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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 21:59:26 GMT -5
Chapter 2 When Saturday came Sundae was ready to shop. She had studied throughout the week for her test and now she was ready for a break. Dana had stayed over the previous night and they were up bright and early for their trip. They were just finishing their breakfast when Sundae’s aunt arrived. Rhea Wahlberg was a model by trade and so when she arrived-she arrived. That day she wore a fashionable spring dress with a floral design, designer sandals and designer sunglasses and had her long brown hair done up with designer clips. Sundae and Dana couldn’t help but notice her style when she swept into the kitchen. “Good morning, ladies. Are we ready to shop til we drop?” she asked. “Morning, Aunt Rhea. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this,” Sundae said. Her aunt smiled. “Anything for you, but just so you know, you’re lucky your uncle was willing to watch the kids today,” she said. She and Sundae’s uncle, Mark, had three children; a five-year-old daughter and two sons ages three years and eight months. “Remind me to thank him,” Sundae said. Her aunt smiled and Sundae turned to Dana who was gathering her purse. “Ready to go?” she asked. “Yup. Can I ask you something?” Dana asked. “What’s that?” Sundae wanted to know. “Can I borrow your aunt to help me shop for prom? I could so use some of her style,” Dana said. Sundae giggled. “We’ll see,” she said as they followed her aunt out of the kitchen. Rhea drove the girls around to some of the best boutiques in LA and Sundae had a blast trying on different dresses, shoes and even jewelry. She had a hard time finding her dream dress, though. She wanted it to be extra special, but nothing she tried truly stood out. By mid-afternoon she still hadn’t found anything and she was starting to get frustrated. “Ugh, why did I think this would be easy?” she muttered as the trio left yet another boutique. Her aunt smiled at her. “You want it to be perfect because he’s perfect,” she said. Sundae looked at her in surprise. “How’d you know?” she asked. “I go through this with every awards show with your uncle. Any woman who’s been in love knows the feeling,” her aunt said. “Yeah, Dae. You should see what my mom goes through when my dad takes her to business dinners. She tries on, like, twenty dresses before she makes a choice,” Dana said. “I guess, but I still feel I should’ve had more luck by now,” Sundae said. “Don’t start stressing yet. I have one more place in mind to try in this neighborhood. It’s one I go to a lot when I need something really special,” her aunt said. Sundae smiled a little as they made their way to the car. They drove a few blocks and parked in front of another boutique with fancy gowns on display in its window. “Are you sure, Aunt Rhea? This place looks expensive,” Sundae said as they got out of the car. “It is a little pricey, but it’s worth it,” her aunt said and led the way inside. The saleslady on duty recognized Rhea when she saw her. “Mrs. Wahlberg, how lovely to see you. You have a special event coming up?” she asked in greeting. “My niece does, actually. She’s going to her first ball and she needs something special,” Rhea said. The saleslady looked to Sundae. “The boy of your dreams?” she asked. Sundae beamed. “Absolutely,” she said. The saleslady smiled, too. “Say no more. We have some wonderful gowns for you to choose from,” she said and led the way over to rack. She started holding up various gowns for Sundae to see, but after about the fourth one, Sundae thought this place would be another bust. She was just about to turn away when a gown on display near one of the windows caught her eye. “Oh wow,” she said as she walked over to the gown. Her aunt, Dana, and the saleslady followed and they, too, admired the dress. “Dae, that’s gorgeous. You should so try it on,” Dana said. The gown was champagne gold and made of soft silk. The top was halter cut and tied behind the neck and the skirt was wrap around and held in place with a diamond clip. “Can I try this one on?” Sundae asked. The saleslady nodded. “Of course, let me help you,” she said and picked up the mannequin wearing the dress and led Sundae back to a changing room. When she slipped into the dress, Sundae felt, for a moment, like a princess. The dress fit her perfectly and hugged her every curve. She stepped out of the changing room and her aunt and Dana gaped at her. “Wow! Sundae that’s the one, that is stunning,” her aunt said. “I’ll say. I would pay good money to see David’s expression when he sees you in that,” Dana said as Sundae twirled in front of the mirror. She paused momentarily to look at the price tag hanging from the dress and her jaw dropped. “Oh my God! This is Oscar de la Renta! I can’t afford this,” she said. “That’s where my credit card comes in handy,” her aunt said. Sundae whipped around to look at her. “Aunt Rhea I can’t ask that. It’s too much,” she said. “Think of it as a belated sweet sixteen gift,” her aunt said. Sundae gasped. “Are you sure?” she asked. Her aunt smiled. “Absolutely,” she said. Sundae beamed. “Thank you so much,” she said. Her aunt nodded. “You’re welcome and I’d suggest we pull a Carrie Bradshaw and get you some Jimmy Chou shoes to go with it,” her aunt said. “Aunt Rhea, you’re too much,” Sundae said. “So your uncle likes to tell me,” her aunt said. Sundae giggled as she went to change again. Now that she had the dress the rest of the outfit was easy. Sundae quickly found a pair of strappy champagne colored heels with tiny rhinestones on them and, for accessories, she decided on the two most precious pieces of jewelry she owned, the gold heart necklace David had given her for her fifteenth birthday and the gold bracelet he’d given her for her sweet sixteen. She was practically on air when her aunt pulled her car into the driveway of the Wahlberg home. “You are going to have such a special time,” her aunt said as Sundae gathered her things. “I know, and I have to thank you so much for everything today. I already feel like a princess just thinking about it,” Sundae said. Her aunt smiled. “I hope you have a wonderful time and you know I want details,” her aunt said. Sundae giggled. “You got it,” she said. She then leaned over and gave her aunt a huge hug. “Thank you so much again,” she said. “You’re more than welcome,” her aunt said. Sundae then gathered her things again and got out of the car with Dana. They both waved as her aunt drove off and then went into the house. They were just starting up the stairs when her dad came out of his office. “Hey, have fun shopping?” he asked. “Yeah, we did. Did you have a good day?” she asked. “Sure did. I made your flight reservations and I’ll be picking your tickets up tomorrow,” he said. “Thanks, dad, and thank you again so much for letting me go,” Sundae said. Her dad smiled. “I’ve told you before that I only want to see you happy and I know you’re never happier than when you’re with David,” he said. Sundae beamed and kissed him on the cheek before dashing up the stairs with Dana to get a head start on her packing.
The next week was filled with activity for Sundae. She had her math test, soccer practice and the final preparations for her trip to deal with and she almost felt overloaded. Fortunately, she had her friends to keep her grounded. She had her math test on Monday and she was glad to get it out of the way. Her studying did pay off and she felt very confident in her performance as she left the class with Dana and another friend, Cara. “I so totally bombed on that test,” Dana said. “You did fine. I helped you study, remember?” Sundae said. “Doesn’t help much when you have test anxiety,” Cara said. Sundae shrugged. “Well, my mom says ‘If you think it, it will happen’. So, don’t stress over it. I’m sure you did fine,” she said. “I hope so,” Dana said with a sigh as they paused by their lockers. Sundae started to dial her combination, but was distracted by a gasp from Cara. “OMG, don’t look now, but Scott Feldman is coming this way,” she squealed softly. “OMG, how’s my hair?” Dana said and quickly fished her compact out of her bag. Sundae sighed and looked over to see Scott, the captain of the boys’ soccer team, coming toward them. He was tall with medium brown hair and a great smile, and was considered one of the prime catches at East Beverly High. Sundae had noticed him early in her freshman year and had thought he was cute, but when she and David had started dating two months later all other guys ceased to exist in her mind. That was definitely still the case now, eighteen months later, so she wasn’t as excited as her friends over Scott’s approaching them. She kept her attention on her locker as he walked up and lounged on the locker next to her. “Hi,” he said, and she guessed he was smiling at all three of them. “Hi Scott,” Dana and Cara chorused. Sundae restrained herself from an eye roll. “So, Sundae, I was wondering. You know prom’s this weekend, right?” Scott asked. Sundae had been so caught up in thinking about David and the senior ball that she hadn’t even been thinking about her own school’s prom. “Yeah, I know,” she said as she flipped open her history notebook to make sure she had what she needed for class. “So, I was wondering if maybe you’d like to go with me? I’ve already got the evening planned out. I’ll pick you up at six thirty and then…” Sundae cut Scott off before he could go any further. “I’m sorry, Scott, but I’m not going to prom this year,” she said. Scott looked surprised. “Why would you not go to prom?” he asked. “I already have plans this weekend. I’m going with my boyfriend to the senior ball at his school,” Sundae said as she shoved her history notebook into her bag. Scott raised an eyebrow. “No one told me you have a boyfriend,” he said. “Oh, well we’re kinda private about it so that’s probably why you hadn’t heard. I’m sorry for the mix up,” Sundae said. She then turned and started to go, but realized neither Dana nor Cara was following her. She turned back and looked at them. “You two coming?” she asked. They quickly snapped out of it and followed her and, as soon as they were out of Scott’s earshot, Cara pounced. “OMG, you just turned down the Scott Feldman. You really must be crazy in love with David. And why didn’t you tell me about this senior ball?” she asked. “Well, for one thing, I didn’t want it broadcast all over school. You know David and I like things quiet. Besides, I thought Dana would blab to you for sure,” Sundae said. “Well she didn’t,” Cara said, eyeing Dana. “Oh come on, Cara. I was going to tell you,” she said. “When? When I notice she isn’t at prom?” Cara retorted. Sundae tuned them out and turned her thoughts to that weekend. ‘Only three more days, David,’ she thought, ‘three more days and we’ll be together again’.
Those next three days seemed to drag on for eternity to Sundae, but finally, Friday arrived. Sundae was up, showered, dressed and ready to go by nine am. She was skipping school that day to catch her flight and had already completed her homework for the weekend. She was finishing her breakfast at the kitchen counter when her dad came in, coffee cup in hand. “I’m ready to go when you are,” she told him, swallowing the last bite of her cereal. He raised an eyebrow at her. “Eager much?” he asked with a knowing smile. Sundae blushed. “Sorry,” she said. Her dad laughed. “It’s alright. I’m just about ready anyway. He knows what time you’re getting in?” he asked. “Yeah, he does,” Sundae said as she got up and rinsed her bowl in the sink before putting it in the dishwasher. “Alright, finish getting your stuff together and we’ll go in a few minutes,” her dad said. Sundae practically skipped out of the kitchen and up the stairs to her room. An hour later she and her dad were pulling up to LAX in his truck. “You’ll text me when you get there?” he asked as she unbuckled her seatbelt. “I promise, dad,” she said as she opened the door and went to get her bag out of the back seat of the truck’s cab. “Remember to say ‘thank you’ to his parents, too,” her dad said as she grabbed her bag and shut the back door. She set her bag on the curb and then stuck her head into the cab and kissed her dad on the cheek. “I’ll be fine, dad. I’ll call you when I’m on my way home,” she said. “Alright, sweetie. Have fun,” her dad said. “I will, bye dad,” Sundae said and then backed out of the cab and shut the door before grabbing her bags and heading in to check in for her flight. Even though the flight was only an hour Sundae had a hard time sitting still. She couldn’t wait to get off the plane, find David, and jump into his arms for whole weekend. When the captain finally announced they were landing, Sundae turned her attention out the window to see Salt Lake City coming into view. David lived in the nearby suburb of Murray, but even seeing Salt Lake made Sundae’s heart leap in anticipation. As soon as the plane was landed and parked Sundae grabbed her carry-on and stood waiting for the people ahead of her to deboard the plane. When she finally got out into the aisle she had to catch herself to keep from running off the plane. One of the flight attendants noticed her excitement. “Have a big weekend ahead of you?” she asked. “Yeah, sorry if I’m a little wound up,” she said. “Oh that’s alright, you enjoy yourself,” the flight attendant said. “Thanks,” Sundae said and stepped off the plane and into the tunnel that lead into the airport. Now she let herself run and dashed up the tunnel and into the terminal at the top. She knew, because of the stricter laws enacted after 9-11, that she’d be meeting David in the baggage claim area so she headed straight for an escalator and went downstairs to that part of the airport. Once there she looked around, but at first saw only other passengers milling around. As she scanned the room a second time she noticed someone who definitely stood out, a guy about her age wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses. She started to wonder, but then noticed the guy’s shirt, a bright red graphic tee with cassette tapes on it. She walked over to the guy, trying to keep the grin off her face. “You know, you could’ve picked a less-recognizable shirt. You can’t find this one at Target anymore because of you,” she said. He laughed. “Dang it. Remind me to shoot Daniel later,” he said and she laughed, too. “Will do,” she said. “Has your flight’s baggage come through yet?” he asked. Sundae quickly scanned all the baggage returns and spotted her flight number on the one closest to them. “Yeah, I’ll be right back,” she said and left her carry-on with him while she went over to the baggage return. Her bag happened to come out right as she walked up and she smiled, thanking God for making the little things go quickly. She grabbed her bag and walked back over to David and saw that he was already shouldering her carry-on. He reached for her other bag and she made to stop him. “You don’t have to take all of it,” she said. “I want to,” he said and grabbed the handle of her big bag. She only smiled and took hold of his other hand as they walked out of the airport and over to the parking garage. They found his car, a silver Ford Escape hybrid, rather quickly and loaded her bags into the back before getting in themselves. As soon as the car doors were shut, Sundae turned to David and reached over to remove his disguise. She lifted the hat off his head, revealing his silky black hair and then gently slipped off the sunglasses revealing the bright, shining hazel eyes she so loved to gaze into. She set the glasses in the tray between their seats and then reached over and laid her hand behind his head. She then drew him to her and their lips met in a long kiss. He slid one arm around her, pulling her closer as the kiss deepened. It was a few minutes before they finally pulled apart. “Mmm, I’ve been dreaming about that all week,” Sundae murmured. “Me, too,” David agreed before leaning over again. Again the kiss lasted for a few minutes and this time when they pulled apart Sundae settled into her seat, still holding onto his hand as she reached with the other for her seatbelt. They buckled up and he started the car and backed out of the parking space. He steered out of the garage and headed for the freeway, keeping one hand on her knee as he drove. She held onto that hand, just enjoying the feeling of being with him. “Anything interesting going on in LA this weekend?” David asked as he turned onto the freeway. “Not much. Prom’s this weekend, but I’d much rather be here with you,” Sundae said. He smiled. “I’m glad you came, Dae,” he said. She smiled, too, squeezing his hand. “Me, too,” she said. The next moment the song on the radio caught her attention. It was his second hit single ‘A Little Too Not Over You’. She smiled and reached over and turned up the volume. “How nice, my favorite singer,” she said. He blushed, but managed to keep his eyes on the road. “You’re just saying that,” he said. “No, I’m not. There is no other voice I love hearing more than yours. And if the fact that every single you’ve released has gone at least gold and your album’s platinum counts for anything, I’d say the rest of world agrees with me,” Sundae said. David nodded modestly. “Thanks,” he said and she squeezed his hand again as they drove on. They pulled up to David’s house a half hour later and saw his younger sisters Jazzy and Amber out front with the family dog, Teddy. They looked up as the SUV pulled up and Teddy started barking and ran over to the car. David opened up the driver’s side door after shutting off the car and Teddy jumped up into the car and onto his lap. “Whoa! Hey boy, guess you missed me, huh?” he said as the dog licked his face. “Nah, he just likes you better,” Jazzy said as she leaned on the doorframe. Teddy then moved from David to Sundae and started licking her. “Now he likes Dae better,” David said. Sundae laughed and pushed Teddy off of her. “Okay Teddy, I’m glad to see you, too,” she said. The dog turned around again and Jazzy reached over David and lifted him out of the car. “Sorry about that,” she said. “It’s okay,” David said as he slid out of the car. He went around and opened Sundae’s door and she smiled as he helped her out of the car. They then got her things from the back and headed into the house. His parents and brother, Daniel, greeted them when they got inside. “Hi, good to see you, Sundae,” Mrs. Archuleta said. “Good to see you, too, and thanks for the hospitality,” Sundae said. “Oh, it’s no problem, really,” Mrs. Archuleta said. “Since you’re gonna be here all weekend can you do me a favor?” Daniel asked. “What’s that?” Sundae asked. “Wait til I’m out of the room before you guys…you know,” Daniel said. David gave him an annoyed look and their dad intervened. “Daniel, that was uncalled for. She’s a guest in this house and you’ll be respectful. David, why don’t you show Sundae her room,” he said. “Sure,” David said and led Sundae toward the hall. “Your brother’s about as bad as mine. You’re lucky you only have one,” Sundae said once they were out of earshot of the others. David chuckled. “He can be a pain, but I don’t know that I’d have him any other way,” he said as he led the way down the hall, wheeling her big bag behind him. They paused outside David’s older sister, Claudia’s room. “Claudia’s staying at the dorms at BYU so you’ll get to have her room while you’re here,” he said as he opened the door. Claudia’s room was neat as a pin with a double bed, an oak desk and two bookshelves filled with trinkets and pictures among other things. David wheeled Sundae’s bag over to sit beside the bed and then turned to her. “I was gonna set up a snack for us out back, unless you need some help here,” he said. She smiled. “I think I can manage,” she said. He smiled, too, and came over to her, gently pulling her to him. “I really am glad you’re here, Dae,” he said. She beamed at him, laying a hand against his cheek. “Me, too,” Sundae said. He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss and they were both smiling when they pulled apart. “I’ll see you out there in a few,” he said. “Okay,” she said. He then stepped back and then stepped out of the room and she turned her attention to getting settled. She dug her make-up bag out of her suitcase and set it out on the desk and then went into her carry-on for her phone and heard it ringing as she grabbed for it. She pulled it out and checked the ID and saw that it was Jessica, a friend she’d met through David, who was calling. She switched on her phone and put it to her ear. “Hey, Jess,” she said. “Hi, Dae. You in Utah, yet?” Jessica asked. “Yeah, I just got to David’s house about ten minutes ago,” Sundae replied. “Cool, I figured you’d be here by now. Are you excited for tomorrow?” Jessica asked. Sundae grinned. “Absolutely. I’ve been waiting for this for the last two weeks,” she said. “I’ll bet. The dance is actually part of why I’m calling. I’m going for hair and nails tomorrow afternoon and I wondered if you wanted in?” Jessica said. “Sure, that sounds great. I’m pretty over due for a manicure anyway,” Sundae said. “Great, we could even get ready together if you want. Adam’s got it in his head that the four of us are doubling,” Jessica said. Sundae giggled. “I’ll talk to David about that and let you know tomorrow,” she said. “Alright, I’ll let you get back to him,” Jessica said. “Thanks, see you later,” Sundae said. “See ya,” Jessica said. Sundae then set her phone on the nightstand next to the bed and then went to find David. Since he had said he was setting up something for them in the backyard she headed that way and, as she stepped out the sliding door, she found him setting two glasses of lemonade on a small table next to the patio swing. He looked up hearing the door swish. “Hey,” he said as she came over to him. “Hey,” she said and reached to hug him. She looked over at the table, as they pulled apart. “This looks nice,” she said, seeing that he had also brought out a plate with cheese, crackers and fruit slices. “I thought we could nibble on something light while dinner’s cooking,” he said. “That’d be nice,” Sundae said. He then sat down on the swing and she moved to join him. He grabbed her hand as she made to sit down and she giggled lightly as he pulled her onto his lap, slipping his arms around her waist. She cuddled up to him and pillowed her head on his shoulder, a contented smile on her face. “This is perfect,” she said. “Yeah, it is, and I can’t wait for tomorrow night,” he agreed. “Me, too, and that reminds me. Jessica called me while I was settling in. She was talking about us going for hair and nails tomorrow,” Sundae said. “You don’t need it,” David said, brushing a strand of hair away from her eyes. She blushed. “You’re too sweet. Jessica also talked about us getting ready together, too, but I didn’t know if you wanted to leave from here,” she said. “Adam pretty much has the four us doubling, so if you want to get ready at Jessica’s that’s fine,” he said. “You’re sure?” Sundae asked. “Yeah, it’s fine,” David replied. Sundae smiled and hugged him. “Have I told you I love you lately?” she said. He smiled, too. “Not today,” he said. She giggled, hugging him even tighter. “Well, I do. I love you so much,” she said. “I love you, too, Dae,” he said and he softly kissed her forehead as he hugged her closer. The two sat together for the rest of afternoon, nibbling on the snacks he’d set out and enjoying just being together. They both knew they were in for a wonderful weekend and they were determined to relish every second of it.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 22:00:05 GMT -5
Chapter 3 The teens slept in a little the next morning, as they wanted to save their energy for the evening ahead of them. Jessica had said she’d pick Sundae up at noon for their appointment so Sundae got up at ten to be ready in time. She pulled on skinny jeans and a baby tee and slipped on a pair of black flats before doing her make up and putting her hair up in a ponytail. When she came out into the living room she found David already up and dressed, taking Amber on in a round of Super Smash Brothers. He looked up as she sat down beside him and happily leaned over for a good morning kiss. “Mmm, morning to you, too,” Sundae said, beaming at him as they pulled apart. “Sleep well?” he asked. “Yeah, I did. Claudia’s got a very comfy bed,” Sundae said and they both smiled. “David, you better pay attention. I’m starting to cream you here,” Amber suddenly said and the teens looked over at the TV screen to see Amber’s character ahead of David’s in the game. “And don’t say it’s not fair. You’re the one that got distracted,” Amber continued. David chuckled. “Distractions don’t count when they’re welcome,” he said, smiling at Sundae, before turning back to the game. “Never saw that one in the rule book,” Amber said. “That’s cause it’s my rule,” David said and at that point his character managed to catch up to Amber’s. “Now that’s not fair, I had you beat,” Amber said as David’s character moved ahead of hers. David didn’t reply, but kept maneuvering his character until it had finished the current round- ahead of Amber’s. “Never challenge the pro,” David said as he set aside the controller he’d been using. Amber just stuck her tongue out at him. He and Sundae both giggled. “You might be able to beat her at that, but I don’t think you’d want to challenge my brothers. They have every game system known to man and they practically eat, sleep, and breathe them. I swear it’s a miracle they manage to keep their grades up,” she said. “There was a time my parents would’ve said that about me with music,” David said. “Mine, too, with me. Actually, they still do say that sometimes,” Sundae said. David smiled. “Would you like something to eat?” he asked her. “Sure, that’d be nice,” she agreed as they got up from their spot on the floor. He then took hold of her hand and led her into the kitchen. “So what can the master chef make for you?” he asked, turning to face her as they came into the kitchen. Sundae giggled. “You don’t have to go all out,” she said. “At least let me try?” he asked. She smiled. “Alright. Think scrambled eggs would be too much?” she asked. “Not at all,” he said and led her over to one of the bar stools at the counter. “Have a seat and your meal will be ready shortly,” he said. She blushed and giggled as she sat down. “I almost feel like I’m in a restaurant,” she said. “You’re in my restaurant and I always treat my guests right. Would you like something to drink?” David asked as he moved over to the fridge. “Orange juice would be nice if you have it, and I know you so I know you do,” Sundae said, her eyes twinkling in amusement. David smiled. “Yeah, you do know me too well,” he said as he got orange juice, eggs and milk out of the fridge. He set everything on the counter and then grabbed two glasses and a bowl out of a cupboard. He set the bowl aside with the eggs and milk and then took the juice and glasses over to the island counter where she was sitting. He filled the glasses with the juice and handed one to her. She took it and held it up. “Cheers,” she said and he smiled as they clinked glasses before sipping the juice. He set his glass on the counter after a moment and then put the juice back in the fridge before turning to the eggs. She watched him mix up two eggs and some milk to make batter and then get a frying pan out of another cabinet and put it on the stove. He then grabbed a can off the counter and sprayed the pan with its contents before turning on the burner under the pan. “Two cool points for using cooking spray instead of butter,” Sundae said, sipping her juice again. David smiled over his shoulder at her. “Thanks. My mom always says it’s better for you and I’d rather eat healthy anyway,” he said. “Same here. I watch my brothers scarf down junk food and just wonder how they stay in shape,” she said. “Yeah,” he agreed as he poured the batter into the pan. He then fished a spatula out of a drawer and started stirring the eggs around in the pan as they cooked up. After a few minutes he turned off the burner and grabbed a plate out of the cupboard where he’d gotten the glasses. “How do you like them seasoned?” he asked as he started to scoop the eggs out of the pan and onto the plate. “Umm, salt and a pinch of pepper, please,” she said. He nodded and grabbed the salt and pepper shakers from their place on the counter and sprinkled some over the eggs. He then got a fork from a drawer and set it on the plate and then brought it over to her. She smiled as he set the plate in front of her. “Mmmm, these look perfect,” she said. “I hope they’ll meet your expectations,” he said. Sundae smiled even more and picked up the fork. She scooped a bite of eggs onto it and popped it in her mouth. “Mmmmm. Yum, these are delicious,” she said and quickly went for another bite. “You really like them?” he asked. She nodded. “Absolutely,” she looked up at him, “Is there anything you can’t do?” she asked almost rhetorically. He laughed. “Well, I’m not the best at waltzing,” he said. She giggled, but then noticed the glum expression on his face. “What’s wrong?” she asked as she finished off the eggs. He looked down a light blush coming to his cheeks. “I um, I probably should’ve told you sooner, but they’d like for us to be able to waltz at the ball tonight. They said they’ll play at least one song for it,” he said. She smiled. “Is that all?” she asked and he looked up at her in surprise. “You know how to waltz?” he asked. “My dad took a class to surprise my mom after watching ‘Dancing With the Stars’. He used to practice with my sisters and me. The waltz is actually pretty easy once you get the rhythm down,” she said. “Do you think you could show me?” he asked sounding a little shy. She smiled and touched his cheek. “Of course I could,” she said. He beamed and turned his head to kiss the palm of her hand. “Thanks, Dae,” he said. “You’re more than welcome,” Sundae replied. He then picked up her plate and their now empty juice glasses and went and rinsed them in the sink along with the pan, bowl and spatula. Once this was done he rejoined her and they went out into the backyard where they’d have room. “So, how does this work?” David asked once they’d moved the patio furniture back a little. Sundae came to stand in front of him. “First, you have your hand on my waist and I have mine on your shoulder,” she said and laid his right hand on the left side of her waist before laying her left hand on his shoulder. “Then you hold my other hand like this,” she said, taking hold of his left hand and lifting it into the traditional waltz pose. “You know the rhythm for three fourths time, right?” when he nodded she continued, “Start with your left foot and glide along,” she said. He nodded and started to step as she started to count. “One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three,” she paused when he stopped to keep from running into the patio table. He blushed and she squeezed his hand. “It’s okay, let’s try again. You almost had it,” she said. He nodded and started to step again. They attempted the waltz a couple more times, but each time he either stopped to keep from hitting the furniture or he missed a step causing them to restart. “Ugh,” he groaned after another failed attempt, “I’m just not good at this.” Sundae thought for a moment and then an idea came to her. “Maybe it would help if we actually had music, and I know just the song,” she said. She then started to sing a song they’d written together the previous summer.
Take my hand take a breath Pull me close take one step Keep your eyes locked on mine And let the music be your guide She gently drew him into the waltz hold again as she sang and he started to step as he picked up the song.
Won’t you promise me (Now won’t you promise me that you’ll never forget) We’ll keep dancing (To keep dancing) Wherever we go next By this time they were gliding effortlessly around the patio, but they were so caught up in the song and each other that they hardly noticed.
It’s like catching lightening The chances of finding Someone like you It’s one in a million The chances of feeling The way we do And with every step together We just keep on getting better (So can I have this dance?) Can I have this dance? Can I have this dance? The teens slowed their dance to a stop, their voices softening on the last words of the chorus, as they gazed into each other’s eyes. “That was perfect,” Sundae said, her smile not fading for a moment. David smiled, too, and pulled her closer to him. “Thanks, Dae,” he said and started to lean in. Just as they were about to kiss the swishing of the patio door spoiled the moment. “David, I think Adam’s trying to get a hold of you,” a male voice said and they looked up to see his dad in the doorway holding David’s cell phone. A look of recognition suddenly came to David’s face. “Oh yeah, that’s right,” he said and went and took his phone from his dad. “What’s Adam up to this time?” Sundae asked, joining him as his dad went back inside. “Oh, it’s just some last minute stuff we have to do for tonight. We were gonna go take care of it while you and Jess were doing your thing,” David replied. Sundae nodded. “Alright,” she glanced at her watch, “Mmm and speaking of Jess, I’d better go get my stuff together. She’ll be here in about fifteen,” she said. She then started toward the door, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him again. He gently slid one hand behind her head and leaned in, placing a soft kiss on her lips. “Thanks again for teaching me,” he said softly when they pulled apart. She beamed. “You’re welcome,” she replied. They hugged again for a moment and then turned and went inside to get ready to meet up with their friends.
