Page 48 of Sharkbait
Time flies as I fill the canvas with color. I’m in the flow for the first time in what feels like forever.
I’m not sure how long I’ve been at it when I’m startled by a familiar male voice.
“What’s her name?”
I look up, bleary-eyed and confused.
Why is James standing across from me in full scuba gear?
He’s dripping wet and holding his goggles like he just got out of the tank.
“Her, um—her name is Meilani,” I say, my head cocked to the side. “What the hell are you doing here? In scuba gear?”
“Heavenly beautiful,” he says.
“Oh my God.” I put my paintbrush down and stand. Is he really flirting with me right now?
“Meilani,” he explains. “It’s a Hawaiin name. It means heavenly beautiful. Or heavenly flower.”
“Oh.”
And now I’m disappointed he’snotflirting.
“You thought I was sayingyouare heavenly beautiful?” He smiles.
“No,” I scoff. “Of course not.”
“For the record, you are,” he says. “Beyond beautiful.” He scrubs his hand over his head, and some water droplets fly. “But you didn’t hear that from me. I’m trying not to dwell on your beauty too much these days.”
He has to try?
“So.” His tone shifts dramatically, and he’s back to being a jokester. “You new here?”
My head rears back. “AmInew here? No, I’m not new here, James. This is where I work.” I flash him my badge. “Clearly,you’rethe new one. What’s going on?” I lower my voice and lean closer to him. “Are you here because of me?”
He laughs. It’s this deep throaty sound I want to hear again and again.
“You have a healthy ego on you, huh?”
I don’t know what to say to that.
He continues, “It’s okay. You should. But, no, I’m not herebecause of you.”
“You sure?” I say slowly. “Because it kind of feels like you‘re everywhere this week.” My mind flashes back to the diver doing the “hang loose” sign the other day. And then to him holding my hand on Mabel’s front steps. “Oh my God, that was you in the shark tank the other day, wasn’t it?”
“It was. I’m a volunteer tank diver on Wednesdays. My trusty algae scrubber and I make sure everything’s clean and clear for the animals. And the guests. Been doing this shift for about nine months now. But I also pop in on Mondays once a month for a deeper clean.”
“I don’t mean to be a jerk, but you’re a bartender. What qualifies you to be in that tank?”
“Whoa! What a jerk!”
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean—”
He’s still laughing. James seems impossible to offend. Or rattle. In any way.
“Come on, Louise. Surely, you know people are capable of being more than one thing.”
I shrug.
