“Ok girls,” Marcy instructed, “the only thing we need you to do is pose with the rental car for a publicity shot. I talked the station manager into this one. Originally, you were only supposed to get a small little Ford Escort, but with a little smooth talking on my part, I convinced him to rent you guys a brand new Mustang, convertible, of course. I couldn’t bear to see you two driving around in anything else, and besides, anything less would hurt the station’s reputation.”
Rachel’s eyes lit up. “Really?” she asked incredulously. “You mean we get to drive around in a convertible Mustang?”
“Yes, you definitely do. Now, here are your keys.” She paused to hand each of us a ring of three keys. “This one is for your condo,” she explained as she held each one up, “this one is to unlock the Mustang doors, and this one is for the ignition. Oh yeah, and I need you two to sign some papers for the condo. Yours is 3C, which means apartment 3 in building C. After the picture, I’ll take you there and help you get settled.”
We listened intently as she explained everything, and I didn’t know about Rachel, but I was very glad we had someone as nice as Marcy to help us get things straightened out. She led us to the counter, where we signed some papers about things like the security deposit the radio station placed on the condo. After that, Marcy went to her car to get her camera, and instructed Rachel and me to meet her in front of the Lobby. Someone from the rental company would be bringing the car around shortly.
The doorman swung open the glass door and Rachel and I stepped out into the warm, golden Florida sunshine. The skyscraper palm trees swayed gently in the summer breeze amidst the oppressively wet air, and an overall calm prevailed in this summer paradise, which would be our home for the next three weeks. I had to keep repeating it to myself because it was just so unbelievable. A shiny, red Mustang convertible pulled up to the curb just as Marcy walked out of the lobby. The driver, a middle-aged, balding man wearing a sports coat, white dress shirt, tie, and slacks, got out of the car and began folding down the tan canvas top. Marcy ran over to him, and pointed in our direction as the man nodded and looked us over from head to toe. He flashed what he thought was a charming smile and waved. “Hi girls,” he called. “Come on over here for a sec.”
We strolled over to the car and stood by Marcy. The man, Mr. Farrell, explained the features of the car, including a CD player and showed us how to fold and unfold the top. I checked my hair and make-up in the side mirror and Rachel followed my lead, while Mr. Farrell and Marcy set up the camera. Deciding we looked great, Rachel called to them, and Mr. Farrell set the timer on the camera. He and Marcy sprinted back to the car, and we all moved close together for the promo picture. We tried four more shots with a couple different poses before Mr. Farrell’s brother-in-law came to pick him up and take him back to the car company. He promised he would bring us each a picture after they were developed, and he gave us hugs, including Marcy.
“It was lovely working with you again, Marcy,” he smiled. “You girls have fun, enjoy yourselves and take good care of that car,” he added, and then climbed into his brother-in-law’s truck and they sped off toward the rental company.
“He was nice,” I observed.
“Everyone has been so wonderful so far,” Rachel finished my thought for me. “Thank you for everything, Marcy.”
“You’re welcome, girls,” she bubbled. “Now, the bell boy has already taken your things to your condo, so let me show you where it is, and then I’ll let you get settled. Here, let me give you this now.” She reached into her leather briefcase and pulled out a business card containing her home, cell, and work phone numbers, along with her pager. “Use any of these numbers if you need anything,” she explained. “Don’t be afraid to call me and if you page me, just leave the number for the condos. I’ll know that it’s you two.”
“O-k, Marcy, we will,” I assured her. “Now let’s go find our condo. They’re so beautiful from the outside; I can only imagine what they look like on the inside! And besides, I can’t wait to explore that beautiful beach...I can hear it calling my name!”
“No problem, Sarah, right over this way,” Marcy motioned toward the building closest to the shore. It was just a few steps off of the back patio to the white sand, and a couple more to the water’s edge. I couldn’t wait to slip into my new bikini and let the white foam slide past my toes as I walked along the shore. We half skipped to our apartment, and even that didn’t expend a fraction of the built up energy from a morning of travel. I beat Rachel up the flight up steps and slipped my key into the lock. The door opened smoothly and quietly to reveal a white tiled entry way which lead straight down to the living room. The first thing you could see when you opened the door, looking straight ahead, was the unending horizon of blue water that stretched as far as the eye could see, through the large bay windows. I wandered, mystified, down the hall and past the doors that led to the bedrooms, past the kitchen and into the living room. Side stepping the comfortable looking sofa sitting directly in front of the windows, I walked to a sliding glass door leading to a wide, railed balcony and opened it. The cool, wet, salty air hit me immediately, and I felt at home. “This is where I belong,” I thought to myself, “I’ll never be able to leave.”
