by Whitney G.
“Were you really going to walk around the boardwalk in a turtleneck, though?” She actually sounded genuine, like the act of stealing my break was doing me a favor.
“Could you at least bring me some lunch then?”
“I can try,” she said. “But you should’ve told me when I first asked you if you wanted anything back because now it’s crowded out here, so”
“Ugh!” I hung up. Moments like that made me question if working here for the boat pass was even worth it.
I browsed the menu of the pizza truck across from us and heard a knock at the door.
Maybe hanging up on her did some good then. I thought. Maybe it made her come to her senses.
It didn’t. It was Carter.
“Hey,” I said, letting him inside.
“Hey.” He looked me up and down. “Interesting outfit.” He set a white box on the counter and handed me my clothes.
I couldn’t even get my mouth to say thank you right now. He was shirtless, dressed only in navy blue swim trunks that showed off his perfectly carved V and the small trail of hair that lined up with his zipper.
“Something wrong?” He took off his shades and I noticed that light beads of sweat were trickling down his chest.
“Nothing at all.” I turned away and slipped inside the restroom, putting on the better clothes, grateful that the shirt covered all of his bite marks. I pulled out another shirt he’d packed and saw that he’d even packed me a brush and makeup.
Taking extra time to put myself together, I finally slipped out ten minutes later, only to find him sitting in my seat.
“I don’t get a thank you?” He smiled.
“You don’t get anything,” I said. “If I could discuss the reason in question, you would know why.”
His blue eyes met mine and I shook my head, looking away from him. “What’s in the box?”
“Lunch.” He handed it to me. “I figured you probably didn’t eat yet. Will I get a thank you for that, maybe?”
“Thank you,” I said, flipping the lid open. It was a grilled chicken wrap and sea chips. “Ashley is stealing my break again.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I bet. Where did you disappear to this morning?”
“Nowhere. I just went for a walk on the beach.”
“Someone new you needed to break up with? How did she take it?”
“Funny.” He let out a low laugh. “I just needed to think.” He looked as if he wanted to say something else, but Ashley walked in.
“Well, hey there!” She exclaimed. “I rushed back so I could give you at least fifteen minutes of your break.”
I rolled my eyes and glared at her. “How very thoughtful of you.”
“I know.” She sat down, batting her eyes at Carter. “I’ll stay here while you go take your break.”
I grabbed my chicken wrap and headed toward the door, surprised that Carter followed me.
We walked toward the edge of the docks, not saying much of anything to each other. When I finished my wrap and noticed him staring at me, he smiled.
I awkwardly returned the smile and we spent a few minutes watching the seagulls fly above us.
“Thank you for bringing me clothes and lunch,” I said, starting to head back.
“You’re more than welcome. What are your plans after work?”
Avoiding you so I can think. “I’ll be hanging out with a friend.”
“Which friend?”
“You don’t know her.”
“I know all of your friends.” He looked into my eyes. “Which one?”
I glanced at the cake box charm on my wrist. “Betty.”
“Betty?”
“Are you having a hearing problem today?” I stepped in front of the box office door. “Yes. Betty.”
“What’s her last name?”
“Crocker. She’s new to the beach, so I’m going to show her around after I get off.”
“Okay, Ari.” His lips curved into a sexy smirk. “Meet me at The Book Bar at six. Bring your friend Betty Crocker with you, if she actually exists.”
At The Book Bar, neither of us spoke. The waitress must’ve assumed we were mad at each other, or not talking for a reason, because she didn’t bother greeting us. She simply set down two waters on our table and gave us her notepad and pen, letting us write down our own orders.
“So …” I managed, sipping my water.
“So?” Carter reached over the table and tilted my chin up with his fingertips. “So, what?”
“Nothing. How was your night?”
“The same as yours, I believe.” He smirked.
I looked away from him and blushed—quickly focusing my attention on my water again.
I definitely wasn’t going to be able to look at him with a straight face today. I was hoping we could just get through this little rendezvous and I could go home and regain my sense of self in private.
I stuffed a few complimentary tortilla chips into my mouth and started to count the ones that were left. Then I noticed Carter getting up from his side of the table and sitting next to me.
“What time do you get out of your night class today?” he asked.
“It was actually cancelled.” My eyes met his. “I got an email from my teacher when we first got here.”
“Anywhere else you need to go today?”
“No.” I swallowed. “But I don’t want to go home yet. Unless you have something you have to do, that is.”
He looked over at me and stared into my eyes for a while. “I don’t.”
“So, we should hang out.”
“We should.”
Silence hung in the air between us—so unfamiliar and strange, and the newfound attraction between us was electric, palpable. I wondered if either of us would start listing suggestions like we usually did, if those few rounds of sex had already ruined our ability to be just friends, because I was honestly unable to speak right now. My brain couldn’t function properly when his lips were so close to mine.
