Monday, September 28, 2015

Sea of Love

"Do you remember
When we met?
That's the day I knew you were my pet
I want to tell you
How much I love you
Come with me my love
To the sea 
The sea of love
I want to tell you
How much I love you" Sea of Love by Phil Phillips" (I love The Honeydrippers version)

By the time we boarded the plane, I figured out we were headed for Miami, Florida. I was so excited to spend the whole weekend with him, it didn't matter where we were. When we arrived in Miami, Trevor led me to pick up the rental he reserved. After Trevor signed the necessary paperwork, another salesperson took us to a silver Chevrolet Corvette.

"You couldn't get a red one?" I said with a wide grin as he popped the trunk to put our bags in.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "You know how long it took to find any convertible for this weekend?"

"No way. Convertibles are popular in Florida?" I said, teasingly.

"I know, who woulda thunk? I thought it was only popular in California." Trevor said, in an exaggerated accent.

I laughed. Our first interactions in college consisted of Trevor teasing me. At first, I didn't know know what to make of a good looking, charming guy paying me attention, but I enjoyed it. That changed when I saw how super friendly he was with everyone. It hurt the little pride I had, but it also made me comfortable enough to speak to him.

Our earliest conversation was small talk about where we were from. He made a silly comment about me having a convertible and living on the beach because I was from California. I informed him I didn't live on the coast and I would love to have any car- convertible or not.

In return, I asked him the name of his horse and what kind of truck he drove. He laughed at me and it was the start of our beautiful friendship. Friendship turned into a full blown crush for me. That crush turned into a torturous, unrequited love. Now, he was whisking me away for surprised trips instead of partying with his friends.

Who woulda thunk indeed.

We got in the car and I offered to plugged in the address on the GPS while Trevor figured out how to put the top down on the corvette.

"Key Largo?" I said, reading the address out loud. "Oh, Key Largo!!!" I exclaimed, thinking of the Kokomo song.

"Yep, we gonna take a trip through the Keys. Starting in Key Largo ending in Key West." Trevor informed me, starting the car

I leaned over and gave him a hug. "I hate that you missed your Austin trip, but I'm so glad that you did. This is going to be amazing."

"Austin will be there and spending time with you is always amazing." He put his arm around me.

I moved in closer and gave him a kiss. "I appreciate this so much... thank you."

"Thank you for coming with me." He said.

"You didn't give me much of a choice. You made my friends leave me." I said, sarcastically.

"They'll be there when we get back." He winked at me.

When I tried to look up and plan stops for the drive to Key West the next day, Trevor stopped me and told me he had it under control.

"We're going with the flow. No plans, let's just see what we find." Trevor urged me.

I conceded and decided to make a beach playlist for our drive instead.

We arrived at our hotel in Key Largo around 2am Saturday morning. We got checked in and went to our room.

"Are you tired?" He asked, sitting on the bed.

"No. I think I'm too excited." I replied.

"Wanna show me what you had planned for Sunday night?" He asked, letting me know he saw the note I wrote him.

I pretended like I was thinking about it. "You ruined all my plans with your impromptu trip." I said as I straddled his lap.

"I'm sure we can come up with something else." He smiled up at me.

"Let's hope so." I said as I leaned in for a kiss.



The next day, we didn't wake up until right before check out, which was good considering what time we finally went to sleep. We got dressed, grabbed some fruit for breakfast, and started our road trip. We put the top down, played my Beach playlist and enjoyed the warm weather, the wind whipping through our hair and the scenery. We stopped in Islamorada for lunch. We went to this great place on the docks. They did boat rentals and charters but also had a restaurant/bar and a tourist shop.

Trevor ate a fish sandwich and I devoured meaty conch fritters with an ice cold beer. I wasn't a fan of the pelicans hanging around the tables, so I ate quickly. On the way out, Trevor made me bypass the shop to purchase a bucket of bait to fed the tarpons. We both got a shock of our lives when one shot out of the water and latched onto Trevor's hand to get the fish.

After it returned to the water, we both cracked up laughing. I pulled out my phone to record the next time he fed the fish. When it was my turn, I was much more prepared. I released the bait and moved my arm away as soon as the tarpon popped up.

We were driving through Marathon when Trevor pointed out a sign for a tourist shop. He stopped there for me. It was a huge store filed with Florida, nautical, and ocean themed souvenirs. I automatically started shopping for my friends.

