I pondered the steady montage of cold, miserable faces of bus passengers as they packed in. Was it Mark Twain who said that the coldest winter he experienced was a summer in San Francisco? The rain, the fog, the endless dreary days. It's weird but San Francisco actually has a second summer in the fall. Actual summer, though? Miserable.
I got off the bus and walked the two blocks to my house. I stood on the stoop of my parents' victorian house for a second as I shook the umbrella and tried to limit how much rain I brought into the house. When I walked in, I saw Adam, my 19 year old brother sitting on the couch.
"I didn't realize college was out already," I said as I peeled off my jacket and toweled my hair dry.
"Yep" he said as he continued to watch his show.
"Any plans for the summer?" I asked.
"Not yet," he grunted. So much for communication. We had been closer when we were younger, but we drifted apart when I left for college. Now, he was in college and I had a job that had me traveling most of the time. So, we rarely got to see each other.
Adam had filled in really nicely since I last saw him. Nice muscular frame and a boyish face with brown wavy curls that cascaded down his forehead. Strong, yet soft features. Someday, he would make a woman quite happy, I thought to myself,
My own situation? Not so happy. I had broken things off with my on again, off again boyfriend of a couple of years. You need to clear your garbage out to make space for better things. Right now, my life was clean, but empty. Sigh!
I sat down on the couch and stared at my phone, scrolling through the news. I paused at an advertisement for a trip to southern France with photos of the mediterranean.
"Have you ever been to France?" I asked Adam.
"Huh? Why France?" He asked before proceeding to answer the question. "I haven't. No."
"You want to go with me?" I asked, showing him the advertisement.
"That's pretty random," said Adam scrolling through the offer.
"Is that...?" he said pausing on one photo.
I laughed. "Yeah, people don't really wear clothes on the beaches there, haha"
"...and you want to go there with me?" He rolled his eyes.
"Not for the nudity, silly." I said. "I've been to similar beaches in Spain, too. It's not a big deal. You just don't stare."
His voice took on a mocking tone. "How did you spend your summer, Adam? Oh! You were naked with your sister on a public beach?"
He looked at me and saw the hurt on my face and his eyes softened.
"Sorry, sis. I didn't mean to mock or dismiss your idea."
He paused for a few seconds as he thought something over in his head.
"It might be fun. I haven't really hung out with you and spent quality time since we were kids," he said.
My eyes lit up. "Quality time? Is that what the kids call it when you spend naked time with your sister?" I asked him and giggled.
He picked up the cushion on the couch and aimed it for my head.
"Ow! Hahahaha. You can dish it, but can't take it, huh?" I said as I ran into the kitchen and out of range.
"So, shall I book something for the end of the month? You game?" I asked him in a more serious tone.
"Yeah, that works. My current plans are sleeping in and watching TV. So, my schedule is open." he said.
I spent the next few weeks buried with work. Long meetings, angry bosses, late nights with my laptop on the couch with a glass of whiskey on the side. I couldn't wait for some good rest and relaxation.
The days quickly went by and before we knew it, the flight touched down in the balmy mediterranean summer. Adam and I squinted and took in the sights. We looked a little out of placed and raggedy compared to the fashionably dressed people with trendy suitcases in tow walking out of the airport. After a quick cab ride to our hotel, we checked into our room. It was functional and modern. It had two queen beds.
"Dibs on the shower" I said with a yawn. I had a quick hot shower to get rid of the grime from the travel. I found a couple of robes in the closet and came out wearing a robe and my hair in a towel. Adam was ready with toiletries in hand.