Tuesday

Heat. A lot of heat. It punched your right into the face when you left your air conditioned room. A nice and small room with a queen size bed, a white stone floor that seemed to be the best place to be in case the air con broke down. Two windows at the front, in between a door. All three were covered with long sandy colored curtains. A nightstand, two chairs, a wooden chair, a light brown door to the bathroom. Everything was bright, welcoming and made you feel like you're on holidays. Well, it was a holiday place. Even if the brunette who left the room right now wasn't on holidays. Or was she? She wasn't sure herself. All she knew was she found something that looked like paradise and heaven, seemed to be free of anything bad and a place where everybody was having fun and enjoying life. Exactly the place she had been looking for so many years, maybe her entire life. The place was called Magical Beach and it fitted it just like the shoes had fitted Snow White.

A whole new world, the perfect place for a new beginning. At least that was what the brunette hoped when she put on her shades, locked the door behind herself and walked with slow but steady steps towards the beach. You only had to glaze at it and you knew why they called this place Magical Beach. As far you could look there was nothing else than deep white sandy beach. The bay was about two miles long and a hundred yards wide, she was in the center and the entire two miles were covered with white sand, that ended on one side in the deep blue ocean, waves softly falling onto the sand and huge green palms on the other side. If you were lucky you found a coconut on the beach, if you were skilled you could climb up and get a fresh one and if you were unlucky it fell on your head. The coconut palms were supposed to be the only danger at this place. You liked it less dangerous and didn't like to climb? There were banana trees only a short walk away, you could pick a banana and go back to the beach.

There were around four dozen of little bungalows in this bay, a house that was a shop and restaurant at the same time and the place the brunette was heading to: the bar. Sheltered under a straw roof a round bar with two bartender and a lot of bottles on ice were located next to the beach. You could order your drink and enjoy it with an ocean view. Exactly what she wanted to do. Having a cocktail and watch the surfer waiting for the perfect wave and ride it to the beach, watch the swimmer playing in the little waves at the shore, looking at snorkeling people and waiting for their stories about what they've seen. They came to the little bar sooner or later. To get a drink, to have a conversation, to sit and watch or find somebody who joined them in the water. A little paradise. Her little paradise.

"Good morning Beauty, how did you sleep?"

"Wonderful." That wasn't lie. Had sleeping been a problem for her, since she was on Magical Beach she slept like a baby. No matter what time she went to bed she woke up seven hours later and felt like she had slept for ages. No nightmares, no interruption, only pure sleep. The last thing she heard in the evening was the sound of the ocean, the first thing she heard in the morning was the same sound. Maybe it sounded stupid to repeat this all the time, but it was like paradise.

"Then you slept like you look like." The tall black man sent her a warm smile while he mixed her a drink. He knew exactly what she wanted, she had been here since fourteen days and every day she started her day with the same cocktail. A non alcohol one with a lot of fruits and no ice. Skilled he poured the right amount of juice in the shaker, he didn't need anything to make sure he poured not too much or too less, he just knew without looking. His eyes laid on her, watching her while he smiled with his deep white teeth. A little smirk was in the corner of his mouth when he put the cocktail in front of her and turned to get some fruits that he chopped faster than she could watch his hands move. Bananas, oranges, mandarins, coconuts, papayas, melons and pineapples. Her breakfast.

"Tell me Beauty, what are your plans for today, beside making me happy with your smile and your company?"

"I thought of taking a kayak to explore the bay. If I get the good looking guy at the bar to make me a little lunch packet I'll have a stop on the small island." She sent him a soft smile. He was a reason why she liked her stay here so much. The best company she could have asked for.

"Honey." He leant forward. If other people did something like this she always felt intimidated by their body, their face close to hers. When he did it she felt good, she didn't mind him close, she enjoyed him, his presence and loved the smell of his perfume. The dark eyes sparkled when he talked to her, he always made her feel like she was the only person in the whole universe he cared about even when she knew, she saw, that he did the same with all his other guests. It had to be a special present.

"I'll make everything you ask me to do, but I didn't know you were into trouble."

"Why?" She didn't plan to have any trouble. All she wanted was a relaxed day.

"Because that island is private property, you can't just have lunch there."

"Will you tell the owner?"

"I don't have to, the owner lives there."

"Somebody is living there?" It was a tiny island, she didn't see a house nor a bungalow. Until now she thought it was an empty island, the perfect place to go if you wanted to be alone. Half a mile away from the beach people didn't swim over and there were no boats, only kayaks. If you wanted to rent a boat you had to go on the other side of this island, which took you by car ten minutes and by foot over half an hour.

"Yes."

"Okay. What a pity, it could have been such a lovely place for my lunch. Got another idea for me what to do today?"

"Beside sitting here and spend the day with me?"

"Yes." She smiled.

"Why not get a wetsuit, take a waterproofed camera and take some photos of the corals? There's no wind, the ocean should be calm, the perfect day for some snorkeling."

"You sent me snorkeling yesterday."

