FicWad

“Dragon?” Vin asks. “You make a sand dragon?”

“Yup, all 30 feet of him. Be prepared for the fun.” I smile over my shoulder as I head inside after Roy and Leeni. “See you in 5.”

He just laughs, and says “THIS I’ve gotta see. I’ll be back in 3.” He turns and jogs off to his cottage.

As I’m standing in my room, trying to decide between the cute bikini, or the practical one-piece, I start to do a layout of what the dragon will be doing THIS time. Suzi and I have done several incarnations of the dragon, so I have to come up with something new for the photos. Picking the one-piece, because I’m going to be doing some major sandwork, I get changed. Practically skipping out into the open living room area, I finally stop to notice things. This is definitely one of the updated cottages, now that I think about it. The wood floors are in perfect condition, the paint fresh and inviting, and the kitchen looks brand new. Come to think of it, that bathroom and especially the shower is heaven! I must remember to say something nice to Vin.

“Hey Ari, what all do you really need to do a kick ass dragon? I can make due with whatevers left, you must school the guys on this.” Leeni is rummaging thru the drawers and cabinets of the kitchen as she says this to me. “I know you need a few good sized bowls, and the cake icing thing as you so like to call it-“

“Well, that’s what it does! It icing’s the cake. You know what I mean, and that’s all that matters. Here, let me look.” That’s how Roy and Vin found us, with our butts sticking out of the bottom cabinets, looking for various plasticware.

“Aha! Perfect!” I come out, with just the right sized container to use for the scaling. Seeing the guys there, I stand up when nudging Leeni to do the same. “Ok guys, here’s the deal. We can either all do our own things, and make it a real contest so that you male types can exert your dominance,” at that, Vin and Roy both puffed up their chests and did the audible GRUNT GRUNT ala Tim the Tool Man. “OR, we can all work together on one massive scene. I have this idea”

“Uh-oh Vin, seems like it’s already been decided, and we’re the grunt labour for this endeavor. I’ve seen that sparkle before. Ari’s got a plan, lord help us.” Roy states. “But, I promise you, if we do just as she says, it will be a masterpiece. She is awesome when it comes to sand sculptures.”

We get our supplies from Leeni, grab some towels, and head outside. There, Vin has already pulled together several empty 5-gallon paint buckets, as well as a few shovels, a rake, and several hand tools. All of which were in the most awesome homemade oversized Radio Flyer wagon I had ever seen. “Thought we could use some of this for the big moving. This isn’t my first rodeo sweetheart. I have a few ideas of my own, so let’s get to it.” Vin smirked, as he grabs the handle to the wagon, and starts off down the wooden walkway that leads to the beach.

After setting up our towels, and organizing the tools, we survey the area. “I’m thinking something along the lines of ‘dragon is attacking the castle’ right over there.” I say, as I point to the beginnings of the dunes off to one side of the walkway. “We can use the dune, and build the castle wall off of that, and have part of it crumbling, and the dragon right there, like he’s just blown it up with his fire breath.”

“Yeah, I can see that. And, if we do it right, we can have a few knights in armour draped over the wall, or under the dragon’s foot. I’m really good at doing people.” Vin added, as he looks over the area.

“Ok, so, the wall will have to be at least this long,” Roy pipes in, as he takes a hoe and draws a line along the ground. “And, knowing Ari, this isn’t a baby dragon, so it’s gonna take up this much room,” he continues, as he does a rough dragon shape on the corner.

“We can have a turrent on the corner here, which is what is all falling down, and the knights along this wall here,” I add, as I try to calculate how much sand this is really going to be to move. “Hey Vin, can we use the wagon to move sand, or do you have a wheelbarrow as well? That might work better for the initial set-up. This is gonna be a lot of sand!!”

We set to work, and about 3 hours and a few breaks to go jump in the ocean to cool off later, the three of us were standing there, admiring our work. The castle wall and turrent wind up being almost 5 feet tall, and two feet thick. The dragon is one of the best I’ve ever done. He was over 5 feet tall, with a crushed man in a suit of armor under one paw. The scaling down the back was perfect. Usually, that’s the part Suzi likes to do, so I had to make sure it was up to her standards.

“Wow, Ari. That is simply amazing. When did you learn that?” Vin was shaking his head, and grinning at me. The three of us were covered in sand, standing shoulder to shoulder admiring our finished product.

“I used to go camping in the mountains, and one summer the park had a sand sculpture contest. This one guy showed up, and had about 10 kids help him make one of these. I got to do the final watering and shaping with him. Ever since, when the mood strikes and the sand is the right kind, like now, I do one up. Usually not this elaborate with the castle, tho. I did a 30 foot long one lying down asleep the first time, and that’s the usual way I do it with Suzi. This is my first standing one.”

“Well, I must say that we make a great team. Those knights are amazing, Vin.” Roy said, as he brushes sand off his arms, legs and belly.

“The way you did the castle is pretty awesome as well. We all did a most excellent job.” Vin replied, while looking at me.

I shrugged my shoulders, and did my ‘if you think this is impressive, let me show you what ELSE I can do in the sand’ look in his direction. Unfortunately, Roy saw it as well, and started laughing.

