Love, Los Angeles Style – Heather Scarlett #3
The following week, we’d tackled the Runyon Canyon hike, one that she’d done before but was new to me.
I biked a lot, but hiking uphill was not my strength.
Natalie was patient as I huffed up the hill and never made me feel like I wasn’t keeping up.
We took plenty of time at the top to enjoy the view and eat some snacks she’d packed for us.
Most recently, we rollerbladed along the beach near where we lived.
It was a totally stereotypical thing to do, and also was the most fun I’d had since I was a kid.
Turned out, I picked up the skill pretty easily and we had an enjoyable afternoon blading up and down the beach.
When we’d had our fill of exercise, we stopped for tacos and margaritas at a small neighborhood restaurant with a view of the ocean.
Now I was waiting for Natalie outside what I’d come to consider our coffee shop since we met here for coffee before each of the weekly scavenger events.
But we were seeing each other twice a week plus when we happened to run into each other.
Since we lived in the same neighborhood, it turned out that we had similar routines a few days a week and often passed each other.
I had our usual orders in my hand and as Natalie approached, she effortlessly took her Americano from me, and we started walking towards the local community college where we’d pick up the Park & Ride bus that would take us to the Hollywood Bowl.
This week was the final adventure for our library scavenger hunt and we were going out with a bang—literally, as there were fireworks scheduled after tonight’s concert.
The library had arranged a group rate for the tickets to make it more affordable and there were about twenty people attending tonight. As far as I was concerned, it was only me and Natalie.
As the formal reason for us to see each other was coming to an end, I struggled to think of reasons to keep spending time with Natalie. I was determined to ask her out on a proper date tonight.
The bus ride was longer than usual, due to traffic. We still made it before the concert started, just in time to pick up the picnic basket I ordered and find our seats. Our section was up higher and afforded a gorgeous view of the location, as well as a glimpse of the Hollywood Sign.
The view at sunset was magical and for the millionth time, I was grateful for being an Angeleno. While it wasn’t an everyday occurrence to take in the many infamous landmarks in Los Angeles, the fact they were all so close to me was pretty amazing.
Natalie seemed equally transfixed. Her eyes were wide as she snapped photos on her smartphone. “I didn’t realize I’d be able to see the Hollywood Sign! It’s so beautiful here!”
“The Hollywood Bowl is a special place.”
She turned her phone to selfie mode and gestured for me to get in the photo. “Let’s take one together.”
I dutifully turned so that Natalie could frame us along with the Bowl below. She snapped a few pictures, then turned to show me. “What do you think?”
“They came out great! Send them to me?”
Natalie tapped at her phone, and I felt mine buzz as the pictures arrived. I was glad to have the memories for when this ended—which it didn’t have to if I just asked her out.
“Natalie—“
Just as I had worked up the courage to ask, the announcer indicated the concert was starting. Damn, I missed my opportunity . Natalie opened the picnic basket on the seat between us. She pulled out a charcuterie board filled with cheese, crackers, and fruit as well as a small bottle of wine.
“This is lovely!’
She laid the food out on the small ledge in front of us and made quick work of opening the screw top wine bottle and pouring a glass of rosé for both of us.
“I hope you like the wine.” I hadn’t been sure what she’d liked when I placed my online order, but I figured that rosé was an under-appreciated classic. Looked like I’d made the right call as she clinked her glass with mine before savoring her beverage.
The beginning strings of the orchestra started as the sun dipped below the hills behind them. A hush settled over the crowd as everyone settled in to hear the LA Philharmonic.
I shifted on the bench seat until I was close enough to Natalie to smell her familiar scent. She must have shifted as well because she was flush against me, from hip to thigh. She leaned down to rest her head on my shoulder and I reached my arm around her.
This was new territory for us. We often exchanged casual touches but this was the first time we were outright snuggling. A good sign. She was warm against me, and I tried to savor the moment while also cataloging every sensation of having her so close.
This may be my only chance to be this close to her and I wasn’t going to let it pass without committing every second to memory.
The last strains of music ended just as fireworks burst over the iconic shell of the Bowl.
The orchestra launched into its finale, and I tried to gather my courage to ask Natalie out.
I didn’t want this to be the last time we went out, and the way she spent the past two hours snuggled into me, I was beginning to hope that she felt the same.
As the fireworks boomed above us, I reached for her hand. She wound her fingers around mine as if we’d done it a hundred times before. I waited until the last firework sounded, then turned to her.
“Natalie, I have something I want to ask you?”
She turned her beaming face in my direction. “That was the most amazing way to end this library program!”
“It was. I’m going to miss seeing you.”
Natalie rubbed her thumb over my palm. “I’ll miss you too.”
“I’d like to do more of this. Just because the library program is ending, it doesn’t mean we can’t continue our LA adventure.”
Her smile was bright enough to light up the entire Bowl. “I’d love to see more of you, Spencer. I know this started as a library thing, but I’d like to keep doing what we’ve been doing.”
