Chapter 4: Dancing in the Sand

A/N: Ok, here goes. I can't believe it's been so long since I updated this! If you like this, show some interest…I enjoy writing it, so I want to keep at it. I'd appreciate your reviews!

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Karen's Point of View

"Jeffrey, I can't stand this anymore!"

"Sasha, I'm sorry, but what was I supposed to say?"

"You were supposed to say, 'Sorry, Duke, but we just can't afford to keep tabs anymore!'"

"But you let Anna run up her tab all the time!"

"Because she always pays it back by the end of the week!"

I hear the raised voices before I even enter the shop from the kitchen in back, and resist the urge to yell at them to shut up. It seems every day it's the same fight. If it's such a problem, why don't we just get rid of the tab system? Or we can just put a limit on it; make a little sign to set on the checkout desk that says, "Your tab may not exceed 100G." That would solve everything!

Walking quickly through the shop, I consider whirling around to spit something smart-alecky as I open the door. No… I tell myself, knowing it wouldn't work. I guess my parents just enjoy fighting, and if that's the way their marriage works, then who am I to interfere? Well, I'm their daughter, but I guess that means nothing in this case.

It's a bright summer morning outside, and my spirits are lifted the second the beautiful warm breeze caresses my face, slowly sweeping my long, freshly straightened brown hair back behind my left shoulder. Gazing up at the baby blue sky, I spot several friendly white clouds and know they won't be a threat to the day's sunny mood.

What to do today? I didn't really have plans when I walked out the door, and didn't dress for anything in particular. I consider heading down to the mountain, or maybe just the Goddess Pond. It is really pretty down there on such a bright day… Oh, but it just takes too long to get there. Of course, I could cut across Jack's farm, but I know the "Women in the Square" have already been talking about my little Jell-O trip.

Jack was so sweet that day. He really is a nice boy. I wonder how long he will stay here. Hopefully it will be a permanent situation… I think I've got a little crush on him. He's so gentlemanly, funny, charming, cute, witty, and just plain good-looking… I haven't seen a boy like him since…

Well, actually, Kai Bailar is a lot like him. He's got that weak-at-the-knees charm that drives the girls wild and infuriates the men. And, might I mention, he is drop-dead gorgeous. I've never seen a man so beautiful. He radiates confidence and just…makes you like him at first glance.

That's where I'll go. The beach restaurant. I didn't have breakfast, so I'm hungry enough, and I've only stopped by two or three times this summer. Maybe Popuri will be down there. She's a fun girl, cute, funny, smart… I like her. The word is that she was seen kissing Kai on the beach the other day. My mother swears it on her own eyes. Still, I don't know if I fully believe it. I guess it's perfectly fitting, seeing as the two have been practically head over heels for each other since they met all those summers ago.

As I begin walking, my slightly dirtied pink flip-flops slapping the brick street beneath me with every step, I ponder the possibilities of their relationship, leaving the empty chasm that is my own love life to rot in the back of my mind.

What will they do at summer's end? Will Kai leave, as he does each year? It's so sad to see Popuri all through autumn, looking so sad and empty. That brilliant smile almost just disappears for an entire season. I remember just looking into her eyes last year, feeling sorrier for her than I'd ever felt for anyone before.

I pass the church and turn right, in sight of Rose Square now.

I wonder what Popuri's mother thinks about this summer romance. I've seen her eyeing Jack…my Jack…like she would much rather have him for her beautiful daughter. Honestly, I would too if I was Lillia. I mean, Jack…he's grounded. He's got a permanent life now on that farm. Lillia knows for sure her daughter would be happy with him. She observes Jack's life and can easily envision her daughter's fitting perfectly in.

I can't say that about myself. If I were with Jack, I know I'd be here forever. 'Til the day of my death, I'd be living in Mineral Town as Farmer Jack's wife.

But still…If I ever come to the point where I can confidently say I'm in love with Jack Duritz…Nothing else will matter. I'm sure of it. For the man I love, I know I'll give up anything.

Sighing, I realize all I need now is a man to love.

I descend the sand-coated cement stairs that lead down to a spacious beach. Scampering seagulls litter the low tide, and a thick line of seaweed rests against the sea wall. The familiar salty scent of the ocean overwhelms my senses, and I breathe it in welcomingly. The beach has always been my true home. Not in a weird way, though. I mean, I'm not going to say the seagulls are my friends or anything, but here on the beach, it's like nothing else matters. Just staring out at the open ocean, you get this wonderful feeling.

