I spent the next two weeks in a haze, not really paying attention to Sam or his summer fling. I just wasn’t in the mood for a stupid summer romance and the trouble it brings. Those obsessive girls who always insist that you’re ‘in love’ are not worth the drama. We were spending this particular night on the beach, and Sam was flirting with every girl he saw, waiting for his ‘fling’ to show up. I couldn’t seem to remember her name, maybe it was Daffy. I pondered her odd yet intriguing name, while lighting a cigarette and staring out at the dark ocean.

I noticed movement at the water’s edge. A girl emerged from the water and wrung out her hair. Picking up a towel, we made eye contact, and I hoped she didn’t see me practically drooling. I swear that she winked at me, but I could have imagined it, wishing it were so. She walked towards me, placing the towel around her shoulders.

“Hello,” she said, grabbing my cigarette, taking a long drag, and putting it out in the sand. I was speechless, stunned by her beauty. This girl couldn’t have been more perfect, with long brown hair and deep green eyes. She allowed the towel to slip slightly off her shoulder, revealing her smooth skin, and it was mesmerizing.

Suddenly, she leaned in and kissed me. I was frozen with surprise, and she kissed me again. The touch of her lips to mine sent shivers down my spine and made blood rush to my cheeks. She tried to kiss me again, but I reluctantly stopped her.

“Excuse me, uhm, what’s your name?” I asked, figuring I would feel less guilty about this if I knew her name.

“Affie,” she said. It clicked to me that she was Sam’s ‘fling,’ but I couldn’t resist.

Placing my hand on her knee, I whispered, “What a peculiar name.” I began to lean in for another sweet kiss when I felt a blow to my side. Sam had kicked me and started to throw punches. I dodged them until one made contact with my jaw. This send rage pulsing through my veins, and I returned the hit, punching him in the nose.

He gave me a shove, sending me flying backwards into the sand, as he shouted, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Dude, calm down,” I pleaded.

“Calm down? How about you get your filthy hands off of Affie!” he screamed, the veins popping out of his neck.

“Hey, she came on to me,” I said, but that didn’t stop him. He kicked some sand up into my face, the sharp grains stung my eyes.

“You know what? I knew you were a worthless jerk! Come on, Affie, let’s go,” Sam said. My eyes were able enough to see that when Sam turned around, Affie was gone. “Where is she?” he asked me.

“How the h*ll would I know?” I responded, standing up. There was a quiet giggle behind us that made my heart race, it had to be her. We turned around to see Affie fooling around with another guy. We both stood there in shock of what we were seeing. Sam, still believing she was his girlfriend, walked over to her and grabbed her arm.
He pulled her away from the other boy who asked, “Wait, what’s your name?”
“Affie,” she responded, “but you can call me Aphrodite.”