Lifesaver — Part 1

❤ Part 1 of my short story! Edited by me, so please be nice ❤

Allrights reserved

The wind blew in Rebecca’s frizzy, amber hair like water rolling down a freshwater stream. The sun reflected on the ocean’s horizon, setting a path for fishing boats to take off to sea. Rebecca started the first few things in her routine. A run, meeting the other lifeguards for their morning instruction, and setting out beach chairs for the foreseeable vacationing families.

The rest of the day, she is blowing her whistle at little kids to stop fighting in the water, placing bandaids on their scabs, and then politely asking the parents to control their hooligans.

A distant voice crashed in the waves on her run. A vision of a young man’s head bobbed in and out of the water. He was the only one there.

To the nearest lifeguard station was a rescue tube. Placing the tube under Rebecca’s arm, she dove headfirst into the sandy water. The waves crashed over her slender body like two forces colliding. Catching his wrist, her fingers wrapped around him like a python ready to kill the next victim. Pulling the six-foot guy above the waves, she wrapped his broad body on the tube.

Safely on shore, his bare chest moved up and down. Relieved, but his eyes were shut. Shaking the guy like a cocktail, he opened his red distressed eyes.

“Are you okay?” Rebecca leaned over his peculiar birthmark, painted above his collarbone.

Coughing up what seemed like a pint of water, he mumbled, “Yeah.” He released the rest of the salty water, swallowed by his lungs. “I think… Thanks for saving me. That current is crazy this morning.”

Rebecca’s shy, small voice developed into a bear’s growl. “I’m glad I was there. There was no one else around to hear you.” She said, wiping her freckled face from the water that dripped down the sides of her sunburnt skin. “You can’t swim in the ocean without a lifeguard. There are signs everywhere. Did you not see them?”

“I had no idea it was this bad.” The guy studied Rebecca’s face like it was a Victoria’s Secret magazine. “You look familiar.”

“Im Rebecca, pretty sure we had a class together last semester.”

“I’m Ted. I’ve seen you before… Where have I seen you?”

Grabbing Ted’s arm, she lifted him from the ground. Can he not hear?

“I go to Keiser University. We had a class together last semester.” Rebecca said.

Ted thought for what seemed like too long of a minute. “Oh, right! You sat behind me… How can I repay you? I mean, you did just save my life. Can I get you a drink? Cash?”

Rebecca shook her head in disbelief. Cash? Is this guy crazy? Does he think he can use daddy’s money to buy his way out of everything?

“This is my job. So I’m happy to help, you don’t need to repay me.. Especially cash… well, if you’re alright, I’m going to meet my coworkers.”

***

“Sorry guys, I just had to save someone this morning. Do people really not see all the signs around?” Rebecca said, closing the circle of lifeguards.

“Oh, we saw you, Rebecca. You saved THE Ted Rudolph… lucky,” Lucy said with a smirk pushing away her blonde wavy hair.“Did you give him mouth to mouth?” She stared at Rebecca so hard there could have been drool coming down her powdered face.

“Uh… no. Not lucky. He could have died.”

Lucy rolled her almond eyes, looking back at the leader.

“Thank you, Rebecca. I’m glad to have you on the team. What happened? Does he need any more help? Ambulance?”

“He was getting pulled out from the current, but he seems to be okay.”

“Good.” The leader looked at the eight lifeguards and said, “Everyone should know, if you save a life you get the remaining day off. Recuperate and take it easy. We will see you tomorrow, Rebecca.”

***

Rebecca looked toward the houses lined down the beach. Compared to the mansions on the other sides of her home, her small, but normal blue house stood on wooden slabs. Jogging up the old steps, she swung open the creaking wooden door. Aroma of rosemary and lemon circled around the kitchen from her nightly cleaning fiasco. Now what?

Rebecca picked up her phone to call her mom. “I’ll be there in ten mins.”

