Page 23 of Beyond the Blues
“Hello trouble,” Nora responds. “Tomorrow morning. Can you be free?” “For what?” Nora questions.
“For me to make it up to you for being an asshole earlier.”
“Sure,” Nora says, not as bubbly as usual, but I understand I wouldn’t be happy if someone spoke to me how I spoke to Nora.
“The beach, by the sunbeds we went to, 10am” I put my hand out, and Nora shakes it in agreement. I walk away slowly, my head feeling slightly fuzzy from the wine. What am I gonna do? I’m not satisfied with simply saying sorry and leaving it at that. I want to show her I am sorry. It’s making me wonder if I’ll regret this in the morning. You know, allowing this situation to happen, but fuck it. Rather than having nothing at all, I prefer liking Nora far too much for a short amount of time.
My alarm wakes me up, slamming on my phone to save me from the further
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headache. No more wine for me. After struggling to sleep, once I got back to my room, I sat there and planned what I was going to do for Nora. I settled on a breakfast on the beach with flowers to really seal the apology. Down at the grocery store, I grab a yellow and orange bouquet, as well as a couple of pastries for both of us to try. I consider grabbing a bottle of wine, but my head was screaming for me to put it down. Instead, I opt for a bottle of peach iced tea. I take all of this to the tills and start packing it into a plastic bag and notice a little key ring of a guitar by the checkout, so I pick that up and add it to the rest of my items.
Setting up this ‘picnic’ on the beach was a lot more difficult than the books make it seem. Sand kept getting in my hair, then my hair in my mouth, and it seemed the pastries wanted to run off into the sea. After a while of struggling, I set up the picnic on the beach and, to be honest, I was impressed with what I had created with such little time and resources. The flowers laid in the middle of a towel, because a picnic blanket was not easy to find. Then there was a plate I asked to borrow from the restaurant, filled with pastries and then two plastic cups at the ready for the peach iced tea.
“What’s all this?” I turn around and Nora is standing behind me, staring down at what I’ve done.
“It’s for you, obviously, to say I’m sorry”
Nora sits down, crossed leg on the other end of the towel and stares at me.
Whether it’s a look of anger, disappointment or care, I couldn’t quite tell.
“Why did you act that way?” Nora asks.
“I felt scared.”
“Why?”
“I was scared you’d leave me hurt, but I realised it doesn’t have to be that way, even if it is just a summer of love.” I affirm, and Nora reaches over and holds my hands in hers.
“I would never want to hurt you, and I thought about it. We could still talk and see each other, just not as often.” Nora says. I shake my head.
“No, this is your dream. I want you to be free, but all I ask for is to be with you for this trip. No arguments. Not upset. Just spending time together, and
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more sex.” I laugh softly.
“I think we could do that.”
“So, I’m sorry Nora, and here is me showing you that.” I point to the layout in front of us.
“No one’s ever got me flowers before” Nora picks them up, bringing them to her nose and takes a deep inhale.
“Most girls I’ve been with just seem to treat me like a man, just because I ‘look’ like one” Nora seems on edge a little, hurt.
“They just expect me to be their boyfriend and as if they suddenly realise I am, in fact, a girl, they leave.”
“Well, if it reassures you, I know you’re a woman, and I still want to be all over you.” I add, smiling and leaning my way over to her.
“And I don’t want to leave.” I whisper before Nora leans over and kisses me intensely. Even if it has just been a day, I’ve missed kissing these lips. Nora pulls me on top of her, making me squash the flowers underneath my legs.
“The flowers!” I shriek.