Besides you, the beach was empty. The water sparkled under the afternoon sun. It wasn’t a cold day, not really, but it was quite warm. You could see your breath as you exhaled. The waves crashed against the shore; sometimes they would come so close to you that their crests could crash over your feet. They weren’t too tall. If you walked further into the water, maybe you’d be able to touch them. If you took off your shoes, you could probably walk through them.
As you sat on your favorite rock and watched the waves roll by, you let out a sigh of contentment. You can say without a doubt that twenty-fifteen has been the best year of your life. Not only did you get all the awards you deserved for being an excellent writer, you also got the opportunity to write a book. That book has sold more than thirty copies in its first month. And with every story, the number of sales keeps going up! You haven’t lost track of how many you wrote after you won that award. Every time you think about the money, you feel like crying. But you don’t want to ruin that day. There are no tears left inside of you.
You know it was the start of something great. The beginning of your career, of your writing.
Man, you thought to yourself, it feels like I was five years old yesterday.
You were still in high school then. You had finished all your finals. Your father bought you a motorcycle when you were fifteen. The first thing you bought when you graduated from high school was your dream house. Your house was a little too big for your parents at first, but they liked it enough to buy you a new one every week. When the house finally sold two years later, you bought another house. This time, you bought it on top of a hill so you could look down at the ocean. The last thing you wanted in a house was a backyard filled with bushes. You just couldn't live with that. A lot of people said that they didn' want a large yard either, but you never understood why. Sure, the grass is greener somewhere else, but it's there. Besides, you could take care of things much faster if you were just a couple hundred feet away instead of fifty or a hundred thousand. You didn't mind it though. In fact, you loved the view from the house. It's hard to explain. To other people it looked like someone was taking advantage of nature. To you it looked natural. The way the sun shone on the sea, the wind gently blowing through your hair. All that was missing was your dog. But he was always asleep during the summer.
He lived right across the street with his family. He slept at home most nights. It's funny what you remember when the memories get mixed together in your head. One memory will always stick in your brain like glue. One memory will forever make itself known in your thoughts.
The morning of your twentieth birthday arrived sooner than you expected. You were already awake early. You decided to wake up late today. You've had this exact same conversation with your parents countless times over the past four years. You didn't tell them you're leaving for work now. You knew that they'll try to stop you somehow. They usually do. They think you should just stay at home and watch cartoons on Netflix with your cat. But you have plans to spend the day with your friends and work buddies. You don't have anyone waiting for you downstairs anymore. You've spent every summer working and sleeping on your own. Now you're almost an adult. It's about time for you to meet some new people. You want to start dating and having fun. You're twenty seven, for god's sake. You don't need your parents to control your life anymore. You love them, but sometimes they drive you crazy. You wish they'd trust you more.
Maybe someday they will. You know they care about you, but when push comes to shove, they can be really selfish sometimes. Sometimes it gets to the point where they actually don't care if you're happy or not.
But this morning, everything seemed to be fine. Everything was calm.
Right pocket of your swim shorts vibrated with the sound of your cell phone. With the flip of your wrist, you reached for your pocket. The phone made a series of buzzing noises as it rang. After a couple seconds, the ringing went silent. The screen showed a contact name that read "Your mother." You didn't hesitate for a second to answer.
"Mom?" You asked.
“Hey sweetie!" You heard her voice in your ear. She sounded very cheerful. “How are you today?”
"I'm good," you replied. "Is Dad there?"
"No honey, he's at work today."
"Oh." You didn't really expect him to be here. It seems like he's spending more and more time away from work lately. He works as a producer for the television show that plays on the island. Most of the time he spends in his office. He doesn't spend that much time here with you, anyway.
"I talked to him before I called you, and he sounded pretty happy, too. Why aren't you at work yet?" She asked, ignoring the silence in the call.
"I'm just chilling, sitting on my favorite rock at the beach. How are you and Dad doing?"
She laughed softly. "We're well. We just finished dinner at his workplace. So, how have things been in school lately? Are you starting university next year?"
"Yes, mom." You answered while smiling to yourself. You know that I've wanted to go to college for ages."
"I know, baby."
"So…" you started. "How’s Uncle Dan handling the divorce?"
"Oh, it's going fine," she sighed. "He's busy. You know how it is. He's on the verge of finishing his last project and preparing himself for a final exam. His job isn't easy to handle and he needs the focus to finish."
You hummed. "Did he bring a girlfriend back with him?"
"Not that I'm aware of," she answered. "Maybe when we visit him in August? Do you plan to visit him in August?"
"Of course."
"Alright, honey," she said. "Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask. Have you and your older sister gotten along?”
You bit your lip. There was something odd in the way your mother was asking this question. Maybe it was because she knew. Maybe she knew about… About you and Ari. Did you really leave the two of you out completely?
"Yeah... Yeah, we've been getting along better,” you lied. “I guess we haven’t spent as much time together recently."
She paused again. "Are you sure, honey?"
