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Book Excerpt Cole Bay Band

From a personal standpoint, Lori was disappointed in the lack of camaraderie offstage with Jimmy’s musical group. Although their love for performing together was obvious and infectious to the audience, the quintet divided into factions during the day. Jimmy partnered with Junior nearly every day in his song writing sessions and Cici was spending most of her time at her home rather than the villa. This left Sam, who Lori was welcome to tag along with on day trips around the island. She was relieved Sam had gotten over her failed advances towards her.

Sam had little problem taking it in stride, as she made new friends every day on Orient beach. She would walk the length, clad only in a G-string or tiny wrap, armed with postcard-sized promotional band pictures to hand out to tourists. This was an excellent tactic, as it brought customers to their performances in droves. Sam’s propensity towards hooking up with single guys and couples during the day left Lori frequently stranded, though, so she eventually limited her time with Sam to the car ride there and back.

Although she was lonely, Lori found comfort via a ferry boat that carried her to Pinel Island. The conversations she would have with tourists on the short trip were enough pedestrian interaction for her. She would hike around the tiny landmass, exploring the nearly deserted beaches in favor of the largest one at the ferry’s dock. In was in these places that she could enjoy body freedom without recognition or interruption, contemplating her future and reflecting on her past. She found solace in the peaceful rhythm of the surf and the tranquil sky above. She was a regular for lunch at one of the two restaurants on the main beach. The wait staff all knew her by name, but was not aware of her growing island fame. Lori was grateful for the anonymity; she was glad she had proven Jimmy wrong, but attributed her personal success to being just another cog in the wheel that was the Cole Bay Band. Plus there was always the fact she was really only a big fish in a small pond.

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Book excerpt from Cole Bay Band

“Give him your shoes,” Jimmy said.

“Are they going to be here when I get back?” she asked warily.

Both of the men laughed. Lori reluctantly handed over her hundred and fifty dollar designer running shoes and looked up to see Jimmy already trotting towards the shoreline. She set off after him, but he was a good ten yards ahead of her by the time she got there.

The beach arced in a broad crescent. It looked to be at least a mile in length, at least as far as she could see. There appeared to be beach umbrellas far off in the distance past a slightly imposing rock jetty. She hoped that would be the extent of their run; the sand was not particularly soft, but it did give way under her feet as she trod along, trying to lessen the distance between them.

She was sweating profusely by the time she reached the jetty and understood the shoe removal request/order when she watched Jimmy run into the water to get around it. She glanced at the small Plage Naturiste sign as she ran by it. Lori knew what plage meant; it was obviously a beach. But a natural beach? Aren’t they all natural?

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Chapter One

Jimmy turned from his eighty-eight key music synthesizer and squinted through the sunlight pouring from the screen door of his Echo Park apartment. He had chosen this neighborhood in haste, and it had seemed like a good idea at the time. The area was renowned for its history of creative residents, and the current inhabitants took great pride in maintaining a positive image for Los Angeles as well as the rest of civilization. Of course, criminality was a factor, as it is in any urban area, but Jimmy felt relatively safe most times. He hoped the spirits of Steve McQueen, Art Pepper, and Frank Zappa would guide him in this new environment and spur him on to success.

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Book excerpt: Cole Bay Band

Her stomach churned as they drew closer to The Tarmac. Even though it was only 7:30, the bar seemed to be near capacity. They rolled the equipment onto the large stage unnoticed at first, but as they began to assemble the gear, the crowd took heed and began to whistle and chant. Lori saw an artist painting women’s breasts with a brush to make them look like swimsuit tops or large, colorful tattoos. The ladies were lined up in anticipation, all sans-top and eager for their own turn. Husbands and boyfriends watched from the bar and welcomed them back to pose for photos in groups.

“Thinking about changing your outfit?” Jimmy asked, tilting his head in their direction.

“In your dreams,” Lori replied. She wondered if Jimmy could see she was shaking and was trying to lighten her mood.

By the time setup was completed, the crowd was getting riled and anxious. “Go, Go, Go!” they chanted in unison as the band placed their instruments on stands. Jimmy went to the bar to get the lowdown on this group; he had been told Wednesdays were generally quiet here. He called a quick meeting in a corner of the stage.