“How about Marina Cove?” Carter finally shattered our silence. “Epsilon Chi is throwing a get-together there today.”
“Sounds good.”
“One of your beach bags is in my trunk. Do you need to go home and get anything else?”
I shook my head and he left a twenty on the table. Standing, he grabbed my hands and pulled me up, leading me to his car. He even opened the door for me.
I slipped inside and he cranked the engine—starting the one-hour drive to a private cove that was near the shore. The waves lapping against each other to our left were the only sounds between us, and I tried to pretend like our hands weren’t entwined behind the gear shift—like his fingers weren’t caressing my knuckles at every stoplight.
As he veered the car onto the expressway, I put on my shades and stole glances of him every now and then. How the boy with itchy hair and gangly height from fourth grade had grown into the dominant and sexy man sitting next to me, I’d never know.
When we pulled up to the cove, our hands disentangled as we parked.
Several familiar faces from the EPIC party were setting up volleyball nets and grills, and Josh was yelling our names and walking over.
“Hey!” He looked surprised to see us. “You two decided to come after all, huh? Do you now have a change of heart about Epsilon Chi?”
“Hell no,” we said in unison, laughing together.
“Then why are you here?” Josh crossed his arms.
“Looking for something to do,” I said. “The beaches are cluttered with tourists and there’s a big wedding at the pier, so we figured crashing your party and making you feel somewhat important would be a much better way to spend our day.”
“Once again,” Josh said. “Out of all the girls in your elementary school, this is the one you chose to befriend?”
“You’re just jealous it wasn’t me and you,” I said.
“I hate to break it to you, Ari,” he said, “but it would’ve never been me and you b
ecause I would’ve hit it a long ass time ago.”
“Never.” I opened Carter’s trunk, taking out my beach bag. “I’m going to go change and lay out near the rocks. Whenever you guys start grilling, let me know and I’ll help.” I walked away and headed toward the restroom villa, hoping the brand-new tension between me and Carter wasn’t obvious.
I pulled my hair into a bun and found a perfect spot to rest. I lay against the rocks and took a short nap, as the sun warmed my skin.
Josh called me over to help marinate some of the chicken, just as I flipped over, and for once, we actually managed to be together for more than ten minutes without arguing.
With each hour that passed, more and more people pulled up to the marina—beach towels and beers in tow, and even though everyone was genuinely nice and friendly, the only thing I really wanted to do right now was lay against Carter again.
At sunset, a familiar hand grabbed mine and pulled me along the shore.
“Careful,” I said, letting go of his hand. “People might actually think we’ve had sex.”
“We have had sex.”
“You know what I mean.” I blushed. “They’ll think we’re together now, and I’m pretty sure we’re not.”
“We’re still best friends, Ari.”
“Best friends do not hold hands.”
“I was only holding your hand to let you go,” he said, looking amused. “We’ve walked along the shore and talked for hours far too many times to count.”
“Yes, well …”
“Well, what?”
“Excuse me if I’m still adjusting to something that might’ve happened last night. Unlike you, I’m doing my best not to do little things that give you an inkling of an idea that it may happen again.”
He suddenly stopped walking and stared at me. Then he pushed me into an oncoming wave.
My body hit the water and I laughed—swallowing salt water as another wave washed over me.
Standing up, I immediately ran toward him and chased him up and down the shoreline, trying to get him back.
I never did catch him, though. Whenever I got close, he would grab me by the waist and push me into another wave. Then he started chasing me.
Eventually surrendering, I held my hands up. “I’m going to take a break by the bonfire. I’m going to remember what you did, though.”
“You won’t.” He smiled and I blushed for the umpteenth time today.
“Hey, Carter.” A brunette walked right between us. “And you’re Arizona, right?” She acknowledged me without glancing my way.
I shot Carter an “I’ll be over there” look and found a spot near the fire. I grabbed one of the vegetable skewers from the grill and watched as that girl fawned all over him.
To my surprise though, he wasn’t giving her his usual charm routine. He was still smiling and entertaining her questions, but he wasn’t giving her the full experience I’d come to know.
She said a few more things to him, things that looked like they were dripping with sexual innuendos, and then she walked away.
When she left, Carter walked up the bank and sat right next to me.
“Did you two set a date?” I asked. “When will you be going out with her?”
“I won’t be,” he said. “What made you ask me that?”
“It’s your typical M.O. That, or taking her in the backseat of your car right after or—”
He pressed his finger against my lips. “I recently had sex with someone who might’ve ruined me for all others.”
My eyes widened and my cheeks heated.
“Of course, it never actually happened in her mind, but I wouldn’t be a good best friend if I lied and said the same.” He moved his finger away. “For the record, it’s going to take me a lot longer to forget.”
“So, this girl’s pussy is magical?”
“Must be.” He laughed.
“Do you think it’s possible for this guy to have sex again with this best friend of his without the two of them fucking their friendship up?”
