by Sue Seabury
“I left out the part about Mrs. Robinson, my son’s cat. He’s real crotchety. Pees on my welcome mat.”
“Your son?”
Kat laughed. Her stomach unclenched. “The cat.”
“But you said 'he.’”
“Yeah, Mrs. Robinson's a 'he.' He has this thing for young men. That’s how he earned the name.”
Hugo's eyebrows went up. Kat's stomach squerked. He couldn’t possibly thinkshe had a thing. . . ? “Anyway, my point is, my mother was always scrimping. We were poor, my father wasn’t in the picture, so she kind of had to, but it was extreme. The longest we ever lasted in the same apartment was two years. The end of every month was stressful. Noodle soup eaten on the couch, wrapped in a pile of blankets. To this day, I can’t stand the smell of ramen. But then the landlords would get sick of the excuses—”
Hugo’s eyes were like saucers. Too much info. Kat reeled it back in to something less depressing.
“I guess I should remember to be grateful she managed to keep us in the same town. Anyway, all she ever did was go to work, then come home and sack out in front of the TV of whatever apartment we hadn’t been thrown out of yet. Then I married Darren, and we lived in one house, a nice one, and were never in danger of being evicted, but all he ever did was work and come home and sack out in front of the TV. So I’m determined not to be like that.” Kat took another chip. “Could I get some water? This is pretty spicy. But delicious.” She pulled her hair into the elastic. It seemed to work better now, like her hair has somehow gotten thicker.
Hugo set a water glass in front of her, then busied himself pouring brightly-colored juices into a glass.
She’d already spilled most of her beans. Might as well dump out the last few that proved she wasn’t a lame-o couch potato. “The divorce was my idea. I’m really glad I did it. Sometimes I can’tbelieve I did it, but I’m proud of myself.”
Hugo set a sunset-colored drink in front of her.
“Only if you are,” she said.
Hugo took the glass back and poured half into a tumbler. It ruined the effect, but Kat didn’t care.
He held up his glass. “To not repeating mistakes.”
“And to new beginnings.”
They clinked.
Kat drained hers in one shot then leaned against the counter. She felt woozy again. The drink must have been strong. “I feel like I could go right back to bed.”
Hugo’s eyes ran over her. Should’ve phrased it differently. “I don’t know if acting like a cavewoman is part of the process, but I feel very primitive lately, all I want is to eat and sleep.” The word “SEX?” practically floated in a bubble in the air above the bar. “Very basic.”
Hugo cleared the dishes and wiped the counter. “I could see how that would be possible, yes.”
“But I can do that at home! I didn’t come here to sleep my vacation away. I’m here to have experiences I can’t get anywhere else.”
He folded his towel neatly. “Stand-up paddleboarding isn’t quite that unique, but going out at dawn on this beautiful beach makes it so. Would you like to try it tomorrow morning?”
“That sounds good. Where do I go?”
He hesitated. ”I’ll come get you. For your first time, it will be safer not to go alone.”
Surely he was right. “Sounds good.”
13
After all the chips and salsa, Kat wasn’t hungry for dinner. She went for a long walk on the beach instead where she found a convenient palm log to sit on to watch the sunset. So many sideways-growing trees; her list of questions grew longer.
The stars were beautiful. They made her feel like she was part of something, but also small, insignificant, alone.
That goal worksheet came to mind. What did she want? Originally, she had wanted to do something fun with Josie. When that didn’t work out, she had still wanted to prove to herself she could do this on her own.
Next, she thought she wanted to be alone, but that was kind of . . . lonely. She huffed and kicked the sand. To think Darren might be right about her not knowing what she wanted was infuriating.
She walked some more, the sand soft beneath her bare feet. She just wasn’t used to being on her own yet, that was all. It’d be nice if resorts offered a solitary vacation package, kind of like those old-fashioned rest cures people took a hundred years ago.
The property seemed to have enough space; it would only mean building a few suites farther apart, and then offering room service for all meals. She might mention it to Hugo if his mood seemed right.
