Seaside Entries - 2. Don’t want to go home yet

You knew summer was starting for real when you’d see tourists start to arrive in droves. Most of them came in July and August, but in recent years they’ve been showing up all through the year, especially June. I guess some of them didn’t mind the water being a few degrees colder so long as they got to avoid the crowds in peak summer.

There were a lot of fresh faces at the shop today. I liked it, it meant business was doing well.

Small trinkets like fridge magnets and figurines sold the best. But we also had stuff like local drinks and snacks - you know, those small packagings. Not enough to get your stomach full, but still enough to show someone you remembered them.

I tried convincing the boss we should also sell coffee to go, for people to have something to drink while they walk around town, but she wouldn’t hear it. “Souvenirs only” - that was her motto. At least she let me sell my wooden figurines. I liked making animals the most - starfish, sharks, dolphins… People seemed to like them too.

“Mom, look! Can we get this?” a little kid burst into the shop, going straight for a little wooden shark on a shelf by the door. I gave it blue and green stripes for some reason. I liked painting them unusual colors — it made it more fun. Sometimes I wondered if people noticed they were all one-of-a-kind or if they just grabbed whatever looked cute. It didn’t really matter, I guess, but I liked the idea of someone treasuring something I made.

“Didn’t we already get the beach towel for dad?” the mom walked in after the son. She gave me a polite nod and a smile. “Good morning.”

“Morning! Feel free to take a look around,” I greeted her back.

“No, this is for me!” the kid explained, holding out the shark toy.

“Ah, alright then. Now, let’s find something for grandma and grandpa.”

“Here, how about this?” the boy pointed to a novelty lamp shaped like a palm. It was kitschy, but stuff like that sold well.

“Now what would they do with that? Here, let’s get them this,” the woman picked out a couple of fridge magnets and a small box of tea. “They’re going to love this.”

“Great choice,” I confirmed as I rang her purchase.

The morning was quite busy. Good thing I had breakfast as soon as I got to the shop, because when people started coming, I barely had a moment of peace until noon.

I wondered where all the tourists were from. How long did they travel to get here? What made them choose this place out of all the destinations?

I turned around, looking at the corkboard on the wall behind the counter. I’d filled it with postcards in my two years of working there. The top one, showing the Great Wall, was from my parents. There was one from Japan, which Leo sent me last summer. And one from Italy - Gina sent me that one in April. The two from Greece were also from Leo. And the Spain one as well. The Statue of Liberty one was from Fabian.

I laughed as I picked up a postcard showing palms on a beach. It was from the neighboring town, just ten miles away. Leo went there for the weekend and sent me it as a joke. Still, I’ve always liked the idea behind postcards—someone thinking of you even though they’re far away, wanting to share a piece of their world.

“Is that what you get paid for? Looking at postcards?”

I turned to see Leo standing in the doorway, leaning against the wooden frame. He had that cheeky grin on his face, and his hair was much neater now.

“Speak of the devil. You going to the restaurant?”

“Yeah, was just on my way there. What have you been up to?”

“Just cleaning a little. Been swamped with customers all morning.”

We walked outside and sat at one of the wooden benches in front of the shop. The sun was high in the sky, but there was a nice, fresh breeze coming from the sea. I shielded my eyes with my hand, looking over at Leo. He had a habit of stopping by on his way to work, but these days he’s been coming over even more often. I appreciated it.

“Do you want to come over to the restaurant this evening? You have to try my new dish.”

“Yeah, definitely. When should I come?”

“Whenever you want. Just text me when you get there.”

“Alright,” I nodded. “You’re not in a hurry, are you?”

“No, I still have some time. I’ll keep you company,” Leo leaned back against the wall of the shop. He turned towards the beach, a dreamy look in his eyes. “Have you heard from Jay? He’s started working with Fabian in that landscaping firm.”

“I haven’t!” I wasn’t surprised; the job seemed like a good fit for someone who hated staying inside and sitting at a desk. “So, our boy’s got a new job. He’s going to have to buy us drinks.”

“As if he needs an excuse.”

“True. I’ll still remind him, just in case he forgets.”

~~

I ended up going to Sandy Spoon around nine. I thought about going right after work, but I wanted to go home and shower first. I spent some time working on my carvings, finally painting the seahorse and the squid.

When I got to the restaurant, both the indoor and outdoor areas were almost full. It was no surprise, since the place was quite small. I fired off a text to Leo, and he quickly came out from the kitchen to seat me. As usual, the sound of lively music mixed with the chatter of patrons all around me.

“I hope you’re hungry,” he said as he showed me to my table near a window. His cheeks were red, but he looked very professional in his uniform. He was in his element.

“I am, lunch was hours ago.” I was curious and eager to see what he’d cooked up. “So, what have you got for me?”

