Destiny

I gazed upon the plate sitting in front of me. A nice Porterhouse Steak, a baked potato slathered with butter, sour cream, chives, and bacon bits. A glass of tea. A meal fit for a king or even perfect as a last meal for the condemned. I had not tasted a meal that looked as good as this one in a long time. I wanted to savor it to the very last bite.

When my meal was finished I decided to lay back, relax, and allow my meal to digest. I let my thoughts wander as I nodded off into slumber.

Soon I was dressing for an evening out. Nothing special planned. Just a stroll down the boardwalk taking in the sights and sounds. It always soothed my mind.

I left my small beach house apartment locking the door behind me. I stuffed my key into my trouser pocket and walked out onto the sidewalk. I turned southward and headed toward the boardwalk that lies only blocks away. I could feel the fresh air in my lungs as I took a deep whiff and exhaled slowly. I picked my pace up. The evening temperature felt wonderful. As I got closer to the oceanfront, I could feel a soft breeze coming off the water. The smell of the salty air filled my nostrils. Living near the ocean was always something I had wanted to do. I had only been living here for a short time and was not yet familiar with all the attractions in the surrounding area. I would remedy some of that this very night.

In a matter of minutes, I arrived at the edge of the boardwalk. I stepped up onto the steps and walked out onto the sidewalk. People were walking about in both directions. Some were clad in bathing suits or cutoffs and carrying surfboards. Women were wearing bikinis and carrying beach bags. There were people on roller skates or skateboards. Others were riding bicycles and maneuvering between the crowd. I took the sights in and smiled as I thought about the time that lay ahead. I inhaled deeply to fill my lungs with the smell from the ocean breeze. A woman on skates wearing a white bikini whizzed by me. She had a set of headphones on her head and I could hear music blasting from them as she passed. I smiled at her but it went unnoticed. I saw a child running and frolicking as the mother called after her to slow down.

I walked by a few storefronts with various sea treasures hanging in the windows as displays to what was held inside. I decided to take a look for myself. I stepped through the doorway. I was greeted with a friendly voice from behind the counter, welcoming me. I looked from where the voice came. An attractive girl in her twenties stood behind the counter. She smiled and told me to feel free to browse and if I had any questions, she would provide answers. I nodded my head and smiled back. “Good evening,” I responded. I walked around inside the crowded store that had rows of wooden bins and shelves stacked and filled with all sorts of nautical oddities. On the wall was hung a large net made from rope. Behind the netting were beach balls, driftwood, and various seascape articles. On another wall was the front of a green rowboat decor and oar made from wooden planks. I thought it added a touch of rustic beauty to the store.

I looked around and wondered in amazement at the things tourists will spend their hard-earned money on. Colorful seashells, sand dollars, and shark’s teeth were just a few of those items. Of course, there were beach sandals, sunglasses, and sunscreens of every type. I was amused by a tee-shirt with the caption: I went to the beach with beautiful women all around and all I got was a sunburn. I decided against it as I would then need a camera strung around my neck so I could look the part of a tourist. I did not care to look like another tourist.

After spending the better part of twenty minutes browsing the store, I left without making a purchase. I continued down the boardwalk window shopping other souvenir shops. I stopped into a tattoo shop and scanned the pictures of tattoos available. I saw a few I liked and thought I might decide to come back at a later time and pick one out. I exited back onto the boardwalk. The sun was setting on the water and cast a beautiful hue across the water. I had to squint my eyes because it was so bright. I stopped a few minutes to take in the beauty.

By that time, I began feeling thirsty and thought a beer sounded good. I headed in the direction of a small tavern I had frequented a few times since my arrival here in this beach town. It was only a short walk, and I entered the establishment after a few minutes.

The light was dim inside. There were only a few people inside sitting at tables around the room. I saw nobody sitting at the bar and approached choosing a stool and sitting down. The barkeep behind the counter came up and asked me what my pleasure was. I ordered a beer. He reached inside a cooler and pulled out a bottled beer, sat a cardboard coaster onto the countertop and put the beer down on the coaster. I pulled a twenty-dollar bill out from my pocket and laid it on the counter. The man took my money and left my change on the counter. It pleased me when I lifted the beer to my lips and discovered it was ice-cold. I took a few sips and let my mouth accustom to the taste of the beer. I slowly drank down the rest of my beer and motioned for the bartender to bring me another. He complied and took enough money from the change that remained on the counter in front of me to cover the cost of the bottled brew. I picked up a quarter from the pile and walked over to the jukebox that sat in the corner. I scanned through the selection of songs before settling on a number. I inserted the coin, pushed a few buttons, and walked back to my barstool. The music began playing. I settled back in front of my beer, picking it up and taking another drink. I took my time finishing it off and ordered another.

About an hour passed as I sat sipping beers and occasionally putting more quarters in the jukebox. I was enjoying my evening out. During this time more customers had entered mostly sitting at the tables. More people were playing songs of their choosing on the music box. The atmosphere inside the pub was getting lively. Once in a while a couple would go up to a small clearing between the tables and dance to the song that was playing.

I looked at my watch and noticed it was beginning to get late and thought I might have just one more beer before I leave. I ordered the beer and took a drink. A woman came and sat down on the stool beside mine. I couldn’t help but notice how attractive she was. She had blonde hair that hung straight midway down her back. She wore a white blouse and a green-flowered skirt that was vee shaped and hung down to her feet. She took notice that I was eyeing her and smiled as she said “Hi,” to me. I returned the greeting. The bartender came, and she ordered a glass of wine. She paid for her wine and took a sip. She looked my way and told me her name was Destiny. I told her mine. We continued small talk as I finished my beer and ordered another. I ordered another glass of wine for Destiny. “What the heck,” I thought to myself. “I can stay out as late as I want. I’ve got nothing to do tomorrow. No reason to have to get out of bed until I’m ready.” I was glad to have company to talk to. Her being attractive made it even better. We talked as we sipped our drinks.

Destiny was a tourist in town for only a couple of days. She was single. She was from an inner-city and this was her first time to a seaside town. She was a professional consultant in town for a convention meeting. She had happened upon this tavern while exploring the boardwalk. I told her how I had come to be in this small sea resort town. We appeared to hit it off with each other in our conversation. We talked a couple of hours as we sipped our drinks. We even danced for a couple of songs that were played on the music box.

I eventually got my nerve up to ask Destiny to go home with me. To my amazement, she agreed. I placed a twenty on the counter as a gratuity to the barkeep and Destiny and I left the establishment.

The air was fresh as we entered onto the boardwalk. There were still quite many people loitering around even though the hour was late by now. I took hold of Destiny’s hand and led her down the sidewalk toward my small apartment.

We made more talk on the way and reached our destination in a short time. I removed the key from my pocket and began to put it into the door’s keyhole.

I heard the sound of metal keys clanking. Then the sound of the large key being inserted into the lock and the heavy metal locking mechanism turning. I opened my eyes and saw as three guards stepped into my cell. Two of them were holding the shackles that would be placed upon my ankles and arms. The other spoke softly, “It’s time. You have a date with destiny.”