enhanced his handsomeness. As he spoke you could see his sharp jaw line and perfect teeth. After she introduced herself he stuck out his hand. Instead of taking it Jessica attempted to hug him but he was puzzled. He quickly recovered and they embraced. She could feel his soft skin and felt his muscles tense. As her arms reached around his back she felt the outline of his ridged muscles.
“It’s not every day you get to hug a beautiful celebrity like you,” he said.
Jessica looked away sheepishly. “Thanks.” His muscular body stood a few inches taller than Jessica, but he was not taller than Jimmy. Jimmy led the way as he staked out the best spot for all of them to stay. They put their things down and all but Jessica and Mark ran straight for the water. Jessica really wanted to get to know this new guy and it became clear that he also wanted to stay to chat.
____________
Jimmy surfaced near one of his friends. The water dripped down his face into the cool ocean water. He looked back towards the beach and he saw Jessica talking to someone. “Hey Ryan, you know who Jessica is talking to?”
“What, you jealous?” Ryan asked.
“Yeah, that’s why I’m asking.” Jimmy said sarcastically. “No, I just saw him meet with us and I was wondering if one of you brought him. I didn’t catch his name.”
“His name is Mark, but I didn’t bring him. Neither did Tim because we came together. It could have been Jeff though.”
“Alright, it doesn’t matter anyway.” To Jimmy it wasn’t alright; a buff stranger talking so intently to Jessica. He also seemed to be seducing her with his charm─as it appeared from this range─and his masculinity. He moved towards the man intent on driving him off. Then it struck him; who was he to make her decisions? After all he was just a friend of hers; he had no jurisdiction over her. Maybe he was just jealous that he seemed not to be able to do that. He took the thoughts out of his mind and swam further out into the water.
EIGHT
As Jimmy King waded onto the beach he found out he had just missed Mark. Jessica looked as if she was floating in the clouds. He assumed that it was because she chatted it up with Mark. As Jimmy approached Jessica she took her shorts and shirt off showing her bathing suit. She proceeded to ask Jimmy, “Are you ready to go for a swim?”
“I don’t know, I was just out there for like an hour, but you were talking to Mark.”
“Yeah, your friend is a great guy.”
“Um, let’s talk about that,” Jimmy said. He then pointed to the towels lying on the sand. “Sit or lie down if you want.” They both lay down and faced each other. Jessica’s hair was blowing in her face covering the left side. She pushed her hair back revealing the rest of her face and Jimmy lay there admiring her beauty. He shook the thoughts from his mind and focused on what he was going to say.
____________
“What do you mean you don’t know him?!” Jessica exclaimed. Jimmy held a finger to his lip and Jessica repeated her question quieter. “What do you mean you don’t know him?”
“Well I have never seen him or spoken to him. The same thing goes with my other friends. I just think it is a little suspicious that he knew exactly when and where to be and who we all are. And then flattering you like he did. I don’t know,” Jimmy replied.
“You noticed that?”
“Yeah, I think it was pretty obvious. You know you get flattered really easily, right? You like him?”
“And who are you to ask that?”
“Hey, just curious.” Jimmy raised his hands up in surrender. Yeah, Jessica thought, that’s right, back off. Then Jessica realized that it was one of her best friends she was talking to. She decided she wouldn’t tell him that she liked Mark, but to not be so harsh next time.
Ryan, Jimmy’s friend, came over to the two and said, “Jessica you believe in the evolution thing right?”
“Yes, why?”
“OK, if people evolved from apes and monkeys why are they still here?”
Out of the corner of her eye Jessica saw Jimmy shake his head. She looked away and said to Ryan, “If we are not descended from apes please explain how we came here. What I see is the end result of many millions of years of evolution. How do you think it happened? A man waving a magic wand?”
“If you are saying that the ‘man’ is God then yes; but I don’t think He was waving a wand. I mean look around you, all of the people, and then the water and hills and trees. Do you really think all of this happened over millions or billions of years?”
