Making Waves

Spaces

Surely that question wasn't aimed at me, Fitz thought to himself. His inquisitive blue eyes abruptly opened from ideas of self-care that he knew he'd never accomplish this week. He turned his tall lean frame around just to be sure.

A petite woman was standing right behind him and she was a sight to behold. She had multiple shopping bags dangling from both hands and a purse hanging precariously from her right shoulder that looked like, at any moment, it would slide down the length of her arm and collide with the heap of the bags. The look on her face was an impatient one. And while all of that was a lot to take in on a momentary glance, the tiny woman was doing a weird little jig while balancing all of her items.

Lost in thought and trying to understand the sight in front of him, her rushed impatient voice broke through.

"Hello?!"

His eyes popped up to her anxious brown ones. "I'm sorry. What?"

He seemed frazzled and for the life of her, Liv couldn't figure out why. The guy had a suitcase and what appeared to be a problem concentrating on a single thought in his head. She on the other hand was loaded down with today's purchases. While the sun was long gone, it was still blistering hot outside. She wanted to be inside where the AC was, and she needed to empty her overly full bladder very quickly or there would be a mess. In a voice she hoped sounded kind she asked, "are you going in?"

"In?"

"To the beach house." When he continued to stare at her, she added, "Are you the new second floor tenant?"

"Oh! Sorry." He turned to give the house a quick glimpse before once again giving her his full attention, along with a nod. "Yes, I am."

His eyebrows sank in question as her dancing continued. "Are you staying here too?"

"Yea, I've been here since..." She was dancing a lot quicker now, and in one swift jerking movement, tried in vain to hoist all of her belongings closer to her body.

Fitz watched her purse collide with the items in her hands.

"Look, I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but I have really got to pee. Would you take my door key from my hand and open up for me. We can do all of this after I've visited the restroom."

That's what the anxious dancing was all about. "Of course! I'm so sorry."

Fitz quickly unlocked the door with his own key, pushed it open, and stepped aside as the overloaded female hastily dropped everything to the floor that had been weighing her down and darted to a door past the living room. He surveyed the trail of bags she had left in her wake. Girl liked to shop.

Setting his suitcase down, he averted his gaze from her purchases to the space he was in. The living room was...well, spacious was an understatement. The room was huge and open, yet inviting all at the same time. The furniture and decor reflected the beachy vibe with various shades of blue, tan, and cream. A television was mounted to a nearby wall and a book shelf sat nestled underneath it with a wide arrange of colorful bindings and thicknesses. The large window displayed what was probably a perfect view of the ocean in the daylight. Fitz closed his eyes for a moment to enjoy the simple pleasure of the quiet, letting a peaceful feeling wash over him.

When the moment was over, he looked past the living room, and the closed bathroom door. Fitz could see a refrigerator. The chef in him wanted to explore that space and see everything. What kind of appliances there were, how they were arranged, the setup of his favorite room in any house. So, he headed in that direction.

Before he could get too far though, the bathroom door suddenly opened, and a much calmer version of the tiny woman emerged. She was startled at his closer proximity than where he had been when she left him, and her body jerked involuntarily.