It was after dark when I got home, surprising Abby and Dutch. They looked cozy, snuggled up on the couch, watching television. I couldn’t help thinking that was exactly what Ethan and I should be doing.
Apparently Abby could read my mind. “Where’s Ethan?” she asked.
“He’s at home,” I said nonchalantly, waving a casual hello as I passed by them, “I was out surfing with friends.”
“Do you want something to eat?”
I kept moving, walking down the hall, “No thanks.” I closed the door behind me and collapsed on the bed, images of Nixie’s happy little face flashing before my eyes. I remembered her laughter as she slid down the wave on the front of my board, and I wondered what Evie would think about her unusual growth spurt. Right on cue, the phone in my purse rang. I did the time calculations– it was morning in Paris; Evie must have had gotten wind of my Hawaiian adventure.
“Marina, darling, are you alright? Tell me what happened.”
“I’m fine, it was no big deal, just a surfing accident.”
“I can only imagine… Shayla tells me that you singlehandedly pulled two grown men out of the ocean.”
I cringed, realizing that Shayla could never stand up to an interrogation by Evie.
“I just helped a little. Shayla was the one who performed CPR…”
Evie laughed, “To hear her tell it, she’s being forced to take the credit for something she didn’t do. The press is going wild over her– They can’t get over how modest she’s being. She’s absolutely the toast of the town!”
“That’s good,” I said, flopping my head back down on my pillow.
“No dear, she’s fine,” I heard Evie’s muffled voice, and the murmuring of another in return.
“Is Shayla there?” I asked, “Can I talk to her?”
“No, I’m breakfasting with my dear friend Olivia… You remember her from the meeting, right? She was so very disappointed not to have the opportunity to get to know you better.”
My hair stood on end, and I sat bolt upright, “Uh…Uh, Yeah… Well, I wanted to be there for Shayla.”
“I understand dear, we were just making plans for Olivia to come for a visit to San Francisco. She’ll stay with me, and that way she can meet Cruz as well. Won’t that be lovely?”
“Yeah… lovely,” I said, icy fear sitting in the pit of my stomach.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” she asked, concerned.
“Yes, absolutely. I have to be going. Enjoy the rest of your time in Paris.”
“Oh! Marina–”
“Yes?”
“They’re putting Shayla on the cover… That sports magazine thingy? She’s very excited about it.”
I hung up the phone and paced around my room, fatigue forgotten. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being pushed into a corner. It felt like a trap was closing in on me, and my skin was crawling with the sensation of being stalked. I thought about my new art studio sitting empty, and it felt like my only safe haven. Shayla and Megan were the only ones who even knew that I had rented it, and they were both out of town.
I turned off my phone and dressed, packing an overnight bag. I hurried out the front door, cheerfully telling Abby that I had plans, and not to bother waiting up for me. She nodded, and I was relieved when I saw her check herself, refraining from questioning me. As more and more time passed without incident, Abby was starting to let her guard down and keep from fretting over me so much. I think she realized I was chafing under her stewardship, and getting a little old for such babying. She’d have a real baby to fuss over pretty soon, I thought with relief.
She smiled up at me tiredly, her head on Dutch’s shoulder, “Have fun sweetie. Drive carefully.”
I turned into the dark, deserted alley, parking and nervously making my way up the stairs. I slipped in the door quietly, and looked around, relieved to find the place exactly as I had left it. I rummaged through the little refrigerator and sat down to eat some crackers and cheese. Candles unused in the holders stood next to a sad bouquet of dead flowers, dredging up memories of how I’d let Amber spook me out of bringing Ethan here.
I wandered over to the easels with their big blank canvases and closed my eyes. I was seized with the urge to paint, and decided to try and capture the beautiful waves of Hawaii. I started hesitantly, and as I picked up the tempo I got lost in the memories. I could almost feel the warm turquoise water surrounding me, and smell the ocean’s perfume on the balmy breeze.
