Dancing Through The Night

Chapter 19 - Cohen

"I'll have another Daiquirie," Hugh's girlfriend's friend wriggles against me. I forgot her name and to be honest, I don't really care. She's pretty and will be a fine distraction. It's been exactly one year that I haven't been with a woman. Well, not really exactly. Tonight is the Surf Lifesaving fundraiser. We moved it forward by two months this year due to the planned renovations to the club house. That's the last time I had sex, last year at this very event. And I kicked cancers butt in that year. Time to celebrate.
I try not to let this chick's sense of entitlement bother me and line up to get another round of drinks. While I stare into the dark space between bar and dance floor, I can't help but think about last year's event. There were so many question marks, so much emptiness and insecurities. There was a twenties beauty who didn't demand Daiquiries. Not that I would have minded getting them for her. She's had mintie drinks she hadn't requested. I tasted them on her lips, and her tongue. Involuntarily, I look around for long, bare legs. I doubt I would recognise her. With an alcohol level way above the legal driving limit and semi-costumes, the picture of her in my mind is rather blurry, probably mixed with a range of fantasies.
"What can I get you," the bartender shouts at me. I'm being pulled back to reality. Well, there's a Daiquiri girl waiting.

I don't know if I have changed and my tolerance level has massively decreased, or if this woman is one of the most annoying human beings. She takes small sips of her fancy little drink, giggles and twirls her hair in turn. Nothing else. I should just leave, or get over and done with it and then leave. Hugh can't possibly have thought that this was a good idea, or maybe he thought exactly that. I tell her another heroic story of pulling a father and son duo out of the water last week when someone starts shouting for help. It's a life saver fundraiser we're at and it only takes seconds until at least half of us are out at the beach to see someone out caught in a rip. I'm one of the more sober ones present. Most of our equipmemt is packed away. We don't patrol at night. Some of the funds raised last year went towards new surf boards. Still, we kept most of the old ones. Many of them are being used for decoration tonight. I grab the closest one and run for the water, Ramey close behind. The surf is flat, there's not much wind and apart from the darkness there's no real challenge to get to the drunk partygoer and pull him out. Even the best swimmer will get in trouble when deciding to swim intoxicated and fully clothed.

The rescue mission has attracted quite a group of spectators. While I'm still on the ground in just my boxers and dripping wet, rolling the guy into the recovery position, Daiquiry-girl pushes through the crowd, the t-shirt I  peeled off and dropped on the sand when running for the water in hand.
"You were amazing," she swoons and gets all touchy over my back. It doesn't feel right, annoys me downright. It never used to. It must be the year of abstinence that makes me prudish. I'm just going to break the ten months dry spell and will hopefully be myself again. First, I have to make sure this guy is okay, though.

"Why don't you get yourself another Daiquiry. Put it on my tab." She seems to like this idea and marches off, my t-shirt still in her hand.

The guy is breathing and moaning and I'm sure he'll be fine but we still need an ambulance with all the right equipment to check him through. I'm more concerned about alcohol poisoning than anything else.
Most spectators have left. They're mostly occupied by their drinks or love interests now.
I sit down next to the guy in the sand and try to talk to him. He's young. Quite possible under age. "What's your name, buddy?" No answer.
"Are any of your friends here?" No answer. But he nods his head, then shakes it.

"Cohen," it's Alannah's voice. She'd been the last person I expected at this event but then, she does sometimes come to the beach and maybe that's why she's here, taking little Josie for a stroll. If I only had met her a year earlier, no, make that two. Too much was going on last year. If I had met her two years ago, I'd be paying her Daiquiries tonight, and it wouldn't bother me if she touched down my back. I didn't meet her earlier though. She's got a kid now and it's too late for any of that. Also, it's late and dark, and she shouldn't be out alone with the little one. Where is Josie anyway, I wonder. "What happened? Can I help somehow?"
"Alannah," I probably sound just as surprised as I am. "The ambulance is on it's way. It's all good."
Her eyes flicker over me then to the young fellow. "Can you see your friends anywhere and point to them for me?" she asks him. She sounds so calm. "They're not in trouble but it would be good to let someone know what's going on before the ambulance gets here."
He moves his head in her direction, then scans his surroundings. Decorative torches with plastic lights which resemble real flames illuminate the area well. It doesn't take him long to lift his arm and point. Alannah does this so well, asking him question after question, keeping him occupied. His three sixteen year old friends come closer. They look terrified, but Alannah convinces them to call their parents.

After the ambulance has arrived I'm still waiting with Alannah and the three boys outside the clubhouse for their parents. I'm still shirtless and it's getting chilly. My hands are sticky and covered in sand, but I don't want to complain. In a few years Jayden will be at these boy's age and I can only hope that other people will keep an eye out for him when he gets in trouble.

Alannah is texting on her phone while talking to the boys about the importance of obeying to the law and to look out for each other.
"There you are. Is everything okay?" A  young woman, similar haircolour and statue to Alannah's says, pushing Josie.
Alannah introduces her as her younger sister and me as a doctor from the hospital Josie was born at. I guess that is who I am. Josie is awake and cooing happily in her pram while Alannah rummages through the large bag hanging down at the back. After some time, the bag seems to be half emptied with most of its components piled on the sidewalk. She retrieves a pack of babywipes, handing them to me.
"You can use these to get the sand off. I can't find the ones specifically for hands. I don't think there's much of a difference anyway."
While I begin getting the stickiness off my hands, Alannah chucks the pile of stuff from the sidewalk back into the large bag, before she starts rummaging through the basket underneath the pram.
"You look cold. It's not much, but maybe it helps." She hands me a spotted muslin cloth. "It's clean," she adds. "You can use it to get dry, if you like."

Rubbing down my chest and arms with the wrap does help. I do feel quite ridiculous doing so, though. Then, she finds another muslin wrap and gives that to me, too. "You're still soaking wet," she states as if I didn't know already.
Alannah's sister is talking to the boys, reminding them how fortunate they are and not to waste the amazing opportunities they have. She tells them that she currently works in Africa and the struggles teenagers there are facing. I want to ask her more about her work there, but the boy's parents arrive.

"We better get Josie home," Alannah announces as soon as the teenagers have left. I would have liked to invite her and her sister for a drink, but that would have sounded pretense with them having a baby with them. Josie is still wide awake, inspecting her hands from all angles. She's a cute thing and I do feel somehow connected to her. I mean, I was there when she was born. I can't hold myself back and stroke over her check, "Good night, sweetie." She looks up only briefly, then inspects her hands again. "Good night, ladies. And thanks for all your help."
"You should put some clothes on," Alannah suggests. "It's chilly."
"It's probably steamy inside," her sister jokes, as they walk away. She probably didn't meant for me to hear. "He's definitely leaving steam behind," she adds giggling.

I can't hear Alannah's response, but it's nice to know that someone thinks I've got some steam back. Daiquiri girl. She might think so, too. After all that happened tonight though I can't bring myself to go back inside. As soon as the silhouettes of Alannah, her sister and the pram are swallowed by the darkness, I follow in the same direction: Home.
I'm tired and freezing cold. I might follow Alannah's advise and have a hot shower and tea. As long as it's not ginger.