Locked In Amber Ch. 12

Together, they spread the canvas on the ground at the side of the cave near the boulder where they could lean back against the natural curve of the rock and see the valley before them. They laid one blanket down upon this for some additional padding and then sat together under the other. She sat to his right, her head on his shoulder, his right arm around her. The fingers of his left hand were intertwined with her right as they lay on his lap. As the sun sank lower, the sky exploded with crimson and gold as the west bravely fought to stave off the advance of the east. The couple said nothing, just taking in nature's majesty and enjoying the closeness of each other.

All too soon, the sun reached that point where day lost the battle as it always does, reds bleeding out and fading away as the army of twilight continued its march. Amber snuggled up against Spencer. "Mmm, that was so beautiful. Thank you. I shall remember it forever." A small breeze sprang up and Amber shivered despite the warmth of his body and the blanket. 

He adjusted the blanket and squeezed her for a moment. "Me too," he whispered and they continued to watch the progression of dusk as the stars began to peek out. Amber wondered if she'd ever felt such peace before. If she had, it had been so long ago, she couldn't remember.

Then her stomach growled.

Spencer pulled away from her so he could look down. She looked up. And then the two of them just started laughing before he pulled her in for a kiss.

******

A short while later, Amber was sitting on the log by a crackling fire, the orange glow lighting up her face as night set in. They had moved the canvas closer to the fire pit (the wood chips made the ground a bit softer for tents and the like, he had explained) and Spencer was grabbing a sleeping bag from one of the boxes. As he opened the zipper its entire length, he spread the bag out and laid it down on the canvas. He then pulled out a couple of pillows, fluffing them before laying them on top of the sleeping bag. "That should make it a bit more comfortable to look up at the sky," he said glancing upward to ensure the rock outcropping wouldn't block their view. He tossed the other two blankets on the pile and went over to pick up the wooden table. "Hey, can you grab the knapsack?" he asked as he moved the table closer to the fire.

"Sure!" she replied and stood up to help him. As she began pulling the food from the sack, he went back into the cave and came out with some paper plates and hotdog skewers. Soon, she had a can of baked beans sitting on a metal grate near the flames, slowly beginning to bubble as it warmed from the heat. As she turned back, she could see Spencer was beginning to prepare the plates. She reached to help him, but he put his hand on hers as if to stop her.

"Why don't you just sit back and relax. I'd like to do this for you." He smiled at her.

"You sure? You know I don't mind helping."

"Oh, I know you don't mind, but it would be nice for me. It was kind of my plan. Please?"

"Oh, okay," she said, sitting back down on the log. "I'll just keep an eye on the beans then."

Spencer gave her a thumbs-up and went back to what he was doing. She found that she enjoyed watching him work. It was simple, really, but he was methodical in his preparation and the way he occasionally glanced up at her made her heart giddy. It felt as if they had a new secret to share. Ahh, the dopamine rush. Sure, it was caused by hormones coursing through her brain, but she didn't care.

The night was unusually warm for this time of year, but the occasional breezes that made their way up the cliff still set off a shiver or two. Spencer had built up a nice blaze and she was glad for the warmth. The cave overhang and nearby grass were now well lit by the glow of the flames. As she shifted a log in the pit for more even coverage, a handful of sparks flew up into the air to an angry crackle. Amber glanced over at the sleeping bag but realized that, while it was near enough so they would feel the warmth of the fire later, there was little concern about sparks landing on the fabric. 

"Here you go," Spencer nudged her shoulder, disrupting her reverie. He had a skewer with a large hotdog in each hand. She took one from him with a gentle smile and moved over so he'd have room on the log. As they sat cooking them over the fire, she inquired about the area.

"Oh, I found this years ago when I was a kid. Then when I started living in the house, I'd occasionally come up here when I needed time to think or focus. As you can see, the cave's not very big, but it's enough to sit in if it's raining and I can still have a fire. Bringing up the storage boxes was a chore, but made it a lot easier to just keep most everything up here."

"How'd you get them up here? You didn't carry them did you?" Amber was trying to picture Spencer lugging a large box on his back up the incline. He didn't have noodle arms, but he was a software engineer by trade and wasn't a beefy guy.

