“When we were in the jungle, I told you I’m an heir to a small fortune.” He looked around the room and sat on the floor, leaning his back against the wall farthest from the bed.
“I thought you were joking.” I sat on the bed, folding my knees to my chest.
“That’s on you. Look, I understand. Errors of omission are the same as lies. And, maybe I’m a little guilty of that, but honestly, I only lied to you twice.”
I twisted my mouth and raised my eyebrows.
“Our first day, on the beach. As we were walking, a group of girls passed and said, ‘Hi, Avi.’ I told you I knew them from Chabad. That was a lie. I’d never seen them before. Then another group passed, same thing. Those are my two big lies.”
“Why did you lie about something so stupid?”
He got up and sat down on the bed next to me. When he reached for my hand, I pulled it back.
“When I found you on the beach, I watched the expression on your face and didn’t see a flash of recognition,” he said. “After I told you my name, you looked at me like I was a nut case.”
“Get to the lying part.”
“You met a beach bum, but you let me sit down. Then you agreed to have dinner with me--Avi, just a guy you met on the beach. If I told you the truth about the girls who knew my name, you’d have expected an explanation.”
“Possibly,” I said, knowing full well he was right.
“Then you offered to pay for our dinners, and it hit me. You had no ulterior motive other than you wanted to be with me.”
“I’m sure the girls you dated were with you because you're sexy, smart, and funny. Not because you’re rich.”
“You’re beautiful, intelligent, and extremely naïve. Do you think the average girl would sit on the beach, drink cheap wine, and eat gummy bears with me?”
“Absolutely.”
“Wrong. Most of them expect five-star restaurants and expensive gifts. You feared me using you. I’ve feared that with every girl I ever met until you. And, frankly, I liked feeling wanted for just being me.”
“That’s the problem. You weren’t you. The you I read about on Google dates super models, not plain, unemployed bond traders. Listen, I’m okay with being a beach-side fling. Why you chose me, when you could have any girl, I don’t understand. But you did, and I knew exactly what I was doing when I invited you into my bed. But the lying makes me feel stupid and humiliated.”
Again, he reached for my hand. I didn’t pull it away, but I couldn’t look him in the eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “It was selfish. I liked believing that you wanted me and not the stupid image the Internet projects. I do live a boring life with my dog. I haven’t dated anyone seriously in a couple of years. In fact, I haven’t gone out with anyone for months.”
“I don’t believe that. Your family is the social crème de la crème in Israel. I’m sure you spend a lot of time at dinners, parties, and charity galas.”
“I guess you could say I do.”
Now I turned and faced him. “A half a second ago you said the opposite.”
“I eat Shabbat dinner at my sister’s house every week. Last month, my nephew turned five and had an awesome party packed with other five-year-old kids. As for charity functions, it’s been a while for one of those. Israel isn’t as big on charity events as the United States.”
I dropped my head to my knees. “I really like the man I met on the beach, but why are you wasting your vacation with me?” The tears rolled over my knees and down my shins.
“I’ve had enough of this bullshit.” He grabbed my face and kissed me full force. “Did you feel that? That’s why I want you. From the moment I saw you, I wanted to jump on you like some caveman. You looked like a 1950s movie star with your hair falling in waves down your back and those huge green eyes. I spent hours combing that beach for you. And then it turned out that, in addition to being gorgeous, you’re smart, fun, and amazing in bed. What’s not to want?”
I bit my bottom lip. “I’m not a super model.”
“Then the modeling world is missing out on major talent.” He kissed me again, but I pulled away-sniffling.
“For the next eight days,” I asked, still sniffling. “Could you just be gummy-bear-and-cheap-wine Avi. Not the rich and famous Dr. David Avraham Gold?”
“I’m always gummy-bear Avi.” He pulled me into his arms and, once again, the bed was much too small.
Chapter 11
Don’t get me wrong, I love being this close to you, but if we don’t get out of these damn single beds, I’m going to spend the next month in a chiropractor’s office.”