I dove into the work headfirst, focusing only on the white canvas, blocking out all other thoughts and giving myself over to the sweet relief of forgetting. Before I knew it, the sun was rising, and I was shocked to discover that I’d been painting all night. Mission accomplished; I had successfully kept my mind off of Ethan, forgetting Olivia and the strange vision to boot. I flopped down onto my own comfortable couch, pulled a throw blanket over me, and fell into an exhausted sleep.
By the time I woke it was Saturday afternoon, and I sat up and stretched, pondering what I should do next. I splashed some water on my face and studied the painting I’d gotten so lost in. It had morphed from a simple wave into the blue tube of water I’d been so thrilled to surf on. Looking at it made me want to be in the water, and I decided I’d go out surfing again, thinking that at least my sisters would be happy to see me.
When I pulled up at Abby’s to retrieve my board, Ethan was there before I could even step out of the Rover.
“Where have you been?” he asked loudly, “I’ve been looking all over for you!”
I squared my shoulders and hardened my face, “You told me to go away.”
I brushed past him and made for the house. I wanted to go surfing, not be accused of chasing around after Kimo again. He darted past me onto the porch, positioning himself between me and the door.
“Please,” he said, softly this time, “I was wrong… I’m sorry.”
I looked at him skeptically, not even close to forgiving him, “Really? Why the sudden change of heart?” I asked sarcastically.
“Shayla called me… she told me what happened.”
My eyes flew open with outrage, and now it was my turn to raise my voice, “You believe Shayla, but you won’t believe ME? That’s just great!”
“I’m sorry, it’s just that I saw that picture of you with him… and–”
“Could you please move?”
“Marina, I wasn’t thinking straight… it made me crazy.”
“Go away!”
“No. I’m not leaving.”
There it was again, another “no”, and it aggravated me once more. Evie had to be wrong about that whole “no” thing.
“Let me go in,” I said through gritted teeth, like an angry ventriloquist.
“Not until you talk to me,” he held up his hands in a gesture of surrender.
“Like you talk to Amber?” I hissed, surprising myself. I guess I was never going to get over it.
“It’s not like I can avoid her when I’m at work,” he said defensively.
“At least I’m not talking to Kimo about you!” I replied harshly.
“I told her we were getting married!” he yelled.
“Yeah? Well, I told Kimo the same thing!” I yelled back.
He paused for a second, and his eyes flashed blue at me, beautiful. They crinkled up at the corners, “I thought you said you didn’t talk about me.”
He had me there, and as hard as I tried, I couldn’t suppress the smile that started to play on my lips. He stepped towards me with his arms wide but I shied away, missing the porch step and staggering backwards into the rosemary hedge to land on my butt.
To his credit, he didn’t laugh, even though it was probably a pretty funny sight. He sprang forward, taking my hands, and pulled me up into his chest. Then he put his arms around me and I let him, in spite of myself. Why did he have to feel so damn good?
He pressed his face in my hair, “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice muffled. “I don’t wanna fight with you. I
missed you so bad… I acted like a jerk… I’m just a jealous guy.”
I sucked in a breath, but nothing came out. I didn’t know what to say. He took my hand and led me over to the bench on the porch, pulling me down to sit next to him.
“Tell me what happened in Paris,” he said solemnly, “Please.”
I bit my lip and looked into his earnest eyes. My first impulse was to keep it all to myself, and I very nearly did. After all, there was no point in upsetting him when there was nothing he could do about it. Then he kissed me, slowly and tenderly, like he really meant it.
His voice was husky, and he spoke with an imploring tone that was irresistible, “Tell me.”
I started out haltingly, telling him about the woman who came to summon us at Shayla’s show, explaining how I could tell she was a hybrid from across the room. Then I told him about the actual meeting, describing the various women in the room along with their questions and my answers. He listened to me intently, and surprisingly, the more I talked the better I felt.
