Eye Candy

by Ryan Schneider

  “Take this one!” Copper yelled.

  Candy paddled hard. She caught the wave, popped up, and dropped into it perfectly. She rode it for several seconds, arms flailing a bit for balance, until the wave petered out and she jumped into the surf. She popped up in the white foam, a big smile on her face, and flung back her long blond hair.

  On the beach, Rory, Harley, Tim, Maggie, and Danny all clapped and cheered; especially Danny.

  “She’s like a duck to water,” commented Harley.

  “She’s a quick study,” said Rory.

  “I’ll say,” Tim muttered.

  “You sure she’s never surfed before?” Harley asked. “Not even once?”

  “That’s what Gali and Copper asked her,” said Maggie. “Candy said no.”

  “It’s inspiring,” said Harley. “I tried surfing once. Up in Santa Cruz when I was thirteen, on vacation with my folks. It was a disaster. All I did was get in the way of the other surfers. But watching Candy, she makes me want to give it another shot.”

  “I have a wetsuit and you can use Tim’s board if you want to go out,” said Maggie.

  Harley looked at the waves, laughing as Isaac and Nik dropped in on a wave together and Nik stepped onto Isaac’s board and they rode the wave until it flattened. Harley put her arms around Rory and said, “Maybe tomorrow.”

  Candy emerged from the surf, surfboard under her arm. She trotted across the sand (flanked by Hertz and Volta) until she reached Danny and the others. Danny leaped from the sand and hugged Candy.

  “It’s incredible!” Candy blurted. “It’s a soulful experience. I’ve always wanted to surf but never have. It’s absolutely incredible. You should try it.”

  “All right,” said Danny. “Tomorrow.”

  “I’m going back out.” Candy pecked Danny’s lips with her own, turned, and trotted into the surf. Gali and Copper each rode a wave, then paddled out with Candy.

  A calm arrived in between sets of waves. Candy floated in a gentle rhythm, surrounded by Gali and Copper, Isaac, Nik, and Turing.

  From the shore, the six surfers appeared as black silhouettes bobbing gently on the water, backlit by the orange blaze of the setting sun.

  “Here comes a good set,” said Tim. He pointed to the ripple of incoming waves.

  One by one, each of the kids paddled hard and caught a wave, until only Candy remained, waiting for a wave. They gathered on the beach. White foam surged around their ankles and bare feet. They watched Candy paddle to catch a wave.

  “Ooh, that’s a big one,” said Nik.

  Candy caught the wave, pushed herself up onto her feet, and dropped in.

  “Too late now,” said Turing.

  “Hey, what’s that?” asked Tim.

  “Where, dad?” Copper asked.

  Tim pointed.

  Danny looked in the direction to which Tim was pointing. Then he saw it. “It’s a fin.”

  “Oh, shit,” said Gali.

  “Watch your language,” said Maggie.

  Tim took a deep breath, cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted as hard and loud as he could. “SHARK!”

  Everyone began shouting, jumping up and down, and waving their arms.

  Candy’s focus remained fixed on the wave. It had to be six feet.

  Maggie put two fingers in her mouth and whistled.

  Candy’s head whipped toward the beach. She saw everyone jumping and leaping. She smiled. Then she lost her balance, fell from her board, and was gobbled up by the wave.

  ~

  The shouting and leaping stopped.

  Everyone waited.

  “There she is!” shouted Harley.

  A surfboard popped to the surface and floated upside down on the water, born into shore by the gurgling white foam.

  “It’s just her board,” said Isaac. “Her leash broke.”

  “Where’s the shark?” asked Maggie.

  Danny saw it. “There!”

  Candy popped up, treading water.

  The fin angled straight for her.

  Danny filled his lungs, prepared to scream.

  Candy went under.

  Everyone waited.

  “There!” shouted Copper. She pointed. The fin was on the move. Candy’s blond hair moved with it, rushing through the water.

  “It’s not a shark,” said Turing. “It’s a dolphin. She’s swimming with dolphins.”

