When Amanda awoke the next morning, JC was not beside her. She sat up and ran a hand through her hair as she looked around. She smiled. He was standing on the deck, leaning so his elbows rested on the rails, watching the ocean out in front of him. She grabbed a couple of mints and walked outside. She stood next to him and placed her elbows on the railing. "Don't you know it's not polite to leave your girlfriend in bed all alone," she said with a smile.
"Sorry, I was restless and didn't want to wake you," he said as he reached over and stroked her hair as he placed a kiss on her temple.
"What were you thinking about," she said as she took his hand in hers.
"How I don't want this to end tomorrow," he replied as they turned to face each other.
"I don't want it too either, but I have to be back to work in two days," she answered.
"Can't you call off for another day or two," he asked.
"No, they need me, and more importantly, I took the time off without pay and if I don't go back on the thirteenth, I won't make my bills for the month and I risk getting fired," she explained.
"I'm sure they can deal with out you for another day or two, please," he begged.
"JC, I can't. I have a commitment. I'm on the schedule and I can't back out of it. I've been on vacation and they'll frown highly on me if I call in. I have to go back," she said.
"Then why go back at all. I mean, you're not getting paid a lot there, right? I'm sure you can get another job. And if not, then I can support you," he replied matter-of-factly.
Amanda took a deep breath before she spoke. "JC, it's not that simple. I can't let you support me. I have to work. Not only because of the money, but I get cabin fever if I'm out of work for more than a week. Even if I was to accept your support, I can't just quit without notice. That is a huge management company and my career can't afford to have their black mark against it."
"Oh, come on, you're just a front desk agent, are they really going to suffer without you?" JC's tone was slightly harsh. It confused Amanda for a moment.
"Ok, let's try it this way. JC, what's your next public appearance," she asked blankly.
"Um," he paused in thought. "The VMAs in a couple of weeks. Why?" He was confused now.
"I don’t want you to go. I want you to stay with me here in Orlando," she requested.
"I can't do that, I have obligations. Besides, you know how my career is, you can't be selfish like that," he answered quickly. Amanda said nothing, she just raised both her eyebrows at him. A look of understanding crossed his face. "Ok, fine, point taken." He paused for a minute. "But can I ask for a bit of a compromise? Or at least suggest something. You don't have to decide now, but I'm serious about this," he said.
"Ok," she replied and waited for him.
"I understand working is important to you, and it was wrong of me to suggest you quit. Chalk it up to morning brain mush. But, I also know that with you working as much as you do, we're not going to have a lot of time together. Time that we need if we're going to make this work," he paused, she nodded for him to continue. "So," he hesitated, "would you cut back on your hours and I will make up the difference in pay," he paused to see what her immediate reaction was. She turned towards the ocean. "Like I said," he started as he turned back to the ocean, "it's just a suggestion and you can take as long as you want to think over. I know how you are about money issues like this and that's why I'm hesitant to ask you…" his voice trailed off as he watched the waves crash to shore.
"Ya know," she started a few minutes later. He turned in her direction and waited for the tongue-lashing he was about to get, "I have been running myself ragged the past few months," she said as she turned to him with a smile. "I think if I cut back to one overtime shift a week and you pick up my car payment, it'll be about even," she said with a hesitant smile.
He paused for a moment, "Well, seeing as how I've already bought the back end of it, I don't see why I shouldn't pay for the rest of it," he said with a laugh and leaned over to kiss her. "Thank you."
"No, thank you," she said. "But don't be surprised when you go out of town if I'm not at home because I'm picking up more shifts at work," she finished with a smile.
"Fair enough," he answered as he pulled her into a hug.
"Hey, what is today," she asked a minute later.
JC looked at the date on his watch. "Um, it's the eleventh of August. Why?"
"That's what I though. I'm just terrible at loosing the date while on vacation and I wanted to make sure it was tomorrow we had to go home," she answered as she held back a smile.
"Ok," he said with a slightly confused tone. "What's for breakfast?'
"Do you guys ever think about anything but food?"
"Yes, but you don't want to know what else," he said with a playful smile.
After breakfast, they spent the rest of the morning out on the beach. After lunch, JC laid out on the hammock on the porch while Amanda sat on the chaise lounge and read a book. An hour later, she knew JC was asleep by his breathing pattern. She smiled and crept silently into the house. She quickly changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top and wrote a note and taped it to the sliding glass door where he would be sure to see it.
She drove to the nearby shopping center. As she waited for the bakery to complete the dessert for the evening, Amanda picked up several items at the grocery store. When she returned to the house ninety minutes later, JC was still asleep in the hammock. She put away the items she purchased and changed back into her bathing suit and went back out to the deck. Just as she sat down, he woke up.
"Hey sleepyhead, how was your nap," she asked as he stretched.
"Wonderful. Have you been reading all this time," he asked as he stood up.
"No, I just piddled around, got stuff prepared for dinner, I'm cooking tonight," she said with a smile.
