by S. E. Rose
I crawl into my mom’s guest bed and we exchange back rubs. It’s a tradition we’ve had since I was a little girl. She gives me a kiss goodnight and leaves me to sit in the dark and ponder my thoughts in silence. Am I ready to do this? Can I do this? I need to do this. Eventually, sleep comes and I drift off making mental notes of things I’ll need to do in the morning.
Chapter 2
Lily’s Playlist: “Ashes” by Embrace
The flights actually go well. I make my connection in Houston and then land in Quito, Ecuador, in the evening. I grab a cab to the Marriott in downtown Quito and check in for one night. Tomorrow I’ll catch my flight to the Galapagos.
I’ve been wanting to go there my whole life and now it’s happening. My mom totally wanted to come along, although she’s already been there. But alas, Mom had a media event for her new book that she couldn’t get out of and so I am meeting up with my crazy cousin, Zoe. Zoe is about eight years older than me. She’s awesome. She used to babysit us when we were little. Her mom, Kristen, is my dad’s sister. They live nearby, and she always was the older cousin who was the bad influence. My other cousin, Zoe’s younger brother, who is only two years older than us, is less fun. Rob is funny, but he’s also serious about school and work. He has fun, up to the line, you know that line? And then once he reaches it, he retracts back into his little safety zone. So yeah, I hang with Zoe more often. She’s definitely a fun, older bad influence.
Zoe is a nurse. She works these crazy schedules at a local hospital PICU where she works two days straight and then has a week off. She also makes bank only working eight days a month. I know, what a beotch, right? So of course, when Nick and Mom couldn’t come with me because of their busy schedules and Maya and Eva couldn’t afford it, Zoe stepped up and said, and I quote, “Hell Fucking Yes!!” So we’re going to have a killer time, no doubt.
I wake early knowing that Zoe got in some time after me last night. I call the front desk and am immediately connected to her room.
“Are you ready to party?” she answers.
“Yes!” I exclaim. “And you’re damn lucky it’s me and not your mom!”
“Whatever, Mom would never call me on a trip unless someone is dying or dead.”
“Breakfast?” I ask.
“Sure, meet you downstairs in five,” she replies. I hang up and look around my room to make sure I have everything. Toiletries, check. Clothes, check. Awesome sense of adventure, check.
OK, so I’m ready to go. We grab a quick breakfast of fresh fruit and yogurt and then check out before heading back to the airport. Our flight leaves on time, and several hours later, voila, we are in Santa Cruz. We catch a taxi to our small eco-hotel in Puerto Ayora. Then we catch a boat across the harbor and are greeted by paradise. There’s a cute little beach, pool with a bar, restaurant, and little villas along a pathway. This will be our home for the next week. Zoe hates cruises, so the only way she agreed to come was if we stayed put and took day trips out to various islands. I caved and here we are. Our room is one of the last ones down the path. It’s quiet back here and I can’t wait to fall asleep tonight to the sounds of the ocean.
“Mine,” Zoe yells, claiming the bed by the window. I groan. Zoe gives me a look before conceding defeat and giving me the coveted bed location. “Just so I don’t start off on your shit list,” she adds while sticking her tongue out at me in a completely juvenile action. I may have a bit of a temper problem. The doctors said I had some attachment issues when I was small. I’ve had years of therapy and my anger is easier to control, although it still boils to the surface way more often than most people’s. It sucks. I don’t like feeling this way, but it’s so hard to quell my anger. Almost everyone rubs me the wrong way at least once a day. Well, everyone except my dad. He was my calm place. I used to blame everyone else for everything. I do realize it’s a problem in my head now. That was a big epiphany that helped me deal with things. My dad was the only person who ever was able to help me with it. I just couldn’t stay angry with him for long.
I shake my head and refocus my thoughts, time to unpack. Zoe and I put away our clothes in record time and make our way to the bar for drinks. Two piña coladas later and I can officially say that I feel like I am on vacation in a tropical paradise.