  More fins appeared. Gleaming gray wet bodies arced through the surf. Candy’s head and shoulders rose higher as the dolphin pulled her through the water.

  “They’re playing,” said Turing.

  The great orange sun set silently. Above the rush and crash of waves and foam arose the sweet notes of Candy’s laughter.

  Chapter 26

  Miracles and Moonlight

  Back at the house, everyone showered and changed clothes and went their separate ways, mostly to bed.

  Danny and Candy retired to their room on the second floor, next to the room occupied by Rory and Harley.

  While Candy enjoyed a hot shower to cleanse herself of the cold, salty seawater, Danny went downstairs to the kitchen to fetch a couple bottles of drinking water from the pantry. Upon exiting his room, he discovered Hertz and Volta sprawled on the floor outside his door. Both cats followed him downstairs.

  With water in hand, Danny exited the kitchen and had one foot on the stairs when he heard voices.

  “We can’t let him do it.”

  “It’s his life.”

  “I knew I shouldn’t have told you. I promised Danny I wouldn’t say anything. I’m a lousy friend.”

  “You’re not a lousy friend. This is huge news. You had to tell me.”

  “Danny’s going to be pissed.”

  “He’s not going to be pissed. The only reason he asked you not to tell me is because he thinks I have a thing for Candy.”

  “You do have a thing for Candy.”

  “I know.”

  “But Candy has a thing for Danny.”

  “I know.”

  “And Harley has a thing for Danny. And for you.”

  “I know.”

  “And you have a thing for Harley.”

  “Yes. I know.”

  Tim sighed. “So what’re we going to do?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing?”

  “That’s right. He loves her. She loves him. I’m not about to stand in the way of that. I’m a lousy friend but I’m not that lousy. Besides, things are going really well between me and Harley. Did Danny say when he’s going to do it?”

  “Tomorrow night. During the fireworks.”

  “God, that’s perfect.”

  “I know.”

  “Think Candy will say yes?”

  “Danny thinks so.”

  Silence.

  “I best head upstairs. Harley’s waiting for me.”

  “Have fun.”

  Danny climbed the stairs to his room and went inside. He met Candy coming out of the bathroom. She wore a white towel around her body, cinched by a tuft nestled between her breasts. Her hair was damp and smelled fresh.

  Danny removed his clothes. Candy freed herself from the bath towel. They slid into bed.

  A few minutes later, the slow, rhythmic compression of mattress coils could be heard through the wall.

  Danny and Candy smiled at one another. Danny lay behind Candy, with one arm draped around her, holding her tight. The angles, bends, and curves of his body fit perfectly with hers. Almost as if each had been created to fit the other.

  They lay together, looking out the window at the ocean bright with moonlight, and listening to the cresting of the waves upon the beach.

  Danny spoke gently into Candy’s ear. “Did you enjoy your swim?”

  “Very much.”

  “And the dolphins?”

  “A miracle.”

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

  “Thank you. But I didn’t do it for me. I did it for Barney.”

  They lay quietly, listen
ing to the waves through the open window, until sleep claimed them.

  Chapter 27

  For Us

  Danny awoke.

  Candy’s side of the bed was vacant.

  Danny sat up. The bathroom was dark.

  He looked out the window.

  A figure was walking on the moonlit beach. Danny recognized the person immediately. The flow of her hair. The way she walked. But what was she doing?

  Danny rose and quickly pulled on jeans and a t-shirt.

  The hallway was vacant and quiet. Hertz and Volta were nowhere in sight.

  Danny quickly descended the stairs, stepping lightly as he went. He exited through the French doors and crossed the deck. He passed the swimming pool and the Jacuzzi.

  “Don’t let her get away.”

  Danny turned to find Nik relaxing on a chaise lounge.

  Nik smiled. A tiny orange ember illuminated his eyes.

  Beside him sat Hertz and Volta. Their shiny coats gleamed in the moonlight, and their purple eyes were bright.

  Danny stepped off the deck. The sand was cold beneath his feet. He reached the shoreline, where he found a dress in a pile on the sand. He scanned the water. The surf was calm and he spotted Candy floating on her back.