30 minutes in, Trevor was rushing me along. I sent him away to get jewelry for Krista and April while I looked for a gift for Robbie.

"I got shell necklaces for the girls. You're getting Robbie candy?" Trevor asked when he rejoined me.

"No, I was looking for something for Forrest. I got Robbie a blow up beach ball." I told him.

He looked down at the Apple watch I bought him. "We gotta get going Lily. We're running behind."

"What for? What happened to go with the flow T-Rev?"

"We need to speed the flow up." He countered.

"Sorry. I'm on island time." I said, smiling at him.

"You're not going to have time to get ready for tonight."

"What's going on tonight?" I asked heading to the front to check out.

"It's a surprise."

I stopped shopping when he promised me we would have time Sunday to shop in Key West. We drove across the 7 Mile Bridge that connected Marathon to the Lower Keys. I took so many pictures as we drove across. It was gorgeous. Trevor didn't make anymore stops and we drove straight to Key West. Unfortunately, we got caught in traffic stemming for an accident. Trevor kept checking the time on his watch and the dashboard.

"Babe, relax. I don't need any more surprises. This trip was enough." I said, resting my arm on his shoulder. He nodded but didn't say anything. It wasn't like him at all to be so high strung. I massaged him when I felt how tense he was. He was the one saying go with the flow. Why was he freaking out so much?

Escape came on and I turned it up.

"I hate how catchy this damn song is."

Trevor looked over at me. "What do you have against pina coladas?"

"Nothing. It's the lyrics I don't like. The couple was trying to cheat, found each other out and laughed it off."

"What?"

"Yeah. Have you listened to the lyrics?"

"Not really."

I started the song over and turned it up. At the end, Trevor grinned at me.

"I never paid attention. Kinda funny they found one another."

"No, not funny. They both deserved to be punch in the face."

Trevor chuckled. "Your solution to everything is punching someone in the face."

I shrugged. "If it works."

"Why did you put it on your playlist?"

"I needed beach music besides Bob Marley and the Beach Boys."

"How bout Margaritavile? Two Tickets to Paradise? Or Summer Breeze?" He suggested.

I immediately added them to my playlist and Trevor sang along to the songs I didn't even think about. The traffic and Trevor's mood greatly improved. We got to Key West early in the evening, but still too late for what Trevor planned. As I checked us into a lovely Victorian style bed and breakfast, I overheard him asking about rescheduling on the phone. Apparently, he was able to for Sunday. We had the whole evening open now.

"Can we do a food crawl again?" I asked him as I unpacked the new jumpsuit I bought in our suite.

"Yeah, we can do that."

I took a quick, ho-bath in the sink. I felt bad already about delaying Trevor's plans; I didn't want him waiting on me. I wiped myself down with a soapy towel before drying off and spraying myself with body mist. I left my hair down, the natural wavy texture of it in the humidity hopefully passing for beach waves. I skipped make-up all together besides a little gloss and put back on my flip flops.

Trevor was in the front house, speaking to the concierge while waiting for me. Sally, the concierge, was giving Trevor directions to places close to us. We thanked her and started off. There were a ton of different shops, attractions and restaurants on the waterfront. Our first stop was my pick, an oyster bar. I had mine raw while Trevor ordered his fried. We also took advantage of the happy hour, trying a Key Lime martini and a Key West sunset lager.

Trevor's pick was a rooftop restaurant that boasted a new-island cuisine. I tried, and loved, lobster gnocchi and Trevor had a steak with a bacon bourbon sauce. I made fun of him for ordering steak, on an island, but I ate my words when I tried the sauce. I would have licked it off his plate, if we weren't at a public restaurant.

The roof top had a bird's eye view of Mallory Square. Sally informed us of a sunset festival that was taking place there. We took a break on our food crawl to check it out. At the square, there were vendors selling food, drinks and trinkets and street performers from musicians to jugglers.

We wandered around, checking out the performers and vendors. We sampled coconut water straight from a coconut and munched on fresh guacamole and chips while watching a variety show. It featured a man and his dog riding unicycles. Trevor and I joked about training Justine. We both knew there was no way: my baby was so spoiled, she didn't even sit when ordered to. I found her a squeaky turtle and also a cute stuffed turtle for Rocky's unborn baby. There was so much to do and see, I was kinda glad we missed whatever Trevor had planned. I thought going with the flow was working out for us just fine.