Half an hour later, Sundae was with Jessica in her car, heading to their salon appointment. Jessica had a little sedan with a sunroof and they had said sunroof opened and the radio playing a local pop station as they drove along. “You enjoying your weekend so far?” Jessica asked as they drove through a pretty downtown area. “Definitely, it’s been amazing so far,” Sundae replied. “And I’ll bet David has been a big part of that,” Jessica said with a knowing smile. Sundae blushed a little. “Absolutely. He made me breakfast this morning and I taught him how to waltz for tonight. Being able to just be with him like that…it’s just amazing,” Sundae said. Jessica looked over at her as they pulled up to red light. “He actually made you breakfast?” she asked surprised. “Yeah, he made me scrambled eggs. It was really sweet,” Sundae said. “Wow. We never even knew he could cook,” Jessica said as the light changed color again. “I think he’s still a little shy with things like that,” Sundae said. “Must be,” Jessica said as she pulled into a small shopping center. She drove through the parking lot and pulled up in front of a small salon. “Is this one of the best places in town?” Sundae asked as they got out of the car. “It’s my favorite place. They always get my cut just right. Not to mention they give the best mani/pedis in the world,” Jessica said. Sundae grinned at that thought as they made their way inside. The girls had brought hairstyle magazines with them and they flipped through them while they were having their nails done to decide how to have their hair done. “What are you thinking about?” Jessica asked. “I usually do updos for stuff like this so I’m looking mainly at those. I’m thinking pile it all up and let a couple strands hang loose on either side,” Sundae said. “That’ll look great on you. I’m trying to figure out what to do with this wavy mop I’ve got,” Jessica said. “You could always just pile it up in curls, or if you don’t want an updo you could just have some jeweled clips put in,” Sundae suggested. “Good ideas both, but I think I might go with the first one. I’d love an updo and that seems like the easiest way to get one,” Jessica said. Sundae nodded in agreement. It was going on four pm when Sundae and Jessica got done at the salon. They both had gotten classic French manicures and had chosen polish to match their dresses for their pedicures. They had also gotten the hair styles they had discussed, Jessica with hers piled in glossy curls and Sundae with a wavy bun and few loose strands hanging down on either side of her face. They also each had jeweled clips that matched their dresses. “How much time do we have before the guys pick us up?” Sundae asked as they drove out of the parking lot. “Not much. Adam said they’d be at my house to get us at about five thirty, so we do need to book it if we want to pace ourselves with the rest of the primping,” Jessica said. Sundae nodded, but then a thought occurred to her. “You know I never asked, is the dance being held at your school?” she asked. “You never asked David about that?” Jessica asked surprised. Sundae shrugged. “I just never thought of it,” she said. “Well, it’s actually being held in Salt Lake City proper. We’re renting out the ballroom of one of the really nice hotels. I had dinner at a restaurant there once so I’ve seen it and it’s really gorgeous,” Jessica said. “Wow, that sounds nice. My school has a really huge gymnasium so we usually have our dances there. They’ll find a ballroom for senior prom, but that’s about it,” Sundae said. “Wow, that’s a little weird since you live in LA. You’d think all your school’s dances would be in hotel ballrooms,” Jessica said. “I know, seriously,” Sundae agreed. The girls arrived at Jessica’s house, a pretty, two story ranch house, ten minutes later and, after a quick hello to Jessica’s parents, dashed upstairs to Jessica’s room to finish getting ready. They touched up their make up and made sure they had all their jewelry and accessories at the ready before bringing out their dresses to get changed. Jessica had her own bathroom and she and Sundae decided to take turns in it putting their dresses on. Jessica went first since Sundae was trying to get a smudge off of one of her shoes. When Jessica emerged Sundae had to smile. “Wow, Jess you look terrific. Adam won’t know what to do with himself,” she said as Jessica spun around in front of her full length mirror. She had picked a red, strapless gown with a flowing chiffon skirt and tiny pearls for an accent. For accessories she had picked a pair of strappy red shoes with pearls on the toes and pearl jewelry. She smiled at Sundae’s compliment. “Thanks. Now hurry up and get in there. The guys will be here in like fifteen minutes,” she said as she slipped on a pair of pearl white evening gloves. Sundae quickly jumped up and grabbed the garment bag with her dress along with her shoes and jewelry and slipped into the bathroom. There she laid the garment bag across the counter, unzipped it and brought out her dress. Then she quickly got out of her jeans and baby tee and slipped into the dress. She spun around in front of the bathroom mirror and, for a few minutes, got lost in thoughts of dancing with David, his arms around her holding her tightly to him and his warm breath in her ear as he softly sang to her whatever song they were dancing to. A knock on the door snapped her back to reality. “Dae, the guys just got here. Hurry up,” Jessica called. “I’ll be right out,” Sundae called back and quickly grabbed the box with her jewelry. She brought out her necklace and bracelet and slipped them on and then pulled on her strappy gold shoes. She then gathered up her stuff and hurried out of the bathroom. Jessica had already gone downstairs so Sundae set her stuff on the bed and then quickly checked herself in the mirror one more time. “We’re just waiting on you, Dae,” Jessica’s voice called from downstairs. “Coming,” Sundae called back and stepped out of the room, shutting off the light on her way. She walked over to the staircase and took a deep breath before starting down. She’d only gone about four steps when she saw the others waiting for her. She saw Adam’s and Jessica’s jaws drop when they saw her, but when her gaze found David all else vanished from her mind. He looked incredibly gorgeous in a black tuxedo with a white bow tie. His hair was combed down and looked soft and shiny in the light and a glint of metal on his right hand indicated the presence of the silver ring she had given him at the end of the ‘Idol’ tour the previous summer. Her eyes then met his and she started down the stairs again, wanting nothing more than to be in his arms. He walked up and met her at the foot of the stairs, taking her hands in his as she stepped down to stand in front of him. “You…you look so incredibly beautiful,” he breathed, his gaze never leaving hers. “And you look amazing,” she said, smiling at the tinge of blush that came to his cheek. She was sure she was blushing, too. She then saw Adam tap David’s arm with something out of the corner of her eye and he turned and took a small clear box from him. Sundae gasped when David removed a corsage of white orchids and slipped it onto her wrist. “Oh my gosh,” she breathed. “I hope you like it,” David said softly and she looked up at him again, unable to help a smile. “I love it,” she said and he beamed. “Alright, lovebirds. Let’s go or we’ll miss our reservation,” Adam cut in. “Reservation?” Jessica asked as Adam led her toward the door. “Just one of a few surprises we have worked out for tonight,” Adam said. David slipped his arm around Sundae and she leaned into him as they followed their friends out the door. Sundae let her eyes slip shut as they strolled down the front walk, savoring David’s warmth beside her. A gasp from Jessica made her look up and when she did she was met with the sight of a gleaming black limo waiting at the curb. “Oh my gosh, a limo?!” Jessica said excitedly. Adam grinned. “We take our girls out in style,” he said. Jessica kissed him on the cheek and let him lead her to the limo. Sundae smiled up at David as they followed. “You guys really are amazing,” she said. He nodded modestly. “A lot of this was his idea,” he said. “It’s still wonderful, though,” she said, her smile not fading as they walked up to the limo. He gently kissed her hand as he helped her in and he then slid in beside her and pulled the door shut. Adam then tapped on the little window separating them from the driver. “You know where to go,” he said. The driver nodded and the limo pulled away from the curb. Adam and Jessica started chatting away as the limo rolled along, but Sundae was content to cuddle up to David and enjoy the ride. He wrapped his arms securely around her, holding her to him, and kissed the top of her head. “Thank you for being here tonight, Dae,” he said quietly in her ear. “There’s no where else in the universe I’d rather be,” she said and cuddled even closer to him. “Already getting a cavity over here,” Adam joked. David threw him a look and Jessica swatted him on the arm. “Leave them alone. They don’t get many nights like this,” she said. “Alright, I was just joking,” Adam said. Jessica kissed his cheek again and leaned her head on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble yet,” she said. They were quiet for a while, but as the limo turned onto the freeway to head toward Salt Lake City, Adam noticed a radio console next to him. “Hey, how ‘bout some music to get things started?” he suggested. “Sure, that’d be cool. You two okay with that?” Jessica asked, looking to Sundae and David. “Sure, why not?” David said. Adam reached over and switched on the radio and tuned it the local pop station. The teens all had to laugh at the irony when they heard the current song- David’s hit single ‘Crush’. “Well doesn’t this just figure? We turn on the radio and who do we hear?” Adam said, shaking his head. Sundae smiled up at David, who was blushing a little. “I, for one, am lovin it, and if you touch that dial, you’re a dead man,” she said, looking back to Adam, who was reaching for the console again. “That goes for me, too,” Jessica said and then reached over and turned up the volume. Sundae leaned up to David’s ear and murmured the version of the lyrics she had made up for them.
Yes, I often think When I’m all alone All that we could be Where this thing could go I’m not crazy I’m falling in love This is more than just another crush He smiled, hugging her to him and she leaned her head on his shoulder. They continued to enjoy the music throughout the ride to Salt Lake City. David kept his arm around Sundae the whole time and she felt a wonderful tingle as he gently caressed her arm, his fingers softly brushing against her skin. Soon the limo was rolling through the streets of Salt Lake City and Jessica was trying to get Adam to tell where they were going. “Come on sweetie, please? I know we’re not going to the dance yet, since it doesn’t even start for another hour,” she said. “True, but where would the fun be if we spoiled the surprise,” Adam said. Jessica rolled her eyes and Sundae giggled at the sight. “I’m actually with him, Jess. It’s no fun if the surprised is spoiled. Just sit back and enjoy the ride,” she said. Jessica giggled. “That’s easy for you to say. You’re in heaven over there,” she said. Sundae beamed, hugging David and smelling the spicy scent of his cologne. “Absolutely,” she said, her smile growing when David bent down and kissed the top of her head again. Jessica settled next to Adam, but it was obvious her curiosity was getting to her. A few minutes later the limo pulled into a parking lot and the teens looked out to find themselves at one of the fanciest Italian restaurants in the city. “Are we having dinner here?” Jessica asked. “We thought it would be a nice treat,” Adam said. “But this is the most expensive place in the city. Adam, it’s too much,” Jessica said. “We wanted to. Besides, someone here does have money to burn,” Adam said, looking over at David as the limo driver opened the door for them. Sundae looked to David as well. “You don’t have to spend your money this way. You worked so hard to earn it, you should save it for something you really want,” she said as they slid out of the car. He turned to her as Adam and Jessica followed them out. “I want to use it for this. I want this night to be special for you, Dae,” he said. She smiled lovingly at him. “Just being with you makes it special,” she said. He smiled, too, and pulled her to him again, wrapping his arms around her. “Cavity coming in,” Adam drawled from behind them. Sundae and David both giggled softly and Jessica again lightly hit Adam on the arm as they walked toward the restaurant entrance. “What?” Adam asked, pretending to be oblivious. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they completely abandon us once we get to the dance at the rate you’re going,” Jessica said. Adam turned round in his stride so that he was walking backward, facing Sundae and David. “You guys know I’m just kidding around, right?” he asked. David nodded. “Yeah, we know,” he said. Adam started to turn back around. “You’re annoying, but we know,” David said making him turn back around again. “Hey, I’m just trying to insert a little hum- whoa!” he yelped when he tripped over the curb in front of the restaurant. He only just managed to catch himself. “I meant to do that,” he said, straightening himself as David, Sundae and Jessica all cracked up laughing. “Oh you insert humor alright,” Jessica said as the foursome headed into the restaurant. The hostess on duty greeted them as they stepped inside. “Good evening, do you all have a reservation?” she asked. “Yes, for four under Archuleta,” David said. The hostess checked her list and then grabbed four menus. “Right this way,” she said and led the teens through the restaurant to their table. The restaurant was decorated in old Tuscan style, painted in gold and burgundy, with lantern lights on the walls and old-fashioned chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The tables were covered with burgundy tablecloths and had candles situated as centerpieces. The hostess led the teens to a table for four and set out the menus at the place settings. “Your waiter will be right with you,” she said. “Thank you,” David said and the hostess nodded before stepping away. The teens then turned to the table and David and Adam pulled out chairs for the girls. Jessica smiled and Sundae gave David a quick kiss on the cheek as they sat down. Adam made note of this and shook his head as he and David pushed the girls’ chairs in and then claimed the other two chairs. They then picked up their menus and settled in to enjoy a lovely dinner.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 22:00:31 GMT -5
Chapter 4 It was almost eight ‘o’ clock by the time the teens finished their meal. They had all indulged in courses of breadsticks, salad, and pasta as well as tiramisu for dessert. They were all laughing and happy as they left the restaurant to go to the dance. “You guys really didn’t have to go so all out with dinner,” Jessica said. Adam chuckled. “Like we said before, we wanted to,” he said. “Well, I hope you’re in the mood to move. I need burn off dinner. I’m sure I put on five pounds from the tiramisu alone,” Jessica said. Sundae giggled. “I know what you mean,” she said. David slipped his arm around her and she turned to look up into his eyes. “You don’t have anything to worry about,” he said. She smiled and blushed as they approached the limo. The driver opened the door and the teens got in, all feeling eager to get to the dance. The limo pulled out of the parking lot a few moments later and drove the four blocks to the hotel where the dance was being held. Sundae had to be impressed when she saw it. The hotel was at least thirty stories and definitely upscale. There was valet parking at the entrance and, through the big glass doors, a spacious and posh lobby could be seen. “Wow, this place is really nice,” she said as the limo pulled up to the curb. “I bet it’s not as nice as what you’ve got in LA,” Adam said. Sundae thought about that one as the driver came around to the door again. “There are some nice places, but not like this one. This is classy without overdoing it,” she said. The teens all slid out of the car and Adam and Jessica started toward the hotel entrance, eager to get the party started. Sundae and David strolled along behind them, enjoying the beautiful evening. The sky overhead was clear and full of stars and little lights twinkled in the trees around the hotel creating quite a romantic atmosphere. “Are you two coming?” Adam called to them when he saw them lagging behind him and Jessica. “We’ll be in in a minute,” David replied and Adam shrugged and led Jessica inside. Sundae turned to David. “Is something wrong?” she asked. “No, there’s just something I’ve been wanting to do all evening,” he said. He then reached up and tenderly cupped her face in his hands and then slowly leaned in. Their lips met a moment later and they both melted into the kiss. It was a few minutes before they finally pulled apart, but they stayed close together. He slipped his arm around her shoulders after a moment and then led the way inside. The hotel was even more stunning inside. Thick carpet, plush furnishings and marble tables and counter tops made for a very luxurious look. David and Sundae strolled across the lobby toward the ballroom, their ears picking up on the music being played inside. There were a few other Murray High students milling around the lobby and some of them waved hello as Sundae and David passed by. They waved back to those they knew and then turned their attention to the teacher at the door of the ballroom when they reached it. The teacher looked up as they approached and smiled when she saw David. “Hello there,” she said. David smiled politely. “Good evening, Mrs. Williams,” he said and held out two slips of paper to her, which Sundae figured were tickets for the dance. “Is this the young lady we’ve all been hearing about?” Mrs. Williams asked as she took the papers. David smiled even more. “Yeah, this is Sundae. Dae, this is Mrs. Williams. She teaches English at Murray High,” he said. Sundae smiled. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Williams,” she said. “You too, dear. Enjoy yourselves tonight,” Mrs. Williams said. “Thank you,” David said and then led Sundae into the ballroom. “She seemed nice,” Sundae said, referring to Mrs. Williams. “She is. I had her in tenth grade and her class was one of my favorites,” David said as they walked down a short flight of four steps that led into the ballroom. They started to look for Adam and Jessica, but Sundae quickly noticed that everyone was turning to look at her. She leaned close to David. “Everyone’s looking at me,” she murmured to him. He smiled. “You’re the most beautiful girl here, how could they not?” he said. She blushed. “You’re sweet, but I bet most of them are wondering, ‘Who’s that girl and what’s she doing with David?’,” she said. David smiled and turned to face her, looking into her eyes. “No. They’re wondering ‘How’d he get lucky enough to have an angel beside him’,” he said. She blushed even more. “I was thinking the same thing about me having you,” she said. He gently cupped her hands in his and kissed her fingers and then led her out onto the dance floor. There he pulled her into his arms and they started to sway along to the current song. They danced together for several songs and then took a break and managed to find some of their friends. Adam and Jessica had met up with two other friends, Scott and his girlfriend, Danielle, and Sundae and David joined them at their table. Danielle was amazed by Sundae’s dress. “Wow, Dae, your dress is incredible. Where’d you find it?” she asked. “Thanks, I got it at a boutique in LA. My aunt, Rhea helped me find it,” Sundae said. “Well do me a favor and don’t tell us the label. I may just have to kill you otherwise,” Jessica said. David kept a protective arm around Sundae and she reached up and patted his hand. “No worries there,” she said to Jessica and they and Danielle giggled. “Hey David, did you know you’re nominated for king of the ball?” Scott asked. The others all turned to look at him, David in disbelief. “I am not, quit playing around,” he said. “He’s not kidding. We all went to vote and we saved you and Dae ballots,” Adam said and passed slips of paper to David and Sundae. They took them and looked them over. Each slip had two lists of names, one a list of girls and the other and list of guys, with little boxes next to each name where choices could be marked. Sure enough, David’s name was on the list of guys. Sundae beamed, seeing it. “Is this like prom king and queen?” she asked. “Yeah, pretty much,” David said. “It’s all the same traditions, winners get a crown and share a dance, etc,” Jessica added. Sundae smiled at the thought and the smile grew when Danielle held a pen out to her. “You read my mind,” she said, taking the pen. She quickly made a check next to David’s name and he blushed seeing it. “You don’t have to,” he said. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “I want to. Besides, you deserve it,” she said. He nodded modestly. “I don’t think so,” he said, his blush from earlier growing. Adam chuckled. “I wish you’d stop selling yourself short like that,” he said. The others nodded and Sundae gently took hold of David’s hand. “You know how I always tell you you’re amazing,” she said and when he nodded she continued, “I say it because it’s the truth. You deserve all the wonderful things that have happened to you and so much more,” she said and their friends nodded. “Thanks,” David managed to say and Sundae could tell he was a little embarrassed by the whole thing. “Alright, let’s change topics before David turns into a tomato,” Jessica said, drawing laughs all around. The teens continued to hang out together throughout the evening. David treated Sundae to several more spins around the dance floor and they both indulged in another round of dessert from the snack table. They both had other people ask them to dance, but they’d always say they had each other’s dance cards booked. That was certainly the case. They only danced with each other or with the their friends in a group. They were coming back to their table after one such group dance when the DJ suddenly stopped the music. They looked around and saw a middle aged man stepping up onto a stage at the front of the room, an envelope in his hand. “Hoo boy, looks like Mr. Bushnell is ready to announce the king and queen,” Adam noted as the group sat down. “Is he the principal?” Sundae asked. “Yeah, he’s pretty nice,” David said as all attention turned to the stage. “Good evening Murray High class of 2009,” Mr. Bushnell said eliciting a cheer from the students. “As you’ve all seen we’ve had a table set up for voting for your senior king and queen and now it’s time to announce the winners,” the principal continued drawing even more cheers. He then opened the envelope he held and pulled an index card out of it. “First, your senior king 2009…” the DJ played a drum roll to add tension to the moment, “by quite a margin, David Archuleta!” Mr. Bushnell finished. The room filled with applause and David got up from his chair, his cheeks showing a light blush. Sundae caught his hand and leaned up and gave him a soft kiss. He smiled and squeezed her hand before turning and heading over to the stage. Mr. Bushnell greeted him and another teacher came up and placed the crown, which was really just a drama class prop, on his head. Mr. Bushnell then turned to the microphone again. “Alright, and now your senior queen 2009…” again the DJ played a drum roll, “Ashlee Carter,” Mr. Bushnell announced. Sundae looked around to see the lucky girl and was relieved to see it was one of hers and David’s friends. Ashlee made her way up to the stage and accepted her crown and gave David a friendly hug as well. Mr. Bushnell then spoke again. “And now, your king and queen will share the traditional dance,” he said, but as he stepped back from the microphone Ashlee stepped up to it and looked out at the crowd. “Thank you, Mr. Bushnell, but we’re going to be breaking tradition this year,” she said. All eyes turned to look at her in surprise. “I know you all must think I’m crazy, but I know David has someone very special with him tonight. To those of us who know them both it’s obvious that they’re everything to each other,” Ashlee looked over at David, who looked as surprised as everyone else at what she was doing, “So David, this dance is for you and Sundae,” Ashlee finished. David gave her a grateful smile and Jessica nudged a still surprised Sundae up from her seat. Sundae started to walk toward the stage and, as she reached the edge of the dance floor, the lights dimmed and a romantic melody began to play. Sundae recognized the song as Michael Bolton’s ‘Once In A Lifetime’ and, as her gaze found David’s she knew she couldn’t have picked a more appropriate choice.
Some people fill their lives With endless nights And days that slip away David stepped down from the stage, his gaze never leaving Sundae’s and walked over to her. He gently took her hands in his and led her out onto the dance floor.
Some search til the end of time But never find the open arms of fate One moment comes along David gently drew Sundae to him, wrapping his arms securely around her. She slipped her arms firmly around his shoulders and they began to sway along to the melody.
And someone who’s a dream to you And all at once your dreams come true
Once in a lifetime You find the one you really love For now and forever One love that never ends Once in a lifetime When every star that lights the sky Will shine with one reason Leading you home to the one love you find Just once in a lifetime Sundae moved even closer to David, leaning her head on his shoulder, and felt his grip on her tighten as well. This was what she’d been dreaming of ever since he had first invited her to the ball- sharing a special dance with the young man she loved.
Some people live their lives in compromise And hide their dreams away Some never take the chance within their hands To claim the prize they make When faith is all you need To hold the hand of destiny And find the love that’s meant to be
Once in a lifetime You find the one you really love For now and forever One love that never ends Once in a lifetime When every star that lights the sky Will shine with one reason Leading you home to that one love you find Just once in a lifetime
If you believe in the power of love And you believe that dreams come true Magic will fill your heart When that moment comes along Just once in your life Sundae held on tightly to David, never wanting to let go. His grip on her tightened again, too, and he lifted her up off her feet and spun her around.
Once in a lifetime When every star that lights the sky Will shine with one reason Leading you home to the one love you find Just once in a lifetime Sundae lifted her head from David’s shoulder and their eyes met as the song neared its end. In that moment, Sundae flashed back in her mind to her thoughts about hers and David’s relationship and she knew. Even though she was only sixteen, she knew that David was the one. The feeling of pure heaven she always had when she was with him was enough for her to know that what they had could indeed be forever. The tender expression in his eyes told her he felt the same way. He leaned in, capturing her lips with his as the last words of the song played.
Once in a lifetime Mmmmhmmm Just once in a lifetime The two were so lost in their kiss that they barely heard the applause all around them as the song ended. When they finally came up for air they leaned their foreheads together, gazing into each other’s eyes. “I love you, Dae,” David murmured softly. “I love you, too, my angel,” Sundae replied just as softly. David smiled. He then slipped his arm around her and led her off of the dance floor. They maneuvered their way through the crowd and over toward the snack tables. “Would you like something to drink?” David asked as they approached the tables. “Sure, that’d be nice,” Sundae agreed. They stepped over to where the punch bowl sat and David poured them each a cup. Sundae smiled, watching him, and gently tapped the crown he still wore as he handed her one of the cups. “This looks cute on you,” she said. He smiled, modestly. “I still don’t think I should be the one wearing it. It should’ve gone to a jock or something,” he said. Sundae shook her head. “I know a lot people think of prom king and queen as a popularity contest, but I don’t think it should be that way. It should be seen as way to reward stand-out students,” she said. “I see your point, but I’ve never stood out around here,” David said. “I don’t agree with that,” a female voice said from behind them. Sundae and David turned to see Danielle coming up beside them and they stepped aside to let her get to the punch. David, again, looked modest at her comment. Danielle patted his arm. “Don’t be so modest. You do a lot to stand out. You get straight ‘A’s, you have a perfect 4.0 GPA, which most of us would kill for, you’re the best singer in the choir…” David opened his mouth to protest at that, but Danielle stopped him, “And don’t try to deny that last. No one else in choir could compete on ‘Idol’ or make a best selling album,” she said. David blushed and Sundae stepped up to him and kissed him on the cheek. “You know all that’s true, but you don’t have to admit to it,” she said. Danielle giggled. “He never would anyway,” she looked to David, “No offense or anything, we just know how humble you are,” she said. “It’s okay,” he said. Danielle smiled. “You guys looked so incredibly romantic out there when you were dancing,” she said. Sundae smiled, too. “That was amazing. Remind me to thank Ashlee for her forethought,” she said. “Seriously,” Danielle agreed. Sundae turned to look at David, but was very surprised to see he’d disappeared. She whipped around to look for him, but didn’t see him anywhere. “Did you see where he went?” she asked Danielle. “No, how weird…wait…listen,” Danielle said. Sundae listened for a moment and heard what Danielle had heard. The DJ was playing ‘Crush’. She sighed. “I’ll be back,” she said to Danielle and then set her punch cup down before stepping away from the table. She went over to the door of the ballroom and looked out into the lobby. She still didn’t see David anywhere, so she turned back and started to scan the ballroom itself. As her gaze moved past the snack table she spotted a door that led out onto a terrace that adjoined the ballroom. She went over to the door and looked out and her heart immediately relaxed when she saw David sitting on a bench. She grew concerned when she saw his thoughtful expression and she slipped out onto the terrace, quietly shutting the door behind her. “I almost thought you’d run off like Cinderella,” she said as she slowly walked over to him. He looked up and gave her a small smile. “I’d never do that to you,” he said, his voice soft. “Why did you run off?” she asked as she sat beside him. He sighed. “I was hoping I’d get through tonight without having my music played, but that didn’t work out,” he said. “Why would you be upset about them playing your music?” Sundae asked. He sighed again. “I don’t want them staring at me,” he blurted out. Sundae gently took his hand in hers and he turned to face her. “I’ve known most of these kids since middle school, but I don’t want them to suddenly only see me as David the superstar. I just want to see me as they used to. As the weird, spacey guy I’ve always been,” he said. Sundae smiled sympathetically. “I know how you feel on that one. Remember how I told you that I’m not popular in school for the reasons I’d want to be?” he asked. “Yeah,” he replied. “Well, what you just said about your classmates is exactly how I feel about mine. I wish my classmates would see me just as the soccer jock and music lover instead of the amazing singer,” she said. He smiled a little more and she continued. “When I’m around my classmates I just want to be treated normally, like you do. Even my closest friends like Dana sometimes slip up. Much as I love them, it does get annoying,” she said. His smile grew. “Is that why you said that they don’t get you when we were talking just before New Year’s?” he asked. She smiled, too. “Yeah. I mean, Dana’s like a sister and Cara’s really nice, but even they can’t help themselves sometimes and it just frustrates me,” she said. “I know what you mean. When ‘Crush’ started playing in there everybody that was near where we were turned to look at me and I just wanted to hide. That’s what I came out here for. I just…I didn’t want to be stared at. I never wanted attention, but I can’t help it now,” he said. Sundae gently touched his cheek. “You never have to worry about me seeing you differently. The weird, goofy, spacey guy you are is the wonderful guy I fell in love with and will always love,” she said. He took hold of the hand on his cheek and kissed her palm. “Remember how you said you only have conversations like this with me?” he asked. “I remember, and meant every word,” she said. “I know, and I feel the same way. You’re the only one who really gets me, Dae. Much as I enjoy being with my friends, I could never tell them stuff like this. You’re the only one who really understands,” he said. Sundae smiled. “And you know I’m always there for you,” she said. “I know,” he said, pulling her to him and hugging her close. After a few minutes Sundae turned her head to look out at the scenery around them. “It’s beautiful out here,” she murmured. “Yeah, it is,” David agreed. Sundae looked up at him and blushed when she saw that he was gazing at her. He hugged her to him again and they both looked out at their surroundings. Beyond the terrace they could see the hotel’s small putting green and they heard the soft trickle of the waterfall of the nearby pond. Sundae got up and walked over to the railing of the terrace and looked out at the view. Lights twinkled in the trees here, too, and overhead the sky sparkled with stars and full moon. David came up behind Sundae, slipping his arms around her waist and holding her close to him. She leaned into the warm embrace and felt a shiver run through her when he bent down and placed a soft kiss on her shoulder. She shivered even more when he started to trail kisses along her shoulder and neck. She turned her head toward him, their lips meeting in a long kiss. When they finally pulled apart a few minutes later he hugged her close to him, his head resting against hers. “This night has been so perfect,” Sundae murmured after a few minutes. “It’s perfect because you’re here,” David said and turned his head enough to plant soft kisses on her temple. She reached up and laid her hand against his cheek as she looked up at him. “I was just thinking the same thing about you,” she said. He smiled and leaned down again, placing another soft kiss on her lips. When he pulled back his eyes held a look of uncertainty and she was immediately concerned. “What’s wrong?” she asked. He gazed at her for a moment and then sighed. “There’s something I need to talk to you about,” he said. “Okay,” she said and let him lead her over to the bench. There they sat down again and faced each other and he looked into her eyes with a look that clearly said he was dreading whatever he needed to say. “What’s wrong?” Sundae asked him. David sighed. “This may sound weird, but…have you ever read anything about the LDS church?” he asked. “I’ve read some, mostly the history of the church. Why do you ask?” she wanted to know. “Well, there’s a requirement for each of us to serve a mission for the church. It’s sort of like being a missionary. You go and spread the word about the church in other countries. We’re…we’re usually expected to start our missions when…when we’re nineteen,” he said. “Oh, well that’s admirable,” she said, but then it hit her like a ton of bricks, “Does…does that mean…” she started to ask, but choked on the fear of his response. He nodded and she gulped. “I’ll be expected to go when I turn nineteen at the end of the year,” he said. Sundae felt a lump rise in her throat and her eyes stung with tears. “How…how long would you be gone?” she dared to ask. He sighed again, looking even sadder this time. “Two years,” he said almost in a whisper. That did it. Sundae broke down crying at those words. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. In just six months time she would have to say goodbye to her only love. It broke her heart just to think of it. David drew her to him, wrapping his arms around her firmly and securely and she ached in that moment for him to never let go. “I really wish I didn’t have to leave, but I don’t really have a choice. My dad served his mission and he expects me to serve mine, too,” he said and she could clearly hear that he was crying softly, too. “I don’t want to lose you, David,” Sundae choked out, holding onto him as tightly as she could. “I don’t want to lose you either and we won’t be saying goodbye just yet,” he said. She looked up at him through her tears. “What do you mean?” she asked. “We still have the summer together. The label wants me to come to LA to start on my next album and my dad’s given me permission to go alone this time. I was planning on renting a place near the studio and I’d love to have you with me,” he said. “You mean that?” she asked and he nodded. “Remember how you said your parents were planning a trip for their anniversary? I’d love to have you stay with me while they’re gone. I’d love to have you stay with me the whole summer,” he said. Sundae managed to smile at that. “I’d love that, too. I’ll talk to my parents,” she said. He reached up and brushed a tear from her cheek. “I love you, Dae, and I promise no matter where I end up going or how far apart we are, that I’ll always love you. You’re the one, Dae, and I never want to let you go,” he said. Sundae felt her heart soar at those words- confirmation of the feeling she had had earlier when they were dancing. She hugged him again, even tighter than before. “I don’t want to let you go either,” she said. They held each other for a few minutes and then she pulled back, looking into his eyes again. “Can you really promise all those things you said?” she asked him. She needed to know that he truly meant what he said about always loving her. She didn’t know what she’d do if he ever stopped. He smiled a small smile. “Here’s my promise,” he said and then slid off the bench to kneel before her. She trembled as he reached into his pocket and brought out a small box and handed it to her. She took it and popped it open, a gasp escaping her lips. Nestled in the box was a thin, gold band with their birthstones, the diamond and the blue topaz, entwined together in a yin yang shape. “Oh my gosh!” she breathed, staring at the ring. “This is my promise to you, Dae, that I’ll always love you…and that I’ll come back for you,” David said. Sundae looked up at him. “Come back for me?” she asked. David took the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger. “I love you, Dae, and I promise as soon as I’m back from my mission I’ll find you and never let you go again,” he said. Sundae felt her heart soar at that, and her eyes shone again, this time with tears of joy. David gently took hold of her hand, holding it so that both their rings were showing. “You gave me your promise, Dae, and now I’m giving you mine,” he said. She was about to reply when he surprised her and began to sing.
Can you imagine what would happen If we could have any dream? I’d wish this moment was ours to own it And that it would never leave Then I would thank that star That made our wish come true Cause He knows that where you are Is where I should be, too
Right here, right now I’m looking at you and my heart loves the view Cause you mean everything Right here I promise you somehow That tomorrow can wait for some other day to be But right now there’s you and me Sundae beamed at him as he finished the song. “That was beautiful,” she said. “I wrote that for you. I’m hoping I’ll be able to put it on my new album,” he said. She beamed. “I’d love that,” she said. He then got up and sat beside her on the bench again, gazing into her eyes. “I love you, Dae, more than you know,” he said. She reached out and hugged him tightly. “I love you, too,” she said. They sat outside for a little while longer, just enjoying being together.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 22:01:03 GMT -5
Chapter 5 When they finally went back into the ballroom the dance was nearing its end. They looked for their friends and spotted Adam and Jessica over by the snack table. David took hold of Sundae’s hand, their fingers twining together, and led the way over to their friends. Adam looked up as they approached. “Hey, there you guys are. You missed the last four dances,” he said. “We had some things we needed to discuss,” David said. “Everything okay?” Jessica asked, concerned. “Yeah, everything’s fine,” Sundae said. Just then Danielle and Scott joined them. “Hey, can you all believe we’ve gotten through this evening without having to waltz once?” Danielle asked. “Oh yeah, I didn’t even think of that,” Adam said. Sundae started to smile, but then noticed Mr. Bushnell stepping up onto the stage again. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” she said and nodded in the direction of the principal. The others all turned around as Mr. Bushnell stepped up to the microphone. “Alright seniors, it’s time for the last waltz. Make it something to remember,” he said and then signaled the DJ. The DJ took his cue and started up the last song. Sundae and David beamed when they saw that it was the waltz song they’d written and that she had taught him with. They had recorded it for his album and it had become a hit in its own right. David turned to Sundae and bowed to her. “May I have this dance?” he asked. She beamed at him. “Always,” she said and took hold of his hand again. They walked out onto the dance floor and slid into each other’s arms. They mouthed the words of the song to each other as they danced, memories of writing the song and their summer on tour together, coming to their minds. When the song reached its bridge they listened intently, the lyrics hitting home with their current situation.
