Eye Candy (36 page)

“It looks like a cat,” said Rory. “Like, if you turned Volta into a motorcycle, that’s what he would look like.”

“That was why I chose it,” said Tim. “Best fifty grand I ever spent. Don’t tell Maggs I told you guys this, but since I bought the bike, we’ve had more sex in the last week than we’ve had in the last three years. Harley, you and Mr. C. were absolutely right. This bike has done more to help my marriage than a year’s worth of those stupid classes. I wish I’d bought one ages ago.”

“
Motorcycles are fun and sexy,” said Harley. “Riding makes you feel sexy, makes you feel alive. Just don’t get yourself killed.”

“
Not planning on it.”

“
No one ever does.”

“
Well, on that note, shall we go inside?” Tim asked. “Maggs has quite a feast prepared for dinner. And the kids are dying to see you guys. They want to play some football on the beach until the tide comes in around sunset, when they want to go surfing. We have a few extra boards for anyone who wants to try it.”

Tim led everyone into t
he house. He gave Candy and Danny a tour of the large, elegant home. Hertz and Volta followed close behind, with tails in the air, seizing every possible opportunity to rub themselves against Candy.

Tim
showed Candy and Danny to their room, where they promptly changed into their bathing suits.

Everyone gathered on the beach and Tim and Maggie introduced their five children
; two boys: Isaac and Nik; and three girls: Gali, Copper, and the youngest, Turing. The kids were all two years apart and ranged in age from nineteen down to eleven. Everyone played an impromptu game of football in the sand, running and falling down and laughing each time Hertz and Volta ran alongside and executed a perfect yet surprisingly gentle tackle.

When everyone was exhausted and hungry, they marched up to the house and prepared for dinner. Tim manned the barbecue, grilling chicken breasts and steaks, while Candy, Harley, and Rory
lounged on the deck, enjoying the sun. Each attempted to assist Maggie with the dinner preparation, but Maggie insisted they simply relax.

Eleven-year-old Turing swam in the pool, taking turns riding on the backs of Hertz and Volta as they paddled through the water.

Danny joined Tim at the grill, admiring Tim’s grilling dexterity as he flipped the chicken and steaks.

Danny twisted the top off of a cold beer and took a long drink.
“Can you keep a secret?”

“Only if I’m allowed to tell Maggie.”

“That’s fine. I’m going to ask Candy to marry me.”

The tongs in Tim
’s hand slipped and he dropped a steak on the ground. “Shit.”

“
I’ll eat that one.”

“
Are you sure?” Tim picked up the steak and set it on a nearby plate. “You’ve only known each other two weeks.”

“
So. My mom and dad only knew each other a week when they decided to get married after their second date. They eloped, and have been married forty years. Nothing in my life has ever felt as good as this. I now know what it means to be in love. You know how people say, ‘When you know, you know.’?”

Tim drank from his beer and flipped a steak. “Yeah.”

“I finally understand what that means. I can’t imagine not having her in my life. She’s the first person I think about in the morning, and the last person I think about before I fall asleep. I want to be with her, all the time. I simply want to be with her. And we haven’t even had sex yet.”

The tongs slipped and Tim dropped a chicken breast on the ground.
“Shit.”

“
I guess I’ll eat that one, too.”

Tim placed the chicken breast on the plate next to the dirty steak.

“You’re going to marry a woman you haven’t slept with yet?”

“
We’ve slept together. I’ve stayed the night at her place almost every night for the past week. We slept in orbit, too. I never slept so well in my entire life. And in the morning, I opened my eyes and saw her smiling back at me. I was literally grinning like an idiot because I was so happy she was there.”

“
But you haven’t had sex yet?”

“
No. Actually, I thought it would be kind of quaint to wait to have sex until after we were married. Like in the old days.”

“
How do you know if you’re compatible . . . sexually?”

“
We’re compatible in every other way. If sex with her is anything like holding her hand or kissing her, or staring into her eyes, I’m quite certain it’s going to be an entirely new experience. Sometimes, when we’re holding hands, it’s almost like I can actually feel current passing between us. It’s like I can actually feel her energy.” Danny adjusted his shorts. “I’m getting an erection. I’ve never felt anything like this before. I know it’s fast, but I’m crazy about her. I’m going to ask her to marry me and she’s going to say yes. Do me a favor and don’t tell anyone that I’m going to propose. Especially Rory. I think Rory may have a crush on Candy.”

“
Rory would want to know.”

“
He will know. After I ask her. Promise you won’t tell him.”

Tim upended his beer and drank while he surveyed Rory sitting with Harley and Candy near the Jacuzzi. Harley had her bare feet propped up on Rory
’s thigh.

“Fuck. Fine
. I won’t say anything.”

“
Thanks.”

“
When are you going to propose?”

“
Tomorrow night, during the fireworks. I’m going to get down on my knee and do it, right on the beach in front of everyone. The old-fashioned way.”

Tim had to admit that he was touched by Danny
’s sentiment. Though an engagement was sudden, Danny seemed sure of himself. “You think she’ll say yes?”

“
She’ll definitely say yes.” Danny smiled.

~

After dinner, everyone gathered on the beach for surfing lessons.

Danny was on his fourth beer and decided to relax on the beach with Rory, Harley, Tim, and Maggie.

Candy, however, borrowed Gali’s extra wetsuit and surfboard. All eyes were on Candy when she emerged wearing the skin-tight black neoprene wetsuit. Harley went so far as to say that it was a perfect fit.