We tried to find a spot to view the sunset, but we would have been better staying at the rooftop restaurant, thanks to the numerous boats and ships; They blocked the view from the ground.

"Stupid ships." I complained.

"C'mon. Sally recommended a place for dessert."

The mention of dessert perked me up. The name of the place promised outstanding desserts. After seeing the crowd at Better Than Sex Desserts, I hoped it came through on it's promise.

A long wait later, we were seated in the red room at a private booth next to one another. The walls were red and gold furnishings and sensual art adorned the room. It was dark and intimate with a sexy vibe. I took a quick selfie before Trevor and I looked over the menu that was on an IPAD.  The menu was enough to make me blush. Gyration, Slip Inside, The All-Nighter- and that was just the drink menu!

I ordered a Klimax- red sparkling wine with a rimmed-job: a champagne flute rimmed with white chocolate. Trevor ordered a Grown-up Guzzler- hard root beer with a dollop of Irish Cream. Just one sip of my drink was worth the ridiculously long wait.

We ordered Kinky key lime pie, Fork-You Fondue (cheesecake fondue with donuts holes) and Better Than Sex bread pudding to try. I also got a second drink, caramel over me- Moscato in a Caramel dipped wine glass. Wine in a regular glass would never taste the same to me.

We took turns feeding each other. There was no way we could finish all the desserts even though they were delicious. We ended our desserts with a money shot- coffee liqueur in a shot glass with whipped cream. We toasted each other before we downed them.

The shot went down smoothly, warming my insides. I grinned at Trevor, giddily.

"I think you've had too much to drink." He said, with an amused smile.

"Not at all. " I told him, running my finger through his soft, blonde curls. He normally wouldn't let his hair grow out long enough to curl up, but I was glad he did. It reminded me of college when all I wanted to do was play with his hair and kiss him over and over again.

The childish obsession I had on him then was nothing compared to how I felt about him now. I now understood the feeling of being drunk in love- I felt that way about Trevor. Everything about him was intoxicating. I pulled him to me for a long, deep, lingering kiss. It was way too passionate for a public place, but I couldn't help it.

"Lily-" He panted, breathlessly when he pulled back.

Before I could respond or he could continue, the waiter came and asked if we needed anything else. We declined and paid the bill before leaving. I was admittedly more intoxicated on the alcohol than love as we left. I held on to Trevor as we made our way back to the bed and breakfast.

When we got to our room, I pushed him on the the bed. I giggled as I fell down with him. He laughed too before pulling me close for a kiss. We drunkenly made out, his caresses causing shivers up my spine as he ran his hands over my body. They became urgent as he groped at my clothes.

"Jesus- take this fucking thing off. Why do you wear these?" Trevor exclaimed as he struggled with my jumpsuit.

"Potty mouth." I giggled, breaking away, kneeling on the bed so I could removed my clothes. He did the same then pulled me back down on the bed. I gasped out loud as entered me as we laid side by side. Our playful embrace turned passionate as we made love. He lifted my leg up and draped it over his. He thrust into me, gripping my hip to pull me closer. My mouth found his automatically and we exchanging hot, lazy kisses. Afterwards, in his arms, his deep breathing lulled me to sleep.

The next morning, Trevor woke me up entirely too early to eat breakfast. Apparently, we had plans, meaning I couldn't sleep in. I was grumpy until we were seated in the garden of the bed and breakfast. The sight of the lush beautiful greenery grabbed my attention. The smell of coffee combated my tiredness. The sound of the birds singing around us acted like a natural alarm clock. The taste of the light and fluffy banana pancakes gave me reason to be awake. I got over my lack of sleep(and possible hangover) and enjoyed the great start of our day.

It only got better from there. Trevor planned an all day water excursion us. A crew took a group of us out on a boat. Trevor listened carefully as the instructors explained the snorkeling gear to us. It was his first time. I been a couple of times before and I was more concerned with making sure he was covered in sunscreen.

The water was warm, the coral was colorful and pretty. The fish swam in huge groups and came super close to us. Experiencing it with Trevor just made it that much more fun. His amazement at it carried over to me. I had the best time.

