by Jamey Moody
Riley looked up. “You did? All night?”
Alex nodded. “Pretty much from the moment I saw you. I love red hair.”
Riley smiled and ducked her head a little. “I have a thing for collarbones, and yours happen to be perfect.”
“How about that. I never knew.”
They both giggled.
“You said earlier that we weren’t one-night-stand kind of people,” Riley said. She traced her fingers in lazy circles over Alex’s hipbone.
“I did.”
“Well, I’m thinking that’s a good thing because I’m going to need more than one night with you.”
“Oh really? I did offer to be your island guide. I’m sure we could work something out that includes nights too,” Alex said playfully.
“I’m liking this view more and more,” Riley said.
“I’m glad you missed the boat.”
“Me too,” Riley said leaning in for another kiss. “But this night isn’t nearly over,” she said, rolling on top of Alex for more.
“Mm,” purred Alex and accepted Riley’s sweet lips once again.
Three
Riley woke with an arm wrapped around her middle. She smiled and thought, I could get used to this.
But what was this? She groaned and forced herself not to think that way. She was meant to enjoy this, not think about it, overanalyze it. And how could she not enjoy it? A beautiful woman was nuzzling her neck. Riley slowly turned, smiling, and then she saw the sunrise coming through the windows and immediately sat up. “Oh Alex, it’s beautiful!” she exclaimed.
Alex smiled, gazing at Riley’s profile and nakedness. “It sure is.”
Riley turned with a sexy smile on her face, leaned down, and gently kissed Alex. “Mm, good morning. By the way, last night was epic, as my students would say.”
“Epic, huh? I’d have to agree with that,” Alex said pulling her close and kissing her back. She deepened the kiss and pushed Riley down on the bed, climbing on top of her.
“Mm, what are you doing?” Riley said. “Are you trying to make me miss the ferry?”
“We have time,” Alex said kissing her again. “I think after a night like last night, your day should start off epic, too.” When Alex smiled, her eyes sparkled.
Riley’s breath quickened. Alex kissed her way down and looked up at Riley, smiling as she stopped between her legs.
“Epic, I like that,” Alex said.
“Stop talking,” Riley said, putting her hands in Alex’s hair.
“Bossy, I like that, too.” And with that, Alex stopped talking. Riley moaned. It was an epic morning.
Riley lay on the bed, catching her breath, completely spent. “Now that’s a good morning,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. Alex smiled and started to get up. Riley caught her by the wrist and said, “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I thought you wanted to catch the ferry,” Alex said.
“I might be rethinking that. How often do they run?” Riley said with a chuckle.
“Oh, no, you don’t, I’m not going to have seven lesbians hunting me down with accusations of kidnapping.”
“It’s not kidnapping if I’m willing. And I’m definitely a willing participant!”
“How are you so sure they’d believe that?” teased Alex.
“Oh they’d believe it, because I’m pretty sure I’ll be glowing with sexual bliss all day.”
“They won’t give you a hard time about it, will they? Because it’s not a one night stand, remember?” Alex said. Her eyes betrayed how vulnerable she was feeling.
“It’d be the best one night stand in history!” proclaimed Riley. “But no it’s not. Because yes, I’m going to get on that ferry and go back to the hotel, but I’m also coming back. Today.”
“Then you’d best get up. I’ll go make coffee; the bathroom is yours,” Alex said rolling her over and swatting her on the ass.
Riley headed to the bathroom and got into the shower while Alex quickly threw her clothes on from last night and made coffee. As she turned the hot water on, Riley noticed she couldn’t stop smiling. Who smiles in the shower for no reason? But she had a reason; the more she got to know Alex the more she liked her. Kara was going to freak. She’d be surprised and happy for her, and, Riley thought as she shampooed her hair, the others will be, too. I’m forty-nine years old, a grown woman, and retired, so at this point who cares, she thought.
Alex filled a cup with coffee for Riley. As she neared the bathroom door she could hear Riley singing. She smiled and listened for a minute trying to recall the song, “I’ve never felt like this before.” Alex had to agree, she’d never felt like this before and wondered if Riley meant it. The singing faded, so Alex knocked on the door.