To prove she could handle being alone on this vacation, she headed back up to the common area of the resort. Strains of dance music, punctuated by Queenie’s screeches, came from the dining room. She caught a glimpse of a bright red Cigarbelly dragging one of the waitresses around the dance floor. Kat shuddered. For sure she didn’t want that. She hung a hard left toward her room.
Fresh flowers awaited her on the bedside table: yellow and waxy, and they smelled delicious. She took them with her into the bathroom and drew herself a luxurious bath. The warm water, scented air and coqui frogs for musical accompaniment restored her serenity. This place was nice, but too small without a friend along. Tomorrow she’d look into day trips.
*
Kat fully intended to read after her bath, and the mystery novel was open on the bed. But when she awoke the following morning, she couldn’t remember one thing about the story. It was like she had some kind of sleeping sickness.
The upside to her early bedtime was that she had done her Pilates exercises and was dressed when the knock came to her door at dawn.
A wild-haired Hugo held a huge, delicious-looking meal on a tray: coffee, juice, and the most divine-smelling omelettes.
“I hope you feel all right?” His eyebrows were creased with concern. “When you did not come to dinner, I worried a little, but then I remembered you wanted time alone, so I sent Paola to check and she said she saw the light on, so.” He looked her over, then blinked and stared at the ground. “I see you look good.”
Kat got a fluttery feeling in her middle. She told herself it was the food making her stomach rumble. “Yes, I’m fine. Just, as you said, I wanted to avoid the crowds last night. And all those snacks were delicious and filling, so, thank you, and your mother, for humoring me.”
“She will be pleased to hear it. She wants everyone to have a full belly.”
A saucy grin tweaked Kat’s lips as she wondered if Hugo’s mother knew about this tête-à-tête breakfast. Not that she wanted to act on it. The thought was pure contrariness, which was childish. She squashed it. “Speaking of full bellies, what’s all this?”
“Oh, just something I whipped up for our breakfast.”
Kat laughed. “‘Whipped up,’ huh? Looks like you spent at least an hour.”
“To cook some eggs and squeeze some juice? Ten minutes.”
“Maybe you could give cooking lessons as a draw for more clientele.”
Hugo nodded thoughtfully. “That is an interesting idea. Thank you. So, shall we?”
Kat took a step back. Invite him in? The mere thought made her heart race.
“I was thinking we could eat down at thefalo on the beach,” Hugo said.
“Oh.” She exhaled. “Sounds great. What’s a falo?”
“It’s like a covered porch.”
“Lead the way.”
A thatched roof on posts made from slender tree trunks covered a wooden picnic table. Only a few feet away, little turquoise waves lapped the shore as sunbeams streamed through the green leaves. The temperature was perfect. A warm breeze kissed her skin. She felt more alive than she had in years.
Hugo placed cloth napkins and real silverware side by side, then set out the plates. It was a lot of food. Her normal breakfast consisted of a cup of coffee, maybe two. But it would hurt Hugo’s feelings not to eat. She’d have a few bites, to not be rude.
One bite and she knew she was going to finish every last scrap of the omelette. She took a sip of juice to n
ot inhale it. “What is this?”
“Grapefruit.”
“Did you add sugar?”
Hugo looked almost insulted. “They’re naturally sweet here.”
“Everything here is sweet.” Kat looked away.
“Indeed. It may be prideful of me to say, but I believe almost everything about Puerto Rico is special. I feel lucky to have been born here, and to know it is the right place for me. To not go chasing money-colored rainbows elsewhere.” There was more than a hint of bitterness in his tone.
For once, Kat remembered not to pry. “Have you traveled much?”
“Once to Hawaii and Samoa when I was thirteen. My mother is Samoan. It was after . . .” Hugo’s lips compressed.
His hand was within reach. Kat reached over and squeezed it. He looked surprised, but not displeased. To not seem too forward, she let it go.
