Treasuring Trayce

Chapter 5

As the elevator descends at a painfully slow rate, I use the time to take deep breaths. Butterflies are playing tag in my stomach and my heart is racing a mile a minute.

The elevator doors finally open and I turn into the lobby. I walk towards the front and see Trayce leaning against the passenger door of his sleek black Ford Fusion.

He looks up and our eyes meet causing my face to heat up and form a delighted smile. Just by seeing him my nerves calm down and I'm able to relax a bit. Trayce's mouth is opened ajar in awe and he straightens up as I get closer to him.

I push through the glass lobby doors and take in his appearance before I get to him. He is dressed nicely yet casually in a blue and white blue dress shirt with dark jeans and a pair of white converse.

I sigh in relief that I didn't over or underdress and as I reach him I greet, "Hi." He responds with a shy "Hi" and opens his arms pulling me into a brief but warm hug.

As he pulls away he says, "Calia you look gorgeous." I smile at his compliment and say, "Thanks, you don't look too bad yourself."

He opens the passenger door for me and asks, "Shall we?" I chuckle at his cheekiness and get in while stating, "We shall."

This is off to a nice start...

He jogs to the drivers side with a skip in his step and hops into the car. The ignition comes to life and the car purrs softly as we drive off.

I look over at Trayce and ask, "So, where are we going?" He gives me a small glance and smirks slightly before saying, "Well that would ruin the fun wouldn't it?"

I smile back even though his eyes are focused on the road. We both turn silent for a moment and oddly enough it isn't awkward. It's actually quite...comforting.

Trayce then breaks the silence by asking, "So I'm assuming you're from LA?" I look over at him and reply, "Your assumption is correct. I was born and raised there."

He nods slightly and comments, "Interesting." I then push the conversation forward and ask, "Where are you from?" He looks over at me for a second and says, "I'm originally from Oregon but came to LA when I was a teenager."

My expression is shocked as I ask in disbelief, "Are you really?!" He chuckles at my question and states, "I really am, why does this shock you?"

I wipe the silly expression off of my face and say, "I'm just surprised I guess, I love Oregon, Portland especially."

I look out the window at the night sky and notice how the stars are beginning to pepper the sky with their glimmering beauty. Meanwhile Trayce is smiling thoughtfully to himself however, this goes unnoticed by me.

I then shift my body towards Trayce and ask, "So what's it like being a Dodger?" He smiles in deep thought and says, "That's a tough question to answer."

I quickly add, "Okay better question, what's one of the best things about being a Dodger?" He thinks for a second and says, "The relationships and bonds that I've been able to make with my teammates."

I nod approvingly at his answer when he turns into the parking area of a secluded and quaint restaurant.

The restaurant is small and lit elegantly with white and cream paper lanterns. The structure is wooden and extremely open to it's outside surroundings.