Forget Me Not

Chapter 3: Συναντήστε τον

I woke up in a cold sweat to a warm breeze coming through the window next to my bed. Night had fallen and the moon shined brightly over the Aegean Sea. I unzipped my suitcase and threw a loosely knitted cream sweater overtop of a black bikini. slid on my sandals and threw my hair into a bun before walking out onto my balcony and down a set of tan tile stairs into the sand. My sandals were pointless, so I left them by the stairs and continued to walk along the shoreline. The moonlit the area enough for me to see and the earth was quiet besides the quiet waves that crashed against the boat docks. I fiddled with my necklace that still clung to my wrist with confidence. I reached a small, feeble boat dock that had only one boat docked there. It wasn't a very large boat, but it definitely was large enough for a small bedroom or storage room below. I walked out to the edge of the dock and sat down, letting my toes dance in the water. The dock swayed slightly with the waves and I laid back to look at the stars. I wanted my summer to be blissful, serene, and indulgent. Clearly, this isn't the place I meet my soul mate, but this will be the place that I let go; release myself from all of the worry and the apprehension and just, breathe. I took a deep breath, relieved myself of any tension in my body, and sat back up.

"I'm just going to breathe," I inhaled sharply.

"Uh, is everything okay miss?"

I turned around, confused, and saw a man standing on the other end of the dock and facing me. I quickly stood up and moved closer so I could see him.

"Yes, I'm sorry, am I in your way?"

He laughed and took a few steps closer, "No you're fine. Do I know you? Are you waiting for me?"

I shook my head nervously and tucked my hair behind my ear, "No no, you don't know me. I was just... I don't know, admiring the stars. Don't worry, I was just leaving."

"Oh, don't leave on my behalf. I don't mind," He stepped even closer to me and I bit my lip in anticipation, "I was just stopping by to have a snack and listen to music. You're more than welcome to hang out."

I looked at his lips then quickly over to the boat, "This is your boat?"

He shook his head and stepped in front of me and climbed on, "Yes, she is. Nothing fancy but she gets me from home to the mainland here."

I shook my head again, "Sweet. Cool, awesome. Really nice boat."

He smiled, "You're not local?"

I exhaled a laugh, "No, just a tourist. I'm staying just down the beach."

We were both silent for a minute before he spoke, "So are you going to join me?"

He stuck his hand out eager for mine to grab it. So, I did. His hand was large and warm, which felt nice against my tiny, cold fingers that struggled for blood flow during the cool night. I slowly climbed onto his boat and quickly sat down. My attire was anything but conservative and I felt extremely exposed; this stranger was seeing more than most people ever have of me-not just in a physical way. I was vulnerable, willing, and open. Who knew what would happen? But I needed to remember, breathe, and I wanted to let whatever was to happen, to happen uninterrupted and seamlessly flow through the night. I sat on the boat's bench, trying to seem awkward but ultimately failing to do so with my arms folded. He sat across from me and was rummaging through some storage under another bench.

"Did you want a blanket?"

"Oh, yeah, please. I'm freezing."

He laughed and handed me a knitted blanket, "I could tell."

I folded my legs up on the bench and leaned forward into him, "You said there'd be music. I'm expecting the best from a mystery boatman."

He pulled a speaker out and connected his phone. He used Spotify instead of Apple Music and I did too. I watched him scrolling through his library, trying too hard to pick a song that would spark my interest. A ukulele started playing and he set his phone back down. Next, he pulled out a cooler, it was full of fruits like grapes and pineapple. He held the lid open and tilted it towards me.