Bikini Girl

Nine years since he'd seen her. She stood at the register, handing money to the clerk. She smiled and laughed about something they said to her. Auburn hair that swept around her shoulders, glints of blond sneaking through the thick mass. He could still feel it between his fingers, smell her fragrance enfold him.

He stood halfway in the door, taken back to another time. A time when every part of her was a part of him. She waved goodbye to the clerk and walked toward him, stuffing her wallet back into her purse. He smiled, the purse was almost as big as she was. Mahogany leather folds laid against her red coat. Boots made of the same leather sheathed her feet and legs. Willowy strands of a woven white scarf wrapped around her neck, the tails of it fell almost to her knees.

He stood waiting for her to reach out for the door. When she did, he took her gloved hand in his, begging for her eyes to meet his. She was startled and stood rigid, pulling her hand back. Her eyes met his. For a moment there was no recognition. Then she relaxed, as his face yielded a memory that had been tucked away into the past. A past she couldn't resurrect.

She almost smiled, almost reached out for him, then lowered her head and said, “Excuse me.” She pulled her hand back hard and reached for the other door, pushing it open with her arm and rushing through it. Out to the cold concrete sidewalk and icy air of winter. She began to jog to her car, then she ran. One hand holding the wisps of hair that blew in her face away from her eyes. She turned slightly and looked back at him. He was still standing in the door, watching her.

Safely inside her car, she let out her breath and sucked in another. With shaking hands she put the key in the ignition and pulled out of the parking space. Tears ran down her cheeks, as a vision of fire flickering on the waters edge filled her.

***

Long lazy hours filled with daylight, calm nights with the gentle lap of waves on shore, spent with the girl of his dreams.

Matt awoke late. He rolled over in the twin bed and glanced out the window. The bay was dead calm. Sunlight danced on the shiny surface calling to him. He sat up and dropped his feet to the floor. Grabbing his trunks off the bedpost he slid them on and went out to the kitchen. A plate with bacon sat on the stove. Taking all of it in his fingers he began to chew a piece while he slipped into his flip flops. They'd been worn so much over the years they had the exact imprint of his foot molded into them. The screen door slammed behind him.

“Matt! Don't you dare go sneaking off yet.” His mother called from the clothesline out back. “You go right back in and bring me those sheets off your bed. I mean it, Matt. Put them in the washer.”

He spun on his heel and ran back through the door. Throwing the spread across the foot of the bed he yanked the blue striped sheets off the mattress. Just as he entered the laundry room, he remembered the pillow cases and went back to his room for them. He started dumping the pillow from it's case and noticed through the window, someone on the beach. A bikini clad girl and a young boy were just standing there, watching something in the water. Quickly he took the cases and threw them on top of the washer, before bounding out the door-- catching it just before it slammed. He didn't want to give his mom another heads up of his presence. He had places to be—the beach.

At a jog he headed to the sand in front of him. Cutting around the side yard between the tall pines, he was met with the bright reflection off the water. The small row boat sat on the edge of the yard, almost on the beach. He reached down and snatched his sunglasses from the bow. Then he meandered to the waters edge where the girl stood.

“Hi.”

She turned to look at him with her hand above her eyes to shield them from the sun. “Hello.”

“What's out there?” he asked.

“The porpoise. They seem to be cavorting in one spot today, almost dancing. I love to watch them.” She continued to look out over the water.

Matt stood beside her, noticing she must be close to his age. “Never seen you around before. Are you visiting someone?”

“Yeah. My aunt and uncle. Marie and Ed.”

He knew them and nodded. “So, how long are you staying?”

She grinned and the boy beside her shoved her with a playful giggle. She shoved him back and said, “The whole summer. Our parents are in Japan on business.”

“Wow, Japan. I'd like to go there someday.”

“What about you? Are you a townie?”

Matt scratched the back of his neck and stretched his back. “Nope. We spend every summer here. We live in Simmons. What about you, where you from?”

