The Beginning

Kathleen always says that if you can't feel the air, then it's not summer. In July, in Houston, it's always summer.

It was one of many weekend trips to Galveston, maybe not an award-winning beach, but it was our beach. And like Tod says, you don't need powder-white beaches and turquoise water to grill hamburgers and drink beer. Or play Frisbee and football and get a tan.
When we hit the Gulf Coast freeway at 10 a.m. on the dot, the sun was already a golden ball of fire, the temperature hovering just below 90 degrees. I was driving my S-10, Tod's beat-up charcoal grill strapped down in the back with a couple of hand-me down coolers. Peter rode shotgun while everyone else followed in Maria's Civic. It was the first time I'd seen Peter in about two weeks and after several minutes of silence I said so.
He shrugged. "I've been around. Where have you been? Avoiding me, perhaps?"
"No, that was six months ago. Keep up."
His dark sunglasses hid his eyes. More silence.
"Do we have to listen to this crap?"
"The Eagles are not crap."
"Whatever," he said, leaning over to look under my seat. "Do you have any other CDs in here?"
"Sure." I pulled the case from underneath my side of the bench seat and handed it to him. "But you always put up with them before."
"Yeah, when we were dating."
Not much to say to that; but the words only felt like they brushed up against my bruised heart, rather than full-on attack. I was pleased enough at the progress to ignore the fact that Tod had taken over my CD player.
"So, I'm guessing a new girlfriend?" I said, wondering as I did why I kept harping on the subject.
"Do we have to talk about this?" he asked.
"Peter!" I said, my radar buzzing at his avoidance. "Are you spending time with the Millers again?"
"Last time I checked, I don't think it's any of your business anymore who I spend my time with and what I do every night." his voice hardened with each word.
"So yes, then." Why couldn't I let this go?
Peter sighed, his tense body easing slightly, but not relaxing. "Gia, let's not okay? I'm tired and this..." he gestured between us, "...just makes me more tired. We're friends and we're with friends, headed to the beach. So could we just not? For today?"
I nodded and we sat and I wondered why we couldn't have a normal conversation and why he'd jumped in my truck anyway.