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“Emily, I was just giving you a hard time. Your Southern Belle routine was adorable and I wasn’t offended at all. In fact, I’m curious to see what else you got in there. Do you do impressions too?”
His hand is still on mine and he’s rubbing his thumb around and around the top of my hand. And I just stare at him without a witty comeback.
As she has done since the 4th grade, Cami saves the day by announcing, “Let’s go to the beach!”
Before I know it Jonathan has removed his hand from mine and we all gather our things and head out the door together. Walking outside, I feel a hand on the small of my back and from the heat that immediately starts pulsing through my body, I know without looking who it belongs to. This is so not a good idea. Shit! Shit! Shit!
The California sun is blinding after the many hours we’ve just spent in Ole’s, but it feels so nice on my air-conditioned skin. On our way to the beach the guys stop off at a Jeep to grab their stuff and say that they’ll catch up.
Using this time to her advantage Cami puts her arm through mine and gives me a little hip check when she asks, “So, how’s it going, Em? Jonathan sure seems like a nice guy.”
“Cam, I can’t do this. I don’t want to meet somebody right now. My life is about to implode and the last thing I need is to meet somebody. Not just somebody, but somebody that hot and with those lips. Not to mention the dimples. He has trouble written all over him. Besides, he’s leaving for 9 months so what’s the use anyway?” I blurt out with a huff.
“Honey, your life is not going to implode. I’m here and you have everybody else in your life who loves you and will have your back too. Things suck right now, your future is up in the air and you have a lot of big decisions to make but your life is not going to implode. I won’t let you let that happen. I got you,” she says giving my arm a squeeze.
“I love you for that Cam and thank you for always being there for me, it means more than you know, but really, how can I even think about meeting a guy right now? Besides, I don’t want or need a man. They’re all assholes in the end and only out for one thing, so why waste my time?”
She stops us, turns to face me, slides her sunglasses down her nose so that I can see her eyes, then grabs me by the shoulders and says, “We’re on vacation! You aren’t running off to Vegas and getting married! Alex would kill me if I let you get married without her there,” She says with a wink, referring to our other best friend back home in Portland. “You’re just gonna have some fun with your girls and some new guys we met in a bar. Besides, I doubt he’s looking for a relationship. Like you said, they’re leaving in a week to go fight in a war for the next 9 months and probably need a week of fun in the sun even more than you do. You might even say that it’s our duty, as citizens of this great country of ours, to entertain our troops before they head off to protect us. I mean, it seems like the right thing to do, don’t ya think?”
When I look at her like she is the crazy person that she is, she smacks my ass and says, “Relax and have some fun! That’s what this week is all about and you can worry about everything else next week.”
By the time we make it down to the beach, the guys have caught up with us and we stake our claim in the sand and spread out like we own the place. While the guys throw a football around the four of us apply our sunblock and lay down on our towels and attempt to relax. Before I get too comfortable I ask Cami if she needs help with her sunblock. It is essential that we cover our sweet little ginger completely or her beautiful fair skin will turn lobster red in minutes.
“Nope, I’m good. It’s not that warm out here anyway.” She looks over at her shoulder and rolls her eyes at Sam and Steph laying out in their swimsuits while Cami and I are each in shorts and a tank.
As I lay on my towel with my big sunglasses on, I can only hope that they are big enough and dark enough to hide the fact that I just can’t help sneaking peeks at the guys while they throw the ball around. All three of them are so damn hot and I have no doubt that they get lots of attention wherever they go. They are all in simple board shorts and t-shirts, but they sure do fill them out nicely.
Matt, is tall but not too tall, maybe 5’10, with blond hair, blue eyes and is thin but built, thanks to the United States Marine Corps. He has that boy next door thing about him but I have no doubt he could kick some ass if needed. He’s certainly the quiet one of the group but still seems to be having fun as far as I can tell.
Devon, is beautiful, there is just no getting around it. If I had to guess, I would say he’s around six feet tall and so fit that you could bounce a quarter off those abs, arms, ass, you name the body part and I’m sure that quarter would bounce. Match that body with his mocha colored skin, barley there hair (almost like a 5 o’clock shadow but on his head), big expressive brown eyes, and a smile that simply oozes charm and you would instantly want to label him a player. The thing is, he seems so down to earth that I don’t think he is. He is however, one of those people you instantly get a good vibe from and feel like you’ve known forever. Must be the Portlander in him.
Then there is Jonathan . . . what can I say? He. Is. Perfect. I have never had a type, but if I do in the future I think I know what it will be; Jonathan. It turns out that my type is a few inches over six feet tall, lean and strong without an ounce of fat on him, has an ass that is a thing of beauty, tanned skin, short dark hair, eyes that melt into your soul and lips that are attached to the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. Now that I’ve had a chance to spend more time staring at him, his dimples really aren’t that much of a stand out. There is so much more to that face of his. Apparently, my type is tall, dark and handsome. Who knew?
Taking a break from objectifying the guys I actually relax enough to close my eyes and just listen to the sound of the waves and the goings on around me. Not long into what is as close to a meditative state as is possible for me, I feel the presence of somebody sitting next to me. I turn my head and lift my sunglasses up to my forehead but I know who’ll be sitting there before I even open my eyes. I can feel him.
“Did I wake you up or were you still checking us out from under your shades?”
“I don’t know what in the world you’re talking about, Georgia,” I say under a fresh new layer of blush. “I was just laying here relaxing. At least I was until you came along,” I say as I stick my tongue out at him.
“Well, I don’t want to interrupt your moment of Zen. I can get out of your hair if that’s what you want?”
“Touch football ladies? Guys against girls again only this time it will be four to three. What do you say? Are you all up for the challenge this time?” Devon says as he catches the ball sent his way from Matt leaving Jonathan’s question as to whether or not I want him out of my hair unanswered.
Cami is the first to jump up, followed by Sam and Steph, who will no doubt play in just their bikinis. I love those girls, but it’s only 73 degrees out here. Put some clothes on! I guess if I was supermodel tall, tan, blonde and pretty much a walking wet dream I might play touch football in a bikini too. Maybe in another lifetime, but certainly not this one. Not wanting to be the only girl not to join in I start to get up. Jonathan offers me his hand but I don’t take it.
“I’m good thanks,” I say.
“Oh, I see. The independent type. I like it,” he smiles and once again I just roll my eyes at him.
After the rules and punishment for the losers are agreed to the coin toss has gone to the men who opt to start with the ball. The game begins when Devon hikes the ball to Matt who passes it to Jonathan who catches the ball one-handed, with no effort at all and breezes past me as I do my best to catch him on his way by. After his easy-breezy touchdown he turns to the rest of us, takes a small bow and then toss’s the ball to me.
“Let’s see whatcha got, Emily from Portland”
Taking this seriously, we strategize in our huddle, then gather on our make-believe line of scrimmage. I squat and put one hand down in the sand just like the real guys do and Cami hikes the ball to Steph who then hands the ball off to Sam. Sam starts running and just as she does and all attention is on her, I run by on her left side and she tosses me the ball. I can hear Jonathan hot on my heels as I run as fast I can to my end zone. About 10 feet away he catches me and I feel him tag my shoulder.
“Shit!” I yell. “I was so close.”
“You kiss your mother with that mouth?” Jonathan says as though he’s offended.