“When you called me from Hawaii, you said something bad happened. Why did you need to leave Paris?”
I met his eyes again, wringing my hands as I told him about Marissa, repeating the warning she gave me.
“Did you tell Evie?” he asked in alarm.
I shook my head no, “Olivia is her good friend… it turns out she’s been advising Evie about me all along.”
“That’s not good,” he said, pulling me a little closer.
“She called me yesterday… and Olivia was right there with her. She told Evie she was sorry she didn’t get a chance to get to know me better… and she’s coming to stay with her in San Francisco,” there was a little hitch in my voice, “And she wants to meet Cruz.” I was scared for them, and I looked at him with worried eyes.
“What are we gonna do about it?” he asked.
I smiled wryly, “We?”
“Yeah, we,” he said, just before he leaned in for another kiss.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
SEDUCTION
Long arrived at the back of the stand, nodding to Ethan, but seemingly unable to peel his gaze from me, “Break time,” he announced, his eyes following me as I closed my book and slipped on my sandals.
“Hi Long,” I said lightly, ignoring his rude stare.
Ethan slipped his arm around me as we walked away.
“Now what’s up with Long?” I asked.
“Everyone’s talking about you surfing Jaws with Kimo and Matt,” said Ethan sourly as we sat down at the break table behind the stands.
All the surfers in town had taken particular note of the tabloid coverage of our mishap in Hawaii, and whenever I ran across them on the beach or in town the all of the whispering started up anew. The only one I really knew was Mike, and I suspected he had already told them tales about the time we surfed with Kimo at the point. Shayla would have been highly amused at how many of the guys were claiming to have dated her.
More pictures from that fateful day had eventually surfaced. It turned out that there were paparazzi following Matt twenty-four seven. There were shots of Kimo towing me and Matt out behind his jet ski, and images of Gabe and Shayla hauling Matt up onto the beach, with me in the background, turning to dive back into the sea for Kimo. Ethan had already heard the truth from Shayla, but he got more and more irritated every time his buddies brought it up.
“I still can’t believe he took you surfing out there, he could have gotten you seriously hurt,” Ethan grumbled, angry all over again at the thought.
“It’s not his fault. I wanted to,” I protested, popping a strawberry in his mouth to shut him up. To be honest, it was entirely my fault, but Ethan would never see it that way.
It didn’t stop his complaining for long, “That place is way too dangerous… I mean, look what could have happened if those mermaids didn’t show up,” he frowned.
“It was scary… but the waves were amazing. Besides, I do have a lot of experience being towed,” I mused.
He shook his head with a defeated gesture, “I wish you’d be more careful. What would I do without you to worry about?” He reached out to pull me closer, kissing my ear. His warm breath tickled, and I giggled, turning my face to look into his saltwater blue eyes.
“You’re driving me crazy,” he said, just before he kissed me.
He didn’t realize it, but I was beginning to believe that I was. He was pushing himself harder than I ever thought possible, working almost every waking hour, and if he wasn’t at work he was out hustling for more work, handing out flyers advertising his landscaping services. If I wanted to spend time with him I had to tag along, sitting in his truck waiting, or reading quietly at the farmer’s market.
At least I hadn’t seen Amber since I’d been back. It was probably inevitable that I’d run into her at college, and I wondered how she’d act when our paths crossed again. I smiled inside when I thought about him telling her about our engagement, but she didn’t strike me as the type that would give up very easily, and I was still feeling insecure. I scooted closer to Ethan.
My art studio was my sanctuary, a distraction from my troubling thoughts, and I’d kept it to myself for the past week like my own little secret garden. Whenever Ethan was working and I was feeling edgy, I’d head over there to furiously paint out all my anxiety. I’d started spending most of my time there, taking long afternoon naps on the couch, luxuriating in my independence.