Oh, no mountain’s too high enough Ocean’s too wide Cause together or not, our dance won’t stop Let it rain, let it pour What we have is worth fighting for You know I believe, that we were meant to be Both Sundae and David knew that those lyrics spoke volumes about how they felt for each other and the promises they’d made to each other. Just like the waltz was continuous with no limits so, too, was their love for each other. When the song ended a minute later they slowed their dance to a stop and stepped closer to each other. Their lips met in another soft, sweet kiss and when they came apart David hugged Sundae to him. “I’ve got one more surprise in store if you’re up for it,” he murmured into her ear. Sundae cuddled closer to him. “Anything with you,” she murmured back. He placed another kiss on the top of her head as they stepped off the dance floor and started to look for Adam and Jessica. It didn’t take long to find them and Adam nodded as they walked up. “You ready to spring the last surprise?” he asked, looking to David. David nodded and Jessica looked up at Adam. “What more could you guys have planned?” she asked, smiling nonetheless. Adam reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a keycard. “There’s a suite upstairs with all our names on it,” he said. Jessica pounced on him, hugging him tightly. “OMG, have I told you I love you tonight?” she asked. He chuckled. “Mmm, not in the last hour,” he said and she hugged him even more. Sundae smiled at the scene and David gently took her hand, pulling her a few steps away. “We don’t have to stay if you’re not comfortable with it,” he said. She smiled and gently touched his cheek. “It’s okay. I want to spend every last minute with you that I can,” she said. He drew her to him and held her close. “We won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with, I promise,” he said and she smiled even more. “Are you two coming?” Adam suddenly asked and Sundae and David looked up to see him and Jessica turning to go. “Yeah, we’re coming,” David said, slipping his arm around Sundae. She leaned into him and they along with Adam and Jessica headed out of the ballroom. They crossed the lobby of the hotel and went over to the elevators. As Adam pushed the call button, Jessica spoke up again. “Um, one quick question. What do we do for overnight stuff?” she asked. Adam smiled. “That’s all been taken care of,” he said. “Really?” Jessica asked as the elevator arrived. “What do you think we were doing while you guys were saloning earlier today?” Adam asked. Jessica laughed as the four got on the elevator. Sundae looked up at David as Adam pushed the button for their floor. “Is this what you guys were ‘taking care of’ this afternoon?” she asked. He nodded. “One of a couple things,” he said. A few moments later the elevator dinged and the doors slid open revealing a corridor. The teens stepped out of the elevator and walked down the corridor, pausing outside a door near the end of it. Adam slid the keycard into the lock, opened the door and led the way in. Sundae was surprised to see that the room was indeed a suite. There was full kitchenette, a living room with a full entertainment center and two master bedrooms. “Wow, this is nice,” Jessica remarked, voicing the thought on Sundae’s mind. “Glad you like it. If you ladies want to get comfortable, your stuff’s in that room over there,” Adam said pointing to the bedroom to the right of them. Jessica smiled. “Why thank you. I’ll be right back,” she said giving Adam an almost seductive look, before turning toward the bedroom he had indicated. Sundae turned to David and kissed him softly. “I’ll be back in a couple minutes,” she said. “Okay,” he said. She then squeezed his hand and then turned and followed Jessica into the bedroom. There the girls saw a double bed and a rollaway each with an overnight bag waiting on it. “Wow, they really thought this all out, didn’t they?” Jessica said walking over to her bag, which sat on the rollaway. “Yeah, they did,” Sundae agreed. “You want the bathroom or should I take it?” Jessica asked. “I’ll use it,” Sundae said and picked up her bag, went and got a hanger from the closet for her dress and then went into the bathroom. There she set her bag on the counter and proceeded to get changed. She pulled off her strappy shoes, which had begun to hurt her feet in the last half hour and then slipped off and hung up her dress. She then dug out the baby tee and stretch capris that had been packed for her and pulled them on. She then let down her hair from its bun and tied it back in a ponytail. She then picked up her shoes and hair clips, but as she went to put them in her bag she noticed that there was something else in it. She set her shoes and clips down and pulled out the item in the bag- the soft flannel jacket David had let her keep. Pinned to it was a small slip of paper bearing a note, which read, ‘In case you get cold’ Sundae beamed and hugged the jacket to her, smelling his scent in the soft fabric. She then slipped it on and then quickly packed her shoes and clips and grabbed her dress before stepping out of the bathroom. She found Jessica had already finished changing and heard her out in the main room with Adam and David, so she quickly hung her dress in the closet and set her bag on the floor next to the bed and then went out into the main room. There she found that the guys had also changed, Adam into a tee shirt and shorts, and David into a tee shirt and jeans. They had also turned on the TV and were watching ‘Austin Powers’. Adam was situated in an easy chair with Jessica on his lap and David was on the couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table. He looked up as she approached and reached out to her. She smiled and came over to the couch and sat down beside him and let him wrap his arms around her and pull her close. She snuggled up to him and rested her head on his chest. She looked at the TV and had to laugh softly at the sight of the main character in one of his crazy outfits. “Why’d you guys pick ‘Austin Powers’?” she asked. “Adam picked it, actually, but Mike Myers is funny. Remember Guru Pitka?” David said and Sundae giggled. “Oh yeah,” she said. At that time that David was getting ready to compete in the ‘Idol’ finale Mike Myers had been getting ready to premiere his new movie ‘The Love Guru’. As part of the finale theatrics, David and his competitor, Dave Cook, had gotten to meet Myers in guise as the title character from the film. It had proved to be one of the most entertaining moments of the week and still brought a smile to Sundae’s face when she thought of it. She felt David hug her again and looked up at him. “I love you, you know that,” he said. She smiled. “I do and I love you, too,” she said. He leaned down and kissed her softly and then hugged her closer as they turned back to the movie. After about an hour Sundae glanced over at Adam and Jessica and saw that they’d both fallen asleep. She looked up at David and saw that he’d noticed, too. “Are you tired?” he asked quietly, so as not to disturb their friends. “A little,” Sundae replied. David reached over and grabbed the remote off the table and shut off the TV and then stood up and held his hands out to her. “Come on,” he said and she smiled, taking hold of his hands. He gently pulled her up from the couch and led her over to the door of the bedroom where her things were. “Wait here for a minute?” he asked. “Sure,” she said. He then turned and went into the other bedroom and when he came back out he had a pair of flannel pajama pants in his hand. Sundae smiled. “Are you tired?” she asked as they turned toward the door behind her. “A little bit. I could stay up a tiny bit longer,” he said as they went into the other bedroom, pulling the door shut behind them. “I could, too. There’s a TV in here. We could watch another movie,” she suggested. “Alright, you could see if you can find something while I change,” he said. She nodded. “Sure,” she said. He then went into the bathroom and she grabbed the remote for the TV. She flipped through the channels, but didn’t find anything good. She turned the TV off again and looked for something else to do. She then spotted the radio on the nightstand and leaned over and turned it on. She flipped it over to the local station they’d listened to earlier in the car and leaned back listening to the current song, Chris Brown’s ‘With You’. She let her eyes slip shut as she listened to the song, and felt quite content to stay put where she was. A moment later she felt the bed shift and looked up to see David beside her. “Comfy?” he asked, smiling at her. “Yeah, I am. There was nothing good on TV so I thought I’d try the radio instead,” she replied and pushed herself into a sitting position. He leaned over and gave her a soft kiss and she smiled, laying her hand against his cheek as they pulled apart. They gazed at each other for a moment and then the song changed, getting their attention. The new song was an old Mariah Carey hit ‘Butterfly’ and was a favorite of both teens. “Haven’t heard this one on the radio in a while,” Sundae mused. “Me either,” David agreed. Then he smiled. “May I have this dance?” he asked, standing up and holding his hands out to her. She smiled and took his hand. “I’d love to,” she said and let him pull her up from the bed. He drew her into his arms and she wrapped her arms around his neck as they began to sway along to the song.
When you love someone so deeply They become your life It’s easy to succumb to overwhelming fears Inside Blindly I imagined I could Keep you under glass Now I must understand to hold you I must open up my hands And watch you rise
Spread your wings and prepare to fly For you have become a butterfly Fly abandondly into the sun If you should return to me We truly are meant to be So spread your wings and fly Butterfly Sundae hugged David tightly as they danced. The lyrics of the song brought the separation they were facing at the end of the year to the fore of her mind. She prayed that he would keep his promise and come back to her.
I have learned that beauty Has to flourish in the light Wild horses run unbridled Or their spirit dies You have given me the courage To be all that I can And I truly feel your heart will Lead you back to me when you’re Ready to land
Spread your wings and prepare to fly For you have become a butterfly Fly abandonedly into the sun If you should return to me We truly were meant to be Spread your wings and fly Butterfly David gently pulled back to look into Sundae’s eyes. “You know I’ll come back to you, right?” he said. She nodded, tears shining in her eyes. “I know,” she said. He reached up and gently wiped away a tear that had escaped. He then leaned in and kissed her again, his arms wrapping around her tightly. Her grip on him tightened, too, and she held onto him never wanting to let go. When they finally came up for air he surprised her by bending down and sweeping her up into his arms. He then turned toward the bed and laid her back on the pillows, sitting beside her. He then leaned over and trailed soft kisses across her forehead and, when he reached her ear, he spoke. “We won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with,” he said. She turned her head to look into his eyes, laying her hands alongside his face. “I just want to be with you,” she said. He smiled softly at that and leaned down and kissed her again. Her arms wrapped around him, pulling him down on top of her. She shivered at the feel of his hands running along her sides. After a few minutes he rolled, pulling her on top of him. She buried her fingers in his soft, thick hair and he ran his hands up and down her back. His fingers slipped up under the hem of her shirt and she shivered again as he softly caressed her back. Her hands slipped down his sides and started to push at the hem of his shirt. He rolled again, this time onto his side, and she pushed his shirt up further, reveling in the feel of his soft skin. “Let me know if I tickle you,” she whispered, knowing how ticklish he was. “Mmmm,” he murmured as he kissed along her neck. She kissed his neck as well and moved up and kissed along his jaw, continuing to push at his shirt. After a few more minutes he sat up on his knees and she followed suit. She pushed at his shirt again and, this time, he lifted his arms and let her push it off. He tossed the shirt aside and then pulled her to him again. His fingers slipped up under her shirt again and she started trailing kisses down his neck to his shoulder. He laid her back on the pillows again and kissed her deeply, her arms wrapping around him. When they finally broke the kiss they lay side by side, gazing at each other, breathing deeply. “Wow,” Sundae breathed. “Yeah. You’re amazing,” David said. She smiled. “So are you,” she said, taking in his perfectly chiseled chest. He blushed at that and leaned over, kissing her again, sweetly and softly. When they broke the kiss, David pulled Sundae to him and pulled the covers up over them. He then reached around behind him and turned off the table lamp before settling in, holding her close to him. She slipped her arms around his shoulders and tucked her head under his chin, her cheek resting lightly against his bare chest. “I love you, Dae,” she heard him murmur. “I love you, too,” she murmured back as her eyes slipped shut. She soon drifted off to sleep, feeling more peaceful than she had in a while. The next morning Sundae awoke to the sunlight streaming in from between the curtains of a window across the room from the bed. As she came more awake she felt a weight around her waist and reached down to find David’s arm still firmly around her. She rolled over slowly and gently, so as not to wake him, and felt her heart melt when she saw his sleeping face. He was peacefully asleep, his soft lips slightly parted, his hair mussed from the pillow and his long black lashes resting as lightly as feathers against his soft cheeks. He looked so innocent, even precious, and Sundae felt herself fall deeply in love with him all over again. She knew she could wake up to him everyday for the rest of her life. She gently touched his cheek, caressing it with her thumb. “How did I get so lucky as to find you?” she whispered softly. She laid her head back down on the pillow, gazing at David until her eyes slipped shut again. The next thing she knew Sundae felt feather soft kisses being left on her face. She blinked her eyes open as a kiss was placed on the very tip of her nose. She smiled, seeing David gazing down at her, his eyes shining with love. “Morning,” she murmured, as she reached up and brushed her fingers through his mussed hair. “Morning, Angel,” David murmured back and leaned down and trailed kisses across her forehead. When he pulled back he gazed at her for a moment and then leaned in again and kissed her deeply. She slipped one arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer as the kiss deepened. When they finally came up for air they stayed close together, their noses nearly touching. Sundae laid a hand against David’s cheek and drew him down for another soft kiss. He blushed lightly as they pulled apart and she smiled. “What is it?” she asked. He blushed a little more. “My stomach growled,” he said. Her smile grew and she leaned up and kissed his lips once more. “Let’s get breakfast then,” she said. He smiled, too, and rolled off of her and she sat up and stretched. They then got up and he grabbed his shirt from where it had lain on the floor and pulled it back on as they stepped out into the front room. Adam and Jessica were already awake and looked up as they came out. “Whoa! You two were in there together all night?” Adam said, seeing them come out of the same room. “Can you not start, please?” David said as he grabbed small bottle of orange juice from the fridge. “Is there food here?” Sundae asked, noticing the bottle. Jessica giggled. “Believe it or not these two really thought this out. They actually got supplies for breakfast,” she said, glancing up from the frying pan she was working over. “Wow, what are you making?” Sundae asked her. “Pancakes and trying to make is the better statement. This one keeps getting in my way,” she said nodding to Adam, who was hovering near her. Sundae smiled. “We’ll give you your space,” she said and moved over to the other side of the counter where David was pouring some of the juice from the bottle into a cup. “Is there enough for two?” she asked, hugging him from behind. He smiled and held up a second cup. “I made sure there would be,” he said and poured the rest of the juice into the second cup. He then handed her the cup and tossed out the juice bottle before picking up his own cup and leading her over to the couch. There they sat down and flipped on the TV to look at the morning news. Sundae sipped her juice for a moment and then set the cup on the table and cuddled up close to David’s side. She wanted to enjoy every moment with him before she had to fly home late that afternoon. He looked down at her when she cuddled even closer. “You okay?” he asked. She nodded. “Mmmhmm. I just want to enjoy every minute with you that I can,” she said. He hugged her to him. “Me, too,” he agreed and kissed the top of her head. The teens hung out at the hotel until just before lunch and then got their stuff back together, checked out and got a cab back to Murray. Sundae and David went and picked up the rest of her things from his house and then got take out and went to Murray park. There they settled under a tree, near the creek, ate their lunch and relaxed together for the rest of the afternoon. He leaned on the tree and she leaned against him, her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, and they relished every second of that time together. It didn’t seem like it had been long at all before Sundae’s cell phone beeped alerting her that it was time to head to the airport. “Man!” she groaned, “right when I was getting really comfy.” David chuckled, hugging her to him. “I know. I was, too,” he murmured into her ear. They held onto each other for a moment and then finally forced themselves to get up. They went and tossed out the remains of their lunch and then headed for his car. They arrived at the Salt Lake City airport forty minutes later, Sundae feeling the lump in her throat more than ever. She didn’t want the weekend to be over already. David helped her bring her bags inside and then waited with her while she checked in for her flight. Once she was checked in and her big bag had been tagged and sent on to the plane, he took her hand and walked with her to where she would go through security. They paused when they reached the security gates and stepped out of the way of the other passengers. Sundae set her small bag down and wrapped her arms around David in a tight hug. “I can’t believe this weekend is over already,” she murmured. “Me neither. We’ll just have to make sure we’re together as much as possible this summer,” he said. “Absolutely and you know I’ll come for your graduation, too,” she said. He hugged her tighter at that. “I know,” he said. She pulled back after a moment and looked into his eyes. “So, when do you think you’ll be coming to LA?” she asked. “Probably right after grad. I’ve already started looking at apartments,” he said. She smiled. “I’d be happy to help however I can,” she said. He smiled. “I’d like that, Dae, thanks,” he said. “Anything for you,” she said. She then looked at her watch and saw that it she only had an hour before her flight left. “I guess I’d better go,” she said, feeling the lump come on again. He slid one hand behind her head and leaned in, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss. “I love you,” he murmured when they pulled apart. “I love you, too. I’ll call you as soon as I get home,” she said. “Okay,” he said. She then picked up her carry-on again and then stepped away and walked over to the security gate. There were two people in front of her so she looked back at him until it was her turn. When she got up to the gate she blew him one more kiss before stepping through. After she’d passed through security, Sundae grabbed her bag and pulled her shoes back on and then went over to an escalator that led up to the departure gates. She stepped onto it and looked back once she was high enough to see over the security gate. David was still there and she could clearly see the shine of tears in his eyes. “Love you,” she mouthed to him and blew him another kiss. “Love you, too,” he mouthed back. She had to turn around when she got to the top of the escalator so she wouldn’t trip and when she looked back down again, he had gone. She quickly turned and headed for her gate, trying to hold back her own tears. An hour later she was on her flight headed back to LA. She gazed out the window, watching the Great Salt Lake getting smaller and smaller as the plane rose into the sky. When the plane veered away and turned towards California she leaned back in her seat, feeling a little tired. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes and her gaze fell on the ring David had given her. Its gold band gleamed in the late afternoon sun and the two intertwined stones sparkled when she turned her hand toward the window. She gently fingered the ring, remembering his words when he’d given it to her,
‘This is my promise to you, Dae, that I’ll always love you…and that I’ll come back for you. I promise as soon as I’m back from my mission I’ll find you and I’ll never let you go again.’
Sundae smiled and brushed a tear from her eye at the thought. Even though they’d be apart he would always be with her as long as she had his ring and he had hers. Two years did seem like a long time, but it would be over before she knew it. Sundae truly believed that she and David were meant to be and she prayed that God would make the two years go by quickly and bring David back to her safely. Until that time when they could be together forever, she would hold onto the memories and to his promise.
fin
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 22:01:23 GMT -5
Love Is A Song
Book 4
Summer Days/The Last Summer
Sixteen-year-old Sundae Wahlberg strolled around her local mall in Beverly Hills, California with her best friend, Dana, killing a lazy summer afternoon. “Perfect day for shopping isn’t it?” Dana mused as the two girls strolled out of Claire’s. “Yeah, these bags are starting to weigh my arm down, though,” Sundae said, switching the three bags she held from her left hand to her right. “Why’d you get so much anyway? You’re not going anywhere this summer. You’re not even doing the tour,” Dana said. Sundae was an aspiring young musician who had lucked out to be born into the business. Thanks to her dad’s connections she was a regular performer on the hit TV show ‘American Idol’ and the opening act for its accompanying tour. She had decided against the tour for that year, however, as she wanted to have more time to just be a regular teen. “True, but I still want to look good this summer,” Sundae said. Dana giggled. “Dae, there are two reasons for you to be buying a bunch of clothes. One; for the tour so you’ll have enough or two; to land a hot guy and one; you’re not doing the tour and two; you’ve got a boyfriend,” Dana said. “A boyfriend I’d like to keep forever, if possible,” Sundae said, smiling at the thought. Dana giggled again. “Which brings me to my point, you and David are completely crazy about each other. He’ll love you no matter what you wear. You could wear the same dress twice and he wouldn’t care,” she said. Sundae giggled a little at that. “You’re probably right, but I still want to look perfect for him,” she said. “You are in love,” Dana said, shaking her head. “Completely,” Sundae agreed her smile turning dreamy as her thoughts turned completely to her boyfriend, David Archuleta. They had met two summers before when he had first auditioned for ‘Idol’ and they’d been a steady couple for eighteen months. Sundae was never happier than when she was with David and she truly felt that what they had could last forever. “Must be nice having him here right now, huh? And getting to spend weekends with him? ” Dana suddenly said, breaking into Sundae’s thoughts. Sundae smiled even more. She had been spending weekends with David at the apartment he was renting while in town. “It is. Even though he’s working on his next album, I’m still so happy to have him here. And yes, the weekends do have their perks,” she said with a wink “Ooooooh,” Dana giggled with a sly grin. Sundae giggled, too, and the girls continued to walk around, poking in various stores. As they were coming out of a shoe store a store across the way from them caught Sundae’s eye. “Oh hey, let’s go over there,” she said and headed toward the store. Dana followed and had to laugh when she saw that Sundae had zeroed in on a music store. “How’d I know you’d want to go in this one?” she said. Sundae laughed, too. “Oh, bite me. I need some new picks and strings for my guitars,” she said and led the way into the store. She headed straight for the guitar accessories area while Dana just browsed around. Sundae quickly found what she needed and then turned to look for her friend. “D, where are you?” she called. “I’m over by the songbooks. You have to get over here and see what I found,” Dana called back. Sundae followed her voice and quickly spotted her by the shelves on songbooks. “What’d you find n…whoa,” Sundae said, her tone turning to impressed when Dana held up a complete songbook of David’s first album. “Wow, okay even though I can already play all his songs I’m still getting that,” Sundae said, taking the book from Dana. “I thought you would,” Dana said. They started to turn toward the check out counter, but Sundae suddenly paused and stepped back over to the shelf. “Oh, they have song journals, too,” she said, picking up a hardbound notebook filled with blank staff paper for song writing. She glanced up and saw Dana watching her with a raised eyebrow. “What? I need a new one,” she said. “Didn’t Ali just get you one for your birthday?” Dana asked, referring to Alison Iraheta, a friend of Sundae’s from the most recent season of ‘Idol’. Sundae rolled her eyes. “Oh fine, I’m thinking of David, too,” she said, setting the journal she’d been holding back on the shelf. As she did so another journal caught her eye. It was eight and half by eleven inches and was an antique sepia color with staff lines full of musical notation on it. “Oooh, that one’s nice,” Dana said as Sundae picked up the journal. She looked at it for a few moments, a thoughtful look in her eyes. “It is nice,” she said. She then added the journal to the bundle in her arms and led the way up to the counter. After Sundae had paid for her things, the girls headed back out of the store, but Sundae paused just outside the door and pulled the journal out of her bag. “You’re not reconsidering are you?” Dana asked. Sundae shook her head as she pulled a pen from her purse. “Nope, just thought of a perfect little note,” she said and quickly scribbled a note on the inside of the front cover. When she’d finished she put away the pen and put the journal back in her bag. “What’d you write?” Dana asked as the girls continued on their way. “Private,” Sundae said. “Dae, I’m not the tweebs,” Dana said, with a giggle. Sundae giggled, too, at the mention of her nosey younger siblings. “I know, but it is for David’s eyes only,” she said. Dana smiled. “I know,” she paused thoughtfully for a moment, “Now if only I could get a boyfriend like him,” she said. Sundae giggled again. “You will,” she grinned almost mischievously, “Cara actually told me she heard that Scott might ask you out,” she said. Scott was the captain of the boys’ soccer team at the girls’ school and a prime catch. Dana squealed. “OMG! I would so freak if that happened. He is so freaking hot,” Dana said. “I’ve got my fingers crossed for you,” Sundae said. “Thank you,” Dana said, giving her a sideways hug as they walked. Half an hour later the girls decided to call it a day on the shopping and headed out of the mall. “Is your mom coming to pick us up?” Sundae asked as they exited the mall. “Yeah, she said she’d be here in ten. You in a rush to get home to get ready for a date?” Dana asked. “Well, David does call everyday, so you never know,” Sundae said as the girls moved toward a nearby bus bench. They were just about to sit down when Dana giggled. “Speaking of Mr. Perfect…” she said and gestured across the little roadway in front of them to the first row of parked cars. Sundae followed her gaze and a grin split her face when she saw David, leaning on the hood of his silver Ford Escape, watching them with a smile of his own. He looked perfect in a graphic tee and cargo shorts, the sun shining off of his spiky black hair. Sundae quickly stepped over to the edge of the roadway, checked for cars, and then dashed over to him. “Hey,” she said, setting her bags on the curb and then flinging her arms around him. “Hey yourself,” he said, pulling her close to him. “What are you doing here?” she asked him. “I got done at the studio early today so I called your house to see what you were up to. Your mom said you guys had gone shopping so I decided to surprise you,” he said. “And it’s a perfect surprise,” Sundae said, hugging him tighter. “You know you’re pretty brave to just hang out in the open. You could’ve gotten mobbed pretty easily,” Dana’s voice said and the young lovers turned to see her walking up to them. David chuckled at her comment. “True, which is why I waited in my car until I saw you guys come out,” he said. “How long have you been here?” Sundae asked. “Only about five minutes,” David replied. “So, I guess my mom’s only picking me up?” Dana asked, looking to Sundae. Sundae giggled lightly. “Looks like it,” she said, looking to David, who gently hugged her to him. “I’d be happy to give you a ride, Dana,” he said. Dana shrugged. “It’s okay. My mom’ll be here any minute. You guys go have fun,” she said. “You’re sure?” Sundae asked. Dana nodded. “Absolutely, go on,” she leaned close to Sundae, “but you know I want all the juicy details later,” she said. Sundae giggled. “You’re bad, but I’ll call you later,” she said. “Alright, you guys have fun,” Dana said as she turned and headed back over to the bus bench to wait for her mom. Sundae waved to her and then looked to David. “So, did you have somewhere in mind to go?” she asked. “I was thinking dinner on the beach in Malibu,” he suggested. She beamed. “I’d love that,” she said. “Good,” he said, giving her another little squeeze. He then bent down and picked up her bags and led her over to his car. He put her bags in the back seat and then held open the front passenger door for her. She stepped over and laid her hand behind his head as she leaned up and kissed him softly. “Thank you,” she said as she drew back. “You’re welcome,” he replied as she slid into the car. He then shut the door and went around to the driver’s side and got in. “Think you should let your dad know we’re going out?” he asked as he reached for his seatbelt. “Yeah, I probably should,” Sundae said and pulled out her phone. She pushed the speed dial for her home and put the phone to her ear. “Hey dad,” she said when her dad answered on the second ring. “Hi honey, you need a ride from the mall?” he asked. “I’m good, actually. David’s got it covered,” Sundae said, squeezing David’s hand in hers as she spoke. “Ah, I figured he might when your mom mentioned that he called earlier,” her dad said. “Yeah, I just wanted to let you know we’re going out and I’ll be back later,” Sundae said. “Alright honey, thanks for telling me,” her dad said. “No problem, dad. I’ll see you later,” Sundae said and then flipped her phone shut. “Everything okay?” David asked. “Yeah, we’re good to go,” Sundae said as she tucked her phone back into her purse. “Awesome,” David said as he stuck the key into the ignition and started the car. Sundae gently caught his hand as he reached for the gearshift. “I’ve got a little something for you,” she said. “Oh?” he asked, leaving the car in park. “Yeah. We happened to stop into a music store and I found something I thought you should have,” Sundae said as she fished the journal out of her bag and handed it to him. He smiled, taking it from her. “I know you’ve been writing, so I thought you might like a new one,” Sundae said. “Yeah, this is great. Thanks, Dae,” David said. “There’s a little note inside, too,” Sundae said. David smiled even more as he opened the journal to the dedication page and read the words she’d written, To David, For the music in your heart Love, Dae He looked turned to her and reached for her hand. “You’re the music in my heart, Dae,” he said, squeezing her fingers in his. “And you’re mine,” she said, returning his smile. He then leaned over and kissed her softly, his hand coming to rest against her cheek. They broke apart after a few minutes and were quiet for a moment before he spoke again. “Shall we go?” he asked softly. “Sure,” she replied as they settled back into their seats and buckled up. He carefully set the journal on the floor between them and then reached for the gearshift. He then backed out of the parking space and they were on their way. When they got to Malibu forty minutes later, Sundae and David grabbed some dinner at a little surf shack and then went for a long walk on the beach. They romped around for a little while and had a little splash fight in the water and then strolled along the wet sand, letting the cool surf wash over their bare feet, and watching the sun dip below the horizon. “This has been a perfect evening,” Sundae said, leaning her head on David’s shoulder as they walked. “Yeah, it has,” he agreed, hugging her gently to him. “I wish this could last forever,” Sundae murmured. They both grew a little quite at that. After he turned nineteen at the end of the year, David would be expected to go away for two years to serve a mission for his church. He and Sundae were savoring every minute they had together as a result. “Um, speaking of that, there’s something I wanted to ask you about,” David said after a moment. “What’s that?” Sundae asked, looking up at him. “Well, it’s not exactly completely related, but the idea kind of came to me when I was thinking about it. Not ‘it’ as in the idea, but ‘it’ as in what’s going to happen,” David started to say, then wrinkled his nose, “Ugh, I have got to stop with the rambling,” he chided himself. Sundae smiled and gave him a loving squeeze. “I think it’s sweet,” she said. He managed a small laugh. “Thanks. Anyway, what I wanted to ask you. You remember how you told me that your parents are taking a trip for their anniversary?” he asked. “Yeah, sure. They’re leaving in three weeks, actually. Why?” she wanted to know. “Well, I was thinking about it and I thought, maybe, we could take a little trip of our own,” he said. Sundae paused in her stride and turned toward him. “As in, travel somewhere just us?” she asked. David nodded. “Yeah, if you’re comfortable with it. I’ve already talked to my parents and my management and they’re okay with it,” he said. Sundae beamed at him. “I’d love to,” she said. “Really?” David asked. Sundae nodded. She took hold of his hands and stepped closer to him. “I’d go anywhere with you, David. A few days, just us, would be wonderful,” she said. He smiled, too. “I’m glad,” he said, leaning closer so that the tip of his nose brushed against hers. She leaned up, closing the gap between them, and their lips met in a long, sweet kiss. He pulled her closer to him and she slipped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. When they broke the kiss, she leaned her head on his shoulder, cuddling up to him. “Did you have a place in mind where you’d like to go?” she asked. “I mulled over a couple. Hawaii was the one I liked best,” he said. Sundae smiled even more. “That would be amazing. I’ve always wanted to go there and I was a little jealous when you got to go earlier this year,” she said. “I thought about you the whole time I was there. I wanted so much to experience Hawaii with you and I’m hoping we can now,” David said. Sundae hugged him again. “I hope so, too,” she sighed a little ruefully, “You might have to beg my dad, though,” she said. “I kind of figured I might and I am prepared for it,” he said. “Well, that’s good to know,” she said with a little giggle. He wrapped his arms firmly around her, holding her close, as they stood watching the waves and fantasizing about some real time alone together
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 22:01:45 GMT -5
Chapter 2 An hour and half later the two arrived back at Sundae’s house and David walked Sundae up to the front door. “So, I’ll talk to my dad and let you know how much begging we’ll have to do,” she said as they turned toward each other. David chuckled. “Alright. I had great time tonight, Dae,” he said, taking her hands in his. She smiled. “I did, too,” she said and stepped closer to him. He leaned in then, brushing his lips against hers, and she responded instantly, slipping into his arms as the kiss deepened. He kept her close to him when they pulled apart, trailing soft kisses across her forehead. “I love you, Dae,” he murmured into her ear. “I love you, too,” Sundae murmured back, nuzzling her nose against his and then kissing him again. They pulled apart after a moment and Sundae slowly stepped back. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” David said as Sundae bent down and picked up her bags. She smiled. “Okay,” she leaned up, laying her hand against his cheek, and kissed him once more, “Night,” she said as she stepped back and opened the door. “Night, angel,” David said, Sundae beamed at him and then turned and slipped inside the house. Once inside, Sundae set her bags next to the stairs and then crossed the entryway and went down a hallway into the living room. There she found both of her parents relaxing after a long day. Her mom was reclining on the couch, working on a crossword puzzle and her dad was reading the latest issue of Rolling Stone. They both looked up when Sundae came in. “Hi, how was your evening?” her mom asked. “It was great,” Sundae said with a happy grin. Her mom smiled, too. Sundae made her way over to the couch and sat down next to her mom. She looked between her parents and her dad sat up a little more in his chair, setting his magazine aside. “Something on your mind?” he asked. “Yeah, I’m just worried you might freak when I ask,” Sundae said. “That doesn’t sound good,” her dad said. “Is something wrong, honey?” her mom asked. “No, nothing’s wrong,” Sundae said. “Then what’s going on?” her dad wanted to know. “Well um, David and I were talking tonight about taking a vacation together,” Sundae said. “A vacation?” her dad asked. “Yeah, just the two of us. We were thinking about a week in Hawaii,” Sundae said. Her parents traded looks. “Wow honey, that’s something we need to think about,” her mom said. “I knew you’d need to. Can I remind you, though, that I am sixteen and you have trusted me to travel on my own before,” Sundae said. “True, but this time you and David would be alone, not just sans parents but in a hotel room. It’s a lot to take in,” her dad said. “I understand that. He told me his parents are okay with it and all I’m asking right now is that you think about it,” Sundae said. “We’ll do that. Did you have a time frame for this?” her mom asked. “We were thinking in two weeks,” Sundae said. Her dad nodded. “That doesn’t leave much time, but we do give our word that we’ll discuss it,” he said. Sundae smiled at him. “Thanks, dad. I appreciate hearing that,” she said. She then stood up and headed for the door. “Night, guys,” she said and then turned and headed off to bed.