“These people are all together for the most part,” he explained. “They’re called the CBL club.”

Junior nodded. “Cupecoy Beach Lovers. Their group gets larger every year. They come for two or three weeks and only go to Cupecoy…and here.”

“Well they took me by surprise,” Jimmy continued. “So I’m afraid I’m going to have to call the first set. Cici, you can access the tracks quickly, right?”

“Oh yes,” she assured him. “They are all on one screen.”

“What about you?” he said, addressing Lori, “Still dependent on those notes?”

“I can flip to them fast enough if I need to.” Lori’s heart was sinking and her stomach was doing the Macarena. She thought about running to the bar for a quick shot to calm her nerves but was pretty sure it would come right back up and out. Now her entire body was shaking as she opened her guitar case.

The monitors were much larger than the ones used in rehearsal, and Jimmy and Junior quickly repositioned them so the girl’s dance moves would not be partially hidden. Lori squinted as the semi-darkened stage suddenly became ablaze with spotlights high above her head. She felt like a deer, frozen on railroad tracks staring at an oncoming train.

Go! Go! Go! Go!

The crowd at the bar was continuing to chant for them to start. Jimmy eyed his watch and made a decision.

“We need to get up and running ASAP,” he shouted over the growing din. “We’re doing the first set on the fly. I wasn’t expecting many people on a Wednesday.”

Lori placed her amp on a stand and positioned the two effect pedals behind her mic stand. Fighting the urge to throw up, she did her best to avert her gaze from guys approaching to ask her questions and their topless wives slowly breaking from the bar to follow them. She ducked away and went back for her acoustic guitar still in its case.

“Leave it! You won’t need it this set!” Jimmy yelled from center-stage. She looked over and saw he was ready to go: guitar on, amp light glowing, pedals placed. Her head was starting to spin. She dropped to her knees and placed both hands on the case to steady herself. Jimmy motioned his head towards Sam, who grabbed Lori’s electric guitar and brought it over to her.

“Pray later,” she said. “It’s show time, baby!”

“Pretty Young Thing! PYT!” Jimmy shouted, turning his head as he spoke to cover everyone like an errant garden hose. Anxiety was pushing the air from Lori’s chest and she fought to bring it back in. She strapped on the guitar, plugged it in, and ran forward to drop her binder of notes where she could see them.

“I have to tune up!” she said, turning her head to the side in the hopes Jimmy would hear her.

Go! Go! Go! Go!

“Do it during the first verse!” Jimmy yelled back at her. He looked quickly to his left, where Sam was at the ready, and raised a hand in the air; confident Junior and Cici were also prepared to start.click to order Cole Bay Band

Sequel Book Excerpt: Cole Bay Band

They both listened to the track without saying anything else. When it finished, Jimmy drained his glass; his departure was imminent. Lori tried to think of something to say to get him to stay here with her longer.

“Why do you drink so much?” she said, instantly realizing it was the worst come-hither line in the history of womanhood.

He set the glass down and leaned on the counter. She did the same, hoping his response would not be too brutal and scathing.

“I have dreams,” he said, “and demons too. When I’m asleep, the demons fade and the dreams come alive. Most days I prefer the world of my dreams. That’s why I’m always a little anxious to get there at the end of the night. Someday my dreams will become my reality…that is the plan anyway."

.

“How can you not enjoy every waking moment in a place like this?” she said incredulously.

“Oh, this…this is just a place. Geography alone doesn't do it for me.”

“What does do it for you Jimmy?” Lori surprised herself with this comeback.

This is where you are supposed to kiss me Moron! Don’t make me do it!

Jimmy leaned even closer and Lori let her lips part slightly so she could exhale quietly. He looked deeply into her eyes without blinking.

“Recognition,” he said simply, “I want to go all the way…and by the way, that is exactly what I should be doing right now. My master calls.” He started to stroke her hair, but thought better of it and gave her head a playful rub.

“G’night Star.” Daddies got to go back to the office now.”

“Good meeting,” she said. Jimmy stopped in his tracks, turned around, and smiled.

“Yeah, it was, wasn't it?”

He closed the door behind him and Lori emptied the last of the wine into her glass

.

Could’a been a lot better Jimmy-boy. If only you knew.

