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“Same to you, old man.” I match his smirk as I’m still laying starfish on the cement floor.
“I’ll find a painter for your girl.” He offers and steps over me, heading to the front to close up.
“Thanks!” I squeak. “And thanks for everything else.
Leland waves over his shoulder and continues to the front. I roll to my stomach and crawl over to my girl, leaning on her copper-rusted frame.
“We’ll be okay.” I rest my weary head on the door.
With that, I grab my tools and put them back in their rightful place. By this time, the sun has settled and I’m feeling better after my conversation with Leland. However, still caught up in my head, I decide I need to get out and let off some steam. Cruising home for a quick shower and deciding I need a change for the evening. A cold beer from town is the perfect change of scenery.
Tonight, I decided to get a little dressier than normal. I put on some wedges, makeup, matching with a lace crop top and cutoff jean shorts. Swapping my flip-flops for wedge sandals that give me some height. It makes my legs appear thinner and longer. Five-foot one barely registers as a normal height on a good day. And just for one night, temporarily, I can lose a piece of myself that is tired of being in control.
Walking through the woodsy tiki bar with distressed timber and palm leaves covering most of the interior. The salty sea hangs heavy in the air for a subtle coziness. I pass Paul, the bartender. The music and guests are extremely loud tonight, so I give him a nod and hold two fingers up in the air. His head ticks toward me, and I thumb over my shoulder, showing him I’ll be outside, away from the crowd. I drop a twenty on the distressed bar top and slip out the back to the outdoor patio that leads to a beach area. Everyone inside seems so preoccupied with socializing. I felt it was a mistake coming out. A server appears with my beer and hurries back inside.
I see beach chairs set up around a fire pit and another set closer to the water, making it a perfect spot to enjoy the local craft. Leaning down, I pull the ties of my sandals and slip my wedges off my feet. I roll my ankles to stretch them out, then step off the concrete into the fine sand. It engulfs around my feet, and I release a sigh of contentment. This, this is heaven. I walk to the couple of chairs by the ocean and plop down on one chair. My eyes close and take in the beach waves, tenderly touching the sun-kissed sand. I love the feeling of my toes curling in the soft powder.
A clinking of a beer bottle being set down next to me brings me back to reality. Thinking it’s the server delivering my second beer, but I am met with the most perfect hazel eyes known to man.
“Mind some company?” Victor pins me with a stare. An almost hopeful look has me second-guessing everything in this world.
“Um, no.” comes out as I gesture to the seat next to me.
He looks over his shoulder, and my eyes follow. Two women have their sights set on him and watch his every move. I can’t tell if they are confused, pissed, or jealous.
“I think your girlfriend or friends are not happy you left them.” I point back toward the bar.
He slumps into the chair next to me and gives one last look before moving his chair closer to mine. Now I’m the confused one.
“Dear god. All they talk about is hair and nails.” He lies his head back on the chair and has a laugh. “I’ve been trying to ditch them all week. They keep popping up everywhere I go. Then I saw you walk in and figured you could scare them off.”
I groan. “I know how you feel. You keep popping up on me. And get this, nothing has scared you away.”
His puffing chest brings a sense of playfulness. “Ah, check.” He nods, bringing the neck of the bottle to his picture-perfect lips.
“Check? As in - almost checkmate?” I tease.
He sits forward, dumbfounded. “You’re a chess girl?” His eyes dive deep into mine.
For a moment, I drown in the connection between the two of us. “Yeah. I used to play with Leland.”
“Interesting,” he whispers.
A knot in my stomach pulls a little tighter. “What?”
“You are an anomaly, Collins. I’ve only encountered strong-willed women, stuck-up heiresses, or women who are looking for someone to take care of them. You have busted every expectation I’ve had about women.” The honesty of his words hit me. Hard.
Trying to get away from any serious talk, “Ha, didn’t get out of the country club enough, huh?”
“No. Business always came first in my family.” He holds his beer up above his head. “Be better than the next person. Don’t let anyone take advantage of you; you take advantage of them. Don’t let them see you choke,” he mocks.
I stay still listening to him absently minded talking about himself. But this is a different talk. Like a small piece of his wall is exposing his past.
“I came to Hawaii for business. The sunshine and sand seem so… so…” he’s trying to find the right words. I lean closer, clearly invested in what he has to say. “Dirty.”
I lost it. A cackle explodes from my chest, and my hand jerks the beer, causing some liquids to spill from the top.
“Oh, that’s good! Then, I come along covered in grease and dirt to solidify your assumptions.”