After giving us the grand tour, Marcy helped us to move our suitcases inside the room. We talked about our plans for the weeks ahead for a little while, and then walked Marcy to the door and hugged her good-bye.
“I’ll come by every once and a while and make sure you girls are doing ok,” she told us. “Don’t forget, you have my numbers if you need me for anything. Anything.”
“Of course Marcy,” I replied. “Again, thank you so much for everything.”
“We appreciate it so much,” Rachel added.
“It’s my pleasure girls,” she said, “Have a great time. I’ll see you again soon.”
She waved once more, turned and walked out the door and down the steps to her car. Rachel shut the door behind her and locked it. Picking rooms was our next task of the afternoon and after we put our clothes and other things away, we were free to hit the beach. The time was all ours now, and tomorrow we would sit down to plan everything out. I chose the room closest to the ocean, with a window looking out towards it that I could open at night to hear the waves crash. It’s the most soothing sound on Earth, and there is no better way to fall asleep. Rachel took the room just behind it, and in between was the bathroom. I opened the blinds of my large window, opened it a crack, pulled down my bedspread so it would be all ready for me to curl up under when it was time to go to sleep and hung up my clothes in the large closet. Before leaving my room, I took out my CDs and set them by the CD player, popping my favorite BSB CD into it for when I got home. I then arranged my cosmetics in the bathroom by the sink, and hung out towels for the showers I knew we’d have to take before we went to dinner that night. Last, I pulled out my bathing suit and sarong and closed my door to get changed.
“Are you ready yet, Chel?” I called from the kitchen, where I was hiding away the snacks we had bought during a quick store break on the way to the condos from the airport. I surveyed our stock: cheese puffs, Oreos, three two-liter bottles of Dr. Pepper, some bagels and cream cheese for breakfast, coffee, potato chips, and ice cream. We need to get to the store and buy some healthy food, I thought to myself. Running out with her towel, sun tan lotion, and disc man in hand, Rachel announced she was ready to go. She donned her gigantic, floppy, straw shade hat and sunglasses as I grabbed my towel and sunglasses. We headed down the front steps as I tied my sarong loosely around my waist. Around the building, we followed a long stone path through the surrounding vegetation to the pristine beach. Rachel laid out her towel, ran down to get her feet wet, and then trudged back to me, soaking wet. A large wave had surprised her and got her soaking wet. I laughed until the tears streamed down my face, and then helped her put sun tan lotion on her back.
I set my towel down beside her, slipped off my sandals, and told her I wanted to walk along the beach for a little while by myself. I need some time to think, I explained to her, but mostly to myself. For some reason, being in this beautiful place without someone special to share it with was beginning to get to me. This always happens, I thought. I always get depressed like this. I need someone to love me and share this with me...It would make me the happiest person on Earth. I started off down the beach, walking close enough to the water’s edge to allow the white, frothy sea foam to lick my ankles before it slipped back. I looked down, and watched my toes sink into the sand and felt it squish, cool and wet, between them. I was so lost in my thoughts and loneliness that I didn’t even realize where I was going, or how far I had gone. I didn’t hear them, either. The noise of my colliding thoughts absorbed me so deeply, I never even knew, or expected, what was about to happen....
“I can’t believe all the crap I’ve had to put up with,” I thought to myself. “I mean, I don’t deserve it! It’s not fair. Why couldn’t he just love me?”
Ok, if you haven’t guessed already, I was feeling pretty sorry for myself. Hector did some really unfair things to me in the years I was in love with him. And stupid little me kept coming back for more. I let him control me, and I decided right then and there that I wasn’t going to let it happen ever again.
“I don’t know if I can ever fall in love again,” I whispered softly, as the tears began to roll down my cheeks. Yet, I knew in my heart that I needed someone. I knelt down and picked up a small stick that had just been carried in by a wave, and began to draw in the sand. I pushed my sunglasses to the top of my head and tucked my hair behind my ears before I stood up and began to wander down the beach again, once again letting my thoughts thoroughly absorb my consciousness.