It was a kind of hot that I wasn't ready for. And I grew up in a desert, so you know it was serious.

Sweat lodge hot. Like, the kind of hot it gets by the final round after they've poured a lot of water on those hot rocks.

My corkscrew curls were at maximum coil by the time I got off the little "ferry" boat I'd boarded. After the jet and then the little prop plane and then a ride in a weird little "bus" that looked like it had been made out of an old VW bus from the 60s or something.

I was catatonic by the time the ferry dropped me at a splintery plank pier on a boardwalk that led past all the little shacky looking houses on stilts. Fishing village, it was. With a name I can't pronounce or spell, so don't ask.

Viet Nam, is all I can tell you. Mekong Delta. South China Sea side.

Picturesque, but... well, I'd been warned it was going to be kinda rough, but it was damned near prehistoric looking at first glance.

I stood on that board walk feeling all clammy and confused for a good 20 minutes before this, chubby cherry cheeked English woman sort of waddled up and stuck out a hand.

She was Sarah Simmons. And she owned the only fairly modern "motor car" available around those parts.

It cracked me up that it was a Mercedes just like the one waiting for me back in The Quarters. Didn't crack me up that the AC had konked out ages ago.

"There's just no place to have that sort of thing done easily here," she told me as we drove along the little asphalt "road" a little ways up from the beach. "There's always someone who can do the basics, mind, but beyond that...it's a long trip that'll cost you a fortune in ferries and the like even before the fixes. And even then, there's a chance'll have to send away for the parts you'll need, which could take weeks to arrive."

I fanned away the swarm of whatever was buzzing around me but the more I perspired the more they loved me, all the hungry little suckers feasting on my type O.

When I slapped one, Sarah glanced over and said, "Never ending battle, that. Twenty-five years I've been here and never found anything that actually worked."

"Twenty-five?" I said, squashing another something or other with a sharp slap.

"Family's been here for ages. First was a bunch of bleedin' holy rollers. Survived that godawful war somehow, settin' up a little clinic and takin' in orphans. Harrowing story. My own parents took off for England but turned 'round and came back--gluttons for punishment. But then I must be, too, 'cause I came back, as well. Course it's different now. There's most o' the amenities and we got the eco-tourists and all. So, I'm here 'cause I love it and can make a livin'. Not to be muckin' about in people's religions and such."

I didn't see a lot to love at that particular moment. The sea was impressive. But there was nothing else to gaze upon except those little shacks on stilts. And creaky looking boats on the water and shore. Some sort of little outdoor markets, we'd passed, but I hadn't taken much of a look at them.

"Where is this place?" I asked. Not even expecting an answer, just airing my thoughts.

And I just laughed when she said the actual name--I've told you, I couldn't say it to save my life.

She chuckled and said, "Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. But it's Paradise to me. Shall I rustle up someone to haul your bag? There's kids at that little store there who'll hire out to do little jobs like that.."

"Store?"

"That little shacky looking thing by the board walk there down to the beach. I'm afraid from here you have to hoof it. Or hire a boat to take you down that way you want to go. Stayin' at the little inn there, are you? It's right on the water. Sweet sunsets. A step up from mine, but then they were expat Yanks, the lot that built that one a little while after the war. Wanted all the amenities."

I lied and told her I was and she told me which things to choose and avoid on "the menu that hasn't changed since God knows when."

She wouldn't let me pay her. Took off with a chuckle and a wave once I'd hoisted my one bag out of the trunk. I'd packed very light. Hae Won had rolled her eyes and said, "Less will definitely be more there..."

Worried me a bit being left alone there not knowing the language or where I was or what to do next. But from the little "map" the boat guy had drawn, I seemed to be only a short walk away from the "...little rickety stairs" where he said I should look ahead of myself carefully on the way down, "...because they don't put back the planks sometimes, when they come loose."

Apparently the eco-tourists hadn't taken to this particular village.

"It's a bit too authentic, I think," was his explanation. "They go to the American down the river aways.."

Second time I'd heard about this American inn.

And I could see why people might prefer that. But the beach, I liked. The view. Shimmering water from beach to horizon. Clear blue sky. Tranquil. Chill.

I counted the houses as I'd also been told; the 9th was the only rentable one left now. Four expats had taken up residence in the other four.

That 9th one was somewhat larger than the others--almost two houses joined by a little wooden walkway.

I was really hesitant to head for it until the occupant strolled out onto the front "porch," took up an old Graniteware dishpan sort of thing, shoved it into a big barrel of water and doused himself with a little "whoop" as the cold water hit his hot--very hot--body.