"Oh, that was with Sumbitch."

Amber raised an eyebrow. "Some bitch?" Surely I didn't hear that right.

"My neighbor's mule. She's stubborn and cranky, and so my neighbor just always called her a "son of a bitch", but he's got such a strong drawl, it comes out as 'Sumbitch."

"Okay then," Amber said, drawing out the first syllable. "But it's neither a male nor the offspring of a dog."

Yeah, I know, don't try to make sense of it."

Amber handed him her skewer as she carefully stirred the beans. "How'd you get it up that steep part?"

"Yeah, that was still a bugger. Had to offload the box from the little cart, heave it up, get her up, then get the box back on the cart. But we got it in the end. Sumbitch seems to like me. She liked the oats too."

"Well, this girl likes you too," Amber leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek as she took back the skewer. "But tell me... is this where you bring all the girls you woo?" she teased.

Spencer looked up, a serious expression suddenly on his face. "Oh, no, you're the first! I mean, not that there's been a lot of girls in my life, but you're the first I've wanted to share this with. And, technically, Ell has been up here too, but that's different."

"Ahh. I'm the first? Really? I mean, I was teasing and all, but I wouldn't fault you. It's an awesome place."

Spencer looked thoughtfully into the flames. "It is. But it's also special to me. It's just kind of like my own little secret piece of the world."

"Well, then that makes it even more special to me." The warmth on her face from the flames was matched by the warmth in her heart. When she looked over at him, he was smiling at her. He leaned over and kissed her gently before standing up and moving over to the small table.

Amber followed him, removed her hotdog from the skewer, and put it on the paper plate next to the salad. Spencer turned back to the fire and grabbed the can of beans with a pair of tongs. The two of them prepped their food as quickly as they could, trying not to burn their fingertips.

Spencer threw a couple more logs on the fire and they sat down on the sleeping bag. As they situated themselves, Amber took a bite. The explosion of hot juice in her mouth carried with it a tremendous amount of flavor. "Oh, wow. I never thought a hotdog could taste so good," she exclaimed. "I must be famished." 

"I know you are. I heard," Spencer teased, poking her belly lightly. "I've never met someone with such loud stomach growls."

"It's all part of my charm." She flipped her hair like a runway model. "But seriously, how can a hotdog taste so great?"

"Oh, that? That's from a local butcher I know. Definitely not some Oscar Mayer, factory-produced, meat stick."

Meat stick. Amber giggled.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's a surprise. You'll find out later," she said, mimicking his words from earlier.

As they continued eating, they chatted about her father and Sophia. "So, what do you think that was all about?" Spencer inquired, referring to Sophia letting herself in that evening.

"I've been thinking about that. Sophia and my dad have been friends for over three years now. She lost her husband a bit before that. Mom had passed and Dad was having a rough time handling it. He finally went to the support group at my insistence. You've met him, so you can imagine how hard that was! Anyway, over the years, he's gone over there to fix her stuff or help around the house and she's dropped into our place many times. It was occasional at first, but now it's fairly regular. But it's still kind of reserved though and semi-formal. She might stop by here and there to inquire about how we are or to thank Dad for something he did at her place. She's stayed for dinner only a handful of times though."

"Do you think they have a secret love affair and are trying to hide it from you?" Spencer teased.

Amber giggled. "Secret lovers? No, I don't think so. Though I think they are rather fond of each other now. But after this evening's experience, do you think Dad's the type to just come out with his feelings? Well, feelings that require vulnerability, I mean."

Spencer laughed. "Good point."

"Anyway," Amber continued, "last Saturday she dropped that lasagna by and we had this big talk. There was something about it... I don't know how to describe it exactly. Ms. Carlucci, uh, Sophia, well it seemed like she and I just kind of bonded in a deeper connection than we previously had. Plus, I suspect that she's pretty savvy. I think tonight it was just perfect luck that she happened by, but I suspect that she heard Dad and decided to just step in and diffuse the situation. I'm glad she did. Though I expect I'll still be facing an awkward situation when I get home."

"Yeah, maybe. You know your dad more than I do."