It's like you truly know yourself out here. It's like you can just look out at the calm sea waves and see your life laid out before you. This is the best place to come when you have a decision to make, an important one, or when there's something you just can't understand.

I come here a lot after my parents have a big fight. Not like the one today…much bigger. Sometimes, it gets so bad I'm sure they will start slapping each other. It scares me to death. Occasionally, the screaming gets too loud to just sit there in the kitchen or just lie there in my room, so I sneak out my bedroom window and run away here. Sometimes I'm fuming and sometimes I'm crying. Sometimes I just run out into the waves in my nightclothes, burying myself momentarily beneath the surface of the water.

Then, I get up, of course. I often sit on the sand, but sometimes I leg out to the edge of the dock and sit on the wood, feet dangling toward the water. Sometimes it's an hour, sometimes it's three, before I finally get up and head back home. I climb back in my window, sometimes soaking wet, write in my journal, which I've kept faithfully for three years now, sometimes jot down a song which I'll edit and change the next day, and crawl into bed. It's then that I'm at peace.

I remove my flip-flops before crossing the sand to get to the restaurant. The sand is still wet from the high tide, so my feet sink slightly with each step, leaving defined footprints all behind me. Stepping onto the small wooden deck in front of the beach house, I drop my shoes on the welcome mat and rap my knuckles on the white screen door.

Before the reply comes, I look at the house before me. It's white with a turquoise-ish trim, very nautical. The windows have cute little sea green shutters, and the door behind the screen is the same bright color. I know Kai has plans to paint the roof, or get new shingles, because it's still a dull blackish brown.

After only a few seconds, a masculine voice is heard from inside. "Come on in," it says in a friendly tone.

I fiddle with the handle on the screen door for several seconds before finally getting it to open, then turn the brass knob of the real wooden door before me and push, letting the screen door slap shut behind me as I enter the restaurant.

The interior design is very much the same as the exterior: nautical. The floors are hardwood, and the walls are decorated with a bluish green wallpaper with a sand dollar pattern. A large fishing net hangs just below the ceiling, and I spot several red and white lifesaver rings hanging in various spots on the walls. There's a counter in the back left corner, and Kai appears behind it from a small, western-style swinging door on the back wall. "Hey, there, Karen!" he greets me warmly. "Haven't seen you around here in a couple weeks; how ya been?"

"I've been really good, Kai," I answer with a smile, walking toward the bar until I can rest my elbows on it. "And you?"

He fiddles with the cash register a little before looking up and making eye contact. He grins big and says, "Best I've ever been," with more confidence than ever.

"I'm so glad," I tell him genuinely, and he returns the sentiment with a smile. "So you're open, right?"

"Well, sure, what do you want?"

"Well, whatcha got?"

"Lots of food, but not a whole lot of it is for breakfast. I've got a pizza in the oven and some hot dogs I can put on the grill." He stands on tip-toe to peek over the swinging door. "I've got crab, lobster, shrimp, and fish I can cook up, but it might take a while, or I can make you a tuna sandwich."

"Ooh…" I suddenly realize I don't have any money, and what I want sure as heck doesn't come free. "Hey, Kai, do you keep tabs?"

"On occasion," he says. "What for? You forget your money?"

"Yeah, but if it's too big a deal, than it doesn't matter."

"Well, yeah, I can write you down. What do you want?"

I smile. "Some crab. Some crab with steamed vegetables."

"Ooh, girl, you are makin' my mouth water." Kai grins. "I can fix you that, but it'll probably be near an hour. It's a one-man restaurant, you know."

"It's no problem, Kai." I look around the empty restaurant as he disappears behind the swing-doors into the back kitchen. "Say, is Popuri gonna be around here today?"

He's suddenly back in a flash. "She should be. It depends on the kind of day her mother's having. Some days she doesn't show 'til maybe four, and some days not at all." There's an unusual twinkle in his eye, and I get the feeling that he just told a little fib. I get the feeling that on those days Popuri "doesn't show," she's actually coming around at night. Kai knows I've caught his eye-twinkle and smiles real big. I smile back. "But most days she tries to come in the morning and stay all day."

"So things are pretty serious, huh?" I ask.

"You could say that, definitely," Kai says. "I don't know, I've never really heard of a relationship like ours. It's not really anything official, you know?"

I cock my head to the side a little and squint one of my eyes in a confused expression.

