ALMOST A BRIDE (Open On Annie)

6

I figured a few things could happen at this stage; 

1. I could wait patiently for my invisibility super- power to kick in and vanish into thin air. Although the chances of that happening were pretty slim, if not completely non- existent.

   2.  I could hope to be beamed up by the probing, DNA resequensing aliens. 

   3. I could play possum, like those animals that pretend to be dead so their prey leave them alone.

   4. I could pretend I didn’t hear him and start walking away as fast as possible and hope he didn’t call out again. Or worse, be inspired to get up and walk after me.

   5. I could jump into the pool and swim away- although that might some across as slightly suspicious.  In that same vein I could also sprint away, but with sore feet and burnt knees, I probably wouldn’t get that far.

    6. Or I could turn around, smile and pretend I was really happy to see him. Like long lost friends catching up after a day in the sun…

“Heeyyyaaa there stranger”, I mentally slapped myself the second the words were out of my mouth. Way, way too enthusiastic.

He looked at me with a blank expression, at least I thought it was a blank, it was difficult to tell though the beard that obscured the bottom half of his face and the shadow that obscured the top half.  

“Hey.” His greeting was far less enthusiastic.

“Hey”, I countered with such cool, calm and collected indifference. “So, nice night… or whatever. Maybe it’s not actually.”

“Yeah, it’s a nice night… or whatever, I guess.” He smiled at me.  “Can I get you a drink?”

NO you can’t you sarcastic prick head, “Sure. Thanks. That would be nice.”

“Nothing with Rum in I’m guessing?”

“God no! Something with no alcohol would be great.”  

He slammed his laptop shut again and ordered two Cokes. 

“I’m Chris by the way,” He said, extending his hand for the obligatory shaking. I shook it.

“Anne, or Annie, some people call me Annie.”

“Nice to meet you Annie Anne.”

The bar tender placed the glasses on the bar and the sound of the clinking ice as it knocked against the glass and the pop-fizz of the bubbles, was very inviting. I made my way to the bar and pulled out a stool, but as I was lowering myself onto it I winced in red-hot sunburnt pain.

“Looks like you really got too much sun today.” Chris said eyeing me up and down.

“That’s an understatement.”

“Yeah,” (It’s so American to say ‘Yeah’ isn’t it?) “I thought about waking you up earlier, but I didn’t want to come across as pervy or anything.” He said sipping his drink.

“Why pervy?”

“Well, I didn’t want you to think I was staring at you ….not like you were.”

I felt my cheeks go hot- hotter than they already were. Thank God I was bright red from the sunburn, because if I wasn’t, my cheeks would have flushed a neon crimson color.