Ella Jade: At the Beach... Haven Shores

The Beachwalk Press Authors are at it again. Today, I kick off part one of my free read for the At the Beach Author compilation. Several authors are posting a micro-novel on their blogs. Once we're finished, our wonderful publisher will include it as a Free download on the Beachwalk Press Website.

At the Beach Volume One is available now. Get your copy today.

Without further ado, here's the first installment to my story...

Haven Shores

Rosa Gallo sat by the shoreline sipping her banana smoothie. She stared out into the ocean just off Cape Cod on that late May evening wondering where her life would take her next. A few weeks before, her college graduation had been uneventful. Her parents came to Princeton for the ceremony, took her to dinner at some stuffy restaurant, and then gave her the keys to her brand new beach house. They left for Greece a few days later.

Rosa was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Her father was from old money and where he came from the women in the family weren't meant to work. They sat on charity boards and organized fundraisers. They took care of their children and made sure the house ran appropriately. Her father was proud when she got into Princeton and graduated in the top ten percent of her class, but he didn’t expect her to take things much further with her education.

She remembered sitting in the limo on the night of her graduation. It didn’t take her parents long to start in on her future. The future they had predetermined for her.

"Rosa." Her father peered down at his iPhone. "Princeton was a wonderful accomplishment, but now it's time to focus."

"I'm looking into a few internships." She smiled. "My professor says I could probably get one with a publishing house in New York. He said he'd write a recommendation for me."

"New York." Her mother gasped. "You're not moving to that filthy city."

"Mama, please." Rosa shook her head. "We've talked about this. You wouldn't let me work while I was in college so I'm already behind. Most students have already completed their internships."

"You don't need to work." Her mother rolled her eyes. "You need to find a husband. All of your cousins are already married or engaged. You'll be an old one before you know it."

"I'm twenty-two. I'm hardly old."

Rosa's parents were descendants of Greece. Her great-grandfather ventured to America in the 1920's bringing his profitable construction company with him. The future generations of the Gallo family were set. Rosa was now expected to find a husband, of her father's choosing, get married and make lots of babies. Rosa wasn't against the institution of marriage, but she had dreams she wanted to accomplish. She may not have been sure what those dreams were at the moment, but she wanted to choose the path her life took.

"Your mother is right. You made us proud today, but now we want you to concentrate on the next phase in your life. Please, Rosa. Be a good girl."

The good girl was spending her summer at the small, exclusive town of Haven Shores looking for a husband at her parents' request. They'd sent her to the most upscale beach town and bought one of the biggest properties on the beach. It was her graduation present, so who was she to turn it down?

She blew into her straw, making bubbles with what was left of her drink. As she lay back in the sand, she gazed up at the dimming sky. Sounds of the waves crashing to the surf created a calming effect on her body. After a few minutes, her eyes drooped and her breathing slowed. Just as she drifted off, she felt hot air wash over her face. It didn’t smell very good and then something warm brushed her cheek. She opened her eyes to a beastly creature.

"Yuck!" She screeched as she bolted into a seated position, dropping the rest of her drink into her lap. The sandy colored dog hopped on top of her and continued licking her face.

"No, doggie, no!" She tried to push the huge animal away, but he wouldn't budge.

"Calvin!" A deep voice yelled. "Come back here."

As soon as the dog heard his name, he stopped, jumped out of Rosa's lap, and then dutifully returned to his owner.

Rosa wiped her face and then pushed the hair from her eyes. When she looked up, she saw the most stunning, dark-haired, blue-eyed Adonis staring back at her.

***

Be sure to check out Tamaria Soana's story tomorrow.

I found this picture while browsing for inspiration and it reminded me of Rosa and Logan, the couple in Haven Shores...