The New Rule: (The Casual Rule 2) (17 page)

Famous last words.

Naturally, Mr. Coin Collector has to inspect each quarter before he puts it in the slot. God willing, he’ll get it on the first shot, or we’re going to be here all night.

I watch Ben press one button moving the claw forward, then the next moving the claw to the right. The claw drops down and clips the prize he was aiming for.

“Fuck,” he curses as the claw moves itself back to the start position.

“Hey! Watch your language. There are kids around here.”

“Sorry. Damn claw didn’t close all the way. How is it going to grab anything?” he grumbles as the kid playing a similar game next to him has a prized snuggly pinched in its claw. He frowns, mumbles something to himself and grabs two more quarters, inspecting them before they pass into the coin slot.

So it begins. Two quarters in, no prize. Two quarters in, no prize again. And again. And again. Ben curses under his breath.

“Julia, do me a favor.” He dips his hand in his back pocket, taking out his wallet. “Get me some more change.”

“Ben, let’s move on. I don’t need a prize.”

“All I asked of you is to get me some change. Can you get it?” he snaps, handing me a ten dollar bill, staking a claim on the machine.

“Fine, I’ll get your change.” I throw my arms up in defeat.

This stupid stuffed animal is going to cost him a fortune.

For ten minutes, I listen to Ben curse under his breath then smack the glass panel in front of him in frustration. Only to throw another ten dollar bill at me to get more change. I’ve had enough.

“Come on, Ben, let’s go. You’ve spent thirty dollars already. It’s not going to happen.”

“No,” he practically growls, dropping two more quarters into the game. He’s so angry; he didn’t even inspect the coins. Who would think Mr. Cool and Collected would lose it over a stupid game.

Finally after twenty minutes of me bored out of my mind, and Ben losing his, he finally snags a prize.

“Here you go.” Smugly, he hands it to me like he got it on his first try.
Male pride has a very convenient memory.
He looks so damned proud of himself.

Let’s get real, you won a stuffed toy, you didn’t discover the cure for cancer.

I play-up the grateful girlfriend that I am. Not grateful for the stuffed dog… I could have bought this prize at the dollar store next door… but grateful that this torture is finally over. I take it from his hand and hug it.

“Thank you for winning this for me. You’re the best boyfriend,” I gush and kiss his cheek. I think I laid that on just thick enough.

He grins, bringing out his dimples. Oh, those sexy as fuck dimples that warm me up inside. That’s my real prize. God, I love this stubborn man.

My niece Olivia walks up to us, holding Emma’s hand.

“Hey girls, would you like me to win a prize for you?” Ben asks.

Good God, no. Please say no. Please say no. We’ll be here all night.

“Thanks, but I think we got enough.” Olivia holds up a large plastic shopping bag overflowing with tiny stuffed toys. I quickly glance over at Ben. He’s clenching his jaw. Nothing like a pair of little girls beating you to bruise your ego.

I take hold of his arm. “Come on, boyfriend. Buy your girl an ice-cream.”

We walk out of the arcade and back to the boardwalk. It’s packed with people: families, groups of teenagers and couples holding hands. I inhale the delicious scents of the boardwalk: the sea air, pizza, french fries, and funnel cakes. The distant sound of the amusement pier is like music to my ears: giggling children, earsplitting noises from various boardwalk games, and music, so much music. It’s dizzying and calming at the same time.

Looking toward the ocean, I notice an elderly couple sitting on a bench. There’s a wooden walking cane resting against the side of it. They’re smiling contently, holding hands, her head resting on his shoulder as they watch the crowds stroll by.

Someday, I hope that’ll be us.

~o0o~

Ben and I opt for the scenic route back to my parents’ house. Alone. With our fingers laced together, casually swinging our arms, we stroll silently along the dark beach toward the next town over. I’m holding my stuffed Dalmatian and flip-flops with my free hand. There’s just enough moonlight to see where we’re going, not that I’d need it. I’ve done this walk a thousand times.

The ocean looks magical, practically black in the darkness. The moon’s reflection rippling in the waters and the foamy whitecaps on the waves are practically glowing. Hundreds of stars in the night sky are twinkling above us like diamonds.