She left her robe on the stool and walked towards the patio door to look out at the rain. The droplets created circular mini-waves that spread the underlying lights out like rings of florescent fire. She closed her eyes and listened to the rhythm of the storm, taking in the tranquility of the night. When she opened them again, she saw herself in the reflection of the glass, blackened by the night. Lori was surprised at how different she looked from that day upstairs in her mother’s house just a few weeks earlier.

“And he thinks I’m gay!” she said to herself as she went into her room and crawled into bed.

A half-hour later, Jimmy reopened the front door and went back to where they were previously seated. He spotted the robe and lifted it from the stool. Looking over at Lori’s closed door, and hearing no sound of movement or music, he quietly set it down and went back to the guardhouse.

You are such a dumbass! he lamented as he flopped into bed.

Book excerpt Happy Bay

Sandy dried her tears and went back to the hotel for her lunch shift. She saw Jimmy and his wife sitting in beach chairs by the pool. His wife was unusually quiet, slowly leafing through a magazine. Jimmy would cast a furtive glance towards her at times, but she did not acknowledge him. She wanted him left out of what would be playing out later tonight. He needed to attend to his wife and forget about Solange. Solange never truly existed anyway. She was just an island fantasy he would think about from time to time as the years went by. Eventually, she would be forgotten altogether.

Instead of napping before her next shift, Sandy sat on her patio and wrote a letter to each and every person she had befriended on the island. She hoped they would all be read if things did not turn out well for her tonight. Between each letter, she would look out over the grounds and towards the beach.

She felt as if someone was watching her. That scumbag no doubt, she thought to herself as she returned her focus to the letters. He would know better than to try something in broad daylight with all these guests and workers nearby. No, he is waiting patiently for tonight, or making sure I don’t leave. And she would just leave, but there was no place to hide at this point. She had to trust Maisie’s intuition and experience on this.

Sandy realizes she is on a nude beach

She started her run slowly in order to adapt to running barefoot on a giving surface. She wondered if the slope would overdevelop one leg eventually, then laughed when she realized the return trip would guarantee symmetry in that department. There were very few people on the beach this early. Workers at some of the many beach bars and open-air restaurants gathered seaweed with over-sized plastic rakes designed for this purpose. Others were moving beach chairs and umbrellas from storage units, or unchaining stacks of them near the businesses in preparation for the day’s guests. Some glanced up at her as she went by. Most continued their work without noticing her. Sandy increased her pace, now getting used to the delay brought about by her foot’s impression in the sand as she pushed off.

Just beyond a rock jetty in the distance she could see people walking in her direction, coming around the jetty through shallow water rather than climbing over it. As the space between her and the morning walkers shrank, she could see they appeared to be older than her (and not fitness nuts either), judging from their physiques. Their outfits lacked color as well, and as she drew even closer, Sandy soon realized none of them were wearing any clothes at all. She came to a dead stop, feeling both out of place and like an intruder at the same time. Dumbfounded, she stood and stared at the approaching throng of naked people. She looked down when one of them waved to her, realizing she was calling attention to herself with her gawking. She looked back from where she had started. She had only run about a third of the way. This did not qualify as much of a workout for her. She wanted to turn back, but there was nothing for her to do at the hotel. Even her room was tied up. So she continued on cautiously, not knowing what to do with her eyes as she approached the first of many couples.

“Morning!” she heard in a distinct southern accent. Sandy ended her fixed gaze upon the sand in front of her and met the eyes of a smiling couple as she passed. There wasn’t a stitch of clothes on either of them. She nodded her head and picked up the pace. As with the first couple, every subsequent person she passed gave her a salutation. Men walking alone, couples like the first, groups of three to six people all blissfully happy and exhilarated to greet the morning and everyone who shared it with them. If this was a cult of some kind, it was the happiest one she would ever encounter in her life. Maybe someone is selling Ecstasy on the other side of those rocks, she speculated, although this demographic probably finished experimenting with drugs in the sixties and seventies. 

Book excerpt: Jimmy ponders the concept of Karma

...Jimmy did as he said he would, then hurried down to the beach. He thought about the phenomenon of Karma as he trotted down the steps. He didn’t believe in the idea, mostly because he could not see what he had ever done to deserve the treatment he typically received from Cindy. He felt pangs of guilt over leaving her in such a state, but it was not a fatal event, as she believed it to be. He reasoned his indifference was solely a result of her actions; so in that respect, Karma was in full force this morning.