"Well, I guess I worded that wrong," he explains. His eyes dart between me and the kitchen, and he says, "Let me get your crab set." He disappears into the back room momentarily. In less than four minutes, he's back with a small wooden cutting board under his right arm, various vegetables in his hands, and the handle of a mid-sized knife secured between his teeth. As he sets the stuff down on the counter and begins to work, he continues. "It's official…I mean, we're together. But it's not like…it's not like most people's boyfriend-girlfriend deal. I'd call it more serious. It's like we both know for sure we wanna be with each other, know what I'm saying?"

I nod.

"I mean, we're not experimenting, I guess you would say." He handles the knife expertly as he chops a stubborn yellow squash into pretty little slices. "What about you, Karen?"

I am so occupied with his explanation that his question startles me. "Hm?"

He smiles, looking up from his chop-work. "Any guys?"

I roll my head from side to side a little, indicating my tiredness of the subject. "I don't really know anymore. My love life's kind of on the backburner."

"Really?" Kai looks surprised. "I figured you'd be more the type to constantly be dating."

I grin and entertain the thought in my mind. "I guess I would be, anywhere else. There's just a limited supply of guys here, you know?"

"Oh, I know," he says. "There's a limited supply of everything here."

I've forgotten all the parts of the world he's seen. "Kai…"

"Hm?"

"What's gonna happen at the end of the summer?"

He whisks off into the kitchen again and answers loud so I can hear him. "I've been thinking about that a lot, you know."

"Any decisions yet?" I ask him, raising my voice so it's audible to him. My hand finds a stool nearby, and I pull it up to the bar so I can sit. "Have you talked to Popuri about it?"

I hear the clanging of various cooking tools mixed with Kai's voice. "Kind of, and no. The topic's never really been brought up between us, and I don't intend for it to…until I've made up my mind."

"You should see how she gets every year after you leave, Kai." My voice lowers as he reappears behind the counter. "That pretty little smile just fades away for months…It's hard for anybody to have a good time because she gets so low. Her life is pretty much centered on you, Kai."

He sighs. "And mine is on hers."

I give him a doubting look. "Don't leave her then."

"No!" Kai stands erect in defiance. "No, no! I'm simply debating between taking her with me and staying here with her."

"Shouldn't that also be her decision? Her parents'?" I fiddle with a sugar package until it spills out over the countertop. Playing with it with my fingertips, I look back up at Kai, his eyes painfully closed. I can see he's frustrated and downright flustered. The man's got a choice to make, and not an easy one. "It'll be all right, Kai. Don't worry."

"I don't know how to not worry," he says, a hand on his hip and the other leaning against his side of the bar. "There's only like…a few weeks 'til summer's end. I don't know how to make a living here…"

"The restaurant!"

"It doesn't make that much money…It makes enough to get by, but not enough to live on."

"What do you mean? It does fine in the summer, doesn't it?"

"Yeah…yeah," Kai mumbles, looking at the floor. "I just get scared without the blowafluto cash from the rest of the year."

"Are you going to marry her?"

Such a question I thought would scare him, but he only looks up into my eyes with confidence. "That's the plan."

"When?"

"I want to propose by summer's end."

"You can't leave after that."

"Why?"

"Why? You just can't! Popuri will be lost without you, and scared you won't come back, and…"

"Okay…So you think I should stay."

"Yeah. Especially if you propose. But you wanna make sure you won't feel like a big bird in a little cage." I pause and sigh a little. "Like me."

The expression on his face reminds me of a small puppy. "That's not a problem. I love this town. The rest of the world pales in comparison to it, just because…"

"Just because she's here," I finish for him. It's just so sweet…I can feel my teeth rotting.

"I've been leaning toward staying," he says, staring down at his fingernails. "Then I think about money, and it scares me. Then I think about Rick, and it scares me even worse."

I roll my eyes. "Rick won't be a problem as long as you stay," I tell him. "Sure, he'll be upset at first, just because he doesn't like you, but if you don't leave, he'll be fine. He just doesn't wanna see his kid sister being swept away by some…"

"Charming foreign guy," Kai finishes with a good-natured laugh.

"Plus…nobody wants to lose Popuri. We love her, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." Kai's fingers mess with the back of his purple bandana. "I know. So I guess I'm set…Thanks, Karen."

I smile. "So you're staying?"

"That's how things are lookin'!" he says, throwing his arms in the air with a little laugh. "Anything for Popuri."

