In Another Life

10 The Beach

A much needed four day weekend was coming up. Jeff asked Amlyne what her plans were. She had nothing in mind. Jeff told her that old friends, Bonnie and Frankie, had invited them to the beach for the weekend. They were going to be staying at his parent's house on Pawleys Island. Amlyne thought it was a great idea. 

In recent months, they had made their relationship public. They held hands and kissed in front of everyone. They saw each other every day. Their parents could not be happier. Finally, Amlyne's dad had come to enjoy Jeff's company as they bonded over NASCAR. Jeff's parents saw a positive change in their son.  He had shed the old t-shirts and switched to neat polo shirts. He trimmed the scraggly beard down neatly. His hair was still a little long, but much better. The physical scars from Mary were long gone as were the emotional scars. Jeff knew Amlyne would never hurt him the way Mary did. He could trust her with his life. 

Amlyne and Jeff headed to the beach 5 hours away. They got there in the late afternoon. The house was actually a small, two bedroom cottage. It was separated from the beach by some trees. A trail twisted through the trees. There were beautiful green grass and palmetto trees. The house was a light blue color, trimmed in creamy white. They got out and headed to the porch. Amlyne didn't see any other cars. Bonnie and Frankie were no where to be seen. There was a note on the door. Hey Guys! Have a great weekend. The key is under the mat. Food is in the refrigerator. They used the key to go in. On the counter was a vase of fresh flowers. There were candles waiting to be lit on the table.  There was a comfy couch in front of the fireplace. Nice plush carpet in the sunken den. The kitchen table was made from reclaimed wind beaten wood. There were two bedrooms. The biggest of the two had a waterbed. The kitchen was farmhouse chic with a deep porcelain sink. 

Jeff brought the luggage inside. "Wow," he said. "I didn't know it was gonna be like this." There was a note on the counter. Frankie and Bonnie had decided to drive down to Charleston instead of staying at Pawleys. So Jeff and Amlyne had the place all to themselves. 

It was getting near supper time so they decided to head to Murrells Inlet for some seafood. There was a small restaurant on the marsh that they wanted to try. It was in a weather beaten building.  Amlyne and Jeff took a table by a window looking out over the marsh. The lights from the houses across the inlet lit up the water. The saw big fishing boats with their nets hanging. Seagulls and pelicans were roosting. Couples strolled the boardwalk, arm in arm. The waitress came by and took drink orders. Amlyne got a sweet tea and Jeff got a Pepsi.  Everything on the menu looked delicious. They had local favorites like Calabash shrimp, fried oysters, crab legs, and fried flounder. There were fish and chips served in newspaper. Shrimp and pasta. Amlyne ordered crab legs with butter. Jeff ordered the Fisherman's Special with flounder, shrimp, oysters, and french fries. 

After dinner, they took a walk outside. It was such a beautiful night,  cold enough for a sweater, but not frigid. There was a boardwalk that extended into the marsh. It was so beautiful.  Sea grass slowly waved in the breeze. The air was filled with a briney, salty scent. They sat on a bench about halfway and watched the boats coming in and out. Across the inlet was a house shaped like a flying saucer. Someone was home and all the lights were on. Amlyne leaned on Jeff's shoulder. He put his arm around her. "I want to stay right here forever," she said. Jeff replied, "Well, that be pretty miserable in hurricane season." Amlyne sat up and punched him in the arm. They got up and walked back to the truck.

When they got back, it was late, so they decided to just go to bed. There was no TV in the house so all there was to do was eat, sleep, and..... 

Amlyne slipped into the bedroom and changed into her pajamas, soft pants and a t-shirt. Jeff came in behind her. He pulled off his jeans and shirt. He was in a pair of white briefs. They crawled into bed and fell asleep in each others arms. She loved the feel of his arms around her. He loved the way she tangled her legs up with his. They didn't have to have sex to show their love.