We got back on the boat and showered off before finding a spot on the deck to dry off. We made friends with two other couples that were from Miami as we enjoyed a lunch buffet, wine and beer. We sailed to a floating playground in the middle of the Caribbean water. There was a huge ass water mat, a slide,  floating trampolines, jet skis, paddle boarding, kayaking, banana boats, and parasailing.

Trevor and I went for the things we hadn't done before. Parasailing was the first thing on Trevor's list.  I never had a fear of heights, but my heart raced when we were finally in the sky. I never felt us rising. It was like, all of a sudden, we were in the air. I looked over and saw Trevor. It felt like we were the only two people in the world up there and it instantly calmed me. The ocean was so many different colors of the purest blues. It was spectacular.

Afterwards, we rode banana boats with our new friends before jumping on the floating trampoline. Trevor and one of the guys had a backflip competition, but I wanted nothing to do with that. We slipped and slid on the water mat before we found a spot to lay out and relax before it was time to return.

We got back to our suite with an hour to get ready before whatever surprise Trevor had planned. I took a hot shower to removed the ocean water. I tanned from laying out in the sun and I really didn't feel like doing my make-up so I stuck with bronzer, liner and a red lip. I pulled on the little white dress I bought in anticipation for my date night with Trevor. I put my hair half up in a top knot and the rest down over my shoulders. I put on the only other shoes I brought- nude wedges.

"Wow... you look amazing." Trevor said, looking me over slowly when I came out the bathroom.

"Thank you. So do you." I grinned at him. He looked cute in a white button down and khakis.

We drove the rental this time to the same watercrafts I was complaining about the night before. Trevor booked us a sunset dinner cruise on one of them. After we climbed aboard, we headed to the deck with the other passengers and had rum runners while we waited for everyone to board. The boat set sail and everyone was ushered into the main cabin to eat. There was a buffet of Caribbean and American food. While we ate, the drinks flowed and the live band played Calypso music. Trevor lifted his champagne to toast me.

"Happy Labor Day Lilypad." Trevor started, "Everyday with you is like a holiday."

"Stressful and completely not worth it?" I said, with a teasing smile.

He shook his head. "I was thinking more happiness and fun, but even if it's stressful, as long as you spend it with someone you love, it's always worth it."

I stared into his clear blue eyes. They shone so bright, even in the dimly lit room.

"Thank you for giving me so much happiness and fun in my life T-Rev." I said, clicking my glass with his.

We could view the sunset from the windows in the cabin, but Trevor and I finished eating to go to the upper deck. We found a spot near the railing. Trevor wrapped his arms around me as we enjoyed an unobstructed view of the sunset over the water.

We could faintly hear the music of the band. They switched to popular pop music with an island flare. Trevor hummed along as they played Sailing. I made a mental note to add it to my playlist.

"Why didn't you tell me this song for my playlist?" I asked him when it was over.

"I just remembered it." Trevor smiled.

A new song came on and Trevor told me to add it to my playlist too.

"What is it?" I asked, at the unfamiliar tune.

"Sea of Love" he answered, before singing along softly. Maybe it was being on the water and the serene setting, or Trevor's voice reciting such beautiful lyrics, but I fell in love with the song instantly. It would always remind me of Trevor. I would go with him anywhere. He opened me up to new experiences and adventures all the time and I knew there was no one else I would rather share them with. There was no one I could love or trust more.

"I want to get married to this song." I declared, looking over my shoulder at him when it was over. "Maybe on the beach or a boat."

Trevor smiled down at me. "So I guessed you liked it?"

I turned around to face him. "I'm serious Trevor. I can't wait to be married and share a home and a family with you. Everyday will be a holiday."

"Lily-" He began, softly, but I stopped him.

"I know you gave my dad your word, and I understand that. I appreciate it and I'm fine with waiting. Just don't promise him how long we can be engaged." I smiled at him.

He nodded, before he pressed his lips into mine. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him back as we sailed on the ocean.







***Hey everyone! I know there were a lot of questions regarding why Trevor changed his mind. This post didn't get into why, but like one of the comments read last week, this post is from Lily's point of view. We don't know what's going on in Trevor's head unless he tells her. Please keep that in mind this week!

5 comments:

  1. Loved it! Totally thought he was going to propose!

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    Replies
    1. Me, too. The deal with daddy was wait to get married, not wait to propose, I think. mum

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  2. This was so well-written! I felt like I was with them on their trip! Love it!

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