Over the next several days Sundae continued to enjoy her summer, but all the while wondering what her parents would say when they reached a verdict on the trip. She spent time with her friends, practiced her music and soccer and talked with or saw David everyday. Thursday afternoon she was relaxing in her room when he called. She smiled happily as she flipped her phone open. “Hey,” she said as she lay back on her bed. “Hey, what are you up to?” David asked. “Just lounging around in my room. What about you?” Sundae asked. “I’ve actually been working on song writing all day. I’m probably going to have a huge phone bill this month since I was talking to Mike for over an hour earlier today,” he said. Mike was the guitarist in David’s band and one of his favorite people to write with. “How is Mike these days?” Sundae asked. “He’s good. We were talking about the fall tour and it’s shaping up pretty well. We’re hoping we can get the new album out by then, if possible,” David said. “That’d be cool,” Sundae said. “Yeah. Um, did you talk to your parents?” David asked. Sundae sighed. “I did, but they’re still debating,” she said. “I hope they’ll say yes. I picked up some brochures today that I’d love to show you,” he said. “I’d like that, too,” Sundae agreed. A knock on the door interrupted the conversation. “Hang on a sec, someone’s at the door,” Sundae said. She then lowered the phone from her ear, resting it against her shoulder. “Come in,” she called and a moment later her mom opened the door. “Hi honey, I don’t mean to interrupt,” she said. “What’s up?” Sundae asked. “Is that David you’re talking to?” her mom asked. “Yeah, why?” Sundae wanted to know. “Well, your dad and I were talking and we’d like to have David over for dinner so we can all talk,” she said. “Okay, when?” Sundae asked. “Well, it’ll be fairly quiet tomorrow night with most of the big kids out with friends,” her mom said. “Alright, lemme ask,” Sundae said and put her phone to her ear. “David?” she asked. “Yeah, is everything alright?” David asked. “My mom wants to know if you’ll come for dinner tomorrow night?” Sundae said. “Sure, what time?” David asked. Sundae looked up at her mom. “What time?” she mouthed. “Six?” her mom mouthed back. “Is six okay?” Sundae asked David. “That’d be great,” David said. Sundae looked to her mom and gave her a thumbs up. Her mom nodded and stepped out of the room, pulling the door closed. “Any idea what they’re up to?” David asked. “Not really, but I hope it’s good,” Sundae said. The two talked for a while longer and left it that he would get to her house just after six for dinner. The next day, Sundae had a soccer practice with Dana and some of their teammates at the park near her house and when she got home she hurried upstairs to get ready for the evening. She took a shower and washed her hair and then got dressed in skinny jeans, a lightweight sweater and black flats, before drying and styling her hair and doing her makeup. She finished right at six and was putting the finishing touches on her hair, which she had decided to leave down, when she heard a car outside. She looked out her window and saw David’s Ford Escape pulling into the driveway. She smiled and quickly hurried out of her room and downstairs. Just as she reached the bottom steps the doorbell rang and she skipped over to the door and opened it. “Hey,” she said, smiling at David. He stepped up to her, slid his hand behind her head, and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Hey, beautiful,” he said when he pulled back. She blushed, taking his hand, leading him into the house and shutting the door behind them. She then turned to take in his ensemble of fitting jeans and a dark teal button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows and white converse and he surprised her and drew from behind his back a single, long stemmed red rose. She blushed as she took it and gently sniffed it. “Thank you,” she said. David smiled and slipped his arm around her shoulders as they started toward the living room. “I thought you might like it. I brought some of the brochures I told you about, too. Even if your parents don’t say yes, we can still dream about it,” he said. “That’s true,” Sundae said as they came into the living room. The kitchen and dining room were connected to it and the teens could see her parents moving around, setting the table and trying to keep her younger siblings from making things any more difficult. Her mom was first to notice them. “Hi you two,” she said and came over to them. “Hi, mom. Is dinner almost ready?” Sundae asked. Her mom nodded. “Yeah, just a few more minutes,” she looked to David, “Glad you could join us,” she said. “I’m glad I could, too. Thank you very much for the invitation,” David said. “You’re more than welcome. You might want to get that in water, honey,” her mom said, gesturing to the rose. “Yeah, I’d like it to stay nice for a while,” Sundae said as they started toward the kitchen. “Hi David,” came a chorus of little voices as they passed the table. They looked over to see three of Sundae’s youngest siblings, two girls and a boy, watching them. Sundae sighed, but David smiled kindly. “Hi guys,” he said. The three little kids giggled and Sundae eyed them. “Behave yourselves, tweebs,” she said. David gently hugged her. “I’ll keep them occupied if you want to help your mom,” he said. Sundae couldn’t help but smile at him. “You’re too sweet,” she said. “He’s being very nice in offering. That would be very helpful, David,” her mom said as she stepped past them with a bowl of steamed vegetables. Sundae looked to David again. “Okay, but don’t let them talk you into anything,” she said. “No worries,” David said. He then led the three little kids into the living room and Sundae turned and went into the kitchen to take care of her rose. She filled a bud vase and set the rose into it and then brought it out to be a centerpiece for the table. She then went over to the living room and saw David sitting on the couch while her little sisters and brother attempted to perform for him ‘Idol’ style. She giggled as she joined David on the couch. “Which judge are you?” she asked. He chuckled. “They want me to be Simon, but I can’t be mean like that,” he said. “Well, how bout’ you be Randy and I’ll be Kara,” Sundae suggested. David smiled. “I guess that could work. Hey, did I tell you I heard from Kara the other day? She heard I’m working on a new album and wanted to know if I needed songs,” he said. “That’s awesome. Kara’s the best. I’m really glad they added her to the show,” Sundae said. “Are you watching?” a little voice asked. The two looked over at her younger siblings. It was blonde haired Destiny that had spoken and she stood with a hand on her hip. “Yes, we’re watching, Des,” Sundae said, but couldn’t help a smile. Destiny started back into the song she’d been singing, but was interrupted again a moment later. “Dinner’s on,” their dad called. The three little kids hurried over to the table, Sundae and David following them at a slower pace. The dinner was nice. Mrs. Wahlberg had made one of her mom’s recipes, Spanish Rice, and it tasted great. There was nice conversation around the table, too. The little kids talked about school, Sundae and David talked shop with her dad on music and everyone enjoyed watching the littlest Wahlberg, twenty-one-month-old Pleshette, as she tried to eat her dinner. When the meal ended the little kids scampered off to play, Mr. Wahlberg took Pleshette upstairs to bed and Sundae and David helped her mom clean up. They helped put away the leftovers and then went to bring the dishes into the kitchen. Sundae was bringing in bowls that had held side dishes when she saw that her dad had joined her mom in the kitchen. They both looked up when she came in. “Is David out by the table?” her mom asked. “Yeah, he was getting some of the plates, why?” Sundae asked. “Would you bring him in here, please?” her dad asked. “Sure,” Sundae said. She felt her nerves start up as she walked back out to the dining room. She smiled when she saw David stacking the last of the plates and he looked up hearing her footsteps. “Hey,” he said. “Hey, mom and dad want to see us in the kitchen,” Sundae said. “Uh-oh, wonder what’s up?” David said as he picked up the stack of plates. “No clue, but I’ll bet it’s the reason they invited you tonight,” Sundae said as they went into the kitchen. There they found her parents standing by the counter, talking quietly. They looked up as the teens came in. “Oh, thank you, David. Those can go in the sink,” her mom said, seeing David with the plates. “It’s no problem,” David said and set the plates in the sink, before stepping back over to Sundae. Her dad then stood up a little straighter. “Alright, I know you two are wondering what this is all about and I’ll assure you now that it’s nothing bad. Sundae told us about the trip you want to take and we’d like to discuss it a little,” he said. The teens traded looks. “Okay,” Sundae said. David met her parents’ gazes. “I just thought it would be something nice for us to do. This is our last summer before I leave on my mission,” he looked to Sundae. “And we just want to make the most of what time we have together,” she finished. “We can understand that. I’m curious, though. Sundae mentioned that your parents already gave their okay,” her mom said. “Yeah, but they weren’t easy to convince. I actually started talking to my dad about it when we were in Britain last month. I didn’t suggest it to Sundae until he and my mom said it was okay by them,” David said. “Have you started planning for the trip?” her dad asked. “Yeah, I’ve looked at flights and hotels online and I brought some brochures with me tonight if you’d like to see them,” David offered. “That’s alright. The one thing we’re wary of is you two sharing a hotel room,” her dad said. Sundae sighed. “I kind of figured on that. You guys know we’d never do anything. We love each other too much to risk our futures that way,” she said. “I’d never do anything to hurt Sundae or take advantage of her,” David chimed in. “We know,” her mom said. Sundae looked from her mom to her dad and back again. “Okay, if you guys are gonna say no, can you just get it over with?” she said. David gently squeezed her shoulder. Her parents traded looks. “Alright look, we discussed it like we said and we did have some concerns,” her mom said. “We talked about these concerns and even spoke with David’s parents so that we could be sure we’re all on the same page with this,” her dad said. “And…?” Sundae asked, feeling very nervous. Her mom smiled. “You can go,” she said. Sundae’s heart leapt. “Seriously?” she asked. Her parents nodded. “We trust you. Go and have fun,” her dad said. Sundae was overjoyed. “Thank you so much,” she said, giving her parents huge hugs. She then stepped back over to David, who was beaming at her, took his hand in hers and led him out of the kitchen.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 22:02:07 GMT -5
Chapter 3 They slipped outside to the back patio and David pulled Sundae into his arms. “I can’t believe they said yes,” she said. “Me either, but I’m so happy they did,” David said. He then slipped his arms around her waist and lifted her off her feet and she squealed happily as he spun her around. “Did you want to look at the brochures I brought?” he asked when he set her down. “Yeah, I’d love to,” she said. “Alright, I’ll go get them from my car,” he said and started to turn toward the door. Sundae kept a hold of his hand. “Or, better idea, I’ll go with you and show you a short cut,” she said. “Sure,” he said. Sundae smiled and led the way around the side of the house to a gate, which she opened, revealing a walkway that led to the driveway. David went and got the brochures from his car and then he and Sundae went back through the gate and back to the patio. There they settled together on a chaise and looked over the brochures, each one advertising travel for a different Hawaiian isle. All were picturesque showing tropical beaches, volcanic mountains surrounded by lush rainforest and crystal clear ocean. “Wow, this all looks perfect,” Sundae said. “Yeah, it does. Like I told your dad, I’ve been looking at hotels. I want wherever we stay to be perfect,” David said. Sundae smiled. “You don’t have to go all out. I’d be happy at a Holiday Inn if I’m with you,” she said. He smiled, too. “I know, but I want it to be nicer than that,” he said. Sundae kissed his cheek and then pillowed her head on his shoulder. “Which island was it that you went to?” she asked. “I was on Oahu and it was amazing. There’s a cultural center there with shows and exhibits on all the major Pacific Island cultures. The beaches were incredible and it’s also the center for the LDS church in Hawaii, too. BYU Hawaii is there and there’s a temple, too,” David said. “Oh, wow. I knew about BYU Hawaii I just never knew which island it was on. That must’ve been cool for you,” Sundae said. “Yeah, it was cool to see. We don’t have to do Oahu, though. There’s five other islands to choose from,” David said. “True. My grandma on my mom’s side has been to Hawaii a couple times. She went to Kauai when I was a baby and just a couple years ago she got to go to the big island and Oahu. My mom was majorly jealous both times,” Sundae said. “What did your grandma think of Kauai?” David asked. “Oh, she loved it. She said it was like a garden paradise. There weren’t a lot of places to stay, but the snorkeling and the beaches were amazing,” Sundae said. David smiled. “One to consider then,” he said. She smiled even more and turned her attention back to the brochure they were currently looking at. This one was for Maui and one picture that caught her eye was of some little beachfront cottages. “These kind of look like the little cottages where we stayed at Lake Powel,” she said, pointing to the picture. David nodded. “Yeah, they kind of do,” he then gently squeezed her shoulder making her look up at him, “That was a really nice trip,” he said. “Yeah, it was,” she agreed. The Lake Powel trip had taken place right after his season of ‘Idol’ had ended. They along with some of their Utah friends had gone to the lake for a couple days of R and R. The trip had been their friend, Adam’s idea, and it had been well worth it. They had both been in need of relaxation after the stress of ‘Idol’. Sundae looked up at David, her eyes twinkling. “I’ll never forget that night when I found you out on the little back porch,” she said, smiling at the memory. He smiled, too, recalling that night. Flashback: Lake Powel, May 2008, 10pm Sundae had been hanging out with Megan and Jessica, girl-talking and doing manicures. She got up to go get a drink and as she was approaching the kitchen, she glanced out the back door and saw David sitting on the little back stoop looking out at the lake. The little porches were raised up just enough so that the small beach below made it look like one could jump off the stoop and into the water. Forgetting her drink, Sundae walked over to the door and opened it. David looked up as she slipped outside. “Hey,” she said as she stepped out onto the stoop and let the door click shut behind her. “Hey,” he said as she sat beside him. “Needing some quiet time?” she asked. “Yeah, kind of. Adam was getting a little crazy,” he said. Sundae giggled softly. “What were you guys up to?” David asked. “Oh, just girl stuff, you know, hair, nails and gossip. It’s fun, but I was needing a break, too,” she said. “Well, I’m happy to have you,” he said and then took hold of her hand, letting their fingers twine together. She gently squeezed his hand and turned to look out at the view. There was a full moon that night and its light shone down on the lake making the water sparkle. “It’s beautiful out here,” Sundae murmured. “Yeah, it is,” David agreed. Sundae glanced over at him and blushed to see that he was looking at her and had been when he’d made his comment. “I’m really glad you’re here, Dae,” he said. “Me, too. It’s been nice being able to spend time with you like this,” Sundae said. “I almost wish we could spend our whole summer this way,” David said. “That’d be nice, but we do have tour to think of,” Sundae said. “True, and as much as it means to me to have that opportunity, time like this with you means even more,” David said. Sundae blushed even more, not expecting to hear something like that. A moment later she felt something brush lightly against her cheek and she looked up as he cupped his hand under her chin. She let her eyes slip shut as he drew her to him and a moment later his lips captured hers in a sweet, soft kiss. She brought her hand to gently stroke his cheek as the kiss deepened, hoping with all her heart that the summer would hold many more of these special moments. End Flashback “I came so close to telling you that night,” David said quietly. “Telling me what?” Sundae asked. “That I love you. It was right on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t get it out. I’d been trying to tell you for a month by then and, after that night, I started to wonder if I’d ever manage it,” David said. Sundae smiled. “It was perfect when you did manage it. I couldn’t have asked for anything more romantic,” she said. David smiled, too. “Maybe we can replicate it on this trip and I’m thinking this might be a good place to start,” he said and pointed to a picture of a luau party in the brochure, which she still held. “A luau would be fun. Hopefully we can fit one in,” Sundae said. “Yeah and maybe afterward a long walk on the beach with you in the moonlight,” David said. Sundae blushed lightly and reached up, laying her hand behind his head. “And the stars in your eyes,” she murmured as she drew him down to her. Just as their lips met, a little voice interrupted the moment. “Sundae, Ali’s on the phone for you,” Destiny’s voice called from above them. Sundae and David looked up to see her watching them from the balcony of her parents’ room. “No spying tweebette,” Sundae called back as she and David pulled themselves up from the chaise. He then scooped up all the brochures and then took hold of her hand as they headed back into the house. Once inside Sundae went and picked up a cordless phone off of the coffee table, switched it on and put it to her ear. “Hey Ali, what’s up?” she asked. “Not much, I just wanted to remind you we have our LA stop this Saturday and I think you’re supposed to open for us,” Allison said. “Oh yeah, that’s right. Thanks for reminding me or I would’ve completely forgotten,” Sundae said. “No problem. Was that your sister that answered earlier?” Allison asked. “Yeah, one of the three tweebs. I’m going to get her, too, since she spoiled a moment to tell me you were calling,” Sundae said, glancing over at David with a loving expression. “Ooh what did I call in the middle of? Anything juicy?” Allison teased. Sundae giggled. “That’s for me to know and you to find out,” she teased back. “Ooh, well I’ll let you go then. Tell hot lips I said hello,” Allison said in an almost suggestive tone. Sundae couldn’t help bursting out laughing. “You are so evil and wrong, you’re almost worse than Dana,” she managed between giggles. Allison giggled, too. “I do try,” she said and then regained her composure, “I’ll see you Saturday,” she said. “Okay, later,” Sundae said and then switched off the phone. “What was that about?” David asked as he came up beside her. “Oh, she was reminding me about the ‘Idol’ show I’m opening for on Saturday and being a dork when she realized you were here,” Sundae said, setting the phone on the table and then slipping into his arms again. “Is Saturday your only show with them?” he asked. “Yes, thank goodness. It’s not that I don’t like them, I just wanted time for myself…and us this summer,” Sundae said. “I’m glad we get to have us time,” David said. “Me, too, and speaking of, you’re welcome to come with on Saturday if you want,” Sundae said. “Sure, that’d be fun,” David said. “Pick me up at two?” Sundae said. “Absolutely,” David said as he leaned in. She tightened her grip around his shoulders as the kiss quickly deepened. “Ooooooh,” came a chorus of little voices and the two pulled apart to see all three of her younger siblings watching from the entryway of the room. “Scram tweebs,” Sundae grumbled. The three little kids giggled and scampered off and Sundae rolled her eyes. “I wish they’d just butt out for once,” she muttered. “They wouldn’t be pesky younger siblings if they did,” David reasoned. “I guess not,” Sundae said with a soft sigh. David gently hugged her, but then noticed the time on a nearby clock. It was well after ten. “Ooh, getting kind of late,” he said. Sundae glanced at the clock and sighed again. “Dang it,” she muttered. He pulled her into another hug and they held each other for a few minutes before walking out to the front door. They paused there and turned to each other again. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” David said. “Okay, drive safely,” Sundae said. “I always do,” David said and then leaned in again. It was a few minutes before they broke apart and Sundae then reluctantly reached for and opened the door. David started to step out, but paused and drew the hand he still held to his lips and kissed her fingers. “Night, angel,” he said. “Night,” Sundae said and he then let go of her hand and walked to his car. Sundae watched as he drove away and then shut the door and headed up to her room to call Dana and brag about the trip.
Three days later on Saturday, Sundae and David drove over to the Staples Center for the ‘Idol’ concert. They arrived just after two-thirty and pulled around to the loading dock, where the buses always parked. They had to park a little ways away from the dock entrance due to the huge crowd of fans that had gathered hoping for autographs. They both were surprised at the size of the crowd, and Sundae was worried for David’s safety. “Wow, that is crazy. I don’t think we had that many last year,” David remarked as he shut off the car. Sundae giggled. “Oh, we had more, trust me. That group’s probably just Adam’s groupies,” Sundae said, referring to reigning ‘Idol’ runner-up, rocker Adam Lambert. “Adam’s good, though, so I can see why he has a crowd,” David said. Sundae shrugged. “He’s okay. He can perform, I’ll grant him that, but I can’t take it when he screams the high notes, I’m sorry,” she said, lifting her purse onto her lap. “He is a theatre tenor. I think he’s supposed to have that falsetto,” David said. “Maybe, but I like your high notes better. Yours are actual head voice versus screaming falsetto,” Sundae said as she pulled out and turned on her phone. David gently took hold of her hand, squeezing her fingers. “I think my high notes still need work, but thanks,” he said. She drew his hand to her lips and kissed his fingers as she thumbed through her speed-dial list. “Who are you calling?” he asked. “Ali, to see if she can send security out here. That crowd could mob you if we just tried to slip past them,” Sundae said, punching the speed-dial button for Allison’s number and put the phone to her ear. “I don’t think they’d care,” David said. Sundae squeezed his hand again as she heard Allison pick up. “Hey Ali, it’s Dae,” she said. “Hey, where are you?” Allison asked. “Outside by the loading dock. Adam’s got a huge crowd of groupies out here and I’m worried about going past them to get in,” Sundae said. “His groupies wouldn’t bother you,” Allison said. “Maybe not, but I’m not alone,” Sundae said. “Ahhhh, hang on one sec. Security!” Allison called and Sundae heard her rest her phone against her shoulder as she went to find a security guard. A minute later Sundae heard her talking to someone and then she came back on the phone. “Nick and Steve are on their way out,” she said. “Thanks Ali, I owe you,” Sundae said. “No problem. Oh, hold on. Yo, Lambert. You need to get your groupies under control. Dae’s stuck outside cause they’re blocking the entrance,” Allison called. “Can I help it if they all want some of this?” Adam’s voice was heard to say in the background. “Tell him I’m gonna kick his *** when I get in there,” Sundae said. “Dae says she’s gonna kick your ***,” Allison called to Adam. “Oh I’m so scared,” Adam snickered from the background. Both Sundae and Allison laughed. “He should be scared cuz I’m gonna help you kick his ***,” Allison said. “Heard that,” Adam said from behind her. “I meant you to,” Allison called back. “I’ll let you go and put the fear of you know what into him,” Sundae said. “Alright, I’ll see you in a few,” Allison said. “Okay,” Sundae said and then flipped her phone shut. “Sounds like you get on with them pretty well,” David said. “Yeah, Ali’s cool. Adam on the other hand…well let’s just say Michael could be more mature at times,” Sundae said as she put away her phone. David laughed. “And we both know that’s a stretch,” he said as they unbuckled their seatbelts and gathered what they’d need. “Seriously,” Sundae agreed. They then opened the car doors and got out and Sundae shook her head when she heard the crowd chanting for Adam. David went around to the back of the car, opened the hatch and brought out what looked like a folded up cloth. “What’s that?” Sundae asked as she shut her door. “A disguise for my car. My dad suggested it for when I’m out and about in Murray and it’s been very handy,” David said as he shut the hatch and the driver’s side door and then locked the car. He then unfolded the cloth and tossed it over the car. Sundae helped him pull it down over the car and saw that it perfectly covered the whole thing. They then turned and saw their security friend, Nick and another guard approaching them. “Hey, you two ready to go in?” Nick asked. “Yeah, thanks for coming out to help,” David said. “Not a problem,” Nick said. He and the other guard then turned and led the way toward the crowd. As Sundae had predicted, once the crowd saw David they started screaming for him, but Nick and his companion made sure the teens got past them and safely into the venue. Once inside, Sundae and David again thanked the guards and then headed off down the hall to find the ‘Idols’. They heard voices as they approached catering and stepped in to find all of the season eight top ten goofing around over an early dinner. Adam was showing Michael Sarver and Danny Gokey some dance moves on one side of the room, the newly crowned eighth ‘Idol’ Kris Allen and Matt Giraud were egging them on from a nearby table and describing the goings on to Scott McIntyre, who was legally blind. Anoop Desai and Lil Rounds were eating at the table next to them and Ali and Megan Corkery were getting seconds from the buffet. “As you can see, life’s never dull for this bunch,” Sundae said to David over the din in the room. The ‘Idols’ all looked up and smiled in greeting. David laughed. “Yeah, kinda weird to see the numbers uneven unlike our group,” he said, referring to the fact the guys outnumbered the girls by four in the current group, whereas in their group the previous year it had been evenly split. “It is a little weird, huh? I actually prefer it even,” she said. David nodded as they made their way over to the buffet and grabbed plates. They loaded up on the day’s special of roast chicken, baked potatoes, and steamed vegetables and then turned to find a table. They both laughed at Adam’s dance moves as they moved to sit down with Ali and Megan. “Channeling Tom Jones, there Adam?” Sundae asked. “I’ve been saying Tom Jones for the last half hour,” Danny piped up in agreement. “I think it looks more like Prince,” Matt chimed in. Sundae shrugged. “Could be. Hey Adam, try ‘She’s A Lady’,” she said. Adam sighed and rolled eyes. “Ha ha. Hey, where’s the butt whooping you promised?” he asked. “Oh, it’s coming. Just til we set up Guitar Hero,” Sundae said and traded grins with David. “Oh, it’s on little girl,” Adam mock threatened as he slipped past their table and went over to the buffet. “I’m so scared,” Sundae said, shaking her head. David chuckled and Ali and Megan giggled. “You’ll whoop his butt into next week at that,” Ali said. “Oh yeah,” David agreed. “I’m planning on it,” Sundae said. Megan nudged her elbow. “Not all of us have been introduced,” she said, nodding toward David. “Oh, I’m sorry. I actually meant to introduce you, too. Megan, this is David. David this is Megan Corkery. You guys might’ve been neighbors a few years ago,” Sundae said. “Really?’ David asked. “Yeah, you live in Murray, right?” Megan asked. “Yeah,” David said. “I’m just down the road from you in Sandy,” Megan said. “Oh wow, seriously? How long have you lived there?” David asked. “Almost all my life, why?” Megan asked. “We probably were neighbors then. I lived in Sandy before I moved to Murray,” David said. Megan looked quite surprised. “Wow, okay that’s wild,” she said. David smiled and Sundae winked at him as they turned back to their meals. Later, after everyone was finished eating the group moved into a rec. room that had been furnished with a sofa, chairs and a TV with video games. Sundae got Guitar Hero set up and then she and Adam started their battle. They played three rounds on hard mode and Sundae was surprised to see Adam keeping up with her. They’d each won one round by the time they got to the third and Adam just barely managed to squeak by on that one. “Whooo, who’s the ruler of the world?” he crowed when the game showed the final scores. Sundae rolled her eyes. “You got lucky this time, but I dare you to take on the master,” she said. “Who’s the master?” Adam asked. Sundae moved over to David, who was sitting in one of the chairs and hugged him from behind. Adam cracked up laughing. “You’re kidding right?” he looked to David, “You’re the master at Guitar Hero?” he asked through his laughter. “I’ve been known to dabble in it,” David said calmly. “Alright then, I take that dare. You’re on ‘master’,” Adam said. David looked up at Sundae and she grinned at him. “Go kick his butt into next month,” she said. He smiled and kissed her hand as he got up and then turned and went over to join Adam. “Since you’re the master, you pick the settings,” Adam said as David picked up the other guitar. “Alright,” David said and set the game on expert mode. They then started the game, but Adam quickly found that he’d met his match and then some. David completely creamed him on all three rounds and barely broke a sweat in doing so. The rest of the group cheered and Sundae came up beside David as he set aside his guitar. “Now who’s ruler of the world?” she said to Adam. He raised his hand in defeat. “I concede. Dude, you were killer. What’s your secret on this game?” he asked, looking to David. “Practice,” David said simply. Adam shrugged. “I guess,” he said as he turned back to the game. “Dude, you do need practice. You couldn’t even beat me on medium last time we played,” Kris piped up. “Then how the heck did I beat Sundae on hard?” Adam asked. “I rarely play on hard mode, that’s why. I don’t know the songs as well. If we’d been on expert I’d have creamed you like David did,” Sundae said. “That would explain it. I’ve seen you cream every one of us,” Adam said. Sundae giggled as she and David moved back over to the chair. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap. Allison leaned over from her spot on the couch next to them. “That was cool. I’ve been trying to beat him for months,” she said. “You play guitar,” Sundae said. “Not as well as you. You can rock, I just squeak by,” Allison said. “You do just fine,” Sundae said. Allison just laughed and they turned back to watching Adam, this time taking on Kris on easy mode.
The show got underway at six thirty that evening and Sundae was up first with her opening routine. She had a four song set and performed a couple songs she’d sung on ‘Idol’ that past season as well as a couple she hadn’t. When she got to her last song she sat on a stool and looked out into the crowd. “Thank you, you guys are awesome,” she said as the crowd applauded her. She waited until they had calmed down before speaking again. “Even though I’m not doing the whole tour this year, I am glad I got to do at least this show. Season 8 was my last season doing ‘Idol’. Since I’m sixteen now, which is the minimum age to compete, it wouldn’t look quite right to keep going. ‘Idol’ has helped me find myself as an artist and it’s brought me a lot of great friends and great memories. Last year it brought me the most incredible blessing I could ever have asked for- the love of my life. This last song reflects on that and on how amazing my life has been since,” she said. She then signaled the band and they started to play.