“What!??”” I yell at him, and play-slap him, just as Leeni and Pinky come strolling up. Whew, saved by refreshments. I thought to myself, as I had noticed that Vin was looking back and forth between Roy and I with a strange look on his face. Remember to ask him about that later.

“Now THAT’S what I call fun in the sand.” Pinky exclaims. “Good thing we brought the camera, because none of the old bitties at the Bingo will ever believe me when I tell them that there’s a dragon on my beach, attacking a castle.”

So, for the next few minutes, Roy, Vin and I take turns posing in different ways with our sculpture, and Pinky makes Leeni join in as well, because she said so. No one argued with Pinky. We were all laughing and enjoying some of Leeni’s fresh key lime pie and tea, as we watched people strolling by on the beach and stopping to look at ‘Bogey’. Pinky named the dragon that, because she said it reminded her of her poor, dead older brother. OKAYYYYYY.

Just as we were all cleaning up to go shower off and get dressed, a reporter comes up and asks a few questions and takes our picture with Bogey as well. Pinky was all in a tizzy, as the breeze was mussing her hair for the photo, but she refused to not be in it, as this was even better than just being able to TELL the ladies at Bingo. We were going to be in Sunday’s “locals” section, with a color photo and all.

After rinsing off all the sand as much as possible out in the open, we all split up and took turns in the cottage’s shower getting the REST of the sand out of every nook and cranny available on the human body. That’s the only downside to a good afternoon of building; the amount of sand that gets everywhere it shouldn’t be.

I take my time getting dressed, as it’s supposed to be a casual pizza night, but Vin said he would bring the beer if he could join in. I wanted to look good, but not like I was trying too hard. After about four outfits, Leeni pokes her head in my room and then comes in with my saving grace. She hands over her blue flouncy mini skirt and darker blue tank. “This should do it. Go, wear with pride, and I don’t want it back unless it’s been tossed onto the dunes later tonite in the heat of passion.” She winks at me, then leaves the room before I could yell anything profane back at her. Still, she was right, after I put it on, it WAS perfect. I tie up my hair in a loose pony, and do just a little makeup. Slipping on my favorite flips, I head out to the Oceanside porch, only to find just Vin there.

“Uh, Roy and Leeni went to pick up the pizza. Tony, the owner, had two employees up and quit on him today, so he doesn’t have a delivery guy. It’s only 3 blocks up, so they’ll be back in a few minutes. Want a beer?” Vin smiles, as he opens the cooler next to his chair.

“Sure, what kind you have?” I ask, as he whips out a Lager.

“The only TRUE kind to drink” was his reply, as he takes off the lid and hands it to me.
I chug about half before I remember he was sitting there watching me. I slowly lower the bottle, and wipe my mouth off with the back of my hand as I try to play it off by saying “ Man, nothing beats a cold beer after a hard afternoon of playing on the beach.”

I sit down in the chair next to him, and in walks Roy and Leeni with three large pizzas.
“One pepperoni, one everything, and one pineapple and bacon. Dig in.” Roy says with a flourish of each box as he says each one. “Oh, and Vin, before you even THINK of going for a pineapple one, you better think about it again. Ari gets real defensive over her pies.”

“Is that so? Hmmmmm…. Whatcha gonna do?” He asks me, as he reaches for a slice.
I smack his hand with the pizza cutter flat sided, and he immediately drops the slice back in the box, go for an everything, and just laughs. “I see what you mean. Note to self: stay AWAY from the pineapple.”

After finishing enough pie, Vin goes inside the cottage to put a call in to his brother to get an update on George for Leeni. A few minutes later, he comes back out. “He’s doing fine. They’ve moved him out of ICU and into his own room, and they will be keeping him there for at least the rest of the week. Dave says after that, you have some decisions to make. Does he stay here, and do the PT, or do you all go back home? If so, he knows an excellent therapist up there that will be perfect to take him on as a patient.”

“I don’t know yet, I will have to think on that,” Leeni replied, as she yawned. “Right now, I’m going to bed. I am exhausted. Good night everyone.” With that, she gave Roy a big smooch, me a hug, and surprisingly to everyone, Vin a hug as well. He just laughed at something she whispered to him before letting go, and said to her “I will. Do not worry. And, I am forewarned.”

Note to self: Kill Leeni later. AFTER finding out what she forewarned him about. One way or another.

Just then, he jumps up, and grabs me out of my chair as well. “Come on, time to work that pizza off. Let’s go. Roy, see you tomorrow.” I follow him tugging me by the hand down to the beach. We walk along until we get to the thinking spot, and he sits down, pulling me down in front of him with my back leaning on his chest. Oh my, oh my, OH MY!!! I try to continue to breathe normally, but I’m just too excited to remember how. Just then, he leans in and whispers to me, “Whatcha thinking about, hmmmm?” and proceeds to nibble on my left earlobe.

“uhhh, ooooh, I… wow.” Great. Really intelligent answer there. Try again stupid, but this time use real words!!! But, I can’t, because just then, he leans back, taking me with him, and I somehow wind up on the dune, with him over top me, and WHOOOPPEEEEE !!! He’s kissing me!! I mean, the kind that if we were standing up, the leg would POP- melt you where you are kind of kiss. The kind that you never want to come up for air from. When we finally DO break apart, he says “yeah, WOW is right.”