“It’s no problem. Part of being a big football god is catering to the fans,” he teases me with a flippant wave. All I can do is smile and shake my head. I like that he gives me shit in a fun, teasing way.
“Was your dad in the military?” I ask, nodding to the bag.
“No, but he loves to watch war documentaries. I think sometimes he regrets not joining, but he married my mom right after high school and went to work in a factory.”
“Wow, they got married young.”
“Yeah, eighteen, but they didn’t have me for almost ten years. I’m an only child and I’ve often wondered why they waited so long.”
“You never asked?”
“No. I’m not sure I want to know. If they wanted kids, but struggled, I don’t want to bring up bad memories. If they never wanted children and I was an accident, I don’t think I want to know.”
“It’s possible they always planned to have one child and waited until they were older so they could grow up together first. It might be a happy, positive story.”
“You’re right and I’ve thought that, too. I guess I figured if it was a story worth telling, they would have shared it with me.”
We glance at the next few booths, but nothing catches our interest until we get to one selling vinyl. I have to take a look. Evan follows me and immediately finds the section labeled Jazz while I look for Pop. There are a few Beatles albums that I don’t have so I choose one. By the time I meet Evan at the checkout table, we both have several albums in hand.
“Do you have a record player?” I ask. It’s a stupid question. Why would he be buying records if he has no way to play them?
“Actually, no. These two are for my mom,” he says, showing me a Dolly Parton album and a Christmas hits album with some of the most iconic female singers of all time.
“What about that one?”
“It’s for me. I moved with a small collection of vinyl, but since the only player we had at the house belonged to my parents, it stayed in Jersey. Purchasing one has been on myto-do list since I moved, but it keeps getting pushed to the back burner.”
“We definitely have to fix that soon.”
We make our purchases and meander past a few more booths. No one else stops me, but I get a few waves and some ‘Go Dolphins’ as we weave through the crowd. We are close to the end of the vendors and a sea of food trucks rests in the next block.
“Are you hungry?” Evan asks, eyeing the trucks.
“Starving.”
“Good. Let’s eat.”
After a short discussion we settle on a Mac’s Seafood truck, serving fish tacos and lobster macaroni and cheese. We order one of each with a side of chips and guacamole and four bottles of water. He packs the food in a to-go bag and hands it to Evan while I pay. Evan offered to pay, but I refused. I asked him out, so today is my treat.
“Come on.” I nod my head to the right and start toward the beach. “I know the perfect place to enjoy our lunch.”
Leading the way, I take Evan to North Shore Beach about a half-mile down the street. It’s a beautiful strip of white sand and tends to be off the tourist radar. Usually, it’s pretty quiet and laid back. When we arrive, I stop at the rental booth and get us two chairs and an umbrella. We find a spot near the end of the strip where no one else is sitting right now. Most people are back on Miami Beach near the food trucks and vendors, so I don’t expect it to get much busier here.
“This is beautiful,” Evan gushes, taking a seat and divvying up the food. “I can’t believe it isn’t packed here.”
“It never is. Most people stay near the beaches close to hotels and restaurants.”
“It’s the perfect place for a private lunch. Good call.”
We fall into comfortable silence as we devour the tacos,chips, and macaroni. Mac’s Seafood is my favorite food truck in the area, so I was ecstatic to see it at the festival. After we eat, Evan kicks his shoes off and runs for the water.
“What are you waiting for?” he tosses over his shoulder.
I can’t help but laugh at his antics as he runs into the small waves. He kicks his feet, splashing water and drenching the bottom half of his shorts. I’m not a huge fan of the ocean, too many things can go wrong. Pushing my reservations aside, I leave my shoes next to the chair and run to join Evan. As long as I don’t go too far out, I’ll be fine.
As soon as I’m next to him, he kicks one foot then the other at me, making my shorts as wet as his.
“Can you believe how warm the water is here?” he practically squeals with excitement.