You’ve been the first in my life Who has ever made me feel this way And I will not deny I’m gonna need you right here by my side
(Baby, I can’t wait) Come and hold my hand and let me lead the way (Let me take your breath away) By holdin and kissin and lovin and touchin you (Never will be too late) To see myself through your eyes (Baby, I can’t wait) Til the day I hear you say
You are mine There’s no other one for me Keep in mind You make my life complete And tonight We’ll make love endlessly Cuz you’re mine You’re the one that I’ll keep For all time
Now that you’re here, boy I never wanna let you go Can I touch you there? Do you mind if we kiss real slow? You’re my everything You’re my hopes and dreams Baby, you know it ain’t no lie I’m gonna be with you til the day that I die
(Baby, I can’t wait) Come and hold my hand and let me lead the way (Let me take your breath away) By holdin and kissin and lovin and touchin you (Never will be too late) To see myself through your eyes (Baby, I can’t wait) No, no til the day I hear you say
You are mine There’s no other one for me Keep in mind You make my life complete And tonight We’ll make love endlessly Cuz you’re mine You’re the one that I’ll keep For all time
You’re the one that lights my fire You’re the one that keeps me strong You’re the one that I depend on When my world is going wrong You’re the one that I hold closer You’re the man I’m dreaming of And I really really love you I just want you to know that
You are mine There’s no other one for me Keep in mind You make my life complete And tonight We’ll make love endlessly Cuz you’re mine You’re the one that I’ll keep For all time
I can’t wait til the day When I hear you say You’re the one that I need You’re the one that I’ll keep For all time
The crowd cheered as Sundae finished the song. She waved and took her final bows and then headed off stage. She passed Michael, who was the first ‘Idol’ to perform, and found the rest gathered around backstage to watch and await their own turns. David was apart from them, leaning on the wall on the opposite side of the corridor, and he beamed at Sundae as she came down the stage steps. She returned his smile as she maneuvered around the ‘Idols’ to get to him and he grabbed her up in a hug when she reached him. “You were amazing,” he murmured into her ear. “Thanks,” she murmured back. They held each other for a moment and then stepped apart and turned to head down the hall. “You guys gonna watch the rest of the show?” Allison suddenly asked from behind them. Sundae glanced over at her. “Yeah, we’ll be back. I just want to change first,” she said. Allison nodded and Sundae and David headed off down the hall. They walked quietly, hand-in-hand, until they reached the girls’ dressing room. “You can come in, if you want,” Sundae said to David as they approached the door. “Are you sure?” he asked, sounding a little surprised. “Yeah, there’s stalls in here where I can change and everyone’s out by the stage so they won’t care,” Sundae said. “Alright, I guess,” David said. Sundae squeezed his hand. “It’s fine,” she said as she pushed open the door. She was relieved, as they stepped in, to see that Allison, Megan and Lil all had left their bags zipped up in their own little corners before leaving the room. She started to step over to her own bag, but David caught her hand from behind, making her turn back around. She smiled to see that he’d relaxed about being in the room and that smile grew as he pulled her to him and leaned in. It was a few minutes before they broke the kiss and she was nearly breathless when he pulled back. “I loved that last song, Dae,” he said. She beamed. “I’m glad to hear that, since I wrote it for you,” she said. “It makes me look forward even more to Hawaii,” he said and gently brushed his fingers against her cheek. “Me, too,” she agreed. She leaned into his tender touch for a moment and then stepped back and turned toward her bag. “What you said out there made me think, too,” David said. “Oh, how so?” Sundae asked as she pulled jeans and a baby tee out of her bag. “You said season eight was your last. I told you it took a lot of prodding for me to try out for season seven and I shudder to think of what could’ve happened if I’d decided to wait,” David said. Sundae set her change of clothes on top of her bag and stepped back over to him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. “I don’t even want to think of that possibility. When I said that you were the most incredible blessing I could ever have asked for, I meant it. There is nothing in the universe that would make me trade these last two years,” she said. “Me either. You’ve changed me for the better so much, Dae. Nothing could ever replace that,” he said, hugging her closer. They stood that way for a few moments and then she looked up at him again. “I remember last summer during the tour you told me that your parents thought there was a reason God brought us back together again,” she laid her hand alongside his face, “And now I know they were right. I was meant to find you again,” she said. He turned his head and kissed the palm of her hand. “And I was meant to find you,” he said and then pulled her closer as he leaned in again. Again, it was a few minutes before they broke apart and she gently touched his cheek again for a moment before stepping back, gathering her spare clothes and going into one of the stalls to change.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 22:02:45 GMT -5
Chapter 4 Sundae and David watched the rest of the show together and with its completion came the completion of Sundae’s commitment to ‘Idol’. With that done, the teens turned their attention to the rest of their summer, especially the plans for their trip. David finalized their travel arrangements for the weekend following the ‘Idol’ show and they both started packing and getting ready to be gone for a week. The day before they were set to leave, Sundae had one last soccer practice with her teammates in the park near her house. They ran drills, practiced goal shots and played a small scrimmage game. Sundae felt as though she was on fire during this. Her speed was great, her shots were right on and she never once fumbled the ball when it was in her possession. Her teammates noticed her extra energy, especially so after she slammed a shot into the net with Mia Hamm flare for the final goal of the game. “Holy cow, Dae. You were really on today,” Dana said as she and their other friends, Cassie and Selena jogged up to Sundae after the scrimmage ended. “Thanks, I feel exhilarated today and I guess it showed,” she said. “Totally, you kicked major tail out there,” Selena said. “Seriously, I’d love to know where you got the extra energy. I’m wiped,” Cassie agreed. Sundae glanced over at Dana and they both giggled. “You haven’t told them, have you?” Dana asked. “No, but I guess I should now, since I will be gone for a week,” Sundae said. “Oooh vacay time?” Selena asked. “You have no idea,” Dana said with another giggle. Sundae shook her head at her and then turned to Cassie and Selena. “I am taking a little vacation…to Hawaii…with David,” she said. Cassie and Selena’s jaws dropped. “As in you guys alone in paradise?” Selena squeaked. Sundae beamed. “Yup. Seven whole days of just us,” she said. “Oh my freaking gosh, you are soooooo lucky. My parents get on my case about even going to dinner with a guy,” Cassie said. Sundae giggled. “Well, my dad wasn’t easy to convince, but I’m so glad we managed,” she said. Dana then quickly grabbed her hand and leaned in close. “OMG, you have to tell Celeste. She’ll be totally green,” she said. Celeste had always been envious of Sundae. Sundae giggled even more at that as some of their other teammates started bringing over the equipment they’d brought for practice; a bag of balls, a stack of small traffic cones and two folding nets. Pretty, black-haired Celeste was among them carrying some of the cones. “Who’s taking this stuff home cause I’m not,” she said, adding her cones to the stack Dana was holding. “My mom’s bringing her mini van, so I can take most of it,” Dana said. “You are the only one who’s mom still drives one of those…no wait, I forgot about Sundae’s mom and her billion kids,” Celeste said. Dana, Cassie and Selena gave her looks, but Sundae just sighed. “Normally I’d have a retort for that, but I’m in too good a mood right now for anything to spoil my day,” she said. “What’s got you so happy?” Celeste asked. “Oh, just stuff I’ve got planned with David,” Sundae said. Celeste rolled her eyes. “What now, an evening picnic?” she asked sarcastically. “Try Hawaii,” Cassie said. “For a whole week,” Selena chimed in. Celeste’s jaw dropped even further than theirs had. “No…no way. You’re making that up,” she sputtered. Dana giggled. “You wish, Celeste,” she said. Celeste just stared at Sundae, who smiled calmly and almost serenely, thinking of the week ahead of her. Celeste finally shook herself out of her daze. “Oh…whatever,” she grumbled and turned and started to go. She’d only gone about three steps when she suddenly paused and turned back toward Sundae. “Speaking of your boy toy, he’s got some guts to be hanging out here with 50 million people around,” she said and then turned and left. Sundae whipped around at her words and couldn’t help an ear-to-ear grin at the sight of David, leaning on a large decorative boulder that sat just off the nearby path. She broke away from her friends and ran over to him. He stood up from leaning on the boulder and she jumped into his arms when she reached him. He spun her around a couple times and she giggled happily, hugging him tight as he set her feet back on the ground. “What are you doing here?” she asked. “I called your house and your dad said you were at practice so…” he trailed off, knowing she knew where he was going with the thought. She hugged him again. “You’re perfect,” she told him. He chuckled softly and gently pushed her back so he could look into her eyes. He shook his head lightly at her statement. “Perfect is you,” he said and then leaned in, giving her a soft kiss. They pulled apart just as her friends walked up, toting the practice supplies. “Great timing again, I see,” Dana said. “Yeah, seems that way. Hi, Cassie. Hey, Selena,” David said, acknowledging the other two. “Hi,” they said, goofy grins claiming their faces. Sundae and Dana shook their heads. “So, I guess you’re taken care of for the evening,” Dana said. Sundae smiled, looking up at David. “Guess so,” she said and he returned her smile. “Well, I’ve got these two to help me get everything to the car, so if you guys want to take off, go ahead,” Dana said. “You’re sure?” Sundae said. “Yes, go, but send me a postcard from Hawaii,” Dana said. Sundae giggled. “Sure, D,” she said. Dana then waved and led Cassie and Selena off down the path. Sundae then turned to David again and he hugged her to him as they started off in a different direction. “So, I presume you have a plan for tonight?” Sundae asked as they walked. “Well, I had thought of a bon voyage dinner at casa Archuleta, if you’re up for it,” he said. She beamed. “I’d love that,” she said. He smiled, too, and kissed the side of her head as she leaned into him. Her head came up again a moment later and he saw the blush on her cheeks. “I would like to look a little nicer, though,” she said, glancing down at her sweaty practice clothes. David hugged her again. “You’re more than welcome to shower when we get there and you can borrow some of my stuff if you need to,” he said. Sundae smiled even more. “You are perfect,” she said and leaned into him again as they continued on their walk.
They reached David’s apartment a half hour later and David helped Sundae carry her bag inside. “I guess you did bring stuff?” he asked as they stepped inside. “Yeah, the original plan was to go to Dana’s, clean up and then go to mine to finish packing. I like this alternative better, though,” Sundae said. David smiled, gently taking her hand as he led the way to his room. “I’m glad it worked out this way,” he said and brought her hand up to kiss her fingers. They reached his room then and he opened the door revealing a neat-as-a-pin bedroom with a double bed, a dresser, a desk and a bookshelf. A door on the left side of the bed led to the master bathroom. David set Sundae’s bag on the bed. “The shower’s right through there and…” he stepped back into the hall and returned a minute later with two thick towels, “Here’s fresh towels,” he said. Sundae took the towels and picked up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. “Thanks, I won’t take long,” she said. “You take all the time you need,” David said. Sundae smiled and stepped up to him. She laid her hand against his cheek and leaned up, giving him a soft kiss. “I’ll be out a little bit,” she said and then turned and went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. She then set her bag on the floor next to the vanity and stepped over and turned on the shower. She then got out of her practice uniform and grabbed her shampoo and body wash before hopping into the warm stream of water. She quickly washed her hair and scrubbed herself clean. As she was rinsing one last time she noticed a rack hanging on the side of the shower with shampoo, conditioner, and body wash neatly organized in it. She smiled at how organized David was and then out of curiosity she picked up the shampoo, popped open the lid and held it up to her nose. “Mmmmmm,” she murmured taking the shampoo’s aroma, which was like mint and apples rolled into one. It was fresh and sweet just like David. Sundae took another sniff and then put the bottle back, right where it had been in the rack, before switching off the shower, hopping out and quickly wrapping herself in one of the towels. She dried off and then brought out a pair of white gauchos and a black tank and quickly dressed. She then put her practice and shower stuff back in her bag and then grabbed the other towel and started drying her hair as best she could. After a few minutes she grabbed a scrunchie and a clip out of her bag and put her hair up in a twist. She then folded the towels and set them on the counter and then grabbed her bag and stepped back into the bedroom. There she set her bag by the door and then headed out to the front rooms. These rooms were just as neat and organized as the bedroom. The living room had an L shaped sofa and two easy chairs surrounding a small coffee table and facing a TV on an oak stand. Next to the stand were racks with DVDs and CDs alphabetically organized. To the right of the living room was the kitchen and Sundae could hear David singing to himself as she neared it. She passed a small dining table, which was already set for dinner for two, and when she stepped up to a small bar counter that looked into the kitchen, she saw David, softly singing a Jason Mraz song as he put the finishing touches on dinner. She was surprised to see that he’d fixed himself up for dinner, too. He’d changed out of the tee shirt and jeans he’d had on earlier and now wore dark denim slacks, a navy blue button down shirt and a matching navy blue, skinny tie. Sundae smiled and went around the counter, stepped up behind David, and slipped her arms around him. He set aside the bowl of salad he’d been tossing and turned around, pulling her to him. “Hey,” he said, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly to him. “Hey yourself, you look amazing,” she said as she gently fiddled with his tie. He blushed a little. “I knew how incredible you’d look, so I figured I should spruce up, too,” he said. “You’re too sweet,” Sundae said and gently brushed her fingers against his cheek. He lifted one hand to catch hers and then turned his head and kissed her palm. She smiled, but then noticed the time on the microwave clock. “Dang it. Can I borrow your phone to call my dad? He was expecting me home by now,” she said. David gently stroked the hand he still held. “He already knows. I told him I’d be treating you to dinner when I called your house earlier,” he said. A beaming smile spread across Sundae’s face and she reached out hugged David tightly. “You really are perfect,” she said. They held each other for a few minutes and then stepped back. “Can I help with anything?” Sundae asked. “You don’t have to,” David said. “I want to,” she said. “Alright, you could get the drinks if you want,” he said. She nodded and picked up the glasses he’d left out on the counter and took them to the counter next to the fridge. “What would you like?” she asked. “Um, water’s fine, I guess,” he said, looking over at her a little sheepishly. She smiled. “Water it is,” she said. She then filled both glasses with ice from the dispenser and then pulled out a water jug from the fridge. When she’d finished she put the jug back and carried the glasses over to the table. She saw the salad bowl now on the table along with a breadbasket and butter dish as she set the glasses next to the place settings. She started to turn back toward the kitchen, but his voice stopped her. “Stay right there, I’ve got the rest,” he said. She sat down and a moment later he came in carrying two plates. He set one of the plates in front of her and she was very pleased to see a delicious dish of grilled chicken, steamed vegetables and seasoned rice. “Wow, this looks terrific. Did you make all this?” she asked. “Some of it, well not even that. Everything but the chicken came from easy-make packages,” he said, his cheeks coloring again. Sundae stood up from her chair, stepped over to him and looked into his eyes. “It’s the thought that counts and your thoughts are wonderful,” she said. “Only for you,” he said, his eyes full of honesty. She smiled and he gave her a soft kiss. They then sat down and turned their attention to their meal. “So, everything’s all set for tomorrow?” Sundae asked as they dug in. “Yeah, I picked up the tickets and confirmed it all this morning. I really can’t wait,” David said. “Me either,” Sundae said with an adoring smile. The two ate contentedly, talking about their days and their excitement over leaving for their trip the next day. When they finished their meal they tidied up and washed the dishes and then retreated to the living room to see what was on TV. They settled together on the sofa, flipped on the TV and surfed around, finally deciding on the movie ‘A Walk To Remember’. Sundae enjoyed the movie, but started to doze off about two thirds of the way into it. She didn’t even know she’d fallen asleep until she woke up a couple hours later. The lights and the TV were off and she was lying on the couch. She felt David’s weight beside her as she slowly pushed herself up to look at the clock on the cable box. Her eyes widened when she saw that it was one am. “Oh no,” she moaned as she lay back down, her head in her arms. “Dae? Are you okay?” she heard David ask. “My dad’s going to completely kill me. It’s one am, my curfew’s eleven,” Sundae said, thinking for sure her dad would ground her for life. David gently rubbed her back. “It’s okay. I called him about 10:45. I told him you’d fallen asleep and he said he’d see you in the morning before we leave,” he said. Sundae shifted on the couch to face him and saw in his eyes that he was being truthful. She smiled and slipped her arms around him, pillowing her head on his chest. “Have I told you how much I love you?” she asked. He wrapped his arms around her, too, holding her close to him. “I love you, too, Dae, so much more than I could ever say,” he said. She hugged him tighter and he trailed soft kisses across her forehead as they drifted back to sleep.
The next morning, David dropped Sundae off at her house so she could finish packing and with a promise that he’d be back to get her at noon for their trip. Sundae spent most of the morning in her room getting the last of the stuff she’d need into her suitcase. She had bought a few new things for the trip including two new swimsuits and a sarong and they were all folded up and put into her suitcase. She also got her make up, hair products and her other toilette products and packed them as well. She was just finishing with her suitcase when her mom poked her head into her room. “Need help zipping up?” she asked. “Maybe, I’m not sure yet,” Sundae said. She then tried to pull the zipper closed, but it stopped a quarter of the way around the suitcase. She laughed and looked over at her mom. “Help,” she said. Her mom laughed, too, and stepped over. “Let me,” she said. “Careful of my makeup and stuff,” Sundae said. Her mom nodded and hopped up onto the suitcase to hold it closed and then reached for the zipper. Sundae watched her for a moment, but was distracted by a tap on the door. She turned and saw Destiny in the doorway. “What’s up Des,” she asked. “David just called and he’ll be here in a few minutes,” Destiny said. “Thanks, Des. Hear that, mom, we need to hurry,” Sundae said. “I’m trying. Give me a minute to breathe, here,” her mom said. Sundae laughed, but when she looked back around Destiny was still by the door, an almost sad expression on her face. “Something wrong, Des?” she asked. “I’m gonna miss you,” Destiny said, running over and latching her arms around Sundae’s waist. Sundae bent down to hug her. “I’ll miss you, too, but I’ll only be gone for a week,” she said. “I know, but you’re going on vacation without us,” Destiny said. Sundae nodded. This was the first time she’d be vacationing without any of her family along. “Look Des, this might be a little hard for you to understand, but you know how mom and dad are taking a trip without any of us kids?” she asked. “Yeah,” Destiny said. “Well, this is sort of like that. This is something couples do to have time together. It gives us the chance to talk about things, about what we want in life and our dreams. It’s really nice,” Sundae said, a dreamy smile coming to her face. “Oooh,” Destiny said. “Cut it out,” Sundae said, ruffling Destiny’s hair as she stood up again. Destiny turned to leave the room. “Don’t burn the house down,” Sundae said. “Don’t come back engaged,” Destiny teased. Sundae started after her in a mock-threatening manner and Destiny scooted out of the room. “Don’t worry about her,” her mom said as she finally got the zipper all the way around. “Thanks, mom,” Sundae said as she helped to heft her suitcase down off the bed. Her mom smiled. “Have fun, but don’t forget you can call if you need anything,” she said. “I won’t, mom,” Sundae said. They traded hugs and then rolled Sundae’s suitcase out the door and carried it downstairs. The doorbell rang as they reached the bottom of the stairs and Sundae helped set her suitcase down before bouncing to the door. David was waiting on the doorstep and he grinned at her when she opened the door. “Hey,” he said as he stepped inside. “Hey,” Sundae said as she reached for him. He pulled her to him and kissed her softly and when they pulled apart they saw that her dad had come into the room. Sundae looked over at him. “You’ll call when you get there?” he asked. “Yes, dad, I promise,” Sundae said. “I brought our itinerary, if that helps,” David said, handing over a folded sheet of paper. “That does ease my mind,” Mr. Wahlberg said. Sundae looked at her parents for a minute and then reached to hug her dad. “I’ll be fine,” she told him. He smiled as they pulled apart. “I know. Have a great time, honey,” he said. Sundae smiled, too, and nodded. She then grabbed her suitcase with one hand and reached for David’s hand with the other. “Bye guys, I’ll call you when we get there,” she said. Her parents waved and then she and David turned and headed out the door. Once outside, David took hold of her suitcase, took it over to his car and loaded it into the back with his own. He turned to her as he shut the hatch. “Ready for paradise?” he asked. She stepped over and hugged him tight. “I’ve been ready,” she said. “So have I,” he agreed. They then pulled apart and he held open the car door for her. When she was situated, he went around and got in as well. He then started up the car and they were on their way to a week in paradise.
Forty-five minutes later Sundae and David arrived at LAX and parked his car in one of the long-term lots. They then took a shuttle to the Air Hawaii terminal, checked in for the flight and checked their big bags, and then headed up an escalator, through the security check and off down the long corridor toward their gate. “We have over an hour before our flight boards, did you want to grab some lunch somewhere?” David asked as they walked along hand in hand. “Yeah, that’d be nice, and I’d like to visit the ladies room, too. I hate the tiny ones on planes,” Sundae said. “I hear you there. There’s barely enough room to move around,” David agreed. They soon reached the first few gates and looked around at the newsstands and small restaurants scattered between them. “Any place grabbing you for lunch?” David asked. “Mmmm, I don’t know. Why is it they only have Subway and Starbuck’s in these places?” Sundae said. “I’ve seen Burger King in some airports,” David said. Sundae giggled. “Oh like that’s better,” she said. David chuckled, too, but then suddenly lit up. “Hey, is that an Asian place?” he asked pointing to a restaurant three gates down from them. Sundae followed his gaze and saw that he was right. “Yeah, I think it is and orange chicken sounds great,” she said as they head toward the restaurant. Once there, Sundae went and grabbed a table and David went to place their order. Sundae picked a table a little ways back from the counter, but near the front exit so they could be in and out if need be. David joined her ten minutes later with a tray loaded with two plates and two bottled waters. He set the tray on the table and she couldn’t help a giggle when she saw what he’d ordered. “Only you would find Pad Thai in an airport,” she said as she took her plate of orange chicken. “I can’t help it if it’s my favorite,” he said. “You have a nose for it, is more like it,” Sundae said and he grinned as they dug into their lunch. After they’d finished their lunch, Sundae and David headed for their gate to catch their flight. They stopped off at the last restrooms before their gate so they could try to avoid having to go on the plane. When Sundae came out of the ladies room she looked around and spotted David standing in front of a newsstand right by their gate, flipping through a magazine. She started to walk over to him, but then noticed a middle-aged woman standing near him, watching him intently. “Oh boy, I smell an autograph in the making,” she muttered as she moved closer to them. She paused about five feet away when the woman stepped up to David and gently tapped his shoulder. “Excuse me, dear, but has anyone ever told you you look a lot like David Archuleta?” she asked. Sundae had to turn around to hide her giggles. Was she serious? She ‘thought he looked like David Archuleta’, but didn’t realize he was David Archuleta? That was too funny. “Oh a few times,” David said, going along with the woman’s confusion. Sundae walked up to them then and David smiled, seeing her. “You ready to go?” she asked. “Yeah, absolutely,” he replied. He put back the magazine and glanced over at the woman as he took hold of Sundae’s hand. “It was nice talking with you. Have a good trip,” he said and then he and Sundae turned and headed for their gate. Sundae couldn’t help giggling again as they made their way over to a row of seats. “What?” David asked as they sat down. “That was too funny that she thought you look like you,” Sundae said. David smiled. “I actually have had that a few times. It is pretty funny,” he said. Sundae smiled, too, as she leaned her head on his shoulder. Not even fifteen minutes later an Air Hawaii attendant called their flight for boarding. David got up and grabbed his bag and Sundae followed suit almost giggling again. “Eager much?” she asked, knowing that first class passengers as well as those with disabilities and small children had first dibs on boarding. “Well yeah, but we do have first class seats,” he said. Sundae gaped at him in surprise, but then a smile spread across her face. “David…”she shook her head, “You’re too perfect,” she said, moving closer to him. “I just want this trip to be perfect for you,” he said as they stepped over to the boarding line. “Just being with you makes it perfect,” Sundae said, squeezing his hand as he handed their boarding passes to the ticket-taker. She looked slightly surprised to see him for a minute, but she kept her cool and scanned their passes. “Enjoy your flight,” she said as she handed the passes back to David. “Thank you,” David said and waved politely as he and Sundae headed off down the tunnel to the plane. “I think you just made her day back there,” Sundae said and David chuckled as they reached the door of the plane. The flight attendants greeted them and they, too, looked a little surprised to see David. He led Sundae over to their seats and stowed their carry-on bags underneath them as they sat down. They then buckled their seatbelts and Sundae cuddled up to David, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Happy, Dae?” he asked as he slipped his arm around her. Sundae lifted her head and drew him down for a soft kiss. “I couldn’t be happier,” she said as she cuddled up to him again. He hugged her gently as they settled in to wait for their flight to depart.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 22:03:05 GMT -5
Chapter 5 Four hours later they were in the air, heading west over the Pacific Ocean. They had been served a light meal on the flight and Sundae had dozed off during the in-flight movie. She didn’t know how long she’d slept when she heard David softly whispering in her ear. “Dae, wake up, love, we’re almost there,” he said. She blinked her eyes open and looked up at him, a smile gracing her face. “Almost there?” she asked as reached above her head to stretch. “Yeah, look out the window and you’ll see something amazing,” David said. Sundae sat up and then turned and lifted the window shade next to her seat. She blinked for a moment as the sun hit her eyes, but, when they adjusted, she leaned over to where she could see out the window. Her eyes widened when she saw what was outside. “Oh my gosh,” she breathed as she watched the beautiful island of Hawaii coming closer and closer as the plane came in for a landing. “It’s so beautiful,” she said. “Not as beautiful as you,” she heard David say from behind her. She turned to him and kissed him softly. “You’re so sweet,” she said, when she pulled back. “Ladies and gentlemen, we will be landing at Honolulu International Airport in approximately twenty minutes. Please make sure that all seatbacks and tray tables are in their upright positions and please turn off and stow any electronic devices. We hope you’ll enjoy your stay in Honolulu or wherever your travels take you and thank you for choosing Air Hawaii,” a flight attendant’s voice said over the intercom. Sundae pushed the button to bring her seat back up and she and David locked up their tray tables and put away their iPods. “So, I guess we’re staying on the big island then?” Sundae asked. “Actually…we have one more little flight to take, but it’ll be real quick, I promise,” David said. “Okay. Where are we going?” Sundae asked. “Oahu. There’s a beautiful a resort on Waikiki that has a room with our names on it,” David said. Sundae beamed at him. “I can’t wait,” she said and cuddled up to him again.
An hour and a half later Sundae and David landed at the small airport in Oahu. They along with four others had taken a small shuttle plane from the Honolulu airport and once it had landed and docked they stepped out onto the tarmac and were greeted by several locals in colorful dresses bearing freshly made leis. “Aloha,” they said as they placed leis around everyone’s necks. The attendants from the shuttle flight unloaded all the luggage from the cargo hold and, once Sundae and David had their bags, they strolled off the tarmac, into the small airport and over to a car rental counter. “You got a rental, too?” Sundae asked as they stepped up to the counter. “Yeah, I did a lot of research and there’s a lot more we can do if we have our own car,” David replied as a clerk came up to them. Fifteen minutes later they were pulling out of the airport parking lot in a rented Ford Escape. David was driving and Sundae held a map with directions to their hotel. She looked out at the stunning beauty of the island as they drove. All around were lush tropical plants, some with vibrant flowers, the sun shone over the side of a mountain, illuminating the sky with its glow and sweet sea breezes wafted in through the open windows of the car. “This is so incredible. It really is paradise,” Sundae said. David smiled and Sundae then dug into her carry-on and pulled out her camera. “Taking pictures already?” David asked. “Dana will kill me if I don’t get a shot of all this,” Sundae said and then lifted her camera and started snapping pictures of their surroundings. They drove down to a highway that ran right along the beach and Sundae snapped pictures of the ocean, too, with the sunlight dancing on the waves. They drove along the beach for a little over half an hour before they started seeing a lot of tourists. A few minutes later a stunning luxury hotel came into view. “Oh wow, is that where we’re staying?” Sundae asked. “That’s the place,” David said as he pulled into the hotel’s parking lot. He drove up to the valet driveway right in front of the entrance and switched off the engine. A valet came up as he opened the driver’s side door. “Park your car, sir?” he asked as David stepped out. “We’re just checking in. We’ll be back to move it in a minute,” he said and went around to Sundae’s side. He helped her out and then led the way inside. Sundae marveled at the grandeur of the lobby as they walked over to the check-in counter. The floors were polished marble, as were all the table and counter tops. Thick sofas and chairs were around to sit on, tropical plants lit up every corner and, off to the right of the entrance a beautiful waterfall spilled into a koi pond. “Oh, wow,” she murmured and David squeezed her hand as they stepped up to the counter. “Good afternoon, do you have a reservation?” asked the lady behind the counter. “Yeah, we should have a room under Archuleta,” David said. The clerk turned to her computer, but Sundae didn’t miss the twinge of excitement in her step. “He’s really got fans everywhere,” she thought, looking affectionately at David. He caught her gaze and winked making her beam at him happily. The clerk then turned her attention to them again. “Alright, I just need some ID and a credit card,” she said. David pulled out his wallet and got out his driver’s license and a credit card and handed them to the clerk. She then made photocopies of them and then handed them back along with a small envelope containing two key cards. “Here you are. You’re on the 5th floor, room 513,” the clerk said. “Thank you,” David said. “You’re very welcome. If you need help with your bags any one of our bellhops can assist you,” the clerk said. David nodded and he and Sundae then stepped away from the counter. Sundae giggled as they walked back toward the door. “What?” David asked. “Room 513?” Sundae said with another giggle. David groaned in realization. “Not again,” he muttered and Sundae just smiled as they made their way back out to their car. They moved the car to a proper parking space and then unloaded their bags from the trunk and headed back inside to settle in to their room. As they wheeled their bags into the lobby they were quickly approached by one of the bellhops, a tall, well-built man in his late twenties with dark hair and dark brown eyes. “Aloha, welcome to Waikiki. May I help you with your things?” he asked. “That’d be great, thank you,” David said. “No problem and the name’s Greg, if you need anything else,” the bellhop said. “Good to know,” David said, but Sundae wasn’t so sure. Greg seemed a little too eager to help them and, as they walked over to the elevators she noticed him watching her in a very inappropriate way. He was very nearly ogling her and it made her very uncomfortable. She stayed close to David as the three of them rode up the fifth floor and as they made their way down the hall to room 513. Once there, David opened the door and led the way in and Greg followed them with their bags. Sundae looked around the room taking in the soft, off white carpet and matching wallpaper, the pretty paintings of beach scenes and the blooming tropical plants near the sliding glass door. She ran a hand over the end of the king size bed as she stepped over the sliding door and opened it revealing a private lanai. She stepped out onto it and watched as David handed Greg a tip for his help with the bags. Greg noticed her watching them and smiled, but something in his smile made her shiver. He still had that look in his eye of wanting more from her than she would ever give. She quickly turned away, not wanting to meet his gaze any longer. She instead turned her attention to the view from the lanai. The beach spread right out before her and the clear, blue green ocean sparkled beyond in the light of the sunset. Sundae smiled, thinking of walking along that beach and splashing in the water with David and taking long, moonlit strolls through the surf in his arms. She was so lost in her thoughts that she nearly jumped a mile when she felt a pair of arms slip around her from behind. For a moment she got scared that it was Greg and spun around and started to pull away. She relaxed instantly when she saw that it was David holding her. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said. She reached and hugged him. “It’s okay, I was just a little too lost in thought,” she said. David held her close to him. “So, do you like the room?” he asked after a moment. She hugged him even tighter. “I love it. It’s so much more than I could have imagined,” she said. He gently kissed the side of her head. “I’m glad,” he stepped back, keeping hold of her hands, “Let’s get our stuff unpacked and then I’m treating you to dinner,” he said. She smiled. “You don’t have to,” she said. He stepped back over to her and gently brushed her hair back from her face, his hand coming to rest against her cheek. “I want to. I love you, Dae,” he said, tenderly stroking her cheek. He then leaned in and their lips met. He pulled her closer to him and, as she slipped into his arms, all her unnerving feelings from earlier disappeared. In that moment all that existed was the wonderful passion of the young man she loved.
A little later, after unpacking and resting for a little while and she’d called home as promised, Sundae and David went back downstairs to see what the hotel had to offer in the way of dinner. The hotel had a two restaurants attached to it and several more with walking distance. The found several brochures at the front counter advertising local businesses and focused on those for restaurants. “Anything appealing to you?” David asked. “I dunno. I guess it depends on if we feel like walking anywhere,” Sundae said. “Do you think you have the energy to walk somewhere?” David asked. “Well, I am a little tired,” Sundae admitted, giving him a sheepish look. He smiled and offered a loving squeeze. “It’s okay. I’m a little tired from the travel, too. Let’s just see what the hotel restaurants have,” he said. “Sounds good,” Sundae said and twined her fingers with his as they strolled off toward the hotel’s main restaurant, which had its entrance inside the lobby just past the waterfall. They were just passing the waterfall when Sundae happened to look out the big window beside it and see Greg loading another guest’s luggage onto a cart. He noticed her and smiled and waved, but she quickly turned her head away, still seeing something in his smile she didn’t like. She felt David squeeze her hand in his and she focused her attention on him as they approached the restaurant entrance. “Two for dinner?” the hostess asked as they walked up. “We’re kinda making up our minds as to where to eat. Is it alright if we look at a menu?” David asked. “Absolutely,” the hostess said and handed over a menu. David took it and flipped it open and Sundae moved closer to him to look at it. “Mmm, this looks really good,” she said. The restaurant was a steak house type place, but with a tropical flavor. There were the usual steak and potato platters, and there was also a wide assortment of seafood dishes, some with tropical fruit glazes, and several fruit platters and salads, as well as fresh smoothies in the beverage section. “Think you’d like to eat here?” David asked. “How expensive is it? I don’t want you spending an arm and a leg,” Sundae said. David chuckled. “You let me worry about that,” he said. She giggled, too. “Alright, but I get to treat at least once,” she said. He only smiled as they turned back to the hostess. “Did you decide?” she asked. “Yeah, two for dinner, please,” David said. The hostess smiled. “Right this way,” she said, grabbing another menu as she turned to lead them into the restaurant. She led the way over to a quiet booth near the back and set down the extra menu. “Here you are. Your server will be with you shortly,” she said. “Thank you,” David said and she nodded and stepped away as he and Sundae say down. Sundae glanced around the restaurant for a moment as she reached for one of the menus. “You know, this place kind of reminds me of that restaurant where we went to dinner during Hollywood week. Remember, it was at the hotel where you all were staying,” she said. “Yeah, I do remember that. That was pretty much our first date,” David said. Sundae smiled. “Well if Alex and Alaina have anything to say on that, our first date was lunch at the deli across from the theatre,” she said. David chuckled. “That was nice, too, and I’m glad it happened since I’d been wanting to talk to you since I first saw you at my audition, but was too nervous to try,” he said. Sundae leaned over at that and kissed his cheek. “You never needed to be nervous. I was just as eager to talk to you, too,” she said. He smiled. “Yeah, and while that lunch was nice, it didn’t feel to me like what a date should feel like. Then again, I’d never been on a date before that, so what did I know,” he said. Sundae smiled. “You knew plenty. That first dinner at the hotel was perfect,” she said. He smiled even more and she moved closer to him as they turned their attention to their menus.
