by Mary Ting
Flinching in the same way as her, he frowned, looking baffled and then annoyed. “I’m sorry,” he murmured under his breath, and curled in his fingers to make a fist.
“That’s okay,” she accepted and lit a small, quick grin. After all, it was an accident, though she couldn’t understand how it had happened. The diner had tile floors, not carpet, and it wasn’t windy. It was the hottest month of the summer. But what did she know about these things, anyway?
From the corner of her eye, she saw Nick stand, looking their way and honing in on their conversation. He grinned slyly then sat back down. Did he find Mason shocking me amusing?
Contemplating whether to thank him for letting her go instead of giving her a ticket—though she still had no idea why she was pulled over—she thought she’d ask before her shyness got the best of her. “Umm…I want to thank you for letting me go. I mean…thank you for not giving me a ticket. It was nice of you. Though I still don’t know what I did.” She didn’t know if she should have said the latter part.
Mason gave her a mysterious look, as if she had told him she was from outer space. He leaned in, making her pulse race. “You...remember me?” His words were slow and soft, almost mumbling, as if he didn’t want others to hear. He even rattled his hand, gesturing to lower her voice as he looked over his shoulder to his brother.
“Yes…of course,” she said flatly, but when he prolonged his stunned expression she thought twice. Puzzled, she asked, “Should I…not? You pulled me over and looked inside my trunk as if I was a thief hiding something. I mean…look at me…do I look like a thief to you?” She couldn’t believe she had the courage and the nerve to say those things to him. Mason being out of uniform looked less intimidating—it was easier to speak up to him.
Mason gave a quick smile, seemingly amused, but shortly after he looked distressed. Without eye contact, he spoke nonchalantly. “You must have the wrong guy. I didn’t pull you over. If you’d like, you can pretend that I did.” Then he walked out the door without his brother.
What did he just say? Skylar blazed with anger; if possible, fire would’ve flamed out of her body. What nerve. What a jerk. Her eyes stayed rooted to the door through which he’d just exited.
Recalling that night, she was almost certain his name was Doug, not Mason. Skylar began to wonder if she was out of her mind. Was this a mistaken identity? It couldn’t be. The voice, the face, the body, the same pull he held over her just by his presence…everything was the same. So why did he make her feel like an idiot? What a disappointment.
“See you tomorrow,” Nick waved to Skylar on his way out, chuckling as if he was in on a funny secret only he and his brother knew about.
Nick was built similarly to Mason, with nicely toned muscles in all the right places, but his hair was a lighter shade, and he was apparently a lot nicer. Though there was a slight resemblance, other than that, Skylar would have never guessed they were brothers.
Giving a fake smile to Nick, she turned to see Kayla practically running into her. She wore a huge grin, trying to contain her excitement, knowing there were customers around. “Oh my God! Your cop was gorgeous, but so was his brother. Did Mason ask you out? It seemed like you were having an intimate conversation.”
Skylar didn’t want to burst Kayla’s bubble. “No…I guess I was wrong. He’s not the cop.”
“Oh.”
Skylar wanted to say she felt as puzzled as the look Kayla had just given her, but she kept it to herself.
Kayla brushed it off. “Well…looks like we have dates tomorrow night.”
“You mean…you have a date tomorrow night. I don’t feel like going to a party with a bunch of strangers.”
“But, Nick asked both of us to come. Come on…please…just go this once and see what happens…for me…please.”
“You know how much I don’t like the water.”
“It will be dark so you won’t be able to see it, and plus you don’t have to swim. We don’t swim when we go to the beach together,” Kayla tried to reason.
“True….” Skylar pursed her lips. She could never say no to her cousin. They hardly spent time together, except during the summers and holidays, and those times were special to her. It wasn’t worth the argument. Maybe he wouldn’t be there, and if he was, she would just ignore him and give him the cold shoulder…like he’d just done to her.
“Yeah…I’ll go with ya.” She suddenly became excited to see him so she could give him a piece of her mind…perhaps even a piece of her fist, though she wasn’t a violent kind of gal.