“Cheers!” Zoe says, clinking glasses with me. “May our adventure be totally sick and may we find hot guys to make out with in this tropical refuge!” I laugh out loud and nearly snort the piña colada. Zoe can be so crass. She was always a little more, how do I say this politely, “into guys” than I was. Not that I bat for the other team, I love guys! Although the few times I’ve considered swearing off of them forever, my lesbian friends have assured me that things aren’t all sugar and spice for them either. So basically we are all f’ed! Fan-fucking-tastic!
“Maybe you can finally get laid,” Zoe says way too loud.
“Please, Zoe, let’s announce my virginity to the entire resort. I’m sure the cook and gardeners out back didn’t hear you,” I hiss.
“Relax, you’re on vacation. For once in your life, don’t be so uptight!” she says and goes to order a third drink.
I sigh and look out at the ocean. In the far distance, I can see Santa Fe Island, where we will go tomorrow. I stir my piña colada with the small umbrella stuck in it. I’m about to take another sip when I sense movement from the corner of my eye. There weren’t many guests here yet when we arrived so it’s been mostly Zoe and me all afternoon. I glance to my left and see two men walking down the pathway to the front office. They are in their late twenties, early thirties and they have to be brothers. They are both over six feet tall with similar builds. They both have dirty-blond hair and they both have a matching tattoo on the side of their right arm just above the elbow. I squint to see what it is, a Gemini. Twins? Something about being a twin makes you seek out the company of other twins. Twins just get twins, what can I say?
I feel Zoe nearly maul me down as she comes back with two drinks in her hands.
“Jesus, girlfriend, slow down,” I whisper at her, trying not to draw attention to us.
“Sorry, I got distracted by the eye candy that just arrived,” she says as she sets another drink down in front of me. I roll my eyes and look at her. She’s watching the hotsy twins as they walk by us and up the stairs to the office.
“Puh-lease,” I say, sounding out the word, “I’m sure there’s plenty of ‘eye candy’ or whatever around here. I mean, I hear the Charles Darwin Research Center has people from all over the world. We can literally go into town and meet guys from five other continents.” Her eyes perk up even more at my last statement. Great, I’ve unleashed the monster. “You are like the world’s worst oldest cousin, seriously. Stop trying to corrupt me.”
“Oh, come on. It’s like my God-given duty or something. That’s my reason for existing.” She smirks at me. I roll my eyes again. I think my eye muscles may be sore by the end of this trip.
We watch the other guests arrive. There are a few older couples, a few couples in their thirties, another group of women close to our age, two women who look to be nearly seventy, and a couple in their forties with two teenagers. By the time dinner rolls around, we are feeling our six piña coladas. Zoe definitely could drink me under the table. She goes out more than I do, which is impressive. She’s also like four inches taller than me and way more filled out than me. I’m a twig that never got over 5’4”, much to my mother’s delight, she never wanted her children to outgrow her. But right now, I’m wishing I was taller like my twin, Nick. Nick is around six feet tall and can definitely hold many more piña coladas than I can.
“Earth to Lily,” Zoe chimes in on my stream of consciousness.
I smile at her in my drunken haze. “Yes, sunshine?” I say.
“OK,” she starts, “you are cut off for tonight.” She takes the rest of the piña colada I ordered with dinner and downs it in one giant gulp.
“Show off,” I sneer.
“Damn right,” she says and
I laugh.
A staff person from the resort interrupts dinner to announce that those going on the boat tomorrow need to be down by the pool at 7:30 a.m. Folks start to leave after the announcement, but I take my time with my chocolate cake. It’s delicious.
“Sometime tonight, slowpoke,” Zoe groans. “I want to crash before this alcohol wears off.”
I roll my eyes for the fourth time in the last three hours. I place my napkin on the table and stand.
I glare at her and turn abruptly to leave and run right smack into someone.
“Whoa there,” says “the someone” in an American accent.
My eyes slowly follow the sound of the voice. My chin lifts up and up and up until I lock eyes with one of the twins from earlier. He was wearing sunglasses when he arrived, so I couldn’t see his eyes, but now that I’m studying them, they are indeed lovely. They are an aquamarine blue with little flecks of green scattered throughout the irises. He has the slightest trace of freckles across his nose and cheeks. His skin is tanned and he is definitely toned and muscled as his body is solid against mine.
