June has only one more summer before she marries her high school sweetheart. She intends to make the most of it, but she has no idea what is waiting for her in Dolphin Coast. Socks on the Beach is a tale of steamy love, jaw-dropping heartbreak, and...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
My stiff Mickey Mouse slippers, aged but freshly unpackaged, moved with exceptional speed as I crossed the gravel parking lot. Pearl's gift for me from the exchange, given just an hour before, provided little protection from the jagged rocks underfoot. Especially the second time.
"Ow. Ow. Ow..." I whispered breathily to myself.
Falling into the driver's seat of the rental car, sober and annoyed to have made it all of the way to the local cafe only to leave with no coffee, I checked the sole of my right shoe and it was shredded, once pin-pricked holes now stretching and tearing.
Curse you, Nate.
It looked like a tiger had ripped its prey from the fabric surface, dense stuffing erupted from the center.
I'm an idiot!
Clicking my seatbelt with a groan, I was mentally preparing myself to go to the convenience store. I went over my list: sewing needles, thread, coffee for myself and Pearl.
It was time to figure it out with her; I missed my best friend.
The bouncy rap of knuckle on the car window made me jump and my eyes snapped to the face six inches from the glass, smiling. I visibly cringed, but eventually rolled the window down for Nate's apparent date.
"Hey there! I'm Louise." She chirped, waving a loose hand.
Her nail polish is chipped.
I smiled, but it didn't reach my eyes.
"What's up?" Omitting my name was intentional. She didn't need to know who I was and quite frankly, I preferred it when she was the nameless other woman.
My eyes raked up and down her slightly-older but undeniably shapely body as I spoke, ripping her to shreds like my slipper. It was mean and I knew it was mean but it was all I could do not to cry.
"I just wanted to tell you that I'm his aunt." Louise had backed away from the car window and now stood back a ways with her hands on the shelf of her hips, gripping angrily with dainty fingers.
Her pretty face wore a grimace.
Well, I suck.
"Oh, uh... I'm sorry. I-I'm June," I peeped, embarrassed by my previous tone and it was getting harder not to be the one to break eye-contact. She was unwavering.
"Forgiven. Just giving info." She leaned slightly at the waist to make it easier for me, but I had to look up to see her from my car seat. The sun forced a squint on my eyes.
"Thank you, but um... Nothing's going to happen there," I said and Louise laughed. My eye contact broke. Nervous.
"Whatever you gotta tell yourself, honey. I gotta get back before Nate notices that I'm not in the bathroom, but if you ever need a cut or a color while you're in the area, I'm your girl! Nobody likes flat, lifeless hair." She passed me a purple cheetah-print business card and I accepted it reluctantly.
