Status: Just a prize!
Straw Shoe
two.
Sure enough, by eight o’clock, Tyler was headed out to meet up with the girl from the bar.
“Don’t wait up,” he winked.
“I don’t intend to,” I muttered, watching the door swing shut.
Deciding that I’d rather wait the next thirty minutes out on the beach than on the couch watching coverage of the Finals, I pulled on a pair of flipflops and headed out the back door.
It was a warm night in Georgia, just about 75 degrees with the sun setting. The cabana bar was still open, but Lee didn’t work the counter. I ditched my shoes there next to a familiar looking pair of sandals and headed down towards the water.
Flag Island was beautiful. The Atlantic water, although a bit turbulent, was blue and refreshing. I stood with my feet in it, looking out. It wasn’t long before my attention was transferred to a bunch of splashes.
I smiled. Sitting on an outcrop of rocks, was Lee, skipping stones.
“Hey,” I called as I neared her.
She jumped, turning around, and a smile spread across her face.
“Hey yourself,” she nodded as I carefully clambered my way up the slick surface. “Watch it,” she advised as I nearly fell.
“What’s up?” I asked, settling myself onto the blanket she had under her. “Do you always sit up here alone, pondering life’s big questions?”
Lee laughed, albeit a bit bitterly. “If life’s questions include whether or not to listen to my mother and move back home, then yes.”
I sat there, probably with my jaw on the ground, staring. That was probably the only thing I’d ever heard Lee say that wasn’t somewhat nice. With the exception of the drunken guy, that is.
“She doesn’t like me down here by myself,” she shrugged. “Wants me to come home and be a part of the family business.” Lee said it like it was a dirty word. “Ridiculous.”
“What is the family business?” I asked, fully recovered.
“A restaurant in downtown Boston,” Lee rolled her eyes. “Some fancy Korean-American fusion place that they opened up while I was in college down here.”
My mind jumped to all the restaurants that I’d been to. As part of the team, I’d been to my fair share of upscale restaurants. There had been a few Korean joints.
“What is it?”
“The Straw Shoe,” she said, almost laughing a bit herself. “It’s part of a Korean proverb.”
I’d been there. Was it okay to say that? The way she was acting it was like the place was the bane of her existence.
Why was I second guessing myself with her?
“I’ve-I’ve been there,” I said carefully, bracing for an explosion.
“It’s probably good,” Lee shrugged. “All family recipes that I grew up on.”
Whew. I could breathe a sigh of relief.
“What about you?” she changed the subject. “Why did you want to get away?”
“Huh?”
“You know,” she turned so that she faced me, cross legged. “I came down South for school and stayed. Why did a hockey superstar not want to go home for the summer?”
“I’m no hockey superstar,” I said. “You must be thinking of Segs.”
“Like hell I am,” Lee laughed. “Seriously, why not?”
“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “We all just wanted to get away from hockey.”
“And Canada is essentially hockey,” she prodded my side. “Might as well rename it Hockey. Or Crosbyland. That’d be cool too.”
“You’re supposed to be a Bruins fan!” I gasped good-naturedly. “What is this Crosby obsession all of a sudden?”
“It’s not an obsession,” Lee rolled her eyes. “Can’t I appreciate a good player?”
“Not by naming a country after him,” I said.
“So no Chara-dom?”
“Not even that.”
“Damn,” she laughed. Checking her phone, she stood up, and extended a hand. “Let’s go. We have a little bit of a walk.”
With the blanket folded up and in my arms, we grabbed our shoes and started heading back down the beach. In the distance, I could smell smoke and barbecue. My stomach growled and Lee laughed.
“Relax, there, buddy,” she nudged my abdomen. “We’ll get some food soon. Trust me, there’s nothing like a Flag Island barbecue.”
*~*~*~*~*~*
And she was right. Within minutes of spreading our blanket out by the warm fire, we were grabbing plates and stacking them with ribs and corn on the cob. With beers in hand, we sat on the plaid cotton and listened to the live band.
“Over there,” Lee pointed inconspicuously as she continued giving me the low down on all the employee gossip. “Is Shana. Probably the only girl here that has slept with every life guard on the payroll and some that aren’t.” She stopped herself from breaking into a fit of laughter. “And none of them know.”
“Holy shit,” I shook my head. “None of them?” There had to be at least a dozen life guards working that summer.
She nodded. Glancing around us, a smile broke across her face. “And over there,” her voice was substantially louder now. “Is Samantha Gardner. I hate her.”
The girl, Samantha, snorted out a laugh as she walked over to us.
“Well I can’t stand Isabella,” it was obvious this was some sort of game. Plopping down on the blanket, she threw an arm around Lee’s shoulders. “How ya doin’ girl?”
Lee smiled. “Eh, you know. You?”
They exchanged words for a few minutes before Lee’s eyes darted over to me, instantly apologizing.
“This is Adam,” she said, gesturing to me with her now empty beer bottle. “Adam, this is my-,” Samantha cut her off.
“Best friend in the whole damn world and if you hurt her I will personally make sure that you can never pass a puck again,” she eyed me. “Clear?”
“Jesus, Sam,” Lee groaned. “Take it easy.”
She didn’t deny that we were together.
“Just putting that out there,” Samantha stood up. “I’m off to play beer pong. Later, gator.”
She didn’t deny that we were together.
“Sorry,” Lee sighed. “Sam is… Sam. I love her to death, but she’s just a little out there. She’s from Detroit.”
“Ah,” I nodded. “Don’t worry about it.” My mind was still on the fact that she hadn’t denied that we weren’t together.