As if on cue, we hear the whoosh of the screen door opening and look behind us to see the pink-haired sixteen-year-old entering the restaurant. Dressed in adorable pink Bermuda shorts, a casual white cap-sleeved, collared shirt, and flowery flip-flops, Popuri looks absolutely darling, her trademark pink hair pulled back into a curly ponytail, parted daintily on the side.

Kai immediately begins walking out from behind the counter. "Well, speak of the devil," he says playfully, opening his arms so she can walk into them.

"Oh, no!" she says cutely, with a smile, her voice muffled as she is enveloped by Kai. "Were you guys talking about me?" She looks in my direction with a huge smile. "Hi, Karen!" Leaving Kai's arms, she walks over to give me a friendly hug.

"Hey, Popuri!" I say in return. "You look so cute!"

"Aw, thanks, so do you," she says, looking over my outfit.

I smile and bobble a bit side to side. "Thanks," I say, looking down at my own clothes. I've been really excited about my new casual beach skirt, made from unique pale green fabric, which sways about my knees. I'm also wearing a soft pink cap-sleeved tee, and would be wearing matching flip-flops had I not left them outside.

"Were you guys really talking about me?" Popuri asks, setting her beach bag down on the bar-top.

Kai has gone back behind the counter. "Well, what else would we talk about?" he says playfully.

Popuri shoots him a mock-angry glare, smiling afterward.

"So how's your mom?" I ask her, somewhat reluctantly. Mama tells me Lillia rarely joins the square ladies anymore…not like she used to. I personally think much of her illness is due to the absence of her well-meaning husband. I also get the feeling Popuri would feel the same way if Kai was to leave.

"She feels good today," Popuri smiles. "She has a lot more good days in the summertime, when it's warm. But…she still doesn't go out a lot. Rick and I run most of the errands…Well, Rick especially, 'cause I'm here most of the time." Pulling up a stool, she looks to Kai and smiles.

"Well, I'm glad to hear she's doing better," I say, still fingering the mess of sugar I've spilled on the countertop. Turning my gaze in Kai's direction, I ask him, "How's my crab doing?"

"Ooh, crab!" Popuri coos. "That sounds really good! Kai, could you cook me a crab, too?"

"I'm on top of it," Kai says proudly, holding his fingers in the shape of a checkmark and pointing it into the air triumphantly. "Yours is in the bucket with Karen's." He turns to peek over the top of the swing-doors and nods. "They're looking good."

"Is there anything we can do?" Popuri asks.

"Nah," Kai shrugs. "You can go hang around outside if you want; the crabs will take a while. It's a real pretty day! I can meet y'all out there in a few minutes."

"Hmm, sounds great," Popuri smiles, looking at me. "Sound good, Karen?"

"Yeah, for sure!" is my cheery response, so she playfully links arms with me and we scurry girlishly out the door. She leaves her flip-flops on the porch as we scamper out onto the sand in bare feet. "You guys are too cute," I tell her, referring to her and Kai.

"Aw, thanks," Popuri says bashfully as we walk together on the shoreline, the waves softly licking our feet as they shrink into the sand. "It feels like the real thing."

"I'm happy for you two…you'll be happy together," I answer, swinging my arms back and forth a little, enjoying the salty breeze and inhaling the fresh air.

"Thanks." Popuri smiles.

"Ladies!" we hear a male's voice call from not too far behind us. Both of us turn around to see Jack Duritz jogging toward us in hibiscus flower-print board shorts and a tee shirt, sandals left behind him on the sand as his bare feet sink slightly in the sand as he approaches us.

Hmm, I think to myself, unable to restrain an uncalled-for outburst of butterflies in the pit of my stomach. He's looking…pretty good…pretty darn good. Except the hat. What's with the hat? Well, I guess it's kinda cute. Okay, yeah, it's cute. Really cute…Whoa, Karen, okay: focus. "Jack!" I call out. "Hey!"

"Hey," he answers, panting just a little as he finally reaches us.

"How are you?" Popuri asks politely.

"Pretty good…just taking a break from work for an afternoon." He smiles.

"It's still morning," I laugh.

He puts his pointer finger up to his lips. "Shh," he whispers.

We giggle. "So how's the farm?" Popuri inquires.

"It's doing much better…Finally got the field clear a few days ago, so now I can focus on the actual garden, and some animals, too." He looks at both of us. "How are you guys today?"

"Doing okay," Popuri answers.

Jack looks at me inquisitively.

"Okay," I reply, flattered that he took an extra few seconds to hear what I had to say instead of just settling for Popuri's answer. Okay, maybe I'm reading a little too much into light conversation.

