The Summer I Learned to Dive - By Shannon McCrimmon Page 0,50
a lot of hoe downs in Tampa,” he said. He chewed on some food.
“No.” I shook my head. “I’ve never been to a dance,” I said unabashed.
“Oh,” he said reflecting. “Well, it’s good you finally got the chance to go to one then.”
“Have you been to one before?” I asked, curious about other girls he may have danced with.
“Sure.” He shrugged. “I went to my senior prom with the most boring date. You’re much better company.” He nudged me lightly sending an electric current directly from my arm to my heart. Was he indicating that I was his date?
“Thanks,” I said blushing.
As he finished his meal, I watched the other people dancing. “Do you want to dance again?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said too eagerly. I wanted to be close to him, to hold his hand again.
He took my plate and cup and threw them in the trash can. I followed him to the dance floor. We danced with each other the rest of the night, having fun and forgetting time. It felt like it was just the two of us out on the dance floor. I forgot about everyone else.
The evening came to an abrupt end, too soon for me. Most of the people had left and we were still on the dance floor, holding on to each other, swaying back and forth to the slow tempo. The band promised one last song for those of us left. It was a slow song, perfect for that moment. Jesse took my hands and lifted them up, gently wrapping them around his warm neck. He placed his hands on my hips and we swayed gently back and forth to Bob Dylan’s Forever Young. We looked into each other’s eyes, and in that moment, he took my breath away. The song ended too soon. I wanted the moment to last forever. I hoped that the image would be plastered in my mind for a lifetime. I unwrapped my hands from around his neck and let them drop to my hips. He took one of my hands and held it, lacing my fingers with his. It was the first time he had held my hand like that and I didn’t want to let go. We walked toward Nana. She saw us and smiled, her eyes focused on our hands. She gave me a quick wink.
“Jesse, will you take Finn home for me? I have to stay and help clean up,” she said. But most of the cleaning had been done already. I didn’t see much for her to do.
“Sure,” he said and smiled at me. I tried not to look too eager but deep down I was excited I would have the chance to be alone with him again.
“Where’s Grandpa?” I asked looking around the barn.
“Oh, he snuck out a couple of hours ago,” she laughed. “He always does that. Thanks again, Jesse.” It was her way of saying go on.
Jesse and I walked outside. The perfect gentleman, he unlocked my door and opened it for me first. I leaned over and unlocked his door for him.
“Thanks,” he said sitting down. I caught another whiff of his cologne. He smelled earthy and sweet. I inhaled slightly, just enough to capture his fragrance. He started the ignition and we were on our way. He turned on the radio. I hummed along.
“It’s so pretty here,” I said.
“Yeah, it is. But this is nothing compared to Dixon State Park,” he said.
“Where’s that?” I asked.
“It’s about twenty miles from here. It’s beautiful, lots of waterfalls and great hiking trails. We should go,” he offered. I wondered if he was asking me on a date.
“Yeah. That would be great,” I said.
“How about on Monday?” he asked.
“Okay,” I said trying to quell my excitement.
“Great. I’ll pick you up about nine in the morning,” he said. “You’ll want to wear tennis shoes, not flip flops,” he said pointing to my feet and smiled.
Just then, his phone rang. “Hello?” he answered. I saw his forehead crease, his facial expression change. He looked stressed. “I’ll be there soon,” he said and hung up. He sighed heavily.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. I could feel the tension.
He shook his head, “It’s nothing.” I could tell he was lying. It was something, something major. His whole demeanor changed as soon as he took that phone call.
“Is something wrong?” I asked but I knew the answer. The answer was yes and it probably had to do with his father. He didn’t answer me. He stayed focused, looking at