Page 53 of You & I, Rewritten

“Are you sure this is the right place?” I hesitantly ask my taxi driver, taking in the very dark and very sketchy parking garage she’s just pulled up in front of.

“Yeah man…this isdefinitely825 Surf Ave.” I reluctantly pay her and as I stand on the side of the dark street watching the glow of her taillights disappear into the night air, I realize that hers might be the last face I see tonight in the event she’s dropped me off to be murdered. This is fine -everything is fine.Looking down the street, I see there’s what appears to be a taco truck parked a block or so away.Ooh…our luck has changed!I head in that direction…

“Hey, you…” Graham says from out of nowhere.Ahhh! That sneaky bastard.

“Okaynot cool,mister,” I hiss as he steps closer. I may or may not have wet my pants a little. “Hi handsome…this is such a,um, romantic date night spot!” I tease as he wraps me in his arms.

“Shush…” he says, his hand now cupping my face as he brings his lips to mine. There’s an urgency to Graham’s kiss - the burn from his scruff dances across my lips, sending scorching waves of desire crashing through every nerve ending. His tongue, hot and full of need, dips into my mouth as he pulls me even closer to him, deepening our kiss and pressing his hard body against mine.Dear God.Instinctively, I reach for the throb I feel pressing against my thigh which results in a throaty moan to escape Graham’s lips against mine.

He puts his forehead to mine, our breathing ravaged from the quick escalation of our kiss. Will it always be like this? The intense need and want I feel for him?Of course.

“Come on…I want to show you something,” he says, placing a soft kiss against the corner of my mouth, a beautiful contrast between the immediacy of his first kiss and tenderness of this one.

“You mean thisisn’twhere you wanted to take me tonight?” I tease once more, waving my arms around before taking his outstretched hand. Graham rolls his eyes at me. I don’t know how or why he puts up with me but I’m so glad he does. I take his hand as he leads me a little further down the road before turning down a discreet side street. When we get to a door with a bigEmployees Onlysign plastered across it in bright and authoritative red letters, Graham removes a random key from his pocket and opens the door.

“Oh okay, so youaremurdering me tonight…got it. Well, Teddy Graham…this was fun while it lasted!” I say, leaning into him as we both stand in the doorway.

“Someone’s been watching too many crime documentaries with Klair,” he says, giving my hand a squeeze. “Do you trust me?”

“Duh.”

“Good…I promise you’re going to love this.” There’s an excitement growing behind his eyes, one that only solidifies the fact that I would follow him anywhere - even down a dark and musky hallway.Probably to my death.

The only light from the streetlight disappears as he closes the door behind us, but Graham leads us forward down the narrow hallway. There’s a subtle chill to the air and as my eyes begin to adjust to the vast darkness, I can see a soft, blue glow illuminating an open space further ahead. I sneak a glance in Graham’s direction as the glow grows brighter and I’m met with the most beautiful smile known to man. Now I’mdefinitelyintrigued as to what has him smiling like that.

Our path begins to curve slightly, and our destination comes into focus, stopping me in my tracks.

“Graham…” The words get lost in my chest and all I can do is take in the scene before me. He’s led me to an expansive glass room that has been transformed into our own personal date night. Centered in the open space, he’s laid out a thick blanket with dozens of pillows scattered around, creating an intimate escape. There’s wine and a cheese board and small candles on nearly every surface.

I slowly turn toward him, unable to contain my shock and total surprise. “You did all of this? I don’t...”

“You missed the best part,” he says, closing the distance between us. Graham lifts his gaze upward and I follow suit…the sight literally leaving me speechless. We are completely surrounded by thousands of jellyfish moving ever so slowly in their larger-than-life tanks, their iridescence casting the most stunning glow across the dark room.

“It’s mesmerizing, Graham…how did you do this?” I inquire, wrapping my arms around his waist.

“My family has worked extensively with the Wildlife Conservation Society for years, so I felt it was okay to call in a favor.” He places a warm hand against my cheek. Do you like it?”

Between the cozy spread he’s created for us and the spellbinding jellyfish, I am completely blown away. “Graham…it’s absolutely perfect. Is it silly that I wish I had my camera?”

“Ah…I figured you’d want to take a few photos, so I had Klair sneak this from your room this morning just in case,” he says after breaking away and rummaging in a bag I hadn’t noticed. He places my camera into my hands, leaving me even more stunned than I was initially. He’s truly thought ofeverything.“Go ahead, my little shutterbug…I’ll pour us some wine.”

Graham leaves me be momentarily and I quickly immerse myself in the beauty he’s set up for me. I take a few test photos of the luminous creatures floating all around me and adjust my settings to account for the low lighting.Click.The jellyfish make the most alluring subjects, their long tentacles weightlessly trailing behind them as they float in and out of frame.Click.Placing my eye to the viewfinder of my camera, I hone in on a rather large and ominous looking jellyfish and follow my new translucent friend with my lens as it slowly floats along the edge of the tank.Click.

Zooming out, Graham’s beautiful face has found itself in my frame illuminated by the hue of the soft light.He’s patiently standing there, two wine glasses in his hands with his gaze turned upward, completely entranced by the intricate dance these sea creatures are putting on.Click.

I’ve never seen anything more breathtaking - despite being surrounded by some of the most beautiful species in the natural world, I am completely overwhelmed with adoration for this man. A thought, no…a thunderous tidal wave of emotion that I’ve tried to make sense of and explain away since the moment we met comes crashing over me.

Putting my camera down, I walk over to where he’s standing - a crooked smile spreading slowly across his face as I take the wine glasses from him. Graham raises an eyebrow at me but doesn’t say anything as I take both of his hands in mine.

“I need you to know how much I appreciate all ofthis,Graham…no one has ever done anything like this for me before and it’s a memory that I will cherish for the rest of my life.”

“I’m just glad you like it,” he says, taking a step closer to me, our chests nearly touching. The weight of the words I’m about to blurt out send my body into overdrive and I can feel it begin to tremble.

“I love it…I love it almost as much as I love you.” His eyes widen as I take his face in my hands, the trembling having stopped the moment I spoke the truth that’s been growing only stronger in my heart. “I love you, Graham Austin and I think I have been slowly and undeniably falling in love with you since the moment I saw you. All ofthis…All ofyou…it’s far more than I deserve but I need you to know how mu…”

Graham crashes his lips to mine, stunning my senses with the heat of his passion while wrapping me in an inescapable embrace. His hands interlock behind my neck pulling me even closer to him as he slows our kiss, sending time screeching to a halt. The soft glow that surrounds us fades even farther into the background as the love I feel for Graham washes over me and it is then that I know just how much he means to me…just how much I needed him.

He leans back ever so slowly, putting just enough distance between us so he can stare directly into my eyes. “You have no idea how badly I needed to hear that, babe…” he says, his lips still pressed to mine.

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