Something Else Entirely

12 - You are a true hero to all womankind.

After my tears subsided, I asked to go for a run on the beach to blow off steam, committing to being back by 9 o'clock. There was no boxing bag here like the one I had at home, and I needed to expel some of this negative energy somehow.

I found my sneakers and changed into my footy shorts, slathering a copious amount of sunscreen on my bare chest, arms and face, and disregarding my back to the hellish sun rays still beaming down at 7 o'clock in the evening. I ran as far as I could before my stamina started failing me, and was grateful that this beach was long enough for me to do so without causing me to lose my way back to the house with messy turns in different directions.

Once I felt the stitch creeping under my ribs and got sick of wiping the sweat from my brow, I took a seat on the sand next to a small smoothie shop, which was thankfully still open. I ordered and paid for a banana protein smoothie with the spare $20 I had hidden in my phone case, and was thankful that Sadie made sure I take my phone with me when I left considering I didn't even think to bring my wallet as I literally ran away from my life.

"You look like you really need this," the server said, handing over my drink with a smile. While I was ordering before and trying to catch my breath, I hadn't taken the time to really look at her, and I was regretting it now. She was gorgeous, her Polynesian features hitting me straight in places I desperately hope she wasn't aware of. Her dark green eyes were scanning over my body, and her smile was all the more pretty for how her white teeth were, contrasting against her caramel skin and dark brown hair which was currently pulled up in a messy ponytail with some flowers tucked behind her ear.

So goddamn gorgeous.

"I couldn't place your accent before. Where are you from?" she persisted when I didn't answer, my tongue tied in knots just looking at her.

"Uh . . . Melbourne, Australia," I managed to say.

She laughed beautifully, and continued talking as she cleaned the blender she had made my drink in. "Ah, how could I miss that? We get so many Aussies here on the North Shore, though you are a couple months earlier than most . . ."

That doesn't surprise me. The North Shore boasts some of the best waves during our Australian summer, and the major Hawaiian surfing event takes place here in just a short few months. I imagine a lot of people from back home make the trip over for it. I know I've wanted to more than once.

"Yeah, I'm here with my family. My parents' honeymoon, actually," I said, taking my first sip of the most delicious smoothie ever made.

"Well, congratulations to your parents then," she smiled, waiting for me to return one back to her, but my shitty mood wasn't having it, no matter how cute she was.

"Are you okay? You seem a little miserable for someone on vacation in paradise?" she tried again. "Especially considering it's a honeymoon."

This time I actually did smile, appreciating her extra attempt to cheer me up. "Just got some bad news from back home before is all."

"Oh, that's shit. Bad news on vacation is the worst. There's nothing you can do about it while you're away," she said, obviously resonating with my current predicament. "I hope it's nothing too serious . . ."

I wasn't about to share my life story with this girl, but respected that she was making the effort with me, a total stranger. What I really wanted was Wi-Fi so I could talk to my boys. They're who I really want to talk to.

"Actually it is, but nothing I can't work out eventually," I said, turning up the charm with a crooked grin, sweep of the hair off my face and a sly flex of the biceps, hoping she had what I needed. "Do you, uh . . . have Wi-Fi I could use by any chance? I'd really love to be able to talk to some friends back home about it all."