He points to the wheat toast and peanut butter. “Eat up, darling, and get your suit on. We leave in ten.”
Ten minutes! Shit! I tear into the toast and finish my drink before bounding out of bed, coffee in hand. While I pee, I check out the pile of Blue essential’s sitting on the sink top. He’s laid my bathing suit out, there’s a toothbrush—still in its packaging—a women’s hairbrush with the price tag on it. Some soaps and lotions, all pink, I see. Ten minutes or not, there is absolutely no way I can brush through this rat’s nest and wash up. Not happening. I need a shower. While the conditioner sets, I use the pink lady razor and shaving cream he got for me to shave my legs and nab a few stray hairs along my bikini line.
Once I’m dressed—it’s been about twenty minutes—I rush out to find him sitting at the breakfast nook, reading the paper without a care in the world. He doesn’t even look up when I come in. “Hellooo. I’m ready,” I announce.
He looks up and winks. “Record time, Blue.”
His eyes go back to the paper, reading the last of the article I interrupted. I’m flummoxed as he leisurely folds the paper before heading around the counter and filling two travel cups with fresh coffee. The tray from the room has been cleaned off and is sitting on the counter. As if he has all the time in the world, he opens the fridge and adds cream to my coffee.
“I thought you said ten minutes.” I check my watch pointedly. “Eighteen minutes ago.”
He nods and laughs. “We really leave in thirty minutes. I know women. I’ve got four sisters.”
I smirk as he continues. “If I would have told you thirty, you’d have been ready in thirty-five.”
“True.” I nod, accepting the cup and heading out the door with him. “What about the dogs?” I ask.
“Oh, they’ll be fine. There’s food and water on the outdoor patio, and they come and go as they please via this nifty little invention called a doggy door.” He arches an eyebrow and makes a huge display of Vanna White-ing the doggy door.
I shake my head and roll my eyes. “Wow, I’ve never heard of such a thing. What’ll they think of next? Doggy life vests?”
He swats my behind and locks the door behind us.
We pull into beach parking ten minutes later. It’s high tide with very few waves, and the day is shaping up to be a hot one. We get out, and he sprays every inch of me with sunscreen and then hands me the bottle. He whips his shirt over his head and turns his back to me, waiting patiently for his turn. I spray and rub, admiring all the ink on his back. He looks over his shoulder, sees that I’m looking at the Celtic cross that covers his entire back, and explains, “Lapsed Catholic. Don’t ask.” I nod and wind my finger so he’ll turn and I can get the front.
My eyes keep going to my name on his chest. I can’t hold back the grin. “No one’s ever done anything like that for me before.”
He looks embarrassed as he explains. “I didn’t know if you’d ever see it or not, but I’m glad I’m your first.” He looks down into my eyes, smiling and playing with a strand of my wet hair.
A muscle car pulls into the spot right next to us. I turn to give them a Really? look. I mean, after all, there are a hundred empty spaces, and they’ve gotta elbow in on us? But Sasha and Riley waving at me through the front windshield squashes the fight right outta me.
Giddy at the sight of my friend, I wave back like a loon. “Sasha!” I cry, turning to Frankie and giving him a huge kiss before running around to the passenger side and yanking Sasha out and into a hug. She hugs me so tight I hear ribs crack, and for some crazy reason, I’m crying, like I never expected to see her again.
“Sisters forever,” she says into my hair, giving me a final squeeze and stepping away into Riley’s arms. They’re both dressed for the beach.
Frankie comes around the car and throws an arm over my shoulder. “Good surprise?” he asks.
“Great surprise!” I respond, bouncing with joy.
Sasha turns to Frankie, giving him a smile, and asks, “So what are we doing that couldn’t wait till a reasonable hour? This one,” she says, thumbing towards Riley, “was all secret op and wouldn’t give me any details.”
We lean on the car, chatting, while Frankie walks over to the Jeep, pulling a big mesh bag out—the kind that holds athletic equipment—and opening it. “I wanted to bring all my favorite people to my favorite place in the world. A little-known fact about me, Sasha, is that I’m an animal lover.” He winks and drops the bag on the hood, working with the drawstring.
I grin and nod my head emphatically. “He really is, Sash.”
