When We Dance

He doesn’t introduce me to her. She doesn’t introduce herself. I have no intention of introducing myself.

Things are pretty much set.

“I’m glad we had the chance to chat,” she says to him before looking in the distance. “I need to go now.”

He doesn’t say a word before she spins around and heads to the bar. I look in that direction. A man is waiting for her there.

He’s older them Kai or me, and he’s probably her father.

He turns around to face the ocean again.

“Are you all right?” I ask, setting my drink on the handrail and looking at the water as well.

“Yes. You?”

His voice is deep and calm, like the ocean.

“Everything is perfect.”

He can’t say from my tone whether I’ve slipped some irony in it or not. I’m not even sure I have.

“Found old friends, huh?” I tossed at him before taking a drink of wine.

“Uh-huh…”

Oh, thanks for the elaborated answer.

“She doesn’t like me,” I go on, unfazed.

He flicks his eyes to me.

Finally, I got his attention.

“You wouldn’t say,” he jokes, and we both laugh.

The atmosphere de-tenses, and I feel emboldened to go on.

“She’s someone from your past.”

He doesn’t say a word. I look at him. His bottom lip is rolled under his teeth, crushing a smile.

“Go on,” he says.

“She had a chance with you, but screwed it. I don’t know why…” I continue, looking at the water while playing with my drink before staring at the liquid swirling in my glass.

“She has long dark hair…” I say, a dash of humor tinging my voice.

I don’t get a reaction from him.

I swing my eyes to him.

“Has she inspired your attraction to brunettes?”

“What makes you think she screwed it?”

Nice detour.

“She’s very much hung up on you. Flirting with you and all that. She also thinks she has a chance with you. She must be familiar with your love for dark-haired women.”