9. Luca
Luca
I wake to the sun peering into the building and the sounds of people walking around on the beach.
Slowly waking up, my hand reaches for the only woman I could ever want but when I come up with nothing, my brow furrows.
A group of people walking by talking, makes me sit up quickly, muttering, "Shit. "
Dread fills my stomach. I fucking need to get Diana back to the resort before anyone sees her. I would love to be able to claim her publicly but from what I picked up from her last night, she would not appreciate anyone knowing that we spent the night together.
My eyes roam around the small building searching for her, but she is nowhere to be seen, and disappointment hits me hard. She's already gone. Why didn't she wake me? Nothing I can do about it now.
Pulling my shorts back up, I make sure my cock is back where it needs to be, no reason to scare any of the guests. I put my shirt on trying not to dwell too much on the fact that I had the best night of my life, and she disappeared on me. What does that say about what the night meant for her?
Maybe I'll see her again at the resort?
I look down at my watch and see that I need to be at work in fifteen minutes.
That's not enough time to run home, which means I'll be walking to my car and getting some gum.
No need to worry about getting changed because I have an extra pair of swim shorts in my locker at headquarters.
Shaking my head, I try to rid myself of the feelings of disappointment because even though I didn't wake up with her in my arms like I was hoping, I know that I won't let her escape me that easily.
Sliding into my sandals, I make my way toward my car, only taking me a few minutes.
I reach for the gum and pop it into my mouth before locking back up and heading toward the lifeguard headquarters.
Once I reach it, no one is in the building but me, so I'm able to get dressed for work quickly, glad I don't have to explain why I'm still in my clothes from last night.
Once I'm ready, I head back to the lifeguard stand, the one I had Diana in last night.
I try not to let the sadness creep in too much.
There is no point. I've lived my life not worrying about the future and allowing fate to show me what is meant to be, so this shouldn't be any different.
If Diana and I are meant to be like my heart is telling me, then she'll be put in my path again.
It’s early in the morning and the beach is pretty empty except for a few guests, making my job easy at the moment. But I try to push that idea out of my mind. That's just asking for trouble. As the hours tick by, the sun moves above and the day heats up.
I decide to get up off my stand and walk down the beach.
The area that I'm responsible for is about half a mile in front of my stand, giving me the opportunity to sit or walk in front.
I usually do a little bit of both in every shift.
This should get my blood moving and my brain away from last night.
When I get down to the shoreline, I already feel cooler from the breeze coming off the ocean.
This is only one of the things I love about living here.
The weather is always amazing. You meet so many people from all over the world, not just at the resort but in town too.
Besides, everyone I know and love lives here.
I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.
That’s when I remember that Diana is from Los Angeles, her job is there.
And it's not just any job where she can just move.
She has to stay there. My heart flutters in my chest. Even though I love living here and everything I've ever known is here, I would be willing to move to Los Angeles for her.
First though, I have to convince her that we should even be a thing.
Looking into her eyes last night, I could tell that she's scared, not just about a relationship but about a lot of things. My job, as the man who is supposed to be with her, is to show her how good life can be.
The breeze washes over me again and a group of people make a loud noise, drawing my attention. As I look up, that's when I see her. Everything and everyone freezes, falling away and making feel like we are the only two people on the beach. She hasn't seen me yet, allowing me to watch her from afar.
She's laying down on a lounger in a plain black bikini molded perfectly to her body.
Her sunglasses sit on her face, hiding her eyes as she talks with a group of people.
From the way they're interacting, this group of people must recognize her.
She gives them a small smile, but it's not the full smile I saw last night. No, this one is just a polite one.
Diana sits up in her seat, leaning forward as she reaches for a pad of paper that one of the young people is holding out for her.
Grabbing it, I watch her ask them something before she goes to write on the paper, handing it back.
I feel like in this moment I'm learning more about her.
She's polite, kind, and willing to talk with her fans, but it doesn't fulfill her.
The whole interaction is just that: kind and polite.
The only words to describe what I just watched.
The group of people leave once she finishes up, leaving her to lay back down and soak in the sun. I watch her from afar for a few minutes more. As she checks her phone, Diana lets out a huge laugh at something she sees, making me smile.
I know from last night that the polite version of Diana is not her. The one where she laughs uncontrollably, her smile taking up her whole face is the real her. And that's the version I want to see all the time.
Slowly, I walk toward where she's laying, watching every moment. When I reach her, I cast a shadow over, greeting her, "Hello, my goddess."
Diana looks up at me with a shocked look on her face. I assume she didn't suspect to see me so soon after abandoning me last night. But she quickly gathers herself, giving me her polite smile. "Hey, Luca."
That smile on her face pisses me off because she can give other people those smiles, but not me. I only want her genuine feelings. "Don't give me that smile,” I snap at her. “If you're not excited to see me, show me that. I only want genuine feelings from you.”
Her face falls, not expecting me to snap at her like that, and the way she's looking at me makes me feel like shit.
Diana doesn't say anything but adjusts herself, sitting up straight as if she's getting ready for battle.
That thought sobers me up, making me quickly assess how I'm handling things, which is not well.
Softening my tone, I say, "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap like that.
I just want your authentic self, that's all. "
A look of understanding comes over her face as she replies softly, "It's okay. How are you this morning?"
"I'm good. I missed you when I got up," I tell her.
"Sorry," she mutters looking like she possibly could be embarrassed.
"You don't have to be sorry," I tell her.
"It's just I'm only here for the week," she says.
I know that this girl is it for me, I just have to figure out how to convince her that we are meant to be, and the rest is something else to figure out. That's when an idea comes to my mind. What if I can convince her to hang out with me during this week, showing her how good we would be together?
Squatting down on one knee to get level with her, I say, "What if I show you around this week?"
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," she says cautiously.
"Come on, we both know it isn't more than this week. It's just fun."
Diana sits there thinking about my words for a moment. I have no idea what thoughts are going through her head. Will she take my offer or totally push me away? Will last night be the only time I'll ever have her? I try hard not to think about that possibility.
When she pushes her sunglasses up on her head and I can see her eyes, I brace myself for rejection. Then she gives me a genuine smile, and hope blooms in my chest. "Only for this week?" she whispers.
"Just this week," I reassure her.
"I guess it would be nice to have my own personal tour guide," she murmurs.
My heart rate picks up with the fact that she's saying yes to my proposition. I was certain she was going to say no. "Really?" I ask, hoping my ears don't deceive me.
"Yeah. It would be fun," she says, leaning back in her lounger, pulling her glasses back down.
"Great," I say, feeling happier than I have in a long time. "I have to get back to work, but give me your phone."
She hands it to me right away and I place my number in under ‘The Hot Lifeguard.’ I then text myself so I'll have her number.
Diana: Hey, hot lifeguard, this is my number.
My phone beeps in my pocket and I check to make sure that I received the number. When I do, I lean over her, muttering, "I'll text you when I get off work."
I don't allow her to respond. I just walk away, giving her a wink as I do, willing myself to go back to work instead of ignoring my responsibilities and diving back into Diana.