt at peace on the water. I tucked my purchase in my purse and continued into another shop.
As I was picking out some clothes to try on in one of the local boutiques, my phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number but decided to answer it in case it was someone trying to get in touch with me about the Pri*Tee Pixies.
“Hello!” I said, picking up the call. I heard a male voice say ‘Hey!’ and then ‘Watcha doin?’ which made me realize it was Travis. “Hey! How did you get my number?” I asked, curious knowing that I hadn’t given it to him.
“Your mom. Sorry, I went by to see you and she said you drove into Burlington for the day. So, I asked for your number.” No surprise, I’m sure my mom was all too eager to give it to him after she and I had our little chat yesterday.
“How come you took off? You didn’t want to spend the day with me?” He honestly sounded disappointed by the fact, which made me regret leaving.
“I did, but I figured that you wanted to spend your birthday with your parents and your friends.”
“Well, this birthday boy is bummed. I wanted to spend my day with you.” His admission made me want to hop right back in the car and return to the campsite.
“I’m sorry. I can come back?” I offered.
“Where are you, btw?”
“In a little clothing boutique in the marketplace.”
“Which one?” he asked.
“Um, Lilly’s I think. Why, do you know the owner?”
“My mom probably does, so what are you shopping for?”
“Nothing in particular, I’m headed into the dressing room right now with a couple of things to try on, then I’ll head back to Willow Falls,” I said. I was eager to get back to him, but since I had already made the trip I figured I would try on the few items I found and then leave.
“Okay, I’ll see you soon,” he said and we ended our call.
I was getting ready to slip on a little black dress in the fitting room, when there was a tap on the door. “Yes?” I answered.
“Hey! Watcha doin?” I recognized Travis’s voice right away and opened the door immediately. I was completely taken by surprise.
“Hey! What are you doing here mister?” I asked, thrilled to see him, but curious as to how he could possibly get to me in five minutes. The drive in had taken me over an hour.
“Right now, I’m staring at an incredibly gorgeous half naked girl,” he chuckled, giving me a wink. It registered then that I was standing in my underwear. My cheeks burned, and I quickly slipped the dress over my head.
“Wow, you are so getting that dress,” he said, appraising my appearance. I turned to look in the mirror and acknowledged how cute it was, a little on the sexy side, but definitely a winner.
“I like it. Now, what are you doing here?” I asked again.
“I came in to find you,” he said, smiling brightly. “Will you spend the day with me?”
“Yes, of course I will. Just let me get dressed and we can get out of here.”
“Can I stay?” he teased.
“No, I’m sure your mom’s friend won’t appreciate you being in here,” I shrieked, pushing him out of the dressing room. I quickly changed and then made my way out with my items to the register.
Travis fought me on buying the dress, which I thought was ridiculous. “Stop. It’s your birthday, I get to buy you things, not the other way around,” I stated, not backing down.
“Well, we are officially on a date, and the guy pays for everything.” He winked as he paid the clerk. I graciously accepted his gift and in return gave him the key chain that I had picked up for him earlier.
“Thank you for the dress; this is for you by the way,” I said, handing him the little bag. Travis opened it up and smiled the second he saw it.
“Thanks, this is actually perfect.” I was surprised by how delighted he was by the simple little key ring.
“Wow, you are very easy to please,” I teased, nudging his arm.
“My parents bought me a new car for my birthday, so now my new keys will go on my new key chain. Thank you!” he said, leaning over to give me a kiss.
I met his mouth eagerly and let his tongue part my lips. As things were starting to get a little indecent for the sidewalk, I pulled away. “So, what kind of car did you get?” He didn’t answer at first but instead looked nervous to say.
“Okay, you can’t think less of me if I tell you. I had nothing to do with it. They completely surprised me.” His response was weird; why would I think less of him?
“Okay, I’m not a guy. So I don’t know much about cars. You have nothing to worry about,” I assured him.
“They got me a new black Cayman S.”
“I don’t know what that is.”
“It’s a Porsche.” Wow, Travis’s family really was loaded. It actually put me at ease knowing that our worlds weren’t so far apart.
“Sweet!” I exclaimed, truly excited for him.
“Maybe later I can take you by my place and show it to you,” he said, giddy at the notion.
“Definitely. Now, what would you like to do birthday boy?” I said, wrapping my arms around his waist. He leaned down and kissed my forehead then answered.
“Well, first I want to take you to my work and introduce you to my friends. You up for that?”
“Sure,” I said. I was really excited by the idea, and wanted to learn more about his world. It actually surprised me though that he wanted me to meet his friends, but then I realized he was probably going to introduce me as a friend. The thought left me a little disappointed, but I hid my feelings and took his hand willingly.