Gali and Copper spent twenty minutes on the beach with Candy, showing her the basics, demonstrating and critiquing her technique as she practiced popping up onto her feet. They rubbed Candy
’s board with a bit of extra wax and the three joined the boys in the waves.

Candy paddled out wit
h Gali, Copper, and Turing flanking her. Hertz and Volta romped in the water, leaping in the shallow foam.

“
Take this one!” Copper yelled.

Candy pad
dled hard. She caught the wave, popped up, and dropped into it perfectly. She rode it for several seconds, arms flailing a bit for balance, until the wave petered out and she jumped into the surf. She popped up in the white foam, a big smile on her face, and flung back her long blond hair.

On the beach, Rory, Harley, Tim, Maggie, and Danny all clapped and cheered; especially Danny.

“She’s like a duck to water,” commented Harley.

“
She’s a quick study,” said Rory.

“
I’ll say,” Tim muttered.

“
You sure she’s never surfed before?” Harley asked. “Not even once?”

“
That’s what Gali and Copper asked her,” said Maggie. “Candy said no.”

“
It’s inspiring,” said Harley. “I tried surfing once. Up in Santa Cruz when I was thirteen, on vacation with my folks. It was a disaster. All I did was get in the way of the other surfers. But watching Candy, she makes me want to give it another shot.”

“I
have a wetsuit and you can use Tim’s board if you want to go out,” said Maggie.

Har
ley looked at the waves, laughing as Isaac and Nik dropped in on a wave together and Nik stepped onto Isaac’s board and they rode the wave until it flattened. Harley put her arms around Rory and said, “Maybe tomorrow.”

Candy emerged from the surf, surfboard under her arm. She trotted
across the sand (flanked by Hertz and Volta) until she reached Danny and the others. Danny leaped from the sand and hugged Candy.

“
It’s incredible!” Candy blurted. “It’s a soulful experience. I’ve always wanted to surf but never have. It’s absolutely incredible. You should try it.”

“
All right,” said Danny. “Tomorrow.”

“
I’m going back out.” Candy pecked Danny’s lips with her own, turned, and trotted into the surf. Gali and Copper each rode a wave, then paddled out with Candy.

A calm arrived in between sets of waves. Candy f
loated in a gentle rhythm, surrounded by Gali and Copper, Isaac, Nik, and Turing.

From the shore, the six surfers appeared as black silhouettes bobbing gently on the water, backlit by the orange blaze of the setting sun.

“Here comes a good set,” said Tim. He pointed to the ripple of incoming waves.

One by one, each of the kids paddled hard and caught a wave
, until only Candy remained, waiting for a wave. They gathered on the beach. White foam surged around their ankles and bare feet. They watched Candy paddle to catch a wave.

“
Ooh, that’s a big one,” said Nik.

Candy caught the wave, pushed herself up onto her feet, and dropped in.

“Too late now,” said Turing.

“
Hey, what’s that?” asked Tim.

“
Where, dad?” Copper asked.

Tim pointed.

Danny looked in the direction to which Tim was pointing. Then he saw it. “It’s a fin.”

“
Oh, shit,” said Gali.

“Watch your language,” said Maggie.

Tim took a deep breath, cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted as hard and loud as he could. “SHARK!”

Everyone began shouting, jumping up and down
, and waving their arms.

Candy
’s focus remained fixed on the wave. It had to be six feet.

Maggie put two fingers in her mouth and whistled.

Candy’s head whipped toward the beach. She saw everyone jumping and leaping. She smiled. Then she lost her balance, fell from her board, and was gobbled up by the wave.

~

The shouting and leaping stopped.

Everyone waited.

“There she is!” shouted Harley.

A surfboard popped to the surface and
floated upside down on the water, born into shore by the gurgling white foam.

“It’s just her board,” said Isaac
. “Her leash broke.”

“
Where’s the shark?” asked Maggie.

Danny saw it.
“There!”

Candy popped up, treading water.

The fin angled straight for her.

Danny filled his lungs, prepared to scream.

Candy went under.

E
veryone waited.

“
There!” shouted Copper. She pointed. The fin was on the move. Candy’s blond hair moved with it, rushing through the water.

“
It’s not a shark,” said Turing. “It’s a dolphin. She’s swimming with dolphins.”

More fins appeared. Gleaming gray wet bodies arced through the surf. Candy
’s head and shoulders rose higher as the dolphin pulled her through the water.

“They’re playing,” said Turing
.

The grea
t orange sun set silently. Above the rush and crash of waves and foam arose the sweet notes of Candy’s laughter.

Chapter 26

Miracles and Moonlight

Back at the house, everyone showered and changed clothes and went their separate ways, mostly to bed.

Danny and Candy retired to their room on the second floor, next to the room occupied by Rory and Harley.

While Candy enjoyed a hot shower to cleanse herself of the cold, salty seawater, Danny went downstairs to the kitchen to fetch a couple bottles of drinking water from the pantry.
Upon exiting his room, he discovered Hertz and Volta sprawled on the floor outside his door. Both cats followed him downstairs.

With water in hand,
Danny exited the kitchen and had one foot on the stairs when he heard voices.

“We can’
t let him do it.”

“It’
s his life.”

“
I knew I shouldn’t have told you. I promised Danny I wouldn’t say anything. I’m a lousy friend.”

“
You’re not a lousy friend. This is huge news. You had to tell me.”