Heatwave

           It was a sweltering July afternoon in Miami, Florida. A tear of pink cascaded down the side of Christy’s cherry popsicle and onto the index finger of her right hand. Christy didn’t seem to mind the sticky mess that it was making; instead, she savored every delicious drop as it cooled the inside of her mouth and throat.

           Christy seemed somewhat out of place on South Beach. While other girls her age were sunbathing in petite bikinis and showing off for the hundreds of frisky men, Christy sat on a bench dressed in a pair of tattered, cut-off blue jean shorts and a white, short-sleeved cotton shirt with the words, “Born To Be In The Wild” boldly printed in black letters across the front. On her feet were a pair of ratty blue sneakers covering grey socks that sat unevenly across her shins. Christy’s hair was jet black and disheveled, hanging past her shoulder on one side and cut above the ear on the other.

           Most people walked by without giving her a second glance, while others, (especially other girls) would point and laugh as they walked by. None of this bothered Christy, however. She had grown accustomed to ridicule; first by her parents, then by her foster parents, and eventually by her so-called friends. She had never been a follower and decided at an early age to be an original. That was how her current persona began. In her eyes, Christy felt that she was finally the person that she always wanted to be; unique and unafraid.

           Christy had her phone tuned in to a local radio station where they had just finished playing the song “Awkward Always” by The Suicide Machines. She felt that it was an appropriate title for her life. The D.J. announced that the current temperature in Miami Beach was 103 degrees Fahrenheit and they still hadn’t reached the high for today. Christy didn’t seem too concerned though; she just slipped on her dark, black sunglasses, leaned her head back, and soaked in the sunshine.

           With her eyes closed and her arms dangling over the back of the bench, Christy was caught by surprise as a hot, wet tongue began licking her sticky, popsicle-covered fingers. As she had spun around to look, she came face-to-face with a light brown bullmastiff. The oversized, muscle-bound mutt stood over 2-feet high, and his large, floppy tongue was dripping of drool as it hung out of the side of his mouth. He panted happily at the sight of Christy and licked his lips in approval of her tasty fingers.

           Christy looked around for the dog’s owner, but nobody seemed to be looking for him. He had on a black leather collar, but the tags were missing. She decided to entertain her four-legged friend until the owner showed up. Christy called the dog over, and he jumped up onto the bench beside her, or should I say, onto the bench AND Christy. He was so large, that he took up most of the bench by himself.

           Christy spotted a tennis ball laying on the other side of the boardwalk, so after struggling to remove the 130-pound blanket from her lap, she went and grabbed it. The dog seemed eager to play fetch as soon as he spotted the ball, so Christy coaxed him on and threw it into the sand of the beach about 10-feet away. The huge canine galloped across the sand and scooped the ball up his mouth. When he returned, his snout was covered in golden-colored sand. She tossed it again, but a little further this time. Again, he chased joyfully after his prize, but this time he kicked sand onto some unsuspecting sunbathers as he trotted by. Christy could not help but laugh at this because they were two of the girls who had been laughing at her earlier. She saw it as karma for their rude behavior.

           A third time the ball was thrown, and this time it landed on the back end of a sand sculpture that was nearing completion. Before the artisan could add one final touch, he was pummeled by two massive paws and was sent face-first into his sculpture. Photographers were quick to snap pictures of the sight. The sculpture was supposed to be of Poseidon, King of the Sea in Greek mythology. His trident was supposed to be aimed downward towards the crashing waves, but instead, it was poking through the ear of the sculptor’s head now stuck in the sand.

           The dog returned with the ball, and Christy thought it would be wise if she stayed away from that area for a while, so she looked around for a less populated area. When she spotted an open area near the outside showers, she drew her arm back and prepared to throw, but before she could, the dog became distracted by a voice.

           “Jackson!”, a man called from down the boardwalk. The dog jumped up and down in one spot, excited to hear a familiar voice. Following the voice, a man in his mid-20s breached the wall of bodies walking in front of him. Both he and the dog, Jackson bounded towards one another like two long-lost lovers. The man was nearly knocked backward as the powerful pup launched himself at his friend. Jackson began sloppily licking the man’s face as if he hadn’t seen him in years. Once the man was able to calm Jackson down, he peered over in the direction of Christy who was still holding her arm up as if she were going to throw the ball. Jackson also took notice and pranced over to her side.

           Christy lowered her arm as the owner began to approach her. He stood over 6-feet tall with spiky, black hair, and purple highlights. He wore ripped, faded blue jeans and a black tank top. His skin was fairly pale as if he didn’t spend a lot of time in the Florida sun. He introduced himself as Rex. Christy reached out and shook his hand. It was clammy and cold despite the hot weather.

           “I take it that Jackson is your dog, right?”, she asked. “He is a beautiful animal.”

           “Yes, he is my dog and my best friend. To be honest, I don’t get out much and I don’t have a lot of friends, so Jackson keeps me company.”, Rex stated. “I’m surprised that I found him with you. Most people around here are terrified at the sight of a large dog and call Animal Control to remove them. You don’t seem bothered by him at all.”

           “Are you kidding? Jackson was the best thing that has happened to me all day!”, Christy replied. “He’s like a big teddy bear. So lovable and cute.” Jackson glanced over as if he knew that she was talking about him and gave Christy what appeared to be a wink and a smile. She laughed out loud at the sight.

           Rex asked Christy if she would be interested in walking with him and Jackson for a little while. She gladly accepted, and they began to walk along Ocean Drive toward Lummus Park. The Park was not as busy as what the beach was. A few college-age men were working out in the outdoor fitness area and an old, grey-haired couple cuddled on a park bench under the shade of a swaying palm tree.

           As they walked, Christy and Rex began to talk about their lives and interests and found that they shared quite a few similarities. When they reached the playground area, Christy sat on a swing and Rex began to push her. He told her that this was the longest amount of time that he had been out of his apartment in weeks. Jackson must have thought Christy was swinging too slowly because he jumped up and gave her a push as well. Christy and Rex began to laugh.

           Before they knew it, the sun was beginning to set and they started to say their goodbyes, but not before exchanging numbers. The apartment where Rex and Jackson lived was only minutes away, but Christy had to call for an Uber to pick her up and bring her back home. Before she reached her apartment, her phone began to ring. It was Rex, and he wanted to thank her for taking care of Jackson. According to Rex, Jackson thought that they made a cute couple and thought that Christy and Rex should see each other again. Christy laughed at Rex’s attempt to ask her out and told Rex to tell Jackson that she would be delighted to go out with Rex, as long as Jackson wasn’t going to get jealous. The two of them laughed and talked until Christy made it back to her apartment. That was when they finally said goodnight for the fifth or sixth time before hanging up the phones.

           Christy laid in bed mulling over the events of the day and thought that regardless of her lack of femininity and flirtatious appeal, she had attracted a man who accepted her for whom she is and not who society expected her to be. She finally felt that she had closure on her past and was ready to look towards a more positive future. As the night air cooled her bedroom, Christy faded off to sleep.

The End.