“That’s where they met, Hawaii.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, it was nice, my mother’s family was very welcoming, but she did not want to be so far from his grave. I was glad, because as beautiful as it was there, I knew even then my home was here.”
Kat took a bite, a delicious combination of avocado and salsa, and chewed thoughtfully. “Being sure at such a young age is lucky. Can’t say I ever felt like that.”
Didanyone feel that way about New Jersey? She couldn’t picture Hugo there, not even at the airport. She’d taken the apartment in Princeton for Carver’s sake, but in four short years, he’d probably move away. That was something for her to work on: finding a place that felt like home. She set her fork down. “Thank you. For the food, and the food for thought.”
Hugo gazed at her for a long moment. “Thank you for listening.”
“That was no effort.”
“It is for me to talk. But with you—” He cocked his head. “Something about you invites confidence.”
His gaze was so intense, maybe his mother had reason to be nervous. Which made Kat nervous. She had to joke. “Sothat’s why Queenie glommed onto me.”
Hugo dropped his eyes. “You must forgive me. I am never like this. This is your vacation. I have no right to impose on your time.”
Kat squared her shoulders. Her fork clinked against the china plate. “Stop. I like learning about you. You have no idea how refreshing a new story is to my ears.”And how refreshing your strong jaw is to my eyes. This time she couldn’t blame the unruly thought on alcohol. She glanced down, got her professional demeanor firmly in place, then looked up at him again. “One of my unofficial jobs at the senior center is to listen to the guests. The stories can get pretty repetitive. So, no. No imposition at all. Besides, I told you plenty of my own sordid details earlier. It’s only fair.” She crooked up one side of her mouth.
Hugo tilted his head. “Some secrets are better not kept.”
“Are you saying you kiss and tell?” Kat clapped a hand over her mouth.
Hugo sat very still.
“About that truth serum I seem to have been administered,” Kat said. “I don’t know if this is a secret I should keep, but I’m going to blab. My birthday is Saturday. I’m putting my order in now for some perfect weather.”
“Really, Saturday? My birthday is Monday. Maybe we can meet in the middle and have a joint celebration Sunday night?”
His suggestion of sharing made her skin prickle, as did curiosity about his age. But she couldn’t ask, since then he had the right to ask hers. “Okay. Get on the horn to God.”
Hugo’s embarrassed smile made her regret teasing him.
“I know there are many things that are beyond my control,” he said. “But as much as I can take charge of, I do. Are you ready to go out?” He stood and brushed his hands off.
“Sure.” Kat stacked the dishes automatically.
“Please. This is my job.”
Their hands touched. Happy sparks skittered up Kat’s arm all the way to her scalp.
“Can’t help myself,” she said. “Always straightening.”
“I should be so lucky to find help like you.”
“This place has a much nicer view than the reception desk where I sit.” Kat smirked. “Hiring?”
Hugo’s lips parted. “Maybe.”
The electrical feeling extended, warming her all over. She took a few steps toward the water in hopes of catching a cool breeze.
Hugo finished stacking then grazed her back with the flat of his palm. “This way.”
He walked toward a stucco shed topped with a grass roof. Kat’s feet didn’t move, as if short-circuited by his touch. He turned and waited for her to catch up, so she did, but made the space between them a little wider. She needed air.
The distance to the shed was short. Hugo got busy selecting boards and paddles. Kat exhaled. Her heart was misbehaving, flapping around, like her neighbor’s canary when Mrs. Robinson got too close to the window outside its cage.
Her stomach was all twisted up too. Maybe going out on the water after a big meal wasn’t such a great idea. Didn’t that lead to dangerous cramps?
Hugo explained how to stay on the board. “It’s very similar to a surfboard, so if you found a comfortable spot there, you should be fine.”
“And if I didn’t?”
He tilted his head. “You can sit, and staying on your knees is another option, although it’s harder on your arms.” He held out a paddle. “Ready?”
Kat accepted it. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Without ceremony, Hugo undid the knot in his orange tie-dyed sarong to reveal stop-sign red board shorts. The signal seemed obvious, but her eyes refused to obey. To cover, she blurted, “Queenie was wondering what you wore under there.”