“I think it’s very possible for them to have sex again, and I think he and this best friend can assess the damage afterwards.”
“The woman in question is used to going on dates whenever she’s sleeping with someone.”
“Then the guy in question will take her on dates.”
“But that’s the problem,” I said, feeling his hand subtly press against the side of my thigh. “Normal best friends don’t go on dates.”
“Then I’m starting to think we’ve never been normal.”
I hesitated a minute before responding. “Can we go back to your place tonight?”
Eleventh Grade
Carter
Subject: Some Advice for Your Date Tonight.
Please don’t embarrass yourself by wearing a goddamn sweater.
Sincerely,
Carter
Subject: Re: Some Advice for Your Date Tonight.
Please don’t embarrass yourself by talking for more than five seconds at a time.
So not sincerely,
Arizona
Subject: In All Seriousness …
Where is your date taking you? Do you have a curfew?
Sincerely,
Carter
Subject: Re: In All Seriousness …
Since he’s a TRUE gentleman and not just into sex like someone unfortunate I know … He’s taking me on a “whirlwind” date. (Every girl at school is talking about these btw.) First, he’s taking me to see a movie in the VIP section of Waldman’s Theater. Then, we’re going to Sandcastle to watch fireworks over ice cream … Then we’re going to walk down the pier at sunset and get tattoos before a little stargazing to end the night. (Take notes. THIS is how it’s done.)
Where are you taking Monica? No, wait. Let me guess. Since she’s already told you that she’s looking forward to having sex and just wants to do something simple …
A movie and Burger King?
Get more creative,
Arizona
Subject: Re: Re: In All Seriousness …
A movie and McDonalds.
Sincerely,
Carter
As it turned out, Ari was more than right about that “whirlwind date” thing.
The second I picked up my date—Monica, who was ironically wearing a sweater said, “I’m so grateful you’re not like other guys, Carter … I don’t have to dress like a model to impress you and I’m sure you’re not really taking me to a drive-in movie and a burger place like all the other guys I’ve been with …”
Of course, not …
I googled “cheap whirlwind date,” and pretended as if I’d planned to take her on one all along. I took her to a free art gallery and to Zapas—a restaurant a step above fast food fare. Then, because I was such a “nice guy,” I took her to a private park.
When we returned to the parking lot, her true intentions began to surface. As soon as we got into my car, her arms went around my neck and her lips were against mine.
I reclined my seat and pulled her into my lap, rolling my windows all the way up.
She straddled me, kissing me harder, as I ran my fingers through her hair. I slipped my hand underneath her sweater, running my fingers along the clasp of her bra. Before I could take things any further, my phone rang.
I ignored it, letting it continue to sound off in my pocket.
Monica moaned against my mouth, and my phone rang again, but I ignored it once more. Surely it was a misdial, and it couldn’t have been anyone important; the people closest to me knew I was on a date.
Unsnapping Monica’s bra, I palmed her breasts in my hands.
My phone rang louder, again and again.
Groaning, I gently lifted Monica out of my lap and placed her in the passenger seat. “Give me one second.” I kissed her lips again before taking out the phone to see who it was.
Ari …
“This better be a goddamn national emergency …” I held the phone up to my ear.
“I
t is …” She was crying. Hard. “It fucking is …”
“Whoa. Hold up.” I changed my tone. “What’s going on? Why are you crying?”
“I’m sorry for calling instead of texting during your date, but …”
“But what?”
“After you take Monica home—whatever time that may be, could you please come get me?”
“Where are you?”
“Waldman Theater …”
“The one near the bookstore?”
“No,” she said. “The one by the airport …”
What? “Where is Elliott?”
“Gone … He left me here.” She sniffled. “I’m perfectly fine … Just wanted to get a ride, since the buses don’t come out here. Oh, and before you ask, yes, I’ll definitely give you gas money for driving all the way out here.”
“I wasn’t going to ask you for gas money.”
“It was a joke …” She sniffled again. “Will you be able to get me?”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks. See you later.” She hung up, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to give Monica my full attention right now, even if I tried.
I buckled my pants and cranked the engine. “Something important just came up. We’ll have to finish this later …”
“Aww!” She blushed as she readjusted her bra. “You really are a gentleman! You want to wait until the second date for us to have sex. I was so going to sleep with you today, but it’s cute that you want to hold off for a bit!”
Fuckkkk, Ari …
I dropped Monica off in record time, with her promising a “more satisfying night” next weekend, and began the long drive to the airport area. I passed exit after exit, wondering what type of argument must have transpired between Ari and Elliott, for him to leave her in the middle of nowhere.
Why the hell would anyone do that?
When I pulled up to the theater, Ari was sitting on a bench with a bucket of popcorn in her lap—looking at her phone. I pulled up to the curb and got out of the car.
“Hey …” I said.
“Hey …” She didn’t look up as I sat next to her. “I hope you didn’t cut your date short because of this.”
“There were a few other reasons …”