Philosophy gave way to longing when he reached the beach to find Solange still waiting for him.

“You are late,” was all she said to him before beginning her run.

Jimmy set out after her, his eyes feeling like marbles rattling around in an empty skull with every step he took. He gave up on keeping pace with her. He swore he could smell beer and vodka oozing out of his pores as he ran.

    

 When he reached the rock jetty, Jimmy waded in, and splashed water onto his face and hair. His headache was beginning to fade, but the lethargy associated with too much alcohol and too little sleep remained. When he waded around, he was surprised to see Solange had been waiting for him on the other side. With her arms folded, legs spread slightly apart, and feet firmly planted in the sand, she looked like an impatient drill instructor…if not for the curve-hugging boy shorts and bra top.

     The sky was beginning to darken, and the wind warned of an upcoming shower. Grey sheets of water spilled from the clouds over the ocean, separated by quickly vanishing rays of sunlight.

     “Oh shit!” Jimmy exclaimed.

     Solange was looking past him towards the sky. “Allons-y!” she implored. 

     They ran towards the refuge of the restaurant as large droplets of rain became more and more frequent. By the time they reached the shelter offered by the wooden roof, the shower had become a deluge, battering the building like sticks on a hundred snare drums. They were both thoroughly soaked....

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Book excerpt: A strange late-night event

Clarence Hughes had spent most of his life in this house. His parents purchased it soon after his father landed an assembly line job at Ford during the company’s mid-century heyday. Clarence had graduated from the high school just blocks away, and was subsequently drafted to serve two tours of duty in Vietnam. When he returned from the war, he not only had little opportunity for higher education, but he was also forced to endure the scorn of a nation deeply divided and resentful of his service. Employment was scarce and often marred by shouting matches with his bosses and coworkers. He never lasted anywhere for long. By the time his parents passed, he had been living in this house for over four decades.

Although it was paid for, Clarence owed a substantial amount in back taxes, but he preferred electricity to happy government officials. He got by on house painting in the warm weather months and snow shoveling in the winter. He did his best to maintain the property too, and guarded it fiercely from break-ins and threats from local gangs. He remembered the cliques from his high school days; the jocks, nerds, band geeks, and greasers. There would be occasional scuffles and a lot of posturing when these groups were thrown together by organized or spontaneous events, but guns were never in the picture. In those days, guns were only found in the hands of police officers or hardened criminals, or were safely tucked away in the nightstands of law-abiding parents.

Clarence kept his own Glock carefully hidden, and rarely found it necessary to produce it. Word on the street was he was unpredictable and perhaps a little crazy; two qualities that to some extent guaranteed his safety in these forever-changed times.  However, the slow, methodical pounding on the front door that awoke him at three a.m. gave him pause. He always retrieved the gun if he heard a suspicious noise, but there was nothing subtle about this visitor.

Fearing it might be the police, he left the gun where he could easily pick it up instead of wielding it as he opened the door. He flipped on the porch light and peered around the crack in the door as he opened it as far as the chain would allow. Clarence was shocked to see not a badge and a pair of men in blue waiting on his porch, but a large, well-dressed white man with a belt tied around his head and blood soaking the collar of his shirt. The man was wobbly and dazed. He seemed unable to speak clearly, and blinked his eyes repeatedly as he tried to mouth words with a hoarse whisper of a voice. Clarence knew immediately the man was not a threat to him. Instead, he needed his help.click here to order!

Book excerpt: Aftermath of Sandy's horrific first night in St. Martin

Yvette raised her hand indicating Sandy stop talking. “You have not even unpacked yet. You are not going anywhere. That…how you say...Pipsqueak knows better than to go against me.” She was poised and confident. Sandy believed her conviction was based in fact.

Yvette stood up and stepped carefully around the sticky floor tiles. “Return to your bed. Skip your first shift. Please leave the room at eight though, to provide the maids some extra time for this mess.” She paused and stroked Sandy’s hair before she left. “I am sorry I did not warn you of him Solange.” She let herself out, closing the door gently behind her.

