ride to end.
Stop thinking about it. Live for today. You never knew what tomorrow might bring.
After the usual agony of deciding what to wear, she grabbed her novel, her towel and sun lotion and headed out. Panos wasn’t even there, so she couldn’t fish for information. He’d been replaced by a short and plump woman. She nodded when Olivia gave her the key and smiled when asked if she was Panos’ mother.
Did she even speak English?
The day was hot already, the sun beating down, heating the concrete. The sand entered her sandals as she walked down the beach, pinpricks of fire. She saw Kai from afar, taking an order at a table, but he didn’t see her and she continued to the water, not wanting to distract him.
Thoughtful, she took a deck chair and spread her towel, then took off her short dress and sandals, put on her goggles and dived into the cool water. She swam into the blue, not far this time, but letting the smooth strokes, the pleasant burning of the muscles in her arms and legs soothe her.
A wreck. Wrecked boats on a beach where an accident had happened. Kai. Mistakes. He’d said he’d made mistakes.
Why did he think the sea might take him? Why did he seem so sad? Why had he come to live here, so far from home?
She turned back toward the beach, no closer to an answer than she was when she’d set out.
***
“Hi, Liv.” Kai stood at her table, notepad in hand, dark hair in his eyes as always. “What can I get you?”
“I’m thirsty. What do you recommend?”
He looked up, his lips pulling in a smile. “A kiss,” he whispered. “And a fresh lemonade.”
“In what order? Kiss or lemonade first?”
He glanced around at the remaining customers. “Lemonade, I guess.” He made a face that had her laughing.
“Okay then.”
“I’m off at four. That’s in,” he checked his watch, “one hour. Would you like to go for a swim somewhere?” His eyes were filled with colors again, and she had to shake herself to be able to think.
“Yeah, I’d love that.”
She watched him go, admiring the view from the back. Distracted yet again. Pulling out her novel, she struggled to lose herself in the world of vampires and zombies, but every time Kai entered her line of vision, she forgot what she’d been reading about.
He brought her the lemonade and she pretended to read until his shift was over. She thought the time would never pass, and then suddenly he was there, giving her an uncertain smile.
“So where are we going?” She grabbed her bag and he tugged it from her hand, shouldering it.
“What would you like to do?”
“You said something about swimming.”
“Then we’re going to a beach.” He winked. “As for the kiss you ordered...”
“I’m noticing a delay in service today.” She reached for his hand, and his fingers locked around hers.
“You wouldn’t want to rush a good thing.”
“Promises, promises.”
She didn’t get a laugh, but she got a wide smile, and it was damn beautiful.
He kept stealing glances at her as he drove to a small beach bordered with pine trees, an ice-cream truck parked at the top. A couple were roasting themselves on beach towels, and a man with a fishing rod stood on the rocks. The sun had started its descent toward the west and the shadows were lengthening already.
He stopped the pickup. “You like it?”
“It’s perfect.” Smiling, she opened the door and jumped out. “Race you to the water!” She ran down the sandy stretch, hearing him curse behind her. Laughing breathlessly, she wriggled out of her dress and toed off her sandals as he pounded after her. “Last one will have to answer a question,” she shouted, running toward the water.
“Deal,” he said right next to her ear and then he was plunging into the sea, diving like a dolphin.
Oh crap. She’d been had.
Shaking her head, she splashed after him. She dived under, closing her eyes, then surfaced, wiping water off her face. She looked around. Where was Kai?
Something
Stop thinking about it. Live for today. You never knew what tomorrow might bring.
After the usual agony of deciding what to wear, she grabbed her novel, her towel and sun lotion and headed out. Panos wasn’t even there, so she couldn’t fish for information. He’d been replaced by a short and plump woman. She nodded when Olivia gave her the key and smiled when asked if she was Panos’ mother.
Did she even speak English?
The day was hot already, the sun beating down, heating the concrete. The sand entered her sandals as she walked down the beach, pinpricks of fire. She saw Kai from afar, taking an order at a table, but he didn’t see her and she continued to the water, not wanting to distract him.
Thoughtful, she took a deck chair and spread her towel, then took off her short dress and sandals, put on her goggles and dived into the cool water. She swam into the blue, not far this time, but letting the smooth strokes, the pleasant burning of the muscles in her arms and legs soothe her.
A wreck. Wrecked boats on a beach where an accident had happened. Kai. Mistakes. He’d said he’d made mistakes.
Why did he think the sea might take him? Why did he seem so sad? Why had he come to live here, so far from home?
She turned back toward the beach, no closer to an answer than she was when she’d set out.
***
“Hi, Liv.” Kai stood at her table, notepad in hand, dark hair in his eyes as always. “What can I get you?”
“I’m thirsty. What do you recommend?”
He looked up, his lips pulling in a smile. “A kiss,” he whispered. “And a fresh lemonade.”
“In what order? Kiss or lemonade first?”
He glanced around at the remaining customers. “Lemonade, I guess.” He made a face that had her laughing.
“Okay then.”
“I’m off at four. That’s in,” he checked his watch, “one hour. Would you like to go for a swim somewhere?” His eyes were filled with colors again, and she had to shake herself to be able to think.
“Yeah, I’d love that.”
She watched him go, admiring the view from the back. Distracted yet again. Pulling out her novel, she struggled to lose herself in the world of vampires and zombies, but every time Kai entered her line of vision, she forgot what she’d been reading about.
He brought her the lemonade and she pretended to read until his shift was over. She thought the time would never pass, and then suddenly he was there, giving her an uncertain smile.
“So where are we going?” She grabbed her bag and he tugged it from her hand, shouldering it.
“What would you like to do?”
“You said something about swimming.”
“Then we’re going to a beach.” He winked. “As for the kiss you ordered...”
“I’m noticing a delay in service today.” She reached for his hand, and his fingers locked around hers.
“You wouldn’t want to rush a good thing.”
“Promises, promises.”
She didn’t get a laugh, but she got a wide smile, and it was damn beautiful.
He kept stealing glances at her as he drove to a small beach bordered with pine trees, an ice-cream truck parked at the top. A couple were roasting themselves on beach towels, and a man with a fishing rod stood on the rocks. The sun had started its descent toward the west and the shadows were lengthening already.
He stopped the pickup. “You like it?”
“It’s perfect.” Smiling, she opened the door and jumped out. “Race you to the water!” She ran down the sandy stretch, hearing him curse behind her. Laughing breathlessly, she wriggled out of her dress and toed off her sandals as he pounded after her. “Last one will have to answer a question,” she shouted, running toward the water.
“Deal,” he said right next to her ear and then he was plunging into the sea, diving like a dolphin.
Oh crap. She’d been had.
Shaking her head, she splashed after him. She dived under, closing her eyes, then surfaced, wiping water off her face. She looked around. Where was Kai?
Something
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