by Oscar Watson
It was as she neared her front door on the way back that he first approached her. His name was Ethan, and she had met him previously but only in passing. He was a permanent resident of the town though not this complex. But he frequented many little shops and spots she did so they had run into each other more than a handful of times. He appeared to just be taking a stroll along the terraza.
“Good evening!” He walked up to her with a bright smile on his face. He was very clearly in a good mood.
She smiled in return. “Good evening. You seem happy, Ethan.”
His smile brightened. “I am! How are you?”
“I’m okay.” She turned to the side to look at the sea glistening under the moonlight. She was certainly not great, but she was not in a bad place either. She was neutral, and that was okay.
“You know, we run into each other a lot, but somehow we’ve never actually had a conversation.”
Annie turned back to look at Ethan. She could already sense where this was going. She readied herself for the inevitable question. Unlike with Luke, however, she was at least curious about going on a date with Ethan. Based off the places they ran into each other, they had many shared interests. He was always in a good mood. And he seemed quite friendly. But he did not seem like the type who tried to charm women constantly, and she really liked that.
“Would you like to have lunch tomorrow?”
Annie smiled. “Yes, I would.” She crossed one arm over her chest and wrapped her hand around her other arm. The sea breeze blew through her hair, and the moonlight cast a seductive glow on her milky skin.
Annie smoothed out the palm of her hand over her sundress. It was fifteen minutes to 1pm, and she was supposed to meet Ethan at her front door at 1 pm. Everything was all closed up, and she was more than ready to go. She had not gone on a date for a while even back home in London. Her life there was just too much hectic to even think about things like dating. And usually while in San Sebastian she too busy with writing or relaxing that dating did not really exist in her mind. Then again, there were rarely men who caught her attention.
There was a knock on her front door, and she leaned over the black railing to see Ethan standing in wait. “Hello!” She leaned further over the black railing until he could see her, and she waved jovially. He smiled widely in return and waved back almost as enthusiastically.
She straightened up and went into her bedroom, making sure the door to the balcony was securely shut behind her. She grabbed her purse and hopped downstairs. She opened her front door graciously with a smile fixed in place. “You look lovely.” He eyed her from head to toe the second he could see her. She smiled and gave a single nod.
“Thank you.” She smiled and took his arm as he offered it. She looped her arm through his, and the two of them set off down the terraza arm-in-arm. It was a pleasant walk together under the clear sky and bright sun. The conversation came easily to both of them, and he was quite skilled in making her laugh. Just as they turned right off the terraza to a quaint nearby restaurant, she saw Luke walking toward them. His face falling the moment he saw her arm linked with Ethan’s was unmistakable.
He gulped. “Good afternoon.” He forced a smile at the two of them and just kept walking. She had never seen him looking quite so upset, but she was not altogether surprised. There was a tugging at her stomach inside that made her feel bad for being the cause of his face looking so sad. On the other hand, she could not very stop her life from happening just because she did not feel for Luke the way he felt for her. She thought back, feeling quite sure she had never given the man false hope.
“Is everything alright?” They had stopped walking, and Ethan was looking at her curiously. She had gotten a little too lost in her thoughts.
“Yes, everything’s fine. I’m sorry about that.” She smiled and tugged at his arm so they would continue walking. She had to let go of any thoughts of Luke and any feeling bad for him if this chance had any shot at being successful or enjoyable. She turned to look at Ethan and smiled. This was not an opportunity she should let slip through her fingers.
As they strolled back after lunch, it occurred to Annie she was actually having a marvelous time. It had been quite a while since she’d met someone with whom she could converse like this. She was comfortable with Luke and always enjoyed spending time with him, but it was drastically different with Ethan. Of course, it was impossible for her to explain how or why it was so different.
The pair finally reached her front door, and Ethan stepped out and around to face her directly. “I had a great time, and I sincerely hope you did too.” He smiled and reached out to place his hand on her upper arm.
“I did.” She smiled in return. It was a different smile than any other she had given him throughout the day. It was a smile that indicated she was happy and wanted to go on another date with him. It was a smile that showed she was interested in him.
He took another step forward and looked into her eyes, waiting for some kind of reaction. When she did not step back away from him, he reached out and placed his other hand on her shoulder. Without another word, he leaned in and softly pressed his lips to hers. She saw it coming from the start so she was not taken by surprise, and she reacted to the kiss right away.
It was a short, tender kiss but one that was indicative of an inevitable second date. It was one that reassured her he’d had just as much of a good time on the date as she.
Chapter Two
She had run into Ethan quite a few times in different places around town but every time he seemed to decide to chat with her a bit longer, something got in the way. What she failed to notice was that often times it was the appearance of Luke that threw Ethan off course.
Annie spent a considerable amount of her time out with Luke. It was not that she could not be alone, or they were attached at the hip. She just happened to truly enjoy his company, and he would never pass up the opportunity to spend time with her. More than anything, it always just seemed to work out that way, and neither of them was bothered by it. In fact, neither of them even really gave it much thought. Spending time outside together came so organically that it was just the way things were.
