~
I went to bed that night with an optimistic heart. The next morning the sound of footsteps on gravel woke me. Peeking out my bedroom window, I could see Ethan out in the garden. He was busily working away, raking up fallen leaves and tidying up Abby’s garden before he went to work again teaching me to swim. Did he ever stop?
I got up and searched through my suitcases for the swimsuits that Evie had sent me here with. I knew I’d have to put my wetsuit on at the beach and I had to have something to wear under it. I pulled out the designer suits, each one skimpier than the next. They sure didn’t look like they were made for swimming in. Just holding them up made me feel nervous, imagining Ethan seeing me in them … Arghh!
I finally settled on the only one-piece suit in the bag. It was a black Versace with a halter neckline. I tried it on and was relieved to see that it fit. From the front it was fairly covered, although the legs were cut very high. The back plunged scandalously low, and the color made my skin look pale. Lorelei’s sparkling scales flashed across my mind. I threw a pair of jeans and a T-shirt over it and put my hair in a ponytail. Ready as you’ll ever be, I thought.
When I got out to the kitchen Ethan was sitting at the table, having coffee with Abby. They seemed to be pretty well acquainted, and I overheard her asking him about his college plans as I walked in. They stopped talking and looked up.
“Good morning honey bunny!” Abby said with a warm smile.
“Good morning,” I said to both of them. I went over to pour myself a cup of coffee.
“Where are you going to have your lessons?” Abby asked Ethan.
“I was thinking about going out to the dunes,” he said. “The surf is more predictable there, and there’s no rip.”
“That’s a great idea,” she smiled.
“Abby, did you know there are two awesome new boards in your backyard?” he asked.
“Oh yes,” she said with amusement, “those are Marina’s.”
Ethan looked up at me, puzzled. “I thought you weren’t a swimmer.”
“I’m not,” I sat down next to Abby. How do you explain Evie? “I have this neighbor, or more like an aunt or a grandma, and I told her I thought surfing looked like fun, and she likes to shop for me, and–” I was babbling.
“She got a big surprise package yesterday,” Abby said helpfully. “Have you had breakfast?” she asked Ethan. Then she turned to me. “You need to eat a good breakfast today. I’ll make a tofu scramble.” She started to get up.
“No, thanks!” Ethan and I said simultaneously. Our eyes met and we smiled at each other, trying not to let Abby see.
“Yeah, we should get going,” said Ethan.
“I’ll just grab some fruit,” I said with a cheerful smile. I got up and filled a brown bag with a few peaches and plums.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yes, Abby,” I gave her a hug and turned towards Ethan. “Um, Evie sent me a wet suit too. I’ll go get my stuff.”
We headed out to Ethan’s truck and Abby waved goodbye at the porch. “Be careful!” she called out after us. Ethan opened the door for me to climb in.
“It’s not much to look at, but it runs great,” he said. Ethan busied himself tying down his gardening equipment in the truck bed while I looked around. The truck’s cab looked like he lived in it. There was a box with some clothes and school books stuffed into it along with a couple of folded beach towels. I bent down to wedge my bag under the seat. My sketchbook was there, the one that got soaked the day I met Lorelei, and I wondered why he kept it. Ethan climbed in and started the truck. We drove along in a nervous silence.
“How long have you known my Aunt Abby?” I asked.
“Me and Cruz went to elementary school together,” he said. “Abby was always really nice to me when I was a kid.”
I nodded. “She’s probably the nicest person I know.”
“Yeah, she’s great,” Ethan said. “I used to spend a lot of time at their house. How come I never met you before?”
“We weren’t around much. My dad travels a lot for his work. He always takes me along– until this time.”
“Why not this time?”
“He thinks Afghanistan is too dangerous.” I paused for a moment. “I think he’s being overprotective.”
“I don’t know about that. What’s he doing there?” he asked.
“He’s working to develop cash crops for the people affected by war and the drug trade. I talked to him after … uh … recently, and he’s pretty excited about the possibilities.”
I told him more about how my father researched new farming techniques and hybridized crops for people all around the world. I explained how he taught and lectured at the university, but preferred working outdoors in the fields, sun on his face, hands in dirt. I felt like I was babbling again but Ethan seemed genuinely interested. He asked pointed questions that kept me talking until we pulled into a secluded parking lot that looked out onto some grassy sand dunes. He reached under his seat and pulled out a bakery bag.
“Healthy breakfast?” he said, offering me a doughnut.
“Thanks,” I smiled. “Beats tofu scramble.” We both laughed.
“Abby’s great, but she’s never been able to cook.”
