Jake & Charlie

I could feel the cool breeze on my skin as I slowly emerged from the ocean’s surface. It was almost dusk, and from what I could see, there were only three or four people remaining on the beach, farther down the shore. 

“ Charlie~” I turned to see Jake standing behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling me closer. “ You’re gonna get cold.”

“ Oh, please.” I pulled his grip from my torso and instead placed his hands against his sides. “ You’re just jealous your girlfriend looks so good in a swimsuit.”

“ Well… You’re not wrong!” He picked me up bridal style and walked up to shore while I laughed and lightly beat his chest with my fists.

Once he put me down, I kissed him softly.

“ Where are we getting changed? We have a whole night ahead of us, and I don’t want to walk around in a bathing suit.”

“ Aww. But you look so cute!” The grin on his face doubled, as did mine. “ Don’t worry, love. You can change in the washrooms.”

“ T-Those?” I rotated and pointed to what looked like a bug-and-mould-infested building, my expression turning from a smile to a disgusted face that I certainly didn’t look good in.

“ I mean… Unless you want to wear a swimsuit all day.” Jake smirked and handed me my change of clothes.

“ I hate you.”

“ I love you too.”

I took the pair of shorts and t-shirt from him as we split ways and headed to the different sides of the squat building. Walking in, I noticed I was the only one in there, so I strolled right to the handicapped stall and started to switch outfits, carefully making sure neither my bathing suit or other clothing touched the grimey, dirty ground. After about six minutes, I heard Jake calling my name from the entryway.

“ Charlie? You disappear or something?”

“ No, idiot. I’m almost finished.” I tidied myself up, taking my chestnut-brown hair out of the high ponytail it was in and letting it fall down my shoulders.

“ Good. I didn’t want to eat an expensive dinner all on my own.”

I walked out of the washrooms and immediately into his arms, then looked up at his bright blue eyes.

“ Hi.”

“ Hi.” He knew I was blushing, and he liked it.

“ So. Where’s dinner? I thought I heard the mention of a free meal.” It was almost seven in the evening now, and I was hungry.

“ Well, I was thinking, maybe a fancy steakhouse?”

“ Silly, we can’t eat somewhere expensive looking the way we do. How about seafood?”

“ Ew, no.”

“ Fine. But I’m not planning on starving, so make up your mind quickly, please~” I burrowed my forehead into Jake’s neck, breathing in his smell. Seawater with a hint of bonfire smoke.

“ Hmmm… We could always just go and get burgers?” He pulled back a bit so I was forced to turn my face and make eye contact.

“ Sure. But, Jake?”

“ Yeah, Charles?” 

“ Do you think I look a little weird, like I’m missing something?” I backed away and spun around.

“ Huh. You do.”

“ Yeah. Any idea?” To be honest I had no clue why I was pulling this on him, I just really, really wanted to wear his hoodie.

“ No… Not really.”

I rubbed my arms a bit.

“ Oh, okay… I’m kinda cold, but let’s just go.” Jake handed me my phone as he hauled his arm around my shoulder and I leaned into him.

We strolled down the beach like that for a bit, getting sand in our shoes, skipping rocks, forgetting where we were going. Eventually we turned to Google Maps to help us figure out a close enough place to get food that wasn’t a McDonald’s or A&W.

“ Aha!” Jake almost yelled. “ There’s a restaurant ten minutes from us!”

“ Mmm… Okay…” I hadn’t eaten any sort of food since breakfast and I was kinda out of it.

“ Love, you alright?” He looked at me as we walked, and I guarantee that my ‘ Hard boy’ boyfriend was genuinely worried about me.

“ Yeah bubs… I’m fine…” I tried my best to look him in the eye. “ Just a bit tired, that’s all.”

“ You ate lunch, right?” Jake had picked me up at about two to go swimming, which was late enough that I would’ve been able to digest the lunch I didn’t eat and get in the water.

“ Uhh… Was I supposed to?” I knew playing dumb wouldn’t help my situation, but…

“ Charlie… Here. I probably have a stick of gum in my wallet or something.”

“ T-Thanks… Sorry…”

“ It’s alright.” He handed me the gum and looked on as I popped it into my mouth. “ Just eat something before you swim next time.”

“ Okay… Love you.” I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him on the forehead, but at the last second he moved his face and I ended up smearing chapstick all over his jaw. “ Jake!”

“ Hmm? What?” He wrapped his arm around me again and we resumed our stroll, like an old married couple.

“ I was trying to kiss you! Not share chapstick!” I faked a glare.

“ Aww, sorry Love.” Jake swiftly spun in front of me and bent his head down, giving my nose a small peck.

“ It’s alright. Now, what are we waiting for? Let’s go get food.”

We walked down a stretch of road for a few minutes, until we reached a diner.

“ This good, Love?”

“ Yes~” I gave him a hug as he opened the door for me, a real-life gentleman.

We took our seats at a booth, waiting for the takeout Jake had apparently ordered while I was out of it. Once the waitress came and he paid after ignoring my demands to let me pay, we left.

“ Bubs, where are we going exactly?” I casually took his hand in mine and placed my head on his shoulder, craving to stop walking and just eat.

“ You wanna just sit over there and eat?” He used his free hand to point to a collection of rocks. I nodded. “ Okay, c’mon Love.” He tugged my hand as I walked behind him, guiding me up the rocks and onto a big flat one.

“ Can we eat now?” 

“ Of course.” Jake chuckled. “Go ahead.”

I dug into my burger and fries while Jake slowly ate his and looked at me, most likely wondering why he chose me of all the other prettier, curvier, smarter girls out there. A food eating maniac, that was the category I fell into. 

“ You done?” Jake asked.

“ Yeah, I’m stuffed.”

“ C’mere.”

I crawled over to Jake, curling up to him and looked up at the stars, wanting to freeze this moment in time. Our time. Me and Jake. Jake and Me.