24th of October

The boat swayed softly on the small waves and made the ocean feeling perfect. Hand in hand Sara and Sofia sat on a table, a hot coffee in their hands and waited for the sun to climb out of the water and up into the sky. It was half past five in the morning, they were awake since one hour, had left the resort with Rhonda and Jeremy, drove to the east side of the island to watch a sunrise from a boat.

Her head on the shoulder of the blonde Sara yawned. For a holiday they had not much sleep last night. First they went back to the bar around nine to play another billiard game, met Jeremy there who taught them a few more tricks while Rhonda was already in bed. It was after eleven when they got back in their room and instead of going to sleep the brunette asked the blonde which inch of her body inspection a few hours before had been her favorite, Sofia couldn't pick only one spot and kissed all of her favorite spots. Sara stopped counting after two dozen.

So their night was short but otherwise exactly what they wanted. And now they had the sunrise they wanted with a breakfast later. It was a tour with twenty people, mostly couple who sat together arm in arm like they did and waited for the sun. There were no clouds on the sky and it was warm.

"We should see the sunset more often at home. It's a beautiful sunset on the beach and we miss it most times." Sofia said.

"When we work and come home late, have to get through the rush hour to get down to Venice, Santa Monica or Malibu it's stress to be on time. If we make it at all and won't get stuck in traffic."

"Yeah." An hour from Silver Lake to the beach was nothing at rush hour.

"But when it's spring, the days are longer and warmer we can take the dogs on a day off to the beach and stay until sunset, have dinner there."

"They'll love it. I guess sunrise and sunset are more holiday activities. You see them while you work. Not with the ocean."

"No, it can be nice in the forest as well; especially when you're up on a mountain. Shall we do this as well? Go to Angeles National Forest very early, get up on a mountain and watch the sunrise?"

"Is it not too close to work for you?"

"No, I like the place I work, it's a park, it's nature, the perfect place for a day off. With the perfect person to be." Sara squeezed her lover's hand. How much in love could you be without being crazy? Or wasn't it bad to be crazy in love? She definitely felt like she was crazy love. Not only today, every day and it felt great.

"Tell me about it. This looks like paradise, my girlfriend is paradise. Compared to you all these nature wonders are boring."

"Ladies, you're both nuts and should have stayed in your room." Jeremy said amused. "Are you sure you're not on a honeymoon trip? You definitely sound like it."

"We practice for the honeymoon. Maybe you should say something nice to the woman next to you too." Sofia suggested.

"Oh no, you told Sara all she has to know." He chuckled and got a slap from Rhonda who sat on his other side.

"She meant me, you idiot."

"Rhonda is very charming."

"Just shut up, the sun rises."

They turned their attention back to the sun. The first bit of it was out of the water. Her camera in one hand and the other hand still connected to Sara's Sofia started taking photos. Sunrise and sunset photos belonged to every holiday trip. Plus it was a good chance to let Jeremy take a few photos of them together. When the first warm rays hit their faces it was like a soft touch. The air had been warm before but there was a difference between warm air and the touch of warm sunshine on your face. Together with the light it made you feel happy, made the day begin in a very good way.

"So beautiful." Sara whispered.

"Like my girlfriend." Sofia got her arm around the brunette. "I love you."

"Love you too."

"Kiss her, for crying out loud." Jeremy complained. "I can't watch you trying to stay away from each other while you hold on to each other. Forget them, if one of them says something stupid they'll get in trouble with me!"

"We try to be…"

"Be yourself, don't be what you think they want you to be."

"We had some stupid comments about us in the resort yesterday."

"You have supporter next to you."

"Thanks for that." Sara smiled and kissed Sofia quickly.

"I hope you kiss her more passionately when you're in the room."

"Definitely. And before you complain more, why don't you hold hands and kiss your wife?"

"She isn't my wife."

"Huh?" Sara saw the ring on Rhonda's hand. It was a wedding band, she was sure about it. There wasn't a ring on Jeremy's hand, she thought it was because he didn't like jewelry or the ring was in his way when he played pool.

"Your ring looks like a wedding band to me." Sara said to Rhonda.

"It is."

"Why does he say you're not his wife? Is he mocking you again?"

"No, he's right. I'm not his wife, this isn't a ring he gave to me. The pair who played billiard with you yesterday, who enjoys the sunrise with you today, isn't married. I'm married to somebody else. It's a perfect place for honeymoon couples, couples in love and affairs. My husband is in the States."

"O-okay." Sara was stunned. The friendly wasn't a couple, they were….cheaters.

"My husband knows I'm away with another man. He's in Michigan with his secretary…not on business. We're not hurting anybody or cheating."

"They call it an open marriage." Jeremy said like he talked about the weather and not the fact he was with a woman, who wasn't married to him. Didn't he feel bad? Jealous?

"It is. We're aware everybody believes we're married to each other, it seems to be obvious. In life aren't all things that appear to be obvious right."

"Tell me about it. When we first met it was obvious Sara and me can't become friends." Sofia grinned.

"Guilty."

"I also didn't believe this arrogant asshole could be a man you can talk about serious things with. He is such a show off when you meet him at games. I felt a few times like spilling my drinks straight in his face."

"While I was sure with this short red hair she had to be a witch. One who hates men and especially me."

"Sounds like you can tell us an interesting story."

"We can…not here but maybe later when we have lunch, a few cocktails."

"Or you come over for a barbecue and a couple of beer. There isn't much time for lunch and cocktails when I remember our time limit in the town correctly." Sofia was sure she could use a few more hours for shopping. With less than four hours they could have a little snack to keep them going. Or skip a few shops for a real lunch.

"Were you the guys who used their barbecue two nights ago?" Rhonda grinned.

"Yes…did you smell it?"

"Our room is above yours. We smelt it, we saw the smoke… and your music wasn't loud enough."

"Oh." Sofia felt how head shot into her head and made it red. Their music wasn't loud enough. Was it a good idea to ask how much they heard, what exactly and…no, it was better not to ask any questions. They should have turned the music louder or go inside…no, turn the music louder. Being outside was one of the thrills they wanted to experience, part of the holiday fun. Maybe they should apologize.

"We didn't hear everything but what we heard…was inspiring."

"Okay."

"You're in paradise and in love. Nothing we don't do as well."

"We should get our attention back to the sunrise…is there space on the card left for our snorkel trip, Sara?"

"Babe, it's a four GB card, we can take a lot of photos."

"How many did you take today?"

"Around fifty."

"That's not too bay. Give me the camera, it's time to take a few photos of you and Sofia. Photos to make the family jealous."

"They paid for the trip." With a smirk Sara handed the camera over. It was only fair to show Marie what they did with the trip she and Mark paid for.