Chapter 6

“You ready to eat?” Jeremy asked Skyler and Bob. He had told them the previous day to be hungry, so they decided to skip lunch.

“Let’s just say you better take me to get food soon, or I will throw you and your girlfriend into the nearest lake,” Bob joked as they walked toward the parking lot. Jeremy decided to drive today so they could get around easier than walking.

“You could not throw a pebble, bro.” Jeremy shot back. Kylie slapped his arm and said, “Be nice!” while continuing to laugh at the ongoing amusing argument.

“Sorry ... babe,” he responded while turning to stick his tongue out at Bob.

They all piled into the car and started off toward the restaurant. Kylie and Jeremy took the front seats, and Skyler and Bob were in the back. Kylie had her hand on Jeremy’s thigh. She noticed behind her that Skyler had done the same with Bob. All she could do was smile and look away. She was on the moon. She got to see her best friend happy.

Skyler and Bob had spent the lunch hour earlier in the day getting to know each other more. They were both really into baseball and movies. They both had very nice parents who supported them as much as possible. They even both worked for the school newspaper, but sadly during different years. They seemed to be really hitting it off.

The drive was during rush hour, so it would take about an hour. The restaurant was over near the beach, and given it was almost sunset, a lot of people had the same idea. The group decided to play eye spy for a while but got bored. They put on some cool songs from Jeremy’s phone and started to sing together.

The singing was bad, like horrendously bad. But it did not matter; it was a fun thing to occupy them until they reached the parking lot. As they approached the entrance, they took a moment to look at the beach below. The restaurant was on a bluff just above one of the most popular beachfront locations on the west coast. They took some time to point out all the cool kites, surfers, and animals they saw running around. Jeremy finally pointed out they should get to eating, or their reservation may be canceled. While this would have been true for anyone else, Jeremy’s family once again owned a part of this restaurant.

“Hi Jeremy, we got your table ready,” the server said as they entered the door. Skyler and Bob were surprised at his recognition. Kylie was informed earlier of Jeremy’s connection to the restaurant, so she was prepared. Jeremy had booked a table that was inside but still had a nice view of the sunset. Both couples agreed it was very romantic as they sat down.

The restaurant was not formal by any means, but the couples did change into a more business casual look for dinner. They were doing it for each other more than anyone else.

“So. Any new plans for while you’re in LA?” Skyler asked.

“I am just going along with whatever Jeremy wants to do,” Kylie answered. “But don’t worry. I will find time to get you that gift from the pier you want.”

Jeremy shot a questioning look at Kylie. She quickly realized she did not mention it before and clarified. “Skyler wants me to grab a keychain-like thing from the Santa Monica pier. She collects them around the country.”

“I have quite the collection, over twenty now,” Skyler added.

“She showed me them the other day. They are really cool. You should take a look at them later.” Bob told Jeremy as the girls were having their own conversation about what exactly Skyler was looking for. He agreed before turning his attention back to the menu.

As the waiter approached, the group decided they would just split a pizza and grab a side of fries. While the original reason for the dinner was a double date, it slowly turned into more of a hangout where the group was able to get to know each other more. Ultimately helping them become closer friends.

Bob started talking about his and Jeremy’s baseball team. They were currently first in the division and had a chance of making it to the championship this year if they continued on the streak. The girls got excited about coming to the first home game after the break. It also explained why Jeremy and Bob missed sections of the school year; they would travel out of town to compete against other regional division teams.

Skyler explained her college plans of trying to get into a good business school and eventually get an MBA. Bob explained he would be trying to go to a college that offers him a baseball scholarship, as it was his dream to play in the majors. Jeremy, who would not need to go to college if he did not wish, was quite interested in economics and social media. He was thinking of doing interdisciplinary studies, which would allow him to do both.

Kylie, meanwhile, was thinking she may want to get into public policy or education. She really wanted to make a difference with her skills. She had great grades, so she was confident in her applications. They would all send applications to colleges in a few weeks and would hear back just before the school year ended.

Once the food arrived, the conversation ceased as everyone dug in. They were starving and ended up ordering a second pizza before they were finally too full to have anymore.

“We should go for a walk after this.” Skyler purposed. “I need to burn off some calories.”

“I agree. I have not eaten that much since we started the baseball season.” Jeremy confessed. Bob quickly concurred.

“Why don’t we get the check, and we can go walk on the boardwalk?” Kylie asked.

“Sounds good to me,” Skyler responded. The boys added their agreements.

Jeremy and Bob decided to split the check, and while the girls did offer to chip in, once again, they were told it was a date, and they were not paying.”

Jeremy discreetly slipped a hundred-dollar bill under the napkin. He really enjoyed the service and the professionalism of the staff, so he wanted to leave them something nice.

They then all walked down the stairs toward the boardwalk. The sun had already set, but the area was nicely lit, and many people were still spending time on the beach.