She was his second chance at life, and he wasn’t going to screw it up.
Rux surprised Dana that weekend with a trip up the coast. She didn’t have any upcoming performances, so she agreed, thrilled to take it easy on the beach with her lover.
They drove up in his Shelby Cobra with the top down through the thick, scalding heat. Dana wore another wonderful sundress, lavender this time, with slick black sunglasses to complement the shiny raven shade of her long hair.
She nodded to some tunes as they drove without a rush or a single care in the world.
Rux loved watching her when she didn’t realize it. The soft wind brushed through her long locks, sending them messily into the wispy air, her chest rising and falling with such serenity. He gazed over at her now and then, still stunned by the fact that the masterpiece of a human had chosen him to spend her life with.
They stayed in a motel in a cozy seaside town. It wasn’t anything decadent, but Dana didn’t care, nor did Rux. It was nice to sometimes not have attendants or servers running after you, waiting on you hand and foot, and just being with each other for a few days.
Rux wanted to own the world for her and found himself waiting on her hand and foot. He was a kind, charming man, but he never had the desire to do that to someone as a natural inclination.
They made love in their king-size bed to the sounds of the ocean crashing against the shore. Rux felt like his soul was going to escape his body so many times, feeling both at ease and with an intensity that could only be described as cosmic. It was their universe, and they were constantly colliding within it and creating beautiful memories.
On their final day at the motel, Rux took Dana up to a cliff during sunset. He had researched the best spot to picnic while the sun went down, somewhere that was both romantic and quiet. He packed a special meal for them and ordered a car to take them to the top.
Dana was wearing a whimsical floral dress and was bright-eyed as she held his hand on the way up. When she got out of the car, she gasped, holding her hand over her eyes to shield the rays.
“My God, Rux!” she exclaimed.
The sight could not have been more suitable if Rux had painted it himself. They were alone on a soft bed of fresh grass, with a medley of rusty-orange and golden-red light splashing over the cliffside and spilling onto the blanket Rux had brought.
He grinned to himself, feeling his heartbeat ticking loud in his chest. He took her by the hand as they walked toward the blanket.
“This is stunning,” Dana said, admiring the view. “How the hell did you wrangle this?”
Rux put the picnic basket down and then crouched.
“Well, you know,” he said playfully, “I’ve got connections, babe.”
He gave her a dramatic wink, and she rolled her eyes in response. She began helping him with the food and the plates, and the little black box inside Rux’s pocket throbbed against his leg.
Dana pulled out the champagne and then held it next to her head. She had her mouth wide open and was giving me an animated look.
“My goodness!” she said happily. “You splurged on me tonight, sweetheart.”
Rux took out some bite-sized snacks for them to nibble on as the day’s heat finally dissipated. The air conditioning in their motel room hadn’t been the best, but Rux would never complain about watching little trickles of sweat roll down Dana’s statuesque body.
Dana wiped at her forehead and grinned.
“The sun is lovely,” she said, “but I’m thankful she’s going to bed for the night. Give us a break, young lady.”
Rux chucked as he munched down on some spinach wraps, still feeling the anxiety about the question he was going to ask. He knew she loved him, but there was always a likelihood that she could change her mind. She was human, after all.
Rux was contemplating and didn’t realize that Dana had been looking at him.
“Huh?” he said.
She was leaning against her hand on the blanket with her legs spread out to her side, looking like a mystical mermaid. She tilted her head and blinked her eyelashes at him like she was Marilyn Monroe.
“What’s on your mind, sugar?” she said sweetly. “You’ve been somewhere else this entire day.”
Rux swallowed the remainder of his wrap, feeling like he had been caught. They had been together for only a year, but she could see through him, which no longer frightened him.
But she was looking serene. The light cast over her face with a tranquil blend, gently caressing her skin, a lovely image for anyone who had eyes.
“Umm,” Rux began. “I’ve just been in shock, honestly. Being with you has been like a daydream. I keep pinching myself.”