With our 20th wedding anniversary coming up, I decided to write about our love story. Please join me in the upcoming days as I tell A Summer Camp Love Story.
Need to catch up? Part 1--Our Love Story Starts with: A List; Part 2--A Girl on the Boys' Side, and a Boy on the Girls' Side; Part 3--A Dance...with a Promise; Part 4--Questions, Goodies, and Boat Rides; Part 5--One Fateful Boat Ride; Part 6--Waiting on our First Date to Happen; Part 7--Who's Sammy Lane?; Part 8--Okay, I'm Sure Now
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(Disclaimer: This is the part of the story where I am hiding under my covers, hoping no one sees me while reading this...AAAHHHHHH.)
After being given my first-ever dozen long-stemmed roses on the trip to the airport, I could only imagine what our drive back from the airport would be like. I was nervous, but excited to see Dave.
My heart did flip flops when I saw him standing at the airport curb. As he got in the car, he was smiling at me with his blue eyes, and with a grin from ear to ear. Of course, I was smiling back...and with what was becoming my style of communication with Dave, before thinking, I blurted out exactly what I was thinking,
"I missed you while you were gone!"
And in Dave's cute boyish way, with a shy grin, "You did? Good. 'Cause I really missed you, too."
We talked about our weekends away from each other, and Dave told me all about the wedding. I felt like I was getting to know all of his friends that were a part of the wedding, just from his stories. Little did I know, I would get to know them later on--and really well!
After a while, Dave got serious, and said he wanted to talk to me about something. He pulled the car off the road, and into a shaded parking lot.
After he parked the car, he rolled down the windows, and turned to face me, "Listen. I just want you to know that this is not a passing thing with me. You know--you and me. I'd like to keep getting to know you, if that's all right."
Quietly, and with my heart beating right out of my chest, I answered, "I feel the same way."
"Well, I want you to know that I will never hurt you. I am making that promise right now. And I'd like to take you on another date really soon."
Beaming, I answered shyly, "I would love that."
As we sat in the quiet car, a light breeze drifted in the windows. A couple of people walked past, and got in their car. During this quiet pause between talking, I guess I had a look that crossed my face, because Dave asked, "What? What are you thinking?"
I was completely mortified, because I HAD been thinking something, and had no idea my face gave it away. Embarrassed, I said, "Why do you ask?"
"Because I can tell. Tell me. What were you just thinking?"
Again--I found myself blurting out exactly what I was thinking with Dave...
Timidly, and with an embarassed grin I answered, "I was wondering...if you were going to kiss me?"
Without missing a beat, he said, "Well, I'd be crazy not to!!"
AND THEN--THEN, that boy went on to TALK ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE. I have no idea WHAT he was talking about, because the whole time I kept thinking, "What just happened? Didn't he just say he'd be crazy not to kiss me? What did he mean...because now he changed the subject and is talking???
And then. Then, he reached across and gently lifted my chin, and he leaned down to kiss my lips. It was the sweetest, gentlest kiss I could ever imagine. It was perfect. A perfect, magical first kiss.
He pulled back, looked into my eyes, and smiled.
I smiled back, totally lost in the moment.
And he leaned down to kiss me again. This time longer, with his hand resting on my cheek.
I remember after, looking up into his eyes, and smiling. Happy and content--and yet, with my heart pounding, pounding.
He grinned at me, turned the ignition back on and said, "Wow. We had better get on back to camp now!"
Breathless, and flushed, and heart racing, "Yeah. I know."
We pulled into the camp parking lot, got out, and walked down the hill to camp. Dave reached over and took my hand, smiling at me again. Our hands finally slipped apart at the blue entrance gates, and we turned to go our separate ways. Dave walked a few steps before turning back to call out--with a twinkle in his eye--"I'll come see you later, okay?"
I smiled back at him. I didn't need to respond. I knew my eyes said everything my words could have.
To be continued...
There's that handsome fella--just 24 hours before...well, you know!
Some of Dave's friends from the wedding he traveled to that weekend. Boy, am I glad Todd and Shana got married that weekend, and needed Dave to fly there...