“Aren’t you not supposed to eat before you swim?” I asked.
“That’s a myth,” he said as we ate. “I wouldn’t go out after a really big meal but a doughnut won’t hurt you. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t let you do anything dangerous.”
“I know,” I said.
We took our bags and hiked down a narrow winding path through the dunes to an empty beach with gently breaking waves. It was a beautiful spot, and the sun started to win its battle with the fog, softly lighting the scene.
“Rule number one,” he said, looking at me. “You’re gonna need some sunscreen.” He laid his towel down on the sand and started to pull his gear out of an army surplus duffel bag. He handed me a tube and told me not to forget the tops of my ears. I felt like a little kid, but had to admit that I hadn’t considered it. I did tend to sunburn. Ethan stripped down to his swim trunks and pulled out his wetsuit. I couldn’t help stealing glances at his lean and muscular body, and my cheeks flushed with heat, remembering the first time I spied on him.
I spread my towel on the sand and stood there awkwardly. I glanced over to see that he had climbed into his suit and was looking at me expectantly.
“Let’s go,” he said. “Get your suit on.” When it finally dawned on him that I was shy he turned to face the water.
I hurried to slip out of my clothes quickly while he wasn’t looking. I thought about all of the surfer girls running around in bikinis and realized they wouldn’t feel awkward at all. I squirmed into my suit and was struggling with the back zipper when he turned around.
“That’s a nice wetsuit,” he looked it up and down. “Let me get that.” I turned and he zipped up the back. His fingers brushed the base of my neck and it sent a shock wave down my spine.
“Aunt Evie just asked the guy at the shop …” I said nervously.
“I thought she was a neighbor,” he said.
“She likes me to call her aunt,” I explained. “But she’s like everything rolled into one. I never had a mom–I think that’s why she spoils me.”
“You’re lucky to have her,” he said.
“Yeah, I’m lucky,” I said, thinking of how I’d be able to talk to Lorelei soon. I looked into his eyes. “Teach me how to swim in the sea,” I said firmly.
Ethan told me the basic rules first. Never swim alone, and never turn your back on the surf. He explained how to spot a rip current and get out of it, swimming parallel to the shore for a while if you could feel the force of the water pulling you out. He spoke about the ocean with awe and admiration, stressing that you must always respect its power.
We waded into the water, and the only parts of my body that were cold were my hands and feet. This was going to work nicely, I thought. Ethan showed me how to spot set
s of waves, and how to avoid getting smashed by one. The trick was to dive into the wave, getting your body as horizontal as possible so that the force of the water could pass over you. We practiced diving through waves and foam for a while. I found myself laughing with delight. I loved the smell and taste of the water. After a few dives into the sea, I started to feel like I belonged in it.
“Ready to go out farther?” Ethan asked, measuring me up.
“Yes!” I grinned. Standing in shallow water he had me practice the front crawl stroke, holding me by the waist. He said it was best for ocean swimming and body surfing. The wet suit made me more buoyant in the water, and without the nasty smell of chlorine I had no problem putting my face in. It felt natural, and I picked up the strokes quickly. We waded out into deeper water.
As we swam up and down the coast I began to feel more and more comfortable. The wet suit’s buoyancy became somewhat irritating as I tried to dive under the surface. It kept me from going under, but it made swimming much easier than I remembered.
“Let’s head in,” Ethan said, and we rode the surf back in, allowing the surging water to move us into shore. I launched myself onto the face of a wave and slid along it. It felt great. We walked out of the sea and plopped down onto our towels. Ethan peeled his suit down to his waist and leaned back onto his duffel, arms behind his head. I followed suit. I was pleasantly exhausted and the sun felt good on my skin.
“You’re a fast learner, Marina,” Ethan said. “You seem pretty comfortable in the water.”
“I used to hate going to swimming lessons in the city. The pool was indoors and I could never stand the smell of chlorine so I guess I just avoided learning.” I remembered it with distaste. “Saltwater is much better,” I sighed, contented.
“I’d have to agree with that,” he smiled. I met his eyes and his expression turned serious.
“What?” I asked.
Ethan studied my face. “Did you know that your eyes are always the exact same color as the water?”
I looked down, thinking about Lorelei’s eyes. Could they have been my mother’s, too? A whisper of melancholy passed through me but I wasn’t going to let it ruin my day. “That was fun,” I said, meeting his gaze, overcome with a sudden boldness. “Would you teach me how to surf sometime?”
He laughed a little. “Sure, I have a feeling you’ll be a natural.”
It was my turn to be serious. “Please tell Abby I’m okay now. She won’t let me out of her sight and it’s getting annoying.”
