What the Tide Brings

Chapter 10 - Liam - The Old Shack

The sun had just begun to disappear beyond the horizon by the time they finally departed the Ferris wheel, but the squelching heat still lingered making Liam parched, so he bought snow cones for him and Kaelin.

"What is next?" Kaelin asked, twirling and skipping through the crowd, cradling her snow cone in her hands. Her lips were dyed bright red, which was precisely why he'd gone with the piña colada, but she loved the bright color.

He smiled. "I think I know something you'd like." He took the empty paper cone from her and discarded them both in the trash. He took her hand to lead the way from the boardwalk to a ramshackle building, across the street: The Old Shack.

From the outside, the establishment looked like it could fall down with little more effort than a light shove. The weather worn boards seemed to be nailed together haphazardly, at slightly obscure angles. The shutters barely hung on to their hinges. The glass was all dingy and opaque, making it impossible to see inside. If it wasn't for the cars in the parking lot and the sign above the front door, blinking OPEN in orange neon lights, it could be mistaken as condemned.

The interior was actually quite nice. The bottom of the walls were lined with sheets of corrugated tin below the driftwood chair rail. The tables were made of reclaimed wood planks in multiple colors, marked up and covered in paint splatters beneath the varnish. The chairs surrounding each of the tables were mismatched, in a myriad of colors and designs. Empty frames hung on the wall to highlight mounted fish, photos of longtime patrons, and various other oceanic items, such as sand dollars and starfish. There was also a sliding door, similar to a barn door, that opened on a room with two pool tables. All in all, it worked to give the place a unique identity.

A bar stretched across one end of the large room, also made of tin and reclaimed wood. On the opposite side of the room, there was a small stage, barely a foot higher than the floor, where a four man band played. The lead singer of said band had a pitchy voice that cracked when he tried to sing high notes, which was too often for his—or anyone else's—own good.

Excitedly, Kaelin dragged Liam to the dance floor. He was reluctant, but he allowed her to pull him to the middle of the floor. He swayed back and forth while she danced around him to the fast paced folk music. She bobbed her head with the tune and flipped her platinum hair, while jumping around and laughing jovially. She did an impressive twirl, which would excite envy in any ballerina, causing her skirt and long hair fan out around her.

When the blue spotlight rolled over her, giving her skin the same bluish tint as the day he first saw her, making her pale hair shimmer, he couldn't help thinking how exquisite she was. And not just because of her looks. She was so alive and uninhibited. She didn't care what the old barflies thought of her. She was thoroughly in the moment.

When the music stopped and the band cleared off the stage, Kaelin's face fell, until another group took their place. She giggled and clapped, bouncing on the balls of her feet, expectantly. The new band was not like the first, however. These new guys yelled into the microphone incomprehensibly, trying too hard to be edgy.

Kaelin grimaced at the thrashing guitar riffs, screeching bass, and heavy percussion, which was obviously meant to hide the fact that they couldn't really play their instruments. He agreed with Kaelin. The band was terrible.

"I'm going to get a drink." Liam yelled over the loud music.

Kaelin nodded and took hold of his arm, allowing him to lead the way. She took a seat on one of the cracked barstools and crossed her ankles, which she left hanging in the air, rather than use the foot bar. Her face lit with pure joy upon discovering that the seat spun. She kicked off and went around and around until she almost fell off the stool. Liam wrapped his arms around her, to steady her. She looked up at him with her clear blue eyes, possibly a little shaken from dizziness, and thanked him.