soothing. But the peaceful vibes of Maui’s beaches are what keep me sane. I need that today more than ever.
Last night’s argument with Mom and the crying session in my bedroom has my entire body in knots. When I woke up an hour before my alarm clock this morning, I knew I needed to ease the tension within me if I had any hope of having a decent day at work.
Before leaving, I left a note apologizing for my outburst last night on the kitchen counter and wished her a pleasant day off. I know we’ll move past this argument—we had worse arguments when I was a mouthy teenager. But having this day apart from each other will be good for the both of us. I can distract myself with work, and she can busy herself with her day-off hobbies. And then we’ll start over again tomorrow.
As soon as my toes hit the sugary sand of Little Beach, every tense muscle in my feet and calves releases. I gaze up at the sun peeking above the horizon. One glimpse at the bright orange hue kissing the deep blue shoreline, and I’m as calm as the salty air around me. Eyes closed, I hum softly.
Thank heavens for last night’s surprise rainstorm that caused the local news to send out panicked warnings to tourists. Sharks are more likely to be out in the murky waters caused by lots of rain. The truth is that even with the rain and murky waters, attacks are still rare. But nothing clears a beach of tourists faster than warnings of possible shark sightings. I’m thankful for how deserted Little Beach is this morning. Including myself, there are only three people here. This is definitely a day where I’m not in the mood to deal with a horde of phone-toting tourists elbowing one another for selfies on my way to the water. Even though we’re technically past the busy season of winter, when more than a million tourists come from all over to get away from the cold and snow, Maui is still a popular year-round vacation destination. Crowds are common almost everywhere.
I drop my towel on the sand and dive straight into the waves. A rush of lukewarm seawater engulfs me. I hold the air in my lungs until my chest aches. When I break the surface, I gasp, then dive back in. Again and again I repeat, floating underwater until I can’t hold my breath any longer, then bursting through the surface, screaming for more air. It’s agony and heaven all at once.
On this beach and under this water, no worldly worries exist. Just a fiery sun kissing the crystal-blue ocean and powdery soft sand tickling my toes. A row of gnarled trees surrounds this small strip of beach, marking the boundary of my heaven. In this moment, despite all the trouble it’s been to carve out an existence here, I’m thankful my parents picked Maui. Right now on this beach, in this water, against this sky, it is perfection.
A forty-something man with a killer tan and the body of a long-distance runner wades out of the water to his towel, giving me and the other swimmer at the opposite end of the shore a clear view of his naked rear end. Public nudity isn’t legal on Maui, but everyone looks the other way on Little Beach, one of the few beaches on the island where people routinely shed their clothes. People can swim, tan, and walk around naked. As long as they don’t make a fuss, no one bats an eye.
I tighten the strap of my navy deep-“V” one-piece. I’ve never been much of an exhibitionist, and I don’t ever plan on being one, but I love the “Who cares? Do what you want” mentality of this beach.
Another ten minutes of diving underwater and I’ve had my fill. I settle on my towel and gaze around me. The sun’s Day-Glo orange hue bathes every surface around me. Propping myself up on my elbows, I scan the beach behind my sunglasses. Still just me and the lone guy in the surf, still knocking out laps up and down the beach at a dizzying pace.
When he finally crawls out of the water and makes his way to the shoreline, my mouth falls open. This man is the phrase “holy hot damn” in human form. And he’s totally, completely nude.
Even standing twenty feet away from me, his hotness is as clear as the blue sky above. His