After they’d finished dinner Sundae and David walked around the hotel lobby for a little while, seeing what else it had to offer, before heading for the elevators to go back to their room. As they were approaching the elevators, Greg stepped out of one of them and smiled when he saw them. “Good evening, are you enjoying your stay here so far?” he asked as he walked up to them. “Yeah, this is a nice hotel. We just had dinner at the main restaurant,” David said. Sundae moved as close to David as she could, but she felt Greg ogling her again out of the corner of his eye. She had no idea how he could do it with just one eye, but she needed to get away. She gently squeezed David’s hand. “I’ll meet you at the room,” she said and dashed for the elevators. One of them was open and she quickly slipped inside and pushed the button for the fifth floor. The elevator slowly rose up and she leaned on its wall and closed her eyes for a moment. When the elevator stopped she straightened up and stepped out into the fifth floor hallway and made her way down to hers and David’s room. She sat down to wait for him, since he had the room key, and it wasn’t even two minutes before he came hurrying down the hall looking for her. He came right up when he saw her sitting in front of their room, pulled her to her feet and then wrapped her in his arms. “Are you okay? You looked really unnerved when you ran off down there,” he said. Sundae felt tears pricking her eyelids. “Can we go inside and I’ll tell you?” she asked, nodding toward the door of their room. “Absolutely,” he said and quickly opened the door and led her inside. He then turned and securely locked the door before leading her over to sit on the edge of the bed. “So, what’s wrong?” he asked softly. Sundae sighed. “You might think I’m crazy, but that Greg guy gives me the creeps. He acts nice when he says hi to us, but he looks at me like he wants to…you know,” she shuddered slightly, “It makes me nervous when he just pops up every time we’re in the lobby,” she said. David slipped his arm around her and gently hugged her to him. “I believe you, Dae,” he said. She looked up at him in surprise. “You don’t think I’m crazy?” she asked. “I’d never think you’re crazy,” David said. Sundae managed a small smile. “I know, but this time I wasn’t so sure,” she said. “I caught him looking at you earlier when I was tipping him for helping with our stuff. It unnerved me, too, but didn’t know if you’d noticed,” David said. “Oh I noticed. I noticed the first time he greeted us,” Sundae said. David hugged her again. “Well, I’ll be with you every second I can and I’ll see to it that he stays away,” he said. Sundae smiled even more. She turned so that she was completely facing him and then slipped her arms around his neck. “My hero,” she said and kissed the tip of his nose. He grinned. “That’s what I’m here for,” he said and then leaned in. Their lips met and melded and the uneasy nerves were forgotten. David pulled Sundae closer to him as the kiss deepened and she lay back on the bed after a moment and pulled him down with her. Her arms wound around his shoulders and she felt his hands gently caressing her sides and moving up her back. They finally broke apart after a few minutes, but stayed close together, their noses softly touching and his fingers brushing through her hair. “I can’t wait to explore around here with you. The travel agent told me about a lot of things we can do like snorkeling, hiking, seaside drives, and I did register us for a luau the day after tomorrow,” David said. Sundae beamed. “That all sounds wonderful,” she said. “I’d love to show you some of the places I visited when I was here in January, too,” he said. “I’d love that, too,” Sundae said, nuzzling his nose with hers. He grinned and leaned in and kissed her again. “Want to see if there’s any movies on?” he asked. “Sure,” she replied. He then leaned again this time letting the kiss last a little longer. She caught his lips in one more soft kiss as he started to pull back and then let him gently pull her up from the bed. She stroked his cheek for a moment and then turned and went over to her suitcase and got out her pajamas. He followed suit and got out his own, but he let her use the bathroom to change. She went ahead and washed her face, brushed her teeth and braided her hair while she was at it and got herself completely ready for bed. He was finished changing when she came out and she went and settled in bed while he went to do his nightly routine. His was shorter than hers and he joined her within ten minutes, settling next to her and wrapping one arm around her shoulders. “Anything look good?” he asked. “Nothing’s really grabbing me, but I haven’t gone all the way through yet,” she said, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “Mmm, your cheeks are so soft,” she said. He chuckled and she smiled. “I kid you not. You know how many people would love to know your secret?” she said. He chuckled again. “I don’t really do anything. I just wash with Dove soap,” he said. “And that’s what does it. Dove has the best moisturizers,” Sundae said. He turned and kissed the side of her head. “Whatever you say, Angel,” he said and she sighed happily and cuddled closer to him. They flipped through the channels for a few more minutes and caught the end of ‘Mall Cop’ on pay-per-view, before deciding to call it a night. Sundae couldn’t keep the smile off her face as David switched off the light and pulled her into his arms. She pillowed her head on his chest, feeling very content as she listened to his heartbeat. In that moment nothing else mattered. She was in paradise with the love of her life and she intended to enjoy every single minute of it.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 22:03:32 GMT -5
Chapter 6 The next morning when Sundae awoke the first thing that came to her attention was the sweet aroma of a tropical breeze. She rolled onto her back and took a deep breath. She noticed that the sliding door was open and she closed her eyes feeling the breeze waft over her. She shifted slightly under the covers and trembled lightly when she felt soft skin against her own. She turned and saw David, still sound asleep, with his back to her. He’d shed the t-shirt he’d been wearing when they went to bed and the sight of one bare shoulder peeping out from under the blanket made him seem almost vulnerable. Sundae slowly slid over to him, slipping one arm around his middle, feeling his firm abs under her fingers. She then trailed soft kisses along his shoulder and up to his neck. His eyes fluttered open as her kisses neared his jaw and he rolled, grabbing her in his arms and kissing her passionately. Sundae had to catch her breath when they pulled apart. “Wow, morning to you, too,” she said. “That was a nice way to be woken up,” David said and he lay back down beside her and pulled her close to him. “Were you too warm last night?” she asked, trailing her fingers along his shoulder. “A little. I opened the sliding door, too, so I hope you didn’t get cold,” he said. She smiled “I didn’t. It was nice to wake up to the sea breezes,” she lifted her hand to brush against his cheek, “and you next to me,” she murmured. David smiled, catching her hand and kissing her fingers. “I could wake up this way everyday,” he said. She cuddled closer to him, slipping her arms around his shoulders. “Me, too,” she agreed as she tucked her head under his chin. She sighed happily as he gently caressed her arm, his soft touch sending a tingle throughout her body. She had almost dozed off again when she felt him brush his hand through her hair. “Hmm?” she murmured, looking back up at him. David gently stroked her cheek. “I was thinking we could have breakfast and then check out the beach,” he said. Sundae smiled, leaning into his caress. “I’d like that,” she said and he returned her smile. Two hours later, after a relaxing breakfast, Sundae and David headed out to the beach. It was walking distance from the hotel, so they strolled along, hand in hand, toward the sound of the waves. Sundae closed her eyes as they walked, enjoying the sweet smell and coolness of the sea breezes and the gentle softness of David’s hand holding hers. “Happy?” David asked, seeing her expression. She smiled and moved closer to him. “More than you can imagine,” she said, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Well if you keep your eyes closed you’ll miss the view,” David said. Sundae lifted her head from his shoulder and looked out ahead of them and her eyes widened. Fanning out before them was the most stunning beach she had ever seen. The sand was almost white and dotted with the occasional palm tree and the water further out was a crystal clear, tropical blue. “Oh wow,” Sundae breathed. “It’s beautiful isn’t it?” David agreed. Sundae looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. “Yeah, it is,” she said, keeping her gaze on him. He blushed lightly and slipped an arm around her as he led her out onto the sand. There they found a spot under a palm tree and spread out the blanket and towels they’d brought and sat down. Sundae looked out at the beautiful teal blue ocean and David pulled her close to him as he settled beside her. They watched the waves for a few minutes and then Sundae gently shifted and moved to slip off the baby tee she wore over her latest bikini. She slipped it off and put it in her bag and brought out a bottle of sun tan lotion. “You want some help with that?” David asked. “Sure, thanks,” Sundae said, handing him the bottle. He took it and started to apply the lotion to her back and worked his way up to her shoulders. As he finished with her shoulders he let his hands trail down her arms and leaned in, trailing kisses along her neck. Her eyes slipped shut and she leaned in to his touch. “Mmmm,” she said as he continued to trail kisses along her shoulder, his fingers caressing her arms. She turned her head and met his lips with hers and smiled when they pulled apart. “Want me to put some lotion on you?” she asked. He blushed and pulled back a little. “What is it? You know you always complain about the farmer tan you get,” she said. “I know, but… I don’t know with people around,” he said. Sundae nodded in understanding. David was one of the most modest people she knew. She had seen him without a shirt, but she knew he wouldn’t shed it with a lot of people around. She wrapped her arm around him and slid closer to him. “It’s okay, I understand,” she said, gently hugging him. He looked over at her with a shy smile. “Thanks. I…I want to, it’s just…” he struggled to think of the right words. “I know. I understand that you’re not comfortable. I’ll put mine back on, if it’ll make you feel better,” Sundae said. David’s smile grew. “You don’t have to,” he brushed a piece of her hair away from her eyes, fingers coming to rest on her cheek, “You’re beautiful,” he murmured. “So are you,” she said, looking into his eyes. He leaned over and kissed her softly and it quickly deepened. He slid one arm around her waist and drew her closer to him. She slid over to be even closer and when they pulled apart he lay back on their towels and she moved with him, pillowing her head on his shoulder. He lifted one hand and trailed his fingers along her arm in a tender caress. Sundae trembled slightly, as she always did at the feel of his gentle touch. They lay together for a while and then he suddenly sat up. “Is something wrong?” Sundae asked as David rolled to his feet. He took hold of her hands and pulled her up to her own feet. “Come on,” he said and, taking her hand, he turned and started down toward the water. She smiled and started to jog instead of walk. He caught on and jogged with her and soon they were running and laughing as they reached the waves. They splashed around in the ankle-deep shallows and then waded out a little further to where they were just past waist deep. Sundae dunked her hair and smoothed back from her face and she giggled when she saw David follow suit. She stepped over to him and reached up, burying her fingers in his hair. He leaned down and kissed her softly, but a good-sized wave spoiled the moment, knocking them off balance. They swam and rode the momentum of the waves and enjoyed the cool of the water. After a little while the cold got to them and they made their way back up to their little camp. There Sundae reached for a towel and hid a smile when David pulled off his wet t-shirt and wrapped a towel around his shoulders. He then turned to her and gently rubbed her arms to help her warm up. He drew her to him again as he did so and then lowered himself down to their blanket, bringing her with him. They lay down and settled side by side and she pillowed her head on his shoulder as he hugged her to him. Sundae didn’t know she had dozed off until she awoke a short while later. She blinked and rubbed her eyes and then looked over at David, who had also dozed off. At first she smiled as she gazed at his sweet face, but a moment later her eyes widened. His towel had slipped down off his shoulder, exposing it to the sun. He had never put any sun block on his back or shoulders. She quickly reached up and pulled the towel back up, recovering his shoulder. He stirred then and smiled at her. “Guess we fell asleep,” he said. “Yeah we did. I hope your shoulder’s not sunburned from your towel slipping down,” Sundae said. “Me, too. Maybe we should head in now? Have dinner in our room?” he suggested. “I’d like that,” Sundae said as they sat up. They then packed up their things and headed back to the hotel. There they ordered room service and then took turns showering and getting ready for bed. Sundae let David go first and when she, herself, was finished she came out to see him sitting on the edge of the bed. He was scratching lightly at his shoulder and he winced as he did so. “Are you alright?” she asked as she came up to him. He sighed and lifted his sleeve revealing a bright pink shoulder. “Oh, you did get sunburned,” she said. “Yeah and it itches like crazy,” he said. “We should go down and see if the gift shop has some aloe or something to help soothe it,” Sundae said. “It’ll have to wait til after dinner, though,” David said. Sundae shook her head. “I’d better go now. The shop will more than likely close after seven and it’s six thirty now,” she said as she put away her clothes from the day, pulled some sweat pants and a hoodie on over her pj shorts and tank top and grabbed her purse. “Will you be okay? That guy might be down there,” David said. Sundae turned to him as he walked up to her and laid her hand on his cheek. “I’ll be okay this one time,” she said, shoving her feet into a pair of flip-flops. David bent and kissed her softly and she then slipped out the door and headed downstairs. When she reached the lobby, Sundae made her way to the gift shop and was relieved to see that they had many basic medicines for travel emergencies. There were a couple different brands of aloe and she looked over the labels to see which was purest. A sales clerk came up to her as she was looking at them. “Did you need some help?” she asked. “I think I’m alright. My boyfriend got a little sunburn this afternoon, so I was just getting some aloe for him,” Sundae said. “I usually use this one,” the clerk said, pointing to the bottle in Sundae’s right hand, which was labeled ‘Banana Boat’. Sundae smiled. “That’s the one I was leaning toward,” she said, putting back the other bottle she held. “We’ve got a couple other things that might help, too,” the clerk said and led Sundae over to a shelf with first aid items. There she showed her a burn spray and a cream that was for burns, bug bites and other mild irritations. “Oh, I wondered if you had this spray. I was planning on getting some in town tomorrow if you didn’t,” Sundae said. “Glad we can save you the trip,” the clerk said. “I’ll get some band aids and some Neosporin, too, so you’ll save me another trip,” Sundae said, picking up the aforementioned items. The clerk then lead the way up to the counter and rang up the purchases. Sundae quickly paid for them and then took them and headed for the elevator. As she was nearing it she felt someone approaching her. She turned and saw Greg coming toward her and immediately set herself on guard. “Hi there, little last minute shopping?” he asked, seeing her bag. “Just getting some necessities at the gift shop,” Sundae said, keeping her tone polite but short. “Did you get to see much of the island today?” Greg asked. “I saw the beaches. Now, if you excuse me, my boyfriend is waiting for me,” Sundae said and turned toward the elevators. She only just managed to push the ‘up’ button, before he grabbed her hand and pulled her back. “Hey, slow down. Why don’t you let me show you around? I could show you a lot more of the island than just the beaches,” he said. Sundae yanked her hand out of his and dashed into an elevator that had just opened. She pushed the button for her floor until the doors slid closed and then leaned against the wall as the car moved upward. When she reached her floor, she hurried to hers and David’s room and calmed herself before going in. David was just finishing setting up the little table with their dinner and he graciously held out a chair for her. She beamed at him, completely forgetting what had happened downstairs, and stepped over to him, setting her bag on the dressing table. David took her hand as she came up to him and kissed her fingers as he ushered her to her seat. Their dinner was peaceful and relaxing and it wasn’t long before their free hands were twined across the table. When they were finished eating they walked out onto their balcony to look at the view. The sun had set and the moon was rising over the ocean making it sparkle with pale light and the twinkling stars seemed to dance on the waves. “This is so beautiful,” Sundae murmured as they leaned on the railing, looking out towards the sea. “It is, but I see something even more beautiful,” David said. When she turned to him questioningly she blushed when she saw that he was gazing lovingly at her. “What did I do to deserve you?” she said, cuddling closer to him. She looked up when he brushed his fingers against her cheek. “I ask myself the same thing about you all the time,” he said. Her smile grew and he lifted her chin as he leaned toward her and captured her lips in a soft, sweet kiss. She slipped her arms up around his shoulders, holding just as close as he held her. Unfortunately, she hugged him a little too tightly. He broke the kiss when he pulled back with a slight wince. “Oh, I’m sorry. Let’s go in and put something on that,” Sundae said, slipping her arm around his waist and leading him toward the door. “It doesn’t hurt too much,” David said. “I know, but it hurts me to see you hurting, even if it is only a little,” she said. He smiled and hugged her to him as he let her lead him inside. There, she went and got the bag with the stuff she’d gotten in the gift shop as well as a damp washcloth and then came and joined him on the bed. He slipped his shirt off and she looked over the burn. It covered the top of his shoulder and a little of the top of his arm, coming down nearly to the collar bone in the front and ended in a slanted line just above the shoulder blade where the towel had been. It wasn’t too severe, but it was pink enough for Sundae to know it was uncomfortable. She picked up the washcloth and tenderly dabbed it against the burn to clean it. David again winced slightly as she did so. “I’m being as gentle as I can,” Sundae said. “I know; I’ve just never had a sunburn like this. If I got them, it was just a little on my face,” David said. “Well, you’re better about this than my mom would be. She’s really sensitive and would complain for days about the pain and itch,” Sundae said. “But someone with red hair like her would get them worse than us, right?” David asked. “Oh yeah, mom would burn within ten minutes of being outside if it weren’t for the SPF 50 lotion she wears,” Sundae “Maybe I should try that stuff. I don’t even like my farmer’s tan,” David said. Sundae smiled. “Your farmer’s tan is sweet,” she said. “Thanks, but I don’t think so, especially when my arms are as tanned as my mom’s skin and the rest of me is as white as snow,” David said. Sundae leaned up and kissed his cheek and then turned to her bag of treatments. She brought out both the aloe and the spray. She shuttered slightly as she looked at the spray can. “What’s wrong?” David asked noticing. “It’s nothing,” Sundae said, but she still looked a little distracted. “He approached you again, didn’t he?” David asked, knowingly. She nodded. “He told me how he could show me more of the island than just the beaches,” she said. David took her hands and drew her to him, letting one arm slip around her waist. “I promise you, Dae, it doesn’t matter what happens to me as a result, but I won’t let him hurt you or get anywhere near you,” he said. Sundae looked up at him. “You don’t have to do that. I couldn’t forgive myself if something happened to you because of me,” she said. He held her even closer. “I love you, Dae, and I’ll keep you safe, no matter what,” he said. “I know,” she said, resting her head on his non-burned shoulder. After a few minutes she sat up again and uncapped the can of burn spray. “This might sting a little, but it’ll help heal the burn,” she said as she shook the can. She then pointed it at his shoulder and gently sprayed its contents on the burn. He winced and started to reach for his shoulder, but she caught his hand before he could touch it. “Just give it a few minutes to dry and I’ll put some aloe on it,” she said. “Okay,” he said. She kissed his fingers as she gently held his hand in hers. They sat for a few minutes and he shifted his hand in hers to stroke her fingers. “So we have a luau tomorrow night,” he said. “Yeah, that should be fun,” Sundae said. “I was also thinking we could drive around and see some of what I saw when I was here in January,” David said. “Sure, I’d love that. I loved the descriptions you wrote about it when you emailed me,” Sundae said. “I really was wishing you were with me,” he said. She smiled. “Well, I’m here with you now,” she said, laying her hand alongside his face. The sweet smile that came to his face nearly made her melt. He leaned in and kissed her softly and she moved a little closer. When they pulled apart she noticed that his shoulder was dry and reached for the bag with the aloe. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” she asked as she brought out the aloe bottle. David smiled. “I had a nice distraction,” he said and she smiled as she opened the bottle and squeezed some of the aloe into her hand. He turned his shoulder toward her and she gently applied the soothing gel to the burn. He shivered slightly at the cool feel of the gel, but quickly relaxed as it started to sooth the itch of the burn. She handed him the bottle when she was finished. “You can hang on to it so you can put more on whenever you need it. Do you have a really soft shirt?” she asked. “I’m not sure,” David said. Sundae got up and went over to his suitcase. She thumbed through the shirts he’d brought and pulled out one that was made from an almost pajama-like material and very soft as a result. “Here, this one’s really soft and it’ll feel more comfortable on your shoulder,” she said. “Thanks, Dae, I already feel better,” he said. “Good,” Sundae said, as he drew her to him for a hug.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 22:03:50 GMT -5
Chapter 7 The next day, David was feeling even better. Sundae’s TLC worked wonders and, with the help of the spray and aloe, his shoulder was well on it’s way to recovering from the burn. Sundae helped him treat it again before they went out to sightsee. As they walked out of the hotel and into the sunshine, Sundae took a deep breath, inhaling the aroma of the tropical breezes. “Beautiful day, isn’t it?” David asked as they strolled along the sidewalk in front of the hotel. “Yeah, it is and I can’t wait to drive around and see more,” Sundae said. “And I can’t wait for you to see it,” David said. Sundae smiled, but then noticed that they were well past where their rental was parked. “Aren’t we taking the car?” she asked. “I’ve got something else in mind,” David said. “Lead the way,” Sundae said and let him guide her along. A few minutes later they found themselves in front of a small shop with ATVs parked in front of it. Sundae looked at one as they passed it on their way up to the door. “I have always wanted to ride one of these,” she said. “I’m glad to hear that because I thought we could rent one and drive along the beach,” David said. Sundae beamed at him. “I’d love that,” she said as they went into the shop. Ten minutes later they had an ATV and were rolling along a seaside road enjoying the scenery and looking at the beachfront shops they were passing. Sundae held on to David’s waist and leaned her head on his good shoulder as they drove. They rode around the little town and David pointed out places he’d seen on his previous trip. “Those shops over there are really nice for souvenirs. I bought stuff there for my family,” he said, pointing to a row of shops that stretched a little over two blocks. “Is that where you got the coral earrings you sent me?” Sundae asked. “Yeah, I’ll show you which shop, if you want to look for something for your mom,” he replied. “That’d be great,” Sundae said. David smiled. “Oh, that restaurant over there is really good. I had lunch there and they have an amazing tropical salad,” he said. “Mmmm, maybe we can do that for lunch today,” Sundae said. “That’d be cool,” David said. “You know, you’re the only guy I know who really likes salads. My dad only gets them as sides when he has to and it’s like pulling teeth to get my brothers to eat veggies,” Sundae said. “Well, they’re missing out. There’s a place near my house that makes the best salads. They’ve got like cobb salads, Ceasar salads and a couple different Mexican style salads,” David said. “Mmmmm, you’re making me hungry,” Sundae said. “Sorry,” David said. She hugged him tighter. “It’s okay,” she said. They rode on until they started to get toward the edge of town. Sundae noticed a large, fenced off building looming ahead of them. “Wonder what that is?” she mused, pointing at it. “Oh, that’s the Dole factory. I got to take a tour when I was here last time,” David said. “Oh yeah, I remember the picture of you crouched down next to a pineapple plant,” Sundae said. “Yeah, they almost gave me a couple pineapples to take with me, but I didn’t know how I would get them home,” David said. “Not to mention, some states have rules against bringing in outside fruit. I know you can’t do it in Cali,” Sundae said. “True. You want to turn around and go back to that restaurant for lunch?” David asked. “Sure, lets,” Sundae replied. David turned the ATV around and headed back toward the restaurant. There they got a table out on the back patio and watched the waves as they ate. “I could really do living in a place like this,” Sundae mused. “I could, too. It’s cool how, when you travel, you discover what you like in a place to live and what you don’t. Like, I’ve realized I like it warm and moist,” David said. “I’ll be you loved Southeast Asia then,” Sundae said as she sipped her iced tea. “Oh yeah,” David agreed. Sundae smiled and looked out at the waves again, watching the sun glinting off of them. “We can go for a walk down there tonight after the luau,” David said quietly as he cupped his hand over hers. “I’d love that,” she said, imagining the two of them side by side, the moon overhead and the surf washing over their feet. No vision could have been more perfect. A little while later they were riding through town again and this time they turned down the little street with all the shops that David had pointed out. They stopped a couple times to poke around and as they were heading back out toward the main road David suddenly spotted another familiar place. “Oh, that’s Matsumoto’s. Their sno cones are so good,” he said. “Ooooh, I love sno cones. I haven’t had one in a while,” Sundae said. David pulled the ATV into a parking spot in front of the store and they got off and went in. The owner of the store was behind the counter, checking the register, but looked up hearing them and grinned when he saw David. “Aloha and welcome back,” he said, coming around the counter. “Hi, Mr. Matsumoto, you remember me?” David asked. “Of course, I have a copy of that picture of you outside my store on my wall of fame,” Mr. Matsumoto said and pointed to a collage of pictures on the wall behind the register. Sundae peered at it and did indeed see one of David, sno cone in hand, standing outside the store. “I see you couldn’t resist the lure of the islands,” Mr. Matsumoto said. “Yeah, I’m here with my girlfriend on vacation,” David said putting an arm around Sundae. She smiled at Mr. Matsumoto. “I’m Sundae, it’s nice to meet you. David tells me you have great sno cones,” she said. Mr. Matsumoto grinned again. “I do. Have a look at my menu. I have more flavors than that place on the mainland,” Mr. Matsumoto said and gestured to a menu displayed prominently on the wall. Sundae smiled to see that they did have more selection than 31 Flavors. “Do you have a favorite?” she asked David. “I had the blue raspberry last time and was really good,” he said. “Mmmm, that does sound good. I just hope it’s not too sour,” Sundae said. “It was more sweet actually. I think the blue part might be blueberry or something,” David said. “Ooooh, that sounds yummy,” Sundae said. David smiled and turned to Mr. Matsumoto. “We’ll have a blue raspberry and a pineapple,” he said. “Coming up,” he said and moved behind the counter to fill their order. “You love your pineapple, don’t you?” Sundae said to David. “Yeah, it’s so good,” David said. Sundae smiled and hugged him from the side as Mr. Matsumoto held out their sno cones. “Thank you,” David said and brought out his wallet. He quickly paid for their cones and they then waved to Mr. Matsumoto and headed back out to their ATV. David managed, sno cone in hand, to move the ATV across the street and there they sat and enjoyed their treats. “Mmmm, you were right, this is good,” Sundae said as she bit into her cone. “Isn’t it?” David agreed. “Yeah. How’s yours?” she asked. “Really good. Would you like a taste?” he asked. “Yeah, but I’m worried about getting my blue raspberry in it,” she said. “It’s alright,” David said and held his cone out to her. She took it and took a small bite leaving a small spot of blue raspberry where her lips touched it. “Sorry,” she said as she handed his cone back to him. “It’s okay. What did you think?” David asked. “It is good. We’ll have to do this again while we’re here so I can try a whole one,” Sundae said. “It’s a plan,” David said. Sundae smiled at that as they turned back to their cones.
Sundae and David got back to their hotel two hours later and immediately started getting ready for their luau. David finished getting ready first and went out onto the balcony to wait for Sundae. She saw him there, watching the waves, when she came out of the bathroom changed into her swim suit with a sarong wrapped around under her arms and tied in the front. She slipped her feet into a pair of strappy sandals and went over to the door. David turned as she slid it open and his eyes widened when he saw her. “Wow, Dae. You look so amazing,” he said. “So do you,” Sundae said, smiling into his eyes as she walked up to him. “I don’t think so,” he said, glancing at the cargo shorts and t-shirt he wore. She brushed her fingers against his cheek, making him look up at her. “You’re amazing to me,” she said. His gaze turned tender and he leaned in, kissing her sweetly. “You’re the amazing one,” he murmured. They stood together for a few minutes basking in the late afternoon breeze and in each other. After a few minutes they finally stepped apart, him slipping an arm around her shoulders, and headed off to the luau. The luau was held out on the beach and was everything Sundae imagined it would be. Tiki torches, ukuleles, leis, and traditional food such poi and a pig roasted in a sand pit. There were also traditional dancers and fire twirlers performing as entertainment. Unfortunately for Sundae, Greg was one of the dancers. When they pulled people from the audience to learn the hula, he came right over to her. She tried to pull David along with her, but Greg insistent that they only needed one more person. She threw David a ‘help me’ look, but they both knew there was nothing he could do. Sundae was led over to the other audience members, who were lined up in a row. She stood at the end and tried to follow the direction of the dancer who was showing them the movements. Greg and another dancer moved along the line correcting positions and helping where they could. When Greg came up beside Sundae he watched her for a moment before speaking. “You need to move your hips a little more. Like this,” he said and laid his hands on her waist to help her move correctly. It wasn’t even two seconds before she felt his hands start to slide downward. She wrenched away from him and slapped at his hands. “Don’t touch me!” she snapped and then ran down off the stage and out onto the beach. As she reached the water’s edge, she sank onto the sand, her arms wrapped around herself. Tears slipped from her eyes as she thought about how her dream vacation was starting to unravel. “Sundae! Sundae!” she heard David call out. She turned and saw him running down the sand, looking for her. When he spotted her he ran over, tumbling on to the sand beside her. “Sundae, are you okay?” he asked and she saw his worry for her in his face. “Why do I have to be the one he singles out?” she choked out. David slipped his arm around her. “I came here to have a wonderful time with you. It feels like he’s taking that away,” she said. David slid closer to her, gently pulling her into his arms. “You know I’ll never let him hurt you, Dae,” he said. “I know, but I still wish he’d just go away,” she said. “I know,” David said, hugging her tighter. They sat for a few minutes and then David gently helped Sundae to her feet. “Lets go back to the hotel,” he said. “Okay, but not back that way,” Sundae said, nodding in the direction of the luau. “Come on,” David said, slipping his arm around her and leading her down the beach and away from the luau. The two strolled along the shore in the direction of the hotel, listening to the waves and enjoying the peacefulness of the beach. Sundae looked out across the dark water, thinking about her worries that Greg might try to do something to her. She got so lost in these thoughts that she nearly jumped a mile when David gently took hold of her hand. “You okay?” he asked when he saw how startled she was. “Yeah, just a little lost in thought, I guess,” she said. David slipped his arm around her. “I know you’re scared, he’s starting to scare me, too. You don’t want to know what went through my mind when I saw him try to touch you,” he said. “I just wish he’d never approached us when we got here in the first place,” Sundae said. “Maybe we could try steering clear of him. We could go for a drive tomorrow and see more of the island,” David suggested. Sundae had to smile at that. “I’d love to,” she said. He hugged her closer to him. “I’ll get some maps from the front desk in the morning,” he said. Sundae leaned her head on his shoulder, a contented smile finally showing itself. “This is what I dreamed of when we were planning this trip. Peaceful, quiet moments with you,” she murmured. David paused in his stride, pulling her close to him, his arms wrapping around her. “I dreamed of that, too, and I dreamed something more,” he said softly as he leaned in. Her arms found their way around his neck, holding him tightly, as they stood together on the moonlit beach, sharing soft kisses as the waves provided their music. Sundae felt herself falling passionately in love all over again. A little while later Sundae and David finally made it back to the hotel, but they strolled along slowly, just enjoying being together. They walked around the grounds, not wanting to go in quite yet. As they rounded a bend in the path they were surprised to see a built in lagoon surrounded by palms and flowering tropical shrubs. “Wow, this hotel really has everything, doesn’t it?” David said. “Yeah. I wonder if we’d be allowed to swim in it?” Sundae mused. David glanced around. “I don’t see a sign and there’s no one around to catch us,” he said. Sundae looked at him for a moment and he smiled and stepped over to the lagoon. He slipped his t-shirt off and slid into the cool blue water. Sundae giggled. “I know I’ve said it before, but you are crazy,” she said as she stepped over to edge of the lagoon. “And I’ve said it before, too. Only for you,” David said. Sundae beamed at him and then undid her sarong and joined him. He took her hand and pulled her to him, as his arms slipped around her. She giggled when he started to sing.
