Page 7 of Beards and Bikinis

I still think coming out here is a bad idea, but it’s become abundantly clear to me today, I can’t say no to Meno.

Even now, I’m mesmerized by her. I’d pulled out the clear-bottom kayak with built-in lights. She’s never been to Lovers’ Cove, and it’s an honor to be the one bringing her out here. I keep telling myself to behave, but I’m also still processing our intense moment from earlier.

“There.” I point to the cove of red mangrove up ahead. She picks up her pace, paddling harder. I laugh as I hurry to keep up.

Checking our surroundings for the obvious predators, I notice we’re completely alone out here. Not even a lone fisherman is still out on this part of water.

With a deep breath and a wish too absurd to say aloud, I paddle the kayak into the biggest, oldest mangrove cove I know of… and dare to hope there’s something actually here. Maybe, it’s foolish to hope for gold, but I’d settle for a real shot with Meno.

“Oh my gosh,” she gasps at the sight of light.

“The roots of these red mangroves release a bacteria into the water providing a crucial vitamin to a species of dinoflagellate: a single-celled aquatic phytoplankton,” I rattle off by second nature.

“That’s incredible. They’re so tiny.”

I scan the area for any indication there’s a clue here, but I check this spot for critters regularly, and it’s usually got a couple making out in here. Too touristy for hidden treasure.

“You know, I had sea monkey’s as a pet when I was little. Are these guys kind of like that?”

I smile at her sweet voice and nod, even though sea monkeys are technically shrimp.

“I wasn’t allowed to have pets because my parents honestly didn’t want to worry about me, let alone a dog or cat. One day, when I was out shopping, my mom’s favorite thing to do, I saw a box of sea monkeys and begged her. She usually caved easily, almost always giving me whatever I wanted. Honestly, I was spoiled rotten.” Meno looks down while she pours out her vulnerable story.

“Hard to think of you as rotten,” I say lightly.

She smiles at me then, and when our eyes lock, I can see the reflection of the plankton swimming in them. They sparkle in a whole new way.

“I was truly terrible. My so-called friends referred to me as the mean queen behind my back.”

“What made you change?”

She sobers, taking a moment to think about it.

“The day I overheard my mom basically agreeing with them. I was coming down my family’s grand staircase,” Meno tells me, rolling her eyes. “She was telling my dad a story about how I shamed one of her friend’s daughters for wearing my last season style. For a split second, I thought they were mad. Then he laughed, and she preceded to tell him how proud she was of me. It was at that moment I knew I needed to make a lot of changes. I didn’t want to be like them. I was so tired of being perfect, wearing all the right things, saying all the mean things, so that I could feel better about myself. Newsflash: it didn’t make me feel better. So I ran. Hit the road in a van I bought off a lady in a coffeeshop and have been searching for myself in every little town I stop it. No more relying on my parents’ money.”

I take in every word of the story that tells me, revealing the beautiful free spirit in front of me. She’s on a journey of discovery. I’ve been there.

“I understand the restless feelings that come with self discovery. I used to live in a tiny town in the mountains where I felt stuck and trapped. You want to rewrite who you’ve been. I wanted to be better. More exciting.”

“What did you do?” she asks, leaning closer.

The kayak is barely big enough for the two of us with my large frame. As it is, she sits at my feet, now turned to face me since we started this little story time.

“I talked my best friend into spring break in the Florida Keys where we met a mega rich guy who offered us jobs. We invested a shit ton of time and money, but a decade later, we’re living the dream.”

“Wow

“Wow, that sounds so exciting.”

“Yeah, I imagine it is. I’m more the brains than the brawn, but my job’s not so boring.”

“Oh, of course not,” she teases. “Those cabbage lunches you made were intense.”

“Are you trash talking on the first day on the job. I’ll have you know the work here can be just as exciting as what Soren does.”

She nods, holding back her laughter, and it’s all I can do not to wrap my arms around her. Tickle her senseless. Instead, I stick with something only slightly safer.

“That’s it. I’ll prove it.” I warn her then lean all the way over, causing the kayak to turn over and plunge us both into the cold water. After a hot summer day, it’s refreshing. Breaking the surface, I look around for Meno, but she’s not up yet. Hitting the light on the boat, I start to panic when I still don’t see her.