Dan stands close to the water’s edge, looking out to sea. Once in a while he selects a smooth, flat stone from the pebbly beach and skims it skillfully over the incoming waves.
He’s been skimming stones on this same beach his whole life. He loves it here. This small secluded cove is rarely busy. The tourists prefer the soft, yellow sand of the beach just up the coast.
But he hadn’t intended to be here this summer. He and Caitlin had plans that didn’t include coming home. Dan skims another stone, his sun streaked hair ruffled by the breeze. His skin is deeply tanned by the weeks spent out of doors.
He’s vaguely aware of a girl walking towards him from the headland. A girl who isn’t Caitlin. He still can’t imagine life without Caitlin. She’s always been there. In primary school she wore braces on her teeth and laughed a lot. By age sixteen she was suddenly beautiful. Golden hair, wide eyes, perfect teeth.
They hooked up together at a party somebody held on the beach. For Dan it was forever. But one year at uni was enough for Caitlin to have other ideas. “It was never going to work, Dan,” she said. “You up in York, me in Exeter. Bad geography. It couldn’t last.”
And so instead of the planned camping trip to Italy, Caitlin took off to India with some guy from Exeter. And Dan came home to spend the summer working on a building site, living with his parents and his annoying little sister, up in the village. At least he’s made a ton of money to help him through the coming year up north.
The girl is getting closer. But she hasn’t noticed Dan. Her attention is firmly fixed on the ground. Now and then she stoops, picks something up, examines it and throws it down again. Maybe she’s lost something? The girl with wild, copper coloured hair tumbling down her back is wearing a floaty ankle length skirt, a baggy T shirt and despite the shingle, she has bare feet. It’s like she’s wandered out of a nineteen sixties film, Dan thinks.
“Hi,” she says, suddenly aware of Dan watching her. “I didn’t see you there.”
“What are you looking for?” Dan asks. “Fossils, or have you lost something?”
The girl laughs. “No, I’m hunting for sea glass.” Close up she’s stunning. Dan doesn’t usually notice eye colour, but this girl’s eyes are the brightest green he’s ever seen. Like fresh new foliage in spring.
“Sea glass?” What can she mean?
“Yes, you know, small pieces of brightly coloured glass, worn smooth by the water. It’s just broken bottles and stuff really, but some pieces are really beautiful.”
Dan is mystified. Why would she want bits of broken glass?
“What do you do with it?”
The girl’s smile lights up her whole face. She has dimples, Dan notices.
“I’ve collected it since I was a kid,” she says. “I spent summers here with my grandparents. They live just up there.” The girl gestures towards a white cottage up on the cliff top.
“Grandad taught me how to find glass. And I got hooked. See, I found this piece up the beach there.” She holds out her palm, displaying a smooth shard of glistening amber glass.
“I use it now in my jewellery designs. It’s really effective.” Dan examines it in the girl’s hand.
“Wow. It kind of looks like some sort of precious stone.”
“Exactly. That’s why it’s so great for jewellery.”
“Is that what you do then? Make jewellery?”
“It’s part of my course at Art College. And it’s what I intend to do eventually.”
Dan is impressed. And just a little in awe of this beautiful young woman who seems to know exactly what she wants.
“So, how do you find it amongst all these pebbles?”
That smile again. “’Good eyesight!” She squints her eyes. “You need to look really carefully at anything that glitters in the sun. It can make you really bog eyed!” When she laughs her eyes sparkle like the sea glass. “Mostly it’s just junk,” she says. “Broken shells and bits of coloured foil. But once in a while you find a real treasure. I have every colour in my collection. Jade, amethyst, aquamarine. You can find every possible shade.”
Dan is suddenly shy, smitten by her bubbly enthusiasm as well as those exotic, green eyes. “Are you at college round here?” He’d really like to know this girl better.
“No. I’m up in York. It’s a brilliant city. Do you know it?”
A surge of excitement explodes inside Dan’s chest. Is this fate or what?
“Yeah. I know it. Quite well in fact. Hey, I wonder would you like to meet up for a drink later? In the ‘Ship’ maybe? That place up the coast road.” Dan points in the general direction of the popular, local pub.
The girl considers briefly. “Why not? I know the place. I could meet you around eight.”
Dan can feel himself blushing beneath his suntan. “See you later then.”
The girl starts walking away, resuming her search among the pebbles.
“’Hey,” Dan calls to her retreating back. “I never asked you your name.”
The girl turns with a smile. “Zoe. My name’s Zoe.”
“I’m Dan,” he tells her, but she’s already moving away.
Wow. Dan selects another smooth stone and skims it far out to sea, his best effort yet. He could probably skim a pebble all the way to France.
Zoe. What a fabulous name. An exotic name, for an exotic girl. Dan’s smile is as wide as the ocean. Who knew? Maybe, Caitlin isn’t the only girl in the world after all!
🩷🩷🩷
For many years Sue worked as a teacher of English to students from around the world.
Some years ago she began writing short stories. Since then she’s written stories, poems and articles and her work has appeared in various publications including The Lady, Fictionette Magazine, Crystal, All Your Poems, All Your Stories, Scribble and The People’s Friend.
She currently lives in Suffolk with her husband, Roger.
A lovely story and a reminder to all that there is always hope of meeting someone special. Well done, Sue.
This is such a sweet story!