I brought more and more of my things there, and the place started to feel like home. I planned on surprising Ethan with it, but I found myself holding back, waiting for the perfect time. I liked having a clandestine place to go and be alone. In solitude was precious control, and the freedom from having to depend on anyone else.
“How about we go surfing tomorrow?” I suggested hopefully.
“Can’t,” he said firmly, “I have to work.”
I sighed, for thoughts of Olivia plagued me, making me so anxious that I’d have to sneak out to see Lorelei at night, purposefully surfing myself into exhaustion. I knew that Ethan wouldn’t like it, but I ignored the little flush of guilt I felt. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.
“We can surf a lot more when we’re married,” he said bending down to kiss me, and I really wanted to believe him. Kissing Ethan made me feel better no matter what the problem. The sound of shuffling feet and a clatter of plates broke us apart.
“Marina, my friend,” Lue was beaming at us as he set down a platter with a wheel of grilled sausage, coiled like a snake on a mound of steaming rice. This was followed by a tray stacked with delicious looking fried spring rolls. “Kaj yaub,” He announced, setting it down with a flourish.
“Wow,” I looked up with a smile.
Lue and his family had been fussing over me to the point of embarrassment, bringing me tea all day, and trying to feed me every chance they could get. The rally and its outcome had restored Lue’s faith in justice, and he was so grateful that it bordered on worship. As much as I tried to give the credit to Abby’s hard work, Lue insisted the water spirits were to thank for his good fortune. In his mind, I was clearly their representative, and as such, deserved an offering.
Lue came closer to the truth than I cared to admit, but he believed what he believed, and there was no point in arguing. Besides, the food was fantastic, and the way he was working, Ethan needed to eat every chance he could get.
“It looks delicious,” I smiled.
He handed me a takeout container, “For Abby,” he said with a twinkle in his eye, “Good for the baby.”
“She’ll be touched,” I said, bowing my respects.
Lue laughed his funny little laugh like he always did. He often seemed amused by me, as if my very presence was somehow comically entertaining, but it didn’t bother me. He was one of the few people in Aptos that I felt completely comfortable around, and I respected his opinion above all others. He refused to join us and turned to shuffle off, leaving Ethan looking at me with a wry smile.
�
��The food sure is getting better around here,” he raised his eyebrows at me, “Looks like you’re inspiring Lue to cook more.”
I made a face at him.
“Aww, I didn’t mean it that way,” he said, kissing my cheek and digging in.
After we ate, I walked Ethan back to his stand, giving him a hug and telling him I should be getting going. I’d told Abby I’d walk down to feed the cats today, and I was thinking about slipping away to paint at my studio.
“Don’t go,” he whispered in my ear, “I like it when you’re here with me.”
I looked over at Long watching us, and ducked behind Ethan’s shoulder, “Sorry… But I promised Abby.”
His face fell, “Can I please stay with you tonight?”
He looked so cute standing there, crestfallen. Right then I decided, “How about I take you someplace new for dinner tonight?”
He smiled, “Alright, where do you want to go?”
“It’s a surprise… I’ll pick you up tonight.”
“Do I have to get dressed up?” he asked nervously.
“No. You’re fine just the way you are,” I said, kissing his nose and hurrying off. I had some shopping to do.
I hauled the grocery bags up the metal staircase, hurrying down for the boxes from the kitchen store. I’d decided to cook Ethan some Chinese food, a favorite dish of mine that I’d learned from Li Wei, one of Evie’s most talented personal chefs.
Li ran the best restaurant in Hong Kong, and she would fly into San Francisco regularly to orchestrate the sumptuous banquets served at Evie’s posh dinner parties. Under her command, the kitchen staff always turned out an amazing variety of elaborate Chinese dishes. I used to lurk around the giant butcher block counter, excited by all the hustle and bustle; intrigued by the exotic ingredients. Stern but patient, Li tolerated my childish questions and instructed me on a few simple cooking techniques.
03 The Fate Of The Muse - Marina's Tales Page 19
