Chapter 15
After a half hour of reading silently to ourselves, my sex-starved body and filthy mind finally recover. What I was experiencing would have happened if anyone touched me. It’s been an eternity since I’ve had any skin-on-skin contact and my sexual wiring is oversensitive. If I went to the spa, I’d have the same reaction from the masseuse.
Inappropriate. Yeah, I guess. But it’s a totally normal response.
Probably.
“Walter needs a friend,” Daniel says out of nowhere, breaking our silence.
“Man or woman?” I playfully respond, knowing that indulging in his absurdity always leads to laughter, which I desperately need.
“Doesn’t matter. Walter is a lover of all people.”
“How about her?” I ask, gesturing discreetly with my chin toward a woman sitting a few feet away, pulling an unwrapped tamale out of her beach bag.
Yes. An unwrapped tamale.
“What’s her name and story? Walter has standards,” Daniel asks.
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do. Look at her,” he coaxes.
Observing closely, I study the woman. Her over-teased platinum blond hair falls right above her shoulders. She’s clad in a leopard print one-piece bathing suit that compliments her curvaceous figure. I’d guess she’s in her mid-sixties, possibly older. She reminds me of one of those women you’d find at an Atlantic City casino, tirelessly playing the penny slots with a cigarette dangling from her mouth and a rum and coke on the side.
Think. Think. Think.
“Okay, I got it… That’s Stella. Pronounced Stellaaa,” I say, a smirk playing on my face.
“Stella, huh?” Daniel raises an intrigued eyebrow. “Like in a Streetcar named Desire?”
“Yup.”
“Why is Walter attracted to her?”
“Well, look at her. There’s an alluring air of mystery about her. A wild spirit, a feisty boldness that radiates from her very being. And if that’s not enough… and trust me, it is… she always carries an endless supply of corn-tuskless tamales in her beach bag.”
“He’ll never go hungry.”
“Nope. She’s lived a thousand lives, invented all those annoying dances you do at weddings, and she’s privy to all the gossip in town… which admittedly is mostly about her.”
“Impressive resume.”
“Walter deserves the very best.” I tell him with a grin. “And he hit the jackpot with Stellaaa.”
“Anything else?” he asks.
“More?” I huff, casting my eyes up towards the sky. “Alright, alright. She has five grown children, and a beloved chihuahua named Maude who is by far her favorite. She couldn’t get the dog through Customs, so she smuggled it in her ample cleavage between a pack of menthol cigarettes and a bag of Potato Chips purchased at an airport kiosk.”
“Interesting. What else?”
“More again?” I ask incredulously.
He nods. “Walter needs a well-rounded individual in his life. He’s a man of refined taste. I mean, look at him.” He gestures to our left, and I spot Walter in all his Wally glory. As usual, he’s in his traditional daytime uniform of one-size-too-small briefs with the head of an elephant printed on the front. The elephant’s trunk is “enhanced” by his manhood, creating an almost 3-D illusion. His t-shirt proudly states, ‘There’s Junk in My Trunk.’ with an arrow pointing down. “That’s quality right there.”
“Please,” I interrupt, raising a hand. “No more visuals.”
“I’m a photographer. Everything is visual.”
“Maybe you can make an exception,” I suggest with a laugh, redirecting my attention back to Walter. The man is like a train wreck, an irresistible disaster that I can’t look away from. “Okay… let me think. Stellaaa has a penchant for folk singers. Her bedroom walls are adorned with vinyl album covers of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and John Denver. Her last husband was a musician. He didn’t have washboard abs, but he did play the washboard in a jug band.”
Daniel chuckles at my revelation.
“She was planning on taking Walter to one of his concerts. All exes stay friends with Stellaaa. Most people bob their heads to the music, But Walter can bob his… ahem, other parts.”
Daniel’s head tilts to the side, and he gives me a warm smile.
“What?” I ask, smiling back.
“You surprise me sometimes.”
“I do? Why?”
“When your invisible divider is down and you relax, you seem so…”
“So… what?”
“I don’t know… Free.”
His observation takes me by surprise. Although my mind is a rollercoaster of emotions leading up to tomorrow, since I’ve been here with him, things feel a little lighter.
Lily said this is where people come to escape. That may be true.
But maybe, if they’re lucky…
They go home liberated.
“Is that a good thing?” I ask.
“Yeah, Tess. That’s a very good thing.”
I smile victoriously, proud that I’ve unchained myself from the relentless grief I’ve endured for months over events that weren’t meant to be. I feel good. Really good, all things considered. I turn my head from left to right, and appreciate all that’s around me. The brilliant blue sky, the hot blazing sun, the upbeat music blasting from the Activities Crew, the mixed scent of fresh flowers, chlorine, and coco butter in the air.
And him.
This man next to me.
I’m feeling more confident. For the first time in months, the weight of the world isn’t resting on my shoulders. Life goes on, and I’m going with it.
I gaze toward the entrance of the pool area and spot a small group of women strolling in, each one holding a champagne flute. They laugh and carry-on the way close girlfriends do.
A statuesque blond, wearing a white sash adorned with shimmering gold letters that spell out “Bride-To-Be” and a Dollar Store mini veil atop her head, raises her glass towards the heavens, nearly causing the liquid to spill over. “This is the best bachelorette party, e-v-e-r!”
She spelled out ‘ever.’
Because it’s such a hard word.
