Ella and Wilson

6

A whole week had gone by and I had gone to the beach every single day. My tan was renewed and my hair was wild from the salt. I explored St. Pete, as I heard locals call it, more and more finding that I was growing to love it. Everything was so laid back, so relaxed, and nothing was ever crowded. I drove around like I had lived there my whole life, quickly memorizing where things were. For example, just down the street from my house were 2 Publix Grocery Stores right across from each other but the one on my side of the road apparently was the nicer one. I learned, very quickly, that the Crunch Fitness by the Publix took up all the parking and to park anywhere close to the entrance you would need a handicap sticker.

I took evening walks along the water and explored Snell Island, where I'm assuming some celebrities had homes. I made a mental note to look up the real estate market on this island and see if I could afford anything. I had yet to see any manatees in the water but I wasn't discouraged. I had already seen dolphins and a ton of crabs on my evening walks. I had begun to time my walks perfectly to avoid the late afternoon storms that popped up like clockwork.

A few people had come up to me to ask if I was THE Ella Murdoc. I felt bad but I would lie and tell them that I get confused for her all the time. They would fall for my lie each time. Every night before bed, I would scour the internet to see if any of the tabloids had gotten wind of where I was vacationing. Anything I could find insinuated I was in Miami or nearby.

"Tell me, have you met any hot Italians?" I sat down on the plushy chair on the screened in porch.

"Ugh." I could just imagine Amelia dramatically throwing herself across the bed. "No, sadly. All I've done is shoveled pounds of pasta into my mouth and get drunk on the beach."

"Well, maybe you could go to a club or something? I bet you could meet someone there." I suggested.

"You read my mind. How is Florida? Has it been everything you wanted and more?"

"Yes, this place is perfect. No one is here, it's bizarre! I can walk around and be myself and no one hardly talks to me. I will say, it would be more fun if someone were with me but so far so great." I told her all about the beaches and the crazy evening storms. She was super interested in the dog beach and the drive thru sushi place. Amelia told me more about Italy and how she was going on a weekend trip to Spain in the next couple days.

"Also, the Buzzfeed interview is going to be posted tomorrow so make sure to post something about it on Insta. I also think you need to post something about you being on vacation so that fans have an update. You haven't posted in forever and I think TMZ just wrote an article about it."

"Dang, okay I'll do that later. What about Hot Ones?"

"That won't be for another month maybe. They film all of them rapid fire and then release them here and there. When I know, you'll know." Amelia let out a loud yawn. "Well, my bed is calling me. Talk to you tomorrow!"

We hung up and I finished my glass of wine trying to decide what to do for the rest of the evening. It had already rained so the temperature was cooler. Maybe I could check out a rooftop bar or go for another walk.

I got in my car and drove downtown. Parking was a nightmare for the first time in my stay. I had to park several blocks over from the waterfront and pay for the parking, much to my annoyance. I arrived back at the waterfront and began my routine of walking along the wall. I stopped, like always, by the beach volleyball and watched a few points.

"I knew I'd run into you sooner or later." I jumped and quickly looked to my left to find Wilson standing there. He was shirtless and holding a volleyball. His skin was glistening from sweat and some of his wavy hair was stuck to his forehead. He was so tan and I got a good look at his mismatched tattoos that dotted his chest and torso.