They strolled into one of the shops. Angel took in all the junk on the counters. So far everything he’d seen was either too cheap or too cheesy.
He walked over to where Sarah had stopped and was looking at little turtle figurines with heads that bobbled. Angel tapped the little head to make it wiggle.
“You like that?” He grimaced.
“It’s cute.”
“My sister has a bunch of those. Ever since her friends found out she liked them they’ve started buying her more. So, she collects them now.” Angel chuckled. “I remember the time some idiot brought one to the restaurant for her. My brother Alex broke the head off.”
Sarah looked at him weird. “Why’d he do that?”
Angel was still smiling. He picked out a couple of the turtles for his sister and turned back to Sarah, “She was only fifteen. That’s way too young for a boyfriend.”
He watched as Sarah crinkled her nose and got that little wrinkle between her eyes. He was beginning to love all her expressions. “Maybe he was just a friend.”
Angel smiled. “No such thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean there’s no such thing as guys and girls being friends.” Angel moved along the aisle still not seeing anything that grabbed him. He stopped when he noticed Sarah hadn’t moved.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She walked toward him. “You really believe that?
“Believe what?”
“That guys and girls can’t be friends?”
Angel stopped looking through all the junk on the shelves and turned his attention to Sarah. “Yeah, don’t you?”
“No. I think it is possible.”
“Really?” He lifted an eyebrow. “You have a lot of guy friends, Sarah?”
Sarah cleared her throat and glanced back at the souvenirs on the shelf. “Not a lot. But I have some.”
“Zat right?” He closed in on her and put his arms around her waist from behind. He spoke in her ear. “You wanna give me some names so I can start kicking ass?”
He felt Sarah stiffen in his arms and he smiled. “Relax I’m only playing.”
He’d had this conversation before with other girls. They all seemed to think any guy that waved at them or forwarded them some stupid text was their friend. That’s not what Angel was talking about at all. He knew it was debatable. But he had no intentions of arguing with Sarah on their first date. He kissed the side of her face and she seemed to lighten up.
Sarah didn’t comment, instead she reached for a pair of earrings. Angel looked at them over her shoulder as she examined them. They were very delicate looking, the kind that hung off the ear, not studs. The stone that adorned them was shiny and flat.
“Is that pearl?
“Looks like it.”
“You like ‘em?” he kissed her temple.
“Yeah, they’re pretty.” She held them up to the light and Angel took them.
“Sold.” He let go of her and started toward the register.
Sarah followed. “No, Angel that’s okay. I didn’t mean-”
He turned around and winked at her. “They’re yours now.”
Angel helped her get them on when they were outside the small shop. She stared at him with that wrinkle between her eyes. “How do they look?”
“Perfect” He said and then kissed her again and again.
Angel had been to Old Town many times with his family. But he’d never really experienced it like he had today. He enjoyed every minute of it. It occurred to him that it didn’t matter where they went or what they did as long as Sarah was with him. He would even enjoy sitting through a chick flick. He winced at what the guys would say when they knew.
He glanced down at Sarah leaning against him. Her head rested on his chest, his arm around her as they sat in the back of the trolley. At that moment he didn’t care what anybody thought. After only a weekend with her, he knew he had it bad. There’d be no way of hiding it. It was a bit alarming. He’d never been in love but this felt close. Too close.
Something gnawed at him. Even through all the laughter, it still bothered him, and any attempts to block it were in vain. I’m only here for the semester. He squeezed his eyes shut and held her tighter. He’d change her mind. He had to.
They exited the trolley and headed back to the parking lot and Angel’s car. Even with all the snacking they’d done Angel was getting hungry. As if on cue, Sarah squeezed his hand. “I’m starving,” she said, looking up at him.
“Feel like Mexican?” he asked.
She smiled big and nodded.
*********************
They parked on a small quaint looking street, just off the main strip. The sign over the restaurant read: “MORENO’S” She felt her stomach tighten, and wondered if his parents or brothers would be there. What was he thinking? This was too soon, she wasn’t ready for it, but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
He held her hand as they walked into the restaurant. It was much bigger than it looked from the outside. Angel had made it sound insignificant but she knew better. Valerie had told her about it and said it was actually a very nice restaurant. Even with what Valerie had said, she still wasn’t prepared for it.
It was anything but insignificant. She was immediately taken by the high ceilings and the huge round metal chandeliers that held what looked like small red candles all the way around. There were dramatic arches everywhere and the walls were textured to look old with brick showing through some parts, just like the historic houses they’d seen in Old Town.