I tossed my leg over him and skimmed my nose across his cheek.
“Seriously,” he said. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but put some clothes on. There’s a king-sized bed a few blocks away reserved for us.”
“Is that rich Avi or gummy-bear Avi talking?”
“Aching-bones Avi.” He spooned against me, flipped my hair out of the way and kissed the back of my neck.
I pulled away. “Stop, do you think kissing me is going to make me want to get out of this bed?”
“No.” He nudged me off the bed. “Put on as little as you can legally walk the streets in and let’s get out of here.”
He carried my backpack on his left shoulder and slung his right arm around my waist.
“I’m still expecting you to do some explaining. You’re not completely forgiven yet,” I said.
“Do you get seasick?” he asked as we passed through the lobby.
“Excuse me?”
“Do you get sick on boats? It’s a very simple question.”
We climbed a flight of steps and stopped in front of the first door on the right. He unlocked the door. “I’m waiting,” he said, leaving the door closed.
“No, I don’t get seasick.”
“Great, tomorrow we’ll rent a cabin cruiser and spend a few days moving from island to island.”
“But this hotel room is paid for.”
He rolled his eyes, “So?”
“Do you know how to drive a boat?” I asked.
He pulled me close. “I live in a country where every one of our neighbors hates us. The only friendly neighbor we have is the sea. Yes, I can ‘drive’ a boat.” He kissed my cheek. “You’re so cute.”
Finally, he opened the door, and I could see inside. The cream-colored marble floors gleamed, not wanting to smudge it, I kicked off my flip-flops and noted the coolness of the stone, on the bottom of my feet. Teak paneling covered the wall behind the bed, and a soft light emanated upwards from fixtures encased in a teak wood box that ran the perimeter of the room. A large television rested on low teak wood cabinetry. “Wow, this place is nice.”
“Not bad,” he replied.
“Ah, the life.” I flopped onto the bed and relished the softness of the down comforter. For a hot country, these people seemed to have a real affinity for heavy comforters. “This room smells amazing.” The sweet scent of the plumeria growing outside our window seeped into the room through the plastic louvers, covering glassless windows. “Could we call out for a pizza, crawl into bed, and watch movies all night? I haven’t watched a movie in weeks.”
“You’re funny. Do you really think there’s pizza delivery here? We’re not in Manhattan. But, we can walk to the closest pizza shop and buy one to-go, stop for a bottle of wine, and then watch a movie. Hopefully, we find a channel with English movies or subtitles.”
“If not, you can translate. Let’s go.”
***
The next morning, we walked to the marina and found a guy willing to rent us his boat. Avi negotiated a deal with him and handed over a wad of cash before the guy relinquished the keys.
“I can’t do this alone, so you’re getting a boating one-oh-one lesson.” He picked up our backpacks from the dock and tossed them onto the deck.
“Yes, Captain.”
Within an hour, we sailed out of the marina into the open sea. The cornflow
er blue sky was cloudless. The water was clear enough to see fish swimming below the surface. If it was possible, he looked even hotter standing behind the wheel. I sat behind him, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the wind on my face.
“That’s one thing I hated about Pittsburgh--no ocean. Farthest inland I ever lived.”
“What did your dad do when you lived in Washington?”
“Israel’s Ambassador to the United States.”
“I should have guessed that. Let me guess, he’s considering running for prime minister next.”
“Please, don’t give him any ideas. My mother would kill him. More likely it will be my sister, Aviva, who runs someday. She has a seat in the Knesset. Once she’s finished having babies, look out, Israel.”
“A chip off the great-great-grandmother block. Do you ever visit your parents in New York?”
He turned and looked at me. “Yeah, I try to fly over for a long weekend every six weeks or so. With my job, I’m in the United States quite a bit--conference, seminars, and other shit. Certain times of the year, I feel like I live on airplanes.”