My cheeks burn as I realize I’ve stared a moment too long.
“Hmm…sorry,” I mutter and step back.
“No worries,” he says with a grin. Damn, even his lips and teeth are perfect.
“You ladies going on the boat tomorrow?” he asks as his brother comes to stand next to him.
I’m momentarily impaired and can’t muster the power of speech. Thank God for Zoe!
“Yep, we’re going,” she replies, smiling up at them. “I’m Zoe and this is my cousin, Lily.”
“Nice to meet,” says the brother as he stands next to hottie number one. “I’m Cody and this is Lance.”
I nod at them. Great, my neck is at least functioning.
“Well,” says Zoe, clearing her throat, “we’re pretty tired from all the traveling, so I think we’ll head back and get a good night’s sleep.”
“Right, see you tomorrow,” Lance says and glances in my direction. I muster a smile and then dart toward our room.
“Geez, wait up, where’s the fire?” Zoe mutters as she catches up with me.
“I am such an idiot,” I say, leaning against our door as she unlocks it. “I couldn’t even manage a sentence, a word for that matter.”
“Well, you can work on your speaking issues mañana.” Zoe emphasizes the last word. “I mean we have all day with them.”
I groan and head toward the shower. I toss and turn all night. I finally give in and take a Benadryl which eventually helps me sleep a bit. I really hate to do it, but it’s not sleep medicine and I need sleep.
Chapter 3
Lily’s Playlist: “Closer” by Tegan and Sara
I feel slightly refreshed when my alarm goes off at 6:30 the next morning. At least I got about five hours of sleep, which for me isn’t too bad. I roll out of bed and decide I actually need to look semi-decent. FML! I shower and shave and pick and pluck and all that fun stuff. Then I put on some waterproof mascara and scented lip balm. I don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard. I throw on my new turquoise bikini and yellow sundress with sandals. I grab my Maui Jims and bag just in time for Zoe to come out of the bathroom. She is well-endowed like my mother. I, on the hand, look like I haven’t finished going through puberty. She looks amazing in her red bikini and white cover-up. Unfair!! She has beautiful straight blonde hair and I am stuck with my dark brown wavy mess. Unfortunately, I did not pack my straightener, too much effort in the tropics for five minutes of straight hair.
“OK, speak no evil.” She smirks. “Today you actually will need to dialogue.” I nod.
We eat breakfast and Lance and Cody meander in near 7:15. They both grab a coffee and a croissant. As they sit down next to us, the man from yesterday announces that those going on the boat will need to meet in 15 minutes. I finish my coffee and grab my bag.
“OK, let’s go,” I say to Zoe as I make my way toward the pool.
“Hey, where’s the fire? Wait a minute, I’m not done with my coffee,” she whines. Cody and Lance glance over at her and she gives them a flirty smile and wink. “You won’t like me when I’m caffeineless.” She smirks. She chugs her coffee. I roll my eyes for the millionth time this week and walk ahead of her toward the pool. I find a lounge chair and lie back on it. I need a moment to calm myself. I look up at the sky through my sunglass lenses. It’s a beautiful day. Only a few puffy white clouds slowly make their way across the vast blue that is above me. I shut my eyes for a moment and listen to the waves. Then, as though a storm cloud has rolled in, the sun is suddenly gone. I shiver even though the temperature is still balmy. I open one eye and see the outline of a man standing over me. I squint, and Lance comes into focus.
“You’re blocking the sun,” I state as I let my eyelids close.
“Uh, yes, I guess I am. Sorry about that.” He shrugs, looking not very apologetic when I open an eye to re-examine his face. “I was wondering if you have any AA batteries? I forgot to bring some and my camera is about dead.”
Men! I think to myself. I reach over and push my hand down into my bag. Thank God I was raised by my mother who pretty much carries around a bag that I swear is the one Hermione used in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Somewhere at the bottom, I find two AA batteries rolling around and I grab them.
