whispered as Bill yanked her behind the shelter of a shrubby, purple-flowered tree. Hey--Ow! What are you doing?
Escorting you to a safer vantage. Bill dragged her up again into the air, until they were rising through the canopy of leaves. Once they cleared the trees, he flew her to a high, sturdy branch and plunked her down, and she could see the whole beach.
Lulu!
The voice sank though Luce's skin and straight into her heart. Daniel's voice. He was calling to her. He wanted her. Needed her. Luce moved toward the sound. She hadn't even noticed that she'd started to rise from her seat on the high branch, as if she could just walk off the treetop and fly to him--until Bill gripped her elbow.
Precisely why I had to drag your popaa ass up here. He's not talking to you. He's talking to her.
Oh. Luce sank back down heavily. Right.
On the black sand, the girl with the coconuts, Lulu, was running. And down the beach, sprinting toward her, was Daniel.
He was shirtless, gorgeously tanned and muscular, wearing only cropped navy-blue trousers that were fraying at the edges. His skin glittered with seawater, fresh from a dip in the ocean. His bare feet kicked up sand. Luce envied the water, envied the sand. Envied everything that got to touch Daniel when she was stuck up in this tree. She envied her past self the most.
Running toward Lulu, Daniel looked happier and more natural than Luce could ever remember seeing him. It made her want to cry.
They reached each other. Lulu threw her arms around him, and he swept her up, twirling her in the air. He set her back on her feet and showered her with kisses, kissing her fingertips and her forearms, all the way up to her shoulders, her neck, her mouth.
Bill reclined against Luce's shoulder. Wake me up when they get to the good stuff, he said, yawning.
Pervert! She wanted to slug him, but she didn't want to touch him.
I mean the tattooing, gutter-brain. I'm into tats, okay?
When Luce looked back at the couple on the beach, Lulu was leading Daniel to a woven mat that was spread on the sand not far from the hut. Daniel pulled a short machete from the belt of his trousers and hacked at one of the coconuts. After a few slashes, he split off the top and handed the rest of it to Lulu. She drank deeply, milk dripping from the corners of her mouth. Daniel kissed them clean.
There's no tattooing, they're just-- Luce broke off when her past self disappeared into the hut. Lulu reappeared a moment later carrying a small parcel bound in palm leaves. She unwrapped a tool that looked like a wooden comb. The bristles gleamed in the sun, as if they were needle-sharp. Daniel lay back on the mat, watching as Lulu dipped the comb into a large shallow seashell filled with a black powder.
Lulu gave him a quick kiss and then began.
Starting at his breastbone, she pressed the comb into his skin. She worked quickly, pressing hard and fast, and each time she moved the comb she left a smear of black pigment tattooed on his skin. Luce could begin to make out a design: a small checkerboard-patterned breastplate. It was going to span his entire chest. Luce's only trip to a tattoo parlor had been once in New Hampshire with Callie, who wanted a tiny pink heart on her hip. It had taken less than a minute and Callie had bellowed the whole time. Here, though, Daniel lay silently, never making a sound, never moving his eyes off Lulu. It took a long while, and Luce felt sweat trickle down the small of her back as she watched.
Eh? How 'bout that? Bill nudged her. Did I promise to show you love or did I promise to show you love?
Sure, they seem like they're in love. Luce shrugged. But--
But what? Do you have any idea how painful that is? Look at that guy. He makes getting inked look like being caressed by a soft breeze.
Luce squirmed on the branch. Is that the lesson here? Pain equals love?
You tell me, Bill said. It may surprise you to hear this, but the ladies aren't exactly banging down Bill's door.
I mean, if I tattooed Daniel's name on my body would that mean I loved him more than I already do?
It's a symbol, Luce. Bill let out a raspy sigh. You're being too literal. Think about it this way: Daniel