Right Girl for the Job

Chapter 31

"It's nice out."

Javi heard the voice and her eyes opened. She'd enjoyed the motion of the boat so much that she could have fallen asleep. She looked up, smiling but squinting her eyes as she became again adjusted to the sun and then she recognized that it was Andre who was sitting next to her watching.

She sat up, realizing that his sister was no longer next to her and so she looked around, finally spotting her at the end of the yacht, smiling and speaking animatedly with Jack.

"It is. Thank you for having us." Javi said, her eyes still on Jack who looked so at ease and so relaxed she could only watch. He had always seemed so tense- what had that girl done to make him loosen up?

"It's my pleasure to have you on my boat." Andre said, making Javi turn back towards him. He was close and as his eyes were fixated on her, never blinking.

Javi smiled and turned to what seemed like endless blue ocean.

"I love the ocean." She said simply, knowing she must have loved it all her life- it seemed essential to her.

"Malaga has beautiful beaches." He said and she nodded.

"Yes." She said simply, looking back at Jack and Madeline, who had her hand on his arm. Jack had his arms crossed against his chest and the wind had swept his hair aside but he smiled. He smiled so brightly it almost made her unhappy. How could she be unhappy to see someone smile?.

"But I'm afraid I should tell you a secret you might not like." He said smiling at her. She turned towards Andre, trying to distract herself.

"Oh dear- then maybe you shouldn't tell me." Javi said. he chuckled.

"I suppose I might have to run the risk." He replied. Javi smiled, thinking that while he was very handsome, he looked much too swarthy with his deep tan and paper white teeth.

She shrugged.

"Have you ever been to Mexico?" He asked after a few long moments. Javi knitted her brows together.

"No, I don't think so." She said after a few minutes. Still, she was disconcerted. Had she ever been to Mexico?

"There's beautiful beaches in Mexico- Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun... but nothing compares to the beaches of the Mayan Riviera." He said simply.

"Nothing?" She asked.

"No, not even the pretty beaches here or in Malaga." He said with a twinkle in his eyes. Javi watched him now, realizing he was staring out at the ocean, picturing the beach as he spoke.

"And why do you think they are the most impressive?" She asked, after he'd stayed quiet for a while. She was genuinely curious.

"Besides the waters so blue they could be sapphires glittering under the sun? The sand is cool- and white, and the grains so very fine. I've never felt sand like that, so soft it could be..."

"flour." Javi finished for him. He smiled.

"Yes, flour. How did you guess?" He said, looking at her. Javi shrugged.

"I suppose I must have read it somewhere." She answered feeling utterly perplexed and he smiled, while turning back to the horizon, pointing as he once again began to speak.

"Do you know why they call it the Mayan Riviera? All of it was Mayan Territory, all those thousands of years ago and so the area is flooded with natural sink holes and jungle... endless jungle. But what's amazing is those large stone temples- incredible really. Chichen itza, Coba, Ek Balam, Uxmal..." He continued, his eyes now closing as he pictured them. "The most amazing, to me at least, is Tulum- which sits right on the Ocean, atop a cliff. It's small and maybe architecturally not as impressive as the rest, but it stands facing the beautiful blue sea and a long virgin beach. The water- the waves that break against the stone is enough to make you want to walk out, without stopping and just become one with it all. If you're not careful... you could loose yourself in those waters."