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     Jesse was folding his laundry when his cell phone rang.

     "Apricot Parmesan," a voice said, stopping Jesse with a pair of sweat pants in his hands.

     "Drive to the beach," he was instructed.  Without a word, Jesse went to his truck, climbed in and began driving to the beach.  "Park at Magoo Point, then go to the equipment rental shack.  Go in through the back gate and find the bin marked 'Beach Umbrellas.'  Climb in and change into a rainbow-colored, 8-foot beach umbrella."

     When the line went dead, Jesse closed his phone and kept driving, intent on fulfilling his instructions.  Since it was a weekday, the beach wasn't very crowded and he easily found a parking space.  Numbly walking over to a small concrete building with a wooden fence, he found the back gate and slipped inside.  There were stacks of boogie boards, inner tubes and beach towels, but they all looked rather ratty and unkempt.  He found a large rubber trash can marked 'Beach Umbrellas,' but it was empty.  Nearby on the ground, he saw several torn or damaged umbrellas.  Jesse climbed into the rubber can and suddenly stiffened like a board.

      His legs narrowed and fused together as his feet drew to a sharp point.  His arms split apart into ten thin rods as his torso became straight and thin.  His head shrank into a metalic tip shaped like a spade while the fabric of his shirt grew and stretched itself between his new arms.  The drab green color shifted, becoming a different color between each arm, from red to orange to yellow to green to blue to purple.

      "I'll look, lady, but I'm pretty sure we're out," said a gruff voice.  A heavyset, balding man in a dirty Hawaiian shirt and khaki pants came out of the building and glanced over at Jesse.  He did a double take, then moved over to retrieve him from the bin.  Carrying him back into the building, he took Jesse over to a counter and set him down.

      "Well, seems we got one left, so you're in luck.  Looks like a good one too," the man said, eyeing Jesse curiously.

      A redheaded woman in a green one-piece bathing suit stood across the counter.  She sighed gratefully and handed a credit card over to the man.

      "Oh, goodie.  I really wanted to spend the day relaxing, but this heat wouldn't have been good," she said, patting her very large pregnant belly.  The man scoffed as he ran her card and handed her a receipt.

      "Return it by sundown.  Need a hand setting it up?" he asked.  The woman lifted Jesse from the counter with both hands.

      "Oh, no.  I got it.  Thank you so much," she said, waddling off with her prize.

      Proceeding down the sidewalk for a bit, she moved down the beach to get away from the main bulk of the crowd.  There were guys playing Frisbee, women sunbathing, kids splashing in the water and dogs running with their owners.  Content with a fairly clear spot, she traipsed onto the sand and set her bag down.

      Lifting Jesse boldly, she drove him into the sand and then spread his arms.  Propping him sideways, she then set out a towel in the shade he provided.  Settling herself down, she unfolded a seatback and set it behind her so she could lean back and relax.

      Humming quietly, she read her book, rubbed her belly and sipped tea under Jesse's safe shade.

      As the day wore on, Jesse noticed a young man jogging down the beach who seemed to have come by at least three times.  He kept looking at the woman, but she was so engrossed in her book she never noticed.  The wind was starting to pick up, and the fourth time the man came by, a heavy gust took Jesse away, causing him to tumble down the beach.  The woman squealed and struggled to get up to chase down her rented umbrella.

      The jogger immediately rushed over and chased Jesse.  It was an awkward situation but the man eventually got ahold of the umbrella and folded it shut.  Hefting it over his shoulder, he trudged back down the beach to the redhead who had only made it to her knees.

      "Oh, thank you," she said.  "It's a rental and I didn't think I'd be able to catch it."

      "No problem.  I just happened to be coming by and figured ... You know.  It was the least I could do.  Are you okay?" he asked, glancing to her belly.  The woman blushed a little as she sat back down.

      "Oh, yeah.  I'm fine.  Thanks.  Just trying to relax for once.  I just started maternity leave," she said.  The man moved behind her and repositioned Jesse for her.

      "Oh, gotcha.  Finally getting a day off your feet, huh?  I'm Barry," he said as he worked to make sure Jesse didn't fly away again.

      "Tina.  Thanks again for the help," she said a little nervously.

      "No problem.  Just make sure you turn this thing in before sundown.  Ed will charge you extra if the sun goes down first."

      "Oh, okay.  Thanks.  He wasn't the most personable guy," she said with a chuckle.  Barry nodded.

      "Yeah, he's been working there since I moved in.  I chat with him sometimes when I'm out jogging."  Barry moved in front of Tina where she could get a good look at his tanned skin, tone body and sweat-covered legs.

      "Moved in? You live on the beach?" she asked.  Barry nodded and pointed down the shoreline.

      "Yup.  My hacienda is about a mile down that way.  How far did you come today?  I mean ... Where do you live?" he asked.

      "I have an apartment downtown.  I took the train and a bus to get down here.  Wish I didn't have to go back," she said wistfully.  Barry rubbed the back of his neck.

      "Well, I could give you a ride back.  Save you some money.  Maybe ... We could get a bite too," he suggested.  Tina looked up at him.

      "You mean like a date?" she asked.

      "Oh, well.  I mean ... If you've got somebody ..." he said, worried he'd stepped over a line.  Tina lowered her head and sighed, her hands resting on her belly.

      "No.  There's nobody.  Just us," she said softly.

      "Oh, hey.  I'm sorry.  I mean ... I didn't mean to upset you," he said, kneeling down next to her.  She glanced up with tears welling in her eyes.  Barry glanced around and noticed the book she was reading.

      "Hey, 'The Time Traveler's Wife.'  I loved this book.  And the movie was pretty good too," he said.  Tina smiled at the distraction.

      "You've read it?  Don't tell me how it ends!  A friend told me about it, and I wasn't sure since I don't know much about science fiction," she said.

      "Oh, but that's the great part isn't it?  It's not really a sci-fi book," he said, continuing on about literature and movies and art and theater.

      They talked for hours on the beach until the sun indeed was starting to set.  Barry helped Tina return Jesse to the rental shack before sundown, then escorted her down the beach to his place for a casual dinner.

      Ed stuffed Jesse into the plastic can with a dozen other umbrellas before returning to the front desk.

      The back gate opened and a tall man slipped through.  He confidently walked over and pulled Jesse from the bin, carrying him back out of the storage area.  Once they were around the back of the building, he propped Jesse against the wall.

      "Apricot Parmesan.  Change back into yourself," he said.  Jesse quickly transformed back into his human self.

      "Go home.  You had a nice day at the beach," the man said before walking away.  Jesse walked back to his truck and climbed in.  When he shut the door, he blinked a few times and shook his head.

      Brushing the sand off his hands and shoes, he told himself to dress more appropriately the next time he came to the beach.  Starting his truck, he glanced curiously at the pair of sweatpants sitting on the seat next to him.  Heading home, he decided to watch his copy of 'The Time Traveler's Wife' with dinner.