Riley nods and rolls his eyes. “If he takes in one more rescue dog, the City’s gonna put a neon sign over his house that reads, Frankie’s Fur Palace.” Riley punctuates each word with his hand in the air. Frankie punches his arm playfully, and Sasha and I laugh at their antics.
He turns to us. “This is Crescent Bay, the best place to snorkel in Laguna. High tide’s almost here, ladies, so let’s get you fitted for masks and air tubes.”
While he sizes our feet for fins, which we’ll carry down the sandy beach to the water, he fills us in. “This is the best place to see sea lions, the ocean’s puppies. Just make sure you don’t touch them. It’s illegal, plus I’m not fully convinced they’re as sweet as their furry land cousins. But they like to pose, and if you keep watching the boulders on the bottom—it’s about fifteen feet deep— you’ll probably be able to see them.”
He smiles and kisses my lips while adjusting my snorkel mask. “There’re octopi, starfish, moray eels, lobsters, just going about their everyday life, unaware that we’re even watching.” His enthusiasm is infectious. He pulls a boogie board with a viewing hole from the trunk of the Jeep, hands it to Riley, grabs another, and we head down the beach.
The beach is deserted except for a few joggers and a group doing yoga near the waves. Down aways, there’s a little boy wrangling a Transformer kite, and his dad running his way to offer assistance.
The water is crystal blue with baby waves. I look up at the cliffs, where palm trees grow right from the side. “It looks like a postcard,” I say, in awe of this truly peaceful spot.
“High tide, best time for our little viewing party.” We approach the water, walking near a cliff. He grabs me and points as we get to the water’s edge. I follow his gaze and squeal with delight at the sea lions perched on the rocky cliff basking in the early morning sun. They do look exactly like puppies with their soulful eyes.
The water laps at my bare feet and I’m shocked. It’s cold, but I wade in slowly to get used to it. The guys run in and dive, splashing and joking.
Sasha’s shrill breaks the morning peace. “Hell’s bells, it’s freakin’ glacier water!” She laughs and shoves me in the drink. I’m able to grab her hand at the last second and we’re both in. No getting used to the temperature change after all.
Frankie was right. Morning snorkeling is the best. The guys stay right next to us, keeping a safe distance between us and the rocks. I tried to use the snorkel gear but kept lifting my head out of the water, which made me very dizzy—thank goodness he brought viewing boards.
“No problem,” Frankie said, “that’s what this is for.” He gets me on the boogie board and points to the window. “It’s a window into the underworld.” The rest of the time, both Sasha and I have our noses pressed up against the glass on our own boards, in awe of the life we see.
There are so many fish. I’ve seen every color of the rainbow swimming in and out of the kelp on the ocean floor. Every once in a while, Frankie dives down and comes out with a plastic six pack holder. “Damn tourists and their trash! I wish I knew where these fuckers lived so I could go wrap this around their neck and see how they like it!” He fumes before tucking it into his mesh bag slung over his shoulder.
Sasha and I share a glance, and Riley jumps in quickly to defend his friend. “Frankie’s a little bit of a fanatical conservationist,” he says with his hand up.
We both nod, going back to our sc
reens.
Frankie and Riley swim alongside us, each with a hand planted on our boards. He’d already told me to stay close, but when you’re watching the ocean floor beneath you, the waves tend to drift you wherever they want. Frankie almost had a baby when he looked up and saw Sasha and me wayyy too far out. Both guys swam out and pulled us in, giving us a lecture on ocean safety the whole time.
I keep watching a seal sitting on a boulder on the bottom of the ocean. He preens, as if he knows I’m watching. I look away to admire a family of red starfish, and when I look back, he’s swimming right at me!
I jerk back, nervous after all of Frankie’s warnings, but he doesn’t get closer than five feet when he surfaces. Both Sasha and I are entranced by him. He’s the prettiest shade of gray, so light he’s almost white, with curious blue eyes. He dips under the waves and we both stare through our viewing windows as he swims on his back under us, staring right back at us. It almost looks like he’s waving a fin!
“I love him!” I say, turning to Frankie who’s watching the whole show with a wide grin on his face. “He seems to love you ladies, too.”