Hope soared at her words. “I’d like to take you out this week. On a date. A real one.”
“I’d like that, Spencer. What did you have in mind?”
I frantically ran through the usual ideas of movies, dinner, coffee. None of them seemed right after we’d had so many adventures together already. Then inspiration struck.
“How do you feel about baseball?”
I’d grown up watching baseball on television with my dad, but this was the first time I’d been to a live game. I’d been surprised when Spencer had suggested taking in a weekday game since we both were off on Wednesdays. He won points for most original first date.
Not that this was really our first date as we’d been spending time together for weeks now. But this was the first time we were getting together because we wanted to, not just to complete a task in our scavenger hunt. Which we’d lost, unfortunately.
Although sitting next to Spencer on a sunny day watching baseball felt like winning. He passed me the popcorn in a Dodgers helmet and I grabbed a handful. The usual self-consciousness of a first date was missing since we were already familiar with each other.
I retrieved my beer from the cup holder and kicked my feet up on the empty seats ahead of us. We were high up in Dodger stadium, in perfect position to take in the view of blue heaven.
The sun shone brightly on us, the day warm but not too hot with a breeze drifting through the stadium. Our team was winning and the crowd cheered as the batter hit a home run. The afternoon was damn near perfect.
Spencer was nearly perfect. The shy librarian I’d met a few weeks ago had shown himself to be a kind, funny guy who genuinely loved adventure. In other words, the perfect guy for me.
I set our popcorn at our feet, then reached for his hand, tangling my fingers with his and resting our joined hands on his thigh. The moment was simple but was everything I’d wanted—someone with whom to share life’s adventures.
The game below was the cherry on the sundae of the afternoon but I didn’t care where we were—as long as we were together.
Spencer squeezed my hand, then gently tugged until I leaned towards him. With his other hand, he cupped my cheek and brought our faces close.
“I’d really like to kiss you.”
I nodded, anticipation thrumming through me.
I genuinely liked every moment I’d spent with the man, and I craved the feeling of his lips on mine.
Spencer brought our lips together and my breath caught.
His kiss was gentle and exploratory, yet the sensation had my pulse racing, and I placed a hand on his bicep to steady myself.
Despite the crowd around us, I could only focus on the man kissing me as if I was his lifeline. He gently eased the kiss, but stayed close, lingering in the brief moment of intimacy.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” he admitted.
“So have I.”
Spencer had a goofy grin on his face and I was sure my expression matched his. He gently squeezed our joined hands, and I leaned my head against his shoulder as we turned to face the game again.
We didn’t talk much for the rest of the game but we cuddled together, breaking apart to cheer when the Dodgers scored. By the end of the game, it felt like we’d been dating for years, not hours.
When we returned to our neighborhood, Spencer and I sat on a bench in front of the the library where we’d met. He reached for my hand again and held it on his thigh.
“I enjoyed our date and would like to take you out again.”
“Spencer, I’d love to go out with you again. I’m glad I decided to take a chance and join the group at the library.”
He grinned. “I’m glad I let Ms. Garcia set us up.”
“Wait, what?”
Spencer ducked his head. “I strongly suspect our last minute cancellation was never a real entry. She’s been encouraging me to step out of my comfort zone for a while to meet more people my age.”
“You think it was a setup? How would she know who would be the odd person out?”
“She wouldn’t. I think she was counting on anyone I met at the library having the potential of becoming a friend.”
I threw a teasing smile his way. “And what about me?”
Spencer blushed. “I hope you’ll become more than a friend.”
“I think there is a one hundred percent chance of that happening.”
To prove my point, I leaned up to kiss him.
He snuck an arm around my waist to tug me closer, then tilted his head to deepen the kiss.
The sensation set butterflies alight in my stomach like I’d never experienced before.
This man did things to me that had me suspecting that he was endgame.
Even though it had only been a few weeks, I could see us together far in the future.
As if he read my mind, Spencer eased back to whisper in my ear. “I really like you, Natalie.”
My heart stuttered at his admission. “I really like you, too.”
“Do you want to get dinner?”
He was as hesitant as I was to end this magical day. “Spencer, do you want to come back to my apartment and we can make dinner together?”
“I’d love to. I make a mean marinara sauce if you have the ingredients on hand.”
I stood, offering him my hand, then tugging him up to stand beside me. “I do happen to have the ingredients, and can’t wait to taste it.”
I led him down the street, hand in hand, towards my apartment. The summer sun was far from setting but I pictured us on my small balcony, eating dinner while watching the sunset.
The first of many that we’d witness together.
Heather Scarlett left her heart is in Montana where she lived for six wonderful years.
She loves big sky, wide open spaces, and cowboys.
Heather writes small town romance that is equal parts sweet and emotionally satisfying.
Her heroines are strong and sassy and her heroes are rugged and capable.
Heather's stories are family focused and relationship driven.