Free Taking the Plunge by E. L. Todd

feel like I’ve learned more in life through experience than anything else.”
    She didn’t know what to say to that.
    “So, if your major isn’t art, what is it?”
    “Microbiology.”
    “Interesting. Do you enjoy it?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “You don’t know?” he asked with a smile.
    “Well, it’s interesting, but…I don’t know. I guess I’m just not passionate about it.”
    “What are you passionate about?”
    She wasn’t sure why he was asking. “I really love to paint. There’s nothing else I would rather do. Sometimes I don’t think about what I’m drawing, just work through my problems. By the time I’m finished, I have a picture right in front of me. The world becomes quiet, the voices in my head disappear. Life doesn’t seem so complicated. It’s peaceful, easy.” She looked at him and saw him staring into her eyes, his expression unreadable. “I know that sounds weird.”
    “Not at all.”
    “Really?”
    He stepped closer to her. “Yeah.” The depth of his eyes made her feel uncomfortable. They were so blue and dark, mysterious in their depth. He leaned closer to her, close enough that she could smell the faint scent of his cologne. He was confident but not cocky, finding the right line but never crossing it. She wasn’t sure how she felt in that moment. A connection formed between, unspoken but ever present.
    The intense look made her feel flustered, so she looked down at her cup, seeing the foam disappear.
    He shifted his weight again then looked at the crowd of people. “So, where do you work, Nancy?”
    “At the aquarium.”
    “Do you like it? Or do you not know?”
    She chuckled lightly. “For the most part. Lately, I haven’t.”
    “Why is that?”
    “My two best friends don’t work with me anymore. It just isn’t as fun.”
    “Why did you decide to work there?”
    She shrugged. “Since I’m a science major, I decided to find a job related to the field. After my friend got a job, she recommended me.”
    “And what do you do there?”
    “I’m a janitor.”
    He didn’t react to her words.
    “I just wanted to get my foot in the door.”
    He nodded. “You have to start somewhere.”
    “So, how long have you been surfing?”
    “Since I can remember. My father and I used to do it all the time.”
    “Why did he stop?”
    “He passed away.”
    “Oh.” Now she felt like an insensitive jerk. “I’m sorry.”
    “Thank you.” He stared into her eyes, never wavering as he held her gaze. “We used to do it every morning. After he passed away, I stopped for a long time because it was too hard for me, made me too sad. I started up again and haven’t stopped. I feel connected to him when I ride the waves, that he’s just a few feet away on his own board.”
    Nancy didn’t know what to say. He just told her something so personal but she couldn’t think of an intelligent response. She was afraid she would say the wrong thing and make it worse. But she was also afraid if she didn’t say anything , it would make her look insensitive. “I’m—I’m glad you still honor him.”
    He took a drink of his beer and nodded. “Can I ask you something personal?”
    “Uh, I don’t know.”
    “You don’t have to answer it.”
    “Okay.”
    “What do you paint?”
    “What?” She was not expecting that.
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
    “No, you didn’t. I just wasn’t expecting that question. You said it was personal.”
    “Artwork is personal. I can’t think of anything more intimate.”
    She stared at him, noticing the curve of his jaw. “Do you paint?”
    He shrugged. “I do a little here and there.”
    “Oh, I wasn’t expecting that.”
    “Why?”
    “I don’t know. I just wasn’t.”
    “So, what do you paint?”
    “Um, nothing in particular. My emotions guide my hand. I don’t do much on my part.”
    “So you do abstract art?”
    “Sorta.”
    “What do you use?”
    “Oil paint.”
    He nodded. “ I use everything. No two