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He wasn’t sure what color the bottle was supposed to be; it was covered in stickers. His favorite was the one that saidNerd is the New Sexy. It was just like her.
She set the bottle on the counter softly, then opened up one of the cabinets above. He watched as she moved to her toes to reach the tallest shelf. She struggled to get a grip on the bright orange basket she was reaching for. Her fingers barely brushed the edge of it.
“Let me.” He shook his head as he walked up behind her and reached up.
He was a good foot taller than Tabitha, so he knew he could reach it. He hadn’t thought this moment through. He should’ve asked for her to move first. Every reasonable thought escaped him as her backside pressed against his front. He’d always avoided this exact position with her.
Archie tried to think of anything else to keep himself from growing hard against her ass. Images of another lifetime flashed across him. A time where he dared to feel it, just to see how she would react.
Sixteen YearsEarlier - Age 16
The ideaof a sixteenth birthday didn’t sound that exciting. The only perk was getting a driver’s license and having a little more freedom. Tabitha insisted on having a birthday party. She hadn’t had one in years. It was different when they were little. Birthdays were exciting for kids. They got presents and cake. There were always games, and a pinata filled with candy that they would all eat too much of.
He didn’t know what to think when he pulled up to the Grimaldi’s lake house. Technically, it was Tabitha’s grandparents, but it was still on the Grimaldi side. They had a few vacation rentals, and it was definitely a perk around the holidays or for vacations. He couldn’t complain, his family joined them most of the time.
They tied bright pink and black balloons to the dark mailbox at the end of the driveway, for those who had never been here before. He didn’t even bother walking in the front door or knocking; he could hear everything taking place in the backyard.
He walked through the side gate that was propped open with a bucket of water guns and rounded the corner to see several of their friends running and ducking behind obstacles. It definitely wasn’t what he was expecting.
There were plenty of balloons and streamers decorating the back side of the house and the porch. Tables were covered in plastic tablecloths with the pink and black colors Tabitha had clearly chosen. All the junk food and soda a teenager could eat and more were spread in equally bright colored bowls.
“Freeze.” Her voice came up from behind him before he could take the first step on the porch.
He looked over his shoulder to see her aiming a large water gun at him.
“I didn’t bring a change of clothes.” Not that it mattered; he lived five minutes away.
“Oh.” She frowned and started to aim the gun down.
Seconds passed as he turned back around and heard her laugh before his back was soaked.
He turned on his heels and she squealed as she ran away. Archie was quick to grab a water gun for himself and join the game. They clearly weren’t keeping any kind of score, so one would assume the winner would be whoever was driest at the end.
One game turned into two before they stopped to dry off and eat. Jokes were told and more games were played. He was completely dry by the time the sun set below the hills across the lake.
“Hide and seek!” James stood from his plastic lawn chair.
Everyone looked around, questioning if he was serious. As if it were more childish than the water gun fight they’d all just partook in.
“I mean, all the obstacles are still up from the water gun fight.” James crossed his arms.
“That’s a great idea.” Tabitha walked out onto the back porch.
Archie hadn’t realized she’d left the group. Now she was back and changed into a black tee, short black skirt, and fishnets. Her black high tops had bright pink laces across them. His eyes roamed back up her body and met her eyes that held a sign of mischief.
“Alright, hide and seek.” He shook his head as he stood from the metal folding chair.
“Who’s first?” James looked around.
“You suggested the game. I’m the birthday girl. So, I vote for you.” Tabitha smiled before taking off down the steps.
“Damn it.” James turned to face the wall. “I’m counting to fifty.”
Archie laughed as he took off down the stairs with everyone else. They all scattered in different directions around the property. Most chose to hide behind or below some of the temporary walls and tables that had been set up earlier.
It was darker the closer he got to the lake. Not even the moon was bright enough to reflect off of it. Part of it was blocked off for security purposes, but he headed towards the boathouse. The giggles and shushing were apparent as he approached. Clearly, he wasn’t the only one with that idea. It was too dark to see who was down here and they couldn’t turn on the light or it would reveal where they were hiding.
He’d been there enough times to know they were out in the open on this side of the building if whoever was seeking got close enough. So, he walked along the edge to the cutaway near the storage closet. It was where the Grimaldis kept the extra lifejackets, towels, and fishing gear. It wasn’t big enough for someone to hide in, but the wall next to it that blocked it off would be a great spot. As long as he stayed quiet.