“I remember.” He leaned in. “I don’t mind tellingyou I only put on a swimsuit under my lava-lava when I’m going in the water.” He winked and headed for the sea.
She followed, feeling slightly breathless.
At the water’s edge, he turned to her. “I suggest you take off your dress.”
Kat gripped the neck of her sundress as if it might fall away at his command. Her bathing suit straps were underneath. “Oh, right.”
Feeling naked, she untied the knot at her neck. The silky, insignificant fabric drifted to the sand.
Hugo’s eyes flicked over her. It was as if he had physically touched her.
He stood abruptly and began to paddle. Much to Kat’s surprise, she was able to stand, although she couldn’t move nearly as fast as he did.
Hugo showed her how to use her core to lessen the fatigue in her arms.
“This makes up for skipping my exercises yesterday.” She laughed, but was feeling the burn already.
“Do you do them every day?”
“Yes.” Kat dug her paddle in. How did he make it look so effortless? “Exercise is important for a lot of reasons, but it’s one of the best ways to stave off dementia.” She could feel her eyes on him. The board wobbled under her feet. She took her time lifting the paddle.
“You’re putting it in too deep. You’ll tire yourself out like that.”
Kat dipped her paddle in more shallowly. When she dared steal another glance at him, her eyes caught on his.
“My mother had dementia real bad when she died,” she said.
“Yes, you mentioned it. That must have been very difficult for you.”
Cold fingers gripped her heart. She slapped the water with her paddle, causing the board to swerve. She dropped to her knees to not fall in. “Here I am complaining about the seniors being repetitive and listen to me!”
Hugo paddled closer and knelt on his board. “I’m sure it’s because it just happened. You’re still grieving.”
Kat nodded and stared out at the sea. Her doctor had done the genetic test, but maybe the results were wrong. If false positives could happen, so could false negatives. She’d find someone else to retest her the minute she got home. “Is that island over there Jamaica?”
“Jamaica’s quite a bit farther away. That’s Roca del Mar. A pretty place for snorkeling. Wave
.”
Kat waved her hand automatically, and only caught on that Hugo meant an ocean wave when she got dumped.
He paddled over to give her a hand, but she managed to pull herself back onto the board on her own, all the while acutely aware of how much of a rear view he was getting.
“It’s nice the water’s warm, she said. “That way, it’s just embarrassing to fall in, but not also a punishment.” She sat on the board for a moment to rest. “That reminds me of a joke my son used to tell. How does the ocean say hello? It waves.”
Hugo laughed. “I have one for you. What’s the difference between a guitar and a fish?”
“What?”
“You can’ttuna fish.”
Kat smiled. “Why don’t people like nosy peppers?”
“Why?”
“Because they getjalapeño business. Oops. Was that culturally insensitive?”
“Not at all. It was cute, just like your accent.” Hugo paddled closer. “What’s the best day to go to the beach?”
“Every day when you’re in Puerto Rico!” Kat waved her arms and almost fell in again.
“True, but the answer to the joke is,Sunday.”
Their humor finally found common ground in third grade jokes. Kat stood and paddled some more.
Hugo used his paddle to flip the board around. He moved as if he was walking on dry land instead of riding a tippy, slippery bit of Styrofoam in rough water. “You have no reason to be embarrassed. This is all new to you. I think you are very brave to try so many different things, and on your own too.”
Kat got another warm, fluttery feeling inside her chest again. “You really think so?”
Hugo nodded. “Another wave. Hold on.”
Kat bent her knees deeply and managed to stay up this time.
“We get few single women here.”
“What about Queenie?”
“I think we have determined Queenie is a unique case.”
They both smirked.
Hugo’s expression turned serious. “I am not sure why we get so few women. I think they would like it. I mean, you are enjoying yourself, yes?”
“Five platinum stars!” Here was an opportunity to tell him about her solo vacation ideas.
