Wait for the Rain

by Murnane, Maria

“Where?” Daphne’s eyes followed in search of KC yet saw nothing but a mass of pulsating bodies. The DJ was back to playing hip-hop, and the crowd was now practically jumping up and down in unison.

  “At the bar on the other side of the dance floor.”

  Daphne raised her eyebrows. “There’s another bar here?”

  Skylar stood up. “Apparently so. I wish I’d known that before I wasted half the evening waiting in line for these drinks. Let’s go find the little one.”

  Daphne glanced at their bench. “Do you think we should give up our seats? They’re kind of comfortable.”

  “All good things must come to an end. Besides, I promised KC we’d dance with her.”

  Daphne put a hand on her own chest. “You promised KC that we’d dance with her? I don’t remember being part of that discussion.”

  Skylar grabbed Daphne’s arm and pulled her up. “You are now. Let’s go.”

  They carefully skirted around the swarm on the dance floor and spotted KC sitting on a stool at a small outdoor bar at the very edge of the deck. To her right was Doug. They were both holding a drink and laughing.

  “There she is,” Skylar said.

  Daphne squinted. “Are my eyes playing tricks on me, or is that an empty shot glass in front of her?”

  Skylar smiled. “Your eyes are still working just fine. I’m so happy to see that right now.”

  When she noticed her friends approaching, KC grinned and held her arms open wide. “There you are. I was wondering what had happened to you.”

  Daphne laughed. “What happened to us? This is the first time we’ve moved since we got here.”

  Doug put his hand on the top of KC’s head. “The captain here’s a little tipsy.”

  “The captain?” Daphne raised her eyebrows.

  “As in captain of the football team,” he said.

  Skylar held up her drink. “Nice. I may add that to my arsenal of nicknames.”

  KC stood on her tiptoes and hugged Skylar and Daphne. “I’m having so much fun on this vacation! Skylar, thanks so much for organizing it rock-star-style! And Daphne, thanks so much for finally getting that pretty face of yours out of boring Ohio to come hang out with us!”

  Skylar looked at Daphne and mouthed the word “hammered.”

  KC hugged them even tighter. “Have I told you two how much I mean to you?”

  Daphne laughed. “What?”

  Doug chuckled and pointed to the empty shot glass. “That was our third.”

  “Three shots?” Skylar’s eyes grew wide. “The woman’s smaller than my twelve-year-old niece.”

  Doug held up his hands in a “don’t shoot” gesture. “She insisted. She said we were celebrating our victory in the football game.”

  “We were celebrating!” KC pumped her fist. “We are champions!”

  Skylar looked at Daphne and mouthed the words “She’s going to die tomorrow.”

  Daphne laughed. It had been nearly twenty years since she’d seen KC like this, and she was thoroughly enjoying it.

  “Guess what!” KC said in a voice way louder than necessary. “Doug said he’s never seen a girl throw a football as well as I did today. And I’m forty!”

  Skylar gave Doug a little nudge with her elbow. “Don’t you love how she just owns that?”

  He smiled and nodded. “She’s the best. I’ve never met anyone like her.”

  “We should figure out how to bottle her positive attitude and sell it,” Daphne said.

  Skylar whistled. “Can you imagine? We’d make a fortune. Yet another business to start when we get home.”

  “We’d make a fortune on what?!” KC yelled. “On being champions?!”

  Skylar put an arm around her. “We’re right here, peanut. No need to shatter any eardrums.”

  “Hey, people, we wondered where you’d gone off to.”

  They turned and saw Clay approaching the bar, followed by Scott. Daphne waited to see if the blonde from earlier was trailing behind Clay, but she didn’t spot her. It’s probably only a matter of time before she resurfaces. Scott appeared to be solo as well. For now, at least.

  Not wanting to experience that awkwardness again, Daphne touched Skylar’s arm and gestured toward the other side of the deck. “Maybe we should take KC back to where we were sitting,” she said in a hushed voice.

  Skylar gave her a strange look and kept her voice at a normal decibel. “Why would we do that?”

