Page 109 of Only After We Met

“You’re white, Ginger. Very, very white.”

“I’m not that white!”

“You’re virtually see-through.”

“Dumbass.”

“Are you going to put on sunscreen or not?”

“No, thanks.”

I grabbed the sunglasses he’d just taken from the backpack and put them on. They were aviators. I didn’t want to think about how good they must look on him. I let the sea’s murmurs envelop me, breathed in the scent of summer and peace, and when I opened my eyes, the sun had almost vanished beneath the horizon, and the sky was an orange tone reflected in the water. I yawned and looked at Rhys, who had his earbuds on and was watching the sunset. He smiled when he saw I’d woken up.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“A while. You must have been tired from the trip.”

“Yeah. What are you listening to?”

“Some studio sessions.”

“May I?” I asked doubtfully.

“Sure.” He passed me one of his earbuds. “Maybe you won’t like it as much as the last one. There are no lyrics, it’s all electronic.”

“Haven’t you ever thought about singing yourself?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I could try. We’ll see.”

“Hit Play.”

The sounds were strong, potent. Animated too. Something to dance to. I imagined listening to it at full blast in a club full of lights, with people jumping all around…

“When can I watch you work?”

“Tomorrow night. But are you sure? You can stay home if you don’t want to be out that late…”

“Of course I’m sure! I can’t wait.”

“Okay.” He smiled, looking at the horizon.

“How many nights do you work?”

“Three. Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.”

“What about the rest of the nights?”

“That’s when other guys work. Fridays and Saturdays are for the bigger-name DJs; a lot of them don’t have set schedules. Here, listen to this.”

He skipped ahead to a harder, darker track.

We stayed there until the sun set completely and decided to go back to the apartment and shower before going out to eat. Rhys got in the shower, and I hung up what little clothing I had in my bag. Apart from those garments, I just had a tiny makeup case and a pocket-sized book I’d bought at the airport before leaving. That was it. It was as if, for the first time in my life, all I needed was myself.

When I was done showering, I put on some comfortable shorts and a tank top. I wasn’t sure whether to wear a bra. My breasts weren’t really big enough to need one. But in the end, I put one on, the way I always did.

“Ready?” Rhys asked when I came out.

“Ready,” I answered with a smile.