Deep Blue Scene

"Can't believe we forgot the straws." Maria popped open one of the long necked soda bottles with my key ring before handing the keys back to me.

"Hey, food was ready, at least," I popped open one of the two cardboard containers we'd received from the deli clerk. Grocery store deli counter wasn't exactly the most romantic fare, but I hoped the atmosphere would make up for it. I wasn't going to be sitting for however knows how long, waiting on somebody else to decide whether or not they were gonna wait on us.

"There is that. Course I feel like reminding you that we occasionally get health code calls around here." Maria sniffed at a corn dog that she removed from a long interior silvered container. "But if I went after somebody for every single violation when off duty, I'd never sleep."

"Guess I'm just lucky you're off duty." I lowered myself to the sand of the beach and kicked off my shoes. The socks went just as quickly, and I enjoyed the feel of the dry cool sand between my toes. The cool dark evening was surprisingly quiet, and we seemed to be alone for the most part on this small slip of beach, set between a Eucalyptus grove that seemed somewhat incongruous, and an abrupt drop off that marked a delineation between grass and sand.

"Are you kidding, we could break so many more laws when I am on duty. Like Speed Suggestions."

She opened one of the small plastic mustard containers and swirled the brown breaded item just enough to coat a small section. She then took a bite, and munched happily, pulling her knees up to her chest and admiring the crashing waves.

"Right, who's gonna pull YOU over." I looked at her before having a bite of my own breaded something. It had advertised itself as both extremely desirable and extremely cheap at the same time. Unfortunately only one of those was really true, but the sauce kinda made up for it.

"You know it." She spoke with her mouth full, but not disgustingly wide mouthed. It was actually kinda cute, watching her stretch her legs out along the sand. The dim light of the last bits of the day were reflecting on her face, and it gave her a wistful look.

We said nothing for a bit, merely enjoying each other's company and eating. Occasionally a car would roar past behind us, but the light just continued to dim, and slowly and surely the clear night let way to the stars we had been planning on seeing in the first place.

"I don't know any constellations." Maria murmured, looking up. "I mean, I know the big and little bears... but I can't remember any others."

"Well, if you look over there..." I pointed towards the road and the hills behind us. "You probably would see Orion, but I think the hills are blocking him tonight."

"Orion? Huh, don't know that one." Maria shrugged. "How bout that one?"

"I don't know it either. Wanna come back out here with a book some time?"

"That actually... that actually sounds like fun. I gave this excuse so many times to mom when I was growing up, but I never actually... you know... went down to the beach to look at the stars. Most of the time I just made out with the guy I was with."

"So, grew up on the beach too?" I asked.

"Well, not on the beach, but... over in Salinas. Never really came down here though." Maria kicked her foot at the sand, before having another bite of her food.

"I used to go over to Salinas for the Rodeo." I mentioned, remembering the crowds, hats and numerous people with protest signs outside screaming that I was a terrible person for going to a Rodeo.

"Ugh, one of the nightmare weeks in Salinas, I'm so sorry, you poor man, come back when they're not trying to ticket tourists to make up for the rest of the year."

"Maybe you could show me some time." I suggested.

"I don't know... you've got a lot of... well, you seem that you've got a lot on your hands."

"With the twins? Yeah, that really threw me for a loop. Just... I needed a little time. Had to get out."

"Smartest thing you could have done, honestly. De-escalate. First thing you want to do in a potential domestic situation. I'd ask if you wanted to go to a shelter, but... "

"Gimme Shelter? I can't see myself as Mick Jagger."

"No... you heard me wrong, I said GO to a... you know what, never mind that was funnier."

I took a swig of the red soda in its glass bottle. I was shocked at how good the strawberry taste reflected the actual fruit and not the remembered chemical taste that every strawberry candy seemed to favor.

"Ok, you were right, these are really good. Why have I never tried these before?"

"Because they stick em between the refried beans and the corn meal " Maria shrugged with resignation. "Unless you shop in that section all the time, you're never gonna see em, or think about em. I like em, so.. glad you like em too."

"Right... I just have been thinking a bit. After the whole thing." I spoke the words as Maria popped open another of the cardboard containers after studiously packing away the corn dog.

"Don't over-think it. I was doing that all day." Maria shook her head rapidly. "I'm happy it happened, and I don't regret it. Kept thinking this is feeling like one of the Novellas that I grew up with. Only thing that it's missing is reincarnation and a Cowboy in Mexico."