“Whoo hoo!” Kayla shouted. “I’m so glad Mom made us work today.”
“Girls,” Mona scolded, gesturing to keep their voices down. Then she walked over to Kayla. “Too bad I can’t go with ya. Those boys were hot.”
“You couldn’t go even if you were young. You’d scare them.” Jack chuckled at his own joke.
“Watch it, Jack, or I’ll show you something to be scared of,” Mona retorted.
“What do you mean? You already did by looking at me.” Jack busted out with laughter.
More customers entered the diner, interrupting their teasing and joking.
Chapter 4
It was a beautiful Sunday morning. The cloudless sky was nothing but an endless turquoise blanket hovering over the Earth. Though the heat was unbearable, with the temperature reaching over a hundred, they decided to head to the local mall. Since Sunday was their official day off from work, they were ecstatic just to hang out.
When Skylar opened the main entrance door and stepped inside, the cool draft from the air conditioner blasted through her. The scorching sun had been beating on her so hard from the parking lot to the door, any cool air would have given her relief. Since it was noon, they decided to have lunch before a fun day filled with shopping.
At the food court, there were many places to choose from. The combined aromas of the variety of food confused Skylar as to which type of food she wanted to eat. Finally, she opted for Mexican food—two tacos, rice, and beans—and Kayla chose Chinese food. The two of them sat at the only empty table available in the back. Noting how crowded it was, Skylar guessed everyone had the same thought—go to the mall to escape the heat.
While taking a bite of her taco, Skylar looked around. She couldn’t help but steal a glance at a couple of guys sitting at a table nearby who kept looking her way. Unsure if they were looking at someone behind her, she turned, but there was nothing there but the wall. If they thought she was cute, that would be a compliment, but if they were looking for some other reason…well…she didn’t care to know anyhow.
One of the guys had dirty blond, shoulder length hair, and his friend’s dark brown hair was sleeked back, exposing his forehead. They were both good-looking so she didn’t mind, but when they acted suspicious—whispering, glancing at her and then whispering again—it gave her the creeps, so she turned away. If only she could hear what they were saying.
“So…you sure Mason wasn’t the cop?” Kayla asked, taking a sip of her drink. “I mean…you were so positive he was.”
“I don’t know. It was dark. It doesn’t matter,” Skylar muttered, although she was almost positive that it was him. She tried to recall that night, but after Mason’s rude comment, the thoughts turned the hot cop into an ugly cop, and the excitement of seeing him again was no longer there.
“You’re okay with going to the beach tonight, right?” Kayla asked hesitantly. “Because…if you feel uncomfortable about it, especially being around people we don’t know, I don’t want you to do something on account of me. We can go see a movie instead, or just hang out at home.”
Skylar took a bite of some beans she had just scooped up with her fork, then she poured more salsa on them. Her mind was so preoccupied with Mason’s rude comment she only heard half of Kayla’s words.
“Skylar? Hey…Skylar?”
Skylar looked up, meeting Kayla’s gaze. “Oh…sorry. I was just thinking. No…I’m totally fine with it. We can go. I was hes
itant at first because we don’t know them. But we’ll be out in the public, so I’m sure it’s fine.”
Kayla smiled, looking ecstatic. “Great. It should be fun. This is going to be one of the best summers ever.”
“Sure,” Skylar agreed, but something in the pit of her stomach told her otherwise. She brushed off the thought. She didn’t want negative thoughts to get in the way. Then out of curiosity, she sneakily turned her body and used her peripheral vision to check on the guys, but they were gone.
After the girls ate, they headed to the nearest store. Upon entering, excitement rushed through Skylar from looking at all the clothes. Feeling carefree, she listened to the background music, skimmed through the racks, and picked out all types of clothing. So did Kayla.
With stacks of clothes draped over their arms, they headed to the dressing room together. The dressing room attendant gave them rooms across from each other. They had so much fun trying on different outfits that it was like having a personal mini-fashion show.