It’s perfect.

Occasionally, I catch Ben sneaking a glance at me. I try not to smile and fail miserably.

“Let’s sit for a while and watch the waves,” I suggest, dropping my shoes onto the sand.

“Sure.” He sits, tugging at my hand until I’m sitting next to him. He wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close.

I stare out into the distance, squinting my eyes toward the boardwalk.

“Why are you squinting?” he asks.

“When I was a kid, I’d sit on the beach at night and look at the boardwalk all lit up. There were so many colors, like a giant party off in the distance. Then I’d squint my eyes, and all the colors would blur together… the reds, blues, greens. It looked like Christmas lights.”

He squints his eyes and looks toward the boardwalk. “I see it... is that one of the reasons why you love Christmas Eve so much? It reminds you of here?”

“Partly. But the lights and all the decorations are just the pretty. The beauty is having my family together. Last Christmas Eve when you came to my parents’ house... that was the most beautiful Christmas Eve I ever had.”

He looks down for a quick moment, looking back up he cocks his head slightly and smiles, taking my hand in his and kissing the back of it.

“Once the lifeguards were off duty, they’d drag their chairs to the back of the beach, over there in front of the dunes.” I point at the brilliant white lifeguard chair behind us. “When I was a teenager, I’d come here at night alone and sit on the lifeguard chair when I needed a breather from my family. There was no one here... no umbrellas were blocking the ocean view... just me and the waves. When you live in a house of constant chaos; it was a nice reprieve.”

 “Must have been lonely out here, all alone.”

 I shake my head. “I never felt alone... I had thousands of rolling waves keeping me company. I’d close my eyes and listen to the ocean. Just listen. It sounds different at night. Mightier. There’s nothing drowning out its power… no shouting voices… no blaring music… no towels whipping in the wind. It was just me, the waves, and an occasional seagull.”

“And now me.” He smiles warmly, tucking a few errant strands of my hair behind my ear.

I nod and smile back. “And now you.”

“Thank you for sharing it with me. Your family is great, but there are a lot of them. I miss having you to myself.”

“I miss you too.” I snuggle in close to him, my prize tucked in close to my chest. “Look how clear the sky is and all the stars out tonight. It’s so beautiful,” I say in wonder.

“
You
are so beautiful.” He turns my head toward him with his fingertips, leans in, brushing his lips lightly against mine then kisses me.

I look up at him through my lashes and smile.

“What are you smiling about?” he asks.

“We’re kissing on the beach like a pair of teenagers.” I let out a small giggle.

Gently, he guides me until we’re both lying down on the sand and he kisses me again, a soft, deep, sensual kiss that sends my stomach fluttering.

He rolls to his side, gazing at me. “Did any of your teenage boyfriends kiss you like that?”

“No one but you has ever kissed me like that.” I fist his shirt, pulling him to me and we lose ourselves in another kiss.

He breaks our kiss and smiles. “When I first met you in Central Park last October, I never imagined that you would be the single most important person in my life.”

“Last Christmas morning, when I brought you here to see the beach, and you kissed me at the entrance… that’s when I realized I might be falling for you. More than I was supposed to. And I was falling hard.” I reach across and caress his cheek.

“So was I,” he whispers.

I choke up, unable to get a sound out. He stole my words… and my heart.

He rolls on top of me and kisses me, our tongues dancing, entwined. His hand cups my breast over my shirt, grinding his body into mine. Our kiss deepens, soft, wet and oh-so-slow. This is my heaven: the empty beach, a million twinkling stars above us, and Ben.

“I will never get tired of kissing you,” he says softly.

“I will never get tired of you kissing me.”

“I want to be inside you,” he whispers, his lips grazing my ear.

I moan into his mouth. There’s something about those six words that sets my insides on fire.

“I’m ready for you,” I whisper back as his hands run down the side of my body, then back up under my tank top to my breast. I take in a quick breath at his touch.

He kisses me tenderly again, our tongues exploring each other’s mouth… warm, wet, passionately.

Unfortunately, I realize our alone time must come to an end; there’s family waiting for us at the house.

“We have to go,” I whisper reluctantly.

He runs his nose along my jawline. “I know.” He gives me one last delicate kiss, then stands, holding out his hand to me.

