The Day I Met You

I got into Jamie’s Honda and took a deep breath. Goose bumps prickled across my arms as the salty smell of ocean water and sand filled my nose. My fist clinched the hemline of my denim shorts. “Are you okay,” Jamie questioned. I shook my head as she started the car.

“I can smell…” I trailed off as I tried not to smell the salty scents. I pressed the button on the door, but nothing happened. I pressed it again. I needed air. I couldn’t breathe. Suddenly the window rolled down, and the fresh air wafted in.

“Sorry. I went out this morning. I forgot to clear the beach stuff out,” Jamie winced. I nodded as I held my nose toward the fresh air. My lungs filled; my eyes watered. I felt like my head was held underwater until I couldn’t breathe anymore.

My heart was pounding against my chest. My breaths were coming in shallow gasps. Images of frothy blue waves crashing down around me filled my vision. My foot felt stuck to something. I glanced down and shifted it to make sure that it wasn’t really stuck. Jamie grabbed my hand and squeezed in a reassuring way. “It’s been…” Jamie trailed off as he glanced at me.

“Six years,” I finished for her. “I still can’t stand saltwater. I can’t even take a bath without having an attack.”

“Maybe you should just get back into the game,” she suggested. I shook my head with urgency.

“No! I can’t.”



With the traffic of X Games at ease for the moment, it took Jamie all of half an hour to get to my place. The small apartment was located above the bar that I ran for Buster. We have a deal that I live upstairs for free, get paid enough to buy groceries, and he doesn’t come near me. He always smells like surfboard wax, which doesn’t help me at all.

“You coming,” I asked Jamie as she put the car in park.

“I was thinking about going home to get changed then coming back later,” she answered as she eyed the dirty brick building.

I nodded as I got out of her car. I turned to look back through the window as I remembered to remind her. “Don’t forget we have to go back to get my car later.” Jamie smiled and nodded as she put the car in reverse. I walked up the outdoor stairwell and unlocked my door. I took a deep breath.



Four hours later I had showered to get the dirt smell and feeling out of my skin. My hair air dried into this nice wavy curl look, so I didn’t bother fixing it; I just threw a clip around the thick strands that would cover my ears and block my hearing, but my swoop bangs still fell over my left eye. I was wearing my usual bar gear, black and neon green Roxy tank-top, my ripped and beer stained jeans, and my matching green converse. The finishing touches to my appearance just happened to be interrupted by a banging on my door.

I glanced at the clock sitting on the bathroom counter. It was almost seven. Work officially started at eight, but I always cleaned up before opening the bar. I knew it wasn’t Buster at my door, so I walked over to look out of the peephole. The banging continued. “Rey! Let me in!” Jamie cried. I flung open the door.

“Hey…” I trailed off as I saw who was standing next to her.

“REYLYN!” Sally Fitzgibbons squealed. She threw her arms around me tightly. Her hair still smelled of salt. My body began to shutter.

Jamie quickly pulled her away from me. She rubbed my back between my shoulder blades gently. “It is okay, Rey. She didn’t mean to,” Jamie spoke softly as I regained control over my muscles.

“What’s wrong with you,” she asked in her thick accent.

I took in a deep breath before answering, “I still have anxiety.”

“About what exactly?”

I looked at Sally as if she was truly that dumb. She was signed with the Roxy team the same year…”You were there, Sally. You saw what happened.”

“Hey,” Jamie interrupted. “What time is that bar of yours opening? I think I need a drink!”

I laughed as I pointed to the clock. “I’m going to start cleaning in fifteen. Let me finish.” I went back into my bathroom and finished my eyeliner and lip gloss.



Fifteen minutes flew by quickly. Jamie and Sally decided they didn’t want to help clean. I was alone in the bar. Jessie wouldn’t be in until half past seven to set up the music. I turned on the old stereo Buster kept behind the counter for the nights Jessie wanted off. Then end of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’ blared through the speakers before the announcer introduced the next song. A smile crossed my face as I began to dance with the broom as I swept.

“I got my first real six-string, bought it at the five-and-dime,” I sang into the broom stick. Wiping down counters and the sweeping was finished by the end of the song. I got the mop-water ready while the radio commercial played through. I began going over the liquor stained floors before the Phil Collins rhythm began to flow from the speakers. “I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord.” I sang as I mopped. Before the song got to the chorus, I heard a banging that didn’t go with the loud rhythm.

I looked towards the door and saw Sally grinning like the Cheshire cat. Jamie had her phone to her ear, but she was signaling me to open the door in a hurry. I carefully stepped across the still damp floor as I opened the door to let them in. Sally rushed in, grabbing me by the arms, which almost caused her to slide down on the floor. “You’ll never guess who just called Jamie,” Sally squealed. Jamie waved for her to lower her voice.

“Yeah, it’s the Last Chance Bar and Grill,” Jamie spoke into the phone as she grinned at me. “We open at eight, if you guys want to stop by for a drink.” Sally squealed again. “Okay, Bye Deeg.”

Jamie’s eyes sparkled as she informed me, “Brian Deegan said the guys noticed the girl I brought to the games, they’re all disappointed they didn’t get to meet her, so I invited them.”

“Guys…” I trailed off. There were hundreds of FMX riders. How many was he bringing? “I have to call Buster!”