She got in her silver dented sedan and turned on the ignition. The flashing light came on again. “I’ll fix it later,” her everlasting voice said.

Mornings at Pressley’s Seafood Cafe were typically slow. A restaurant that serves seafood for breakfast isn’t the most appetizing. Fish and waffles, cornbread pancakes with oyster sauce, and avocado toast and sardines.

The third red leather booth that lined down the cream walls was her favorite spot to sit. Not too close to the restrooms, not too close to the payment counter, and next to the salad bar. She looked at the six-sided menu like she’s never seen it before. Eyebrows up, eyes wide, and top lip raised told you her take on the food. She slid the menu to the very end of the table.

“Hey mom, can I just have a cup of coffee? No breakfast for me. How are the new items coming together?”

Her petite frame leaned into the table and said, “I didn’t think anyone would like these things… look around. There’s three tables being taken right now. People are trying the new items and are loving it.” Rebecca’s mom said.

Looking over her shoulder, Rebecca wanted to see the type of people to order such weird food. An older couple sitting in the first booth drinking cups of black coffee. Typical. A mom wrangling her three kids sat by the windows in the far back of the restaurant. Typical. Two guys sat across from the bathrooms. Why on earth would anyone want to sit by the bathrooms? She stared at the guys longer than the others. Looking at one of the guy’s hair, a familiar dirty blonde, muscular build, reminded her of Ted. She wasn’t sure.

Waiting for her coffee, she smelt the delicious, dark roast coffee beans brewing in the kitchen. She looked back toward the guys again as they were sliding out of their seats. Yep. Thats Ted. What’s he doing here? He certainly couldn’t be eating biscuits and crab gravy. Slouching in her seat, she turned her head towards the wall lined with sea bass competition portraits.

“Rebecca?” Ted said, leaning in to get a better picture of her. “Haven’t you had enough of me already?” He said with a smirk.

Rebecca giggled, “I’m here visiting my mom. I got the day off from saving you.” Rebecca said, shifting in her seat. Her cheeks turned a cardinal red. “What did you end up getting?”

“I got the biscuits and crab gravy. As weird as it sounds, it’s pretty good. Eggs, crab, sausage smothered on a biscuit goes well together.”

Ted’s friend chimed in, “Yo, the sardine avocado toast is gnarly too. You should try that.”

“Maybe,” Rebecca replied, looking for her mom across the front booths.

Ted hesitated, “Well… hey, I know you said I don’t need to repay you, but why don’t I take you to dinner tonight? You know, you saved me and all. It’s the least I could do.”

“I’m not sure. It’s my job,” Rebecca stopped mid-sentence to her mom coming in with a steaming hot cup of coffee. “Oh, hey mom.” Relief.

“Thanks so much for breakfast. I wanted to hand you this instead of leaving it on the table. This was one of the best breakfasts I’ve had in a long time. And I think family owned restaurants are dope.” Ted said. He handed Rebecca’s mom an envelope with cash in it. A hundred dollar’s worth.

“Oh, wow, I can’t accept this. This is too much.”

“Take it. I hope it can help. Maybe you could take Rebecca to a nice dinner. She won’t go with me… I told her I wanted to repay her since she saved my life this morning.” Ted said.

Rebecca’s mom wrapped her arm around Ted’s waist, patting the middle of his back. “Thank you so much! Go to dinner with him, Rebecca. What could hurt it?”

Rebecca looked at her mom with fear in her eyes. “Okay… okay.” Rebecca said.

“Yo Ted, we’ve got to go. It’s already ten o’clock. We’re going to be late for practice.” Ted’s friend said.

“See you tonight. Five o’clock sound good? Where should I pick you up?”

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Rebecca said, pushing her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. “My house… uh… yeah, It’s the small blue one with a yellow roof by the ocean. You can’t miss it. Just five minutes down the A1A.”

