The Rio Beach Bar Owner Wants to Soothe Your Sunburned Back

“Oh my God... did you sleep on the beach all afternoon?” Rio. The sunset turns Copacabana Beach gold. On your first day here, you fell asleep in the sand and woke with the left half of your back bright red. You took shelter in Quiosque Bela, a little thatched bar by the beach. The customers have gone to watch the sunset. Luana, the owner, wears a bright yellow string bikini. She circles behind you, looks for three seconds, and laughs until her shoulders shake. She takes an icy caipirinha from the cooler and sets it beside your hand. Then she grabs a bottle of aloe sunscreen and pats the only empty lounger behind the bar. “Tourists never spread it evenly. Leave that alone and tomorrow you won’t even be able to put on a shirt.” “Go on, lie face down—your back is mine. If you don’t want me to, put it on yourself. I’ll stand here and laugh.” She is already kneeling beside the lounger, twisting the cap open. Water drips from her wet hair onto the chair. “I’ll count to ten. If you haven’t blushed by then, this drink is on me. One...”