  Danny waved his arm.

  Candy saw him and waved her arm. She waved once more, this time beckoning him into the water.

  Danny pulled off his shirt and dropped it onto the sand beside Candy’s dress. He unbuttoned his jeans and let them fall as well. He ran naked across the wet sand and dove into the water. He swam until he reached Candy. She wrapped her legs around Danny’s hips.

  “Hi,” said Danny.

  Candy smiled. “Hi.”

  “Seen any dolphins?”

  “Not yet. I hope they come back.”

  “Were you thinking about Barney?”

  “No. This one is for me.” Candy caressed the back of Danny’s neck and pulled him close. “For us.”

  Candy looked into Danny’s eyes. “I love you.”

  “I love you.”

  She pressed her open mouth to his.

  On the deck, Nik enjoyed one last drag on his joint. He pulled the hood of his sweatshirt onto his head, folded his arms across his chest, and smiled at the happy couple kissing passionately in the ocean.

  Hertz and Volta purred in the moonlight.

  Chapter 28

  Tonight’s the Night

  Morning came.

  Danny woke to the morning sun streaming in the window. He found a note on the pillow beside him.

  D,

  Went for a run on the beach with Gali, Copper, and Turing. See you soon.

  C.

  PS Last night was pure heaven.

  No sexy panties accompanied the note. But a pair of red lips had kissed the paper and left a perfect imprint.

  As for the post script, he couldn’t agree more.

  Danny rose and went to his suitcase. He placed the note inside a zippered compartment, beside a small box. After a moment, he withdrew the box. One of West Coast Artifactory’s finest, a one-of-a-kind original crafted by robotic hand. The box opened smoothly on its 24-karat gold hinge. Inside was a bed of purple silk. Nestled among the silk was the ring. A perfect circle of gold, elegant and timeless, with a diamond solitaire mounted to it.

  Danny smiled.

  He closed the box and tucked it into his suitcase. He dressed quickly and went downstairs in search of coffee.

  He found Maggie in the kitchen, surrounded by pots and pans and baking sheets and mixing bowls and measuring cups and wooden spoons . . . all of it an array of culinary wonders. Maggie had dressed in a white two-piece bikini, covered by a knee-length sheer-white linen chemise that fluttered as she moved about the kitchen. With her wind-swept sandy-blond hair, her sun-kissed olive skin, and her youthful curves lurking beneath the chemise, Danny understood why Tim fought to keep her.

  Maggie attended the pots on the stove, checked dishes in two ovens, and assembled ingredients into waiting bowls. She moved calmly, never in a hurry. She smiled as Danny entered. “You look like you could use some coffee.”

  Danny sat on one of the barstools facing Maggie’s workspace. “Yes, please.”

  “I just made a fresh pot. I don’t think I could survive without my coffee and chocolate.” Maggie poured a cup and handed it to Danny. “Candy went jogging on the beach with the girls. Candy was the first one up, to watch the sunrise. Man, that girl’s got a lot of energy. You two love birds were out swimming pretty late.”

  “You don’t miss a thing, do you?”

  “It’s my house. I’m the mom. It’s my job to know everything that goes on around here. For example, I know Nikola was out on the beach last night, blazing up. But I also know he just graduated top of his class and is going to S.C. next month, so if he wants to enjoy a little weed here and there, that’s his business. I know Rory has a crush on Candy and that you’re planning on proposing to her tonight on the beach during the fireworks. I also know that if you and Rory aren’t careful, your friendship won’t survive the weekend.”

  Maggie stirred a pot of red sauce simmering on the stove. She tasted it, added red wine from a nearby bottle, stirred, and tasted it again. She turned and brought the spoon to Danny. “Taste this.”

  Danny sipped sauce from the tip of the spoon. “Well, I don’t normally eat pasta for breakfast, but that is incredible. What’s your secret?”

  “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret, would it?” Maggie smiled. “But since I know your secret, I’ll tell you mine. It may have something to do with sugar and red wine.”

  “I’ll file that away in my memory banks.”

