The Storm Spirits

The next morning, after a breakfast of the leftover Shepherd’s Pie (not a bad breakfast, really), Nana and I went to the local aquarium to look around. I really enjoyed sea animals, except for eels, and this small aquarium had a good number of touch-tanks. One had urchins and starfish in it, another had baby sharks, and a third had baby stingrays. There was a huge tank to one side that had large fish, including a big sea turtle. Nana let me feed the baby stingrays when feeding time came around, and it was fun to feel them suck the food out from between my fingers.

After that, we went back to the apartment to make sandwiches and eat before Zack came around. I ate an apple with my roast beef and turkey sandwich, chasing it all down with a Pepsi. Then I changed for the beach and threw a new book and two bottles each of Gatorade and water into the beach bag. When I emerged from my bedroom, Nana was sitting at the table, still in her street clothes. “You go, dear,” she told me. “I feel like staying on the porch today.”

“OK, Nana.” I leaned down and kissed her soft cheek. “Love you!” I went out onto the porch right as Zack was coming up the stairs. “Hey.”

“Hey, Char.” He grinned and picked up my chair. “Ready?”

I nodded. “Absolutely!” I followed him down the stairs, up across the boards, and onto the beach.

He pointed out a spot not too far away. “Is there all right?”

“Perfect.” We made a beeline and set our stuff up. “It’s kind of nice it’s so cloudy that we don’t need an umbrella.”

“Yeah.” He pulled his shirt off, and I blushed again. “What?”

“You’re … um … shirtless … again.” I noticed today that he was fairly muscular. Not like famous actor muscular, but muscular for the average guy.

Zack shook his head. “Are you going to turn red every time I take my shirt off?”

“Probably!”

He laughed. “What do you want to do first?”

“Get wet. Race you!” I charged down the beach, hoping I caught him off guard enough to beat him.

No such luck. Zack caught me up, then passed me, reaching the surf first. “I think I won.”

I shoved him when I caught up, getting a little shock. “No fair! You’re bigger than me.”

“True, but that’s how I won.”

“Haven’t you ever heard that slow and steady wins the race?”

“No. Big and fast apparently wins.” He grinned.

I rolled my eyes, then stepped into the water. The tide was in, and the waves were rougher. We went out pretty far, but were careful to stay closer to shore.

An hour later and dripping wet, we returned to where we’d set our stuff down. I collapsed into my chair, beat from fighting the water. “That’s one amazing workout,” I panted, getting my towel out and drying myself off.

“Sure is.” Zack plopped himself down on his towel and lay on it, letting the air dry him.

After I’d dried off sufficiently, I pulled out a bottle of Gatorade. “You want something to drink? I have Gatorade and water.”

He nodded. “Gatorade sounds good, thank you.” I handed him the bottle, then got the other one out for myself.

We sipped at our drinks and then I reached down and took my book out of my bag. “Do you mind if I read a little?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. If you don’t mind, I’ll probably nap.”

I shook my head back. “Go right ahead. Knock yourself out.” I realized my pun and giggled. “No pun intended, but still.”

He chuckled. “Thanks, Char.”

I turned my attention to the book and was immersed in its world for probably two hours, at which point I came up for air. Looking down beside me, I saw Zack fast asleep on his towel, his face covered by his T-shirt. For some reason, the scene made me smile. A split second after I smiled, he reached up and removed his shirt. Seeing me smiling, he grinned back. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself.” I put my book away. “Had enough sleep?”

“How long was I out?” He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes.

“Two hours.”

“You read for that long?”

“Why are you surprised?”

He shrugged. “I just haven’t really known anyone who likes reading as much as you do.”

“You can’t have known too many people, then.” I picked up my Gatorade, finished off the contents, then stood up. “I think I’m ready to go.”

Zack jumped up. “OK, then.” He picked up his towel, shook it out, folded it up, and stuffed it into his cinch backpack, then pulled his shirt on over his head.

“You don’t have to leave,” I said quickly. “I just mean that I’m done.”

“No, it’s fine.” He picked up my chair and folded it up. “I’ll walk you back.”

“Thanks.” We walked back up the beach, across the boards, and up the stairs to the apartment. Nana was sitting on the porch with a book and a glass of lemonade. “Hey, Nana!”

“Hi, Char. Hello, Zack.” She smiled as she greeted us.

He smiled back. “Hello, ma’am.” Nana’s smile grew as he turned to me again. “Char, would you like to have supper with me? Maybe on the boardwalk?”

I blinked in surprise. “Oh! Uh … Nana?”

“Whatever you want to do, dear.” Her smile didn’t falter.

I shrugged. “OK. Sure. Supper sounds good. What were you thinking? I’m assuming nothing fancy, which would be good, because I didn’t really bring anything nice to wear with me.”

Zack shook his head. “No, nothing fancy. Maybe pizza? You like pizza, right?”

I nodded. “Pizza sounds good, or there’s this amazing taco place up there! You like tacos?”

“Tacos sounds good. So … pick you up at six?”

“Six sounds perfect.” I pulled my phone out of my bag. “Hey, can I have your number in case I need to get in touch with you between now and then?”

He looked confused. “Number?”

“Yeah … your phone number?”

It dawned on him. “Oh! Yes. Uh, well, I don’t have a phone.”

“You don’t have a phone? Really? In this day and age?”

“Nope.”

“Oh … well, all right, then.” It seemed odd to me that he wouldn’t have one, but I shrugged it off. “I guess I’ll see you at six.”

“Good. See you then!” He put my chair down and walked back down the stairs.

“Bye, Zack!” I could feel he grin that I know spread across his face when I said his name, even though his back was to me.

Nana chuckled beside me as he disappeared around the corner. “Just a summer fling, huh?”

“Probably one of the best ones, though,” I said wistfully. I shook myself out of my boy-starred daze. “I should shower before tonight.” Opening the door to the apartment, I went in, dumped my bag in my room, then took my sweet time in the shower. I knew Nana was laughing at me, because as much as I claimed that this was just a week-long, summer fling, I was beginning to think it was something more. Maybe it was me just being a hormonal, young adult, but maybe not. Nana seemed to think there was more going on than just a fling.