“This feels amazing,” Cato gushes, his smile bright and full. “Thank you for this.”
“My pleasure.”
We sit quietly for a few minutes, simply listening to the sounds of softly crashing waves in companionable silence.
“Do you surf?”
I shake my head. “I tried, but I’m pretty terrible.”
Cato laughs softly. “I bet I would be too. I have terrible balance.”
“It’s not as easy as people make it look. I enjoy looking at the ocean more than being in it. My travels always seem to bring me back to it.”
“Maybe there’s some inspiration to be found in that.”
I turn in his direction. “Maybe for you too.”
He nods, still gazing out at the water. “Maybe. I do like it here.”
“Are you stuck on living in Phoenix?”
“Not at all. I just don’t know what to do next.”
“Maybe you’ll fall in love by the end of the weekend.”
He turns sharply and looks at me with a pinched brow.
“With San Diego.”
He laughs. “Right. Yeah. Maybe.”
Smiling, I turn my gaze back to the water. Before long, I lie back in the sand, taking in the stars as they dot the night sky. It’s cooler now than it was but still pleasant.
“The sky is gorgeous tonight.”
Cato lies down next to me, humming in agreement. “I’ve never done this. Lying in the sand, counting stars. It’s nice. Relaxing.”
“I do it all the time. I used to live in the Bahamas at a clothing-optional resort. There’s nothing like being naked in the sand.”
“Seems like it might get in some places.”
I chuckle. “Oh, it does, but it’s worth it.”
“I’ve never done that either. Public nudity.”
“It’s beautiful. So freeing. It’s like forgetting about all the things that make life hard.”
“That sounds appealing. Why did you leave?”
“I always leave.”
Silence falls over us again until Cato’s arm brushes against mine. “Will you leave here?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure what I’m looking for, but I’ll know when I find it. The hotel means a lot to me. I think it’s what’s kept me here for so long. Besides, there are nude beaches here too.”
“Yeah?”
“Yep. I go when I need to be reminded that I am more than my lack of material possessions. I am a soul with a heart.”