Once Riley points out a sting ray, Frankie says it’s time to go. “The big guys are coming in now. Time for us little folks to give them their space.” Both Sasha and I beg for more time, but Frankie’s not having it. “C’mon, ladies, the tide’s going out and there’s a tide pool. But if we don’t hurry back, you’ll miss it.”
We head in, and while Sash and I head over to the right of our snorkel spot, the guys run to the Jeep for towels and chairs. A group of kids are being introduced to the tide pools by a man wearing a Laguna Foundation shirt. We listen in as he explains to the kids that these are living, breathing, underwater creatures and to look but not touch. We both nod, hanging back, giving the kids a chance to see all the wonders up close.
Sasha’s shivering and hugs me close. “Frankie’s really great, Blue.” She looks at me quizzically. “Is it okay that I call you that? You’ll always be Blue to me.”
I nod and say back in a quiet voice. “I already told him about Javi. Guess it’s time I tell Javi about him.”
Her eyes are sad, but she nods. “I know. Frankie’s really great and so good to you. He called Riley last night and said you were missing your friends and could we join you guys today. How nice is that?”
I smile. “He’s really great.”
The guys are setting up an umbrella and beach chairs as we head towards them after viewing the shallow water guys. Mussels, crabs, starfish…what a wonderful day. Riley runs over and hands us both thick towels. “You girls hungry?” he asks, covering Sasha’s shoulders with the towel. We both nod and start walking to the spot they’ve set up for us.
The beach is starting to get packed. Moms toting babies on their bikini-clad hips. People walking with leashed dogs. The peace of the early morning is shattered by the afternoon sounds of teenagers bickering and squealing kids.
I take my spot next to Frankie and pitch in to help him pass out sandwiches and drinks. We pass around a bag of Doritos and dig in. My tuna sandwich rocks. “Did you make this?” I ask around a mouthful.
He nods, “You like?”
“I love. Did you even sleep? You should have told me. I would’ve helped.” I feel bad.
He holds up a hand to stop me. “I wanted to do this for you. A fun day hanging out with friends. I hope I’m one of your friends, Blue.” He leans over and kisses me, sweet, just lips, before biting into my sandwich. “Hey!”
“That is good,” he says before miming stealing another bite.
I laugh, keeping my sandwich outta reach. “You’re great, you know that? You sure know how to show a girl a good time.” He leans back in his chair, rubbing my back while he eats chips off of his firm belly.
He sees me watching and shrugs. “Forgot the paper plates.”
I steal a chip. “Hmm, salty,” I say, laughing and enjoying the day.
Throughout the day, we lounge in the sun, chat, relax, and people-watch as the surfers who share the beach with us flatlanders catch wave after wave. I catch Sasha watching us with a sad smile. She knows, as well as I do, that I’m well and truly caught.
“It’s getting late.” I wake up to the sound of Frankie’s voice, my head on his shoulder. “Let’s put this stuff in the car and head up to the top of the cliffs. It’s about a thousand stairs, but it’s a great view and they have the best clams in town.”
I nod, reaching for my bag. I put on a halter sundress right over my bathing suit and brush out my hair. Sasha looks uncomfortable. “What’s wrong?” I ask as the guys load the stuff into the car.
Her lip trembling catches me off guard. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just a stupid girl. I get all mushy at romance movies and Hallmark commercials. And right now, I feel like I’m watching one of those love stories where the good girl wins. I’m just happy for you, that’s all. Do what makes you happy, Blue. I love seeing my girl like this.” She hugs me close, and we stand in the embrace till the guys come back down to see what’s keeping us.
“Everything okay?” Frankie asks, but Riley just runs up and overlaps our hug with one of his own, squeezing us both tight. “Just girl shit, Franks, you’ll get used to it. I did.”
* * *
We watch a photographer shoot wedding shots near the edge of the cliff. With the sunset and waves in the background, those pictures will be fabulous. After dinner and a stupendous sunset, Sasha and Riley take off.
Sasha’s got my keys to the temporary housing, and she’s gonna pick up Sam. “Poor baby probably thinks I abandoned him,” she says with a pout.
“You?” I say.
