MARIE placed a giant bottle chocolate milk and a muffin on the conveyor. When the woman ahead of her collected her bags and left, Marie walked up to the cashier and smiled.

"Were you able to find everything you were looking for?"

"Yes, said Marie. "Thank you."

"The total comes to $2.28."

Marie handed a fifty dollar bill to the cashier. The cashier counted out the money and handed it to her.

"Wait a minute," said Marie. "Can I switch this twenty for a ten and ones?"

"Sure." The cashier counted out a ten and ones and exchanged them for the twenty.

"Oh, damn," said Marie. "I was supposed to get fives. Here are the ones." She handed the ones back to the cashier who gave Marie her fives.

The cashier quickly counted the ones. "Miss, you're short a one."

"Oh, sorry about that," said Marie. "I'm not a math person. Can I just not worry about the change? Here's the ten, and we'll call it even."

The cashier handed Marie a twenty. "Thank you, come again."

Marie quickly stuffed the money into her jacket pocket and walked out, almost forgetting her muffin and milk. As she sat on a nearby bench, she took out a memo pad and recorded her takings.

+10

"Barely worth it."

...

The morning streets were already thick with cars, the sidewalks choked with tourist herds. The air felt crisp in Marie's lungs and fresh against her skin. The sun cut through the chill air to heat her face.

She stood among so many people, watching one then another family, spying the flash of plastic handed to a vendor or slips of green stuffed into a child's hand for an ice cream or hamburger. Marie scanned the bodies across the street and locked eyes on a young gentleman, with a nice jacket and bright white sneakers that shone from a block away. She crossed the street with a large family carrying lawn chairs and beach towels. The swimsuit clad children made her shiver.

Marie threaded her way around vendor stands and the people gawking at the local wares. She stepped behind the young gentleman she noted before and observed him as he pulled a billfold from inside his jacket and handed a wad of cash to an older woman who in turn handed a gift rapped box to the man along with a receipt. When the man walked away, Marie followed.

As the man wandered around, Marie observed. He spent little time looking at things and lots looking at the women. His eyes always followed blond hair and low cut dresses. The man met up with a woman looking out over the water. Marie stood a few feet behind, and pretended to fiddle with a brochure. She listened to the couple talking, but couldn't understand the words. The conversation became louder when the woman started gesticulating. She barked her words out louder and louder. The man shushed her, which set her off even more. Then his whole body looked like one giant eye-roll. He threw his hands up and shoved the box into her hands, shouting "Happy Anniversary, then!" He walked away, stumbling onto the beach. His shoes turned the color of sand.

The woman turned around and saw Marie. She scowled and stomped off. Marie noted that she kept the box.

Marie stood for just a moment more, then rushed to the restrooms. She was there in moments, but the line stopped her short. She glanced back and saw the man staring at the lake. She squinted her eyes and looked again. She thought he was staring at a sunbather, but it was tough to tell. The sunbather, though, was definitely blond.

The men's room didn't have a line at all. Marie walked around the corner, and faced the building. She ran her fingers though her hair. It was a buzz cut. She rubbed her face. Her jaw line was sharp, her eyebrows thick. She shook her arms and legs like she was warming up for a race. Her blocky torso looked like a football player's.

Marie walked back around the building and into the men's room. She took the one empty stall. She started undressing, carefully laying each piece of clothing in her duffle. Once naked, she ran her hands through her hair, stretched her arms up, then touched her toes then shook out her body much like she had before. Then she pulled out a bikini top and bottom and put them on.

Marie threw the duffle over her shoulder and walked out the stall to the surprise of the men there. "I'm sorry," she sang. "It was just SUCH an emergency. I'm sure you can understand." She sauntered to the mirror, inspected her hourglass figure, and fluffed her platinum hair. She then walked out, swaying as she did so. There were several appreciative sighs.

Marie took her time walking along the beach toward the gentleman. She looked back toward the vendors but saw no sign of the woman he argued with before. She strolled along the water line. The water felt a little like ice, but the sun chased away the cool air of the morning. As she entered the man's field of view, she could see his attention shift to her out of the corner of her eye.

She turned toward him, pretending not to notice his ogling. Just before she passed him, she let go of one of the duffle bag's straps and dumped its contents on the sand.

"Oh!" Her voice was breathy. She knelt down to pick up her things, making sure to give the man an ample view of her bosom.

"Miss, let me help you," said the man.

"Oh." Marie stood and fidgeted. "Oh. Thank you."

"It is no problem, Madam."

"You have such a voice. Where are you from?"

"Portugal."

She looked up at him and mouthed an "Oh."

He pulled at his collar.

"What's your name?" she said.

"Leandro."

"That sounds like a very strong name."

***

VICKIE crouched. Mumbling voices grew distinct as they grew closer. A shout. Then, a laugh. A little scream like you'd get when scared at a fun house. A young couple were still several meters away when Vickie got a glimpse of them.  She relaxed her arm and lowered her bow. She held herself very still as the couple passed beneath her feet. She waited another few minutes before letting herself lie back against the tree trunk.

She sniffed the air, and her nose crinkled. Her hand tensed on her bow. She sniffed again and smiled. A few minutes later, a young black woman came around an outcropping. She was skipping along, her duffle bag bouncing against her back.

Vickie put her arrow back in its quiver and fixed the bow to her back. She tumbled out of the tree and landed a few feet behind the woman. She thrust her body through the air and landed against the other woman with her arm around her throat. "Marie," she whispered, "Your not paying attention."

"Well crap, Vick. I was celebrating."

"I'm only messing with you." Vickie stepped back and grinned. "I like the look, only with racial profiling the way it is, you're going be inconvenienced."

"Yea. Well, I got us a nice haul."

"You been playing men again?"

"Why?"

"You reek of cologne."

"Your smeller need a vacation."

"My smeller tells me you liked this guy. Did you do anything you'd regret?"

"No. I just played on his insecurities about his wife and let him touch my hair."

"Well that's rude."

"I don't get it."

"It's a think that non blacks have for a black woman's hair. Like I said. Rude."

"Oh. Okay. I was white at the time." Marie grinned. "He likes blonds. Here's the money."

"Oh. This is a lot. He's not coming after you is he?"

"He gave me it." Marie stretched. "I like this body. I think I'll keep it for awhile. I don't know what to do with the hair, though."

"We'll work on it. You sure that he's not grumpy about this." Vickie waved a stack of fifties.

"Not at all," said Marie. "I rubbed up against him like a puppy and told him a sob story about losing my money and family. I can't remember the details, but he was practicly melting in my arms. Come to think of it, he might get grumpy in, say, what time is it?"

"Fifeteen thirty."

"Oh, in about four hours. He somehow got the idea that he was going to take me to dinner. I was the dessert."

"Oh God, Marie!"

"Oh, it hasn't happened yet. I don't think it will, unless I need to unwind."

"Don't even joke! That's a dangerous game your playing at."

"Well, alri-"

"Shh."

The distant sound of a hawk. The distant sound of the waves. The distant sound of foot steps.

"There are five soldiers coming," Vickie said.

"How long?"

"At least ten minutes till they get here. Probably longer."

"Hide?"

"Yes."