That might have been what stung the most when she started going on dates with Ethan. The time she was now spending with him was the time she ordinarily spent up and about with Luke. He was not only hurt because she was dating another man but also sad at the decrease of time he got to spend with his friend. After the first couple of dates, any feelings of guilt she had completely disappeared.
Her first two dates with Ethan had been short and simple. After their initial lunch date, they had agreed on a breakfast date just the next day. He never took up much of her time and for that she was grateful. She’d spent the rest of her day holed up in her condo writing in her notebook. Unfortunately, by nightfall, she was not satisfied with most anything she had written. Deciding to call it a night, she placed her notebook on the coffee table of the living room and headed upstairs to her bedroom. Perhaps the following day she could come up with better ideas and really flesh something out.
But she would quickly learn that was not to be. She spent all of her mornings up until noon feeling incredibly frustrated with her notebook open on her lap and her mind completely devoid of any ideas. She finally threw the notebook on the table on the balcony and leaned over the railing, looking out over the sea while trying to clear her mind. She’d never had so much trouble writing out a novel while in San Sebastian. It made her wonder if this was some kind of omen she was trying desperately to ignore.
“Maybe I should scrap it.” She rubbed her hands over her face and groaned in frustration.
“Why would you scrap it?” She stopped her movement and froze for a second. The voice had come too suddenly for her to recognize right away whose it was. She also did not know she had muttered that loud enough for a passerby to hear her. She pulled her hands away from her face and looked down to see Luke standing on the terraza.
She sighed. “It’s
all rubbish.”
He grimaced. “I doubt if that’s actually true.” He stared at her and placed his hand on his forehead to shade him from the sun’s powerful glare. “Come on, let’s take a walk. Maybe you need to get out and clear your mind.”
She looked over her shoulder at the notebook sitting on the wooden table. Much as she wanted to stay in and dedicate her entire day to writing, she knew nothing was coming of it. She also knew that staying and continuing to push it would only end up being counterproductive. She turned back to Luke and nodded. “I’ll be out in a sec.”
And, less than five minutes later, she’d thrown on a sundress and some sandals and was already out the door. He looked her over and smiled. She swallowed. Somehow being with him now, knowing how he felt about her, felt a bit odd. It was only because she had gone one a couple dates with someone else, so she shook it off. At the end of the day, Luke was her friend, and she had no reason to feel weird about spending time with him.
He was leaning forward on his hands on the flat surface of the white retaining wall. She walked forward and mimicked his stance before deciding to instead sit on it to enjoy the view for a little while. “It’s stunning.” Her eyes roamed freely over the moving surface of the sea, shining brilliantly under the light of the afternoon sun. It almost looked like all the ripples were the water dancing. She felt the sudden urge to go for a dip. She swallowed and turned to look at Luke, surveying him and wondering if he might be open to joining her.
He turned around and leaned back against the retaining wall and stared ahead at her condo. “What seems to be the problem? Does he not want to do much navigating?”
She was at first thrown off by his question, not piecing together right away he was talking about the main character of her novel. For some reason, her brain had jumped to the conclusion he was asking some kind of inappropriate question about Ethan. She chuckled softly and replied, “I suppose he doesn’t.” That was the problem. She had absolutely no idea how to lead the novel. She did not even know how the character to guide it. It was all a mess. She started to feel the hopelessness wash over her. She had not felt so frustrated with any of her creative pieces in years. This was quickly reaching the point where she felt even her attempts were pointless.
“Sometimes things don’t turn out as we wish they did.” He turned to look at her. The solemn expression in his eyes matched the way his voice sounded. It did not take a genius to figure out he was applying this to his own feelings toward her.
She wrinkled her nose and tapped his wrist. “You promised me a walk, sir. I need to be inspired.” She drew in a breath and swung her legs back over the retaining wall, standing up and waiting for Luke. He stood up straight and looked at her briefly before turning to look at a couple of people walking past them. He was going to offer his arm to her but decided against it. It would be especially awkward to do it now she was dating someone, even if it was just a friendly gesture. Perhaps later on as they walked along the sand, and she felt a bit more inspired he would try. For now, he would be content walking beside her.
“What seems to be the problem, señorita?” He stuck his hands in his pants pockets and turned to look at her.
She shrugged. “Every writer has those days devoid of ideas.” She kicked the sand up with her toes, having taken off her sandals to enjoy the beach under her feet. He’d offered to hold her sandals. She had politely declined.
“Ah.” That single syllable was all he offered in response. They continued to walk in silence. She pushed her mind to think of her novel. She tried to get into the main character’s mindset to figure out the next move, but even the wind in her hair, sound beneath her toes, and lulling sound of the waves crashing on the shore did not help. Perhaps she was just not destined to get much writing done this day.
She sighed. Stopping in her tracks, she turned to face the sea and heaved another sigh. Her chest rose and fell slowly. Her skin glistened in the sun. She was, once again, unaware of Luke looking at her.
