Beyond Black Belt
By Emery C. Walters
I just realized I walked out with their pen. Too embarrassed to go back in, I stuck it in my pocket and looked around for my rental car, which, of course, was still back at the beach. My eyes hurt too much to drive anyhow, so I found the bench they’d mentioned, sat on it, and tried to figure out what to do.
It was my first vacation in several years of being on my own. I’d graduated from U of M with a master’s in archaeology, actually found a good job, and a fun boyfriend, whose name was Mud, I mean, Bud. I’d been working my butt off ever since. While Bud was fun, he was also an alcoholic, a cheat, and a liar. It had taken me six months to get back to financial stability after we separated. Too bad, he’d really have enjoyed Maui, and I’d have had a f
