Page 4 of Every Chance to Stay

“Actually,” Lucky smiled, cautiously hopeful, “I was hoping you’d let me buy you a drink, as a thank you. There is a pretty good bar near here, they’ve got great appetizers too.” He put his hand on his hip, painfully aware that he was still in his swimsuit.

He genuinely couldn’t remember the last time he’d asked someone out on a date. Classmates asked him out sometimes, and even a few strangers asked to get drinks during conferences or other work and school events. Taking initiative like this was rare. But he really wanted to, and he strongly believed in taking chances.

Antonio took his own sunglasses off, slipping them into the collar of his shirt. His smile was wide, easy, with the kind of charm that eased the nerves stiffening Lucky’s spine. “Depends… Will there be more animal facts?”

After three hours of back and forth about rays, Lucky could hardly believe the man still wanted to hear him talk about animals. He laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. “I think I can conjure up a few more.”

“Then, your car or mine?”

They took Antonio’s car.

Lucky changed into a loose-fitting t-shirt and a flowy pale purple skort that matched the flowers on his sandals. Antonio followed his instructions to the bar, a little place down the beach from the marina with an outdoor section overlooking the water. They claimed a high-top table. Lucky didn’t feel like fighting for space at the packed bar and the normal tables felt too formal for just drinks.

Just drinks.

Just drinks.

He really hoped it didn’t stop at just drinks.

Antonio ordered a glass of Albariño wine and Lucky wavered back and forth over the cocktail menu before settling on a mixed drink with rum, pineapple, and orange juice. Hunger set in almost as soon as he sat down. The sandwiches from earlier were certainly not enough.

“I haven’t eaten since breakfast.” Antonio hummed while scanning the paper menu.

“I had some sandwiches after the swim but I’m starving.” He forced himself to look at the menu instead of Antonio’s fingers wrapped loosely around the stem of his wine glass. “It all looks delicious.”

“Everything sounds good when you’re hungry.” Antonio agreed.

Conversation over the menu flowed. They went back and forth over a few items before settling on a couple different things to share. Shrimp ceviche with chips, fried shrimp, goat cheese with bread and olives, and a charred octopus with spicy sauce that Lucky was certain was the best thing he’d ever had.

“Thank you again for coming to my rescue.” Lucky smiled, sipping his drink. It was refreshing and sweet after the couple of beers he’d gladly helped himself to on the boat.

“Barely a rescue.” Antonio smiled, “But I’m glad I was in the area when you called.”

“I hope I didn’t interrupt any plans for your day off.” He hadn’t really thought about it. The search and rescue team was always doing something. Training, tourist rescue, assisting with fires or car accidents… Chances to rest, relax, or see friends were probably rare. And here he was, monopolizing the man.

Antonio snorted, lifting his wine glass to take a sip. “No. My only plan was soaking up sunlight and drinking enough to not want another sip for the rest of the week.” He leaned in, “This is a vast improvement.”

Lucky swallowed tightly as Antonio selected a chip, eating it casually, licking the salt and juices from the ceviche off his fingers. “A vast improvement indeed…” He took another sip of his drink, trying to keep the flush from his cheeks in vain. “You must have tons of funny rescue stories. Do you have a favorite weird tourist rescue?”

“Mm, I have a few. For a weird one though…” Antonio’s eyes flicked up as he considered the question. “Ah, there was the time a tourist was reported missing after he had gone hiking. Our initial search was to follow the trail he took to ensure he wasn’t injured along it, then fan out from there. We spent three days searching and were growing concerned that he had been injured and somehow fallen into a space we couldn’t uncover. Shockingly, that wasn’t the case, he was simply walking in circles off the trail…”

“Just walking in circles?” Lucky tilted his head. Paradise wasn’t a very large island. The forest and its many hiking trails that went all the way to the top of the ancient mountains were surrounded by bustling towns. “Why didn’t he just walk down, away from the mountain?”

“We never figured that one out. We were just glad the worst he suffered was some dehydration and heat sickness. At the hospital, he said he went to look at some flowers off the trail, lost sight of it, and just ended up wandering.” Antonio shrugged. “To this day, I’m still confused because the area we found him wandering in was just between two major trails. If he had simply called out at any point, he’d have been found quickly. But that’s a mystery for others to solve.”

“A mystery indeed.” Lucky hummed, helping himself to some fried shrimp.

“So, you gave me a wonderful lesson on our local ray population, but what animals are you particularly interested in studying?” It was a thoughtful question. Lucky couldn’t shake the feeling that Antonio really did enjoy his rambling. That was a new and novel experience, even his classmates got tired of him.

“Sea turtles. Specifically, our population of Leatherbacks.” He smiled, leaning forward, “You know, for a really long time, the population has been dwindling. Environmental factors, human interference, a whole host of stuff. But I want to see them flourish. To do that, we need to do better to protect their hatching grounds and ensure they can access the beaches without difficulty. Of course, the increase in orcas and the numerous tiger sharks pose their own issues but natural predation isn’t a concern.”

“You’re so passionate about your interests.” Antonio praised, making Lucky’s cheeks feel hot. “When I was a child, I got to observe a Leatherback hatching. The babies were so small…”

“They are just the cutest! Unfortunately, many of them don’t make it to the water, but we are working to create a system. We can’t carry them to the ocean, but we can keep predators away and keep the beach clean so that the hatchlings have the best possible chance of survival.” Lucky explained.

In the lull between orders and refills being delivered, Lucky took a chance to glance around the bar. The lights were lower now, sunset had passed into twilight, and the local haunt was filled with groups of friends and couples out on dates. It was vibrant with an unmistakable intimacy.

All through his chatter, Antonio watched him with a warm expression. Those deep brown eyes never showed a hint of boredom. He looked genuinely interested and Lucky… Lucky wasn’t used to any of it.