Hey There

For the last few months, Simone struggled with her marriage. Her husband Wilson and her never seemed to be on the same page. Then, out of nowhere, he died in a car accident. She never got the chance to tell him she forgave him for his extra martial affairs. She was not a saint herself, but he did not know that. After the funeral, she left her lavish home in Brooklyn to lie on the beach in Mexico. She chose Mexico because they planned to go there on their second honeymoon.

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The flight down was uneventful. She would have slept for the entire flight had it not been for the obnoxious man sitting next to her trying to hit on her every few minutes. He did not even understand that she was grieving the loss of her husband. To him, she was an easy target, alone and heading to beautiful Mexico by herself. She showed him.

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She checked into her hotel room. “Baby, this is fabulous. I wish you were here to enjoy this with me. The view is awesome, nothing but beautiful water. I can’t wait to jump in it.” She prayed for a response, but she knew one was not forthcoming. Instead, she laid across the bed, staring at the ceiling. “What do I want to do first, Wilson? You were always the planner. Now I must do all the planning myself. I guess I’ll hit a restaurant, then the beach. There’s nothing like enjoying the beach after a good meal just before sunset.”

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She looked at the list of restaurants surrounding the hotel. “If I’m in Mexico, I should try authentic Mexican food. El Cantina seems to have the highest ratings. A little pricey, but I got the money. I might as well treat myself.”

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Simone got dressed and headed for the door, but her phone rang first. “Why are you calling me Sabastian?”

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“I just wanted to make sure my best model was doing okay.”

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“One of… I’m clearly the best model you ever had.”

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“Okay, I will give you that. How are you, sweetheart? I know it’s only been a week.”

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“I’m doing okay. I just got to Mexico and I’m going to have some dinner, then I’ll hit the beach.”

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“Sounds good. You deserve a break. You’ve gone through a lot lately and I know you miss him. Enjoy your time off, my dear.”

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“I will Sabastian and thank you for checking in on me. Sometimes you can be annoying, but sometimes you show just how good a friend you are.”

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“No problem Simone. I’ll talk to you later.”

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“Bye.” She hung up the phone and made her way downstairs to the lobby where El Cantina was located. The host guided her to a table with a view of the city. People were moving back and forth about their business. A little boy noticed her looking and waved at her. She smiled and waved back. “So cute. I wish I had a child.”

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She ordered her favorite Mexican meal, Pozole de Pollo o Guajolote or better known as chicken stew. She matched her meal with the house’s best Chardonnay and took her time enjoying her meal. Remembering the time Wilson rushed to eat while she wanted to enjoy her meal. The little things they were never on the same page with, but overall, she loved him and missed him.

Simone finished her meal and paid her check. She gave the server a sizeable tip. She could tell by her actions that she was struggling to make ends meet. Simone smiled at her, gathered her things, and headed for the door.

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The beach was not far away so Simone walked, passing by vendors attempting to sell her their items. She was fond of the luxury life so none of the knock offs suited her taste. A little girl sat reading a book in front of the store. Simone asked, “Your parents own this store?”

The little girl answered, “Sí, Señora.”

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Simone did not speak much Spanish, but she could understand those words. She reached into her purse and gave the little girl a wad of money. Simone smiled and kept walking to the beach. She heard the little girl shouting to her parents in the background.

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Simone arrived at the beach as the sun was going down. Many of the beach visitors were headed out. She found a spot on the beach and sat quietly, watching the sun go down. It was not long before she was alone on the beach.

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An officer approach her, “Señora, please be careful. The beach is not safe at night.”

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“Thank you. I will be fine.”

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“Okay Señora. I will come back and check on you later.”

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“Thank you, officer.” She thought, “He’s a polite officer.” Simone got up and walked down to the beach. She imagine chasing the sun as it went down and giggled at the thought of seeing some strange world at the end of the sunset. She was a science fiction enthusiast and once played a small role in a Star Trek movie.

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She got further down the beach and spotted a man sitting on the rocks. He wore shorts, a T-shirt, and flip flops. Part of her wanted to turn around and head back to the hotel, but something kept her moving toward the man. Instead of being scared, she felt calm.

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She got closer to him, and she could see his face. He was a black man and appealing to her eye. She felt guilty for admiring him. Her husband was buried only a week ago and here she was, feeling for another man. “Is it because I’m lonely or because I’m attracted? Either way, I should move on.”

