Lindsi stood on the boardwalk, her hands perched against her hips and her blue eyes filled with annoyance. The beach was deserted, as was the boardwalk, not a single bright colored bathing suit or sun-tanned body. There was no hint of the brilliant sunshine she'd always heard of, just a unrelentless gray sky. A light sprinkle fell down upon her bare arms and legs, which sent a tingling feeling through her entire body.
"After all that," Lindsi sighed, "welcome to Malibu."
Tyler looked up from where he was sitting on the white colored boards, his feet dangling over the side and nearly touching the soggy wet sand. "We just came on a bad day. I'm sure everything will be awesome tomorrow," he informed, letting out a large sigh of disappointment.
"This sucks." Lindsi growled, turning and heading back towards the car. "We have no fucking place to stay except for some damn expensive hotel. This place is completely deserted and it's raining. We could have just stayed home, it's no different than Malibu."
"Tomorrow, everything will be fine," Tyler hollered over his shoulder at her. She stopped walking toward the black Volkswagen and turned back towards Tyler. His head was dropped low and his eyes staring sadly toward the beach.
"This totally just ruined my mood," she stated, crossing her arms across her chest and glaring off toward the dark rhythmic waves. Brooke came up behind her, and tossed an arm around her shoulder. She sighed heavily and stared off in the direction of the beach.
"This isn't exactly the Kodak memory I wanted to have," she smirked, leading Lindsi off of the boardwalk. The second their bare feet touched the sand, they sunk slightly and the cold dirt clung heavily to their feet. "Have you ever went camping and it began to pour out?" Brooke asked, "Isn't this exactly how the sand felt before you ran into the water and let the rain fall over you?"
Lindsi blinked at her. "Are you suggesting that we...?" she muttered letting her voice trail off as she stared at the water.
She didn't answer. Just flashed her friend a devious smile and flew across the empty beach. When she reached the edge of the ocean, she plunged in. The water was shockingly warm as she allowed herself to fall into a gentle wave. She came up laughing, flinging her hair to get the water off of it. The pockets of her capris half filled with sand. Her tank top clung to her chest.
This was exactly why she came to Malibu. To feel the ocean wash all her problems away, and to cleanse her from her entire life.
"Babe!" she called laughing, "Come in! It's warm."
Lindsi shook her head slowly and quickly undid her watch, tossing it onto the boardwalk. She ran in after her friend, laughing joyously as the waves slapped against her body. Diving at Brooke, she made both of them tumble into a receding wave.
She was the last one down, and the first one up, tossing her hair over her shoulder like a trained supermodel. "Great idea, babe," she grinned as Brooke's blond head finally appeared above the ocean's surface again. The tiny raindrops making small indents in the water all around them. Sighing, Lindsi swam farther out into the ocean, allowing the waves to wash over her body.
There was no sun, no tourist, no sharing. It felt as if the ocean was all her, only hers.
Brooke smiled and spun back towards the boardwalk to find Tyler still sitting there. She forced herself out of the soothing water, and headed across the stretch of sand toward him. "Tyler..." she grinned. Than reached out and grabbed onto both of his hands, pulling him off the boards and into the sand.
"No way," he shot at her, "I'm not an idiot like Lindsi. I'm not going to go swimming when it's shitty outside."
Brooke gave him a mournful look. "Oh. Come on, Ty." He just shook his head, a soft smile plastered across his face. "Please," she begged, "Come on, come swimming with us. We made it...we're in Malibu...come on."
"Fine!" He laughed softly, "fine, I'll go swimming with you and Lindsi." Brooke smiled, and tugged slightly at his hands to get him to run with her across the sand. When they reached the shoreline, the rain was pelting heavily on them. Laughing Brooke pulled Tyler into the water, until it circled around his waist.
Lindsi grinned and came up behind the two. She jumped on Tyler's back causing him to fall face first into a breaker. The second that Tyler surfaced, Lindsi slashed a hand through the top layer of water. It sprayed into his face which only caused him to do the same right back at her.
The weather wasn't going to let up and it just kept pounding raindrops down on the three. A rough breeze pushed past them with enough force to knock Lindsi and Brooke into the water, giggling. When Brooke surfaced, she caught a flicker of lighting appear in the sky. "Uh, hey..." she laughed slightly, "I think it's time we go back to shore."
Tilting her head to one side, Lindsi stared at her face hard. She could tell something was bothering her friend and it was confirmed when she heard a loud clash of thunder in the distance. "Yeah. I'm hungry," Lindsi spat, splashing past Brooke and Tyler as she headed towards the beach.
They recrossed the wide, soggy beach, pausing at the edge of the boardwalk to brush off the sand. Lindsi recollected her watch which was nearly falling through a small crack in the wood. She grinned, it must have been her lucky day that she hadn't lost it. Heading across the boardwalk and toward the road where the car was parked. Water dripped from their wet hair and clothes, blending with the blotches from the rain on the sidewalk.
When they reached the car, Tyler suddenly spoke up, "Wait! We can't exactly climb into my sister's car dripping wet and full of sand."
Lindsi grinned, reaching into the car and yanking out a small bag from the backseat. "Exactly," she laughed, "And why do you think there is space underneath the boardwalk? It's not only for the locals who find pleasure in having sex under there. It's also for the tourist. The ones who have no other place to go and change after a swim."