“Is that why you took this long summer vacation?” I moved from the bench behind him to the chair next to him and smiled as the wind fluttered his dreadlocks.
“No.” He got a faraway look in his eyes and sat quietly for a few moments. “I got sick of being lonely and needed to get away.”
I stroked his hand. “I can’t imagine you being lonely.”
“Every Friday afternoon I play soccer with a group of guys. We’ve been playing together for years. I’ve been to all their weddings, brits, and baby-naming ceremonies. I’m the only one left who isn’t married. Every night, I leave work, stop for some type of unhealthy food, and go home to Brutus. My world felt empty. I called Sam and said I’m coming to hang out for a few months. He makes me laugh like no one else. So here I am, running away from my life.”
“Mine’s not so great either, and I don’t mean just my brother. But we have six days, so let’s forget about our real lives and enjoy today.”
***
A few hours later, he eased the boat into a small marina. Only a scattering of boats lined the docks. Avi shut down the engine and climbed onto the weathered boards. I watched from the deck, as he tethered the boat to the dock cleat. As he worked, he kept a running commentary on boat docking procedure, explaining how and why the rope had to be wrapped a certain way around the cleat. I nodded in feigned interest to hide my true fascination, watching his muscles flex and stretch as he worked.
“Finished,” he announced. “Let’s explore this island.” He reached for my hand and helped me step from the boat onto the weathered planks of the dock.
From the end of the dock, a man with a bucket hat pulled low over his eyes waved at us. We walked to greet him. He said something in Thai while pointing to the dock and then to a small building halfway between the beach and the road. Avi responded in Thai, and we followed the man into the building.
I wandered around, looking at framed grainy pictures hanging on the wall. Ten minutes later, Avi was by my side. “Dock space paid for--let’s go,” he said, ushering me to the door.
“They told me the beach is only a fifteen-minute walk. Want to swim?”
“Sure.”
We went back to the boat; stuffed a few water bottles, my mat, and a couple of towels into my beat-up beach bag; then headed straight for the beach. Avi ran into the azure surf, and I opened the mat onto the soft beige sand.
Forty-five minutes later, Avi emerged from the surf. His body glistened with dripping salt water.
I watched him walk toward me and forgave myself for being happy. Hopefully, Jack would forgive me. This moment was my once-in-a-lifetime. It would be the beautiful memory I’d revisit during the cold, lonely Pittsburgh nights.
He reached the towel and did the hair flip thing. “You’re too dry.”
“That’s a bad habit,” I replied, mopping the water off my stomach.
“The reef isn’t far off shore. If we can locate a place selling equipment, we could go snorkeling.”
“That sounds fun,” I said, as he settled next to me.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said.
“No, no!” I shook my head. “Dr. David Avraham Gold thinks. You’re supposed to stay sexy, beach bum Avi with a hot body and great hair.”
“Shut up,” he said, flopping onto his back. “This is serious.”
“Fine, I’ll tolerate the PhD for a few minutes.” I ran my finger along his inner thigh.
“You leave on the fourteenth, but don’t start work until September first, correct?”
I nodded, wondering where he was going with this.
“Instead of flying back to the United States, come to Israel with me for ten days.”
The request knocked the wind from my lungs. “Excuse me? What did you say?”
He grabbed my hand. “Ten days in Israel with me. I promise to have you in Pittsburgh in time to start your new job.”
I shook my head. “You’re not leaving Thailand until September twenty-first. What about Singapore and Hanoi?”
“I’ve been to both places, and I’ve lived in your town. I want you to see mine.”
Panic pounded through me. This was supposed to be an eight-day fling. “I don’t understand.”
“I’m asking you to give me ten more days of your life. Come to my world.”
I shook my head and stood up. “I can’t.”
“Why not? Please don’t use money as an excuse.”