“Come on,” she hopped up. “Let’s go play some volleyball before we’re too drunk.”
“Don’t wait up,” he winked.
“I don’t intend to,” I muttered, watching the door swing shut.
Deciding that I’d rather wait the next thirty minutes out on the beach than on the couch watching coverage of the Finals, I pulled on a pair of flipflops and headed out the back door.
It was a warm night in Georgia, just about 75 degrees with the sun setting. The cabana bar was still open, but Lee didn’t work the counter. I ditched my shoes there next to a familiar looking pair of sandals and headed down towards the water.
Flag Island was beautiful. The Atlantic water, although a bit turbulent, was blue and refreshing. I stood with my feet in it, looking out. It wasn’t long before my attention was transferred to a bunch of splashes.
I smiled. Sitting on an outcrop of rocks, was Lee, skipping stones.
“Hey,” I called as I neared her.
She jumped, turning around, and a smile spread across her face.
“Hey yourself,” she nodded as I carefully clambered my way up the slick surface. “Watch it,” she advised as I nearly fell.
“What’s up?” I asked, settling myself onto the blanket she had under her. “Do you always sit up here alone, pondering life’s big questions?”
Lee laughed, albeit a bit bitterly. “If life’s questions include whether or not to listen to my mother and move back home, then yes.”
I sat there, probably with my jaw on the ground, staring. That was probably the only thing I’d ever heard Lee say that wasn’t somewhat nice. With the exception of the drunken guy, that is.
“She doesn’t like me down here by myself,” she shrugged. “Wants me to come home and be a part of the family business.” Lee said it like it was a dirty word. “Ridiculous.”
“What is the family business?” I asked, fully recovered.
“A restaurant in downtown Boston,” Lee rolled her eyes. “Some fancy Korean-American fusion place that they opened up while I was in college down here.”
My mind jumped to all the restaurants that I’d been to. As part of the team, I’d been to my fair share of upscale restaurants. There had been a few Korean joints.
“What is it?”
“The Straw Shoe,” she said, almost laughing a bit herself. “It’s part of a Korean proverb.”
I’d been there. Was it okay to say that? The way she was acting it was like the place was the bane of her existence.
Why was I second guessing myself with her?
“I’ve-I’ve been there,” I said carefully, bracing for an explosion.
“It’s probably good,” Lee shrugged. “All family recipes that I grew up on.”
Whew. I could breathe a sigh of relief.
“What about you?” she changed the subject. “Why did you want to get away?”
“Huh?”
“You know,” she turned so that she faced me, cross legged. “I came down South for school and stayed. Why did a hockey superstar not want to go home for the summer?”
“I’m no hockey superstar,” I said. “You must be thinking of Segs.”
“Like hell I am,” Lee laughed. “Seriously, why not?”
“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “We all just wanted to get away from hockey.”
“And Canada is essentially hockey,” she prodded my side. “Might as well rename it Hockey. Or Crosbyland. That’d be cool too.”
“You’re supposed to be a Bruins fan!” I gasped good-naturedly. “What is this Crosby obsession all of a sudden?”
“It’s not an obsession,” Lee rolled her eyes. “Can’t I appreciate a good player?”
“Not by naming a country after him,” I said.
“So no Chara-dom?”
“Not even that.”
“Damn,” she laughed. Checking her phone, she stood up, and extended a hand. “Let’s go. We have a little bit of a walk.”
With the blanket folded up and in my arms, we grabbed our shoes and started heading back down the beach. In the distance, I could smell smoke and barbecue. My stomach growled and Lee laughed.
“Relax, there, buddy,” she nudged my abdomen. “We’ll get some food soon. Trust me, there’s nothing like a Flag Island barbecue.”
*~*~*~*~*~*
And she was right. Within minutes of spreading our blanket out by the warm fire, we were grabbing plates and stacking them with ribs and corn on the cob. With beers in hand, we sat on the plaid cotton and listened to the live band.
“Over there,” Lee pointed inconspicuously as she continued giving me the low down on all the employee gossip. “Is Shana. Probably the only girl here that has slept with every life guard on the payroll and some that aren’t.” She stopped herself from breaking into a fit of laughter. “And none of them know.”
“Holy shit,” I shook my head. “None of them?” There had to be at least a dozen life guards working that summer.
She nodded. Glancing around us, a smile broke across her face. “And over there,” her voice was substantially louder now. “Is Samantha Gardner. I hate her.”
The girl, Samantha, snorted out a laugh as she walked over to us.
“Well I can’t stand Isabella,” it was obvious this was some sort of game. Plopping down on the blanket, she threw an arm around Lee’s shoulders. “How ya doin’ girl?”
Lee smiled. “Eh, you know. You?”
They exchanged words for a few minutes before Lee’s eyes darted over to me, instantly apologizing.
“This is Adam,” she said, gesturing to me with her now empty beer bottle. “Adam, this is my-,” Samantha cut her off.
“Best friend in the whole damn world and if you hurt her I will personally make sure that you can never pass a puck again,” she eyed me. “Clear?”
“Jesus, Sam,” Lee groaned. “Take it easy.”
She didn’t deny that we were together.
“Just putting that out there,” Samantha stood up. “I’m off to play beer pong. Later, gator.”
She didn’t deny that we were together.
“Sorry,” Lee sighed. “Sam is… Sam. I love her to death, but she’s just a little out there. She’s from Detroit.”
“Ah,” I nodded. “Don’t worry about it.” My mind was still on the fact that she hadn’t denied that we weren’t together.
“Come on,” she hopped up. “Let’s go play some volleyball before we’re too drunk.”
♠ ♠ ♠
2/5