***

Rebecca’s mom sunk into the booth like a feather falling on a bed of leaves. Her unkempt hair, secured with a pen, was becoming loose by the minute. She placed her server’s book on the table and picked up Rebecca’s hand, caressing it between her clammy fingers. “So… are you going to tell me about how you saved Ted’s life?”

Rebecca slurped her coffee, a warm bitter taste rolled down her stomach. She looked down at the table. “Why did you persist in going on a date with him? You know how I am with boys. I either talk too much or shut off completely. I’m already a nervous wreck.”

“Honey, you’ve got to mingle with people. It’s great you are happy by yourself, but this will be good for you. If you want to cancel, then do that. I was just trying to help.”

“It’s whatever. I’ll go to this dinner, and probably never hear from him again. You just wait.”

“Rebecca, that’s not true. You are so likeable and beautiful. Give yourself credit.”

“We’ll see.” Rebecca said with a deep exhale. She slouched back into the seat, staring blankly at the booth in front of her. Silence had taken over the conversation.

“Keep your phone on you. I won’t be home to help you get ready. Can you be back here at the restaurant by ten?”

“Yes, that sounds good.” Rebecca said, getting up from the table. The glass door shut, causing the two little bells to hit the door.

***

4:45 o’clock

Rebecca passed back and forth in the section between her twin bed and her desk. Hair in a loose French braid, baby hairs contouring her round face. She wore a white dress that’s been in her closet since high school. The only thing that looked decent enough to go on a date with Ted. Let alone anyone.

4:50 o’clock

The clock ticked. Her bed squeaked like a mouse as she sat down.

4:51 o’clock

Back in the bathroom, looking at herself one last time. She grabbed her lip gloss and placed it on her pink plump lips. One more spray of her Justin Bieber perfume dripped down her neck. Rubbing it onto her wrists, her heart started thumping. It’s almost time.

Rebecca wasn’t much for getting dolled up. She knew makeup would come in handy for times like this, but it was never normal for her to wear it. Brown eyeliner to line the tops of her eyes. Not too dark, not too light. A BB creme covered her pasty complexion, smearing away her pores, but sheer enough to show her freckles. Her emerald eyes enhanced with an enchanting eye shadow.

Even though she loved to read, study Edgar Allan Poe, and have an introverted soul. She had a side no one ever saw, a makeup tutorial loving, Hallmark Movies, girly girl.

4:55 o’clock

The doorbell rang.

4:56 o’clock

Well, maybe not, “one last time” Rebecca stood at her mirror picking up her feet to get a whole glance of her outfit. With the wedged heels, she was just a hare above five foot nine.

4:57 o’clock

“Hey Ted,” Rebecca said with a smile.

Ted had a bouquet of white roses in his hands and handed them to Rebecca. “Wow, Rebecca, you look great.”

Rebecca let no one see this side of her before. Everyone at campus was used to the nerdy girl with glasses, hair in a ponytail, dark circles under her eyes from studying too much, and athletic t-shirts.

“That’s very sweet. Thank you.” Rebecca said, looking down. She held the roses in her hand, smelling the perfume that ascended from them. “Uh… Come in… I’ll put these in some water.”

“What a cozy house you have.” Ted said, looking around the den.

“Yeah, pretty small and cozy if you want to say that.” Rebecca’s two-inch heels squeaked in the kitchen, finding a vase for the flowers.

“Where are we planning to eat?”

Ted came around to the kitchen and leaned on the refrigerator.

Rebecca glanced at him, making way up to his broad shoulders. His arms crossed right at his chest. A tall, handsome guy in my house? What is this second life I’m living?

“I was thinking I would take you to a location that you’ve probably never been to. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, only if you don’t kill me. I read too many murder mysteries.” Crap! Murder mysteries? I’m already losing it.

“Definitely not wanting to kill you.” Ted said, with a chuckle. “Would you be down to ride in a helicopter?”

“A helicopter? Where did you find that? I’ve never been in a plane, let alone a helicopter.”

“I have my connects.” Ted said with a smirk.