  “We wouldn’t want to, you know, intrude,” Daphne practically whispered.

  “Since when are attractive women an intrusion?” Suddenly Scott was behind them, one hand on Daphne’s shoulder, the other on Skylar’s.

  Daphne gave him a sheepish look. “How did you hear that?”

  “It’s a gift. I can’t see twenty feet in front of my face, but I can hear a pin drop in the other room.”

  “Skylar has superhuman hearing too!” KC yelled.

  Scott smiled at Skylar. “Yet another thing we have in common.”

  “What was the first thing?” Skylar asked him.

  “I’ll tell you later. First things first.” He turned and gestured to the bartender. “Anyone need a drink?”

  “I’ll take a brew,” Clay said.

  “Those are the magic words,” Doug said with a nod. “Grab me one as well.”

  Skylar nodded too. “You don’t have to ask me twice. A rum punch would hit the spot.”

  “I’m in,” KC raised her hand.

  Skylar pulled KC’s hand down. “I think the muppet here’s had enough.”

  Scott looked at Daphne. “What about you, Daphne? What’s your poison?”

  Daphne smiled and pointed to the rum punch she’d been nursing. “I’m good, thanks.”

  As Scott leaned toward the bartender to order, Daphne turned her head and scanned the crowd. If she comes back, she comes back.

  Doug put his arm around KC but spoke to Skylar. “Think this one is going to make it out of bed tomorrow? She might have a monster hangover.”

  “I’ll make it!” KC shouted. “Just watch me!”

  Skylar shrugged. “We’ll see. Our only formal plan for the day is to go to a spa, so all she really has to do is go from lying down in one place to lying down in another. How hard can that be?”

  “What about the monkey forest?” KC frowned. “I want to feed them bananas!”

  Skylar smiled. “That’s right, we’re going to the monkey forest too. Can’t forget the monkeys.”

  KC pumped a fist in the air. “We’re going to the monkey forest tomorrow! And it’s Daphne’s fortieth birthday! Can you believe that? Doesn’t she look amazing? She’s so pretty! Isn’t she pretty?!” She reached up and began to pet Daphne’s hair.

  Daphne felt her face turn beet red. Doug clearly knew their age, but until now Scott and Clay hadn’t, at least not officially. I guess that cat’s out of the bag.

  Clay looked at Daphne. “Forty? Really? I never would have guessed.”

  Daphne did her best to mimic Skylar’s trademark What can you do? shrug, although part of her wanted to run onto the beach right then, dig a big hole in the sand, then jump into it and hide. But Clay didn’t have to know that, right? She added a smile to her shrug. “As Skylar says, forty is the new black.” Maybe I am learning from Skylar.

  Clay laughed. “Well, whatever color forty is, it suits you.”

  “Thank you.” I’m beginning to think so too.

  The DJ began playing “Dancing Queen” by ABBA, and KC suddenly jumped up from her barstool, wobbled slightly, then steadied herself. “Okay, people, this is a tune that simply must be danced to! Who wants to join me? Skylar, you promised.”

  “Okay, let’s go,” Skylar said, setting her drink on the bar. “Who can say no to ABBA?”

  Scott put a hand on Skylar’s lower back. “Sh
ow me the way,” he said.

  “Let’s rock this thing.” Doug pointed toward the dance floor.

  As they all made their way toward the pulsating crowd, Clay caught Daphne’s eye, then jutted his chin toward KC, who was waving her arms in the air. “I think the tequila’s been whispering in someone’s ear,” he said.

  After what seemed to Daphne like hours but in reality was just a handful of songs, KC finally ran out of steam. When the band stopped to take a short break, she put one hand on her hip and raised her other in the air. “Okay, I think I just hit the wall.”

  “Thank God.” Skylar immediately bolted off the dance floor in the direction of the exit. “I hit that thing like three days ago. Let’s get out of here.”

  Daphne quickly followed her. “I thought you’d never say the word.”

  “I’m pretty beat too,” Clay said.

  “Anyone want a roadie?” Doug asked, pointing to the bar.