She sticks her tongue out at me. “Pish-posh, that cat loves me,” she singsongs as they pull out. “Bye, bitch!”
When we get back to Frankie’s, we work as a team. He empties out the snorkel gear on the grass, I wash it off with the hose for him.
“So it doesn’t crack,” he says and opens the back door, letting the dogs out. While I’ve got the hose on, I overfill the dogs’ huge pot of water, and Frankie grabs their food dishes and fills them. We sit in the gloaming, throwing tennis balls for the dogs. He goes in, brings out a sweatshirt for each of us, and grabs waters from the ice chest, setting them on the table between us.
I watch as he throws out the trash from our picnic and carefully cuts all the plastic rings to make sure no animal or fish ever gets trapped in them. He’s confident as he works, humming a tune under his breath.
“Why are you not taken, Frankie?” The words are out of my mouth before I even think about them.
He winks my way, continuing with his work. “I told you. A palm reader once told me I’d find love in California. I took it to heart. Worked my ass off to get through school and buy this house so I’d have something to offer my true love once I found her.” He grins and finishes rinsing the cooler out before tucking all his gear away in a locked cabinet under the carport.
“Hope she’s worth all that effort when you find her,” I say.
“Oh, she is,” he says with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
We sit and chat about nothing in particular, switch to wine, and when it gets too cold, we move into the living room for a fire. He holds up the TV remote with a question in his eyes.
I shake my head and lean against him, continuing our conversation from outside. “Did you always know you wanted to be a vet?” I ask as we lie back on the couch, my head resting right where I know my name is under his shirt.
He thinks a minute and then nods. “Mmm, ever since I was a kid. I’d bring animals home, and my mom—the best mom ever, by the way. I can’t wait for you to meet her—kept every single one. Never complained. Even when I brought an almost-dead bird home. A cat had gotten to him. I mean he was really torn up, but Mom worked her hardest to save it. Made a little cast of tissue paper for its broken wing.”
“Aww,” I say and he nods. “I know. I was a cute kid.” He smiles and continues, “Well, no amount of toilet paper was saving tha
t bird. My mom sent me on an errand, and by the time I came back, it was ‘flying in heaven’ as my mom said. We had a funeral for it and everything. My sisters got dressed up, my youngest sister decorated a shoebox with colored hearts and filled it with cotton for the coffin. We even waited for my dad to get home from work. Made the little bird’s passing a really big deal. Between the five of us kids, my mom’s got a real pet cemetery in the backyard.” He smiles at the memory. “What about you, Blue? What did you always want to be?”
“Safe.” It’s out before I even think about it. My head jerks up to scan his face at my too personal answer. His eyes are on me, with that look again. Is that…love? I’m not sure. It’s not intense like Javi’s looks. Nor is it full of anger like the ones my mother used to give me.
His eyes are earnest. “Do you want to talk about it?”
I nod. I do. I’m sick of hiding the preacher bastard’s secrets for him.
“My mom married my stepfather for security and I had to do my part. Whatever part a ten-year-old can play, I guess.” I shrug. “She made sure I knew it, too.”
I feel him tense beneath me. When I’m silent, he takes a breath. “Something like that happened with my sister and a softball coach. It’s not your fault, Blue. Some bastards see the innocence of a child and have to steal it away.” He tilts my head up and kisses my lips softly. “You can trust me; you will always be safe with me.”
“Thank you,” I say, really meaning it. “I already do, Frankie, so thank you.”
I continue with the inevitable. If there’s gonna be a “Frankie and me” in the future, he has to know all about my past. “I put on weight to protect myself. From everyone, really...but mostly from him. It was my suit of blubber against the world. My mother expected me to look and act a certain way. My part turned out to be letting the good preacher inspect all of my little girl parts and letting him jack off on me.” He sucks in a breath but says nothing. We’re quiet for a while, watching the fire die out.
When he speaks, his voice is rough. I look up to see his eyes watering. “You don’t need to say any more, Blue. I don’t need to hear the gory details. But I swear on my life, no one will ever hurt you again. Not while I have breath in my lungs.” I know without a shadow of a doubt that he means it.
Blue, Light and Dark (Chubby Chasers, Inc. Series Book 2) Page 21
