Gidget. 

One of my favorite movies ever since I was a kid. Sandra Dee was the epitome of surfer chick cool and she was tiny, as I was, growing up. I wanted to find a Moondoggy of my own and that dream hadn't left...it was just different now. Reality has a way of changing our childhood hopes into different versions. Or, eliminating them fully. 

I had finished the fishing job and gone to lunch with the group of marines afterwards. It was casual and nice. We hit up a food truck and sat on the beach, under some palm trees. I found out that they were a small group set to rotate through a posting attached to Army in Djibouti. We did have military in Africa. They said it wasn't too dangerous, but I knew that was a lie meant to downplay their jobs. And to keep me from worrying. Most marines I had known in my life growing up were surprisingly modest. 

Lex had driven part of the group to fish and insisted on driving me home. I obliged only because it was very hot and I was ready to take a shower and relax. He asked for my number so I added it into his phone. I didn't ask for his in return though. What was the point when he was leaving anyway, next week? No, instead, I gave him a leg squeeze as I exited his car, which sent his eyes wide. Was I a flirt today or what.

Now I lounged on the living room sectional sofa, a cold beer in hand. Gidget was playing on the big screen TV. She was going to the cookout on the beach, or the luau. I found it funny how she was scheming to make Moondoggy jealous. Then he turned out to be the guy she had paid to do just that! Her penchant for hot surfers wasn't lost on me. There were some hot locals that I saw almost daily at Bellows. But did I go bravely up to them, asking to surf, as she had? Hell no. 

Sighing, I drained my beer as 'The Four Preps' sang a catchy song. There wasn't a clear path for how I should try and date, or if. I wanted companionship though. That much was beginning to be clear. I missed my mom and my dad. I missed talking to them, going home for a meal or to hang out. They always had their door open for me. In their absence, I felt a deep loneliness that ached and seemed never ending. Add the loss of my grandpa in and I was a legitimate orphan. We came from a long line of one child relationships too, leaving no cousins or aunts and uncles. 

Yep, I wanted a relationship. But with whom I didn't know. Luca was still at the front of my mind though. I got up and grabbed another beer from the fridge. I wondered if he was free tonight. Maybe I'd text him. 

Hesitating, I sat back on the couch and held my phone. Would he answer? I decided that calling was better. Texting was getting annoying and it felt too impersonal. I took a swig of the beer for courage and found his name in my contact list. I hit call. The line rang and rang. Was he working still? It was almost 6 pm. I started to question my calling versus texting...then a voice answered. 

It's a female.

💋💋

"Hello?" 

My mind raced with why a woman would be answering Luca's phone. The beat of my heart thumped in my chest. Did he lie, was he seeing someone? It felt like minutes instead of seconds. 

"Hello?" The voice asked again, agitation apparent. 

My vocal cords felt stuck. I couldn't speak and didn't know what to say, but I had to answer. I couldn't hang up. 

"Hi. Is....Luca there?" I squeaked out.

"Yes, but he's in the bathroom. Hang on." 

Bathroom! What the hell?! Was he at her place or she at his? My mind was telling me to stay on the line but my heart was saying hang up. The line got muffled as the woman carried the phone to Luca. I swigged more of my beer, feeling semi sick. Then I heard laughter from the background. That did it for me. I hung up. 

Screw him! 

I was pissed. I downed the rest of my beer and threw the bottle away. This wasn't how that was supposed to go! Stupid men. And stupid me for thinking I could invite him over and we'd get together. I knew I was naive about guys and relationships in general but I never cared before now. 

Needing air, I went out back onto the lanai and watched the sun begin to set. Another hour and it would be pitch black. I couldn't get Luca out of my mind. His hazel eyes, the way they looked at me at the club then on the beach. He was able to see inside of me. There was no other way to explain it. But obviously to him, I wasn't the same. 

The doorbell rang, jarring me from my thoughts. 

Was it him? Oh god, what do I do? 

I hesitated...then walked silently to the door, looking out the peephole. 

Lex. 

I exhaled and pressed my forehead to the cool mahogany. It wasn't Luca. I opened the door to be greeted by the tall marine and he grinned back at me, his eyes crinkling with the bluest color. He was hot. 

"Hey. I wanted to see you again. I hope I'm not intruding or interrupting anything." He said. 

He was, but he wasn't. I decided to welcome the intrusion. 

"No, just having a few beers and watching an old movie...come in." I smiled. 

He followed me inside and I closed the front door. Lex looked around in awe. 

"Wow...this is an incredible house! It's been completely redone inside I take it?" He said. 

It was in fact. Grandpa had remodeled in the last decade of his life. It was a pet project of his even though he hired contractors to do most of the work. 

"Oh yeah. I inherited the house from my late grandpa. He'd remodeled the interior fully. Was going to eventually get to the outside..." 

"It's perfect outside. I love ranch style homes. And the landscaping is already done, it's like you live on a mini resort." 

I laughed. The landscaping was grandpas pride and joy. It was the one area I had to keep up with daily, or he'd for sure come back and haunt me. I showed him the place, it was a fair size but only one story. We finished up the tour out back, on the lanai. 

"Shit this is beautiful!" He exclaimed. 

I laughed. It really was, he was correct. Come to think of it, I'd never taken anyone out here since moving in. 

"Yeah, grandpa practically lived out here." I said. 

"I'm sorry you lost him. I saw he was a fellow marine." 

How did he know that? My face must have given my thoughts away because he smiled at me.

"I saw his framed award in the office...the one above the filing cabinet." 

Oh. Good grief. There was a framed award on the wall in there. I'd forgotten all about it. After being so guarded with my family past, it felt kind of relieving for someone to know besides my grandpas friends. 

"Yeah, he retired over 30 years ago. From Marine Corp Base Hawaii actually." I said. 

"Love that. Once a marine.." 

"Always a marine." I finished. 

Lex laughed and leaned on the back door. 

"Hoorah." He said, his blue eyes sparkling. "Want to keep watching Gidget? I could stay and drink beer with you if you'd like company." 

I decided to go for it. Luca was having fun right now, clearly, with someone else. Why not me? Lex was leaving next week and he'd be gone for a year. It was the perfect way to jump back into the opposite sex pool so to speak. I grinned and nodded. 

"Sure....but wait, how did you know it was Gidget?" I asked as we walked back inside. 

"My sister is obsessed with that movie." He replied. 

💋💋

Gidget was over and we'd moved on to an M. Night  Shyamalan film, 'The Happening'. Lex picked it out from the lineup of movies on an app that came with the TV. Grandpa had far too many apps on his smart TV but Alex didn't think so. He was a guy after all, they have a thing for TVs. A scary part was about to come on and I wanted to get us more beer so I got up from my side of the couch and went into the kitchen. 

Eerie music filled the house. It was dark too, since I decided to turn the lights off. I loved a good ambiance when watching movies. Plus, I was beginning to get a buzz and hoped to sit closer to Lex, if he'd let me. 

"Want a craft beer or another local one?" I called out. 

Loud notes hit and I jumped. 

"I'll take anything.." A voice said by my ear. 

I jumped again, shutting the fridge. Holy crap, I just about had a heart attack. Hands lightly grazed my shoulders as I felt electric sparks. Lex slowly turned me around and titled my chin up. Our proximity was intoxicating. My breath caught. He brought his face down and asked me a question. 

"Can I kiss you?" 

**This story is only found on Wattpad. If found on another site, it was stolen. Thank you for reading.💋**