"Oh, what are we having," he asked as he sat down behind her and started rubbing her shoulders.
"I figured steak, twice baked potatoes, salad, bread sticks," she said rattling off the menu.
"Steak, now you're talking woman," he said with a slight laugh.
"And I have a surprise for you, so no peeking in the refrigerator," she said as she turned around and wagged a finger at him.
"Who me? Peek, never," he said as he stood up quickly and ran to the fridge and opened it. He opened the freezer as well. "Um, Amanda, I don't see anything out of the ordinary," he said as he turned to look at her standing in the doorway.
"Oh sorry, I must have been mistaken," she replied with a laugh, "I thought Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream was your favorite," she finished.
"Oh it is, but I thought this was here yesterday," he replied.
"Nope, bought it today. Let's go back to the beach," she said as she grabbed her straw tote. The couple spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach.
That evening, true to her word, she cooked for him. The steaks had been marinating all afternoon and turned out perfectly. The potatoes were another story. Potatoes that started out to be twice baked quickly became mashed. The mixed green salad and breadsticks were impossible to mess up. They shared a bottle of red wine
They dined outside on the balcony as the sun set. They had caught a break in the weather over the past days with the temperatures being nearly ten degrees below normal for that time of the year.
"Now, time for dessert," she said as she cleared the dishes away.
"Here, let me help," he said as he picked up his plate.
"Nope, sit down, I've got it," she said as she balanced the plates in one hand while she grabbed the wine bottle and glasses with the other. "I mustn't let those two years of waiting tables in college go to waste," she replied with grin as he stood up and walked to the railing.
A few minutes later, he heard her behind him. He turned and smiled.
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
You look like a monkey,
And you smell like one too!
She stood in the doorway with a small cake in her hands. There were two candles, one in the shape of a two and the other in a six, on it. "Happy belated birthday. Make a wish," she said as she sat the cake on the table.
JC approached the table, leaned over, closed his eyes and blew out the candles. He smiled when he looked up at her. "Thank you," he said as he took her in his arms and kissed her.
"You're welcome. I'm sorry I missed the one on the eighth," she replied with a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Ahh, don't worry about it, it wasn't much, I was there," he replied with a laugh in hopes of lifting the sadness he saw in her eyes.
"And I’m sorry I don't have a gift for you either," she continued.
"Hey, I've already gotten the one thing I want right now, you, so don't be sorry," he said then paused. "Actually, seeing as how we're celebrating my birthday and therefore am king for the night, I decree that there will be no more sadness!"
She laughed. He did too. She cut the cake. It was a mint chocolate chip ice cream cake.
"Let's go for a walk," he said after they had finished the dessert. He took her hand and led her down the deck to the beach. They left their shoes at the base of the steps and walked down the beach, allowing the waves to gently lap at their feet. They walked in silence for nearly five minutes.
"JC, what's wrong," Amanda finally asked. He didn't answer her. She stopped and turned to face him. "Jace," she probed.
"I'm afraid," he said quietly and looked away.
She reached up and turned him back to her. "Why are you afraid? What are you afraid of?"
"I'm afraid about us. What if we don't make it?" He was serious.
"JC, I thought I was the one that was easily spooked in this relationship," she replied. "Where's this coming from?"
"My wish," he answered.
"You're wishing we don't make it," she asked slightly confused.
"No, just the opposite," he replied as he led her away from the waves and to the soft dry sand several feet away. "Amanda, I need to know, do you love me?"
She was taken by surprise with his sudden mood shift. "JC, I wouldn't be here with you if I weren't. What's all this about?"
"Promise me you'll marry me," he said.
"I can't do that," she replied.
"Why not," he asked.
"Because I'm not ready for that magnitude of a decision, yet."
"But you love me right?"
"JC, you're scaring me, what is wrong?"
"I don't know, I just have a bad feeling."
"Well, nothing's going to happen. We're going home tomorrow. I'm going back to work, you're going back to whatever it is you do during the days. We're going to work on our relationship," she said trying to encourage him.
"Then we're going to get married, right," he probed.
"If we agree, then yes, we're going to get married, but I don't think that will be for a while," she answered.
"Why?"
"Because right now I’m getting to know 'on a break JC' and before I can marry you, I'm going to have to get to know 'working like a dog, on tour for four months, in a different hotel nearly every night JC'," she said.
"You make me sound like a Barbie doll," he said with a slight smile.
"Well, you've got a lot of roles to play, I need to experience them all before I decide if I love them all," she replied with a laugh. His smile deepened.
The sat there and watched as the surf got close and closer. The tide was coming in. JC broke the silence. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," he said as he reached for her hand.
"Just don't do it again," she replied with a smile. She didn't know what had spooked him, but she hoped those feelings didn't come back for a long time.
They walked back to the beach house and watched a movie. They didn't even attempt to sleep in separate beds that night and soon went to sleep, holding each other, in Amanda's bed.