“Wait here, I’ll be back in a minute!”

He returned quickly with a large tray in his hands and served me my dinner. It was steaming hot and colorful—it definitely looked very appetizing.

“Behold, my ultimate seafood paella! I hope you like it. Mom and dad always go for seconds when I make it.”

“It looks absolutely amazing.” I was honest. I closed my eyes for a moment and let the inviting aroma fill my nostrils before I dug in.

“Well, I have to go back to the kitchen, but let me know how it was later, ok?” Leo said before rushing back. The place was packed and I assume they had no time to waste.

I practically licked the plate clean. A warm meal would’ve been enough, but this was something else—rich, flavorful, and made with care. And it had seafood, which you can never go wrong with. I could see why Leo’s dad added it to the menu.

After dinner, I decided to hang around for a bit and wait for Leo’s shift to be over. He met me outside, still dressed in his work uniform. He smelled like food and gave me a tired smile. Ralph, his dad, was next to him.

“Noah, there are you are! How’s my boy’s cooking? Should I keep him or look for another cook?”

“You better give him a raise. That dinner was amazing!”

I watched as he laughed, clapping Leo on the back. He was clearly proud of his son.

“So what are you two waiting for? When are you going to find girls and get married?”

I felt my stomach tighten at the comment. Ralph must’ve heard about Gina leaving. It still stung being dumped. Glancing over at Leo, I could see the embarrassment all over his face. In the end, I just let out a chuckle, because what else was I supposed to do?

“Dad, we’re staying out. You go home,” Leo patted him on the shoulder, putting an end to that conversation. “I’ll see ya later.”

“Alright, alright,” the man didn’t bother arguing. “Noah, come around anytime, OK? We’ll find you a nice girl.”

“I will, thanks.”

Leo turned to me with a sigh once his dad left.

“You didn’t have to wait.”

“Nah, I wanted to. It was too early to go home,” I countered. “But we can go if you're tired, I’ll walk you to your place.”

“I am, but I don’t want to go home yet.” We stood out in the street for a moment as he looked around. “Wanna go up to the roof? We can just hang out.”

I didn’t need any convincing. We quickly climbed the stairs leading to the top of the small building where Sandy Spoon was located. I relaxed as I breathed in the fresh air, looking up at the night sky. Leo sat next to me.

“Did you really like the dish?”

“Of course, it was awesome. You know how much I love seafood,” I didn’t need to exaggerate. “I would’ve had more, but I was full.”

“Heh, good to hear.” Leo looked pleased with himself. “Dad wasn’t sold on it when I first told him. We already have a few dishes with fish, so… But he changed his mind when he tried it.”

“He’s a smart guy.”

“Yeah. But also annoying, always with the same comments.” He shook his head, tracing the pattern on the floor with his foot. “He never thinks before he speaks.”

“I get it, old folks are like that.” I shrugged. Annoying or not, Ralph was alright. “At least your mom isn’t like that.”

“Yeah, she’s cool…er than him at least. But dad… I know he means well, but he only talks and never listens. He got married at twenty-eight, but now he’s in a rush for me to get married at twenty.”

I stared ahead, silent. Marriage was still such a strange concept to me. I never thought about it, with Gina or any of my other exes.

“It’s way too early.”

“I know.” Leo agreed. “Do your folks bother you about stuff like that?”

“No, thankfully.” I scoffed at the thought of my parents. “They’ve pretty much given up and just let me do what I want. Not that they were ever interested too much.”

“They still don’t call often?”

“Nah. Couple of times a month. They’ve basically moved to London permanently—they just don’t want to admit it. I guess having a house here makes them feel like they can come back anytime, but they haven’t been here since last winter.”

I didn’t mind it, though. I had my own life here, and they had theirs. I had no desire to work a corporate job and live a big city life. That was their story. Not mine.

“I can’t imagine you as a hot shot lawyer like your dad.” Leo’s laugh filled the silence.

“Good, don’t imagine it! If they had it their way, I would’ve definitely gone to law school and worked in London with them.” I shuddered at the thought. I wouldn’t last a week in that environment.

“So you’ve never thought about moving there? Or anywhere else?”

“No.” I didn’t need time to think about it. This place was my home. “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”

“Yeah, I knew you were going to say that.”

I glanced over at Leo, wanting to ask him the same question, but words wouldn't come out. What if his answer was different than mine? If that’s the case, I’d rather not know.

In the end, curiosity won.

“What about you? Would you ever move?”

I turned to look at him, anticipating. When he shook his head, it was like a knot in my stomach instantly evaporated.

“No, I don’t think so. I’d like to travel more, see different places. But I wouldn’t move away.”

I turned away, hiding my face as I felt my lips spreading into a smile. The truth was, no matter how much I loved this town and its people, it wouldn’t be much of a home without Leo here.