We would go back every summer whenever we could. They have the best paninis ever. I am not sure exactly what it is, but their secret pesto sauce is amazing.
I look over to Parker. “You know what this reminds me of?”
He looks over to me. “Hm?”
“Maria’s! On the pier. How we’d go every summer and you’d always get that boring burger when you could have had the most amazing panini in the world.”
He laughs. “Hey, that burger was delicious. The homemade barbeque sauce they make. Oh man, amazing.”
I push his shoulder. “Did you even ever try the panini or were you just as much of a stubborn ass back then as you are now?”
He laughs. “I mean pretty sure I tried taking a bite a few times, but you thought I had cooties or something.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Maybe I just wanted your lips somewhere else beside my sandwich.” He looks over at me. “Is that so?”
I just shrug. “Yeah maybe. It was the only place you never brought Nina." I pretend to gag at her name. "Blech.”
Parker laughs harder. “Oh c’mon she wasn’t that bad.”
I just look back over at him. “Parker. She continued to call you Teddy for 2 years when it never caught on by any of your friends. She was awful.”
Parker laughs again. “Hey, at least she let me call her my girlfriend.” He gives me the side eye.
I roll my eyes at him. “We have barely started our first date. Getting a little head of yourself aren’t you?”
He looks back over at me. “No.”
I just smile and then sigh. “Too bad Maria’s is only open during the summer. I haven’t had one of those panini’s in years.”
Parker looks back at me surprised. “Years? Didn’t you go last summer?”
I bite my lip and look down. I haven’t been back to Maria’s since Parker left. I thought about going, but it just felt wrong being there without him. I just mumble. “I haven’t been since before college.”
Parker’s eyes bug out at me. “What? Why not?”
I just shrug. “I don’t know. We used to go for Sunday dinner, and then you left and we just kind of stopped.”
Parker clenches his jaw like what I said upset him. Then he gives me a small smile. “You just didn’t want to go because it would make you miss me.” He smirks.
I laugh. “You’re such an ass.”
Parker pulls into the lot where we would always park to go to Maria’s, and I give him a curious look. Then he gets out and comes and opens my door before I even know what’s happening. He reaches his hand out, and I take it. He grins. “Let’s see what you have to say about me being an ass after this.”
He twists his fingers with mine, and we take our usual route toward Maria’s. I look down to our connected hands and then back at all the shops and the pier. It feels so right. Like this is how it should have always been back then. Me and Parker hand in hand.
We stop in front of Maria’s, and I look over to Parker. “You do realize they are not open during the off-season?”
He just gives me a huge grin and pulls me toward one of the picnic tables. Just as we sit down, the back door to Maria’s opens and out comes a young guy carrying two to-go boxes. He sets them down on the table. “One burger and one panini. Enjoy.” Then he walks back into the restaurant.
My mouth drops open, and I open my box. Sure enough, sitting there is my favorite panini with the secret recipe pesto sauce oozing out the sides. My mouth waters. I look back up at Parker with amazement. “How?”
He has a huge smile on his face. “The owner’s son was one of my clients. We used to hang out sometimes. He owed me a favor.”
I am just staring at Parker in disbelief. Not only did he remember what my favorite item was, but he also went out of his way to make this happen. This is the Parker I’ve always known. The one I fell for back when I was sixteen. He always knows just what I need, and he always takes care of me.
Instead of eating my food, I grab Parker by the neck and slam his mouth to mine. His eyes pop open in surprise,but when I press my tongue to his lips, he opens up for me. My fingers scrape against his scalp, and he groans. He pulls away slightly and rests his forehead against mine. He gives a small smile and breathes out. “I thought you were hungry.”
I pull further back and give him one of my best smiles. “Just had to fulfill my fantasy of making out with you at this picnic table. You don't know how many times I have thought about it over the years.”