I bit my tongue, questioning whether I had lost my sanity. Her friends climbed up from the steps as she announced she would be taking an additional lap beneath the palm trees. With her head tipped back, her brown hair spilled over the edge of the teal inflatable. The tips of several strands grazed the water. She looked straight out of a painting.
I made a quick excuse to my friends about being hot and needing to cool off. My brother's wild smile announced that he knew exactly what I had in mind, but he didn't say a word. I tried my best to keep her in sight. I slipped by the group of girls in the opposite direction, grabbing an inner tube of my own and heading into the water. Despite my reservations, I allowed the jets to carry me onward.
I'd never done anything like this before. What should I even say?
I dunked myself under the cool water to try and steady my breath. From what I'd seen at the resort, their group was constantly being approached by guys. She seldom paid any attention as they spoke with her friends. The only change in her demeanor I had seen was what could only be relaxation when they were left alone.
This was hopeless.
Water drilled down on my head from a bucket above, leaving me sputtering with chlorinated water in my lungs. I cleared my eyes just in time to see her turn back at all the commotion. Somehow I'd caught up with her just in time to embarrass myself. My face lit up scarlet, an even darker red than the slight burn I'd gotten the day before. A single thought kept me from abandoning the tube and the river entirely.
What if she waited for me on purpose?
Maybe she had a thing for thing for tall, skinny, awkward guys. I kicked my feet a little to go faster. On a longer straightaway, I caught another glimpse of her.
Beautiful was the only word that could be used to describe her, and even that seemed to fall short. She was an angel on Earth. The sun had left her skin a golden tan and her cheeks a rosy pink. I remember those kissable cheeks turning up to the sky when she smiled.
I shook my head. There were plenty of chances to write poetry and daydream on the plane. This could be my only chance to talk with her. I steeled myself. Ready for rejection. Hoping for a chance.
My foot slid across the tile that made up the bottom of the pool, failing to find purchase. The inner tube I had been carefully directing slammed into the side of hers. Her eyes flashed open, startled, and caught mine just as my head sunk beneath the water.
Great start.
I came up immediately apologizing. My wet hair hung low, covering my eyes. On instinct I shook my head like a dog, showering her in man-made-rain. My apologies shifted, but she let out a forced laugh and said it was okay.
I had expected her to turn away, but she held my eyes in her own. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed, and my hopes shattered. In her eyes was uncertainty, and her usually smiling cheeks dropped into a questioning frown.
"I, uh... Hi. I'm Will." I stuttered, shaking with excitement and nerves. I doubt the words preceded the heat that rushed to my face, but I was just glad I managed to get them out.
I could die a happy man.
"I'm Audge", she smiled politely. It was nothing like the grin that she would flash to her friends, showing off her white teeth, or the head-tipped-back laugh when she thought one of her jokes were funny, but my knees felt weak.
"Audge, is that short for Audrey?" I was improvising, I had no plan and no clue of what I even wanted. But I knew I wanted to keep talking.
Her warm brown eyes closed as she submerged the lower half of her body into the water and shivered. She abandoned her tube, folding her arms atop the opposite side of mine and resting her chin on them. I had to actively keep my mouth from dropping open.
Did she intend to have a conversation?
We dodged the spray of a fountain before she responded.
"Yes. Is Will short for William?" I nodded my head. I could listen to her say my name all day long. Alarms blared in my mind as I searched for my next words, all too aware of the silence between us. "I've always liked that name." She studied my face. "It fits you well."
I gave her a squinty smile. One of the ones I couldn't prevent even if I tried.
"Thank you, Audge. Your hair looks really pretty the way it is now."
I hoped it wasn't too out of the blue, but I couldn't help myself. She broke eye contact first. It was the first time her eyes had left mine since I crashed into her. A hand trailed to her hair absently. She looked back up with a smile that melted my heart.
"Thank you. I put it in braids last night because it was wet when I went to sleep."
"I bet it would look great in braids too."
The jets of the pool spun us in a circle, and a set of twins raced by us with snorkels. I crept around the side of the tube to get a little closer. I glanced up as I did, seeing the end of the lazy river coming into view, and my face fell. I looked back to Audrey. She was no where to be found.
She bubbled up in front of me. Pushing her hair back out of her face with her hands before returning her arms to the blue tube.
She was so much closer than before. I could feel the water from her gently kicking legs beneath me. One of her legs even grazed mine. Audrey grinned. The rest of the world had long since melted away.
"Would you want to go around again?" She whispered.
"Only if you come with me, Audrey."
She placed her hands on either side of my face. I let my eyes close as her soft skin held my cheeks.
"Come here you goof." She teased. They were some of my favorite words to hear.
She released me for a moment, and I slipped under the edge of the tube to join her within the circle. I shook again like a dog, but this time it made her smile. Her hands returned to my face as mine fell to her lower back, pulling her close for a hug and quick kiss. She was warm against me despite the water.
We both leaned back, sharing the circular tube. The blue on our bathing suits complemented one another. We sat in silence for a moment, watching each other as we often do.
"I love you, Audge."
"I love you too Will."
