Chapter 24: Bondi stories
"Hey Ash!" Skye and I greeted him at the same time. Ash only have eyes for me. He raised his eyebrows the moment he is near me. In appreciation of what he saw or what, I'm not quite sure.. I think I have to ask Skye later.
He is really fit, after running about 100 meters to where we were, he's not even bothered. His board shorts shows off muscle on his legs and thighs that are ripped like a football player.
"Wynter, I just need to change clothes and clock off, then I'll be all yours!" he said in an amused voice.
"Take your time, Ash, we just arrived anyway and we're a bit early." I said smiling.
I wonder why Skye is so quiet. When I turned to look at her, she was staring at something or someone. What or who, I'm not sure. Yet. But I will ask her soon.
"Ok, Wynter, I hope you don't mind, but I asked Shaun if he would like to go on a double date with us." he queried.
"Ah it should be fine, I guess.. Is he bringing his girlfriend?" I asked naively.
He chuckled. "No, he doesn't have a girlfriend. I was hoping Skye would keep him company or the other way around so I could have you for myself." his eyes glinting with mischief.
My eyes must have gone round in surprise. I heard his rich baritone chuckle again. It made my heart race faster.
"I will be back in ten." He said then he was off.
I look at where Skye is and I noticed that she is still looking out to something or someone. I stood next to her, trying to find out what she was looking at. The funny thing is, she is concentrating that she didn't even noticed that I stood there next to her.
"What are you looking at?" I ask while looking out too.
This is the first time I startled Skye. Then I saw Ash going towards Shaun, then I look at Skye and she was blushing red beet. In anger or in embarrassment, I do not know. I look at the scene then Skye and back again. Then I started putting two and two together and I gasped! I covered my mouth.
"Skye! Do you know Shaun?" I asked.
Skye turned to me, I see worry in her eyes. Then she must have realised it and hid her emotion straight away and was back to her normal self again.
"Yes, Shaun and I went out last summer I came here." she said truthfully.
"And?" I said.
"And nothing." she said calmly and straight faced.
Skye, calm and straight faced never go together. Never. Ever. And now that she is showing almost no emotion and staying super calm doesn't mean nothing! It's something big and it's about to go down.
Before I knew it, Ash is back and behind him is his friend, Shaun. And it's too late to warn Ash.
"Hey Wynter, you remember Shaun?" Ash started.
"Yes, Hi Shaun!" I said not sure what else to say. We exchanged pleasantries and his voice is jovial.
"Shaun, this is Skye, Skye this is.." before Ash finished introducing the two, we heard a resounding clap.
I saw as Skye's palm connected to Shaun's face in slow motion. I stood there transfixed and utterly speechless, not knowing what to do.
Shaun's face twisted in wry amusement and turned to Skye, touching his face where her hands connected. His wry smile never leaving his face.
"Hey babe, you didn't call, you didn't answer my calls, my messages or email. I knew you would never forget about me, I still remember how soft your hands were." he mocked Skye.
Skye looked like she was about to cry when she lifted her hands to give him another strike but Shaun caught it mid-air. He didn't let go of her arms, and Skye is still not talking.
"Skye, Babe, come on, let's not fight, I've been looking forward to seeing you!" he soothed her.
"Let go of me!" she gritted her teeth.
Shaun let go of her, he stood looking at her with longing in his eyes, while Skye's eyes are shooting daggers at him. She composed herself and cleared her throat.
"Wyn, sorry girl, I have to go home, I don't feel well." she said with all the strength she can put up.
"I'll take her home." Shaun jumped at the chance.
"No, you will not!" Skye said aggressively, her expression thunderous.
"You got no say in this, Skye! You left me, you owe me an explanation at least! You.. will come with me and I will take you home!" he snapped.
Skye just turned around and walked off.
"Got to go, sorry for this guys, I will explain everything, another time, perhaps!" Shaun clapped Ash's shoulder, nodded to me and ran after Skye.
"Is Skye going to be alright with Shaun?" I asked, undecided if I should follow my friend, and unbeknownst to me, her boyfriend or ex?
"Skye will never be any safer than with Shaun, he's a puppy!" Ash assured me. "Nothing to worry about."
I look at Ash's face and something is off.
"Did you know anything about this?" I asked.
He looked sideways trying to avoid my eyes.
"Ash?" I asked in a warning tone.
" Well, Shaun's been my friend for the longest time. He always confided in me. Last summer he told me he might have found the one but he never told me her name. Then before summer ends, he called me to come pick him up. I found him in the bar, drunk, unconsolable and incomprehensible. The only words I picked up when I took him home was "Skye's gone." He repeated it over and over. The next day, I went to see him when he's sober. He seemed ok, and never said anything about that night. So, I thought it must just be him being drunk and didn't think any of it. Then yesterday, I asked him if he wanted to double date with me and he turned me down straight. After a while of talking, I must have said Skye's name and he started asking about Skye, how she looked like and all and if she's the one he would double date with me. When I said yes, he said that he'll go. I was surprised at first but very pleased and only put everything together when that scene unfolded before my eyes." he finished his story, combing his hair with his hands.
He looked stressed as he was recalling the events. I stood there listening to him in sympathy. I decided we need to lift this cloud off us and start anew. I touch his arms, "Are you ok?" I asked concerned.
"Me? I'm alright, I'm just worried that, that fool has soured my chances with you." he said in a strange voice.
"Let's start this day again," I said, "Hi Ash! How was your day?" giving him one of my best smile.
Ash gave me a hopeful smile and said,
"Hello Wynter, its been quite a day for me at the beach, there was a lady who tried surfing and got her femoral artery sliced by the blade of the surf board, it is just a soft board but the blades under it can be lethal. We patch her up with #15 bandage which is the largest bandage in the lifeguards emergency first aid kit. I applied it to the wound. The ambulance was called in and we took the lady in the sick bay to wait for medical assistance." He concluded with a radiant smile.
"Whoa, any more interesting events happened today?" I asked grinning, quite pleased with myself in turning this disaster into something else.
He looked at me with an expression that says, "you really wanna know?" and I shrugged my shoulders. So, he started another story.
"There was a diver today that went crawling up the rocks running away from a rogue seal, he was spear fishing and the seal stole his catch and dragged his spear gun with it on the water. Lucky a lifeguard on a jetski was nearby, that went and found the seal swimming nearby and retrieved the spear fishing gun. When the jetski came near the rocks, the lifeguard couldn't reach near enough for the diver to get in and his only hope is a leap of faith, to get to safety. It took him quite sometime of convincing because he was too scared and apparently he hasn't seen a seal all his life and thought that it was a shark!" he finished his story with a guffaw, and I joined his laughter.
Weekly Power Status
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