A Grey Rain

“Miss? …Miss?”

A needle of pain shot through Kitty’s eyes as she slowly became aware of her surroundings; waves lapped at a shore somewhere close by, rain drizzled from above, and was that sand trickling through her toes? Kitty shot upright with a start, staring directly into the eyes of a very confused police officer and the glow of his flashlight. The officer also appeared to be holding her wallet, scanning her identification with narrowed eyes, finally resting his gaze gently but firmly on the young woman laying on the beach in front of him, causing her to blush slightly.

“Are…you okay?” He extended his hand as he spoke, offering her wallet back to her. As he did so, he studied the woman in front of him intently. She was quite a sight to behold, her dark hair slipping wildly out of its ponytail, curling across her shoulders and exposed arms. He squinted, attempting to get a better look in the dim beam of his flashlight. Her skin was a rich, buttery caramel color, captivating the young policeman with its warmth.

“No, no I’m fine!” Kitty hurriedly scrambled to her knees to retrieve her wallet, while responding hurriedly. She paused for a moment to smile to herself, as she was still somewhat charmed by an Irish accent, despite having spent a week in Galway already.

“I… I’m sorry. I fell asleep I guess and, well, thank you for waking me up.” She continued, bending forward to grab the bundle of towels and blankets that lay rumpled at her knees. Her dark hair fell forward trailing on the sand, the hair elastic that had previously secured her tresses swung uselessly by a few frazzled curls.

Her neck was throbbing, sending spurts of pain through her eyes with each pound. Kitty realized that she had been sleeping using her bag and cardigan as a pillow, undoubtedly causing a nasty crick in her neck. She rolled her eyes, as she quickly shoved her arms through her gray cardigan, sprinkling sand down the front of her t-shirt and pants and, to her annoyance, into her shoes. She stood up, causing even more sand to rain down around her feet.

“Well, miss,” The officer chuckled slightly, amused at the embarrassment that was plastered all over Kitty’s face. “You better be hurryin’ home soon. It gets to be a different place during these late hours.”

Stooping down, he fished something out of the sand, shaking it off before handing it over to Kitty. “Oh! My book! Thank you.” She smiled sheepishly up at him, catching him off guard with two little dimples that appeared on her cheeks. He smiled back, taken with the charming woman in front of him. She was on the petite side, her head barely level with his chest, however her slim frame was blessed with what he found to be very appetizing curves. The neck of her shirt gaped open as she was bent over organizing her bags, and he mentally chastised himself for so blatantly staring.

The officer shook his head, clearing all unprofessional thoughts from his mind. “I just wanted to let you know it’s not a good time to be out alone, Miss.” The officer gestured at their surroundings. Kitty nodded, turning towards the soft, gentle sound of the waves to glance at the ocean for one last time that night. The sky above was a dusky blue, deepening into darkness by the second as the water below lapped and chattered at the shore. Kitty marveled at the beautiful sight before her, smiling brilliantly at the thought of spending the foreseeable future in this new city. Kitty turned back to the officer, her hair tangling around her face in the gentle breeze that began to blow through. She shivered, pulling her sweater closer around her shoulders.

“Thank you, officer,” she smiled again, before bending down, stuffing the last few corners of an errant towel into her large bag, and slinging the bag unceremoniously onto her shoulder. She climbed up the rocky beach terrain, the officer making his way behind her, flashlight sweeping the ground in front of them. She sighed, cursing herself internally for causing trouble everywhere she went. Behind her, the crunch of the officer’s shoes on the gravelly sand grew nearer to hers, as they slowly trudged up the cobbled steps onto the main road in front of the beach. The salty ocean wind blew icily through the stone buildings and alleyways, blustering around the pair as they stood.

Kitty nodded again at the officer, wishing him a good night before turning on her heel and walking away. She sighed again, this time out of contentment. She was not a foolish girl, however, and she knew the risks of walking home alone at night. Kitty took care to glance around with every couple of steps that she took. Yet, she remained a solitary presence on the street, as the soft glow of street lamps and lit windows guided her down the quiet road.

Suddenly, a loud noise broke through the silence of the night, causing Kitty to jump, before looking down and bursting into laughter. “Wow, I am starving!” she thought to herself, as the angry rolling and growling of her stomach confirmed that very thought. She brightened up, reminding herself that a lovely little pub lay at the entrance on the opposite end of the park, and it just happened to be a short fifteen-minute stroll from her own place.

The walk through the park went fairly quickly for Kitty, as she was completely lost in thoughts of a fresh pint and a side of fries. Perhaps a burger, too. As she approached the archway that marked the entrance to the park, she could smell the scent of food cooking and hear the gentle song of happy Friday-night customers ordering food and drink to their heart’s delight. She approached the cheery little green building to her right, glancing up at the words ‘Black Bear’ which were carved into a large wooden sign above the door. Taking a deep breath, smelling all the delicious food she was about to eat, Kitty entered.

“Yer back!” A chubby, cheerful woman exclaimed from behind the bar as Kitty walked in, approaching the bar without hesitation. However, a foot sticking out from a booth caused her to stumble before regaining her footing and pressing onwards. Kitty glanced back, a quick glare darting across her face, but the foot belonged to the man in the booth that was facing away from her, thus her glare was entirely wasted. She walked on, the promise of good food drawing her from her irritation.

“Yes! Annie, was it?” Kitty questioned while taking a seat on one of the dark leather barstools.

“That’s right, girlie!” Annie crowed in delight, her eyes twinkling with merriment. “Here for another one of my Arty’s burgers?” Kitty laughed and nodded in response, setting her bags down between her feet. “Arty!” Annie shouted through a window behind her, jolting the kitchen staff into action. As she shouted her instructions, Kitty stretched, and reached down to grab her book. She was interrupted, however, by a small noise next to her. She paused, before glancing up and making eye contact with the gentleman who had picked the stool directly to the right of her own.

“Hey Miss,” the familiar voice lilted at her, gently, “I see ya won’t be takin’ any advice from me tonight, eh?”

The same kind officer that had awoken Kitty from her slumber on the beach was jauntily perched, plain-clothed, right next to her. The light of the pub afforded her a far better look than she had gotten by flashlight a mere forty minutes earlier. Kitty took a moment to examine the man before her, noting that he was quite handsome. A mess of brown hair framed his face, a lock falling charmingly in front of his eyes. His build suggested that he was quite an active fellow as well, his muscled arms brushing against hers, sending a small blush to her face.

Kitty grinned playfully before responding, “I am so sorry, officer,” winking as she did so. “I guess not. But, you see,” She exclaimed as she put her hands up in mock surrender, “It’s not my fault! I was hungry so…” Kitty trailed off before piping up, “Well, I guess it is my fault, after all, isn’t it?”

“Well, Miss…?” The officer looked at her, questioningly.

“Kitty.”

“Well, Kitty,” he smiled, reaching out a hand, “It’s nice to officially meet you. I’m Ethan.” He paused, then said, “I didn’t think I’d be seein’ you again tonight. I knew I’d recognize you ’round town if I saw you, though. We don’t get many people like you here-” He stopped suddenly, a dark pink tone splashing across his face as he realized what he had just said.

“Oh?” Kitty raised her brows, “people like me?”

“W-well,” He stammered, running his fingers through his hair a few times, before looking up and finishing, “You’re different, Kitty.”