  Clay shook his head. “I’m good, thanks.”

  Skylar pointed to the beach. “I’m walking home if anyone wants to join me.”

  “You guys are really leaving?” Scott ostensibly asked the group, but he was clearly looking at Skylar.

  “Why don’t you go find your friend?” Skylar said over her shoulder. “She seemed fun.”

  “What friend?”

  “The sorority girl who was hanging off your arm earlier. I bet she’d love to dance with you.”

  Scott laughed. “She’s a kid.”

  Skylar shrugged, still not looking back. “I could say the same about you.”

  “Ouch.”

  She turned around and put her hands on her hips, then smiled at him. “You want to walk us home?”

  “You have anything to drink there?”

  “Perhaps.”

  He smiled back. “Then yes.”

  “Okay, then walk us home.” She intertwined an arm with KC’s on one side and Doug’s on the other, then gestured with her head for him to follow. “Let’s hit it, people.”

  Daphne watched Scott trot to catch up with the group, figuratively as well as literally chasing her friend. Bravo, Skylar.

  “You ready to go?” Clay asked Daphne.

  “More than ready.” She placed her hands on either side of her head. “My ears are ringing.”

  In a staggered formation, the six of them made their way down the beach. A number of people were milling around, many of them fellow refugees from the Castaway. As they approached the shore, Daphne turned back for another look at the bar, which had thinned out a bit but was still quite crowded.

  “I wonder what time it will finally quiet down?” she said to Clay.

  “Not for hours. We were there pretty late last night.”

  “This is plenty late for me. I’m glad our house is close enough to the action to be fun, but not too close to keep me awake all night.”

  “Are you a light sleeper?”

  “Light enough.” She didn’t feel the need to tell him that she had earplugs in her travel bag. And an eye mask. He knows how old I am. That’s enough information for one night.

  Daphne and Clay eventually caught up with the others. Skylar glanced back at the fading lights of the Castaway, then looked at Doug. “What happened to the rest of your crew?”

  “God knows,” Doug said. “Attrition is pretty normal for a group our size.”

  Scott, who was now walking on the other side of Skylar, put a hand on her shoulder. “I can’t say I have a problem with it.”

  Ignoring his overture, Skylar yawned and stretched her arms over her head. “I haven’t danced that much in ages. I may fall asleep before I make it home.”

  “Aw, don’t say that,” Scott said. “You promised me a nightcap.”

  Daphne glanced at Skylar to see her reaction to his comment, but Skylar didn’t seem to have one. At least a visible one. She’s so good, Daphne thought.

  Before Skylar could respond, out of nowhere KC bolted ahead of the group.

  “Oh sweet potato, what is she doing now?” Skylar asked.

  “She’s like a superhero,” Doug said with a wistful smile as he watched KC go.

  Daphne laughed. “She is like a superhero. Can you believe she pulled out the Running Man and the Robot on the dance floor?”

  Doug kept smiling. “I get happy just thinking about that. I love how she doesn’t care about looking like an idiot. Not that she’s an idiot, of course. You know what I mean, right?” He scratched the back of his head. “Oh hell, that came out wrong. Did that make me sound like an asshole?”

  “You are an asshole,” Scott said.

  Clay laughed. “Takes one to know one.”

  Skylar patted Doug on the arm. “No worries, I totally get what you’re saying. Now let’s catch her before she tries to swim to Florida.” She quickened her pace, as did Doug and Scott, leaving Clay and Daphne trailing behind.

  Daphne waved good-bye at them. “No more running for me. I’ve had enough exercise for today.”

  Clay laughed. “You’re putting your foot down, are you? Just saying no?”

  She smiled up at him. “I guess I am. Not really by choice, though. Sad as it sounds, I’m just too tired. Maybe I should go to California and follow KC around for a few weeks. That would whip me into shape.”

  “Where do you live now?”

  “Columbus. About as far from the beach as it gets. I guess that’s not really true, but it’s far enough. What about you?”