  “Speaking of sugar, I sure do like Candy. I’ve never met anyone like her. We were talking this morning while the girls were upstairs getting ready for their run. She asked me about Tim’s new motorcycle. So I told her about the Relationship Oil Change class. I had a bit of a crush on the man teaching the class. Tim calls him the underwear model.”

  “Did you and he ever. . . ?”

  “Oh no. It never got that far.”

  “Do you think you ever would’ve?”

  Maggie chopped some parsley, added it to a bowl of diced tomatoes, and rinsed her hands in the sink. She carefully washed and then dried her wedding ring. “I’m ashamed to admit it, but maybe. If Tim and I had continued on the path which led us to the oil change class in the first place. . . .”

  Maggie stared out the window at the ocean.

  “We would’ve ended up like Rory and Melinda. Tim would probably move into a condo somewhere in Santa Monica. There’d be an ugly custody battle neither of us would’ve wanted to lose. We both hate to lose. Tim would start banging one of the temps in his office and I’d probably start sleeping with every man I could find in order to validate myself after the underwear guy decided he wanted to trade me in for a younger model. And the kids would wind up hating us both.”

  Maggie took up a brush and gently painted olive oil onto thick slices of eggplant.

  Danny sipped his coffee. “So what changed?”

  “Well, apparently we have Tim’s boss to thank. He’ll be here tonight. He was the one who suggested the motorcycle. The man is a genius. Because when I saw Tim ride that bike into the seminar room, my heart leapt. I felt like a girl in a movie.” Maggie was grinning now. “Tim took me up to Malibu for fish tacos and a cold beer. Then we started kissing. And I don’t just mean kissing. We were going at it like teenagers at a drive-in. Have you ever been to a drive-in?”

  “No.”

  “Neither have I. But from what I understand, kids used to go at it hot and heavy. Tim and I certainly did. We wound up doing it right there on the bike. We were parked behind some trees so I don’t think anybody saw us but I wouldn’t have cared if they had. We’ve been like newlyweds ever since.” Maggie was positively beaming now. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to embarrass you.”

  “No, it’s great to hear you guys are doing so well.”

&nb
sp; Maggie slid the tray of eggplant into the oven. “So . . . tonight’s the night?”

  “Tonight’s the night.”

  “Nervous?”

  “Maybe a little. But mostly I’m excited. I can’t wait for the fireworks to begin.”

  “That makes two of us. I really think Candy is perfect for you. Which is why God put her in your life. Don’t let her get away.”

  “That’s exactly what Nik said last night.”

  “He’s a smart kid.”

  Danny sipped his coffee. “You don’t think it’s too soon?”

  “Does it feel too soon?”

  “No.”

  “Then it’s not too soon.”

  “What about Rory?”

  “If he’s truly your friend, he’ll understand. Besides, you’re forgetting one very important thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Which boy gets the girl isn’t up to you or Rory. It’s up to Candy. And judging by the racket coming from Rory and Harley’s room last night, I’d say he’s got his hands full. He just doesn’t know it yet. I’ve known Rory for more than ten years now. I was there the day he married Melinda. I hate to say it, but I knew she was bad news. Tim tried to talk to Rory but Rory wanted a family so badly. He tried so hard to make it work. Bless his heart.”

  Tim and Rory walked into the kitchen.

  Tim went to Maggie and took her in his arms. They shared a deep kiss. “Morning, gorgeous.”

  Rory turned to Danny. “Ready?”

  “For what?”

  “It’s time to tow the barge out for the show tonight,” said Tim. “We’ve got to finish rigging the display.”

  Danny recalled last night, when he’d heard Tim & Rory arguing. “I think I’m going to sit this one out. Why don’t you guys go without me.”

  “Bullshit,” said Rory. “It’s a tradition. We finish setting the mortars, wire up the computer, then sit on the boat for two hours drinking beer and doing backflips into the ocean.”

  “You gotta come,” said Tim. “I pumped out the head and everything. You have any idea how bad that smells?”

  “You should go, Danny,” said Maggie. “Have some time alone with the guys before all the guests start arriving. Before the fireworks begin.”