"Yes, Mom," you replied. "Everything is fine…"
A sudden splash of water caught your attention. Your eyes darted to the ocean’s shore line. It wasn’t too far away; you could make it out if you stood up and stretched.
Seconds after you heard said splash, you saw something moving in the water. A huge wave crashed toward shore. You held your breath as it washed onto the sand. The waves continued crashing, creating small ripples in the ocean. Then a shadow passed above the surface of the water. What came up was something you were not expecting: a woman’s body. But said woman emerging from the surface was not what made you pause.
No, what left you speechless was her hair. You've seen pictures of women with long, flowing hair that fell to their waist. You've even seen models with long curly, flowing blond hair. This woman’s hair was striped rainbow hued that flowed in the solar winds with sparkles around that matched perfectly with the surrounding ocean. It was flowing and rippling smoothly. Even after it was out of the water, it didn’t stop moving. You stared into her eyes. They were sparkling in lavender. You could see your reflection in those eyes. They reminded you of the lavandin flowers that grow in the hills outside the town. They were colorful with the same vibrancy as the irises.
As soon as the waves retreated, you turned your gaze towards the rest of the body. She wore a golden bikini, which contrasted with her dark complexion. Her face had the most beautiful, smooth skin you've ever seen. It was tan, but still as creamy as cream. Her nose was straight, her lips full, but not too plump, her cheekbones prominent. Her breasts were larger than you imagined they would be. Her waist was wide and round.
And then…
Her stomach.
It was perfect. Smooth and flat. It appeared soft and delicate with a hint of curves and muscles underneath. It had a nice curve to it. Her waist was wide, her hips slim yet strong looking. Her legs are thick and toned.
You watched closely, as if she would disappear any moment. Slowly she climbed out of the water onto the beach. For a brief moment, you forgot how to breathe altogether. She walked across the wet sand. Her skin glistened under the early sun rays. As she stepped closer she brought her arms above her head, stretching out her arms. The fabric of the short dress she wore slipped down to reveal part of her bare chest. You could feel your heart beating faster and faster against your chest. You felt as if you couldn't take your eyes off of her body. It was as if it was mesmerizing you. And that's exactly what happened to you.
Wait a minute… How long have you been staring?
You blinked hard twice and shook your head violently trying to snap you out of your trance. When you finally succeeded, the first thing you noticed was that your face was beet red. You took a deep breath to cool yourself down. Then you glanced over at your phone, struck with realization that you were still on the call with your mother.
"Um… Mom," you stammered. Your heart rate sped up, causing you to become nervous. The color from your cheeks began to fade away as fast as the pink hue of the sky. "Sorry, um… I have to go.”
“Wait, what..?” Before your mother could finish her sentence, your thumb quickly pressed the end button. You placed the phone on a flat rock next to you and buried your face in both hands.
Damn! You groaned. Why did you even do that? Why did you gawk at her like that? She looked so… sexy. Her body was nothing short of perfection. You couldn't help but admire her. Thank god she hasn’t noticed you staring at her. That would only add fuel to the fire.
"Excuse me?”
You nearly jumped out of your skin when you heard a voice speak. Immediately you looked up, finding the woman you gawked at earlier standing in front of you. Her hands were on her hips and her eyes stared down at you with a warm smile. Her fragrance was the only thing that you could smell now. She smelled amazing.
"U-Umm… h-" you tried to say something, but failed miserably. The only word that escaped from your throat was an unintelligible noise. You cursed yourself mentally.
Why the hell did you think you could talk with someone like this!? Not only did you look like an idiot, you probably stuttered and looked like one too.
The woman laughed lightly and reached out to grab hold of your arm. You felt her touch your skin and shuddered involuntarily. You were almost certain that she was gonna drag you up and give you a kiss on the mouth right there.
"Hi," she said in a friendly manner. She didn't seem to mind your weird behavior.
"Hey… s..." you stopped, trying to remember how to speak properly. "Hey… umm.. Hi," you said again. Now that your mind has calmed down, your brain began to function properly.
“I’m sorry if I’m interrupting anything, but I was hoping if you could help me with something.”
You nodded. “Uh, yeah, sure.”
She smiled brightly. “Well, you see, yesterday I was finishing up a shooting and one of my guys lost their camera somewhere around here. I was hoping if you have the time, you could help me find it?”
Your brow furrowed, “Sure thing, Miss…?”
"Celestia." She introduced herself.
You nodded “Sure thing Celestia, where should we start?”
Celestia smiled as she pointed in the direction of the ocean. “That way. Don’t worry it’s just around there.” She pointed further away. “We’re pretty close to shore, so if we walk in the right direction we can reach our destination. It shouldn’t take us more than twenty minutes or so.”
You nodded again before walking to the other direction with Celestia. Her hips swayed slightly as she walked beside you. You did your best not to look at her body, though you couldn’t help but glance at it every now and then. She led you down the beach towards the sea, but not for long. Once you turned around you immediately spotted something laying on the sand near the water’s edge. “Is this it?” you asked, approaching.
Celestia nodded.