“Here,” I say, pushing them into his hand as I stand up.
“Thanks,” he mumbles and fidgets with his underwater camera. I make my way over to Zoe who, shocker, is flirting with Cody. I swear I can’t leave that girl alone for five seconds.
“Come on, Zoe, it’s time to board,” I say as I continue walking past her toward the guide who is now ushering everyone in the direction of a large yacht.
Zoe catches up with me halfway down the path.
“What the hell is your problem?” she asks. “Lance and Cody are seriously cute and you’re acting like a total bitch!”
I turn my head and practically see the smoke coming out of her ears. I stop myself from rolling my eyes as I know that this day trip will not end well if I do that. I take a deep breath and steady my emotions.
“Sorry,” I mumble only because I know that’s what a normal person would mumble, but I’m not really sorry. I don’t even know these guys and I just wanted one moment to myself before Prince Charming had to cut it short.
“Listen,” Zoe starts, “I know you’re not crazy about new people and I know you wanted a second for yourself, but this day can be salvaged. Let’s have fun!” She waves her arms in the air and does a spin. She looks so ridiculous that I bust out laughing.
“Fine,” I say, quelling my giggles. I can’t really stay mad at her too long, she’s just too damn ridiculous.
We reach the boat and I take a seat on the front bow, stowing my bag underneath. A deckhand comes up and suggests I leave the bag inside a compartment that lifts up so it won’t get wet. I thank him and toss my bag inside. I walk up to the railing and cross my arms on it while I place my head on my arms, so I can stare out at the water. It’s beautiful and clear. Zoe joins me resting her elbows on the railing and leaning over to get a better look.
“And this is why today is going to be epic!” she exclaims and motions to the natural beauty around us. I smile and nod. She’s right.
The captain does some announcements about the day and some safety stuff. I turn around to listen and see Lance and Cody near the back of the yacht. Lance glances toward me and gives me a nod. I smile. He is very gorgeous and Zoe’s right, vacation should be fun.
I turn back around and watch the boats in the harbor grow smaller as we make our way out to sea. Then I just see water and Santa Fe Island in front of me. I go and grab my camera. It’s a Nikon DSLR that my mom and Jack bought me for my birthday and I’m in love with it. I snap a few photos of Santa Cruz as we leave it and a few of Santa Fe as we head toward it. Then I hear a squeal of delight from Zoe.
“A sea turtle, look!” she shouts over the wind. I look to my r
ight and sure enough, there is a sea turtle. I scramble over to the side of the boat and snap about twenty consecutive photos. I am grinning like a child who just tried ice cream for the first time. I love sea turtles. I mean, love, love sea turtles. My parents took Nick and me snorkeling once and I saw my first one. I don’t know what it is about them, but I’m obsessed. No sooner do I finish paparazziing that one and another pops up on the other side of the boat. I run over and take more photos. I’m so enthralled by them that I don’t even notice someone standing next to me until I back into them.
“Sorry,” I say apologetically as I turn toward…Lance. Shit!
“Why do I feel I might need to wear protective armor when I’m around you?” he asks with a grin.
“Well, I guess my protective force field isn’t working out here,” I say with a smirk. “Normally people don’t walk so close to me.”
He smiles. “Nice camera by the way.” He nods at my Nikon.
“Thanks,” I say.
“May I?” he asks. I nod and carefully remove it from around my neck. He takes it and inspects it closely. “Do you have a wide-angle lens?”
“No, just the telephoto and that one,” I say, pointing at it. “I just got the camera a few months ago and this is the first time I’ve really had a chance to play with it. Do you know cameras?”
He shrugs. “I’ve had one or two.” He pulls out a Nikon point-and-shoot and laughs and I laugh with him. “So, you’re into the sea turtles, huh?”
“Yeah, I can’t wait to get some underwater shots,” I motion to my bag. He looks at me asking permission and I nod. He opens my bag and finds my underwater housing for the Nikon. He inspects it carefully and then places it back inside.