The summer sun blazed in the sky, not a cloud in sight. It was a scorcher. Even the air conditioning going full blast in my car was just a temporary buffer. I sighed, feeling the artificial cool breeze battle in vain against the heat of the day seeping in through the windshield. It was going to be tough to go out on a day like this, but I would be damned if I spent my vacation time cooped up in a hotel room. I crested a hill and was greeted with the sight of the sprawling beach, going on for miles. Sparkling ocean extended to the horizon.
I removed my bag and cooler from my trunk and then slammed it shut. More people were here than what I expected... I guess the heat wasn't bad enough to keep people away from the sights. I strolled across the parking lot, crossing from the shimmering blacktop to the light sand. The shrieks and yells of children engaged in horseplay emanated from the beach.
Minutes later, I had spread out a beach towel and was sitting in the shade, making sure I had everything in order. I opened a bottle of water and looked out at the rolling waves. Kids built sandcastles and ran around shrieking. People frolicked in the ocean, sending arcs of droplets flying. They flew through the air, catching rays of light, becoming miniscule diamonds falling into the sea. I stripped my t-shirt off, tossing it aside and then taking a few long greedy gulps of water, letting my eyes travel out farther, looking toward the horizon. I took a deep breath and then exhaled, letting the stress melt out of me.
I pulled my camera out of the duffel bag. I was hoping to get a few good shots out of my vacation, if only to justify the sudden impulse buy of a water-proof camera that I had somehow, some way convinced myself I would use. I think part of this trip was made as an excuse to further justify this irresponsible purchase.
I walked along the beach, surveying the scene, mentally forming compositions. I took a few general shots, warming up. I quickly waded into the water, and though it wasn't as chilly as I could have hoped, it was a welcome respite from the heat. I dove into the water, submerging myself completely. I hung there for a while, hearing the raucous sounds of the beach bend and distort. It was a profound mixture of chaos and serenity. Water churned from various sources around me, and there were screams that seemed close and yet distant at once. I surfaced and turned to look towards the wide expanse of ocean, water extending to the horizon. I waded back a bit, feeling the silt of the beach floor beneath my feet.
I steadied myself and brought the camera to my eye. I took shot after shot of the horizon, ripples of waves approaching relentlessly. I needed a subject though... the flat expanse of water was just that. My lens scanned the horizon, picking out subject after subject, taking a few shots before moving on: a man fishing in the far distance, a couple of teens playing around with the guys serving as steeds for the piggybacking girls, a middle-aged man scooting around on a jetski, a... holy shit.
She had just stood up on her crimson surfboard, achieving her balance quickly, catching the approaching wave perfectly. Her athletic body was tanned, and seeing at how amazing she rode the board, I could tell it was earned from countless hours of practice. Speaking of her body, she was wearing a vibrantly colored side-tie bikini that seemed impractical for aquatic sports, leaving little to the imagination. Her golden-brown hair was cut short, a braid hanging behind each ear. She was a knockout.
My finger twitched, taking picture after picture of her as she surfed from one side of my vision to the other. The wave she was riding on eventually petered out, and she hopped into the water and then climbed back on her board. My shutter kept snapping, as I documented her rising out of the water, beads of water clinging to her body as she straddled her board, looking out at the waves with an elated smile on her face. She seemed like a legendary nymph out of tales that lonely sailors would tell each other during long and lonely voyages.
I realized I had been taking photos almost nonstop for god only knew how long. I glimpsed down, checking to see how many more digital "exposures" I had left on my camera... I still had plenty, but I had devoted a lot of shots to her. I smiled... maybe my purchase hadn't been a waste after all.
I brought the viewfinder back up to my eye, reframing her in my composition. She stretched out (oh my god, it was almost too sexy to bear) and then leaned back on her board, and turned her head, surveying the beach as if searching for somebody.... and then she was looking right at me.
I froze, like the proverbial deer in headlights. My mind, caught unawares, was slow to come up with rationalizations. Maybe she wasn't looking right at me... I started moving, looking behind me, only to see a few people scattered, with nothing to indicate any sort of connection with her or my current predicament. I looked back. Her eyes were dead-set on mine, and she was paddling her board closer.
I walked out of the ocean hastily, heading for my spread, feeling embarrassed and more than a bit ashamed, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. I walked across the hot sand, quickly stuffed my camera in my bag, collected my effects and made a beeline for the showers.
I stacked my stuff on the outside of the stall and slipped inside. I cranked the knob and the stream of water erupted from the showerhead. Ugh, what was I thinking, just taking pictures like a common pervert. Though I silently chastised myself, I couldn't help but replay the scene in my mind, images of the woman's graceful form playing in slow motion, mentally undressing her.
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening behind me. I whirled around to see the woman standing before me plainly, a grin on her face, my camera in her hands. Before I could even utter a sound of protest, she stepped in, neatly latching the stall door behind her. She made a show of bringing the camera up, her fingers on the display controls, browsing through the snapshots I had taken earlier. "...nice... nice... sucks... garbage... sexy... crap..."
Up close, many more details about the woman became apparent. She stood just a few inches shorter than me. Dazzling green eyes, dancing with amusement. A simple cord necklace with a shark's tooth dangling at the end. The edges of her bikini showed hints of tan lines, a startling contrast between deep suntan and untouched skin. I shook off my wandering eye and focused, trying to get in a few words. "W-what do you think you're doing with my camera? What are you doing in here?" My words were a bit weak; I knew I was protesting from a position of little to no leverage.
She looked me up and down, her eyes appraising me as she brought my camera up, peering through the viewfinder. "Oh, just taking my turn. Say cheese!" With that she started snapping pictures of me. I couldn't believe that was happening. "Come on, do something! Strike a pose!" I was dumbstruck. I took a step towards the door, reaching for the latch, but her hand lashed out like lightning, pressing against my chest and shoving me back. She fixed me with a stare, and although she was still smiling, I could tell she wasn't joking softly. "Hey man... you got your eyeful earlier. You can bet that I'm going to get my fun too. What's the matter? You don't want to have a little fun?"