I'm talking the kind of hot you think I mean--and it was a body I knew, too.

Stood there wishing those were my hands running through the wet, jet black hair.

And then I thought, "Wait--black?" Was it really AJ?

Had he dyed to disguise himself, maybe? Or so the locals wouldn't find him too flashy and maybe mention the "guy with the crazy hair" to somebody who'd mention it to somebody who'd mention it to somebody who might pick up on something from it...

I sighed, realizing that the paranoia was finally getting to me, too.

And then I counted to ten twice.

Hoisted the strap of my back up a little higher on my shoulder and strutted on over.

And just as he was shaking that wet hair like a big old dog up there on the porch he kinda saw me through the droplets...

And then gaped when he realized it really was me.

But he didn't move. So, I held my breath. For two reasons.

First, I was afraid he was going to be mad that I was there. And second... because he looked so good.

No, for real, y'all. The tousled hair, the eight pack--he looked like one of the fine as hell ones Pacific Islands surfer dudes I used to full on ogle back in Cali. All he needed was the big old tribal tats.

But he was just standing there, staring. So I actually took a little shaky step back...

And then he came trotting down the steps around the side of the little house.

I thought I saw a faint... almost sheepish smile...

But before I could focus in good, he snatched me up and just held me and held me and held me...

##

"There's a... boat," I said. Lifting my head just a wee bit off the mat we'd laid down on after it got too hot for us to stay all snaked around each other on the bed in the back room.

He didn't raise his head. At first. He just kept looking at me. Playing with coils of hair.

"Would our kids have these?" he asked, curling a coil around a finger.

"We're talkin' about babies now?"

"I'd be mad if they didn't."

"I'd be relieved."

"Seriously?"

"I don't hate it. I just know how hard it can be to take care of it. Like when you're in some hot, humid place where it turns into a sponge almost--is she cooking?"

I sat all the way up because the tiny old woman in the little boat that I'd told him about was chopping up some long white stalks of something with a cleaver the size of her head. And I saw some very creepy looking fish in a basket next to a blackened, beat up wok with smoking hot oil in it--sistah wasn't playin' out there.

Honest to God, she had a little counter at the front end and some sort of stove thing at the back so she could prepare the food and then turn and toss it into the pans. Very clever...

"That is Magda. Like Magdalena."

"Really?"

"Named by nuns or something. I've never entirely understood the whole story because I don't speak enough of the language. But she has been cooking for people up and down the river and the beach since she was a child, apparently. Ran away from an orphanage or something like that as a kid. Had to fend for herself."

He smiled, pointed to the boat and said, "And those are unicorn leatherjacket fish."

I scrunched up my nose and said, "Ewwwww--what?"

"Oh, she's about to go full Sadie on 'em. Trust me. Good eatin' girl."

He didn't lie. He was glad he'd ordered a couple that day instead of his usual one, "As if I knew, right?" he said. Because I scarfed down one whole one myself.

The batter was light but super crisp. The flesh rich, tender and juicy--our fried catfish back home was good, but hers was so good I picked the bones clean.

I tore into those flower stems, too--lotus flower stems. Gobbled up a big old mound of them, partly cause I needed some sustenance after we'd "exerted" ourselves so much before she arrived.

But they were just so spicy, crunchy good. The mouth feel and subtle sweetness of jicama, sort of.

She'd chopped them up into pieces about 2 inches long and sauteed them in garlic and some kind of red peppers--not sure what all was in the sauce but I could've eaten the whole wok full by myself, boy. Stole some off AJ's plate when he wasn't looking...

Laid there on the mat all fat and happy, after she'd given us something like a little "Namaste" bow and putt-putted on to her next customer.

"This is the life," I told AJ.

"She comes in the morning to tell us what she'll have that day," he said. "She's made these picture menus--you point, she nods, you get a full meal with beer or whatever..."

"I had to laugh when she snatched those cold beers out of that little fridge thing."

"There's more in my little fridge there," he said.

And I laughed and said, "No room for more!"

But then I eased up on an elbow and looked around the little front room. There was only that fridge, a tiny table, two chairs. Ceiling fan. Mats for sitting or sleeping or...whatever.

Oil lamp in a corner, in case the bare bulb in the ceiling popped or the electricity went all the way out instead of just weakening from time to time like it had been all day. Large map on the wall, I suppose for both use and "decoration." Precious little else.

But I was okay with that. Cause my man was next to me. And had definitely let me know how happy he was that I was there beside him, too.

"If your friends could see you now," I said.

He rested his chin on his folded arms. Staring out at the sea. "The one or two real ones I have could totally see me here. Tae offered to come with but I want him to lay low for a while."

