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I pick up the three Corona’s by their bottle necks in one hand and the large ice water in the other and find Emily is already balancing the three mojitos in her hands and headed off towards our friends.
Once we’ve joined everybody else at the table the girls had already snagged, Emily seems to loosen up a bit. It’s crowded and we’re all standing around a tall table that is really only meant for a few people. The seven of us make conversation like we’ve known each other forever. These girls are easy to be around and not like any college girls on vacation I’ve ever met. Well, maybe the two blonds . . . Sam and Steph I think it was? Emily and Cami are cool as shit though.
Yes, the two blonds are hot enough, I guess, but they look like your typical California girls. Emily and Cami stand out though. Where Cami is short, fair and has dark red hair, Emily is the complete opposite. Where Cami is the epitome of cute and fiery, Emily is girl next door beautiful. Emily is long and lean, yet curvy in all the right places. Her light brown hair and tan skin are natural and beautiful. There is nothing fake about her. Add those captivating blue eyes to the mix and she is beyond stunning. She is sexy as fuck but adorable at the same time. I guess you could say she is the epitome of the girl next door.
Because of the crowd and the small space at our table, Emily and I keep bumping into each other. Not that I am complaining. There are so many people pushing to get by that I find I keep putting my arm around her shoulders to pull her out of the way—and closer to me to let people by. I don’t mind at all though. The thought of anybody touching her, even just to squeeze by, is not something that sits well with me.
“So, Emily, what do you girls have planned for the week?” I have to yell into her ear so she can hear me over the music.
When she answers back she has to put her hand on my shoulder and raise up on her toes to yell into my ear. “We don’t really have any set plans. The plan is just to relax and have some fun before our summer jobs start next week.”
Leaning back down to reply I can’t help but catch the smell of vanilla and coconut. Just like this afternoon, she smells like vacation. She smells fucking delicious.
“Well, if you guys need tour guides, Devon and I are available all week. Shell has plans with his family in the next day or two but Devon and I will be around.”
“Yeah? We just might take you up on that. I’ll have to talk to the other girls but I’ll let you know.” She replies while pulling at the top of her ponytail, which I can only assume tightens it. All I know is that she seems to play with her hair whenever she gets anxious about something.
We keep making casual conversation but it’s hard with Lady Gaga and Beyoncé blasting through my head, so I finally bite the bullet and grow a pair.
“Hey Emily, do you wanna get out of here and maybe go for a walk?” Her eyes nearly pop out of her head in alarm and I feel I have to calm her by saying, “No pressure, it’s just really loud in here and I could use some air. I’d love the chance to talk without screaming at each other.”
I brace myself for her rejection because I just know she’s going to say no but she surprises me by saying, “Actually, that sounds great. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
She waves to get Cami’s attention and yells, “Cami, Jonathan and I are gonna get out of here and go get some air. Text me if you go somewhere else and I’ll meet you there.”
“That’s my girl! Go have some fun hot stuff and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, Emily Grace!” Cami yells.
“Just a second,” I yell while I squeeze through the crowd to Cami.
“Cami, let me give you my number so you know that you can reach both of us if you need to.” She gives me her phone and I add my information and tell her to have a good time and to take care of my boys for me.
Emily is looking at me with suspicion in her eyes as I make my way back to her. I just give her a wink and put my hand on the small of her back and guide her to the door.
Once we’re out in the fresh air Emily does a little spin and the way her long sun dress spins around she looks like an angel—an angel in red, but an angel just the same—as she walks backward and says, “Thank you so much. It was hot in there and soooo loud. I know I’m on vacation and Dukes’ was fun I guess, but I am just not feeling that crowd tonight.”
“Glad I could come to your rescue, madam. How does some ice cream sound?”
Knowing I brought the smile before me to her face fills me with an emotion, but I am not sure what word I would use to describe it. All it took was the word ice cream and her face lit up and as she answers me with a high five and says, “Wow, Georgia. You really know the way to a girl’s heart.”
As her hand connects with mine she realizes what she’s said and that blush that I’ve seen several times tonight comes back. It’s sneaking up her neck and then coloring her cheeks, as she takes her hand away as fast as she can. Only one word comes to mind . . . adorable. I don’t know where the fuck that word is coming from. I am a Marine for fucks sake! I don’t use words like, adorable. I describe women as hot, fine, cute, smoking hot, fuck-able or maybe beautiful, but not adorable! I sound like my mom when she gets her hands on some little kid’s chubby cheeks and gives them a squeeze.
It’s now that I realize that I couldn’t even tell you if there were other women in that bar. My mind was so focused on this one woman and her mega-watt smile that I didn’t even see anybody else. I don’t even know who I am right now! It’s Saturday night and I just left a loud crowded bar, where my drinks were free for the night. I’m sure the place was crawling with willing chicks, but I’m going to go get ice cream with the adorable, blushing woman walking next to me. This is not what the guys and I had planned when we talked about our last wild week in Cali before heading to the desert and who knows what else waits for us there. She already told me she doesn’t date and for all I know isn’t even attracted to me. But she has this light about her that has me playing the moth to her flame. I just have this insane desire to be near her.
As we take a left onto Avenida, Icons Ice Cream Parlor is right where I left it when my mom and I were here on her visit last year. Man, my mom would love this girl.
“Wow, how convenient was that? If I had known there was ice cream around the corner I would have just come straight here,” she says as she practically skips past me with excitement.
I open the door for her and as she walks past, there’s that hint of vanilla and coconut again. She smells so damn good! I have a feeling she tastes better than any ice cream they serve here at Icons, but I’ll have to settle for ice cream for now.
I step up to the hostess to ask for a table for two and when I turn around I see Emily down on her knees, with a stuffed bear in a Buzz Lightyear outfit in her hand. She’s talking to a little boy who seems as captivated by Emily as I am. I don’t hear what they’re talking about but I see the huge smile on his face as he nods his head in agreement to something she’s asked. It feels like I’m looking at a mini version of what I must look like when I’m around her. She hands him the bear and then ruffles his hair as she stands.
“Bye Jacob, it was sure nice to meet you. Hang on tight to Buzzy Bear there. You don’t want to lose him.” She gives him a wave and leaves him with a little bit of that light that she has.
“Sorry, I made a couple of new friends and got distracted. Do they have a table for us?” she asks.
“Right this way,” the hostess says as she leads us to our table.
As I follow behind her I lean down to her ear and ask, “So, should I be jealous of Jacob and Buzzy Bear? Jacob sure seemed pretty happy by the time you walked away from him.”
