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Finally, in exhaustion, he gave in and his own eyes drifted involuntarily shut. |
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When he finally awoke, she was gone. And that too was as he knew it would be. He was alone in the bed, covered by a pastel yellow sheet. Somewhere, in an indescribable other world, he could hear the reassuring sounds of the surf and feel the warmth of the sun bathing the furthest reaches of the spacious room. The doors to the balcony were open, and a warm, gentle breeze caressed him. |
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He opened his eyes cautiously and carefully felt his puffy face and lips. He was sore and stiff and still exhausted. There was a haunting sense of emptiness in the world surrounding him. Then slowly, in a gesture tinged with trepidation, he inched his feet out over the edge of the bed and walked to the balcony overlooking the expanse of surf and sand. There were people, sunbathers all, worshipping the great burning ball in a cloudless sky. He spotted Kristen apart from the others, her long slender legs extended in front of her, a towel draped over her shoulders, sipping a drink through a straw. A beach boy hovered expectantly over her, anticipating her next need, anticipating one of Kristen's smiles and, just maybe, in his wildest fantasy, a generous tip. He laughed when he thought about how disappointed Kristen would be if she realized |
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