"I wonder what's taking Kai so long," Popuri says, a little too quizzically. We've only been apart from him for like, two minutes.

What's she got up her sleeve? Oh, my gosh, she wants to leave me and Jack alone. Ah, now there's a real friend, I laugh within myself.

"I'm gonna go check on him," Popuri says, sneaking a wink at me. Thank God Jack doesn't see it. With that, Popuri scurries off across the sand and back into the beach house.

"So," Jack says, initiating a conversation. "You wanna walk, or should we wait for the lovebirds?"

"Oh, no telling how long they'll take," I say. "Walk?"

"Sure."

So we begin a very slow, very mellow walk along the waterline, enjoying the peace of the sea. "So, Jack," I say after a few seconds of silence. "You're from Texas?"

"I am, I am," he answers without hesitating. "How 'bout you? You been living here your whole life?"

Slightly embarrassed, I nod. "Never really known anything else. So do you like it here so far?"

"Yeah, I do," he says, his eyes drifting between me, the water, the sand, and the air ahead of him. "Very peaceful…very fun. It's the life every guy like me wants."

"What life's that?"

"You know…grounded, rooted, kind of old-school. Living life the natural way. Where parents spank their kids and wash their mouths out with soap, where you find a girl and marry her instead of sporadically dating, where you can take a sick day off work without actually being sick…where you're your own boss, living off the land. It's nice. It's…beautiful."

Now I'm awestruck. This man is amazing. "Poetic," I comment with a smile. "You're pretty witty, aren't you?"

He laughs lightly. "That's what people say." After a very brief silence, he continues, "I hear you're into music."

I nod, enjoying the attention he's giving me, secretly hoping Kai and Popuri don't meet us any time soon. "Love music."

"Do you write?"

"Yeah, but it's not that great. I basically just write when I'm at a kind of…emotional high. When I'm really happy, or really sad, or really angry, or really frustrated, or really…embarrassed. I can never just sit down and write, it's gotta be inspired. But I'm a little bit of a drama queen, I guess, and I've always been one to overanalyze things, so inspiration comes pretty easy." Ok, now that I've rambled for three years…

"Well, do you sing?"

"I try…I mean, I don't have a voice coach or anything, but…"

"Could you sing me something?"

"Oh, I don't know, I'm really not very good, and…"

"Come on." His eyes are really pretty. "Sing me something…something you wrote?"

Should I? This is kind of embarrassing and flattering at the same time…Which one would I sing him? Most of them are sad…Almost all of them are sad! "I don't know, Jack…"

"Why?"

I look at him with a disbelieving smile. "Because, it's embarrassing!"

"Come on, I won't make fun of you."

"I know, but…"

"Just sing one!"

"Okay!" I smile and don't know how I'm going to do this. I'll pick the one with the least amount of high notes…I'm not at a karaoke bar…I'm just singing to a friend…I'll do "I'll Wait for Him." That's the one I'll do. It's a slow one. I just wrote it last night. So I stop walking, stand still, straighten up, open my mouth, clear my throat, release my voice, and sing:

"Yes, I'll wait for him,

and I'll wait for his voice,

I'll wait for his touch,

and he'll wait for my choice,

I'll wait for his love,

I'll wait for his heart,

I'll wait for only him,

and while we're apart,

I'll wish him only well,

and I'll continue waiting,

how long, only time will tell…"

"Wow," Jack says.

"No, that's just the chorus, and it's really corny, I know…"

"I thought it was really pretty."

"Thank you," I reply.

"Who was it written for?" he asks me, and I'm a little surprised. He notices my expression, one of temporary alarm, and quickly apologizes. "I mean, you don't have to tell me or anything…I mean, I don't know why I asked…Um…Yeah, so…"

I laugh. Is he nervous? He's stuttering! That's so cute! I'm still feeling a little embarrassed from singing in front of him, and even more embarrassed to admit to myself that the song was written for him, last night, alone in my room, as I pondered the possibilities. But I wasn't going to tell him that! "It's okay," I assure him, and I can see his disposition lighten slightly in relief. "I mean, I'm not going to tell you or anything, but it's okay." I smile and try to make it look mischievous, mysterious.

He smiles back at me with a peculiar little winkle-twinkle in his pretty brown eyes. He's cute…I like his smile. He stops for a second and bends down to pick up something from the sand. It's a tiny little conch shell, white with purple streaks wiped all over it. Like a little boy, Jack holds the little keepsake up to his ear and murmurs, "I can hear the ocean!"