"It's weird, you know. I'm an adult and can make my own decisions and it's not like he can tell me I can't see someone, but after Mom and... and..." She paused for a moment. "After that time in my life, it's like I continued to age, but something got stuck internally. Top that off with his intensity... He just wants the best for me but doesn't know how to express it well. I think we are going to have to go through an adjustment."

"I can see that. I'm confident you'll work it out."

"Thanks. So what about you and Ell?" She wanted to change the subject.

"What about us?" He got up and stepped over to rummage in the knapsack.

"Well, I mean, you live here together on this gorgeous property. She's famous. You've got anything you could want. What's it like with you two?

Spencer returned and offered her a bottle of draft root beer, which she accepted. "Well, I'm not sure exactly what you mean. She's not famous, though I can see how you might think that. She does like that lifestyle to a degree and likes to live outwardly. As for 'anything we could ever want', I don't know that I'd agree. We do well for ourselves through a mixture of hard work and smart money management. And the house... yeah, it's awesome, but a big part of that was a lucky opportunity. Of course, living together certainly helps reduce some costs and it just works out well for both of us."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I was nosing around your finances or anything," Amber apologized. "I was just trying to learn more about you."

"Hey, no worries. I didn't take it that way at all."

"Oh, good."

Spencer reached over and took her hand. "I want you to feel like you can talk to me about anything you want."

Amber nodded and squeezed his hand. "Thanks."

Spencer sat back and took a couple more bites before continuing. "Oh, and you asked about the two of us. Hmm. Well, we've always been pretty close and open with each other. We had some of the usual sibling squabbles growing up, but they weren't too bad. You'd think that with us being a bit older, there might have been more resistance to it, but there wasn't. For the most part, we've always just felt like really good friends. As we got older, that just solidified even more. We're different in many ways, but I know she'd do anything for me and I'm the same for her. We have a lot of respect for each other and provide each other privacy when desired. Right now is a great example. Nicolette is over, so, even if you weren't here, I'd give them space. Though with the two of them, I doubt they'd care. Ell especially doesn't seem to have acquired the embarrassment gene. But regardless, I'd try to give them some privacy."

"Cool. Thanks for all of this, by the way. It was a perfect date."

Spencer raised an eyebrow. "Was? Are you wanting to head back down after dinner?"

"Oh, God no! I'm having a great time! Maybe I should have said it was a perfect idea for a date. I hope that we'll spend some time looking at the stars."

"Absolutely! I don't know when we'll get a chance like this again. It's a gorgeous night."

They finished their meal in silence, content with each other's presence. Afterward, they tossed the debris in the fire pit. The flames crackled their delight at the new fuel as the couple returned to the blankets and took off their shoes. She lay down on his left side, her head in the crook of his arm. Spencer pulled the pair of blankets over them and they snuggled up together and started looking up at the infinite reaches of space that was visible past the overhang. The enclosure blocked part of the sky, but it helped retain some of the heat from the fire and the air was beginning to feel brisk.

After a few minutes of just relaxing next to him, Amber looked over at his face. Hey, Spence?" she whispered.

"Yeah?" he replied somewhat distractedly, still looking at the heavens.

"Back to the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing."

He turned towards her and pulled his face back slightly to see her more clearly. "Are you breaking up with me already?" He smiled to show he was kidding.

She leaned in and gave him a light peck on his lips before pulling back. "Nah, you seduced me with your own private sunset. I mean, how can I break up with a guy who has his very own cave to look out at such a beautiful display? Seriously. I gotta find out what other surprises he has."

"Whew. Glad to know you like me for me and not for my stuff."

Amber grinned. "I do have something serious though."

"Sure, what is it?"

"So last Sunday was definitely one of the worst nights of my life in recent memory." Spencer looked like he was about to say something, but she held up a finger to indicate she had more to say. "And it resulted in me opening up to you and Ell completely. That was a lot for someone with whom I was just starting to delve into a deeper relationship. I mean, it wasn't deep yet, obviously, but it was more than just our usual office flirting." 

Spencer nodded. "I understand." He turned his body in her direction and pulled his arm from under her neck so that he could prop his own head up. 

