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“This is your treat. What do you want to do?” I countered.
Without speaking, she took my hand in hers and started walking towards the white and blue tents of the vendors on the beach. Luckily, I had worn sandals, so maneuvering the sand dunes was a little easier than it would have been in shoes. We wandered around the stands for a little while, looking at all the handcrafted items. A lot of the items were ocean themed, which made sense given where we were. There were a few painters there that Natalia struck up conversations with, talking shop and technique. She showed one of the painters a photo of a piece that she had done, and they discussed a collaboration. I loved watching her mingle with other people—the way she lit up when something excited her, how her smile made others smile, how others reacted to her work or her thoughts.
I was deep in thought watching her when my cell phone rang.
“Hello?” I answered it, walking out of the tent, so I didn’t disrupt any of the other customers.
“Hey, you still taking Nat to the beach?” Seth asked. I would know his voice anywhere, and he had long since gotten over the need to tell me it was him calling.
“Yes, we’re here already. Brilliant idea dude, thank you.”
“Yeah, no problem. Why don’t you come over to the Flagship when you are done? Tania and I are here having drinks. You guys should join us.”
I looked over at Natalia who was laughing with an old woman. She looked so happy, so free, and a surge of pride ran through me. I was married to her. She was gorgeous and talented, kind and curious. She could see the beauty in things others couldn’t see and she snored—though if you asked her, she would say she didn’t. She was cautious and nervous all the time because she was so concerned about everyone else around her. She was sweet and pure, but at the same time, she had a healthy sexual appetite. I couldn’t wait to get her home and explore her body again. I wanted her more than I had ever wanted anything. Never before had I skipped a workday just to be with someone.
Realization hit me like a Mack truck to the face.
I was in love with my wife.
“Yes, sounds good,” I managed to get out and hung up on him. Seth would understand later when I told him what I had discovered, especially when it meant that he had been right. I was never going to live this one down, but it was hard to be mad about it. I was winning no matter what because I had her.
Natalia waved and started over towards me, her sling-strap beach bag looking considerably fuller than when we had started.
“That woman makes the most amazing clay mugs! Turns out she does plates and other stuff too, so I promised I would go to her shop to check them out sometime. She can do custom orders, so if we like her style, we can get exactly what we want.” she said excitedly. “I love the idea of helping other artists, you know?”
I nodded. It was exactly like her to want to help other people out.
“That sounds great. Did you want to see more of the vendors, or are you all set?”
“I think I’m good. The other tents are all hemp and marijuana-related, and that’s just not my thing,” she laughed and shrugged.
“Mine neither. Would you like to head to the Flagship bar? My best friend Seth happens to be there with his wife, and they really want to meet you,” I asked. For some reason, I was feeling nervous, like I expected her to say “No.” Apparently, her meeting Seth was a bigger deal to me than I had thought.
“I would love to! Have you known Seth long? What’s his wife like?” she babbled, following behind me as I led us through the crowd towards the strip of buildings in the parking lot where the Flagship was. I answered her questions with a smile, happy that she was so interested.
When the way became less crowded, she jogged up to walk beside me, slipping her hand into mine. I loved that she felt free to do that, and to show her how much I enjoyed it, I brought her hand up to my lips and kissed the back of it, teasing her more.
The Flagship was a cool little bar-and-grill that had an abundance of outdoor seating. Seth always sat in the far corner if he could help it, so he wouldn’t have anyone at his back while he ate. I could completely understand that—I hated when people were behind me. But his issues with it were more prominent, which was why I always got the outside seat. I found him in his usual spot. Tania was sitting opposite her husband wearing a blue sundress that accentuated her abundance of cleavage. I gave her an appreciative nod, and Seth scowled at me. His face lightened when he saw Natalia, though, and he even stood up to greet her.
“You must be the unlucky woman who is stuck with this dipshit! How are you? Ready to divorce him yet?” Seth asked as he leaned over to give Natalia a hug. Natalia hugged him back, a little uneasy but trying to be open, which I appreciated. Tania stood up to give her a hug as well, and Natalia hugged her back too, her arms not as stiff as when hugging Seth. She was either more comfortable hugging other women, or she was adjusting to hugging people she didn’t know.
“Haha, no. More like Jimmy’s stuck with me,” she told them, and we all sat down.
“Good one, girl. I have no idea how you put up with him all the time,” Tania offered, giving me a wink. She made it seem like she couldn’t stand me, but it was all an act. She knew how much Seth and I meant to each other, and over the years, Tania and I had come to an unspoken agreement of friendship.
“Easily, actually. He’s always working,” Natalia laughed, and Seth and Tania laughed with her. I rolled my eyes. Maybe introducing my wife to my friends had been a bad idea.
We ordered drinks and sat around the table talking. Food soon came after, a vegetarian pizza for the table which I had to admit was relatively good. It needed meat of some kind, though, and then it would have been perfect. I was finishing the last bite of my first slice and listening to Tania and Natalia talk about some craft involving a cricket when I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I turned around, and my little brother was standing there with his arms out wide and a big grin on his face. I half expected him to be missing a limb or covered in bruises, but he looked perfectly fine to me.
“Hey, Jimmy! So glad I bumped into you!”
I was on my feet in a second. I felt my fist clench and my arm go back before my brain was even aware of what I was doing. The only reason I didn't punch him in the face was because Natalia had jumped to her feet as well and wrapped her arms around my cocked bicep, holding it in place. I could have overpowered her if I really wanted to, but I didn’t. I glared at Daniel.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere, and no one we know has seen you. I half expected you to have been kidnapped by Russians and thrown in the ocean.”
“So, instead you come hang out here with your friends? Some big brother,” he shot at me, and I cracked my neck, trying to calm myself so I didn’t go to punch him again. I put my arm down, but Natalia still hugged my arm to her. Surprisingly, it helped to calm me down. I didn’t know if it was because it was her holding onto me or if it was because my arm was stationed between her breasts, but I wasn't going to argue.
