Free Slow No Wake by Dakota Madison

of the shop without a dress. I practically ran out of the mall knowing that one of my Midwest dresses would have to suffice. 
    I sat in my car and tried to let out the remainder of my tears. I had been so angry at my sister for so long, I hadn’t had the opportunity to miss her or even mourn for the loss of our relationship. Not only had Hannah been my sister, she had always been my best friend. I felt more alone than I had ever been in my life.
    When the last of my sobs finally subsided, I decided to take advantage of the beautiful day. In an effort to calm my nerves, I decided to take a walk down the main street that paralleled the beachfront.
    Most of the retail establishments I passed were restaurants and gift shops, but one small place caught my eye: Books by the Beach. The quaint shop looked like it had a variety of books as well as a small area for coffee. I decided to grab a new book and sit down for a much needed break. It was a lovely day, perfect for sitting outside with an herbal tea and clearing my mind. I decided to engage in some people-watching, one of my favorite therapist hobbies. I always enjoying trying to figure out what I thought each person’s story might be. Sometimes, I let my imagination run wild and made up a fun story for the person, couple or group I was sneaking peeks at. Why were they there? What were they talking about? Where were they going?
    When I entered Books by the Beach, there was no doubt that it was going to become a regular hideout for me. I immediately felt comfortable amongst the shelves lined with a combination of new and used books. There was also a smell of fresh brewed coffee and cinnamon buns emanating from the small coffee bar that lined the far side of the place.
    I really liked the idea of being able to sit inside or outside, depending on the weather and my mood. I quickly scanned the shelves for a good book. I settled on Savages , because I had seen the movie without reading the book, but heard it was worthwhile.
    I paid for the book then went over to the coffee counter and ordered a mint herbal tea. There were no other patrons in the place, so I had my choice of outdoor tables. I choose one with an overhead umbrella that still allowed for some sun.
    I relaxed for a minute and closed my eyes as I felt the warmth from the sun on my face. It was so nice to be out of the chilly Midwest weather. Moving to Florida might have been a good decision after all. I took in a deep breath of the clean gulf air. The breeze was gentle and warm. The only sound I heard was the faint call of a seagull in the distance.
    I was finally starting to clear the turmoil in my mind and return to my no wake zone when I could sense someone sitting next to me. I briefly panicked as I wondered what I should do. Then I slowly opened my eyes to see Eddie sitting in the chair next to me staring at me.
    “Hello, Alexandria,” he said in greeting.
    “ Wh-what are you going here?” I stammered.
    He grinned. “Sitting with you.” There was that damn dimple again. The sight of it made my heart race.
    “I don’t remember inviting you to sit at my table.”
    “Hmm,” he said as he reached for my tea. “What are you drinking?”
    Then to my shock and horror, he helped himself to a sip from my cup.
    “You got the mint herbal tea. Good choice.” He took another sip of my tea then placed the cup down between us. Did he really think I was going to share it with him?
    “I also don’t remember giving you permission to drink my tea,” I glared at him.
    Eddie leaned in close and said, “Alexandria, you should know by now that I take what I want.”
    I gulped. He was so close I could feel heat radiating from his body. A shiver ran through me.
    “And you want my tea?” I asked as I instinctively pulled the cup closer to me. 
    He leaned in close enough to whisper in my ear. “That’s not all I want.”
    My throat went completely dry so I took a sip of tea before remembering Eddie had just taken two sips