Dark Night

Surf's up

Serafina poked me. "See something you like?" she asked, and we cracked up. It turned out that it had just been water that had been spilled on her--RAs were monitoring the party, which was supposed to be dry--and she recovered her good mood as her shirt dried quickly. "I like my shape, but I want to be in control of how much anybody sees," she said, smoothing out the damp wrinkles. We talked more about other people we'd met, danced with each other and other partners, and packed it in around one. She waited until we were back in our room to tease me about Arthur.

"Cupid's arrow struck hard," she said, grinning as she changed into her nightie.

"Hardly," I snorted, tossing my shirt into my laundry hamper. "I just know his name and that apparently he surfs too. No, that, my friend, was sheer lust, not love." She laughed. Then I did fan myself with my hand. "My level of experience is broad but shallow, and normally I'm very cautious around guys, but I kind of wanted to rip his clothes off." She chortled.

"You'd better get some condoms, then," she teased.

"Ok, that just cooled me off," I said. "I don't want to rely on just condoms, and while I don't intend to wait for marriage, mainly because I'm not sure I want to get married, I don't want my first time to be with the first guy who unzips." She flicked back her sheet and got into bed.

"Yeah, I want a serious boyfriend before I give it up," she said yawning. "My parents are devout Catholics, they'd be appalled if they knew I wasn't waiting until I get a ring, but everybody has to do what's right for them. Just remember our agreement, advance warning, blackout periods. I'd also like to add no overnights. It would be weird." I snorted as I turned out the lights but agreed. Nobody wanted to be the third wheel.

We both slept in and she went to play volleyball and I went into the city to explore with Naomi and some of her friends. We had fun as they showed me Westwood Village; the best places to get your hair cut, good optometrists and dentists, where my bank branch was, places to park, gas stations, where to get my shoes fixed if I wear down the heels of my pumps too much--not that I was planning to wear them much--theaters, where chain stores like Trader Joe's and Victoria's Secret were as well as fun little boutiques--I bought a pareo to wear with swimsuits since the beach was hugely popular and a few cute stackable rings for my fingers. We stopped at the Rite Aid so one of the girls could pick up a few things and I bought a lot more sunscreen and lotion. We had lunch at Poke Bar and I heard about other good restaurants. I found out where all the coffee places were and on the way home, all of us with some purchases, stopped by Stan's Donuts and took six home with me. To share with my roommate, not just stuff the full half-dozen down my gullet, although I could have. I love donuts.

Serafina came back when I was online, looking at websites that described learning to surf, wanting to be prepared for the next day. She was a little sunburned, sweaty and tired, but she'd had a good time. She went to take a quick shower and we compared notes when she flopped down on her bed to relax. I split the donuts with her and she laughed when I said I was previewing my surfing lesson tomorrow. I tossed her some aloe for the sunburn (redheads know how to prepare for sun exposure like nobody else) and we joined a bunch of people going down to dinner; we were trying different places each day. Both of us were starting to drag; so many activities, and I wasn't used to the heat. I was starting to feel like I'd been popped into an oven, and the wildfires continued. Two of the enormous expensive houses in the hills had been destroyed that day. It felt kind of shallow to be having so much fun while such serious things were going on, but I rationalized this, thinking that I was entitled to live my life, I wasn't doing anything to encourage the fires and it wasn't my job to fight them. Life does go on and crappy things happen every day. That night we went down to one of the lounges to watch movies.