Coastline Conversations

“It’s chess, not checkers,” he said.

She smiled. He got her love of board games and they incorporated into their conversations. Not only were classic board games used in reference, but they shared an interest in new board games, handful of VR and puzzles, a whole lot of puzzles.

She pictured herself building a large 3-D puzzle on a table and looking over to see him doing the same at a nearby table. When she shares this with him, he stops walking along the water for a moment.

“We’re at different tables?” he asks.

“It’s a scenario. The ability to see each other doing similar things in different environments regardless of whether we know each other or not. So if I didn’t meet you- if I didn’t know you, then there’s a belief that maybe I’d still meet you in a different set up.” she explained.

“Like a coffee shop?” he asked.

She rolled her eyes and continued walking down the shore.

“Why do you write?” he asked her.

“Mostly, to get the angry words out of my head. Then I switch them around so that it makes a story that others can follow without solely being about my thoughts any longer.”

“Hmm.” was his only reply.

“Why do you write?” she asked.

“I don’t really know. I have a few sci-fi stories in me, which you’ve read, but I haven’t finished any. I don’t know where it’s headed.” he said.

She got that. More than he knew that she got that.

The sun was beating down on them. She was wearing a hat with a large brim that was keeping her safe from the beams, but he was only wearing sunglasses. His face was turning a relative shade of lobster and his auburn curls were lying on the top portion of his sunglasses.

It was a bit comical, he almost looked like a cartoon character, but a cartoon character that could transition a conversation from Anais Nin to Scott Galloway. She didn’t know how, but he made it work.

“Ice cream?” he asked.

“Always, never have to ask.” she replied.

She followed him up a staircase to a line of boutique shops and they soon were in front of a mom and pop’s creamery.

“Pistachio?” he asked.

“Watermelon sorbet.” she replied.

He smiled and ordered.

The combination of the summer heat, the ice cream, and the great conversation was too much for her. There were so many thoughts going on through her mind at the same time, but she couldn’t make sense of anything. She decided to block it all out and enjoy the sorbet with the view.