Now’s the moment Floating in a blue lagoon And I don’t know why But I’m dying to try I want to kiss the girl His lips then met hers and she wrapped her arms around his neck as the kiss deepened. “Um, excuse me, but you’re not really supposed to swim in there,” a male voice said. Sundae and David looked up to see a guy with a room service cart watching them awkwardly. “Oh sorry. We didn’t see a sign, so we didn’t think anyone would mind,” David said as he and Sundae quickly climbed out of the lagoon. “You’re not in trouble or anything, its just policy that swimming is kept to the pool not the lagoon,” the guy said. “We’ll keep that in mind,” David said as he grabbed his t-shirt and Sundae grabbed her sarong. The guy nodded and continued on his way and Sundae and David turned and went back along the path and found another way up to the hotel entrance. Once inside they headed for the elevators and went up to their room. David noticed a thoughtful look on Sundae’s face as they got out their pajamas, and he set his aside and came over to her. “I’m sorry if tonight wasn’t as nice as you hoped,” he said. She smiled at him, setting her own things aside, and reached to hug him. “Tonight wasn’t bad at all. I’m glad to spend time with you, no matter what,” she said. He smiled, too. “I’m glad you had a good time. I thought with everything that happened…” he trailed off. She leaned up and softly kissed his lips. “That doesn’t matter. What matters is that I got to be with you. Our walk on the beach was everything I’d dreamed of,” she said. David’s smile grew at that and he drew her close and hugged her tightly. “I promise tomorrow will be even better,” he said. “As long as I’m with you it will be,” she murmured back. They held each other for a few minutes and then turned to get ready for bed.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 22:04:10 GMT -5
Chapter 8 The next morning when Sundae awoke she saw that David was up ahead of her, getting clothes for the day out of his suitcase. He smiled when he saw her watching him with sleepy eyes. “Hey,” he said, stepping over to the bed. “Hey, you’re up pretty quick,” she said. “You don’t have to be, though. You enjoy relaxing. I’m just going to shower up and then get some maps and breakfast for us,” he said. “Mmmm ‘k,” Sundae said as she lay back down. He gave her a soft kiss and then went into the bathroom. She lay in bed, listening to the sound of the shower, and it nearly soothed her back to sleep. She opened her eyes again when she heard the bathroom door open and she caught her breath at the sight of David padding over to his suitcase in just his jeans. The light coming in from the window kissed the smooth skin of his bare back and made the tiny water droplets that still clung to it sparkle. Sundae got up from the bed and quietly came up behind David. Her hands trailed up his back and she felt him catch his breath as she leaned up and trailed kisses along his shoulders. His skin was softer that the softest silk and Sundae wondered what he did for it to be so perfect. He turned in her arms then and, when he was facing her, he leaned in, his lips crashing on to hers with passion. They were both out of breath when they finally broke apart. “Wow,” Sundae gasped. “Yeah,” David agreed. He then leaned in and kissed her again and then grabbed the t-shirt he’d set aside when she’d come up behind him. “I’ll be out in a minute,” he said and she smiled and nodded as he turned to go finish getting ready. Three hours later Sundae and David were driving along the coast, on their way to see more of the island. David had gotten maps from the front desk and Sundae looked over them as they drove. “Is there any place in particular that’s good?” she asked as she looked over one of the maps. “The guy that gave me the maps told me about a place that sounds really nice. I thought we could check it out first since it’s fairly far from the hotel,” David said. “Sounds good,” Sundae said. They drove along the coast for a little over half an hour and then turned off the highway and toward a seaside village. They continued past it and soon were on a mountain road driving up into the hills. Sundae admired the stunning hillsides as they drove and snapped pictures along the way. The road soon flattened out and rolled along through a canopy of lush rain forest on either side. “Oh my gosh, my mom is gonna be so green with envy when I tell her about this,” Sundae said as she snapped more pictures. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?” David agreed. Sundae pulled out her phone and set it to camera mode. “I’ll say. I have got to send a pic to Dana,” she said and snapped a picture with her phone. She didn’t have a strong enough signal to send it right then, but she saved it for later. As she was putting her phone back her bag, she felt the car making a turn and she looked up to see that they were turning into a small, open dirt lot. “What’s this?” she asked as the car slowed down. “This is just a place to park. There’s a path that leads to where we’re going,” David said as he parked the car. They then got out and grabbed some stuff from the back, locked up the car and started down a path off of one side of the lot. They followed it for several yards and soon heard the sound of rushing water. They pushed through some shrubs and Sundae gasped to see a waterfall emptying into a natural lagoon before them. “Oh wow,” she said as she walked toward the edge of the lagoon. As she got closer she saw that the lagoon was actually a large pond formed by the waterfall and it was deep enough to swim in. She glanced around and saw another small path off to the right of the pond. It led up the side of the rock face to a ledge where one could jump off into the pond. “Oh my gosh. I’ve seen pictures of places like this, but I never thought I’d ever see one for real,” she said as David came up beside her. “The guy at the front desk told me about it. He said it’s a popular place for the locals to come for dates and they don’t tell many tourists about it,” he said. “Well, I’m glad he told you. This is amazing,” Sundae said. David hugged her to him for a moment and they then turned to setting up a blanket and the picnic they had brought. They sat together and enjoyed sandwiches and fruit and admired the waterfall and all the natural beauty around them. After they’d eaten they shed their cover-ups and headed up the path to the ledge. “Ever wanted to try this?” David asked as they reached it. “It does look cool, but I know I’d be giving my mom a heart attack if she saw me up here,” Sundae replied. “We’ll do it together?” David asked, holding out his hand. Sundae looked at the drop and then at him. She smiled after a moment and took his hand. “Okay,” she said. “We’ll go on three. Ready? One, two, three!” David said and at three they leapt off the ledge hand in hand. Sundae shut her eyes as they hit the water, which was cool, but not as cold as the ocean. She kicked for the surface and popped up at the same time as David. “Oh my gosh, that was such a rush,” she gasped as she reached for him. “Seriously! That was so fun,” David said. “We’ve gotta do it again,” Sundae said. “Oh yeah,” David agreed. They spent the next two hours taking jumps off the ledge and swimming and playing in the pond. David even took a video of Sundae jumping from the ledge so she could send it to Dana. After a while they retreated to their blanket and lay together looking up at the clear blue sky. “This has been so much fun,” Sundae murmured. “Yeah it has. We’ll have to remember this spot for the next time we come here,” David said. Sundae beamed, thinking of that. More romantic getaways with David sounded so wonderful and, once she was eighteen, they wouldn’t have to ask permission. The two lay together until it started to cool down and then packed up their stuff and headed back to the car for the drive back. When they got back to the hotel Sundae and David headed up to their room, trying to decide what to do next. “Are you hungry?” David asked as they walked down the hall after getting off the elevator. “Yeah, a little bit. Maybe an early dinner?” Sundae suggested. “Sure,” David said as he opened the door to their room. They sat and looked over the room service menu, deciding to eat in and then go out for another drive along the coast. They made their choices and called in their order and then went about getting changed. David finished first and went to go get some ice from the dispenser so they could fill and chill some water bottles for the drive. He still wasn’t back when Sundae came out from the bathroom dressed and ready to go, so she started getting the table ready. She cleared off a few things and set out glasses for water. As she was putting away some of the things she’d moved, a knock was heard at the door. She smiled, thinking maybe David had forgotten his key card, but her smile disappeared when she opened the door. Greg was there with the room service she and David had ordered. She stood aside to let him in and hoped he would be quick and leave. She stepped away from the table while he set out the food and picked up the towels that had been used earlier that day and started to fold them. She was halfway done with the second one when she felt someone behind her. She turned just as Greg reached out and grabbed her and pushed her back on the bed. “What are you doing?!” she shrieked in fear. “Just showing you the good time I told you about,” he said calmly as he started to climb on to the bed. “No! Get away from me!” Sundae screamed and managed to kick him in the chest. “Settle down, we’re gonna have a good time,” Greg said and grabbed for her arms. She wriggled away pulling one arm free. “Let go of me!” she shrieked as she tried to pull further away. “Hey! Get off her!” David’s voice suddenly shouted and the next thing Sundae knew Greg was pulled off of her with force. She looked up to see David and another bellboy pulling Greg away and she curled up in a ball as the other bellboy dragged him away. “Dae, are you okay?” David asked after a moment. She looked up to see him approaching her. “I…I don’t know,” she choked out as tears started to slip down her cheeks. “I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have left you alone,” David said as he sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to her. She backed away still trembling. “Don’t. Just…please don’t,” she whispered as she curled up on the pillows. “Dae, you know I won’t hurt you,” David said and she heard the hurt in his voice. “I know,” she sniffed, “but I just can’t right now,” she said and buried her face in a pillow. “I understand, but just know I’m here,” David said. A moment later Sundae felt the bed lift up as he stood up, but she didn’t what he did or where he went. She cried quietly for a while and hardly noticed when she fell asleep. When she woke up over an hour later, Sundae sat up looking around for a moment. As her mind caught up to her, her first thoughts were of David. Where was he? Had he stayed after what had happened earlier? He wasn’t in the room that she saw and she got up and looked where she wasn’t able to see. She started to wonder when she didn’t find him, but then she looked out the sliding door and breathed a sigh of relief. David was sitting on one of the chairs, looking out at the view, and Sundae wondered how she could ever have pushed him away. She needed him and had no idea what she would do without him. She went over to the door and opened it and he looked around hearing it as she stepped outside. “Hey sweetheart,” he said as he cautiously stood up. She flew into his arms and hugged him tightly. His arms wrapped just as tightly around her. “I’m so glad you’re still here,” she said. He kissed the top of her head and rested his cheek on her hair. “I’d never leave you, Dae, not ever,” he said. She started to cry again, wondering, for the millionth time, what she had done to deserve him. They held each other for several moments before she looked up at him. “Are you okay?” he asked her gently. “I’m not sure. I…I thought he would…” she stammered, unable to get all the words out. “He’s gone now, Dae. The other bellboy came back a little while ago and told me the police had come. Greg won’t be back here ever again,” David said. Sundae let out a breath as she hugged him again. “Thank goodness,” she murmured. David gently rubbed her back. “I don’t know if you still want dinner, but we can reheat it in the microwave if you do,” he said. Sundae looked up into his eyes. “I just want you,” she said. David slowly leaned down hesitating a moment before capturing her lips. She laid her hand against his face when they pulled apart and they stood, gazing into each other’s eyes. “There’s another place I’d like to show you, if you’re up for it,” David finally said after a moment. “I’d like that,” Sundae said. David smiled and slipped his arm around her as he led the way back into the room. There they grabbed what they’d need and headed out. Half an hour later, they were driving up to what looked like a palace. David parked on the street and then led the way again as they walked toward the beautiful building. All of a sudden Sundae realized where they were. “This is the temple, isn’t it?” she said, remembering that his church had a large branch on the island. “Yeah it is. We can’t go inside, since that’s for members only, but I thought we could walk around out here. It’s always brought peace to me to visit a temple and I thought it might help for you,” he said. “Thank you,” she said, and gently squeezed his hand as they walked. The grounds around the temple were beautifully maintained with stunning landscaping and temple itself was a sight to behold. It did indeed look much like a palace with its gleaming white exterior. Sundae and David strolled along a path through the grounds, enjoying the peace and quiet, and when they came to a bench under a tree they sat down. “I bet you visit the temple in Salt Lake a lot,” Sundae said. “Yeah, but it’s not the only one in that area. There are others up in the mountains, too. I’ll have to show you at night when they’re all lit up,” David said. “I’d love that. It’s too bad we can’t go in, but I understand. Churches are sacred places to the people that worship in them,” Sundae said. “Very true,” David agreed. Sundae leaned her head on his shoulder, thinking about the day when he would leave for his mission. The church was a big part of who he was, but it would take him away from her for quite sometime. She still didn’t know how to feel about it. David noticed her thoughtful expression. “What’s on your mind?” he asked. “Just thinking about you and your mission,” she said, her gaze traveling toward the temple again. He gently cupped his hand under her chin and turned her back toward him. “I promised I would come back for you and, with the lord as my witness, I’ll swear now that I’ll keep that promise. You’re my world, Dae, and I want you in my life forever,” he said. Sundae blinked back tears as she slid into his arms. “I know, but I can’t help thinking how much I’ll miss you. I don’t know what I’ll do without you,” she said. They held each other for a while, savoring the feeling and, when it started to get dark, they got up and started back to the hotel. They picked up some take out on the way and, when they got back to their room, they settled on the bed and flipped on the TV while they ate. They watched a little news and part of a movie and Sundae felt much more relaxed by the time it ended. “Did you want to watch anything else?” David asked. Sundae shifted on to her side. “Mmmm, I’ve got something else in mind,” she said and rolled on top of him, giggling softly. He chuckled, too. “I guess you’re feeling better,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. “I am. I’ve decided I’m not going to let anything keep me down. I only have a little time left with you and I’m intent on enjoying every minute of it,” she said. David grinned. “I’m glad,” he said. He then drew her down to him, capturing her lips with passion. He agreed completely with her sentiment. They did only have a little time left together and they were both intent on relishing and savoring every second of it. Hey all, Here's the next chapter. This is the last one for book 4 and next we'll have an AI9 entr'acte, the book 4 epilogue, the last entr'acte of the series and then book 5. Hope you all enjoy Chapter 8 The next morning when Sundae awoke she saw that David was up ahead of her, getting clothes for the day out of his suitcase. He smiled when he saw her watching him with sleepy eyes. “Hey,” he said, stepping over to the bed. “Hey, you’re up pretty quick,” she said. “You don’t have to be, though. You enjoy relaxing. I’m just going to shower up and then get some maps and breakfast for us,” he said. “Mmmm ‘k,” Sundae said as she lay back down. He gave her a soft kiss and then went into the bathroom. She lay in bed, listening to the sound of the shower, and it nearly soothed her back to sleep. She opened her eyes again when she heard the bathroom door open and she caught her breath at the sight of David padding over to his suitcase in just his jeans. The light coming in from the window kissed the smooth skin of his bare back and made the tiny water droplets that still clung to it sparkle. Sundae got up from the bed and quietly came up behind David. Her hands trailed up his back and she felt him catch his breath as she leaned up and trailed kisses along his shoulders. His skin was softer that the softest silk and Sundae wondered what he did for it to be so perfect. He turned in her arms then and, when he was facing her, he leaned in, his lips crashing on to hers with passion. They were both out of breath when they finally broke apart. “Wow,” Sundae gasped. “Yeah,” David agreed. He then leaned in and kissed her again and then grabbed the t-shirt he’d set aside when she’d come up behind him. “I’ll be out in a minute,” he said and she smiled and nodded as he turned to go finish getting ready. Three hours later Sundae and David were driving along the coast, on their way to see more of the island. David had gotten maps from the front desk and Sundae looked over them as they drove. “Is there any place in particular that’s good?” she asked as she looked over one of the maps. “The guy that gave me the maps told me about a place that sounds really nice. I thought we could check it out first since it’s fairly far from the hotel,” David said. “Sounds good,” Sundae said. They drove along the coast for a little over half an hour and then turned off the highway and toward a seaside village. They continued past it and soon were on a mountain road driving up into the hills. Sundae admired the stunning hillsides as they drove and snapped pictures along the way. The road soon flattened out and rolled along through a canopy of lush rain forest on either side. “Oh my gosh, my mom is gonna be so green with envy when I tell her about this,” Sundae said as she snapped more pictures. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?” David agreed. Sundae pulled out her phone and set it to camera mode. “I’ll say. I have got to send a pic to Dana,” she said and snapped a picture with her phone. She didn’t have a strong enough signal to send it right then, but she saved it for later. As she was putting her phone back her bag, she felt the car making a turn and she looked up to see that they were turning into a small, open dirt lot. “What’s this?” she asked as the car slowed down. “This is just a place to park. There’s a path that leads to where we’re going,” David said as he parked the car. They then got out and grabbed some stuff from the back, locked up the car and started down a path off of one side of the lot. They followed it for several yards and soon heard the sound of rushing water. They pushed through some shrubs and Sundae gasped to see a waterfall emptying into a natural lagoon before them. “Oh wow,” she said as she walked toward the edge of the lagoon. As she got closer she saw that the lagoon was actually a large pond formed by the waterfall and it was deep enough to swim in. She glanced around and saw another small path off to the right of the pond. It led up the side of the rock face to a ledge where one could jump off into the pond. “Oh my gosh. I’ve seen pictures of places like this, but I never thought I’d ever see one for real,” she said as David came up beside her. “The guy at the front desk told me about it. He said it’s a popular place for the locals to come for dates and they don’t tell many tourists about it,” he said. “Well, I’m glad he told you. This is amazing,” Sundae said. David hugged her to him for a moment and they then turned to setting up a blanket and the picnic they had brought. They sat together and enjoyed sandwiches and fruit and admired the waterfall and all the natural beauty around them. After they’d eaten they shed their cover-ups and headed up the path to the ledge. “Ever wanted to try this?” David asked as they reached it. “It does look cool, but I know I’d be giving my mom a heart attack if she saw me up here,” Sundae replied. “We’ll do it together?” David asked, holding out his hand. Sundae looked at the drop and then at him. She smiled after a moment and took his hand. “Okay,” she said. “We’ll go on three. Ready? One, two, three!” David said and at three they leapt off the ledge hand in hand. Sundae shut her eyes as they hit the water, which was cool, but not as cold as the ocean. She kicked for the surface and popped up at the same time as David. “Oh my gosh, that was such a rush,” she gasped as she reached for him. “Seriously! That was so fun,” David said. “We’ve gotta do it again,” Sundae said. “Oh yeah,” David agreed. They spent the next two hours taking jumps off the ledge and swimming and playing in the pond. David even took a video of Sundae jumping from the ledge so she could send it to Dana. After a while they retreated to their blanket and lay together looking up at the clear blue sky. “This has been so much fun,” Sundae murmured. “Yeah it has. We’ll have to remember this spot for the next time we come here,” David said. Sundae beamed, thinking of that. More romantic getaways with David sounded so wonderful and, once she was eighteen, they wouldn’t have to ask permission. The two lay together until it started to cool down and then packed up their stuff and headed back to the car for the drive back. When they got back to the hotel Sundae and David headed up to their room, trying to decide what to do next. “Are you hungry?” David asked as they walked down the hall after getting off the elevator. “Yeah, a little bit. Maybe an early dinner?” Sundae suggested. “Sure,” David said as he opened the door to their room. They sat and looked over the room service menu, deciding to eat in and then go out for another drive along the coast. They made their choices and called in their order and then went about getting changed. David finished first and went to go get some ice from the dispenser so they could fill and chill some water bottles for the drive. He still wasn’t back when Sundae came out from the bathroom dressed and ready to go, so she started getting the table ready. She cleared off a few things and set out glasses for water. As she was putting away some of the things she’d moved, a knock was heard at the door. She smiled, thinking maybe David had forgotten his key card, but her smile disappeared when she opened the door. Greg was there with the room service she and David had ordered. She stood aside to let him in and hoped he would be quick and leave. She stepped away from the table while he set out the food and picked up the towels that had been used earlier that day and started to fold them. She was halfway done with the second one when she felt someone behind her. She turned just as Greg reached out and grabbed her and pushed her back on the bed. “What are you doing?!” she shrieked in fear. “Just showing you the good time I told you about,” he said calmly as he started to climb on to the bed. “No! Get away from me!” Sundae screamed and managed to kick him in the chest. “Settle down, we’re gonna have a good time,” Greg said and grabbed for her arms. She wriggled away pulling one arm free. “Let go of me!” she shrieked as she tried to pull further away. “Hey! Get off her!” David’s voice suddenly shouted and the next thing Sundae knew Greg was pulled off of her with force. She looked up to see David and another bellboy pulling Greg away and she curled up in a ball as the other bellboy dragged him away. “Dae, are you okay?” David asked after a moment. She looked up to see him approaching her. “I…I don’t know,” she choked out as tears started to slip down her cheeks. “I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have left you alone,” David said as he sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to her. She backed away still trembling. “Don’t. Just…please don’t,” she whispered as she curled up on the pillows. “Dae, you know I won’t hurt you,” David said and she heard the hurt in his voice. “I know,” she sniffed, “but I just can’t right now,” she said and buried her face in a pillow. “I understand, but just know I’m here,” David said. A moment later Sundae felt the bed lift up as he stood up, but she didn’t what he did or where he went. She cried quietly for a while and hardly noticed when she fell asleep. When she woke up over an hour later, Sundae sat up looking around for a moment. As her mind caught up to her, her first thoughts were of David. Where was he? Had he stayed after what had happened earlier? He wasn’t in the room that she saw and she got up and looked where she wasn’t able to see. She started to wonder when she didn’t find him, but then she looked out the sliding door and breathed a sigh of relief. David was sitting on one of the chairs, looking out at the view, and Sundae wondered how she could ever have pushed him away. She needed him and had no idea what she would do without him. She went over to the door and opened it and he looked around hearing it as she stepped outside. “Hey sweetheart,” he said as he cautiously stood up. She flew into his arms and hugged him tightly. His arms wrapped just as tightly around her. “I’m so glad you’re still here,” she said. He kissed the top of her head and rested his cheek on her hair. “I’d never leave you, Dae, not ever,” he said. She started to cry again, wondering, for the millionth time, what she had done to deserve him. They held each other for several moments before she looked up at him. “Are you okay?” he asked her gently. “I’m not sure. I…I thought he would…” she stammered, unable to get all the words out. “He’s gone now, Dae. The other bellboy came back a little while ago and told me the police had come. Greg won’t be back here ever again,” David said. Sundae let out a breath as she hugged him again. “Thank goodness,” she murmured. David gently rubbed her back. “I don’t know if you still want dinner, but we can reheat it in the microwave if you do,” he said. Sundae looked up into his eyes. “I just want you,” she said. David slowly leaned down hesitating a moment before capturing her lips. She laid her hand against his face when they pulled apart and they stood, gazing into each other’s eyes. “There’s another place I’d like to show you, if you’re up for it,” David finally said after a moment. “I’d like that,” Sundae said. David smiled and slipped his arm around her as he led the way back into the room. There they grabbed what they’d need and headed out. Half an hour later, they were driving up to what looked like a palace. David parked on the street and then led the way again as they walked toward the beautiful building. All of a sudden Sundae realized where they were. “This is the temple, isn’t it?” she said, remembering that his church had a large branch on the island. “Yeah it is. We can’t go inside, since that’s for members only, but I thought we could walk around out here. It’s always brought peace to me to visit a temple and I thought it might help for you,” he said. “Thank you,” she said, and gently squeezed his hand as they walked. The grounds around the temple were beautifully maintained with stunning landscaping and temple itself was a sight to behold. It did indeed look much like a palace with its gleaming white exterior. Sundae and David strolled along a path through the grounds, enjoying the peace and quiet, and when they came to a bench under a tree they sat down. “I bet you visit the temple in Salt Lake a lot,” Sundae said. “Yeah, but it’s not the only one in that area. There are others up in the mountains, too. I’ll have to show you at night when they’re all lit up,” David said. “I’d love that. It’s too bad we can’t go in, but I understand. Churches are sacred places to the people that worship in them,” Sundae said. “Very true,” David agreed. Sundae leaned her head on his shoulder, thinking about the day when he would leave for his mission. The church was a big part of who he was, but it would take him away from her for quite sometime. She still didn’t know how to feel about it. David noticed her thoughtful expression. “What’s on your mind?” he asked. “Just thinking about you and your mission,” she said, her gaze traveling toward the temple again. He gently cupped his hand under her chin and turned her back toward him. “I promised I would come back for you and, with the lord as my witness, I’ll swear now that I’ll keep that promise. You’re my world, Dae, and I want you in my life forever,” he said. Sundae blinked back tears as she slid into his arms. “I know, but I can’t help thinking how much I’ll miss you. I don’t know what I’ll do without you,” she said. They held each other for a while, savoring the feeling and, when it started to get dark, they got up and started back to the hotel. They picked up some take out on the way and, when they got back to their room, they settled on the bed and flipped on the TV while they ate. They watched a little news and part of a movie and Sundae felt much more relaxed by the time it ended. “Did you want to watch anything else?” David asked. Sundae shifted on to her side. “Mmmm, I’ve got something else in mind,” she said and rolled on top of him, giggling softly. He chuckled, too. “I guess you’re feeling better,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. “I am. I’ve decided I’m not going to let anything keep me down. I only have a little time left with you and I’m intent on enjoying every minute of it,” she said. David grinned. “I’m glad,” he said. He then drew her down to him, capturing her lips with passion. He agreed completely with her sentiment. They did only have a little time left together and they were both intent on relishing and savoring every second of it.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 22:05:10 GMT -5
Love Is A Song
Entr' Acte Season 9
Sixteen-year-old Sundae Wahlberg stood her dressing room at the American Idol studios. She was supposed to have been finished with her contract for the show, but the producers had convinced her to make a handful of appearances during the show’s ninth season. She knew it was a ratings ploy, as the show had been slipping since the previous year, and after meeting the current crop of contestants she could understand the reasoning for it. The season nine group was okay, but they were nowhere near as talented as previous seasons. It was also hard for Sundae to be really friendly with any of them, especially with two of the guys hitting on her whenever they had the chance. That got to her more than anything. She had told them numerous times that she was in a relationship, but they never seemed to accept it. Her gaze moved around the room, taking in the few things she still kept there. A picture on the end table beside the small sofa caught her eye and she walked over and picked it up. It was of her and the love of her life, David Archuleta. They had been dating almost two and a half years and they were never happier than when they were together. He had been in and out of LA working on his next album and they were spending every minute they could together before he left on a mission for his church. A knock on the door made her jump and she looked up as Idol host Ryan Seacrest poked his head in. “Hey Dae. We’re about to start rehearsal for tonight and they want to run your number,” he said. “Alright,” Sundae said with a sigh, putting the picture back on the table. She then stood up and started toward the door. She paused as she reached it. “Is the Brady Bunch out there?” she asked, referring to that year’s contestants. Ryan chuckled. “No, they’re still in make up,” he said. She breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out into the hall. “What do you have against this year’s group?” Ryan asked as they walked toward the stage. “Nothing against any of them personally, it’s just…I’m ready to be done here. Idol’s given me a lot, but I’m really ready to move on and some people just don’t get that,” she said, thinking of the show’s producers. “We can all see that and we’re ready to step up for you with the producers if need be,” Ryan said. “I appreciate that, Ryan, and I guess I’ll let you out of the dog house from the other week since you didn’t mention the obvious last night,” Sundae asked. “What obvious?” Ryan asked, looking truly confused. Sundae sighed. “That Aaron did it again. You saw the press this morning,” Sundae said. “Oh right. Well, I agree that he shouldn’t have done that song. Simon even said as much without even saying it,” Ryan said. Sundae smiled a little at that. “I think we all know what ‘Do your research’ meant,” she said. Aaron, who was the youngest of the current contestants, had been compared to David several times. That week, which was Lennon/McCartney week, he had even sung the same song David had used for one of two Beatles weeks during his season. Part of the reason it was so hard for Sundae to be around the Idol studios was because many had taken to calling Aaron Little Archie, which annoyed her to no end. Ryan had even gotten on the receiving end of her annoyance a couple weeks earlier. He had accidentally called Aaron by David’s name when announcing his voting number and it had earned him a hard slap on the arm and the cold shoulder from Sundae. It was hard for her to be reminded of the days she wished so much to recapture. She was very grateful that she still had David in her life. “You okay?” Ryan’s voice cut into her thoughts. “Yeah, I’m okay,” Sundae said, glancing up to see that they had reached the stage. “I’m gonna get out there and check my guitar,” she said and started toward the entrance. “Alright, try not to take it so hard, okay?” Ryan said. Sundae spared him a small smile and then headed out onto the stage. As she walked out she looked around at the studio, the memories flooding back into her mind. She could see the audience cheering for each performance and see herself at the judges’ table enjoying every minute. There were four judges on the panel now and a there was a new addition again that year with Paula Abdul being replaced by Ellen Degeneres. Ellen was very nice and easy to talk to, but Sundae was still learning to trust her as a friend. Her gaze roamed over to the stage and what was there made a lump rise in her throat. A gleaming, black grand piano sat at center stage and Sundae vividly remembered the times David had played it as part of a performance. She walked over to the piano and stood beside it, gently brushing her fingers across the keys and imagining David’s hands caressing them as a beautiful melody poured out. She loved hearing him play as much as she loved hearing him sing. She remembered some of the times he had played for her, either at his house or hers, and one song in particular jumped into her mind, one had written recently for her. She brushed her fingers over the keys again as she started to softly sing.
I’ve been thinking about you I drew a little picture But some things you can’t put on paper Like you shooting stars Or write songs on guitar Got more to do then stare at a mirror She swallowed back the lump, which was getting bigger, but before she could start again a new, and very familiar, voice joined her.
And I know, I know you’ve gotta be out there, out there I know, I know you’ve gotta be No I’m not wrong, I know I’m right I won’t let you just walk by What can I say? Baby, I know you are my life You are the one who’s here today When I turn the corner See my future in your beautiful face
You’re anything but typical A sweet surprise No matter what you’re looking at the bright side It’s gonna be worth it Cause that’s what love is No more searching, you’re my kind of perfect Sundae felt tears come to her eyes as she listened to the sweet, pure voice and heard the slight change in the lyric, one he’d made for her. She shivered when a pair of soft hands tenderly caressed her arms, the skin-to-skin contact sending waves of tingles throughout her body. She slowly turned in the embrace; looking into the shining eyes of the man she loved and joined her voice with his.
And I know, I know you’ve gotta be out there, out there I know, I know you’ve gotta be No I’m not wrong, I know I’m right I won’t let you just walk by What can I say? Baby, I know you are my life You are the one who’s here today When I turn the corner See my future in your beautiful face David gently drew Sundae close, his arms encircling her, and his hands caressing her back. Hers slipped up around his neck and their gazes locked as he sang the last of the song to her.
They said give it time Give it time and it will fall in line But I kept wondering how and when and why Then I met you No I’m not wrong, I know I’m right Ooooooh, woah, woah
You are the one who’s here today When I turn the corner See my future in your beautiful face No I’m not wrong, I know I’m right I won’t let you just walk by What can I say? Baby, I know you are my life You are the one who’s here today When I turn the corner See my future in your beautiful face
Oh, yeah, la la da la la la da la Oooh, woah, woah No more searching, you’re my kind of perfect They leaned in as he finished the song and, as he breathed the last notes against her lips, he captured them in a soft, passionate kiss. She hugged him tightly when they finally came up for air. “What are you doing here?” she whispered happily into his ear. “I’m performing tonight. I asked them to keep it a secret so I could surprise you,” he whispered back. She hugged him tighter. “That’s the best kind of surprise,” she said and then sniffed and tried to brush away her happy tears. He gently pushed her back and lifted his hands to cup her face. He then leaned in and kissed the tears from her cheeks and she let her eyes slip shut, savoring his tender touch. He then planted a soft kiss on her nose and trailed a few more across her forehead. He was just about to capture her lips again when voices from behind startled them. “Whoa! What’s going on in here?” asked a male voice. Sundae and David whirled around to see some of the new Idols watching them. The one who had spoken was a Latino guy in his twenties with a Buddy Holly look to him. “We were just leaving. We won’t be in your way if you need to rehearse,” Sundae said, reaching for David’s hand. “This is the new group?” he asked as they stepped around the piano and walked toward the Idols. “Yeah, they’re nothing like our group, though,” Sundae said, thinking of their friends from season seven. “They’re still good, though. They did really well last night,” David said and Sundae could tell from his tone that he wanted to be introduced. She gently squeezed his hand, knowing she could never refuse him anything. She turned to the new Idols. “Okay you guys, this is David. He’s the runner up from two seasons ago. David, meet the class of 2010; Crystal (pointing to a blonde who wore some of her hair in dreads), Siobhan (pointing to the other girl in the group who wore her light brown hair in a very 80s perm) Andrew (pointing to the Buddy Holly guy), Casey (pointing to a tall guy with shoulder-length curly blonde hair), Lee (pointing to a quiet brown haired guy with a tiny bit of a rocker look), Tim (pointing to a brown haired guy David’s age with a goofy grin), and Big Mike (pointing to a large African American guy who could’ve passed for a pro footballer),” she turned back to David, “There’s two more but they’re in school,” she said. He nodded. “Nice to meet all of you. You really were great last night,” he said with a friendly smile. “You, too and thanks. I think the nerves are still getting to some of us, though,” Big Mike said. “I hear you. I’m a little nervous just being here to perform,” David said. “Well, we can’t wait to hear you sing. Sundae’s told us how incredible you are,” Crystal said. David smiled. “Thanks,” he said. He turned his smile on Sundae and she returned it whole-heartedly. More scuffling behind them made them all turn around and they saw the some of the stage crew starting to rearrange the set up. Their director looked toward the Idols. “If you all want to warm up, we’ll be ready to start rehearsal in ten minutes,” he said. “Ryan said you wanted to run my number, too,” Sundae said. “We’ll run yours with the guest performers and we’re doing that a little later when these guys are done,” he said, nodding to the Idols. “Okay,” Sundae said. She and David then waved and headed backstage as the Idols turned to get ready for their rehearsal. Once backstage David looked to Sundae again. “Speaking of school, you’re not doing Idol School when you’re here?” he asked. She sighed. “Well for one, I’m not really here often enough and the rest is kind of a long story,” she said. Just then, by chance, the long story happened to approach them. The two teenage Idols, one guy and one girl, were headed out to join the others for rehearsal, but paused when they saw Sundae and David. “Oh hey, Sundae, I was hoping I’d see you,” the guy said. Sundae groaned inwardly. “What for?” she asked, keeping her tone polite. “I was gonna ask if you wanted to hit up the movies with me Saturday night? ‘Clash of the Titans’ looks awesome,” he said. Sundae sighed, this time loud enough to be heard, and gave the guy a look. “I cannot believe you Aaron. My boyfriend is standing right here and you still try to ask me out. What will it take to get it through your head?” she asked, now sounding annoyed. David stepped up beside her, slipping a protective arm around her, and Aaron immediately backed off. “Oh, oh my gosh,” he sputtered and turned about ten shades of red. The girl, who’d been quiet the whole time, came up beside him. “I swear, Aaron, we might call you Yoda, but you are so totally clueless,” she said, grabbing his arm. “Sorry about that, Sundae,” she said and dragged Aaron off toward the stage. “Were those the other two?” David asked once they were alone again. “Yeah, Katie and Aaron. And now you know why I don’t go to Idol School anymore. Aaron does that every chance he gets, no matter how many times I tell him about you,” Sundae said. “Well, hopefully now it got through,” David said and moved his protective arm from her waist to her shoulders as they turned and continued on down the hall. She leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked. “Hopefully it also got through to Tim. He’s tried a couple times, too,” she said. He held her closer and kissed the top of her head. A few moments later they reached her dressing room and went in and Sundae stepped over to her dressing table as David shut the door behind them. She smoothed her hair back from her face and swept it forward over her shoulder to brush it out. As she picked up her brush she felt David’s arms slip around her and she set it aside as she leaned into him. She let her eyes slip shut as he kissed the side of her head. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she murmured. “Me, too. Even though I’ve been out here more often of late, I still miss having real time with you,” David said. “I know what you mean,” Sundae agreed, turning enough that she could slide into his arms. They held each other for a few minutes and then she pulled back to look into his eyes. “So, what are you singing tonight? Or do I get to know?” she asked as she led him over to the sofa. He smiled. “You can know. I’m singing ‘Imagine’,” he said as they sat down. “I’ll have to remember to tell the makeup people to give me the water proof stuff. You’re gonna make me cry twice in one day,” Sundae said. He smiled even more and lifted one hand to stroke her cheek. “I love you, Dae,” he said, his gaze turning tender. “I love you, too. So much,” she replied. He leaned in then and their lips met with all the warmth of the love between them.