“I will, but one more thing, Marina.” His eyes were suddenly intense. “Don’t go swimming around the pier. The currents there are really dangerous.” He stared out at the ocean, brows knit together. “What were you thinking that day?”
I didn’t know what to say so I just looked down again.
He turned back towards me somberly. “Promise to never do that again.”
“It was just a stupid mistake,” I said, remembering how I had climbed around the fence to get to Lorelei. I wondered how I would go about finding her again. “I won’t do that again, honestly.”
He looked relieved. I was being truthful–Next time I would have on a wetsuit and be fine. There was an awkward pause.
“I have a question,” he said, looking at me intently. “When they brought you to the hospital you were hypothermic, but there was no water in your lungs. They said that was the reason you… lived,” he forced out the last word. “But when I pulled you out of the water before, you were nearly drowned. How is that possible?” his eyes searched mine.
I couldn’t think of anything. “I don’t know,” I said, breaking eye contact. There was an uncomfortable pause. “Why do you work so hard all the time? I mean, this should be your time off,” I said, changing the subject. He smiled with amusement at my awkward dodge.
“This isn’t exactly work,” he chuckled. “I should be paying Abby.”
I was embarrassed. “My dad insisted I take lessons. He threatened to send me to a boarding school if I didn’t promise to be more careful.”
Ethan looked at me mischievously. “Surfboarding school?” We laughed together, and agreed to meet for lessons in a week. I handed him some fruit from the bag and we ate as we rested in the sun.
“Seriously, why do you work so hard?”
He looked at me like he was deciding whether or not to talk about it. “I’m saving for the future.”
“That’s very mature of you,” I said teasingly. He didn’t laugh. “Why?” I asked again.
“Because I want to be independent, and not have to count on anyone else,” he replied, making me feel a little sheepish for teasing him.
“That’s admirable,” I said. “I thought surfers were supposed to be slackers.” This time he laughed, and I relaxed. I liked his laugh.
“Um, Marina,” he asked tentatively, “what on earth did you draw in art class yesterday?”
I squirmed uncomfortably; I was afraid that might come up.
He went on, “Because the guys at the table were saying that it was a … self-portrait.”
I was mortified but had to explain. “It wasn’t me, it was a mythological creature that I, um… uh…” I figured I might as well just come clean so I spit it out rapidly. “It was a mermaid, okay? And I probably should have added the strategically placed hair,” I finished angrily.
His eyes flew open. “A mermaid?” He seemed shocked.
“Yes,” I said defensively, starting to get annoyed. I hadn’t expected him to be a prude.
His tone changed. “Don’t get all upset, it’s no big deal.” He sounded contrite. “Those guys are a bunch of dorks anyway.” He got up and zipped his suit back on. “C’mon,” he held out his hand to me, “I’m going to teach you some of the finer points of body surfing.”
We spent the next few hours playing in the waves, laughing at some of our wipe outs. It was an incredibly powerful feeling to glide along a wall of surging water, and I could only imagine how it must feel to stand on a board. I tired out before he did, and my hands and feet were starting to feel numb. We packed up our gear and made our way along the path to his truck.
It was warm inside and this time we drove along in comfortable silence.
“Are you coming to the market tomorrow?” he cast a glance in my direction.
“I don’t think so,” I said, thinking about how I was going to find Lorelei. “There’s something I need to take care of.” Was I imaging it, or did he look disappointed?
We pulled up to the house to see Abby sitting on the bench, waiting.
“See what I mean?” I said with an exasperated look at him.
“Don’t be too hard on Abby. You didn’t see how upset she was when you went missing. And all that time you were in the hospital… You were out of it for a long time.” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “We were all worried.”
He got out, and before I could even gather my bag he was around the side of the truck getting my door.
“How’d it go?” Abby called out.
“It was fun!” I said, and I really meant it. Ethan walked me to the porch and turned to Abby.
“Marina did great. She can handle herself just fine–with a wetsuit on.” He cast me a playful glance. “We’re going to go again next week.” Abby looked relieved. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” he added.
I flashed him a grateful look.
“You need to wash off your wetsuit if you want to keep it in good shape,” he said and left.
Cruz and Megan were on the couch when I came in.
“So-o,” said Megan, “how was your date?”
“It wasn’t a date,” I said, scowling in her general direction to conceal my smile.
“So how did your swimming go?”
“It was fun, but better than that–I can stay in the water a whole lot longer!” I looked at them with barely contained glee.
They returned my gaze with barely contained horror.
~
CHAPTER TEN
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FASHION SHOW