San Simeon was a beautiful beach town, a perfect stop along the path up Highway One. She had mentioned Hearst Castle in their talk along the road. In-ho wanted to see it. After checking online, Trish found out they had missed the last tour for the day. In-ho decided it was a good stop to stay the night, and they could catch a tour the next day. After pulling into a beach parking lot, she watched him buy tickets on his phone for an 11 a.m. tour. Trish was glad he'd decided it was worth seeing it. She loved the cool Hollywood history and massive amounts of thirties architecture and European art incorporated into the buildings on the property. It was such a unique destination. 

Since they were stopped in the small beach town, they decided to watch the elephant seals on the beach before the sun set. The town of San Simeon was similar to other California beach towns, except for the infamous elephant seals. Along the main road that went along the beach, there were huge boulders where the large mammals could be seen from the highway. Rows of parked cars stretched near where they lay. People could get out and stand on raised wooden platforms to watch the natural behavior of these marine mammals.

This was all surrounded by the rolling brown hills rising from the highway. Small bungalows and houses dotted up into the hillsides, with cliffs and peaks overlooking the sea. Souvenir shops, surf board rentals, pizza restaurants, a motel and a taco stand were across the road. Large waves crashed along the sandy shore as Trish looked out at the Pacific Ocean.

Just sitting and listening to the waves hitting the shore always cleared Trish's mind. The last time she'd been here was with her family when they visited Hearst Castle. They had even taken time to see the seals and topped it off with some pizza, the best ending to any family outing. She smiled remembering. She looked over at In-ho with a serene look on his face. Maybe it's what he needed. Did he ever do this kind of thing with his family? Somehow, she held off from asking. She didn't want to pry too much. And sometimes, quiet was golden. She let him be lost in his thoughts. She concentrated on the waves again and closed her eyes.

She heard the crunching of sand. She opened her eyes to see In-ho standing and brushing the sand from his pants. Then, he reached down to help her up. "Walk with me?" She nodded and followed along beside him, not saying a word. She was enjoying the peace and quiet, except for the bark of a seal or two behind them as they moved away from the main group. There was a barrier rope to keep the seals safe from prying tourists, with signs along the beach warning people to stay away. It was safer to not go near the large seals. They were wild after all. They walked down the beach as she tried not to admire the gorgeous Korean demigod that was next to her.

He broke the spell by asking, "Did you go to the beach a lot in Santa Cruz?"

"Yes. It's like going to church. You can walk along the beach and it clears all things from my mind."

"Me too." He whispered, almost like he was in another place.

She picked up a stone from the surf and turned to the water. "I also like holding a stone and making a wish. Then, I throw it into the ocean. Makes me focus on what I want, right now." She shook her head, a little shake that he noticed. He smiled as she continued. "Of course, I'm not sure if just thinking of something makes a wish come true. But sometimes they do, you know?"

"I think I do." He grabbed a stone from the surf. "Are you ready to make a wish?"

She turned to him. "Okay. I'll show you how." She grabbed his hands, pushing them tight together. "Hold the stone in your hands tight and close your eyes." Trish watched In-ho close his eyes. "Then, think of what you really want in your life right now."

He closed his eyes, concentrating. She held his hands still, whispering, "Now open your eyes and throw it. Whisper your wish as you throw."

He opened his eyes, as she let go of him. He held the stone, closing his eyes again, and mumbled under his breath. She thought she heard a girl's name, and then he threw the stone. It went skipping into a wave. He turned to Trish. "Now it's your turn."

"Okay." She closed her eyes and held her stone tight. She opened one eye and saw him watching her closely. "It's hard to do this if you're watching." She closed her eyes again, and then took a deep breath. She opened her eyes, turning towards the surf, and tossed the stone. As she was throwing it, she whispered, "Help me find true love."

She heard a snort behind her. "That's not possible."

"You heard that."

"Yes. True love? It won't happen."

"Don't criticize my wish." She put her hands on her hips. "How would you know? It can happen." She stepped forward. "Besides, I heard you say a girl's name. Were you in love with her?"

"That's none of your business." He turned, and walked away.

She followed him saying, "Neither is it your business if I find true love. Because I will." She turned to the waves. "I have to believe that it is out there for everyone to find."

"You've been watching too many movies," he shouted back.

She turned, stomping after him as he progressed down the shore. "But isn't it what you write songs about? Finding love?"

He stopped and turned. "Yes. But mostly about losing it. That's what has been happening to me lately." He started walking away again, but this time across the beach towards the car. Frozen in place, Trish tried to sort through what she was feeling. She had just gone through a break-up and could relate. Should she say anything? Maybe a cheeky response that there are more fish in the sea? Or did he need time alone.

But something dug at her. If this was a chance to connect, to find out about the real In-ho, she should take it. He was practically screaming for a chance at friendship with someone. Even a PR assistant. Maybe she was just in the right place and time to help him. It might help in keeping him from blowing up again in the future. If he had someone to talk to.

She had to run to catch up with his long stride. "You know, I can agree with you on that. Love sucks. I just broke up with someone a few weeks ago. In fact, partly because I wanted to follow my dreams, and he didn't."

In-ho stopped, and turned. "It's good that you didn't let him stop you."

"Yeah. If someone isn't supportive, it's time to cut them loose." She tried to hide the pain, and the fact Brian had broken up first. Maybe it was true though. "He just wasn't supportive enough."

"Someone that you love should support your dreams." He started to get a dreamy look, like he was somewhere else. The waves crashing and the ocean breeze added to the feeling of thoughtfulness. It was a place to reflect. Maybe find some peace. Trish looked out at the ocean and watched the waves.

"Come on. We should get the motel for the night, and go see this mansion you talked about tomorrow." His voice broke the spell, and she found herself walking faster through the sand to catch up. It was hard to run when each step sucked in your foot, sand pouring over and around the top.

He did walk fast. She added when she caught up, "Okay. Sounds like a plan." They arrived at the car, and she slid into the passenger seat again, and he started the car. "Separate rooms, right?"

He looked at her. "Of course. I'm a gentleman." He put his glasses on and pulled onto the freeway. She was thankful for that. They had to keep it strictly business. But she was secretly hoping, maybe, it didn't have to be.