Page 43 of Gulfside Girls
She stood in place and stared. As she did, the sun sank further toward the waterline.
“Ali! Get over here, I’ve got a glass ready for you.” Didi had a bottle of wine and a full glass of white wine. She handed it over, and Ali thanked her.
“We’ve got a tray of cheese and snacks over by Jorge. This is Henry Hawkins. He owns a restaurant about three units over. You have to have his crab cakes.”
“I have had them, delicious.”
“You’re looking like local now, much better.” Henry complimented her on her kaftan.
“Ha, well, courtesy of Didi.”
He sure was handsome, and casual, and cool. Ali realized she was having high school-type thoughts.Get over it. This is notMTV Spring Break, you old lady!
“We’re similarly vertically challenged,” Didi chuckled.
“It looks lovely on both of you,” Henry said.
“And here,” Didi told Ali, “this is Erica Bell. She runs Morning Bell, the best coffee on the beach. It’s a must.”
“Hello! Welcome! Hey, Didi?” Erica pointed to her wine glass.
The woman’s boho vibe was something Ali aspired to have without knowing it. Cut-off shorts, dozens of bracelets, a colorful smock, and wild steel dreads topped off the look.
“Yes, yes! My apologies.” Didi filled Erica’s glass.
“I’m off tomorrow, my daughter is taking the whole day for me, so I can go crazy!”
“Crazy for Erica is two glasses,” Henry said to Ali.
“Okay,” Didi said, business-like once more. “We have a few hotel guests. I’m going to go make sure they’re enjoying the Grand Finale. If they can’t use the pool, at least they’ll be glad they got some free vino!”
“Good plan,” Erica said. “Here, sit, chill.” She guided all three of them to two chairs and a nearby beach blanket.
“You ladies take the chairs, I’m good on the sand.” Henry plopped down on the beach blanket, and Ali heard a distinct pop.
“Are you okay?” she asked, concerned he’d hurt himself.
“Ah, yes, my knees love making that sound these days.”
“Oh, you know it, mine too,” Erica replied. “And I didn’t even play baseball like this one. I was getting on the ladder, and it was like pop rocks.” The two laughed.
Ali could relate. Lately, getting down on the floor was easy, but getting up, well, that was another story.
“What do you do, Ali?” Henry asked.
“I am the assistant to the manager and event coordinator of Frogtown Convention Center. Uh, well, I was, until a couple of weeks ago.”
“Whoa, that sounds like a lot of work,” Erica said.
“It was. I liked it, though, mostly.”
“Frogtown, I forgot that nickname,” Henry said.
“Ah, yes, we also have the Black Swamp, The Glass City, all Toledo.”
“You were in Toledo, right?” Jorge asked Henry. “For a season?”
“Yep, in my downward baseball career, that was a stop,” Henry said and took a sip of the wine. He said it with good humor.
