The bright studio lights warmed Abby's face and shoulders like the sun. She tried to see the people in the audience but they were just a dark sea of heads.

"Welcome back to the show," Adam Whyte, the host from Abby's favourite talk show, smiled into the cameras which were all pointed at him. He looked less attractive close up, his stage make-up noticeable at the neckline. Abby could smell his cologne from where she was seated opposite him, their chairs turned at an angle to face the audience.

"Today we have Abby Blosym with us. She is a twenty-nine year old virgin..."

The crowd erupted in shouts of disbelief and laughter. Abby's stomach plummeted. She looked for an escape but was stuck to her chair, trapped in a nightmare that felt all too real. Knowing it was just a dream didn't seem to help as she looked out at the audience.

"Tell us Abby," Adam Whyte continued, his fake smile frightening. "How long have you and Ben been married?"

"Two years," Abby said, her quiet voice amplified by the microphone on her lapel. She looked down, surprised to see that she wearing one of her mother's dress suits, the peach coloured one with grey pin stripes. It fit too big and the top was too open, showing more of her chest than she was comfortable with. Abby grasped the front with both her hands, pulling the suit jacket together.

"Two whole years..." Adam's brows furrowed in an over-acted display of concern. "Tell us Abby, why this loveless marriage?"

"My marriage isn't loveless..."

"Do you like men?"

"Yes, of course!" Abby's eyes stung with angry tears. She wanted to defend herself, to have a perfectly good explanation as to why she wasn't ready, and may possibly never be ready, to have sex.

"It looks like we have a question from the audience."

An assistant took a microphone to a large man in the audience who was wearing a construction worker's vest and white tank top.

"If you come home with me sweetheart you won't be a virgin anymore," he said, his grin showcasing missing teeth in the front, amongst the remaining yellow ones.

Hoots and hollers from the audience deepened the heat in Abby's cheeks. Before she could reply, the assistant handed the mic to another audience member.

"Have you seen your doctor?" an elderly lady asked.

"There won't be a need for that!" Adam announced, his hands motioning excitedly. "We've got world renowned gynaecologist Larry Browne with us today! He will be doing an examination on Abby right here on the show!"

Abby woke with a start, heart pounding and body dripping with sweat. Her head was still resonating with the sounds of the audience hollering and cheering in her nightmare. She sat up and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. 

The dark room gave no clues as to her whereabouts. A sound, like the lapping of waves, drifted in from the open window. Along with it, laughter and the chattering of happy people added a festive mood. Had they reached the ocean? The last thing Abby remembered was a text from Ben saying he'd be away on a business trip for a few weeks. The rest of the drive here was a blur.

Getting out of bed, Abby walked to the window and pulled the curtains aside. Cars drove to and fro on the beachfront road, their engine sounds were what had sounded like waves. Down below, groups of tanned tourists made their way leisurely down the sidewalks. Abby tugged at her t-shirt which was stuck to her back. The strands of her long hair that had escaped her braid now clung damp against her neck and cheeks. She glanced back at the bed illuminated by the large hotel sign outside the window.

Clarissa lay sprawled out, looking as overheated as Abby felt. The poor girl hadn't slept a wink on the long drive today, despite having no sleep the previous night either. The digital clock near the bed said 11:45PM. They'd arrived here around supper time and had collapsed into the bed only minutes after getting into the hotel room.

Abby changed into the only summer dress she owned, a light green t-shirt dress, then she left to explore. A gentle breeze of fresh air greeted her as she stepped outside. In it was the scent of newly cut grass after a recent rain, and of fish and lake water, coconut sunblock lotion and smoking barbeque from a nearby restaurant. There was something else in the air that Abby was unaccustomed to, moisture. She'd lived all her life in the prairies.

Across the street, the dark waters of the lake could be seen, vast and unmoving. It had been alive with waves earlier that day from all the motor boat activity and a strong breeze. Now the waters were still, as though resting for the night.

Fake palm trees illuminated in red, green, yellow and orange adorned a nearby restaurant pub which was decorated like a pirate's cove. There was a crowd waiting outside its front entrance where a mock reception podium was set up for taking reservations. Abby headed in the opposite direction to the nearest crosswalk, anxious to get to the other side where it was less crowded.

Abby stood straighter as she walked, throwing her shoulders back and gathering her courage. It had to be about midnight now. Her mother would have a heart attack if she knew that her daughter was out walking the streets at midnight. And there it was... the guilt that drove Abby's life and made all her decisions for her. The inner voice of her mother running through her head all day.

Needing to prove to herself that she no longer had to worry about her mom's opinions on her life and actions, Abby jumped down from the sidewalk onto the cool sand. The man-made beach stretched out far before it reached the water's edge. She removed her sandals and walked through the smooth sand.

Abby let out a small giggle of delight. This place was magical, and she'd discovered it all on her own. No one back home knew where she was. She was free, for now.