Page 11 of More Than a Fling

“They went into town for some pastries. Abbey heard there was a fabulous French bakery. They should be back any minute. The coffee is already made. How is your head this morning?” she said grinning.

“A little foggy, but all things considered, not too bad,” Annie said.

“Things got a little frisky with the cowboy last night, do tell,” Linda pried.

“I’m so embarrassed, I think I came on a little too strong.” she confided.

“Nonsense, this is the twenty-first century; give yourself a break. I’m sure he’s used to it anyway. Being in a band and all that, kind of goes with the territory,” Linda replied.

“Yeah, that’s what scares me, what woman in their right mind would want to deal with that all the time?” she replied to her friend.

“A beautiful, confident woman, who knows herself, and what she wants… I happen to know a woman like that…” Linda said, tongue in cheek.

“I’m not that secure—it may appear so on the outside, but underneath, I’m as insecure as the next person.”

“He might be worth the effort; I mean the way he jumped down from the stage to rescue you last night…I mean come on!” Linda said holding her hand over her heart for emphasis.

Blushing slightly, Annie said, “He would have done that for anyone in the same position.”

“Something tells me you brought out the alpha male in him, but sure… whatever you say,” she drawled sarcastically.

The door banged open and the girls whirled in carrying two large white pastry boxes and wearing satisfied grins.

“Scored,” Zoey crowed.

“Cream horns,” Abbey said, rolling her eyes up in dramatized ecstasy. “Fresh, made right there, flakey crust, glorious cream, I can’t wait another moment,” she said, filling a mug with coffee.

They all gathered around the boxes, grabbing their choice of delectable goodies as if they were starving. Zoey took a moment to size up Annie. “How are you feeling boss?”

“Not bad,” she responded.

“How were your dreams last night?” she said teasing her friend.

“Pretty steamy,” she retorted.

“I’ll bet they were,” she nodded approvingly.

“I’d be jumping on that one if I were you. Men like that don’t grow on trees around here,” she said.

“Stop. I’m not ready to have a man in my life, other than J.J. and my future brother-in-law,” she said.

“We don’t always have control over every little thing, sometimes fate has a way of stepping in,” Zoey counseled.

They all sat in a circle, enjoying their sweet pastries and staring at Annie, who took one last large bite of her cream horn, finishing it with relish. “Now, enough about my love life, what are the plans for the day?”

“We’re still going kayaking; did you change your mind and decide to join us?”

“Yes, I made a promise to myself that there would be more play in my life and dammit I’m going to keep that promise.” Annie declared.

* * *

Paddling away from shore, Annie let the sun, wind, and water literally and figuratively carry her away. She leaned back for a moment, closed her eyes, and let the rays of the sun warm her cheeks. She had thrown on an old navy tank top, khaki cargo shorts, and her trusty waterproof Teva sandals. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail. She loved the sound of the waves lapping at the hull of her sea kayak. The water was calm today and her vessel, built for stability not speed, would be able to handle any choppy waters they might encounter on their voyage. The sounds of the shore birds were ancient and gave Annie a sense of being in another place in time.

They had all slathered on the sunscreen and had packed some fruit and snacks and plenty of water. Nothing to do, nowhere to be but in the present. They were quiet and contemplative, enjoying this opportunity to be out in nature and on the water. Following the shoreline for direction, their destination was a cove they had been told about along this route. Once they reached the inlet, they planned to get out and stretch, take a break and eat their snacks.

Annie dipped her paddle back in the water and began to gently row, enjoying the feel of her muscles engaged with the resistance of the water. The breeze tempered the heat from the sun and kept her cool as she began to exert more effort in moving forward.

“Look.” Abbey squealed pointing up at the sky. “That’s a bald eagle,” she said excitedly.