Amber fluffed her pillow for better support before continuing. "Anyway, everything just all came out and I felt very vulnerable and it was very difficult. But I felt that I owed that to you because of what I had done to you at the pool." It was still embarrassing, but Amber felt that it was getting easier to talk to him about it.

Spencer nodded again. "Yeah, I could tell. And it meant a great deal to me. Ell too, for what it's worth."

"Well, you could easily have dropped out of pursuing this relationship, but you didn't. And we've talked a bit about that before. I know that you are concerned about me, and I very much appreciate that. And you also mentioned that dealing with someone who has gone through... what I went through was new territory for you. I truly appreciate that honesty. Frankly, this is all new to me too. However, there's something that I have noticed and I want to address because I don't want it to fester."

"Okay." He tilted his head, curious.

"Well, ever since that night, I've noticed a few times where you seem hesitant to touch me or were hypersensitive to my emotional well-being. I mean, don't get me wrong, being sensitive to my emotions is great! But, well, the other night when we were making out on the couch..."

"Yeah, I felt you stiffen up and we ended up stopping because of it."

"Exactly."

"And, if I understand you correctly, by my being overly concerned, it may have made it worse?"

"Yeah, well kind of. Sorry, I don't mean to sound like it's your fault. It's not, but this is hard to explain." She sucked in her upper lip as she searched for the right words.

Spencer thought for a moment. "No, I think I get it, but let me check. I am concerned about causing you emotional discomfort. I admit that I have had times when I was hesitant to reach out to touch you. Part of that is due to my overthinking, but it is also combined with not knowing how to proceed with someone who's had trauma like yours. That makes the hesitancy worse. Meanwhile, you're picking up on those cues and it's negatively affecting you, which is ironic because I'm specifically trying to not negatively affect you. How's that?"

"Yup, that about sums it up." She held her thumb up. 

"I'm glad you told me. I will work on that."

"And there's one more thing that I want you to absolutely understand." She looked up a the stars for a moment, collecting her words. The silver line of a meteor briefly flashed across the sky. Spencer patiently waited, his eyes taking in the details of her face.

She turned back to him. "I tried explaining it the other night in the car, but it's important to make sure the message is absolutely crystal clear."

"Okay, I'm all ears." He pulled his ears away from his head to bring a moment of levity to the conversation. 

Amber rolled her eyes and grinned. "Glad you're listening." She then took his face in her hands and looked him straight in the eye, her voice regaining its seriousness. "I want you to know that I, Amber Locke, am totally,..." She leaned in and briefly kissed him on the nose.

"... completely,..." Another kiss, this time above his left eye.

"... and utterly..." A kiss above the right eye. "... fine with you, Spencer Keyes, touching me."

She began to slide her leg across his thighs. "I don't want there to be any doubts,..." A kiss to his left jaw.

"... worries,..." A kiss to the right jaw.

"Or concerns... "A quick peck to his chin.

"... about the effects of said touching." She then shifted and drew her upper body across his. Effectively straddling him, she then leaned in and whispered into his ear, "In fact, I insist that you comfortably touch me as much, and as often, as possible. Starting now." She took his earlobe between her lips and gently sucked on it before letting go.

He reached both arms around her and pulled her down into an embrace, holding her tight. Her head lay on his shoulder and she thought she heard his breath catch. They sat like that for a few moments, their hearts beating next to one another. Eventually, he loosened his grasp and she posted up so they could look at one another. She could see that his eyes glistened slightly. He nodded. "Message received. I love you, Amber Locke."

It was her turn for her breath to catch as her heart skipped a beat. I wasn't expecting that! For a second she could hardly breathe and her eyes began to glisten too. In a tidal wave, she had flashes of the look on his face when he'd first seen her after hitting his head on the desk, the smiles he always had for her whenever he came to the office, a mysterious bar of Austrian chocolate, and his forgiveness at her outbursts. She thought of him putting his arms around her protectively when she'd been her most vulnerable, his bringing her to his secret place, and his continued understanding and willingness to work through whatever hurdles popped up. He saw her as a total person, flaws and all, and stated that he loved her.