The Sea Taketh (Alex Singer) Read Online Free Page A

bra.”
                  “You know where I keep the equipment,” she says before turning to me. “Alex, let’s see what I can do for you.”
                  Because I buy all my clothes from Peggy it doesn’t take long before she has a pile of new, surplus bras in my size. I try on bra after bra, and Peggy patiently hooks the straps to keep me from hurting my hand. Ultimately, I choose a plain bra for everyday and a sports bra for gym
                  “How much for these two?” I ask.
                  “Ten dollars if you’ll take this one, too,” she says as she put a lovely, lace bra on the two bras I chose.
                  “Peggy, why would I need a bra like that?” I ask, looking at the see-thru bra.
                  “Everyone should feel beautiful under their clothes.” She winks at me. “You should see the bra I’m wearing, and I’m just an old lady.”
                  Maybe she has a point? I pass her my twenty.
                  With our purchases in hand, Jen and I cross the street to the ice cream parlor. We order our regulars and take our usual seat in the front window so we could people-watch.
                  “Tom said that he’d be gone until Sunday.” Jen licks her chocolate ice cream cone.
                  I nod as I take a bite of my sugar cone. I use a napkin to wipe melted, vanilla ice cream off my chin. “What’s the plan?”I ask. The Marshes are my surrogate family while Gramps fishes.
                  “Mom insists that we eat dinner at my house, but then we’re free to run to the quiet of yours,” she answers. Suddenly, she points out the window and laughs at a middle-aged tourist. He has three cameras hanging around his neck, his clothes and brown hair are covered in sand and water, and he is missing a shoe which is odd enough, but his bright clothing and crazy bleached hair indicate that he’s not from Seaside.
                  “Poor guy, he probably fell in the water,” I say.
                  The man stops in front of the ice cream parlor to shake the sand out of his hair. His eyes go to Jen and me in the window. His brow furrows, and he blinks several times.
                  “He got sand in his eyes,” Jen says sympathetically.
                  The man surprises us when he walks into the shop and directly to our table.
                  “Excuse me, miss,” he says to me. “Have you ever thought about modeling?”
                  I laugh, wondering what kind of joke this is. Maybe the sand scratched his corneas and he can’t see properly. “Never,” I say truthfully.
                  He holds out a hand. “My name’s Colin Wright. I’m a photographer, and I would love to shoot you.”
                  “Excuse me?” I look at his hand with suspicion.
                  “With my camera,” he smiles as he points the cameras on his chest. “I’m doing a photo shoot in a week, and I think you would be a great addition.”
                  “I’m really not interested,” I reply, still thinking it’s a joke. Who in their right mind want to pay for photos of me?
                  He smiles and pulls a wet business card out of his pocket. He puts it on the table. “If you change your mind, call me.”
                  He walks to the ice cream counter, taking photos of everything on the way, including the garbage can. Jen giggles as we watch him photographing his bare foot and then an old mop. After several minutes he seems to come to his senses. He turns his attention to the clerk and asks, “May I use your phone to call AAA? I lost my keys and cell phone in the ocean.”
                  “It’s in the office out back,” she directs him to a phone.
                  As soon