| Reality or Myth? |
| "So, what are everyone's plans for today?" Kevin asked, resuming his parental role. "Remember, we're recording a couple tracks this morning and then the rest of the day is yours," he added. "We don't have anything going on this afternoon," Howie began, gesturing to him and AJ. "But," he continued, "we're supposed to meet up with a couple of hot islander at a club tonight," he finished. "Yeah, you guys bring dates and joins us," AJ added. "We'll see. I'm getting married in a couple months you know," Kevin stated. "Yeah. Me too. Perhaps we'll take a rain check and go play ball or pool or something," Brian said, looking at Kevin. "What about you, Nicky?" Howie asked. "I'm sure I can find a date by tonight," I answered. I really wanted to bring the girl from the sea, but could she leave the comfort and protection of the ocean? For the next couple hours, we were locked in our make-shift studio and practiced, edited, and spliced tracks together to see how they'd sound. Our results were okay. Not up to marketing quality yet. But pretty damn good. I was so happy when Kevin called it quits for the day. I wanted to get back to the ocean to find the woman of my dreams. The woman I couldn't take my mind of off. The woman who was actually a fish. I was almost giddy with excitement. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Brian asked. "No where in particular. Just felt like going for a drive," I answered, trying not to sound suspicious. "Okay," Brian said, rolling his eyes. Shit. It didn't work. He knows I'm up to something. I decided to ignore it. He wasn't going to follow me. He had plans of his own. Leighanne, his fiancee, had called to inform him that she and Kristin, Kevin's fiancee, would be flying in that evening to spend the weekend with us. Therefore, Brian and Kevin were planning on some mad-dash cabin cleaning. We had been living like pigs for the week we'd been there, making one mess then moving on to another. Brian and Kevin didn't want their ladies to be shocked at their temporary place of living. I, on the other hand, was headed straight for my beach. I needed to see my girl. My girl? How can I even be sure she'd talk to me? I parked our rental Jeep on the same bluff overlooking the ocean. The ocean looked different that day than it did the day before. The water was dark green with silvery white caps flowing into the shore. I sat cross-legged at the edge of the wet sand, staring blankly out to sea, searching for my girl. The waves broke against the shore, pooling around my legs, soaking my khakis. I was soaked to the bone, but I couldn't make myself leave. Not without seeing her first. I sat there, never moving, until the sun started sinking into the sad, green sea. I pulled my flannel around my shoulders for the breeze had suddenly become cool. Much cooler than five minutes before. The water in my shoes grew colder. My toes went numb. The sun had completely disappeared. The moon shined gallantly in the black spring sky. I had waited for close to eight hours for that ocean beauty who had captured my heart in moments only to break it in a thousand pieces moments later. Slowly, I stood up, dusting the sand from my saturated pants, and gazed out at the calm, night ocean for the last time. Never again would I wait for hours for something or someone I wasn't positive truly existed. "She's not real! She's not!!" I screamed, tossing my head toward the night sky. It echoed off the bluffs and dunes and I sank to my knees, my eyes welling up with salty tears. |