"He'd be perfect out here, though. With his crazy self."

"He got hit, too. Grazed, anyway. But that mini album took off so fast the scandal shit couldn't stick to it."

He looked over at me again and said, " I'm nervous that it'll come up again when he gets back from the tour. But for now it looks like he's home free. He's such a character, TR. National treasure..."

I reached to caress his face. "How are you? For real for real."

He let his lids slide shut. Smiled. "Right this minute I couldn't be happier."

"But before I got here, how were you? I mean, they're askin' for their money back now. I didn't even know that was possible."

He pinched my cheek and said, "You scared I moved here 'cause I'm broke?"

I winked and said, "I made a couple grand over the weekend. We could probably live the good life here for a few months with that. About two bucks, that dinner was, right?"

"The breakfast pho is 50 cents. The Banh Mi's even less--she makes the best Banh Mi."

"See?"

He scooped me up and rolled me over on top of him so he could look up at my face. And I immediately felt how much he liked the view.

But I just put my head down in the crook of his neck. "You almost seem happy."

"I bet Hae Won's not."

I gave a snort and said, "She's done with my crazy ass. Had to postpone all her big events and whatnot. Girl had it planned down to the tiny details. What to do, what to say, who would do what to who and at exactly what time--Blaine had a script, almost. When to touch me, what to say when he touched me..."

"Not sure I like that so much."

"Well, he's more interested in her than me right now. Weirdest situation I've been in in a long time."

"You kinda joked about that earlier. You ever see a cat toy with something in its paws for a while before she eats it?"

That made me smile. Envisioning Hae Won like a big old Persian glowering at the tiny little Blaine she'd imprisoned in her claws...

He laughed, too. And said, "But she likes pretty white boys. Blonde, blue eyes. Likes and hates them at the same time. Wonnie's a mess. I kinda feel for him."

"She's introducing him to an agent or something. It's probably his last chance, too, so he'll do whatever. And she's not as crazy as some of the others who've dangled carrots in front of him before. She's smart and she's a kind of rich he can't even wrap his mind around--neither can I. I mean, the yacht was crazy enough, but those buildings!"

He gave me a squeeze and said, "I know. The first time she let me into that whole world I got disoriented from all that. They've got these weird properties where everybody has a huge house to themselves and you have to take a golf cart from house to house on the grounds. Not just here but all over the damned world, they've got it like that. Talk about living in a bubble..."

"They make their own planets, huh?"

"When I saw that, I was almost proud of her for not being even crazier. She really tried to find a life. She's still trying. And I think that's why she's trying so hard to save mine. She just doesn't understand that all that manipulation is just as crazy as the stuff she's fighting against. They're so used to thinking that way. Plotting against each other, even, her family. To them that's just the way the world works."

"But she's scared this time, though. She admitted that."

"I am, too. It's making me crazy trying to sort out my feelings about the whole idol thing, I'm not going to lie. I had one foot out the door when I went back to the States. I love performing--there's nothing like that rush you get. The waves of love going back and forth from you to the fans. The rush when they scream and clap and stomp and laugh along with you. It's just the highest high. But it's hella murky down deep below the surface of all that. Like deep sea diving where you find all these scary monsters the lower you go."

"But it's so treacherous beyond the business, though. The way the public gets so nasty. I mean, I made her let me go after she showed me all these insane articles and comments and whatnot--people just losing their goddamned minds on X and those forums and that Weverse and all that. And not just about you. Fans fighting fans, you know? And about the silliest stuff!"

"Welcome to K-pop fandom, kiddo."

"Yeah, but it's so petty and... I mean, this whole scandal blew up over two idols wearing the same color clothes on the same day. Like there was this torrid affair between two people who didn't even actually know each other. And then right across the street from that sky suite I kept seeing you on the side of a building like King Kong size with these stupid 'Where's Waldo' jokes underneath--and AI clones now, too? What the hell?"

He toyed with a tendril again. All pensive...

"That last thing sent me packing. You hear your own voice saying things you never said and people fighting over things that never happened--didn't matter what I really said or did. It had taken on a life of its own and I felt like Dorothy in that tornado. Nothing I could do but ride it out and see where I landed. Especially once they started flying drones over the country house."

Reminded me that my country house might not be an option much longer, either. I was swirling around in that tornado, too.

But the way he was looking at me...

And the sound of the sea. The balmy breeze sighing over us so lovingly...

I reached up to run my fingers through his hair for a change. And he did this playful little body wave just to bump hips and get me all tingly and juicy down that way...

So I just let him roll me back over and under and into the whirlwind again...