Palas 3

7 - "You once promised you would never leave me."

Harry sits in a chair as he waits for me to pick him up from the tower. Liam must have finally given him my number as I was surprised by a text after my late shift yesterday. He asked if we could go to work together. I can't really say no when we live next to each other and have to start at the same time.

It's strange to see him in his old uniform. They haven't changed much over the years, but I'm pretty sure that the ones I have aren't from the same collection he's wearing. It surprises me he still even has them since he long quit lifeguarding to focus on tattooing months before he left Palas.

"Nice shirt," I say when I am close enough that he can hear me.

"You recognize it?" He asks, standing up to fully face me. "It still has the little rip here." He turns his back around to show where it is, but he really doesn't need to. I know where it is because I tore it up when he finally seduced me to have sex in the tower.

"Sure," I say. I'm not sure if it was his plan to make me blush at 6.45 AM, but he succeeded. I'm sure even my neck turns red.

"Do you think the boss will mind?"

"What?" I almost add, that we had sex in the tower?, but I realize just in time that he meant his broken shirt.

"The shirt, that it is not up to date."

"He doesn't give a shit," I say a bit too sharp.

"It says 2015 tough."

"Well, if you mind so much there's a box full of shirts from 2019."

"Cool," he says and he seems satisfied.

We start to walk to the tower and he hands me a allumiam wrapped up package that I know can only hold a sandwich. I've longed for the day that someone would make me breakfast again but now that it is here, it doesn't feel right.

"Thanks." I grab it, but don't open it. I've eaten enough this morning.

Harry does eat his own sandwich and I am glad because it prevents us from talking. All I try to picture is Thomas and I on private beach, swimming and relaxing. I can't wait 'till it's three o'clock and I can say goodbye to Harry again.

Without saying another word we reach the tower. I open it with my key and that makes Harry's eyebrows raise.

"There's no one inside?" He wonders, stepping into the dark tower.

I turn on the lights, computer and camera's before I answer him. Usually we open the tower alone and backup doesn't arrive until ten in the morning when the beach starts to fill up. I'm so used to being by myself and having my own rituals that I find it hard to include Harry, but he has to learn of course.

"The night shifts are too expensive. Haven't had them for two years now. Also we open up alone at seven and at ten two other lifeguards come. They work from ten to six. At three two others come so that we are with four people from three to six. After six we are alone again to eleven."

"And does it work? I mean, have there been incidents because of less staff?"

"No, I mean there was the accident last year, but even if we were fully staffed, we wouldn't have been able to prevent it. The beach just isn't as busy as it used to be which is nice if I'm honest. It's still packed, but you've got better overview."

"Okay." He leans against the desk. "Sounds legit. So what do you do from seven to ten? The beach is empty."

"Set up. Clean the beach. Put up the warrants. Honestly not much has changed, I'm sure you would survive by yourself."