Sundae and David stayed together until it was time to get ready for the show and then David went back to his dressing room to change. Sundae, herself, slipped into a navy blue dress and matching shoes and then went for makeup. She wasn’t at all surprised to see David saying hello to all the crew there before sitting down for his own treatment. He tried to say hi to everyone when he visited the Idol studios. Sundae smiled at the scene as she stepped over to another chair and sat down. David saw her as he moved toward the chair next to hers and took hold of her hand as he sat beside her. “You look amazing,” he said with a loving smile. “So do you,” Sundae said, returning his smile. He wore a navy button down shirt and white slacks and a navy and light blue striped tie. On his feet were a pair of slip on loafers and she noticed he wasn’t wearing socks under them, which she found charming. He gently squeezed her hand as the makeup artists started their work. By the time makeup was done it was almost time for the show to start. Sundae and David walked together through the halls toward the stage. “I notice you decided to go sockless today,” Sundae said. “Yeah, it’s kind of the style with these shoes,” David said. “Well, I like it. Your hair looks great, too,” Sundae said. David smiled. “Thanks. Mom was after me to let it grow out, but I’m still not sure,” he said. “I like it as it is. More of it to run my fingers through,” she said. He pulled her closer and hugged her to him as they approached the stage. As they reached it they turned toward each other. “So, I’ll see you out there?” David asked. “You know it,” Sundae said. David drew her hand to his lips and kissed it and she beamed at him as she stepped away and headed out onto the stage.
Sundae performed her song, an acoustic version of ‘In My Life’, and then joined the judges at their table for the rest of the evening. She didn’t know the order of performance for the guest artists so she was a little nervous for David. The first to perform was newcomer Jason Derulo. He had a hip hop vibe a la Chris Brown and NeYo, and Sundae happened to like his current hit ‘In My Head’. Results were done in between performances and while all the girls were safe the guys were divided into two groups, one safe one not. During the next commercial Sundae was chatting with Randy and Ellen when she saw the piano being rolled out and a lone figure approaching it. David’s white slacks were obvious even with the lights down over the stage, and Sundae quickly turned her attention to the stage as he sat down on the piano bench. Ryan then stepped up in front of the table as the lights rose up again and the theme music played. “Welcome back to our celebration of Lennon and McCartney. Up next, an Idol alumnus who had a defining moment with a John Lennon song. Here is ‘Imagine’ from David Archuleta,” he said. The crowd applauded as the lights focused on David at the piano. He started to play the opening chords of the song and Sundae was surprised and pleased to see he was using the original melody instead of the Eva Cassidy arrangement he had sung before.
Imagine there’s no heaven It’s easy if you try No heck below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people Living for today
Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people Sharing all the world
You may say I’m a dreamer But I’m not the only one I hope someday you’ll join us And the world will live as one
You may say that I’m a dreamer But I’m not the only one Take my hand and join us And the world will live Will live as one By the end of the song, Sundae did indeed have tears in her eyes. She dabbed at them as the audience rose in a standing ovation and quickly joined them when her eyes were dry. David got up from the piano and bowed to the crowd as they applauded. Sundae beamed at him when their gazes met and he stepped toward her and held out his hand. Her smile only grew as she stood, went around the table, walked up the steps in front of it and took his hand. He drew her to him, hugging her lovingly, as they walked over to Ryan, who stood beside the couches. “Hey, good to see you,” he said to David. “You, too,” David said, offering a friendly hug. “So what have you been up to? You’ve been writing, I hear,” Ryan said. “Yeah, I’ve been writing and recording for the next album, which should hopefully be out soon. I’ve been working with a lot of different people coming up with different sounds and I’ll be back in New York next week to do more,” David said. “Very cool and um…you two are doing well, I presume?” Ryan asked and Sundae couldn’t help a smile at his being so predictable and asking about hers and David’s relationship. She felt David squeeze her hand and caught his smile as he answered Ryan. “We couldn’t be better,” he said. Ryan chuckled. “How long has it been now for you two?” he asked. “Almost two and half years,” Sundae said. Ryan whistled in amazement and the crowd applauded. “Wow, I think the longest relationship I had at your age was like two months,” Ryan said. The teens smiled, knowing what they had was indeed special. Ryan spoke to them for a couple more minutes and then turned back to results. Sundae and David headed offstage then and strolled along, ignoring the noise coming from the theatre behind them. “You were amazing out there, as always,” Sundae said. “Thanks. I didn’t even know it was time to sing until the show started up again. They said we were only doing a sound check,” David said. “I think maybe they know you get nervous in front of the judges, so they set it up so you wouldn’t have time to get nervous,” Sundae said. David looked thoughtful. “Well, if they did, I’m grateful. I didn’t even think to get nervous until we walked over to Ryan,” he said. “And you did just fine despite the nerves,” Sundae said. David hugged her to him. “So, I was thinking maybe dinner and a walk on the beach?” he suggested. She beamed. “I’d love that,” she said. He smiled and hugged her closer to him as they went into her dressing room. There they watched the rest of the show on a monitor and then went about getting their things together to leave. David had a driver catering to him, which made getting to their restaurant of choice much easier. They went to a romantic little bistro not far from Sundae’s neighborhood and enjoyed a light dinner with the sunset. Afterward, as they walked back outside, Sundae in David’s arms, a thought came to mind. “Did you call your dad?” David asked. “Yeah, I called him while I was packing earlier. He’s been busy working with the guys on another tour, so I think he’s grateful when any of us kids can find something to do that keeps us occupied,” Sundae said. David paused in his stride and turned to her, pulling her into his arms. “How ‘bout I keep you occupied for the night?” he suggested. She stepped closer, slipping her arms around him and kissed him deeply. “I was hoping you’d ask,” she said when they came up for air. He kissed her again and then held her close as they walked the rest of the way to their car.
A little while later they were driving through a beachside neighborhood in Huntington Beach, about an hour from LA. “You’re staying with your aunt this time?” Sundae asked, knowing that David had an aunt on his dad’s side in the area. “Yeah, it’s really convenient when I have to be out here for several days at a time,” David said. “Saves you money on hotels, too,” Sundae said. David grinned. “Oh yeah,” he said. The car made a right turn and Sundae saw that they were driving along the beach. She was surprised when they pulled up right by an entrance that led out on to the sand. “What are we doing?” she asked as he opened the car door. “Taking that walk we talked about,” David said and she beamed as he drew her out of the car and into his arms. “Is the car going to wait for us?” she asked after a moment. “My aunt’s house is just down that way, so there’s not really a need,” David said. “If you’re sure,” Sundae said. He tenderly kissed the side of her head. “I’m sure,” David said. He then gave the driver his aunt’s address so he could drop off their things and then led Sundae over to the little entrance and out on to the sand. They strolled in the moonlight enjoying each other’s company and the peace and beauty of the evening. At one point, as they walked, Sundae suddenly turned to face David and threw her arms around him, holding him as tight as she could. His arms quickly encircled her, too, and he lifted her off of her feet and spun her around. She laughed happily, pillowing her head on his shoulder. “Don’t ever let go,” she murmured into his ear as he set her back on her feet. “I never could,” he murmured back, his grip tightening around her.
A little while later they walked down to his aunt’s house and up a small flight of steps on to the back patio. Sundae started to step toward the door, but David gently held her back. Their eyes met as he drew her to him and she felt herself transported back two summers to when they had been on the Idol tour together. Her mind took her to the most wonderful day of that tour…the day she and David had first said ‘I love you’. He had kissed her goodnight on the front steps of his house that night and she felt the same rush of warmth she had felt then. He slowly leaned in, their lips meeting with the passion between them. They held each other close when they finally came up for air, not wanting to let go. A soft tapping noise made them both jump in alarm, but when they turned around they breathed sighs of relief when they saw his aunt peeking out the window at them. They turned to the door and she opened it to let them in. “Hi Aunt Lauri, sorry if we scared you,” David said as he and Sundae came inside. His aunt enfolded him in a hug. “It’s alright. You know I can never be mad at you,” she said. “I know,” he said with a little chuckle. He then turned and pulled Sundae forward. “You remember Sundae, right?” he said to his aunt. She smiled. “Oh of course. It’s good to see you. How’ve you been?” she asked, giving Sundae a hug. “I’ve been good, how ‘bout you?” Sundae said. “I can’t complain, especially when I have my angel here visiting me,” his aunt said, hugging David from the side. He nodded modestly. “So it’s a little late for you two to be hanging out,” his aunt said. “Um…well she’s actually staying the night, but only if it’s okay with you,” David said. His aunt gently patted his arm. “It’s fine, I just hope I can make the couch comfortable,” she said. Sundae and David traded looks. They had shared a bed before and were perfectly comfortable doing so, but they didn’t know what his aunt would say. “Actually the couch won’t be necessary,” David said and couldn’t help blushing. His aunt looked at him for a moment before it dawned on her. “Oh. I probably shouldn’t ask, in fact I know I shouldn’t ask, but you two have…shared before?” she asked. “When we went to Hawaii last summer,” Sundae said. “And your parents didn’t mind?” his aunt asked. “We didn’t do what you’re thinking. We’ve both committed to waiting til marriage,” David said. His aunt let out a breath. “Oh, okay. Your dads would probably both kill me otherwise,” she said. She then went to get extra pillows and blankets for Sundae, leaving the two alone in the kitchen. “Are you ready to crash now or could you stay up a little longer?” David asked. “I could stay up a bit, but we shouldn’t keep your aunt up if she’s ready for bed,” Sundae said. “True,” David agreed. His aunt then reappeared toting two pillows. “I’ll put these on guest bed and there’s blankets, too, but if you didn’t bring something to sleep in, I’m not sure I have anything that would fit you,” she said to Sundae. She was close to Sundae’s height, but rounder. Thus most of her things would be too big. “It’s okay. I can borrow a shirt from David,” Sundae said. “Alright, just let me know if you need anything and feel free to watch some TV if you’re not tired yet,” his aunt said and then went back down the hall. “Your aunt’s really nice,” Sundae said as she and David walked out into the living room and over toward the sofa. “Yeah, she is. She’s always doing little things for me or surprising me with stuff. Like she got me this little hand held travel steamer for my clothes, she’s taken me to a couple musicals in LA and she even surprised me with John Mayer tickets once,” David said as they sat down. “Seriously?” Sundae asked and he nodded. “Wow, I wish my aunts would do stuff like for me,” she said. “Your aunt Rhea does,” David pointed out. Sundae smiled. “Very true and uncle Mark’s scored me good concert tickets, too,” Sundae said. David smiled and slipped his arm around her, hugging her to him, as he turned on the TV. They surfed the channels for a while and watched a few minutes of CNN and E News before calling it a night. It turned out that the guest room had its own bathroom so Sundae didn’t have to worry about trying to find one. David loaned her a t-shirt and she went to change, giving him privacy in the bedroom. He was waiting for her in bed when she came out and she set her bag on a chair and moved to join him. He turned toward her as she settled down beside him and she was surprised to see a small box in his hand. “What’s that?” she asked. “Well, I know I’m a little early again, but I don’t know what my schedule will be past this week, so I wanted to make sure you got it. Happy early birthday, Dae,” he said. She beamed at him as she took the box in her hand. Her seventeenth birthday was still two weeks away, but she didn’t mind at all getting her gift early. She popped open the box to find a pair of gold heart earrings that perfectly matched the gold heart necklace he had given her two years earlier. She turned to him, slid her hand behind his head and drew him down for a kiss. “Thank you so much,” she murmured when they came up for air. “You’re welcome,” he whispered back. She looked up into his eyes, an observation from earlier coming to her mind. “I was just thinking, earlier when Aaron tried to ask me out you didn’t get insecure afterward like I’ve seen you do before,” she said. He smiled. “I did feel it a little. I still wonder what I did to deserve you, but I know it happened for a reason,” he said. She brushed her fingers against his cheek. “I’m glad you know now that I chose you. You and no one else,” she said. “And I chose you,” he said as he leaned in again. She reached behind her and set the box on the nightstand and then let him pull her into his arms. This time when they came up for air he reached behind and switched off the light and then wrapped her in his arms again as they drifted off to sleep, wanting nothing more than to hold on to these moments while they still had them.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 22:05:43 GMT -5
Book 4 Epilogue: June 4th, 2010
It was the end of the school day and the end of the week and Sundae, now seventeen, was quickly pulling what she’d need for weekend homework from her locker. She was just finishing when Dana and Cara walked up. “Hey Dae, we’re gonna go over to the mall. Wanna come?” Cara asked. “I can’t today,” Sundae said. “You need to study or something?” Dana asked. “No, I’m meeting David,” Sundae replied. Dana giggled. “Come on, Dae. You guys have been together practically every day since he’s been in LA so much and you just saw him at the Idol finale last week. Can’t you take one day off to hang with us?” she asked. “Look, I just can’t today. This…is our last day,” Sundae said. Dana’s eyes widened. “I am so sorry, Dae. I totally forgot,” she said. “Forgot what?” Cara asked. Dana looked to Sundae and she nodded. “David’s leaving for his church mission this weekend,” Dana said. Cara gasped. “Oh God, Dae, I am so sorry. I wouldn’t have even asked if I’d known,” she said. “It’s okay, but I’ve gotta go,” Sundae said. “Tell David we love him and we hope he stays safe,” Dana said. Sundae managed a small smile. “I will, thanks D,” she said and then turned and hurried out of the school. Once outside she scanned around through the crowds of students and spotted David leaning on a car she knew was a rental. He had told her he was driving to LA instead of flying to save on travel expenses. The church didn’t pay for anything with missions. David happened to glance up then and saw Sundae watching him and she ran down the front steps and across the lawn toward him. When she reached him, she let her backpack fall off her shoulders as she launched herself into his arms. He grabbed her up in a tight hug and she could already feel tears forming when she felt the warmth of his breath on her neck. They held onto each other for several minutes and when they finally pulled back Sundae could see her own sadness mirrored in David’s eyes. “I wish this day never had to come,” she said quietly. “I know,” he agreed. They gazed at each other a moment longer and she then turned and picked up her backpack. “I packed for tonight and my dad knows I’ll be with you,” she said. “Good. I’ve already got something special planned. I want you to have this night to remember while we’re apart,” David said. “I already know I will,” Sundae said. David smiled and took her bag as they turned to the car. He put her bag in the back and then helped her into the front passenger seat before going around to the driver’s seat.
A little while later they were cruising down the freeway headed toward Pasadena. Sundae looked out the window, watching the world go by. “So, where are we going?” she asked. “You know what I say about surprises,” David said. She giggled lightly. “I know, I just thought maybe this once…” she trailed off. “You’ll see,” he said. Ten minutes later they pulled off the freeway and drove down a residential street. They passed many beautiful homes before pulling onto a small thoroughfare. Almost immediately they pulled off the road and into a parking lot. Flowering trees shaded many of the slots and a gate loomed large at the head of the lot. “What is this place?” Sundae asked as they got out of the car and walked up toward the gate. “Some place special,” David said and Sundae noticed a sign that read, Descanso Gardens “A garden?” she asked. “Yeah. Aunt Lauri told me about it. She’s been here a few times,” he said. She started to smile, but as they approached the gate she noticed a sign with the garden’s public hours listed on it. “According to that sign, they’re about to close,” she said. “We have a special pass,” David said as they walked up to a window like those at theatre box offices. David spoke to the guy running admissions and he checked through some notes before responding. “You can go on in. We close in ten minutes, so everyone’s pretty much gone,” he said. “Thank you,” David said and then turned to Sundae. “What are you up to?” she asked. “You’ll see,” he said as they walked into the garden. They saw a small café to their left, a gift shop to the right and a path leading ahead of them into the garden. The day’s visitors had all cleared out and everything was quiet as they walked out into an open square with a fountain and beds overflowing with flowers of all kinds and colors; irises in all shades of purple, pansies, violas, tulips and more. “Oh wow,” Sundae said as she looked around. “I’m glad you like it, since it’s ours for the evening. I thought we’d walk around and then I’ve got a special surprise,” David said. Sundae turned and hugged him tightly. “Thank you so much,” she said. “Anything for you,” he said.
They walked around the garden for a while enjoying beds with multiple flower types, a grove of lilacs and a forest of camellia trees. There were lights along the paths among these trees creating a very romantic atmosphere. As dusk started to fall David led the way away from the camellias and along the path toward the other side of the garden. As they neared an opening in a hedge David turned to Sundae. “Close your eyes, love,” he said. Sundae smiled and let her eyes close and he took her hands and led her along. After about twelve steps they stopped and she felt him come to stand behind her. “Open your eyes,” he said softly into her ear and she did. She gasped as she looked all around them. Surrounding them on all sides were dozens of rose bushes in all colors and shades. There were irises of all colors edging many of the flowerbeds and twinkling lights in the surrounding trees. “This is so beautiful,” Sundae said as she stepped over to a rose bush and touched the soft petals of one of the blooms. “It’s not as beautiful as you,” David said. Sundae turned to look at him and felt the tears come again when she saw the pure, unadulterated love in his eyes. She stepped back over to him and threw her arms around him again. “I love you so much,” she choked out. He hugged her as tightly as he could for several moments and then pulled back enough so that he could lean in and kiss her softly. “I love you, too, and there’s more yet to see,” he said. She beamed leaned into him as they walked along the path. They soon approached an open gazebo and Sundae gasped again when she saw a picnic dinner for two lit by dozens of tea light candles. She turned and hugged David again and he then led her over to the picnic. They sat down side-by-side on the blanket and helped themselves to the sandwiches, salad and fresh fruit that comprised the meal. They both ate slowly, trying to savor every moment of the evening and drink in every ounce of each other. When they finished dinner, Sundae slid over to David and he pulled her as close as he could in his arms. They sat together for a while, not wanting to move or let go of each other. When they did finally pull apart David gently brushed his fingers through Sundae’s hair. “There’s one more thing I have to show you if you’re up for it?” he said. “Anything with you,” Sundae replied. He smiled and helped her up and led her along back toward the front of the garden. He paused at one of the last rose bushes and plucked a soft pink bloom and wove it into her hair. She caught his hand as he started to pull it back and kissed his fingers. She smiled and stepped close to him, letting him take her in his arms, as they walked on. They walked back across the main lawn and through part of the camellia forest. Suddenly, Sundae noticed that the trees had turned to bamboo stalks. The next thing she saw was a pagoda ahead of them on the path. She and David walked up to it and on to its porch. There were lights here, too, and soft music flowed from a speaker. A koi pond ran along under the walkway trickling down in a couple little waterfalls. “This is beautiful, too,” Sundae said. “I thought you might like it. The pagoda is a tea house, but we have it to ourselves tonight,” David said. Sundae turned to him. “Thank you for thinking of and arranging this. I’ll never forget this night and I’ll keep it close while…while you’re…” she broke off as tears started to overwhelm her. David wrapped her in his arms and held her close. “I’ll keep it close, too. I’ll be living it over every second we’re apart,” he whispered. “Me, too,” she said and hugged him as though she would never let go.
Two hours later, Sundae and David got back to LA and went to the hotel where David was staying for the night. It was past eight and they decided to relax and watch TV before going to sleep for the night. They both got changed into their pajamas and then settled together in bed. Sundae cuddled close to David as they flipped through the channels, looking for something to watch. She wasn’t even all that interested in the TV, to be honest. She was content to just be close to David, relishing the feel of him and memorizing every last bit of him. He noticed how quiet she was. “You okay?” he asked her. Sundae lifted her head from his shoulder. “I don’t know. The love of my life is leaving tomorrow and I’m just trying to keep my heart together,” she said and her voice faltered slightly as she finished. David put the TV remote aside and then wrapped his arms around her, pulling her on top of him. “I’m just trying to not to think about it. I don’t want the pain to come before it has to,” he said. “I know what you mean,” Sundae said with a soft sigh. David stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. “I wish I could take you with me,” he murmured. She smiled at that. “I do, too, but our parents might worry we’ll elope while we’re at it,” she said. David chuckled softly and then lifted his hand to stroke her cheek. “I want to do that right. With all our friends and family and you looking like an angel all in white,” he said. Sundae felt her tears coming. “You have no idea how I’ve dreamed of that…and how much I want it,” she said, her voice becoming a whisper at the end as her tears started. He gently wiped them away and drew her down for a passionate kiss. They stayed close together, their noses touching, when they pulled back and he gently stroked her cheek as he started to sing softly.
Highway run Into the midnight sun Wheels go round and round You’re on my mind Restless hearts Sleep alone tonight Sending all my love Along the wire
They say that the road Ain’t no place to start a family Right down the line It’s been you and me And lovin’ a music man Ain’t always what it’s supposed to be Oh, girl, you stand by me Sundae looked up and their eyes met as she joined him on the last lines.
I’m forever yours Faithfully He slid his hand behind her head, drawing her down into another passionate kiss. They rolled to the side and her arms wrapped firmly and securely around him, never wanting to let him go. They fell asleep, still wrapped in each other’s arms, a short time later and Sundae prayed that some miracle would stop the morning from coming.
No matter how much they didn’t want it to, morning came right on schedule. When Sundae woke up she was still wrapped securely in David’s arms and she snuggled deeper into them, never wanting to move. She felt their grip on her tighten and she looked up to see David gazing back at her. He lifted his hand to stroke her cheek and she felt the tears coming as she laid a hand alongside his face, too. “I can’t lose you,” she whispered. “I can’t lose you either,” David said, but they both knew they didn’t have a choice. They lay together for as long as they could and then slowly got up and started to get ready for the day. By eleven am they were at LAX airport. Sundae stood back as David checked in for his flight and they then walked over to the security gates, stepping off to one side, where they wouldn’t be in the way of other travelers. David put his carry on bag down by his feet and then pulled Sundae into his arms holding her as tightly as he could. She held on just as tightly, never wanting to let go. They simply stood and held each other for quite a while and, after several minutes, Sundae pulled back to see David’s face. His eyes were as red and tear swollen as her own, and there were tear trails down his cheeks. She lifted her hand and gently brushed a few fresh tears from his face as she started to sing softly.
Saying goodbye Is never an easy thing But you never said That you’d stay forever So if you must go Well, darlin’, I’ll set you free But I know in time That we’ll be together Oh, I won’t try To stop you now from leaving Cause in my heart I know
Love will lead you back Someday I just know that Love will lead you back to my arms Where you belong I’m sure, sure as stars are shining One day you will find me again It won’t be long One of these days Our love will lead you back
One of these nights I’ll hear your voice again And you’re gonna say Oh, how much you missed me You walk out this door But someday you’ll walk back in Oh, darling, I know I know this will be Sometimes it takes Some time out on your own now To find your way back home
Love will lead you back Someday I just know that Love will lead you back to my arms Where you belong I’m sure, sure as stars are shining One day you will find me again It won’t be long One of these days Our love will lead you back
One of these days Our love will lead you back
Sundae’s voice was a choked whisper on the last words and David swept her into his arms again, both of them breaking down. “I promise I’ll write. I’ll write everyday, and I’ll call when I can,” he said. “Me, too,” Sundae choked out. “Promise me one thing?” David asked. “Anything,” Sundae said. “Promise that you’ll never forget I love you,” he said. Sundae felt a wave of fresh tears. “I could never forget. I love you with every ounce of my being,” she said. Again, they held each other for a long while and this time it was David who pulled back. He quickly leaned in again, though, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. He made it last until they were both desperate for air and he leaned his forehead against hers. “Hold on to that until I can kiss you again,” he murmured. He then stepped back, holding on to her hand until the last possible second before he had to turn to go through the security gate. The tears starting streaming from her eyes as he showed his passport and stepped over to an escalator. He turned and looked back at her as he rode up and she was thrust back to when she had spent the weekend with him for his senior ball. She had looked back at him from an escalator when she left for her flight home and now she was watching him as he rode up and away. He paused at the top and looked down at her for a long moment. He mouthed ‘I love you’ one last time and she returned it before he turned and disappeared from her sight. Sundae then really broke down. She moved over to a bench and sank on to it, sobbing as if her heart would break. She suddenly felt someone touching her shoulder and she looked up, her heart hoping for a moment, but she broke down again when she saw that it was only a security guard. “You gonna be alright, honey?” the guard asked as she knelt next to Sundae. She couldn’t respond for all her sobbing. The guard gently rubbed her shoulder. “I’ve been through something like this, so trust me when I say that you will see him again,” she said. Sundae only continued to sob, her heart aching with memories.
After a while Sundae finally managed to get up and go out to find a cab. When she got home, she went straight to her room, not wanting to see anyone, and there she picked up one her many pictures of David and held it close to her heart as she lay down on her bed. “I don’t care what it takes, I swear I’m going to find you and be with you again someday. And, when that day comes, I’ll never, ever let you go,” she whispered feeling her tears coming on again. She buried her head in her pillow, still clutching the picture, and cried once more, praying with all her heart and soul that God would help her keep going and bring David back to her arms safely and soon.
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Post by Charlotte on Mar 27, 2012 22:06:04 GMT -5
Love Is A Song
Entr ‘acte
Wish You Were Here
Los Angeles September 2010
Seventeen-year-old Sundae Wahlberg was just trying to keep going. Normally, she would’ve been hanging out with friends and getting ready to go back to school, especially since it was her senior year, but her mind and her heart were far away from her Beverly Hills life. They were with her boyfriend, nineteen-year-old David Archuleta, who was overseas serving a mission for his church. It had been three months since he’d left and there were still twenty-one months left before he’d be back. A mission was supposed to last two years. Sundae missed him more than anything and nothing was the same without him, especially music, which they had always shared. It was now Labor Day weekend and just days before school started. All of Sundae’s family; her parents, siblings, aunt, uncle and little cousins, were all gathered at Sundae’s parents’ house for a family cookout. Most everyone was out in the huge backyard, the kids playing in the pool and the adults sitting on the patio, sipping drinks and chatting while dinner sizzled on the grill. Sundae, however, wasn’t in the mood and stayed inside. She sat on a couch in the living room, watching some of the outside activity and writing in her song journal. She looked up when the sliding glass door opened and saw her mom coming in. “Hi sweetie, you should come join us. It’s a gorgeous day,” she said. “I’m not really up for it right now, mom,” Sundae said. “Honey…” her mom started to say. “Mom, please don’t start. This is really hard for me…I miss him so much,” she said, blinking back a tear. “I know, but he wants you to go on with your life and not dwell on it, doesn’t he?” her mom said. “Yeah, but it’s not the same without him,” Sundae said, her voice wavering. Her mom stepped over and hugged her. “I know how hard it is. I went through this more times with your dad than I care to recount,” she said. “Maybe, but dad was never gone for two years straight,” Sundae said. “Well, I can’t argue with that. Just try to continue enjoying things like you always have and keep up with your other relationships. I know you miss him, but you can’t let it overwhelm your life,” her mom said. “I know and I will come out for dinner, but I just want to be alone for now,” Sundae said with a soft sigh. “I understand. Why don’t you turn on some music? That always works for me when I need a pick-me-up,” her mom said. “Thanks, mom,” Sundae said. Her mom then turned and went into the kitchen and Sundae stepped over to the stereo. She switched it on and saw that it was set to CD mode and a disk was in the player. It started to play and when she heard the soothing melody, she settled on it and moved back to the sofa. She picked up her journal again, but as she started to write the next song to start completely grabbed her attention. Its words threw her back in her mind to the day she wished so much had never happened.
They kissed goodbye At the terminal gate She said ‘You’re gonna be late If you don’t go’ Images of the day David had left flooded Sundae’s mind and a lump rose in her throat.
He held her tight Said ‘I’ll be alright I’ll call you tonight And let you know She could still feel David’s last embrace and taste his last kiss and she still remembered when he had called her after arriving at his destination.
He bought a postcard On the front it just said Heaven With a picture of the ocean And the beach And the simple words he wrote her Said he loved her and they told her How he’d hold her if his arms would reach
Wish you were here Wish you could see this place Wish you were near Wish I could touch your face The weather’s nice It’s paradise It’s summertime all year And there’s some folks we know They say hello I miss you so Wish you were here By now Sundae was completely in tears. The song reminded her too much of David and when he had left and it was just too painful. Just then the music ended and she looked up to see her mom by the radio, having just turned it off. “I am so sorry, honey. I forgot I had that CD in there,” she said as she came over and sat with Sundae and hugged her. “Th-that song…th-that’s what h-happened wh-when he left,” Sundae sobbed. “Oh, honey,” her mom said. Sundae had never told her what had happened that day, she had let it be, knowing it was painful. The door slid open again and Sundae looked up to see her dad come in. “Everything okay?” he asked as he came over and knelt next to her. “I left a CD in the stereo and one of the songs got to her,” Mrs. Wahlberg said. “It wasn’t you know who, was it?” Mr. Wahlberg asked. “No, but it reminded her of him,” Mrs. Wahlberg said. Sundae got up from the couch. “Please, just let me be alone,” she said and ran out of the room. She ran upstairs and into her room and fell onto her bed. She buried her head in her pillow and let herself cry. The ache in her heart was almost too much to bear and she had no idea what she would do for another twenty-one months. She had no idea how long she’d been crying, when she heard a knock on her door. She looked up as her dad poked his head in. “You okay?” he asked. “How am I supposed to do this for two years?” Sundae choked out. Her dad sighed. “I don’t know, but maybe this will help,” he said as he held out an envelope. Sundae took it and more tears came when she saw the return address. “I had a hunch and checked the mail,” her dad said and then turned and left her alone. Sundae opened the envelope and brought out a card. When she saw the picture her heart nearly stopped.
He bought a postcard On the front it just said Heaven With a picture of the ocean And the beach It was just like the song. The picture was a sunset beach scene with waves crashing on the sand and the tiny silhouette of a couple walking in the surf. She opened the card and read his heart felt words, words that could have been lyrics themselves. This is where I want to be Alone with you beside the sea I’ll hold you in my arms And kiss you from my heart Underneath the stars above Just you and me, my only love
Thinking of you always and loving you even longer David Sundae brushed away more tears. She wanted to be with David just as much as he wanted to be with her. She turned and picked up a picture of the two of them that she kept on her nightstand. He was holding her from behind and she was leaning into him, her eyes closed in pure bliss. As she gazed at his face in the picture the words of the song came back to her and she began to sing in a whisper,
Wish you were here Wish you could see this place Wish you were near I wish I could touch your face The weather’s nice, it’s paradise It’s summertime all year There’s some folks we know They say hello I miss you so Wish you were here Sundae lay back down holding the card and picture, letting her tears continue to fall. “I wish you were here, David,” she murmured and she sent a silent prayer to God that the two years would go by as quickly as possible.
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