Summer Love

Summer Love

I had met her before. Two… Three… Times perhaps. But I had never seen her like this.

The summer glowed. The haze of crescent sunset unveiled its glory upon the bay. I looked at the splendor before me and recognized how removed I was from it all. An observer but a meaningless one at that. I had been working on cars the last two months. After I had been kicked out of my last job, I told my best friend, that I needed a change and I needed to get out of this f*****g town. That weary town….. Ambitions were high but actualites were low. Here was better. I was by the beach. Every day I woke up to the waves pouring in towards me. The gentle touch of the warm sand recuperating my toes as I walked.

I took another drag on my cigarette.

I didn’t have the courage to approach her. Had she gotten hotter? Or had I gotten uglier? I didn’t know but she sure was looking very pretty….

I was pathetic. Nearly emaciated. Weak. Tried. My hands were a mess. Blistered, bruised. I had grease everywhere. The grease seemed to penetrate my skin and no amount of scrubbing was enough to eradicate it from my skin, which it clung to with a vigor that exceeded anything I was capable of mustering in my life.

But there she was. Red hair. Green eyes. Hair down to her butt. F*****g beautiful. Gorgeous.

Had she seen me? I don’t know. I hoped not. Even so it wouldn’t matter. She wouldn’t remember me at all. That’s for sure.

She turned towards me. F**k. I looked away brusquely. I stared down at the sand beneath the balacy I was leaning on. Ouch! I looked down at my hand and the cigarette had started to burn the skin. F**k. I was a mess.

Kevin?

I spun around like I had heard a gunshot. There she stood before me. In all her splendor. Red hair. Freckles. Soft parted red lips. That delicate pencil sketched nose. Green eyes. Those eyes. Flawless.

My heart jumped several beats. Kevin is that you?

I stood before her. Mouth opened. Dumbfounded. Track marks lining my arms. Smelling like car exhaust. Hair all messed up. Clothing in tatters. Bruises and cuts showing all over.

Unresponsive.

You alright Kevin?

Yes…. Yes…. Yes! I’m alright more that alright. I mustered a smile that spanned the entirety of my face. I must have looked like a goof ball. Some kind of a*****e. Undersiving.

You’re. You’re so pretty Kelly!

Had I just said that! You’re so pretty?!? Yes. I had. F*****g idiot.

She started laughing that kind hearted, gentle laugh. Unassuming. Nonjudgmental. I was so turned on. My heart fluttered.

What have you been up to Kevin?

Oh… you know, just been working some cars. I might have a rig going next month.

Her teeth glistened white. Her smile brightened my heart. A cold heart. It could really use some heating up.

What are you doing here?

I could ask her the same thing. Well…. You know things didn’t work out at Jimmy’s, so Catch and I decided to hit the beach, give that a try.

She nodded her head like she was reading my mind. If I had spoken, I didn’t know but I knew it wouldn’t have mattered because we were connected at this instance. This most beautiful instance.

The smile never left her face and she continued to stare at me with those eyes. Those beautiful green eyes. She started at me like she was reading my soul. But I wasn’t alarmed. I liked it. Loved it! I felt so alive. More than any of the s**t I had been putting in my body.

Kelly? I heard a voice interrupt our timeless connection. I was brought down. Back to the world that was tearing me apart. A tall blond haired man came our way approaching us, an air of authority pervaded his stance. He came out beside Kelly and put his hand around her. An air of confidence exuded from his body.

What the f**k?

Her smile tapered off. Kevin this is Michael.

Michael…. Who the f**k is he????

I must have been staring for, “Michaels” face contorted into a grimace. I had forgotten my manners. Oh….. I extended a hand. Nice to meet you.

Michael this is Kevin. We’re friends from back home.

Is that what we were?!??!?!?

Hhhhh…. He kinda snorted and nodded in uncaring acknowledgement. Alright well I gotta go talk to Stevie.

He was gone! Thank god. Thank f*****g god and it was so easy! Why was that so easy?!?

Was destiny beholding my fate??!?!

Her timeless smile quickly returned. Interrupted but not dismayed.

Whoo…. Whoooooo.. .. Who wasssss   aaaaa aa a aa. WWhoooooooo was that?

I muttered. My jumbled garbled words, bore such obvious desperation and weakness I almost fainted. I shuttered at my patheticness.

Haha. Who Michael?

If I sounded like an idiot. She certainly didn’t notice. Christ?!? Was I dealing with a saint here? Well I smiled as I recalled that I wasn’t but f*****g close to it, that's for sure.

Michael. Oh haha.

That laugh, stirred in me a fire I thought my lungs had coughed out.

He’s just a friend. He’s gay.

My eyes bulged. I looked like I had just taken a hit. My pupils dilated.

A f****t!!!!!

If there was a God, I knew I had found him.

Kelly, I love you!

Had I blurted that out?!?!

F**k I really was going over the deep end.

Her giggle. I was there. Her smile intensified and her soft lips somehow found mine in a short time.