I giggle. "You're weird," I tell him, laughter intermixed in my teasing words.

"Hmph!" he grunts jokingly. "Try to make a lady laugh…"

Gathering my long, straight brown hair into one hand and pulling it behind my right shoulder, opposite Jack and following the direction of the breeze, I laugh aloud at Jack's quirky humor. "You're funny, though," I say, uprooting a burrowing clam with my toe before continuing to walk by Jack's side.

Jack lifts up his foot for a second to peel a strand of seaweed off the bottom of his toes, then steps back into stride with me. "So what else do you do, Karen?"

I look at him. "Well, I dance."

He smiles. "I've heard you're really good."

Trying not to blush, I smile and look away. "Still learning…my mom used to dance for a living, so she's teaching me."

"So are you gonna move away from here one day and go be a dancer?" he asks, his hands digging into his pockets.

With my hand I flick away a strand of blond hair from my eyes and then answer, "I don't know. Maybe. If I do, it'll probably be real spontaneous and random." I laugh a little.

"Oh, so you like living life on the edge, huh?" Jack asks, a little tease in his voice.

"Well, maybe not the edge," I say, a smile on my face. "I wouldn't call myself adventurous, but I do like to be…spur-of-the-moment. Almost everything I do is unplanned, uncalculated, unscripted. Kinda impromptu, I guess you would say."

"But still inspired," he says, almost romantically. The look on his face is wistful and dreamy. I realize my expression matches.

"Yeah," I murmur softly. "Still inspired."

"So what kind of dancing do you do?" Jack asks curiously.

I grin. "Everything!" I cry with more confidence than I'd expected to come from my mouth.

"Do you do like, partner stuff?"

"Hmm, yeah." I pull my shirt down nervously, anticipating a dance invitation.

"Well, um…would you wanna show me, maybe, a little something?" His question is a bit shakier than a prince charming would have said it, but still charming nonetheless.

"Okay." I stop walking, and he stops, too. "What do you want to see?" I can't contain a small giggle.

"Something easy," he says humbly, with a small sigh. "Can't say I'm a real good dancer, but I try…My manly charm's usually enough to satisfy the lady."

I laugh loudly, as is my custom. I don't know how my laugh ever got so loud, but it's loud and many times obnoxious. Always, I try to contain it, but some people just…make me laugh.

"I like your laugh," Jack says, adding a little laugh of his own.

"It's so loud!" I say, covering my mouth, embarrassed. "You don't have to say you like it."

"No, it's okay, I have a loud laugh, too." He takes my hand and assumes the dancing position gracefully.

I blush furiously, feeling the butterflies again.

"Okay, show me something," he insists.

"Okay, okay," I say. "Let's see…How about the salsa?"

"Sounds fun, but probably requires a lot of footwork, am I right?"

"Oh, it's not that bad, just do it." So I show him the basic works, telling him, "Step here, now here, and then back and front and here and here…" and so on. He picks up the fundamentals like cake but can't get the technique just right, so of course, I tease him. "Jack, you're a little stiff," I tell him, still keeping time with the imaginary beat and kicking his foot in the right direction when I need to.

He snorts a little. "What do you want from me?" he says with a big laugh.

"Oh, that is a loud laugh," I joke.

He looks at me with a "har, har, very funny," sarcastic expression and says, "Shut up," in such a deadpan way that I can't contain a bubbly burst of laughter.

I feel his bare toenails scratch across my ankle as he makes a wrong move and shriek, "Ooh! Jack!" somewhere beneath bubbles of laughter.

"I'm sorry, your obnoxiously loud laugh is distracting me!" he kids loudly.

This only makes me laugh louder and harder. "Oh, my gosh!" I gasp.

Our dancing is now a mess of stepping around each others' mistaken feet in the oddly strewn sand. That is, until Jack finally makes the mother of all mistakes and sends us both sprawling out on the sand.

Of course, my very first reaction is to scream out loud, and my very second is to grasp my skirt tightly and secure it below my panties. Then, of course, the laughter returns, and we just lie there giggling like little kids at recess.

Jack Duritz, I think to myself as I lie there laughing. Mrs. Jack Duritz…Mrs. Karen Duritz…

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A/N: This has been my absolute FAVORITE chapter to write so far. Oh, my. It was fun. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. The laughing part was inspired by my own trademark, obnoxious, annoyingly loud laugh. My entire class hates me for it. ) Review!