He had been very kind to her from the first day they met, and that was why she had taken a liking to him in the first place. He was genuine and friendly. He had a casual air about him. She was comfortable being playful with him and spoke freely. He was excellent company. But it was getting harder to ignore his interest in her. After some time, it had become clear he wanted something more with her. And he had been doing everything to keep her pleased without going over the top ever since.
“Everything okay?” He scooted forward, so he was in front of her but did not completely block the view of the sea.
“Would it count as being okay if I’m incredibly frustrated?” She looked at him and grimaced. She hated being stuck on her novel and, with this one, it had been happening more often than not. “Sometimes I want to tear out the pages and start again.” It was something she had not wanted to admit until now.
“What would that get you?” He reached out and gently placed his hand on her forearm. Her eyes darted down and then back up to meet his gaze. She supposed he had a point. Simply tearing out the pages from her journal would not make her forget this idea. It would not make her forget the novel.
She turned and kept walking along the waterline, kicking up the sand with her toes once again. As soon as she started to feel chilly, she suggested they turn back. She normally did not mind being out on the beach at night, but she was in no mood now. No, all she really wanted at this moment was to be alone to mull everything over.
She gingerly placed Luke’s Panama hat back on his head. “Time for me to turn in.” She pressed her lips into a thin line and gave a simple wave before stepping onto the tile of the patio and opening one of the glass double doors into her condo.
She swept the loose strands of hair from her face and traipsed over to her bedroom, changing into loungewear. As she threw the living room windows open to invite in the evening breeze, she flirted with trying to continue writing. She reached out and felt the leather bounding of her notebook under her fingertips. “Give it a break,” she muttered. She walked away and stood at the living room window, overlooking the sea. As beautiful as it was any time of day, her favorite was always that moment just before everything turned dark.
“Not sunset,” she had corrected Luke on the first evening they sat out on the retaining wall at early evening. “It sounds like a sunset, but it is not sunset.” She had leaned forward with her hands crossed in her lap, eyes gleaming with the water’s reflection.
“Not sunset.” He had repeated it but said nothing more on the subject. That was the first time she had truly fascinated him. But, being the gentleman he was raised to be, he was not overt in his expression of his feelings.
Now, she thumbed the dark wooden frame of the window and let these memories flow out on the evening breeze. Her moment would come soon enough. She would just stand there in wait. But even that favorite moment with all its beauty and serenity brought her no ideas. She poured herself another glass of Sangria and walked out to the terraza. Leaning over the retaining wall, she sipped slowly on her drink and stared unfocused at the sea.
“Still no luck, I see.” It was Luke. She did not even need to turn to look at him to know it.
“We’ve reached day’s end, and it appears not.” She drained her glass and held it up to the early night sky. She liked the way the dark colors of the water played behind it. “Won’t you come in?” She turned on her heel and stalked back into her condo, the front door of which she had left open. “Don’t bother closing the door.” She poured herself a refill and pulled a glass out for Luke as well. The deep red liquid filled it quickly before she pulled back the bottle and capped it once more.
“Darling.” She held out the glass gingerly for him to take. The look that crossed his eyes when she had addressed him as darling was not lost on her. But she would not be paying it any mind. She walked upstairs and motioned for him to follow until they were out on her balcony. It was easily her favorite spot in the condo. No matter the frustrations she experienced there, she c
ould always find peace.
“This is a first.” Luke took a sip from his glass and set it down on the wooden slat table. He rested his hand on the black railing and turned to face her. She turned to face him.
“I’ve never invited you up.” It was the truth. It was not as if she had done it on purpose. They’d never had a reason to spend time together on her balcony.
“That as well.” He took a step closer to her. His lips curled into a soft smile. Though he did not appear to be making any advances, she took a step back anyway. She did not enjoy the churning in her stomach.
“What then?”
“Your mood today is somewhat dour.” He reached out to the table and picked up his glass. He swirled it, so the Sangria inside moved, the moonlight glistening on its surface. Perhaps it mirrored how she looked. Perhaps it echoed how she felt.
“It can happen at times.”
“First time since I’ve known you.”
“And you’ve not known me all that long.” She placed the glass rim to her lips and tipped back, tasting the slightly sweet liquid on her tongue. She felt a drop escape from the corner of her lips. It left a dark trail along her milky skin.
Luke reached out and wiped it off. He held his finger out, the deep red liquid smeared on it. He looked down at it and slowly turned before walking back inside. She turned and rested one hand on the black railing, the other preoccupied with continuing to pour more Sangria into her mouth.
“I supposed I’m just fed up by now.” He had returned after washing off his finger. She heard his footsteps approach. She had figured out her mood and decided to let him know why she was behaving like this. “It doesn’t happen often.” She turned to face him. “You might not have known me long, but you figured that out.”
“I’m a keen observer, my dear.” His lips curled into a soft smile once more. He was handsome by all accounts. He was a tall man in his mid-thirties with light brown hair and brilliant blue eyes. His chiseled features were mature and eye-catching. He had the sort of natural time one simply could not acquire. It was a charm you had to be born with. He was always dressed well. Despite all that, she did not feel attracted to him.