"I don't think that's why," Brooke smirked, "But, hey. It's a pretty damn clever idea."
"Which one? Having sex under the boardwalk or changing out of these clingy clothes?"
"Both."
*
Tyler aimlessly poked at one of the buttered shrimp that sat on a platter not more than three feet in front of him. He yanked it closer to his face, examining it momentarily before tossing it into his mouth. His jaw came down and crushed it between his teeth twice before he realized that Brooke and Lindsi were staring at him.
He swallowed quickly, than spat, "What are you looking at?"
Brooke just laughed, and grabbed one of the tiny shrimps by its tail. She fell back against the booth, her knees instantly becoming propped against the edge of the table. Since she wasn't exactly hot about eating seafood, she let her eyes wander around the small hut. About one of the only shops open on the boardwalk. The rest had been closed due to the weather.
Red rope lights lined the ceiling which made restaurant glow in a dim crimson color. A large tank full of crabs and lobsters was off to one side on the room. On the tank in bold black letters it read, 'Shellfish's Finest.' Next to the tank stood a man, dressed in a full-length crab costume, the head of the outfit was cradled in his arm.
He turned around, his clear blue eyes catching the lights. Dark brown locks fell choppy around his tanned face. Brooke stared at him as he headed towards the backroom. Not wanting Lindsi to miss the guy, she kicked her slightly under the table and motioned in his direction.
"Ow," she cried, "what?" Brooke didn't say anything just cleared his throat and motioned toward the crab man again. This time Lindsi shifted her attention. "Shit. Brooke," she spat, "Why didn't you say something sooner?"
"What was I supposed to say? Hey Lindsi, look at three o'clock there was a good looking crab?" Brooke stated rolling her eyes. "He SO would have heard me. So, I waited �til he was, almost gone."
"Exactly!" Lindsi cried, "He's GONE now. How am I supposed to seduce him with my charm when he's not in the room anymore, probably not in the restaurant anymore."
"I think he's still in the restaurant..." Brooke laughed pointing to the crab that just came strutting out of the backroom. Lindsi flashed her an evil grin and stood up. She quickly brushed back her semi-wet brown locks. Than quickly took in a deep breath of air that was mixed with the taste and smell of seafood.
He stood there, leaning against the doorframe and greeting a family of three that just wandered into the restaurant. Lindsi walked over and leaned against the other side of the door frame. Her blue eyes glittered as she stared at the red screen that blocked the image of the guy inside. She hoped that the glance she had at him wasn't her mind playing tricks on her.
"Hmm, I've always had a thing for seafood," she stated softly, running her tongue over her upper lip slightly. "You know, I was thinking that maybe we could go to the beach sometime. You know, me and you. The warm sun gracing our hot bodies."
A laugh came from inside the crab. A feminine laugh.
"Um..." Lindsi laughed nervously, "I..."
"You thought I was Kyle," came the voice, "I understand. But you know..." A red claw came out and touched her arm. "If you ever want to lather my body in warm oil just as we do to the shrimp here, give me a call. Just ask for Barbara and we can make a date."
Lindsi shot her a disgusted look. "Don't count on it," she snapped. Spinning on her heel, she hurried back over to the booth where her friends were seated. She reached over the table and snatched up the platter of shrimp.
"Hey!" Brooke cried, "I was eating those..." She glanced up to see Lindsi was the one taking the food and grinned. "So, babe. You and Crab Man going out tonight?"
"No," Lindsi growled, "That wasn't him. I'm guessing his shift just ended. That's Barb. She swings our way." Tyler suddenly burst out laughing. Lindsi just shot him an annoyed look. "Anyway, we'll eat this out in the car," she informed turning and heading towards the exit.
"Lindsi..." Brooke called, chasing after her suddenly. "You can't exactly take their dishes outside to our car. This seafood restaurant isn't carry out our food with our plates."
"Watch me," Lindsi called over her shoulder to make sure that both of them were following her. She always had this rebel streak in her, it was mainly one of the reasons that Brooke loved to be around her so much. Always alive and unpredictable, never plain and the same as everyone else.
She strutted past Barbara, who stood there with her claws crossed in front of her. "CALL ME!" she hollered through the screen that served as the crab's neck. Lindsi turned sharply and flipped her off. "Bitch," was the huffy reply that Brooke and Tyler heard as they walked past her.
Once inside the doorway, Tyler paused in front of a bulletin board. "Hey...wait," he called softly, as he reached out and pulled a sheet of paper off of the board. He read it out loud, "Renters Needed. Trailers near the shoreline, one bedroom with a great view. And only 375 a month."
"Do they come furnished?" Lindsi called, "Because we are sort of lacking...everything."
"...It doesn't say," he replied with a shrug.
"Of course," Brooke laughed, "who comes to Malibu for vacation with furniture? Nobody. They have to have the trailers furnished or they wouldn't be able to rent them."
"How about if we give it a shot?" Tyler spat, glancing between both girls. "I mean, it's better than sleeping in a hotel. Although, I do pick a pretty mean hotel, don't I?"
Brooke and Lindsi gave a fake laugh. Than Lindsi shot, "What are you waiting for? It's not going to stay vacant forever."