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“Just a hunch. My name is Chris, what’s yours, gorgeous?”
“Uh, no. Not happening. Her name is none of your business. I’m Oliver though, would you like to meet me?”
I didn’t even hear him approach. He’s standing there with his hands on his hips and even though he’s got sunglasses covering his eyes, I know he’s staring down my new wannabe friend, Chris.
“Hi, Oliver. I was just-”
“Oh, I know what you were ‘just’. You can leave now.” Oliver puts his arm around my shoulders and I’m too shocked to say a word as I watch Chris walk away. When I come to my senses I smack Oliver on the chest.
“What was that?”
“What?”
“Don’t ‘what’ me. You know exactly what I mean.”
“I’m not about to let some dude you don’t know try to hit on you. No way. Chris over there probably has gonorrhea or herpes and is looking to share.”
“You’re being ridiculous. I can handle myself.”
“I know you can, but you don’t need to because I’m here.”
“Well, thank goodness for that,” I roll my eyes.
“Give me your sunglasses,” he instructs and I hand them over as I see him remove his own. “Wait here.” He jogs back to our cabana and places them down, then returns and holds out a hand to me, “Come on.”
Shading the sun from my eyes with my hand, I look at him blankly, “Why?”
“We’re going to take a dip in the water.”
I look at the water and him then the water again, “Um, I don’t know. I already went out a little bit. I’m good.”
“What do you mean you don’t know? You didn’t think you could come to the ocean for the first time and only put your feet in did you?”
“Well, maybe.”
“No way, sunshine.”
“Well, I can if I want.” When his hands comically find his hips and he stares at me in disbelief I cross my arms over my chest. “What if there are sharks in there?”
“Well it’s a huge ocean, there are sharks in there. I can guarantee it.”
“You know what I mean.”
He looks from one side to the other, his eyes looking over all the people currently swimming in the ocean – shark free. “I don’t see anyone screaming.”
“That’s not funny.”
“Come on, we’re doing this.”
He takes my hand and begins pulling me out further. “I’ll go in to my knees, okay? How’s that?”
“Nope. Not good enough.”
“What if there are fish and one of them bites me?”
His response is to look at me like I’m crazy. He doesn’t say a word.
When my calves are in the water, I sigh at the feeling. The water is cool, but not cold. The water combined with the sun on my shoulders makes me smile. Oliver seeing it tugs my hand to pull me out further, but I dig my feet in and don’t move. He looks at me and I shrug trying to give my best, ‘Yeah, I know I’m crazy – what can you do?’ look but he’s not having it. Before I can blink he’s got me thrown over his shoulder and is marching further into the surf.
When I finally find my voice I use it, “Oliver! Don’t you dare!”
“Oh, I dare. I definitely dare.”
With a loud laugh he runs as far as he can before a wave takes us both down. Popping up as soon as I can, I know my eyes are wide and I’m blinking like crazy to remove the water from my eyes. He, of course, looks gorgeous. Water dripping down his skin, hair already slicked back. He takes in my expression and laughs.
“Come on!” Taking my hand again, he pulls me out to where we can still stand and the waves move like rolls that we can jump and move with as opposed to having them crash into us. It’s a feeling I’ve never felt before - the sand under my feet and between my toes and the water surrounding me. I laugh. It’s pure and utter joy. I can’t help it.
Leaning back, I move into a back float and spread my arms wide then stare into the sky and smile. Oliver appears over the top of me smiling down into my face. His hands find my back and he stays next to me, his touch making me know he’s with me, while I float. Enjoying the muted sound the water in my ears creates; I let it metaphorically shut out everything else. All emotions, all fears, all worries. I close my eyes, I feel the sun on my face, I enjoy the water moving around me, the man next to me.
I let myself relax. I tell myself to let go. I simply live in the moment.