I take his hand as he pulls me up and we brush off the sand, which is all over us and in our hair. I grab my stuffed Dalmatian and flip-flops, and we move on.

We continue to walk silently toward the beach entranceway to my parent’s street when Ben stops. He wraps his arms around me from behind, facing the ocean. We watch the lights twinkle in the water and see a fishing boat lit–up off in the distance. He buries his face in my hair, inhaling deeply, then kisses it. I tilt my head to the side, allowing him easier access to my neck. Feather-light kisses trail down my neck around the curve of my shoulder to my tank top strap.

“Mmm, that feels nice,” I say.

He swings me around until I’m facing him and wraps his arms around my waist. I drop what I’m holding and lace my fingers together around his neck. His gaze is warm and loving.

“My grandfather always said, never pass up an opportunity to dance with a pretty girl,” he murmurs. “Dance with me.”

Tilting my head, I nod as we sway together in the moonlight. The thunderous sound of crashing waves, rolling in one after another, is our music. It’s perfect.

He dips me, kissing me tenderly. Right now, it feels like we’re the only two people on earth. He brings me back up and holds me tight, his body pressed against mine as we continue to sway to the ocean’s symphony.

“I love you so much,” he whispers, kissing me softly behind my ear.

“I love you, too.” I close my eyes and take a deep breath, composing myself. What he makes me feel sometimes overwhelms me.

In this quiet moment… dancing on this empty moonlit beach under the twinkling stars with this man… this beautiful man who owns every piece of my heart… is the happiest I’ve ever been in all my life.

I know without a doubt...

This is love.

~o0o~

“You get lost?” Sophie asks sarcastically.

I narrow my eyes and scowl, ignoring her question and sit at one of the resin tables in my parents’ backyard.

“I’m going to sit with the guys,” Ben tells me as he walks over to the circle of men. They’re sitting around the fire pit off to the side of the yard—probably telling fart jokes. My nephews and nieces are toasting marshmallows on wooden skewers over the fire.

That’s fine with me. He can get all his Neanderthal out of his system and out of my earshot.

“Your lips are puffy, Julia. Either they’re giving collagen injections on the beach or you were making out?” Isabelle teases. Sophie and my three sister-in-laws smirk in unison, waiting for my response. They’re not going to rattle me.

“We were making out,” I say matter-of-factly.

Ha… there’s no witty comeback to that, is there?

“Well, good for you,” Sophie deadpans.

“That’s the best you can do?” I ask.

No teasing? No embarrassing me? Is this my sister or an imposter?

“What else is there to say? I don’t blame you.” She smirks.

My mom comes out with a pot of coffee, places it on the table, and sits next to me. Everyone else breaks off into their own private conversations.

 “The two of you look happy,” she says, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

“We are.”

“I’m glad you figured things out.” I know she’s referring to our claim that we were “just friends” the last time we were here last Christmas Eve.

“I’m glad we figured things out too.”

“I like Ben.”

I smile shyly. I guess I never realized how important my family’s approval means to me.

“He’s been stressed out lately. He has deadlines for his book and has been doing a lot of traveling. His father’s been on his case about writing as a profession. And his grandmother’s been ill.”

“Is he close with his grandmother?” she asks.

I nod. “Very close.”

My mom smiles warmly. “I like that. Keep that young man.”

“I’m trying, Mom.”

“It’s obvious he adores you. He’s lucky to have you and he’s smart enough to know it. He’s not going anywhere.”

“You think?”

She chuckles, moving a few stray strands of hair away from my eyes. “I know, JuJu. I know.”

I glance over at Ben laughing with my brothers and wonder how I ever thought I was in love with Mikehole. I didn’t know what real love was until I found it with Ben.

“I feel so sorry for him. He puts up a good front, but he’s drowning in pressure from all sides. He doesn’t talk about it much, but I know it’s taking its toll.”

“Life’s challenges are like the tide, they ebb and flow. You just have to stay the course.”

“Lately it feels like wave after wave.”

“Sometimes the biggest wave gives you the most exciting journey. Just ride it out. I always believed things work out exactly the way they’re supposed to. Have faith in Ben.”