She
began the ritual of arranging herself on the chair just so. Book to the left. Margarita
to the right. Lying prone, she reached her hand around and pulled the thin
string that held her swimsuit top in place. She hated tan lines.
Soaking
in the heat, her body warmed like a stone on hot pavement in summertime and she thoroughly relaxed into semi-consciousness. Her mind drifted as unfamiliar birds harmonized creating a symphony of soft background sounds.
That
is until the swelter of the hot Arizona sun warned her she’d forgotten
sunscreen for her back. Her skin was already tight from yesterday and hadn’t
yet turned its customary golden brown. She knew to be wary of Mother Nature.
Hearing
the subtle turning of pages, she angled her face in the direction of the sound. She had to squint to see who was sitting in the chair next to her. Hmmmm....
Did
it really matter who she asked for help? She didn’t know anyone here anyway.
Gathering
some chutzpa, she spoke up.
“Excuse
me. It could be quite scandalous if I attempted to lotion my back at the
moment. Would you mind terribly if I asked you for help?”
The
rapidly changing hue of her back was nothing compared to the color of his
face when her words actually registered with his brain. She noticed and was almost embarrassed
she'd even asked.
“Uh,
sure. Should we introduce ourselves first?”
“Not
necessary, do you think?”
Tilting
his head slightly to the side he thought, “Somebody’s got to do it.”
Squeezing
SPF 30 into his left hand, he began the application process along what seemed like an unending expanse of her “unsuited” spine. Trying to appear as discreet possible
as his hand approached her bikini bottom, the glint off his ring sent reflections like daggers into his eyes.
“Your
legs look like they’re getting fried too.”
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33-333
words for the third definition of:
Color
(noun)
3:
complexion tint:
a: the tint characteristic of good
health
b: blush