The first traces of dawn cast a purple tint to the space between her terrace curtains. Sandy opened them and the sliding door they covered, and listened to the ocean’s rhythmic background roar. She didn’t feel sleepy enough to go back to bed, deciding instead to unpack and begin to make some semblance of her new home. Bundling up the sweat pants and condom to get them out of her sight was a priority.

When the clock radio came on, she let it be, listening to the happy sounds of steel drums and joyful voices. Sandy paused in the midst of her work to stand on the terrace and take in the sunrise, the likes of which she had never seen before. The slow-climbing orb sprayed an array of reds and oranges in countless hues on the underbelly of storm clouds. They periodically let loose a brief shower of large droplets, always preceded by a swell of tropical breeze. The sun caressed her face, touched by an occasional windblown drop of rain. She closed her eyes and took in the scent of the rain washed wind and flora. She wondered if Don had any idea where she was. She wondered if he even cared.

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“Nakationers” explained. Book excerpt from Happy Bay:

“But isn’t it strange being around naked people all day?” Sandy asked him,

“It was a little strange at first,” he confessed, “At first I thought they all must be crazy. Why would you want to walk around like that all day and all of the night too?” He leaned closer. “And most of them would look much better with their clothes on. But the more I saw them and the more I talked to them, I began to think they are the only visitors here who have it right.”

“How is that?” Sandy was intrigued.

“When I worked on the Dutch side,” he replied referring to the other side of the island, “All I would see is people running to get in their cars, to rush to this place and then to that place. To eat their food, then get up and leave as fast as they can to go to yet another place. That is not a vacation. That is living the same life they left, just in another place for one week. But these people…” he paused to acknowledge a couple waving to him, “leave everything behind. Not just the clothes. They get up when they want, they go for the walk, they eat with leisure. They take the nap, they swim in the ocean. They lay in the sun, never looking at the clock. When the sun goes down they come in here to eat and drink and dance. The only thing they worry about is the day coming when they have to leave. Now that to me is a vacation.”

He picked up a slice of baguette bread they had been sharing along with fresh pineapple slices. “I see the look on your face when you are floating in the ocean. Do you not feel it too?”

“I guess I do,” Sandy was thoughtful, “But I don’t like people watching me.”

“Ah, but that is just your youth,” Michael continued after swallowing, “You do not want just anyone to see you as you were born. You are young and beautiful, but do not feel beautiful. Or perhaps you feel too beautiful to be seen this way. But these people…” he gestured towards the returning walkers in the distance, “Feel beautiful inside and out. It does not matter what others think. If only for a week, they feel completely free and full of beauty.”

Michael rose from his seat. “I’m afraid it is time to begin my day. It is always a pleasure to speak with you Solange. Until tomorrow then?” Sandy thanked him for breakfast and turned to leave. When she reached the single step down to the beach, she turned back.

“Michael?” He looked up from placing their dishes on a tray. “What about me?” He tilted his head with confusion. “Better with or without the clothes?” she teased.

Michael shook his finger at her. “I made a promise to my wife on our wedding night I would look only into the eyes of the pretty girls…and even then not for very long.”

“Good answer,” she replied and headed back towards L’Hôtel sur la Mer, nodding and exchanging morning pleasantries with the people she passed along the way. She had gotten used to seeing them this way. They all looked so proud and happy. Michael was right.

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‎"The ladies also had someone of their own to focus on. Maurice entertained the crowd with skits, songs, and impersonations. His act was rather strange to Sandy; the pantomimes were overdone, the songs off-key, and the monologue mostly incomprehensible to her. But he had a certain charm to him. His sheepish grin and over-the-top presentation was his way of letting people know he was aware of his limitations..."

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“Ask for Yvette,” she advised through the window as she drove away, leaving Sandy alone and a little dazed. Sandy estimated the amount of time it would take to free the tiny car from the packed parking area and elected to bring in her suitcases on foot. It looked as if she was going to have to get used to climbing anyway.

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"Bridget made an extraordinary amount of turns as they made their way through Marigot. Chicken, cows, and goats walked along the road as they gradually left the metropolitan area and raced through the decidedly more appealing countryside..."

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"She noticed Bridget did not bother to slow down for the speed bumps as they wound around the worst looking golf course she had ever seen..."https://www.facebook.com/Happybaythenovel