A tightness arises in my throat, intense emotions surge through me again. The scene unfolding before my eyes serve as a stark reminder of the memories that were never made, the moments I missed, and the losses I’ve endured.
And that liberating freedom that was in my grasp slowly slips away, dragging me back to the same place I’ve been stuck in for months.
For every hard-earned step forward, there’s three steps back.
Don’t let it get to you. Don’t let it get to you.
“Tess?” Daniel’s voice interrupts my internal struggle.
I quickly blink a few times to snap myself out of this unhealthy headspace. “Yes?”
“You okay?” he asks.
I force a smile, masking the turmoil within. “I’m fine,” I assure him
“Good, for a minute there I thought I lost you.”
I let out a weary sigh. “Is it too early for a drink?”
“In Mexico? That a trick question? Paloma?” he asks, raising his arm to get the pool server’s attention.
“Please.”
“Oh, geez.” With a roll of my eyes, I place my drink on the small table next to my chair and grab my phone. “Not again.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. It’s my insane mother checking in.”
“She checks in on you while you’re on vacation?”
“She’d be sitting in between us if she had her way.” I tap the message app. “Hold on. Let me take care of this before she calls the Mexican Police to find me.”
Mom
Did you know that too much sun can lead to muscle cramps, heart palpitations and diarrhea?
That explains why I’m sitting by the pool with a charley horse and crap all over my bathing suit.
Mom
That’s not funny.
I thought it was hilarious.
Mom
Do they have a Singles Mingle Night at that resort?
Yeah, Mom. But here they call it an orgy. I’m heading there now.
Mom
Still not funny.
I disagree.
Mom
I don’t want you alone.
Stop worrying about me. I’m fine.
And I’m not exactly alone… anymore.
Mom
Kyle asked about you again.
Were his hands sticky when he asked?
Don’t care. The orgy is about to start. Talk to you tomorrow.
Mom
How about later?
How about no. Have a good night.
I click out of my app and shake my head in disbelief.
“It’s nice she checks in,” Daniel says.
“I’ll give you her number,” I joke.
“That’s fine. Older women love me.”
“Because of their dementia?”
“Because of their years of wisdom,” he replies, his voice radiating confidence.
“You have a pretty high opinion of yourself.”
“Nothing wrong with that, is there?”
“Depends. My ex thought he was the shit.”
“From what little you’ve said—it sounds like he was full of shit.”
I nod in agreement. “He must have been out in the sun too long.”
“The sun?”
“Forget it.”
The pool area has quieted down significantly as the day comes to a close. The Entertainment Team is long gone. Sun worshippers have left with the sun and afternoon imbibers are sleeping it off before dinner. After a relaxing afternoon of soaking up the shade, noshing on tortilla chips and guacamole for lunch, catching up on my reading, between conversations with this sexy mad-man next to me, I’m ready to call it a day too.
“I’m going to head back,” I tell my lounge-mate as I close my book.
“Me too.” Daniel stands and grabs his towel off the lounger. “I’ll walk back to the building with you.”
“I’d love that.” Did I admit that out loud? Oh God, my inner voice escaped through my lips. “I mean, since we both reside in the same building, it makes sense to walk together. To the building. Where we’re staying together. I mean, in separate hotel rooms. Not together together.”
My mother was right, too much sun can give you diarrhea… of the mouth. I should have shut up while I was ahead.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
Far from it.
“Of course I am,” I snap, shoving my book in my beach bag. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Please don’t answer that.
We’ll be here all day.
He studies me briefly and the adorable indent between his eyes appears when he furrows his brows and shakes his head like he just finished flipping through the ‘Reasons Tess is Not Okay’ catalog. “Forget it. Are you ready?”
“Yup.” I sling my beach bag over my shoulder and grab my towel. “Let’s go.”
As we walk to our building, which thankfully is only a few minutes away, I decide it’s best to not trip over my words and keep the conversation short and polite.
“It was hot today,” I say, stating the obvious.
“Who’d have thought it’d be hot in Mexico?”
“Was that supposed to be funny?”
“Factual.” He arches a brow. “And funny.”
Unable to pull off the aloof vibe I was going for, I chuckle. “Okay. It was a dumb statement,” I concede.
“Nah. I was being a dick. It was a hot day.”
“I like your self-awareness. It takes a big man to know he’s a dick.”
“I’m very familiar with myself. And my dick.” He wiggles his brows. “I’ve known me for years.”
“Lately, it feels like I don’t know me at all anymore,” I confess, my voice filled with uncertainty.
He gazes at me thoughtfully. “You won’t always feel that way, Tess.”
“I’m not so sure.”
“Things change. Be patient. Time can be your friend.”
“Or your worst enemy,” I answer.
“You’ll see.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” I don’t want to delve into this conversation any deeper. “So… what are you doing for dinner tonight?”
“I was thinking of trying out the French restaurant,” he says as we approach our building.
“Really? Me too. Would you like to join me?”
“Are you asking me out on a date?”
“What?” My eyes widen. “Absolutely not.”
“Sounds like a date,” he teases, as he walks me to my door.
“It’s dinner with a fellow vacationer.”
“Okay, fellow vacationer. Pick you up at seven?” he asks.
“Sounds good.”
“I expect flowers,” he says as he continues walking, until he stops at his door.
“Why?”
“A man likes to be romanced on a first date.”
“Again. Not a date.”
“Hmm Mmm. See you at seven.” He winks, opens his door, and disappears into his room.
Speechless, I stand in front of my closed door—and smile.