Daylight

Chapter Eleven

Ava laid out the oversized blanket she'd brought on the sand and placed the bag on one corner. She lowered herself down onto the blanket and brushed her hair back in the direction the gentle breeze was taking it. She went about taking the food she'd picked up from Sebastian and setting it out before she rose up onto her knees to wave at him as he approached from where he'd gone to change.

Sebastian smiled brightly as he approached Ava, unable to keep from looking her up and down. "That looks beautiful on you," he said sweetly once he reached the blanket and sat beside her.

She smiled girlishly as she smoothed her hands over her sides, resting onto her hip with her legs tucked to the side as he joined that. "Gracias, Papi. I hoped you would like it," she replied. Her swimsuit was dark blue in color, one piece with a dramatic v-neckline plunging down the center. Her breasts looked perky and full; waist slim.

"These are for you," she said, picking up a plate to hand to him before she picked up her own. "Can I ask you a question?" she asked before she took a bite of her taco, covering her mouth as her eyes widened. She made a sound of enjoyment, gently laughing at herself before she was able to swallow. "That's very good," she added.

"You can ask me anything," he said honestly as he smiled at her. Seb picked up one of his tacos and took a bite, before squeaking as lettuce and mayo ran down his chin and onto his plate.

Ava laughed gently in her throat before she set her plate into her lap to pick up a napkin. She reached out to wipe his chin for him before handing him the napkin. "What was the most surprising thing to you when you came to America?" she asked, lightly brushing her hair back behind her ear.

Sebastian sat his plate down beside him as he thought about her question. "I think it would have to be a number of things. The schools were different and things were crowded."

She nodded with enthusiastic agreement. "School was easy here compared to Cuba. Once I learned English," she remarked, laughing pleasantly. Education in Cuba was one of the highest ranked educational systems in the world, in spite of the rest of what it left to be desired. "For me, it was seeing so much canned food," she explained, picking her plate up to take another bite, chewing it slowly before she swallowed and continued speaking. "We don't use canned food in Cuba. We use fresh or frozen only. It's very, very rare."

"Some of the foods were strange for a while," he commented. "A lot of sweet foods or things made with strange ingredients."

"Kids having dessert with lunch completely blew my mind," Ava laughed. She took another bite of her taco, taking another few moments to finish the first one before she reached down and picked up a napkin of her own to wipe her hands. "Is there anything you want to ask me?" she asked.

Sebastian finished his first taco and licked his lips. "Well... if you could have any job you wanted, what would it be?"

"Ooh, dreams... those are dangerous," she mused with a smirk at the corner of her lips. She hadn't dared to dream in a long time. The question brought a thoughtful expression to her face as she genuinely considered the questions. "I would love to work around art," she answered, a youthful quality in her accented voice. "At a museum or a gallery. I love art, I think it can say so many things in a universal language."

"I like art too," Sebastian replied. "I have a couple pieces up in my apartment at home in New York." He smiled at the thought of Ava walking around an art gallery, all dressed up. "I think you would do amazing as a curator."

A soft blush flushed her cheeks, though the fading sunlight made it hard to see. "In another life, I suppose," she replied with a small shrug, moving in to eat her second taco as daintily as she could. "I have a half-finished degree and a seven year old that requires a lot of attention."