out
his hand, motioning me downward. His expression was polite, but his
eyes were sardonic.
“Since you’re so talented, why don’t you hold
the flashlight?”
He raised a dark eyebrow. “Good idea.” He
took the apparatus from me and I made my way down slowly, holding
carefully to each jagged rock, while I placed my sandaled feet one
step at a time. Several instances I almost lost my grip and nearly
rolled down the hill, but he caught me by the arm, helping me to
steady myself before proceeding.
“That wasn’t too difficult,” I said once we
reached the bottom.
“Piece of cake.” His lips lifted into a
crooked grin like he was tickled with my clumsiness.
When he looked at me like that I grew faint
all over again and I was standing on a level surface now.
He lit torches on the outside which created a
tempting atmosphere, something other than Dylan to distract me from
my inebriated state. I liked the luxurious look of white fabric
draped across the top and over the four sides of tied bamboo that
supported the open structure.
“Did you make this yourself?” I asked.
“Yeah, along with my friends.” His expression
was blank as he lifted the curtain for me to enter.
The entire floor was covered in soft feathers
sewn together like a comfortable, billowy rug with thin, flexible
earthen materials. He lit a lantern on a makeshift table that sat
only a couple feet above the ground. It brought a nice glow to the
neatly arranged chessboard that sat beside it.
I could picture Dylan and his friends playing
games and eating at the table while relaxing on the soft feathers.
Off to the side of the cabana was a spilt bag of jewels, shells,
and gold trinkets of mythological creatures of the ocean—mermaids,
sea monsters, selkies, and sirens.
“This is intense.” I held up a tiny golden
medallion of a mermaid with a ring around it. It was a profile view
and was attached to the ring by a sapphire dagger which was in the
mermaid’s hand.
“It’s yours,” he said, his expression was
unreadable.
“You’re giving this to me?” I asked with
surprise.
“Yeah.”
“I can’t take this. It looks expensive.”
“It reminds me of you—the sassy swimmer.” He
raised an eyebrow.
I smiled, embarrassed. I couldn’t help but
remember how Dad called Mom sassy too.
“I found that in the ocean…”
“Really?” I interrupted.
“If you don’t take it, I’ll throw it back,”
he snickered.
My cheeks grew hot again. “Thank you.” I
grasped the shiny treasure in my hand.
His green eyes sparkled in the lantern light
as he looked at me. “I’m interested in the legends of the sea.
Locals say they’ve seen some of these creatures in the coves and
not too far out into the ocean. There are a few small craggy rock
islands just yonder. One guy told me he saw mermaids sunbathing on
the obsidian rocks. And some people swear the islands aren’t
islands at all, but actually Zartans…”
“What are Zartans?” I asked as I looked more
closely at one of the silver sea creatures.
“Giant sea turtles that sleep for many years
and are mistaken for floating islands.”
“Oh my! Has anyone surfaced one?” I looked at
him with wonder in my eyes.
“I don’t really believe it’s true, but some
sailors who come into the docks say they’ve walked them.
Supposedly, they are very far out. Sometimes they wake up and
swallow up the people who dock their ships at them.” He walked over
to his bag and pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of shorts.
“Darn.”
“What?” he asked as he pulled the shirt over
his head.
“I wanted to see the reaction of the people
at the party when you showed up in your underwear.”
He half-smiled, a spark of mystery in his
eyes. “They’re bored of my nudity already.”
My jaw dropped slightly, wondering if he ran
around naked all the time.
“Not really.” He pulled on his shorts. “You
ready for the beach.”
“Sure.” I ran my fingers through my hair,
trying to straighten
his hand, motioning me downward. His expression was polite, but his
eyes were sardonic.
“Since you’re so talented, why don’t you hold
the flashlight?”
He raised a dark eyebrow. “Good idea.” He
took the apparatus from me and I made my way down slowly, holding
carefully to each jagged rock, while I placed my sandaled feet one
step at a time. Several instances I almost lost my grip and nearly
rolled down the hill, but he caught me by the arm, helping me to
steady myself before proceeding.
“That wasn’t too difficult,” I said once we
reached the bottom.
“Piece of cake.” His lips lifted into a
crooked grin like he was tickled with my clumsiness.
When he looked at me like that I grew faint
all over again and I was standing on a level surface now.
He lit torches on the outside which created a
tempting atmosphere, something other than Dylan to distract me from
my inebriated state. I liked the luxurious look of white fabric
draped across the top and over the four sides of tied bamboo that
supported the open structure.
“Did you make this yourself?” I asked.
“Yeah, along with my friends.” His expression
was blank as he lifted the curtain for me to enter.
The entire floor was covered in soft feathers
sewn together like a comfortable, billowy rug with thin, flexible
earthen materials. He lit a lantern on a makeshift table that sat
only a couple feet above the ground. It brought a nice glow to the
neatly arranged chessboard that sat beside it.
I could picture Dylan and his friends playing
games and eating at the table while relaxing on the soft feathers.
Off to the side of the cabana was a spilt bag of jewels, shells,
and gold trinkets of mythological creatures of the ocean—mermaids,
sea monsters, selkies, and sirens.
“This is intense.” I held up a tiny golden
medallion of a mermaid with a ring around it. It was a profile view
and was attached to the ring by a sapphire dagger which was in the
mermaid’s hand.
“It’s yours,” he said, his expression was
unreadable.
“You’re giving this to me?” I asked with
surprise.
“Yeah.”
“I can’t take this. It looks expensive.”
“It reminds me of you—the sassy swimmer.” He
raised an eyebrow.
I smiled, embarrassed. I couldn’t help but
remember how Dad called Mom sassy too.
“I found that in the ocean…”
“Really?” I interrupted.
“If you don’t take it, I’ll throw it back,”
he snickered.
My cheeks grew hot again. “Thank you.” I
grasped the shiny treasure in my hand.
His green eyes sparkled in the lantern light
as he looked at me. “I’m interested in the legends of the sea.
Locals say they’ve seen some of these creatures in the coves and
not too far out into the ocean. There are a few small craggy rock
islands just yonder. One guy told me he saw mermaids sunbathing on
the obsidian rocks. And some people swear the islands aren’t
islands at all, but actually Zartans…”
“What are Zartans?” I asked as I looked more
closely at one of the silver sea creatures.
“Giant sea turtles that sleep for many years
and are mistaken for floating islands.”
“Oh my! Has anyone surfaced one?” I looked at
him with wonder in my eyes.
“I don’t really believe it’s true, but some
sailors who come into the docks say they’ve walked them.
Supposedly, they are very far out. Sometimes they wake up and
swallow up the people who dock their ships at them.” He walked over
to his bag and pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of shorts.
“Darn.”
“What?” he asked as he pulled the shirt over
his head.
“I wanted to see the reaction of the people
at the party when you showed up in your underwear.”
He half-smiled, a spark of mystery in his
eyes. “They’re bored of my nudity already.”
My jaw dropped slightly, wondering if he ran
around naked all the time.
“Not really.” He pulled on his shorts. “You
ready for the beach.”
“Sure.” I ran my fingers through my hair,
trying to straighten
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