  “I’m in New York, but plenty of my buddies from business school work in Chicago, so let me know if you ever need me to pick you up a purple sweatshirt. Or maybe a purple license plate holder? I know you Wildcats love your purple.”

  She smiled. “Thanks, I’ll remember that. Oh my gosh, look! KC’s doing one of her best moves!” She pointed about fifty feet ahead of them.

  KC, who had finally stopped running, now had stretched her arms straight over her head. She remained that way for a moment, then proceeded to bend backward until her hands reached the sand. Skylar, Doug, and Scott stood a few feet away, buckled over in laughter.

  “Is she really doing a backbend?” Clay squinted down the beach.

  Daphne clasped her hands together and smiled. “I knew it was only a matter of time before she pulled that one out of her pocket. I’m surprised it took this long, to be honest. After I found out she’d been doing shots, I figured we’d see a backbend right on the dance floor.”

  “I take it you’ve seen her do this before?”

  Daphne pushed a loose strand of hair away from her eyes. “Oh yes, many times. In college that was her go-to party trick, or one of them, at least. I’m sure it doesn’t surprise you that she had multiple party tricks.”

  He chuckled. “No, I can’t say that it does.”

  “I can’t believe she can still contort her body that way. Doesn’t it look painful?”

  Clay made a strained face and put his hands on his lower back. “I think I’d end up in traction if I attempted a stunt like that.”

  Daphne put her hands on her lower back too. “You and me both. The girl has superhuman DNA, that’s the only way to explain it. Either that or she’s been lacing her oatmeal with steroids all these years.”

  Clay chuckled again. “I doubt that. Her voice is way too high.” He glanced at his watch. “Hey, it’s after midnight, so it’s officially tomorrow. May I be the first to wish you a very happy birthday?”

  She covered her face with her hands. “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I’m forty.” But it feels kind of good to say that out loud.

  He put his hand on top of her head. “Come on, you look great for any age, and you know it.”

  She removed her hands and smiled. “You’re just saying that to be nice.” But I’m thrilled you said it.

  He gestured toward the multiple thatched-roof bars and
restaurants peppering the beach. “I respectfully beg to differ. Come have a birthday drink with me?”

  “Now?” Weren’t we just talking about being tired and going to sleep?

  “Why not? The Pirate’s Cove is right over there. We had a few drinks there our first night on the island. It’s a fun little spot.”

  “What about them?” Daphne pointed down the beach. KC was up and running again, barely a dot on the horizon now. Skylar, Doug, and Scott were trailing behind, a trio of silhouettes in the darkness.

  “They’re all adults—they’ll find their way back. Come on, Daphne, it’s your birthday.”

  She pressed her palms together and stared briefly into the moonlight. She hated to ditch her friends, but then again, KC wouldn’t last much longer anyway, and given the obvious chemistry between Scott and Skylar, it was probably only a matter of time before they wanted to be alone together. And besides, wasn’t that part of the reason Daphne had come to St. Mirika in the first place? To focus on herself, for once? To stop being locked in the past? To let go of her expectations about what life should be like and finally start . . . living it? No more vanilla!

  Clay was nice and smart and funny. And very good-looking. And he was asking to buy her a birthday drink. On the beach. Just the two of them. Maybe it meant nothing, but what did that matter? She tried to squash the internal chatter. Stop worrying so much! Just have fun! Take a chance for once!

  “Daphne? You there?” Clay waved a hand in front of her face. “What do you say? Can I buy you a drink to ring in your birthday?”

  She hesitated for just a moment, then smiled. “Okay, sure, why not?”

  “That’s the spirit. Let’s go.”

  They walked up the sand to the Pirate’s Cove. A small bamboo roof covered a handful of round wooden tables surrounding a sliver of a dance floor. A string of red lights encircled the rows of intermittent bamboo poles on either side that served loosely as a fence. The place was barely a quarter the size of the Castaway, and Daphne was immediately drawn to its cozy charm.

  “What’s your poison, pirate?” Clay asked her as they approached the tiny bar.

  She held up her palms. “I have no idea. What kind of poison do pirates drink on their birthdays?”