“Yes, I can’t see how you can believe the Bible when there are many contradictions in it.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
“Like who was made first, the animals or man?”
“The man?” Ryan said and looked to Jimmy. “No, the animals.” Jimmy corrected. He continued, “It says in Genesis 1:25-26: ‘God made the wild animals, each according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the grounds according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all of the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”’”
“You memorized that?” Ryan asked in surprise. Jessica had to admit that she was also stunned, but before Jimmy could respond she was quick to make her point. “See the animals were made before man; that proves my point that evolution is true.”
“Remember that it was all on the sixth day, like it says in the later verses. And also it was not over millions of years. Oh, and it says that God made man in His own image; so that says that we didn’t evolve.” Ryan was quick to point out.
There was silence for a bit, then Jimmy said, “Jessica, how do you get an idea of justice and injustice?”
“I don’t know; all of us have different things.” Jessica said then let out a sigh. The weight that had been lifted when she met Mark had now come crashing down even harder. She decided to get drunk with Mark at a party would fix the problem.
“I mean don’t you wonder? Like a fish probably doesn’t feel wet under water, but if you go you feel wet. If there was no light at all you would not know what light was. And you would not call the darkness ‘darkness’. What I am trying to get at is how you can deny the existence of a higher power? We would not know if something was right or wrong if we did not know what right was. For us to know what right and wrong are we need a good power and a bad power. Do you understand where I am getting at?” Jimmy said. That got Jessica thinking; If I believe that everything came from something before it, then where did my good and evil sense come from? A monkey? Surely they have a sense of good and evil, right? But what about that bacteria thing, that didn’t have a sense of good and evil. Jessica was stumped.
____________
“Yeah, but it still does not prove the Bible is true.” Jessica said smartly. Jimmy was sure that his point did not come across like he thought it would. He could tell that she was just ignoring him and that she did not want to talk. But here was an opportunity to tell her how the Bible can be true. He had learnt it a long time ago and has used it in many arguments. “So you say that the Bible is not true right? So let’s take World War Two. Were you there? Did you see it with your own eyes? The killing and battles that took place?”
“No I was not.” Jessica replied.
“But you believe that it all happened right?”
“Yeah. But there are personal accounts which people have written and there are history books to prove it.”
“That is kind of what the Bible is. Especially the New Testament is full of personal accounts which prove that the prophesies from the Old Testament and the existence of Jesus are true. Since you believe that history is true then you must believe that the Bible is true. I could say the same for evolution. Have you seen monkeys evolve into humans? Are there any half humans half monkeys? No there are not but you believe it.”
After a long pause Jessica finally said, “OK,
fine, you got me. I have nothing to say against that. I’m just going to go home and work. Jimmy you also have some of my music to work on don’t you?” She got up and gathered her things. Jimmy thought of telling her that she was not his boss. He could work when he wanted to and decide if he didn’t want to anymore. However, knowing her situation he decided to let it go. “Yes I guess I should go work as well.”
Jimmy clasped Ryan on the shoulder and pulled him close. Whispering he said, “The Bible says that it is no use to argue with people who don’t want to know the truth. But if she becomes a Christian I am sure that she can influence so many people. I am not sure whether or not to give up. Will you pray for her?”
Ryan pulled back to stare at Jimmy. Jimmy’s face was serious and he was hoping that Ryan would pray. It was the least he could do to help a friend and a fellow brother in Christ.
“Alright man. I hope it works out between you two.” Ryan replied.
“Thanks. Catch you later.”
NINE
It was the second day in a row that Jessica was out partying with the intent of getting drunk. Losing herself was her goal every night. It was still early and Jessica knew that when she got drunk she would have to stop drinking as much so that she would not pass out; although that didn’t seem like a bad idea to her. She hated her family—parents especially—and Bruce Cooper did not make her job any easier. She always had to defend herself against his claims and