You bent down slowly, reaching for the object. Once you were close enough, you saw it. You recognized it instantly. It was the camera. After examining it briefly, you noticed several things. There were multiple scratches and dents along the lens and frame, but overall it seemed to be in one piece. You lifted it carefully and inspected it further.
‘Huh… How did her guys manage to lose this?’ you thought.
“It’s not broken is it?” Celestia inquired from behind you.
You turned around to face her. “Nope. Everything seems fine. If anyone did break it, I guess it just snapped in two due to some force and landed here.”
“Well, at least that’s good.” Celestia gave another smile.
When you stood back up, you put the camera back in its case. You handed it back to her.
“Thank you very much .” she said with a nod. “Mind walking with me back to my car?”
"Oh, uh... Sure." You replied.
Slowly you walked along the shore, following Celestia. A small breeze caressed your skin. You closed your eyes enjoying the feeling. The sun warmed your shoulders.
“So, what brings you here on a Friday at the beach?” Celestia questioned. You opened your eyes and glanced at her. You could tell that she wanted to continue the conversation, but was waiting for you to answer her question yourself.
You chuckled lightly and scratched your head nervously. “Ah… well, I mean, I am new here. Just thought I would take a chill day and come to enjoy the view. You know?”
“Oh, really?”
You nodded. “Yeah. I do this every now and then when I’m not working. It’s relaxing and I enjoy it.”
“Do you surf?” She asked.
“No… never been much of a fan. I’m not a good swimmer either,” you admitted truthfully.
“Hmmm. Well maybe I can teach you, if you have the time.
You waved your hand in the air. “Oh, no no, you don’t have to.”
“Please, I insist!” Celestia insisted. “Besides,” she continued, “it’s not everyday you get the opportunity to try something new.”
Her words made your heart flutter. But you decided not to push the subject further.
Celestia smiles up to the clear sky. “Life is too short for regrets. It’s a scary road to walk alone, this is true, but it’s also the fastest way to the future. We all need a little courage to overcome obstacles and move forward,” she continued. “You know, my father once told me and my sister, that it’s better to face problems than to run away from them. Even if they are difficult to deal with they’ll still leave you feeling stronger and better. It’s called living by faith, and it works wonders!”
As she talked, she was looking straight into your eyes. Your body temperature rose. The intensity of her gaze made your heart race. You were surprised to find yourself feeling so nervous. You tried to ignore it.
You cleared your throat. “Your father sounds like a wise man,” you managed to spit out in response. Despite your best efforts, you knew that your heartbeat was going crazy inside your chest. Celestia’s eyes softened and she nodded gently.
There was a pause as both of you remained silent. You shifted nervously while Celestia took in your facial expression.
“Are you okay?” she suddenly asked.
You raised your eyebrows and nodded, “Yeah, I’m fine.”
She nodded with a small smile. “Good.”
You both continued walking down the shore. For some unknown reason, neither one of you wanted to end the conversation. You had absolutely no clue why or how this conversation started, but you weren’t about to stop it either. It was quite enjoyable talking with her. It wasn’t something that you usually did and you wondered why you were so comfortable around her. When she first asked you for a favor, you were scared shitless. Now, you weren’t exactly sure what compelled you to go along with what she wanted, but somehow you found it easy to relax around her and even talk more than usual.
At last, you both arrived at an old looking black sedan. The driver’s side door opened and Celestia climbed into the seat. You watched in awe as she pulled a set of keys out of her purse and inserted one into the ignition. The engine roared to life after a few seconds. You stared at her curiously, wondering what kind of vehicle she drove. You couldn't imagine she owned any of those flashy sports cars like yours. It definitely wouldn't surprise you if she didn't have one, but then again most people would be stupid to drive something like hers.
She turns to her right glancing up at you through the car window. Her lips curled to a smirk. “You know, you know my name but I never got yours,” she said.
You chuckled lightly. “Oh, um, it’s Anonymous. But most of my folks call me Anon for short.”
“Anon? Hmm~ That's a nice name.”
“Really? Thanks, I guess.” You mumbled awkwardly.
“Well, it was nice meeting you Anon.”
“Yeah you too," you responded with a small smile.
With that said, Celestia stepped on the gas, causing her car to speed off, leaving behind a trail of dust. You stared at the spot where she left only to realize that she was already too far away. The sudden loss of contact caused you to blink in shock. You shook your head lightly before returning to reality and walking over to your own car.
The drive back home was quick and uneventful. The beach was beautiful today, but you still felt restless. As soon as you entered the house you went straight to your room. You threw yourself on the bed face down. The warm mattress engulfed you completely. Your mind processes everything that happened throughout the afternoon. That woman… was all your mind could conjure. You rolled around in bed, trying to focus your thoughts on anything else than her. You kept hearing the sound of her voice echo in your head. She was truly beautiful. Not only was she incredibly attractive, there was a certain warmth you felt whenever you spoke to her.
Your eyes slightly open studying the features of your blanket as though your questions were mirrored on them. What is this feeling? Why is she so captivating? This feeling… is it… is this what it’s like to have a crush? Your cheeks burned.