OCEAN EYES

Carol

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Folding back the map inside my bag, I realise what a short time I have left to leave Ocean Eyes. In the middle of the North Pacific Ocean lies the beauty of the world. A small island with the most amazing people and lifestyle.

From the view of the blue waters of the pacific to the green covering most of the island. The best cuisines I have tasted and the place I have made more friends, I do hate that I have to leave so fast.

I came to know of this island from an advert in magazine when I was in a spa back in the Bahamas. That is how I knew I had to see what was on the island. Paying for a ticket which was pretty expensive, I made a voyage to this beautiful place.

It has been a month since I arrived at Ocean Eyes and I have never regretted my decision. There are actually few natives on the island and most of the people here are tourists who are above the age of thirty and a few in their twenties are either born here or are running away from something from their real lives.

I fall in the latter group. My life wasn't about backpacking before my life did a U turn. When I was fifteen, my father died and that is when it all began. We were devastated but my mother was more devastated. She couldn't do anything after his death and I had to work hard to support the both of us.

I was sixteen by then. I had to juggle a lot of things in my life to make ends meet for the both of us. There was my scholarship on the line but I had to take care of mother too. It had been the most difficult time of my life, worse than father's death.

Then after two years, she claimed to have fallen in love with a single dad with two menaces. Trust me when I say those little boys were menaces of a kind. Mother got married to him, Gerald Cornwall and brought those two devil's spawns in my life.

Then everything turned upside down from yelling all day long to my own mother believing I was a liar. I might not have liked Mikey and Hugh but I wouldn't build up stories about them but that is not what mother thought. She thought I was doing it because I didn't want their marriage with Gerald from the start.

True though.

I became devastated again and mother and I turned into foreigners of our own kind. I hated her for the times she didn't believe me, for the times she thought I was a liar. She thought I didn't want to see her happy and it hurt inside. I had been there for us for two years when she was devastated to do anything and thinking that is how she repaid me, it was heart breaking.

I took care of us when she couldn't but she was ungrateful. She cast me aside when the time reached. I took a course in photography for a year after high school but when I finally didn't have the money to study, I resorted to backpacking around the world.

That has been my life ever since I turned twenty. I take photos of all the wonderful sceneries I come across or some really beautiful spots and ideas. I sell some to local magazines for money. I also do simple jobs like working at diners or bartending for money for my next ticket and up keep.

It has been so long since I called a place home but Ocean Eyes has got me changing my mind. It has the most hospitable and friendly people I have seen. It is a very peaceful island and I wish I would stay here forever but I have nothing to live for here however.

I have no family, no boyfriend, nothing worth staying for despite the good food and hospitality and cool ocean breeze.

I have a month left before I leave from here for Egypt. I have been longing to see the pyramids and the old ancestry antiques. I am excited to get there by the end of the weeks. I would have gone to those pyramids by now but Lara, the old woman who rented me the cabin I am staying insisted for me to stay one more month and if I don't have anything to stay here for, I could go.

God knows I respected that woman and she seems to be the only person holding me back. Lara is an old woman in her seventies and one of the natives on the island. She offered me the cabin when I had come here and has been a good friend to me.

Lara also managed to get me a job at The Ocean, a bar at the island where I always work a couple of night shifts. She has been like the mother I lost and I have been happy to have her in my life. She might have been the reason why I stayed but I think I am also somehow attached to the island. I can't get over it's beauty by my camera and I have many photos of the island on my memory than I have ever with the other places I have visited.

By the time I reach The Oceans, a few customers are in.

"It seems today is your lucky night." River, a waiter I work the shift with mutters.

River is actually a good friend of mine I have made on the island despite him having had a crush on me back then when I had just arrived here. We became good friends and that is what we have been ever since.

"I think so too." I smile.

Friday nights are always busy nights at The Oceans. Locals and tourists always crowd the bar for a good night and there is also a special from a band called Blue water. It is a jazz band that performs every Friday night. I didn't know I loved jazz until I heard Matthias and his friends play those instruments. It sounds freaking great.

Pulling on my apron, I take my usual spot behind the counter to start my job as usual.

"Jesus, I love Fridays." Adeline, also the boss' daughter mutters to me.

"And should I know why?" I ask.

"Come on you fool, you know why." she smiles at me.

Adeline Vindara is actually born on the island and her family has owned the bar for centuries. Her father also my boss, Mr. Alfonso makes her work here so she learns to take care of the bar in case he dies and Adeline has been doing a great job with that.

These past weeks, Adeline has been fooling around with Franco, one of the tourists who came to visit his mother on the island. Franco usually comes on Friday and waits for her till the end of the shift to show her a surprise. Adeline has been super excited about Franco but I just hope he doesn't break her little heart.

By eight, the bar is full of people and that means a busy night. Gina, also my fellow bartender has been glancing at me from time to time and I know she thought I should have been gone by now. I actually found out she doesn't like me that much and she has made it clear since the first day I started working at the bar.

Adeline has told me to ignore her because that was Gina being herself. She had the kind of looks that could tell you to back off on first glance and that is what I have done, ignore her and it has worked for me. I have not got into a problem with her and even with her forever dark looks, I just ignore them.

Looking at all the older people in the bar, I know this is not maybe the place for me. The only few young men my age inside are taken and that leaves me alone.

Alone

While I wipe a glass absent mindedly, I suddenly realise the whole room has grown peculiarly quiet. It is so unusual for customers to go quiet on Fridays. People are usually catching up or having a good time.

Raising my eyes to what is causing the disturbance in the room, my heart stops for a moment before it races again. That is actually not over rated because I can feel blood flowing through my veins at a high speed.

At the entrance of the bar stands the most handsome man I have seen. Gold locks falling lazily on his head, the most electrifying blue eyes I have seen glowing like the North Pacific waters under the mid summer sun. I have seen the view and trust me, it is the greatest. The most defined chiseled and square jaw covered with a light stubble giving him a very definite worth to drool for face.

Then I notice his attire, it hits me. A marine.

He is dressed in his full combat with only a duffel bag in his hands. No wonder everyone grew silent all over a sudden. It is rare for marines, actually it has never happened for a marine to cruise to Ocean Eyes. It is like a miracle to the people and with how hot and sexy he looks with the ripped muscles and killer bad boy looks, I am totally having a melt down as well and the best optic nutrition of an Adonis I have had in years.

Then I notice something after my drooling and well should I say night dreaming since it is dark, the stranger is staring at me. His blue eyes are hypnotizing my hazel ones with just one look and I am just pinned in place like a goat in a s*******r house. The chatter resuming in the bar is the only thing that is reminding me the reality of the situation.

He starts striding towards me but all I can see is his naked arbs under his camouflage and sexy smile as he makes a runway for me there in the middle of the bar.

Teaser:

"No actually, I am looking for a kind of adventure that might now contain a very beautiful and sexy bartender."