"Honey, the bay is huge, I could send you snorkeling for the rest of your life and you'd find everyday something new. It's a living place, it changes every very second. You know that and I remember the look on your face when you came out of the water yesterday, you looked as happy as a beautiful girl can be."

She laughed. He was right. The ocean, the world beneath the side of the water she lived, was breathtaking amazing and wouldn't bore her in a thousand years. He was right, she should have a look again, should explore a new area and find new fishes, shells and whatever else. Maybe she'd even find an old pirate treasure. All right, now she was dreaming.

"Okay, I'll take your advice and go on exploring. See you later."

"You will, my beautiful princess, you will." He blew her a kiss, took her glass and the empty fruit bowl.

She took her shades, walked back to her little bungalow, changed into a wetsuit, renewed the sun crème on her face, the neck, hands and feet and held on for a moment to let everything dry. Even when she was in paradise there was no guarantee that she didn't get sun burnt, so why take a risk? She didn't want any risks in her life anymore.

Like she didn't want any murder in her life anymore. Who would have thought something like this could happen. Sara Sidle, the workaholic, the one who preferred to work than have time off and build a social life, she was since two weeks at this place and she didn't miss anything. No city, no crime, no people. It wasn't enough for her to leave Vegas, go to South America, work in the rain forest, it didn't make the demons leave her alone, they were still there, they waited for her at night. But when she came here to this place with all its beauty, the nightmares stopped and she could sleep. She paid a high price for it, a day was two hundred dollar but for that price she got as many alcohol free cocktails and fruits salads as she liked. There was no housekeeper for her bungalow, nobody who washed her laundry, she had to take care of her twenty square yards castle herself. And she loved every inch of it. From the tiny bathroom to her living/bedroom to the huge veranda in front, where she sat in the evening to watch the sunset. It was paradise and she planed as long as possible to stay here.

With her snorkeling mask, her fins and her camera she went to the beach. Time to explore a little bit more of the bay.

It took her three hours before she came back ashore. Without worrying if they were still there when she came back, she dropped her snorkeling stuff in the sand and walked back to the bar.

"I swear I'm seeing a mermaid right now." Rhys, her bartender greeted her.

"Be careful I heard they eat the hearts of human."

"No, that are sea witches and you're way too pretty to be a sea witch."

"Maybe that's how I catch my prey." She sat on her stool and sent him a wide smile.

"If that's the case I might risk my heart to be yours. What can I get you, Honey?"

"A salad, please."

"Want some bread with it?"

"Of course."

"All right, I'll satisfy your wishes – as usual."

"You're just too good to be true. What would I do without you?"

"You'd miss me because I make your holidays special."

"True." She smiled. Without him her stay wouldn't be as nice as it was. "Got a newspaper?"

"Babe." He sent her the same look he sent her all the days before when she asked for a newspaper. This wasn't the time nor the place to read about what happened in the world. This was another world, one without war, hate and murderer. There wasn't a newspaper in this place. If she wanted the truth, reality and everything that belonged to the rest of the world, she had to travel to the other side of the island. There was a small shop, an internet café and there were bits and pieces of life outside their paradise. People who came here came here because they didn't want to know what was happening around them. They wanted time for themselves, they wanted to be away from everything that made them come here.

"Maybe I want to have a look at the weather forecast."

"There will be sunshine as long as your heart is pure."

She wanted to tell him that her heart hasn't been pure in a long, long time but she dropped the thought. This wasn't the time nor the place for a conversation about her past. She wasn't here to thing about that, she was here because she wanted to be away from everything that haunted her.

"What about books? I could use another book."

"Tell me what you want and I'll order it for you."

"Something that will suit the island and me."

"Robinson Crusoe?"

"Only if you'll be my Friday."

"I can be whatever you want me to be." He put the salad and the bread in front of her. "Want something to drink too?"

"Yes. How about a Caribbean Dream?"

"Am I not your Caribbean dream? Want me to get myself in your glass so you can enjoy me and the taste of me?"

"Sara Sidle is a vegetarian, she doesn't eat nor drinks she any kind of meat. Not even a hot and spicy piece of bartender like you."

This voice hit Sara like a thunderstorm. She knew this voice. She knew whom it belonged to. How could she forget? This smooth and at the same time smoky voice, the arrogance that was in it, mixed with a faint hint of British that sometimes slipped through the words and made Sara think of old movies and books about kings. There was only one person in the entire world who sounded like this.

"Sofia." Sara turned to make sure her ears didn't play a practical joke on her. They had never betrayed her and didn't do it today. It was Sofia. Wearing a deep blue bikini, a straw hat and a short skirt. Her eyes were hidden behind big black shades, the long blonde hair flew softly in the wind and a smug smile was on her lips. Like most times. It was like she wasn't surprised at all to see Sara here while the brunette had to struggle to keep her face straight.

"You know my beauty?" Rhys asked and gave Sara her ordered cocktail.

