Inspiration?

[blueerica]

“Miss Tilden?”

“Miss Tilden…?” the young cabana boy asked.

“Oh! Yes?” Mary returned, slightly alarmed.

“Would you like another mai tai?”

“Oh no, thank you though. Could I trouble you for a glass of ice water?”

“Certainly.”

“The hot sun, and recent arrival to St. Lucia made Mary’s head swoon. She pushed her feet into the hot grains until her toes hit the cool, damp, tightly-packed sand underneath. She was away at last!

Mary never thought she’d get there soon enough. Things just got too crazy back in Chicago. Work; her fiancé, Stanley; family; friends; they never could have understood. She no longer needed anyone to understand. Maybe I can start over… A permanent vacation!

She slathered her fair skin with a liberal dose of SPF 50, and pulled her straw hat down until it reached her sunglasses. The waves lulled her to sleep…

… and the waves woke her up.

She saw the glass next to her chair, filled to the brim, beads of sweat clinging to the side, but long melted-away was the ice. Have I been asleep that long? Is that my stomach growling?

Mary stood up, brushed off some sand, and walked toward the resort café as the day’s last sun hit her across the shoulders. A few vacationers were inside, drinking iced tea, and taking dinners. Some were having beer; some were just nodding off in the corners. She ordered her favorite: tuna melt with a tomato inside. Nice, golden, toasted. As she sat and ate, she pondered her last days in the city.

Stan was a bore. Satisfied and smug with his 9 to 5 job at Chicago’s First Bank. When she moved to the Windy City back in ’02, she applied for a teller position at the bank and Stan asked her out on a date, promptly after interviewing her. She thought he was cute, and that he’d do, but three years later, here she is, and Mary wasn’t sure if the southern Caribbean islands were far enough away. A cute local sidled up next to her at the bar.

“Honey, why are you alone here, now?” he asked. “What is your name?”

“Elizabeth,” she replied, “and I’m taking a break from things.”

He stared at her modest chest, just a bit red from the sun, and nicely pushed up by her underwire top. “Well Lizzie, honey, would you like to go dancing wit’ me later?”

“What is your name?”

“Terence”

“Well, Terence, I think it was rather bold of you, asking a strange woman for drinks so quickly, when you hadn’t even introduced yourself. What if I told you I wasn’t interested?”

“I wouldn’t believe you.”

“Hmmm... I’ll meet you here at 8:00.”

With a wink, Terence walked away. Mary looked at her watch. She had two hours to get ready. She settled her tab with the elderly man behind the counter, and walked back to her cabin.

As she sat on her bed she considered checking her cell phone voicemail. It would cost a lot, but she had to know. She explained to the operator that no one was going to answer the phone number she was calling, and that it was a call to check messages.

Message 1
May 25, 2005 7:15PM
“Mary, this is your mother. Call me!”

Message 2
May 25, 2005 9:15PM
“This is Stan. Call me at home, baby.”

Message 3
May 26, 2005 7:15AM
“Call me back, this is urgent. Call the cell. Bye.”

Message 4
May 26, 2005 8:30AM
“Sarah! Where are you? You didn’t show up for work, and I can’t find you anywhere. Crazy sh!t’s been going on, and I can’t find you anywhere! Sutherland box got broke into and everything’s fvcking gone. Cops everywhere, detectives! It’s been non-stop and where the fvck are you? I miss you baby --- “

Mary slammed the phone down. She didn’t need to hear anymore; she knew what she needed to do next. Fvck, fvck, fvck! She let her head fall onto the pillow, closed her eyes, and planned her next move.

One phone call to the airlines later, and she learned she could get to Venezuela pretty cheaply tomorrow morning. Damn.

She changed into a white linen dress, and opened her safe. She removed a gold necklace with a large star sapphire dangling on a pendant. This should sell for enough. She stared into the box. All the gems, the diamonds, the gold! Then slammed it shut.

Tonight, fun. Then I can run.