After spending about an hour in the store, they walked out with only one bag each. Skylar bought some shorts and T-shirts, and Kayla bought shorts and a light sweater. Then they headed to the next store. Tired from shopping, they decided to get some frozen yogurt.
Just before they entered the yogurt shop, Skylar noticed the same guys standing at a distance. The thought of possible stalkers gave her goose bumps. Surely, she was over reacting. They had the right to be there, after all. They were sitting at their lunch table first…they might have been standing near the yogurt shop first as well. Either way, their persistent staring made her uncomfortable, and she entered a shoe store just to get away.
After a full day of shopping, they went to the diner to grab some dinner.
***
As soon as Skylar entered the diner, she got a whiff of the delicious smell of something Jack was cooking and hunger pangs flooded through. All that shopping had worked up her appetite.
The girls waved to Kayla’s mom, Mona, Jack, and the weekend waitresses. Not wanting to interrupt them, they found a corner table and sat.
“What can I get you, ladies?” Mona beamed a smile. “Out of all the places you can eat, you came here on your day off? You girls must be desperate.” Mona snorted.
“It’s called free food,” Kayla laughed. “With all the stuff we bought today, I’m going to have to sacrifice my stomach.”
“You surely are sacrificing your stomach with Jack’s cooking,” Mona teased. “Last call.”
Skylar giggled. “We’re fine, Mona. I’d like to order Jack’s famous burger with french fries, crispy thin. Don’t forget the ketchup, please.”
“That sounds good. I’ll have the same…I think,” Kayla said, looking undecided. “I’m so hungry, I could eat everything off this menu.”
“Got it. I’ll put your order through…everything off the menu,” she winked, then became serious. Mona leaned over as if she was going to tell them a secret. “By the way, I haven’t seen the boys today.” Then she walked away.
Skylar had just stopped thinking about Mason, but after Mona’s words…well, she was now…again. He had already consumed her mind all day at the mall; she didn’t want the thought of him to linger any longer.
After ten minutes, Kayla’s mom brought dinner over and sat with the girls. “How do you like working here, Skylar?”
“I have to say, I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.”
“That’s because you’re with me,” Kayla butted in. “Imagine working here alone and no one our age to talk to. Let’s see what you’d say then.” She looked at her mom, taking a huge bite of her burger.
Ignoring her daughter, Kelly continued. “Let me know if you don’t like it. I’m not going to force you to work for me. Do you understand?”
“Sure, Auntie Kelly.” Skylar poured the ketchup on her plate and inside her burger.
“So…what are you girls doing after dinner?”
“I think we’re—” Skylar started to say with a mouthful of food.
Kayla kicked Skylar under the table. “We’re going home. We’re exhausted from shopping all day.”
“Really?” Kelly looked surprised. “If you do decide to go out, make sure to stick together and be back home before I am. Well….” Kelly stood up. “I’d better get back to work.”
“But you’re the boss,” Kayla pointed out.
“What kind of boss would I be if I didn’t set a good example…right?” She winked. “Remember that girls.”
With a nod from Skylar and a roll of the eyes from Kayla, Kelly greeted the new customer that had just walked in.
“Why did you kick me under the table?” Skylar huffed. “That hurt.”
“Sorry, but I didn’t want you to tell my mom.”
“Why?”
“She wouldn’t let us go.”
“How do you know? You didn’t ask.”
“Trust me. I know. And like she said, we just need to be back before she is. No need to tell her where we are going or whom we are going with.” After they finished their meal, they headed home to get ready for the beach party.
Chapter 5
“There it is.” Kayla pointed, focusing her eyes on the bonfire, which was blazing skyward, dancing with the colors of red and orange. Readjusting her bag, Kayla slung it over the other shoulder and walked side by side with Skylar along a path. Kayla was told to look for a bonfire, so a bonfire she’d found.
Seeing Nick, Kayla waved happily. He grinned as he watched them approach, wearing only navy blue trunks. Holding a bottle of beer in his hand, he gave the girls each a light hug, then turned to his friends. “Hey everyone…this is Kayla and Skylar.”
