Long slender legs in deep red sandals, straps around the ankle, like a snake that made elegant its way up a tree, almost hiding the flower. Thighs touched by soft red satin, slowly moving around white skin, like playing tag, showing sometimes a few inches more of the skin, sometimes hiding a little bit more, sitting tight around the waist, showing off a cute little bellybutton. More skin before more red satin starts again, cupping breasts, smoothly holding them, leaving the shoulder free. Brown hair, still a little bit wet, softly curled, fell on the shoulder, surrounding the long and slim neck. Red lips, pursed in amusement, a coy smile obviously hidden in the corner of the mouth and the cute nose, holding big sun glasses to hide dark brown eyes finished the perfect picture. A picture of a woman Sofia had no other choice than taking a photo of after she got herself out of rigor and could get her eyes off her for a second.

"I think I died and went to heaven." A little bit ashamed of the reaction and the husky voice she cleared her throat. It wasn't like she saw Sara for the first time, they weren't in a kitschy Hollywood movie.

"And I think I should skip the barbecue tonight. There are at least eight pounds too much around my waist. I've my own lifesaver." Sara pinched her skin and grabbed it with both hands. When did she put on this much weight?

"You look so adorable I want you to cover yourself up before all men start fighting over you and I need to shoot them all. And I definitely have a hard time to keep my hands away from you."

"I look like I work in a muffin bakery and not a national forest."

"To me, if my opinion counts in any way, you look like the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Am I drooling already?" The blonde closed her mouth with her hand. "Gosh Sara, you're wow. I love you."

"Stop it." Sara smiled and blew Sofia a kiss. How was she supposed to act like they were only friends when her lover said words like these?

"If you don't buy I'll buy it for you."

"Why don't you try your own stuff on?"

"Will you buy it?"

"I look fat in it…I am fat…"

"Stop talking bullshit and buy it. You look amazing and when you wear it tonight for the barbecue I won't waste any look at my steak."

"Try your things on." Sara vanished in the fitting room of the little beach shop. Of course Sofia said she looked beautiful in this dress, she was her girlfriend, it was her job. Okay, it looked good. No, it looked great and she loved it. It was perfect for the beach and there weren't any reason why she shouldn't buy it. The fat around her waist…it would be there even when she left this outfit in the shop. Her new clothes could be a reason to lose some weight. To make it look better and better on her. Yes, that was a good idea. It was her new motivation. Whenever she felt like having a muffin she'd look at her dress and turn to an apple or a carrot. What a great idea. Losing weight, saving money to have money for another beach trip or something new to wear.

With her new outfit over her arm she waited for Sofia to get out of the other fitting room.

"Talking about fat, I found enough to fry a ton of French fries." Pulling on the skin of her lower body Sofia came out in a white bikini.

"A mermaid in a shop on the beach, nobody will believe me this story." Sara grinned. "Give me the camera!"

"Why? You want to have a photo of fat? My apps are all gone." A few months ago there had been a little six-pack where now was fat. A lot of fat. At least it looked to her like a lot of fat. No wonder she needed two sizes more now. Or one and it was tight.

"Will the bikini turn transparent when it's wet?"

"No, the sign say it stays white and won't let people see what they're not supposed to see."

"Good. I don't want to shoot men and women for hitting on my half naked girlfriend."

"Since when are you jealous?"

"Since I'm with the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

"Don't you trust her?"

"I trust her with my life. It's all the other people I don't trust. Or let me say it this way: if I were solo and saw a woman who blew my mind like you do, I'd try to make her mine, no matter what."

"You don't hit on women, I'm the only woman you were interested in." Sofia grinned. Didn't this make her even more special?

"Get changed, buy it and hurry. We don't have too much time left and you want a beach towel and shot glasses."

"Mostly I want you." What was it with this holidays that made her turn into a horny teenager? Did the heat mess around with her hormones? It wasn't much hotter than in L.A.

"Get in the fitting room, give me your bikini, get dressed."

"Want to undress me?"

Sara knew her eyes said the opposite when she answered: "No." She'd love to undress Sofia. The problem was, this wasn't the right country nor the right place.

"Liar, liar, pants on fire." Sending a mocking look to the brunette the blonde vanished.

A deep breath helped Sara to fight the urge to follow the other woman and do exactly what she had asked her to do. Not the right place. Think of the first evening, the barbecue, the too quiet music…when the bikini appeared over the curtain the brunette took it and went with it to the check-out.

"I owe you money."

"You can pay me later – in something else than money." Sara grinned.

"Really? I think about it. Can we stop over there? I'd like to buy a sarong."

"Sure."

Sofia took a look at the rack. A blue sarong or one with a beach scene?

"How about the orange one?" Sara held up a sarong.

"No, I want a long one."

"Okay…are you all right?" The enthusiasm that had surrounded Sofia five minutes ago was gone.

"Yeah…"

"Your leg." Sara knew when the blonde tried clothes that showed her leg most times she became sad. A bikini was nice, it looked great but it showed everything, without any chance to cover the injuries and the prosthesis. There were more than one or two looks the blonde got today for her leg.

"A little cover when I don't feel like walking around like a cover girl for a medical magazine. Or am I stupid?"

"You are never stupid."

"I feel stupid when I hide and at the same time it gives me some protection. No matter how much I try to ignore it, people stare. Because of my leg. What annoys me most is that I care. For weeks I've talked about it with the therapist, we talk about it, I know there's no reason to hide, to feel ashamed but sometimes I can't use my brain, my knowledge. Why is that so Sara? For what reason worry I?"

"It takes time. That's my therapist tells me all the time. It takes time to learn new things. You have to learn to live with the prosthesis, you haven't completely accept it. Until you haven't done this you will worry. It takes time. Look at your girlfriend, she struggles with her past, with things that happened thirty years ago. Most times I'm fine, can handle them. Sometimes you find me crying. From time to time scars hurt."

"Like hell."

"Want a cocktail to dowse the fire?"

"We don't have time."

"Are we on vacation or at an army meeting? My chick wants a cocktail, she gets one. And her sarong. Buy the one you feel comfortable with and when you can't make up your mind yet, buy both of them. Over there are beach towels, have a look if you like one. I organize you a Margarita, we buy some shot glasses and we stop in the little supermarket for our barbecue and beer. Anything else I can get us?"

"Chocolate…no, there was all this fat…"

"You get chocolate and when you say again you're fat I won't share the bed with you for the rest of the time we're here."

"Ditto!" The blonde turned tables. She wasn't the only one who complained about fat.

"We're both gorgeous looking women and a lot of people would be over the moon when one of us were their girlfriend. We deserve chocolate. And chips."

"I love you."

"You'll love me more when I was shopping. Get your sarong, towel and what else you want and come to the supermarket."

"Okay." How was she supposed to love Sara even more after the brunette was shopping? Right now it felt impossible to love her more, Sofia was already at one hundred percent and more than one hundred wasn't possible, was it?