~ 3 ~ #3
She shifted upright. The look she gave me was thoughtful. “I wouldn’t say often but I do find it to be a useful tool. The first thing I would normally do would be to write what I’m feeling into song lyrics. If that doesn’t work, I might jump in the car.”
I gave her a long look as she swam back towards the shore. How was it that everything she said felt like the most interesting and poignant thing I’d ever heard?
“Wait,” I called after her.
She stood up now, nearly back. The bikini left little to the imagination from behind.
I gulped and mistakenly took in some water. Coughing, I swam back, feeling anything but smooth as she turned to check on me.
“Are you okay?”
With water splashing everywhere, I felt somewhat off balance, but better than I had in a long time, being in her company. “Swallowed some water. I’m fine, thanks.”
Back on the towels, I sipped some unsalted water and took a few deep breaths. It really was a beautiful beach. A beautiful day. I was so lucky and so happy to be here.
Rona was sitting with her knees up, resting her elbows on her knees. I tried not to notice the curve of her thighs and how tiny droplets of water glistened on her skin.
“Going back to what you were saying about what you’re going to do now after your football career, you kind of changed the subject. I’m curious though. Do you have some plans?”
“Move to Greece and spend every day just like this for the rest of my life?”
Rona gave me a gently disparaging look. We hardly knew each other, yet I had the feeling we were already past small talk.
“Sorry. No, I mean, I need to figure it out. I don’t know what I want to do with the rest of my life. I’m scared shitless about it, to be honest.”
“Why?”
I was quiet for a moment. I didn’t want to think about this.
Not the one thing I’d been dreading for years.
Not about the fact that my best days were surely behind me.
Not about the fact that nothing interested me as much as playing football did and I felt lost. “I don’t know if I can do anything besides football.
I guess I just want to forget about it for now. That’s why I’m here.”
Rona nodded, as if finally beginning to understand something about me.
“I want to do something wild, you know? Take my mind off it.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. But hitting the fuck-it button feels very appealing right now.”
“Well, we are on holiday. It’s the perfect place for what you need, by the sounds of it.
I’ve been feeling kind of similar, actually.
I want to let my hair down. I need to replenish my creative juices or something.
I do this from time to time then I go back to being a hermit making music in the safety of my recording studio. ”
“We’re on the same wavelength.”
“Right then. I’ve got a proposition for you.” Rona turned to face me, one knee falling down.
“Whatever it is, I love it already.”
“How about we make a deal? This week, we do something new or crazy every day. It has to be new to at least one of us. Crazy can be loosely defined. Like to me, crazy could be eating ice cream with no spoon in public.”
“I think we have very different definitions of what crazy is.”
“That will keep it tame enough, which suits me.”
“What, you never just lick it?”
“No. I get really self-conscious about getting it all over my face.”
“Even if it’s on a cone?”
“I never eat ice cream off a cone.”
“What? Seriously?”
Rona shrugged. “It feels kind of indecent.”
“Maybe that should be our first challenge. I’m in, by the way. You could count this as something new and crazy, for you.”
Rona scrunched her nose up, not looking convinced, but also kind of happy that we were going to do this. She took a deep breath. “Okay. I walked into that. Let’s start as we mean to go on. Let’s get some ice cream.”
***
The gelato place was nestled in between some coffee shops, bars and restaurants just off the promenade near the town centre.
Palm trees lined the open street. The buildings were a mixture of brilliant white, yellow and some pink.
Inside, they had a huge selection of flavours and combinations.
They also sold chocolate and pastries. I wanted to eat it all.
Rona studied the menu above the counter and then each tray within the cabinet. I studied her. She ordered a coffee and a mint chocolate and pistachio cone.
I ordered the same as her and told her I’d never had coffee with ice cream before, so that it was new for me.
“See.” Rona smiled. “We’re getting the hang of it.”
We found somewhere to sit in the shade on the wall lining the promenade. Our feet dangled over the other side, a bigger drop down to the sand below.
Rona looked over her shoulder. She twiddled the ice cream cone in her fingers. “Here goes.”
“Good luck. Hey, I’ll join you.”
The level of concentration tinged with self-consciousness emanating from Rona as she licked her ice cream cone, in public, reminded me of my first time going down on a woman.
I had some ice cream and I picked up my hot coffee, trying not to let myself make that connection and think about that. “How are you getting on over there?”
“Living dangerously.”
“I see it. You’re doing so well.”
“How about you?”
I took a sip. The contrast to the cold ice cream was… it worked. “Living my best life. I didn’t think it would go, but this is amazing!”
Rona stopped with her cone and looked at me. “I like your energy, by the way. I feel good around you. Sorry, that must sound really weird.”
“No, not at all. I mean, it has been less than twenty-four hours that we’ve known each other but I feel like I’ve known you for a lot longer.”
Smiling, a light blush crept onto her cheeks. She tapped her feet against the wall rhythmically. “We’re lesbians. No new connection is half-arsed.”
“I know, right. So, when are we moving in together?”
“Oh, you’ll have to take me out on a proper date first.”
“This wasn’t a date?” I feigned confusion.
Rona’s eyes dropped their playfulness. She glanced down at my mouth for a split-second and then looked away.
My heart started pounding.
“So, what’s our next challenge going to be?” Rona said, staring off into the sea.
“Um.” I couldn’t think of anything. Did she really think this was a new connection?
What did that mean? I wanted to ponder what was going on between us, but she was looking right at me now, expectantly.
Her eyes were wide and open. “Have you ever got up in the morning to watch the sunrise somewhere beautiful, like over the sea? When it first breaks the darkness and everything slowly illuminates?”
Rona tilted her head to the side. “No. I’ve never done anything like that. I mean, I have seen plenty of sunrises, obviously, like when I’ve come out of the club early in the morning after dancing or DJ’ing all night. You make it sound kind of romantic.”
“I see. And have you ever eaten a box of donuts for breakfast?”
She laughed. “No. I prefer chocolate croissants, if we’re talking sugar.”
“How about we get some and hike up a hill to watch the sunrise over the water?”
“Is this a crazy one for you or a new?”
“It’s new. No sugar first thing in the morning for a professional athlete. And no intentional bad sleeps.”
“Shit. I can’t wait to see your crazy.”
“Are you in, or?”
“Yeah.” Rona smiled, her lips curled upwards and her whole face lit up.
I wanted to lean in and kiss her. Or add that kissing a stranger would be on my crazy list. But it was too soon to speak quite that openly. And she wasn’t a stranger anymore.