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Thank you, Lord. For giving me the courage to step outside of my comfort zone and for bringing Micah Donahue into my life.
Micah cast an admiring glance in her direction. “Nice suit,” he said with an approving nod of his head.
“Thanks. I just picked it up the other day.” The one-piece suit was a brilliant emerald green color. It had a scalloped neckline and accentuated her figure without being overly revealing. Wearing it made Faith feel womanly and beautiful. It had been a long time since she’d thought about her looks in such a complimentary way. Micah was bringing out the best in her in every way imaginable. Since meeting him Faith had felt lighter and more carefree. With each and every passing day Faith felt like a more whole human being. Although the past was still painful, Faith finally had hope she could move beyond it.
Faith grabbed her hat and sunglasses, then looked over at Micah. He was wearing a pair of bright blue board shorts and a big straw hat on his head. When he saw her looking at him he pointed at the hat. “I can’t get too much direct sun since I have a tendency to burn. Clients want you to show up looking the same way you did when you they booked you for the gig.”
“It makes sense, although I never would have figured models had to think about things like that.”
He winked at her. “I know people think models don’t do anything but stand around and look pretty, but we actually work pretty hard. We’re not just pretty faces. And we’re pretty intelligent to boot.”
“Anything special going on this week?”
Micah took a big gulp of his soda, then swallowed. “I have a commercial booked. It’s pretty nerve racking stuff though. My toughest assignment yet.”
“You seem like a man who enjoys challenges,” Faith observed. “I admire that.”
“This is a bit out of my element.” He had a wistful expression etched on his face. “I wish you could come with me to the shoot. You’d be such a calming influence, Faith.”
“Really? They let outside people watch?”
“Sure. Not an entourage or anything,” he said with a chuckle. “But a few people are permissible. My agent will probably be there. So, are you interested?”
Faith loved the idea of attending one of Micah’s professional gigs. It would allow her to see what really transpired during the shooting of a commercial. It would also give her more time to spend in Micah’s presence.
“School’s out for the year, so I’m free.
You can give me the details later.”
“Seriously?” he asked, letting out a deep breath. “That would be amazing. This commercial is for a big name in the fashion industry, so it could really lead to bigger and better things. Usually they don’t give us lines, but we actually have some dialogue in this one.”
“It really sounds like a great opportunity, Micah, especially if you want to go the next level and incorporate acting into your repertoire.”
Micah frowned at her. “How did you know that’s what I want to do?”
“I saw the way you lit up yesterday when we were talking about dialogue and learning lines. I just connected the dots.”
He quirked his mouth. “Modeling is great, but I’d love to branch out and do other things. I’ve been blessed to have a great career, but in another five years or so the jobs might dry up. Unfortunately, the modeling profession tends to value youth above all else. I want to have a second act ready.”
“Smart,” Faith said with a nod. “It’s always wise to have a backup plan.”
Micah wiped some beads of sweat from his forehead. “It’s getting a bit warm out here. Want to take a dip before we head out to lunch?”
“I’d love to,” Faith said. Micah stood up and offered his hand to her, pulling her up from the beach chair. He didn’t let go of her hand as they walked down toward the water with their hands joined. She’d never known such a small gesture could be so romantic. Never in a million years had she ever imagined she would be holding hands on the beach with a man like Micah and wearing a form fitting bathing suit. Faith wanted to throw her hands in the air and do a triumphant jig.
God had never forsaken her and she’d never given up on herself.
Once her toes felt the water she retreated a bit, daunted by the cool temperature. She took a deep breath, trying to muster the courage to dive in.
“Come on, the temperature is perfect,” Micah said, still holding on to her hand.
She shook her head. “It’s a bit cold for me. Go on and get in. Don’t wait for me.” She waved him on into the water.
“Last one in is a rotten egg!” Micah called out as he ran at full-tilt toward the ocean and dove in. Faith let out a scream as Micah’s plunge into the ocean doused her with water. When he resurfaced he sent her a mischievous look then began to swim towards her, kicking his legs and making a big splash. Faith winced as the water drenched her. With a sigh of resignation, she dove into the water, knowing it was only a matter of time before Micah dragged her in. At least this would be on her own terms.
When she surfaced from the water, Micah was swimming right beside her, looking as comfortable in the ocean as a fish. Faith floated on her back and looked up at the brilliant blue sky. It was a gorgeous afternoon with nary a cloud in the sky. It felt like paradise. She felt as carefree as a child as she swam with Micah. No conversation was needed between them. It was enough for Faith to simply frolic in the water like she’d done as a child. Something had shifted in her over the last few weeks. Swimming in the ocean was a metaphor for how she felt—light and almost weightless. If it wasn’t for the drama with her cousin, life would be sheer perfection.
After their dip in the ocean, Faith and Micah laid out on their towels and let the sun dry off their bodies.
