HIS BEAUTIFUL SECRET (completed)

Chapter 3 - THE PERFECT DAY

As we walked toward town, I couldn't help but notice that the weather was amazing. The sun was shining so brilliantly, and the sky was a perfect shade of blue. There was a slight breeze coming off the ocean that lightly kissed my skin. Street vendors lined the roundabout just outside of the parking garage.

We stopped to admire the artist's work and noticed one older lady selling an assortment of handmade jewelry. Her stuff was so beautiful that it caught my eye. I got lost in it, so much so that I didn't even notice what Jake was doing. When I looked up to find him, he had struck up a conversation with her. I supposed that he was praising her for her amazing work.

She had the sweetest pieces that incorporated sand from the local beach and it sparkled against the silver necklaces and bracelets. It was no wonder they cost so much. Each piece must have taken her hours. I heard Jake calling me, breaking me out of my trance, "Hey Sky, you ready?"

We continued our stroll toward town, hand in hand. Before I knew it, we were entering what everyone calls "Visa Alley," they call it that because most people cannot get through it without dropping a ton of money. As we turned onto the street, I smelled all the wonderful smells that filled the air.

There were people everywhere, ducking in the quaint little shops. Dogs strolled through the streets, leading their owners as they passed street bums and corner musicians. People lined the fronts of the shops offering samples of everything from pizza to perfume. We passed period actors dressed in old costumes, I just tried to soak it all in. I guess he noticed my silence because he shot me a confused look, "You all right over there, you're awful quiet."

"I am perfect, I love this place, I am just taking it all in," I reassured him. He sighed with relief when he realized that not only was I ok, I was happy, very, very happy!

We made our way over to the old fort that overlooks the ocean and had so much fun exploring. One room had an enormous glass display with a sign that we did not notice until it was too late. It read, "Please do not touch the glass." One of us must have leaned up against it because to our dismay an alarm went off.

We looked at each other in horror and ran as fast as our legs would carry us, putting distance between us and the scene of the crime. When we stopped running, we found ourselves at the top of the fort looking out over the ocean. I was trying to catch my breath when I felt him come up behind me and wrap his arms around my waist.

I felt so comfortable standing there with him, breathing in the ocean air. After a few seconds, he whispered in my ear, "The only thing more beautiful is you." I couldn't contain the smile on my face as his cheek nuzzled into my neck. Was this happening? Maybe I was just dreaming, but if I was, I hoped to never wake up.

After we left the fort, we grabbed some lunch. We found a cute little pizza place that had a cafe in the front with a long hallway that led to the back. When we came out of the other end, we found ourselves in a full-service Italian Restaurant.

It looked like a place straight out of Italy with its brick walls and deep red decor. The hostess seated us in one of the few booths and it felt very private in what was an otherwise busy place. All the other seats were tables, so we felt special to have gotten one of the cute little booths that seemed to tailor-made for couples.

After we ordered, we couldn't help but notice the brick wall next to our booth had gaps in it and little notes tucked inside. He shot me a mischievous glance and then wrote something down on a napkin, carefully folding it and tucking it inside one gap.

"What did it say?" I questioned.

He shook his head before replying, "That is my little secret and I am not telling."