Everyone waved without making eye contact, ignoring them, turning back to their own conversations. There were about ten of them. Skylar set her eyes on everyone when she greeted them, but she didn’t see Mason, or Doug, or whatever his real name was. Feeling disappointed and not knowing why, she settled on the ground when Kayla took out a beach towel and laid it on the sand.
The night temperature felt comfortable and the bonfire kept them warm, though it wasn’t cold. Nick went to the cooler and brought back a couple of opened bottles. “Here.” He handed one to Kayla.
“Thanks,” Kayla nodded, taking a sip. Skylar gave Kayla a long stare, a look she used when she was not happy with her cousin, and Kayla understood. “What? It’s okay,” Kayla whispered and smiled. “I’ve had one before.”
Then he gave one to Skylar.
“Umm…no thank you. I actually don’t like beer. But thank you anyway.” She tried to sound as polite as possible. She didn’t want to offend him, and she definitely didn’t want to tell him she’d never drank beer before.
“Oh…no problem. More for me then.” He chuckled and sat on the other side of Kayla.
As they sat there soaking in the perfect temperature, Skylar dug her feet into the sand. How she loved the feel of the cool, soft sand seeping between her toes. Oddly, like Nick had said, there was no one else on the beach besides his group. This made Skylar uncomfortable, but she brushed off the feeling since they weren’t the only females there.
With her arms extending behind her, she laid back, enjoying the music blasting from the iPad, but the sound of waves crashing on the shore took her in. It was somehow hypnotic, soothing. Turning her head toward it, she could see the moonbeams, flawlessly reflecting silver lights along the ocean, wrapping Skylar with the feeling of peace and comfort. Mesmerized by the view, she could gaze at it all night. Though she was tired from shopping all day, somehow being there awakened her, providing a new vibe of energy.
Unfortunately the peace was interrupted when Skylar turned her head toward the bonfire. The guy with the yellow trunks was gawking at her. His stare was unlike anything she had experienced before. Either he was undressing her with his eyes, or he wanted to hurt her, like a lion observing its prey, ready to attack. Awkward! Slowly, she turned without making it obvious she was uncomfortable.
S
kylar wondered if she had a sign on her forehead that read, “Please stare at me.” First there were the guys at the mall, and now this guy she’d just met.
As always, though Kayla didn’t know it, she came to Skylar’s rescue. Relaxing from Kayla’s voice, she honed in on her conversation with Nick. Kayla didn’t waste time, and was not afraid to speak her mind, especially when it came to Skylar’s interests. “Where’s Mason?”
“He’s around…somewhere.”
“So…are they your friends?”
“The guy with the red trunks is my oldest brother. His name is Everett. And the guy with yellow trunks, my second oldest brother, is Remus. I’m the third one, and the guy that is missing, Mace…I mean Mason…is the youngest. Then the rest of the people are Everett’s friends.”
Remus was Mason’s brother? Great! What luck! Skylar was already off to a crappy start, but for what? It wasn’t like she was interested in hanging out with Mason anyway, and it didn’t matter what she thought about Remus or what Remus thought about her. But she didn’t like the way he continued to glare at her, as if he was expecting her to do something horrible or magically turn into an alien or something. She couldn’t begin to guess what his problem was. Then she looked at the girls. Their hands were all over the brothers. “Hmm…good friends I’m sure,” she mumbled.
Kayla nudged Skylar with her shoulder, gesturing for her to keep her thoughts to herself. “So…you have three brothers. Any sisters?”
“Nope.”
“Do you go to school?”
“Nope.”
“Oh…so do you work?”
“Kind of.”
“Then…do you do anything?” Kayla turned her head sideways in confusion.
“Nope. We inherited tons of money when our parents passed away, so we never have to work a day in our life. Well…kind of,” he explained imperturbably. “We own businesses.”
“Oh…I’m so sorry, but that must be nice...I guess.” Kayla nudged Skylar again when she rolled her eyes.