Penzance

Chapter 4

"I just checked the Penzance Harbor Facebook page and there is a band playing tonight down at Community Hall. We should check it out. Maybe we'll see those guys again!" Ali excitedly reports while walking.

"Yeah sure. That sounds like fun." I respond with little excitement.

What if we do run into those guys again? They probably already think I'm not cool enough to even take a second glance at. I mean, who totally stares at a gorgeous guy for more than the normal amount of time? What is the normal amount of staring time?

Ali and I had walked into the cottage to find mom stocking the kitchen cupboards with groceries and dad out back starting the grill. I wash the beach off in the outside shower, hang my bikini on the newly installed clothesline, and change into shorts and a t-shirt in my room. I pull my backpack up onto my bed and pull out the chess piece just to make sure it is still there, but mostly checking to make sure I wasn't seeing things this morning. I turn the red marble chess over in my hand. What chess piece is this? I Google chess pieces to see which one I had. The Queen, the most powerful and valuable chess piece on the board that can move in any direction. Ok, I have the Queen, now who does it belong to? Why do I have it? How did I get it?

"C! Dinner! Let's eat so we can walk into town!" Ali yells up the stairs, interrupting my thoughts.

"Coming!" I hide the chess piece back in my bag again, grab my phone and wristlet.

One of my favorite things about summer is eating dinner outside with the smell of the grill still lingering in the air, the citronella candle burning to keep the bugs away, and the sounds of the summer all around. Plus food always seems to taste better outside.

"Is it ok if we head into town for a concert at the Community Hall?" Ali asks during dinner. " I promise we won't be back late."

Mom and dad agree, but we need to be back before midnight.

"Come on C, let's get going!" Ali clears our plates from the table and brings them into the kitchen.

"Stay with Ali Cora," my mom cautions.

"I will. I promise."

We make it to the center of town just in time to wait for the drawbridge over the entrance to Penzance Harbor to come back down. The Community Hall is located in an old firehouse just over the bridge. The center of town is always bustling during the summer with tourists out walking, having dinner, and traveling to and from the island ferries. The Community Hall already had a line outside waiting for the doors to open.

"Hold my place C, I'm going to check out the rest of the crowd, if you know what I mean," Ali winks and walks up toward the front of the line pretending to want to read some flyers pinned on the bulletin board.

A small part of me hoped that we would run into the guys from the beach just so I can see him again, but the majority of me hoped we wouldn't. I would probably make a fool of myself any... Before I can finish my thought someone taps me on my shoulder. I turn around to find the boy with blue eyes from the beach standing right in front of me.

Oh my God!

"Umm hi." I barely get out before I feel my face turn bright red.

"Am I in the right line for The Buoy Kings concert?" He asks.

"I...ummm...I think so." I actually have no idea what the band's name even is.

Blue eyes is even more gorgeous up close. His short dark hair is styled perfectly. I'm totally enamored by his flawless skin and pearly white smile. His piercing eyes look at me more intently than I wish. In his presence, I cannot even think. Yup, I'm totally making a fool of myself right now.