Just when I thought I’d seen everything Brazil had to offer, Dustin took me down a pathway deeper into the exotic country. We finally moved on from the marketplace and away from the chaotic crowds and hectic atmosphere to a more relaxed place. It was so nice to be able to hear my own thoughts again and have Dustin all to myself.

The expansive beach lay under the searing heat of the sun and sky—hardly a cloud in sight. I stood before pearly white sand, playfully lapped at by the sea every so often. A few children skirted past the shore, chasing each other in wild abandon. Their giggles put a smile on my face, and I felt myself let out a sigh of relief. For the first time on my trip here, I felt truly at ease. I felt as though I could enjoy myself here.

The carefree nature of it all invited me to explore more. Across the scape, tourists tried to capture its feel and wanted to understand it. They all laid on the beach, applying sunscreen to themselves and laying in the sun. A few of them slept on their beach towels, while others searched for seashells along the shore. Maybe I should come back here someday… Could I be like them? As nice as it is, I can’t really relax with this case on my mind.

Dustin came up behind me and caught my attention with a tap on my shoulder. He directed me to a few people over by the snack shack. “Just another thing I love about this place,” he announced.

There was a small group of men all wearing flowery shirts the same as Dustin’s. The group was fairly diverse, them all being slightly tanned but the one tallest of them was darker than the rest. He had a charming smile—a smile that reminded me of the man I’d seen at the park when I’d first came here. It got me a little flustered as I remembered it, but I didn’t dwell on it long.

The group was entertaining a pair of familiars. A quiet, young couple that I’d seen out of the corner of my eye the night Dustin took me out to dinner. I didn’t think anything of it, at first, but as I looked closer, I could tell that the tallest man had his eye on the woman there. She giggled a little bit at his advances, covering her mouth a little. Meanwhile, the man with her looked on with distaste. Hmm… Are they actually together? I wondered briefly.

From a distance, I couldn’t tell what all was going on. As far as I could tell, they were dancing to the beat of music that, as I got closer to, I could feel in my bones. It was indescribable in rhythm, but it made me want to move. Without realizing it, I started tapping my foot in the sand, but Dustin caught on and said, “Let’s go join them.”

Reluctantly, I gave in and replied, “All right. But don’t expect me to be any good…”

“Don’t worry, I think everyone can dance in Brazil if they try. Just let the music take you, and you’ll be moving in perfect sync with everyone else!” He said as he threw his hands up in a playful manner, swaying his hips from side to side.

Seeing him act this way made my heart flutter for some reason. I was so used to the idea of him being uptight and controlling, that I’d forgotten that he was the same as me. In some way, we were both similar people. He just had control of his life. Maybe he can help me get a grip on mine…

Before I knew it, he was leading me to the group of people. I shared a few awkward smiles between them all before I got into the groove of it. Dustin crossed his arms, slightly swaying his hips as I danced beside the couple. Just as I was starting to really lose myself in the beat, the music started to quiet down.

When I looked over at the group, two of the men were talking amongst themselves while the tallest of them came over to the couple and me. What’s going on? I wondered.

“Bianca.” I looked to my side to see Dustin pulling out his cell phone. “I’ll be back in a second,” he said, wandering off toward the shack.

The instant he told me he was leaving, I wanted to reach out to him and stop him. Despite this initial reaction, I restrained myself. “I’ve seen a lot of flowers here, but you are by far the prettiest,” said the tall man, taking the woman’s hand in his.

He kissed it softly, and her long, auburn hair bounced as she giggled. The man behind her, hands in his pockets and scowl on his face looked as though he was ready to go at him at any given moment. His hair was slightly white at the sides—a bleached look, with dark brown hair in the middle. He was handsome—as handsome as someone should be, being with the woman he was.

They looked good together when they were dancing, but now that the music had stopped things were starting to come into focus. I thought to say something to distract them, but before I could, Dustin stepped in, putting his phone back into his pocket. “You know, I don’t really care for your type of person,” he said coldly, looking the tallest in the eye.

“More of a country kind of guy, I take it,” replied the other man, looking to his peers for support.

They ignored the exchange happening just a few feet from them. It looked like they’d decided to get something at the shack since they left in its direction.

“Not quite what I meant. Can’t you see that woman is with someone?” I could see the fires in his eyes as he spoke.

He shrugged and replied, “People should be as free as the wind that blows, my friend. I don’t see why you have to make a big deal out of this…”

“Oh, I don’t really mind… It’s fine…” the woman said meekly, shying away.

Her man turned to her, shock on his face. “What?! What are you talking about? I’m your husband! Don’t you care at all?!”

“I, uh…” she looked as though she didn’t know what to do or say. In her confused state, she couldn’t get any more words out.

“You know, I could take you somewhere that’d be a little more interesting than being here with a guy that just wants to upset you…” The taller man suggested, underlying slyness in his tone.

He reached out to her, and she pulled away from him. “Um… I don’t really…”

“Hey, back off!” the husband shouted, readying himself.

“That’s enough,” stated Dustin, stepping between the tall man and the wife. He turned to him and said, “She said she didn’t want to. Fuck off.” His voice was almost a growl—primal. The heat coming off of him made me feel slight tingles run up my spine. It was almost like seeing him like this sent adrenaline through me.

The man didn’t appreciate Dustin’s tone. It seemed as though he switched to a different language—one I couldn’t understand. He shouted over everyone else at the beach, hardly taking time to catch his breath. Dustin looked on at him, keeping his hands on the man’s chest to hold him back.

Unsure of what else to do, I made a quick decision. “Dustin…” I started to say, trying to get his attention.

He didn’t turn around, but replied, “Get these two in my limo. I called it to come up right by the road we took to get here. You remember the way, right?”

“Yeah, I remember… But why…”

“Things are going to get ugly. I can feel it. Get these two out of here, and I’ll be with you shortly, all right?”

I nodded and called attention to the couple. Begrudgingly, they agreed to come with me, and we made our way up to the road. I was about to search for the limo when I heard the shouting stop for a moment. When I looked back at the beach, I didn’t see the tall man and Dustin anymore. Instead I saw two bodies locked together on the ground, part wrestling, and part punching and kicking.

Worry crossed my mind, but I forced it out. If what Dustin told me was true, then he’d be able to handle himself down there. The limo pulled up beside us, and I tapped on the glass. Inside, the doors unlocked, and I opened the side door for the couple to climb through. They went into the limo, but I hesitated to climb in myself.

Something within me told me to stay and wait for Dustin just in case something happened. A small crowd was growing around the scuffle, only making the commotion an even larger scene. How is he going to get out of this? Is this how the lawsuit started? He must always be getting himself into trouble somehow… I thought to myself.

The couple inside pulled me in by the arm, and upon reaction, I slammed the door closed behind me. I could hardly hear any of the shouting going on outside anymore, but now I was stuck with a bickering couple in the backseat of the limo. “So, do you guys… Know Dustin…?” I asked them to try and stop them from fighting for a moment.

“No, can’t say that I’ve ever met him.”

“You sure about that?” asked the husband snidely.

I put my head in my hands and sighed. This is going to be one long ride home…