“Simmons too. That's kinda odd, huh?”

She looked at him waiting for him to tell her which school he'd gone to. She was sure he'd already graduated. When he didn't respond she asked, “Where did you go?”

“Oh, I went to an academy in Springfield.”

She nodded. That meant they had money and he was too good to go the schools in their area. She wasn't nearly as interested now in this handsome male and turned to continue walking down the beach.

“Hey, wait up. You want to go out in the kayak? It's a double.” Matt wasn't ready to give up on this pretty girl, more so than any he knew. Besides, his buddy Tank wouldn't be back for a couple of weeks, so he could use someone to hang out with. Tank was teaching at a kids camp. Matt could have had a spot at the camp with him, but he was ready to kick back and enjoy the summer. Teaching swimming was way too much work.

“Maybe another time,” she called over her shoulder.

Matt watched her leave. Her tiny footprints washed away one by one as the waves took them out to sea.

He figured he'd run into her again, so he pulled the kayak into the water and paddled out. He waved to them as he paddled past the porpoise and further down the beach.

He had to go further out in order to avoid the rocks that jutted out at the bend and lost sight of her. The island was full of these man made rock jetties, and he didn't want to punch a hole in the kayak going over one too close. The wind started to pick up on the east side of the island and it began to get harder to paddle. Several sailboats sailed past him with brightly colored sails. The passengers waved as the wind took them by at a pace much faster than he was able to go. His arms began to tire so he sat back and drifted. The tide was going in, so he didn't have to worry about being taken out to sea too far. He could relax.

Later in the day, almost dusk, Matt built a fire on the beach. The smoke from it would keep the bugs away. He laid on a towel and stared up at the stars. Music played from a house behind him, lulling him into a peaceful state of mind.

“Nice fire. Mind if I join you?”

Matt leaned on his elbows and looked up through the flames. Bikini Girl stood with her arms crossed over her middle. He hair glowed in the firelight around her shoulders. It had been tied up on top of her head this morning. Now, she was more gorgeous than he'd first thought. A playful smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, as she stood with one hip pointed out. Her jeans were rolled up and she was barefooted.

“You can if you have some marshmallows.” He taunted.

“Sorry, fresh out.” She pulled the pockets out of jeans to show they were empty with a grin spread across her face.

“Well, I'm in the mood for a nice toasted sugar puff. Wait here, I'll go get some.” He jumped up and ran to the house. Back in record time, he found she had made herself comfortable on his towel. This brought a smile to his face.

“Here you go, your very own stick. Sharpened and burned so that no sap will mess up the taste,” he said.

“Thanks. It's been a long time since I've roasted a marshmallow. My folks don't do this kind of thing. I doubt if Tommy has ever done it.”

“Tommy?”

“My little brother. He's eight. I take care of him most of the time. My parents are too busy,” she told him with a flick of her hair, which bounced right back to lay against her face.

“Oh.” He didn't know why, but this information made him feel sad for the boy. And her too. His own parents were always finding ways to do family things together. “Why don't you go get him? I'll keep the fire going.”

She narrowed her eyes and looked at his smile. She realized that he meant it. “Okay, I'll be right back.”

Matt stoked the fire after he made another stick for Tommy to have. Sparks rose above it in a blustery blaze evaporating into the night sky. He moved the towel back from the fire. Then put some chairs around it he'd grabbed on the way back from getting the stick for Tommy.

Brother and sister walked across the beach toward him. The boy had on a sweatshirt to keep the mosquitoes at bay.

“Hi Tommy. Made you a stick.” He handed it to the boy. “Here, hold it down low so you don't get too close to the fire.”

Dark blue eyes flickered in the firelight. The boy was so excited he could hardly contain himself. He took the stick that Matt offered and watched while a marshmallow was pushed onto it. He couldn't wait to try it, but listened carefully while Matt showed him how to hold it close to the fire without melting the white puff completely.