The man stood as she passed him. He asked, “What’s a beautiful woman like you doing walking alone on the beach?”

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“What’s a handsome man like you doing sitting alone on the beach? Are you my guardian angel?”

They both laughed. He said, “No, I’m not security but I love watching the sunset on the horizon. I take it you do as well.”

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“I do.”

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“What brings you here to Mexico?”

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“I buried my husband a week ago, and I needed to get away from the States. I needed to be alone.”

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“So here you are on my beach, all alone.”

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“Pretty much. What brings you to the beach?”

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The man sighed, “Like you, I lost someone too. The beach reminds me of her, so I come here often to reminisce about the good days. What’s your name?”

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“Simone, and you?”

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“Victor.”

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“It’s nice to meet you, Victor.”

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“It is good to meet you, Simone. Shall we walk the beach together?”

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“Sounds like a date.”

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He laughed, “A date… something I haven’t done in quite some time.”

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“Something I can use right now. It’s funny how I thought I wanted to be alone, but now I’m enjoying your company. Did you spike my drink?”

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“No, I did not.”

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She laughed, “Good, because that would not be good. Tell me about yourself.”

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“There’s not much to tell. I’m a simple man from Chicago. I graduated from the University of Chicago and went to law school at Mercer in Georgia. After law school, I returned to Chicago and met the love of my life. She and I came here one summer to vacation, and she drowned in a boating accident. That’s why I come here every year about this time. This place reminds me of love in its purest form.”

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“That’s a sad story, Victor. Have you ever looked for love again?”

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Victor sighed, “I have tried every year, but I haven’t found anyone like my Samantha.” He nodded his head, “But I continue to come, hoping to meet that special someone.”

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“That is so sweet. I could only dream about having someone who loved me that much. My husband, he was a good man, but we just didn’t get along all the time. The little things were missing. I would go left; he would go right, but at the end of the day I loved him dearly. I miss him. For all the wrongs, we were right for each other. Doesn’t make sense, does it?”

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“Maybe it was those differences that made you love him so much. Focus on the special times you had together instead of the differences you had. Me and Samantha were not perfect in every way. But in the ways that counted we were an exact match.”

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“I think I know what you mean. You will make someone a wonderful husband.”

“You will make someone a beautiful wife.”

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They gazed into each other’s eyes and before Simone realized it, her lips were pressed against his. The world spun, but she did not get dizzy. It was like nothing she felt before.

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They fell to the ground and Simone made love to a complete stranger, something she had never experienced in her life.

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The night rolled on and the love making never ceased. Before long, Simone drifted off to sleep next to a stranger while lying on the beach.

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The sun peaked over the horizon and woke Simone. She looked around, but her new mate was not present. She rushed to put on her clothes and head back to the hotel, hoping no one saw her nude on the beach. “I can’t believe he just left me there. I knew it was too good to be true. God, if someone took a picture of me nude on the beach, it will be all over the internet in seconds!”

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Simone arrived at the hotel and walked to the front desk. “Hi, I think I’m going to leave sooner than expected. Can you tell me what time checkout is?”

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“Sure Señora. Check out time is at noon. Did you want me to print your bill?”

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“Yes, thank you.” While the receptionist printed out her bill, Simone looked around the hotel hoping to see Victor. She could not decide if she would curse him out or be happy he was alright. A young lady came to the desk and asked Simone, “Is someone helping you?”

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“Yes, the other receptionist is printing my bill.”

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“Oh, wonderful.” The lady laid her newspaper down, and Simone caught a glimpse of a story. The man in the picture was Victor.

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Simone asked, “Can I see your paper?”

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“Si.”

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Simone took the paper. It was in Spanish, so she could not understand it. She asked, “I can’t read Spanish. Can you translate this story for me?”

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“Oh, this was a tragic story. A man and his wife were boating in the ocean. The winds rose and it sent their sailboat out too far. The storm rose quickly and cause the boat to collapse. They both drowned.”

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“That… that can’t be… I just saw him last night.”

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“Oh Señora, you saw the Ghost of Victor Sandberry. He comes every year this time looking for the love that he lost that day. That is why this story is in the paper.”

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Simone’s mouth dropped. “It seemed so real.”