The tear ducts opened. “I need a minute, okay.” I ran to the water’s edge and plowed into the surf. It felt soft and warm against my skin as I dove into the water. I didn’t want him to see my face or my tears. If I went to Israel with him, it would pop this amazing Thailand bubble. Mentally, I prepared myself to say goodbye on August fourteenth. Ten more days would just make it harder to leave him or ruin everything we had here. All these wonderful memories would be clouded by the disaster of an Israel trip.
I swam straight into the waves. Once I reached a place where the water was over my head, I stopped and bobbed, facing away from the beach. I needed the memories of this trip to remain perfect.
Fifteen minutes later, I returned to our spot in the sand. “It’s just not a good idea. Maybe someday, I’ll get to Israel, look you up, and we could meet for coffee or dinner. I’ve accepted our beach fling, and the memory of this will stay in my heart forever. But, you’re not thinking rationally.”
“It doesn’t have to be a fling.” He linked his fingers through mine and pulled me down next to him.
I ran my free hand over his cheek. “Yes, it does. When you go back to your world, you’re a different person--an important person. I’m going home to work a boring job and live with my father. Do you understand? Outside this bubble, I’m not going to be so attractive to you. But, if we stick to the plan, you’ll always remember me the way you see me now.”
“That’s complete bullshit. You have the most bizarre sense of logic of anyone I’ve ever met. What you just said is the equivalent of never eating Pizza Hut in Thailand because it could never be as good as Pizza Hut in Pittsburgh--It’s the same pizza! You’re the same person in Pittsburgh, Thailand or Tel Aviv.” He shook his head and stared down at the ground. “Your thinking is just wrong.”
I gazed at his eyes, glowing nightlights in the darkness of my life. The memory of his eyes and the way they ignited my body and heart would be my most prized possession when the pain of loneliness crushed down on me in the night. No matter what happened in my life, I’d always have him, Thailand, and an understanding of what it felt like to be completely and undeniably in love.
I kissed him, hoping to communicate with my lips what I didn’t have the courage to say to him.
He broke the kiss. “Screw logic and talking to you. Have you ever heard the Hebrew word noodnik?”
I shook my head.
“I think the English translation might be badger.”
“A
small animal?”
“No, the verb to badger. I refuse to try and reason with you. I’m going to noodnik you until I get my own way. And, I assure you, if you ask my mother and my sisters, I can annoy you into anything. You will say “yes” just to shut me up.”
“That’s a mature way to get what you want.”
“I don’t care how I get what I want. Just so I get you to Israel for ten days. Now, let’s go back to that boat, so I can pull that bikini off you.”
Chapter 12
He didn’t lie. The forty-eight hours of unrelenting badgering drove me insane. By the time we returned the boat to the owner in Koh Samui, I had buckled, even though my brain was flashing red warning lights.
We spent the rest of the week hiking, riding motorbikes around the island, and lingering on the beach. At night, we made love, over and over.
“The taxi will be here in five minutes,” he said. “Are you packed?”
“Yeah.” I held up my backpack. “Dirty laundry. I’ll dump it at the first massage parlor-slash-laundry I see in Bangkok.”
“Get it washed at the hotel. Let’s go.”
We stood outside the hotel waiting for the taxi. In the distance, the waves continued lapping the shore, and the palm trees continued swaying in the tropical breeze. “Good-bye Koh Samui. Thank you for the best time of my life,” I silently mouthed.
The taxi pulled into the driveway only moments later. The driver took our backpacks and put them into the trunk before opening the door for me. During the ride, Avi talked excitedly about all the places he wanted to show me in Israel. My heart pounded out the word “mistake,” over and over, while my brain strategized ways to keep the memory of Thailand pure. I was walking out of the sunshine and into a deluge of situation I could not even imagine.
“You’re too quiet.”
“No, I’m listening to you.”
“Really? Why do your eyes look a million miles away?” He rested his arm on my shoulder and pulled me close. “Why are you so afraid? We’re going to have a wonderful ten days.”
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