Free Calls Across the Pacific by Zoë S. Roy

arrived, Bob parked the car in a lot, and they headed to the shoreline. They wandered along the pristine beach, felt the wind skimming over the water, and watched the white caps roll in under the bright sunlight. Seagulls squawked in the air over them; flocks of shorebirds and sanderlings hopped around. They walked hand in hand, stepping over and remarking on the clumps of seaweed mixed with grains of sand, broken lobster traps, missing ballasts or runners, strangely shaped pieces of wood eroded by the tides, pebbles, and seashells that lay scattered along the beach.
    The blue-green of the ocean and the salty sea air was refreshing and they were both lulled by the lapping of the waves against the sand. Nina could not deny her affection for Bob, or her attraction to him, which now seemed to swirl around inside her. Dahai was completely forgotten. She stopped to turn, and lifted her face up to Bob’s. She looked deeply into his eyes, her lips parted and she drew in a breath. Her desire for him was as keen as the sea breeze that washed lightly over them. When he bent over her, she wrapped her arms around his waist. Bob embraced her tightly. He felt her trembling. “Are you cold?”
    â€œA little bit. How about you?” she asked, her hand caressing his face.
    He released her from his arms, pulled off his sweater, and eased it over her. It looked like a sack dangling in the wind on her slight frame. “Let’s go back and get my jacket from the car.” They trudged like toddlers against the wind, hand in hand, their arms swinging all the way to the car. He put on his jacket and pulled a backpack out of the back seat. “Let’s go hiking in the woods. It’ll be less windy there.” Laden with the pack, he led the way to a hidden path.
    â€œI’ll hang off your back if I’m too tired to move,” answered Nina with a giggle.
    They hiked along the trail covered with fallen pine needles and withered leaves from the previous fall. Warblers sang cheerfully to their mates while sunshine danced through branches.
    They returned to the parking lot much later in the afternoon, both tired and hot from the long hike. They threw their empty juice bottles and potato chip bags into the garbage bin. Bob looked up into the sky. “It may rain.” He opened the door of the passenger’s seat for Nina, and then slid into the driver’s seat.
    Halfway home, a raging thunderstorm caught them. The downpour fell on the windshield, and the wipers moved up and down quickly, but they were not quick enough to clear the glass. It became difficult to see the road, so Bob slowed the car to check the road signs, and asked Nina to look for a motel on her side of the road. As soon as they spotted one, Bob pulled his car in and stopped at the front door. They got out of the car and rushed to the outdoor hallway. Bob went into the office and checked in. Nina wondered if she should get another room. She hesitated to follow Bob who led the way to a door and opened it with a key in his hand. Bob switched on the light and she was relieved to see there were two beds inside. “Do we have a chance of getting home today?” she asked.
    â€œAre you afraid I’m going to eat you?” He teased her by touching her head. “It’s raining too hard to continue right now. Go dry your hair. It’s wet.” Then he plopped into a chair and turned on the TV .
    When she stepped out of the bathroom, Bob pointed at a couple of Pepsi cans, more potato chips, and some May West cakes on the table. “This is all I could get from the motel.”
    The thunder roared, and the wind blew with rain. Nina sat into the chair next to him. “Well, it’s not too bad for our supper.”
    After Nina called Eileento explain the delay, she went to the window to pull the curtain shut. “Except for the rain,” she said, turning to face him. “I’m enjoying this trip very much.”
    Bob