She leans down and scribbles something on the receipt as I sit back down. Then she walks off, giving Jase one last wink.
He's home from deployment, and she's pretty. I'm sure he wants to have some fun with her, but probably feels shackled and stuck taking care of me. So I give him an out.
"I was thinking of spending some time by the pool. You should go hang out with her. It would be more fun." I smile at him as I collect my things.
He reaches across the table and takes my hand.
"I don't want to go out with her. I want to explore Key West with you, that is, if you want to. If not, that's okay too. Either way, I won't be calling the waitress."
Chapter 4
Jase
That damn waitress didn't know how to take no for an answer. To see it upset Rylee as much as it did was completely unacceptable. Now I sit here, hoping she’ll choose to spend the day with me.
"If you're sure. I would like the company."
"Of course, I'm sure. I'm here to see you, spend time with you, and I’ll take as much of that time as you’re willing to give me. Why don't you sit on the bench outside and plan where you want to go? I’ll join you in a moment.”
Rylee is hesitant but agrees, and once she’s outside, I stop the manager and fill him in on the waitress's tactics and how pissed I was she did it in front of my girl. Then I hand him the receiptwith the phone number, telling him to relay to the waitress why she’s only getting a few-dollar tip from me.
Normally, I'd let it go, but seeing how it upset my Rylee, I knew I couldn't let it stand. If it affects her the way it did, it's not okay.
She looks at me hesitantly when I join her. "Everything all right?"
"Yes. I just talked with the manager and had him give the waitress her number back. She upset you, so I took care of it. Now, where to first?"
Her eyes go big, and she sits there in shock before looking down at her phone.
"I think we should start with getting our photo at the Southernmost Point before it gets too busy, and then head to the Ernest Hemingway home?” she asks, like I'm going to tell her no.
"Whatever you want, baby girl. Lead the way."
We get our tickets for the trolley to ride around town, and as she takes photos, I hold her bag for her. We visit a few historical locations, and I stand back and watch her take photos.
Stalking her online is nothing like seeing the real woman in action. She’s so good at what she does and so passionate about it. That's when I can't deny the truth anymore.
I’m in love with this girl.
I haven't been with anyone since I got the Dear John letter from my ex. That's because of Rylee. She was a sophomore in college then, and that’s when it hit me: this girl I've been writing to is now a woman.
Through it all, she was there for me and listened. She seemed to know exactly what to say, and I started looking at every letter a bit differently. Six months after that, I looked her up online, and the girl I found was sexy as hell. Not only was she way too young and innocent for me, but she was in a relationship at the time.
I watched her, kept writing, and she blossomed into this beautiful woman now standing in front of me. One that I want to claim as my own. No one can compare to her, so I haven't even tried.
Without her, I’m not sure I would have gotten through the deployments and training. She means so much to me, even as a friend, but I want to be so much more than friends. Though I'm not crazy enough to think a young girl like her could love me like that. No, I have to be okay with the friendship.
After the historic houses, we stop at the Original Key Lime Pie Bakery. We share some key lime pie, and watching her enjoy everything makes our time together fun and easy. I pick up on her flirting with me and decide to take a chance. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
As we walk Duval Street, killing time waiting for the Sunset Celebration in Mallory Square, we window shop and check out the bars. I take a chance and reach for her hand. As I intertwine our fingers, I look over at her.
I find her looking back at me with a smile on her face. She gives my hand a gentle squeeze as we keep walking. Just this small contact has my heart hammering out of my chest.
She's holding my hand and smiling about it. Every once in a while, she stops to take a photo, and when she’s done, she reaches for my hand again like it's the most natural thing in the world.
We get to Mallory Square early and take in the street performers and different stands. There are so many people, but we still manage to get a good spot. Deciding to take another chance, I pull her into my arms, so her back is to my chest.
I wrap my arms around her waist, and she leans her head back on my shoulder, resting her hands on top of mine as the colors start to fill the sky. Resting my chin on the top of her head, I just soak in the moment with her here in my arms and the beautiful sunset in front of us.