“This is so cool!” I squeak, skipping past the entrance since there is no fee to enter.
“What do you want to do? Wanna ride the wheel?” I hear Roman ask, looking over my shoulder to see him pointing to the colorful, spinning Ferris wheel above our heads.
I give it a quick look before shaking her head vehemently. “Absolutely not. Some heights are fine, but I think that one is too much for me.”
Roman shrugs, never pushing me, which I’m grateful for as I spot the long ass line wrapped around the corner.
Taking my hand in his, we walk through the bustling port, occasionally stopping whenever I see something that catches my eye.
I turn into one of the many souvenir gift shops, bypassing everything; the keychains, t-shirts, and stuffed animals to head straight to the back, where they keep a large selection of beautifully colored stones, gems, and seashells.
Among the treasures is a necklace, an anatomically correct heart carved out of a Mystic black pearl.
“Do you like that one?” I hear Roman ask as he walks up beside me, his eyes peering over my shoulder as I hold the petite, delicate necklace up to the light. It shines with radiant shimmers, glittering blues and silver under the heavy fluorescent beams.
“I do. It’s beautiful, don’t you think?” I ask, watching his eyes sparkle with the pearls shine.
“It is, angel. Just like you.”
Quickly, Roman plucks the necklace from my hand and takes it to the counter, paying the sixteen-dollar fee so I can have a piece of the ocean forever.
Taking the chain from the cashier's hand, Roman comes behind me and wraps the necklace around my neck, securing it closed before splaying his fingers along my jaw and turning me for a kiss.
“Let’s go eat,” he whispers breathlessly against my lips, slipping his tongue over the seam of my mouth before taking my hand and pulling me out of the store.
My fingers don’t leave the smooth, polished surface of the pearl as Roman guides us through the bustling crowd, letting myself get caught up in each carved groove as the salty wind blows across my face.
We walk across the boardwalk to a rowdy burger shack hidden between a fresh seafood stand and a couple making tacos off a portable grill.
Once I catch a whiff of the fat and grease in the air, my stomach rumbles painfully, starving for food that doesn’t come out of a plastic bag.
“It smells so good in here, like potatoes and cheese,” I say, eyes scanning the menu they have posted on the outside of the shack.
The ocean breeze carries the salt and fried deliciousness from the kitchen into our noses. Sizzling meat and the rich aroma of boiling chili are making my stomach growl louder than the roaring crowd inside the tiny restaurant.
Stepping up to an open window, we place our orders and wait off to the side while they prepare our meals for us.
We wait with our arms resting on a worn, wooden beam, bodies leaning over the top as we watch the dark bluish water collide with thick poles keeping the pier standing. Out in the distance, a seal pokes his curious head out of the water, gazing at us just as we do at him.
I don’t know why, but I grow attached to his beautiful, black eyes, feeling myself shrink in sadness when he disappears back under the water.
Let me see you again, just one last time so I can say goodbye.
Roman steps away from me for a moment, picking up our tray of food from the window.
“Come on, angel,” he says, waving his hand in the direction of an empty table sitting against the barrier so we can enjoy the view of the ocean while we scarf down our double cheeseburgers and chili cheese fries.
“I can’t get over this view,” I say, elbow on the table, chin resting in the palm of my hand as I stare out at the endless ocean in front of me.
“Yeah, the ocean is beautiful, but it doesn’t compare to the woman in front of me,” Roman says, a cheesy smile plastered on his face
“Wow.” I mouth to myself, chuckling behind my hand as the heat in my face rises, burning my skin a blistering red. “That might just be the cheesiest thing that I’ve ever heard you say.”
“Maybe, but did your heart speed up in your chest? Did your panties fill with that delicious, sweet juice?”
I choke on a French fry as the words spew from his lips, shifting my gaze left to right to make sure no one heard him.
“Roman! You can’t say stuff like that!” I hiss between my teeth, barely holding back the laughter ready to trickle from my lips. I can sense the eyes of my neighbors drilling into my spine, and I can’t help but hunch slightly under their glares.