"Kind of, we worked together." Sofia slipped on the stool next to Sara. It was still impossible for Sara to look into Sofia's eyes, the blonde kept her shades on.

"That's a coincidence."

"Didn't you tell me there are no such things as coincidences?"

"With you my Golden Treasure, everything is possible." He gave her a cocktail without asking her which one she wants. It seemed like Sofia was a well known guest here. And she had to be here longer than Sara. She didn't know why, couldn't put it into words but something about the blonde, the way she sat here, the way she walked, the way she…she was…, told Sara Sofia had spent more time here than she had. You could just see it, see it when people were new here. They were still driven by the force and obligations life put on their plate every day, they had a hard time to relax, to calm down, to find out what was important to them, what was necessary. After a few days you saw them not glazing at their watches not hurrying around, not swearing every morning because there was no newspaper, no stock report, no telephone and no internet. People who stayed here over a week were relaxed, they greeted each other, they didn't bother when their hair wasn't like it should be, they didn't bother when they slept until noon, they didn't bother when they couldn't spend their day in shopping malls and everything was basic by being extraordinary at the same time.

"Since when are you here?" Sofia turned to Sara.

"Two weeks. You?"

"Make a guess."

"Longer."

"Right."

"You won't tell me for how long?"

"Rhys?"

"One year, three months, three weeks and six days. And I remember every single one of these days. In a very, very good way."

"You haven't seen me every day."

"That doesn't mean I didn't wonder and think about you every day."

"Get out!" She laughed. A relaxed and happy laugh. Well, after one year at this place she had every reason to be relaxed and happy.

"Wow. You live here?"

"I work here."

"Golden Treasure is a colleague of mine." The look Rhys sends Sofia tells exactly how happy he was about that. It was a look filled with love. Love not in a sexual way but a very deep love you had for a very close friend or a family member.

"You're a bartender?"

"No. I'm a kind of tour guide."

"Pardon me?" There had to be a misunderstanding. Sofia was a tour guide? Sara found the idea of the blonde being a bartender already strange, to see her walking around with tourists on this island seemed to be impossible. Especially because she hadn't seen any tourists on a tour. What could see here? What was worth a tour? The whole island was beautiful but nothing you needed a tour guide for.

"I take people out to the reef for diving and snorkeling. I'm a certified diving instructor, Sara. I know it sounds crazy to you, but diving has been my hobby since high school."

"You should book some lessons with her, Beauty, she's a really good teacher and can guide you to the best places around." Rhys put a new cocktail in front of Sara, this time a non alcoholic one. "And you planed that anyway."

"I did?" Sara looked surprised at him. "I can't remember I ever said that."

"Not with words, but you thought about it, were only too lazy to have a look for a teacher. Looks like heaven sent you an angel, or the sea a golden treasure. You know, when you find a treasure you can keep it."

"Really?"

"Of course. Finder's keepers."

"In that case I should take some diving lessons so I can dive for all those pirate treasure you tell me about every evening. Maybe your stories are true."

"They are all true, Beauty."

"Before you can start to dive for the treasure Rhys tells you about you need some theory lessons. Diving is more than jumping into the water and start an adventure. It's like science, you have to read up on it, learn it before you can use it."

"Will I be able to go out into the water for a dive or will I spend my time reading? I'm on holidays and I don't want to spend my time in a room and read or listen to a teacher."

"For how long will you be here?"

"Rhys talked me into two more weeks yesterday."

"In that case you'll be in the water. There's a new course starting in three days…"

"Golden Treasure, you can't make her wait another three days, she'll need a week for the theory, why don't you give her the first lection today?" Rhys disagreed.

"I can wait…" Sara didn't want special treatment.

"No you can't. You spend every day snorkeling, you love the ocean and - even if that breaks my heart – you don't have endless time on your hands. Give her some private lessons, Sofia."

"That's the first time since I've arrived that you called me by my name." Sofia said surprised. It felt strange to hear her name spoken by her friend.

"That should tell you how serious I am."

"You don't have to…" Sara tried again.

"Shush, you heard that man. Who am I to deny him a wish? It's the first favor he asks me for and I got so many from him. I hope you don't have plans for this afternoon, you'll get a book and your first lesson."

"But…"

"Don't you dare to fight with me, Sara Sidle. You don't fight on Magical Beach, you take the offers somebody makes you and you're grateful. That's it. Besides you'll pay me for the lesson, I'm doing my job."

"Okay."

"Good. Get yourself ready we'll start right away."

"Didn't you say I need a book…"

"Rhys?"

"It's all yours, Beauty." He handed Sara a book. "I'm the keeper of books. Not only novels also everything you need for your dive license, boat license and every other license you can make here. I'm your everything, Beauty."

"Looks like." Sara smiled. That was a strange change of plans. Instead of another afternoon in the ocean, snorkeling, taking photos, she'd become a student and work on her dive license. She wondered if she would ever need this license again after she left Magical Beach. But leaving this place was definitely nothing she wanted to think about now.