Chapter Two #3
“We’re going to discuss my upcoming birthday party at the Crest. You can join us,” I said, heading toward the living room.
“I have more important things to do. Your mother went shopping in Bar Harbor,” he said.
“Thank you, Daddy,” I said, almost in a dismissive tone.
His face actually reddened. I turned and motioned for Jamie to follow me to the living room. He looked at the captain’s chair as if Daddy were sitting in it and then perused the wall of awards and mementos.
“I’ve always been impressed with all this.”
“You can try the chair,” I said.
“Oh, no, this is fine,” he said, sitting on the sofa.
He immediately took out a white box wrapped with a red ribbon tied in a fisherman’s knot. I sat beside him and glanced at the door to be sure Daddy wasn’t standing just outside it, listening in.
“Happy birthday,” Jamie said, handing me the box.
I laughed and took the gift. “Thank you.”
Jamie nodded at the present he had given me. “I saved up all year for that. I hope you like it.”
“Oh,” I said. “You didn’t have to buy me something so expensive.”
I opened it and took out the small, flat box, carefully lifting the lid to find a blue and white sapphire bracelet.
“Oh, Jamie, it’s beautiful.”
“They call it a tennis bracelet, but you don’t wear it to play tennis. Mr. Lowe, the jeweler, told me the story.”
“Story?”
“Why it’s called a tennis bracelet. I thought something with a famous history would have more meaning for you on this special birthday.”
“Tell me the story.”
“First, let’s put it on,” he said, and he helped me do so. “Just like he promised… a perfect fit.”
I held my hand up to admire the bracelet. “It is so beautiful. What is the story?”
“It comes from a tennis match… the 1978 US Open. During the match, Chris Evert dropped her diamond eternity bracelet and lost it somewhere. She made them pause the match so she could look for her bracelet.”
“Eternity bracelet?”
Jamie blushed. It wasn’t like him to do so.
I smiled and reached for his hand. “Why was it called that?”
“It was meant to show the eternal love between two people.”
I looked toward the door again to be sure Daddy wasn’t listening to us. And then I got up and closed the door. Jamie looked frightened.
“We’re entitled to privacy,” I said. “Your gift is really special, Jamie.”
Suddenly, I felt more drawn to him than ever, my heart tingling with warm excitement.
It was as if I was seeing him for the first time, everything inside me wanting to touch him in ways I had never thought to do but now longed to.
I pulled him a little closer and kissed him.
His amber eyes widened with surprise and delight.
Then he leaned completely into me and kissed me back, but longer and with more feeling than any thank-you kiss.
This was my first real love kiss. All his pecks on my cheek were void of this passion.
With this kiss came his hands moving down my shoulders to get a firmer embrace.
I leaned back, and he braced himself over me, gazing down at me.
It seemed odd to think of yourself as recuperating from a kiss, but I was trying to get my heart to stop pounding and the feelings running through my body to slow down.
Jamie had a look of surprise on his face, too.
Both of us were playing with runaway horses.
Our gazes locked. Neither of us could speak for a few moments.
“I never kissed a girl like that,” he said.
“Why don’t I believe you?”
He laughed. “I’m not saying I never wanted to; I just never did.”
“Then you’d better do it again,” I said, “so you never forget.”
“How could I forget? But you’re right, I’d better do it again.”
He lowered himself to kiss me and slide his body against mine.
“I’ve wanted to do this for so long,” he said. “I mean, kiss you like that. All-out”
“All-out?”
He laughed. “Put myself and what I feel deeply into it.”
“Why didn’t you try before, then?”
He shrugged. “Scared, I guess. Don’t tell anyone,” he quickly added.
“I’ll get ribbed to death. Most of my friends think I already have, but I deliberately never confirmed or denied it.
They can let their imaginations run away with them.
I thought you might get upset and never want to see me again. ”
“I wouldn’t get upset with you. You’re supposed to be a good fisherman. You should know when you’ve made a good catch,” I said.
He laughed so hard that I thought it brought tears to his eyes. He kissed me again and again and then brought his leg gently over mine as his hands moved down my sides and then slowly moved toward my breasts. He paused. I was holding my breath, anticipating the feeling.
“I really love you,” he whispered, and ran his palms over me, creating an explosion of excitement that flowed over me, through me, settling in my thighs, which I pressed against his. Defiance, I thought. Is it that or love?
“Lisa,” he said, “we will get married one day unless you become a mainland girl. Birdies are never good enough for them.”
I did think I loved Jamie; I did, but there were so many things I wanted to see and do, and if I said them, I would sound more like a mainland girl.
First, I did want to become an artist, and Mr. Angelo had taught me that a writer, an artist, anyone who wanted to create, had to want to have more experiences, see new things, hear new music, and widen his or her vision.
It was why he didn’t regret having traveled before settling back on Birdlane.
How could I do both, love Jamie and widen my vision? Be the woman I wanted to be?