Suds

Season Premiere

Carefully hidden in the shadows, Shantel glared at Darien from the dark sidewalk.

"What is he doing?"
Her eyes darted across the moonlit beach. Darien stood at the shore staring at the ocean. His linen pants hugged his strong legs as the island breeze blew.

He must be waiting for someone.
Palm trees swayed in the star sprinkled sky as she combed the beach with her eyes. Her search came up empty. Shantel returned her glare to the caramel candy skin of her ex-boyfriend. He fingered his locs, tracing a cornrow of clumped coils to the end.

I used to braid his hair.
She fumed, imagining his locs being braided by random girls during his 'time to himself.'

"Bull," she groaned. 
Rage burned. She patted her chest and adjusted the bow neck of the designer dress he didn't even notice.

He could have been honest. If he wanted to see other people, he should have said that. Not 'I need time to myself'. Time for what?

She bit her lip, stopping the bubbling scream from boiling over. Shantel rolled her eyes, took a deep breath, and scanned the shore once more. Only silhouettes of swaying palm trees and the ocean tumbling into the shore.

Darien's lips moved. She gasped. Unable to inch closer without being seen, she read his lips.

"Man," she whispered, mimicking his mouthing. "I can't believe this God."

God? He's talking to God.
Shantel slowly crawled across the sidewalk, staying low as she inched closer through the sand. She crouched behind a pair of padded beach loungers.

"This is serious," she read. "God," he continued. "I don't know if I can do this."

He paced back in forth along the shore. Shantel strained to see his lips. She crawled closer. Grains of sand scraped against her knees.

Darien stopped pacing and smiled. A boyish innocence spread across his face.

She froze and a gasp of hope woke inside her dim heart. Her stomach brimmed with fluttering butterflies. Memories of his adoring smile tumbled through her mind and her heart burst open. Shantel's lips curved into a spellbound smile as she watched him. She didn't care if he saw her. She needed him to see her. If he did, he would remember that they belonged together.

The amazing scene played in her mind. His eyes would lock on hers and dance down her short, sexy dress. She would run to him and he would lift her into his arms, kissing her deep. Then, he would vow never to leave her again.

Dimples of satisfaction pierced her cheeks as the daydream flooded her mind. She stood beside the beach lounger, waiting for Darien to look over, see her, and fall in love. With her.

"Is there something you want to tell me?"
Shantel whirled around.
"Terrance," she shrieked.

She rushed her fingers through her straight, dark hair and swallowed the nervous energy rising in her chest

"Hey b—baby," she said. Her tone lay smooth.
Terrance glowered over her shoulder at Darien.