Bikini girl and Matt sat in the chairs and watched the boy. His delighted shrieks of his first taste of blackened sweetness, filled them each with laughter. Occasionally they roasted a few for themselves, but both were content to sit and watch Tommy.

“Thanks for this, Matt. He's had a blast. I better take him in now. His eyes are starting to droop,” she told Matt.

“Okay, see you tomorrow?” he asked.

“Sure.” She glanced back at him and waved.

Matt watched them cut across the yards until they disappeared behind the houses that fronted the beach. Her aunt and uncle lived one dirt road over from the beach. Everyone kept lights in their yards so it was easy to walk about at night. Even the shadows created by the tall pine trees didn't seem as scary with so many lights to guide the way.

He covered the fire with sand and went in. His parents were reading in the living room, listening to soft rock on the radio. He waved and went to bed, confident she would be on the beach tomorrow.

The weeks began to fly by. Matt, Bikini Girl and her little brother spent the days exploring the island, swimming and kayaking. The mainland offered restaurants and video stores to Tommys delight. Once they went to a local fair, staying late into the night. After Tommy went to bed, the other two sat on the beach and talked about life. They told each other what they wanted to do, college and traveling to foreign countries. Kisses under the moonlight were long and lingering. Sweet kisses grew into passionate ones, so they would talk some more. They argued about politics to the point they decided the subject was too dangerous. Very different points of view on world affairs.

Her parents were of very different minds than Matt's. His were more lenient and laid back, just wanting everyone to get along, never making waves. Hers were well traveled and adamant in their views.

The parents came early to pick up their children. Two whole weeks early. Sweeping in after lunch unexpectedly, and gone by dinnertime. Bikini Girl gone with them. No goodbye, no kiss—no phone number.

Matt was devastated. He'd gone to town with his parents to shop for groceries, when he returned to the cottage, she'd vanished. He didn't even have a number to call. Standing in her aunt and uncles living room, like a puppy that found itself ensconced at the pound, he begged them for the phone number. They were old fashioned and told him they would tell her to call him, her parents wouldn't appreciate their giving out the phone number to a stranger.

That's all he was? A stranger-- that loved her with his very soul.

She didn't call. Fall fell on them and Matt returned home reluctantly. He didn't even get the chance to tell her aunt the new number to call him at home. He stuck a letter in their door, asking them to please let her know his address.

***

Why is she running, now after all these years? She'd gone again. He'd actually touched her, but once again he couldn't hold onto her. She'd slipped from his grasp like gossamer threads. He watched as the tail lights went out of the parking lot onto the street. Briefly, he thought about chasing after her, racing to his car and gunning the engine like in the movies. Flying around curves too fast and catching up to her, where she would fall into his arms and tell him...

He rubbed his face, contorting it into a mask of uncertainty and sorrow.

Matt had tried to make contact again about five years earlier, right after college. Her aunt and uncle had died, leaving his last hope of finding her again vanquished. He wished they had never made the pact. It was so stupid, but seemed grand at the time. The pact was, that she would remain Bikini Girl, until the end of the summer. He didn't want to know her real name until then. He loved the way it sounded when he called her that. He shushed her with his fingers on her lips when she tried to tell him, so that she could stay mysterious for as long as possible. Bikini Girl was his, and his alone. No one else called her that.

He walked to his car, without the groceries he'd gone to the store for in the first place. His head rested on the steering wheel while her face in the firelight danced through his thoughts. The lapping waves sounded in his head.

Yes, she was older today, but still the most beautiful girl he'd ever dreamed of.

Finally, he picked his head up and started the engine.

Whatever her reasons for remaining a ghost of the past, he had no choice but to except it now. She'd told him without words, nothing remained of their summer romance. Maybe she'd gotten married and had kids. Maybe she was about to get married or something. He would never know the answer. All that remained now was the sweet memory of a summer's romance. He smiled as he drove past his house, he'd remember her always... Bikini Girl.