“I’m leaving a cup of coffee for you on the cabinet,” Alex said.
“Wow, do you give this kind of service to all the women you kidnap?”
“Only those that pretend to miss the ferry so they can seduce me.”
“Seduce you! Who’s seducing whom?” Riley said, sticking her head out of the shower.
“Do I need to come in there and show you?”
“I’m not stopping you,” Riley challenged her.
Alex knew that if she got in the shower with her now there’d be no way Riley would make that ferry. “No, but that damn ferry is. Let’s save that for our second date.” Alex winked and left the bathroom.
Hmm, second date. Riley liked the sound of that.
After brushing her teeth and towel-drying her hair, she put her clothes from yesterday back on. She changed her mind, though, and got the tank top of Alex’s that she barely wore last night and put it on. She looked at her reflection in the bedroom mirror and saw something she hadn’t seen in a long time. There was delight and optimism in her eyes. Sure she had a good life, and most days she was content. But spending time with Alex felt different, like there was something to look forward to. Stop that, it’s just the sex, she thought. Really, really good sex. Epic, she chuckled.
As Riley walked into the kitchen she saw that Alex had toasted a couple of English muffins and had put out cream cheese and sliced fruit. There was a bottle of water sitting there for her as well as more coffee.
“This looks great. I hope you don’t mind, but could I borrow your shirt to go back to the hotel? I’ll bring it back later, if that’s okay.”
“Sure, you look better in it than I do anyway. More coffee?” Alex smiled, liking the idea of Riley wearing her shirt.
“You never told me about you last night,” Riley said after a bite of English muffin. “How you got here from Texas.”
Alex deflected by saying, “We were a little busy, wouldn’t you say?”
Riley nodded smiling.
“Actually, I came here on vacation and never left.”
“Really?”
“Yes. My best friend, Tina, and I had planned a vacation, and while I was at the airport she called and said she had a work emergency and would meet me here the next day. Her work emergency turned into a promotion, and she never made it down here.”
“Wow! But why did you stay?”
“I didn’t really want to do things by myself, and when I walked into Peaches I immediately hit it off with Liz. I spent a lot of time at the bar. I was unhappy in my job and Liz was looking for a bartender at the time. Long story short, I took the job, and sixteen years later I own the bar with Liz.”
“That’s, that’s…” Riley stumbled for words.
“Crazy?”
“Actually, I was thinking brave.” Riley was a little in awe of the courage it must have taken to do that. She was finding there’s a lot more to Alex than bartending and rescuing strangers.
“No, it was crazy, but it’s the best thing I’ve ever done,” Alex said. “Besides helping out beautiful women that miss the ferry.”
“Of course.” Riley laughed along with her.
“Let me go change and I’ll walk you to the dock,” Alex said. She felt a bit of relief that she
hadn’t had to tell Riley why it was so easy to leave Texas. But what was it about Riley that made her so comfortable? For one, she didn’t look down on her like so many tourists did thinking she’s just a bartender. There was something about her that almost made Alex want to tell her what happened, but she couldn’t chance it. Riley would be here two weeks. She should take those two weeks, show Riley around and have fun. But deep down, she already knew this wasn’t a vacation fling, no matter what she tried to tell herself.
They walked down the stairs, and instead of going into the bar, they went out the back door to the beach. It was another beautiful day in paradise. A light breeze rustled the palm trees, and Riley could hear the waves lapping the sand and smell the salty air. A few birds flew overhead. It was peaceful and quiet. Riley saw a couple of people way down the beach, but no one else was around. Alex took her hand and smiled as if asking if it was okay. Riley smiled back gently, knocking their shoulders together. They walked along in silence enjoying the simplicity of the moment together.
Alex guided them onto the street that led to the dock. When they reached the dock they walked out on the pier where a few other people were waiting for the ferry. They leaned on the rail and looked out over the water. Alex pointed out a few islands in the distance and boats bobbing on the water. She pointed in the distance to the ferry that was coming toward them, getting larger every second.
“There she comes. That’s your boat,” Alex said.
“I have a question,” Riley said. “When I bring everyone to the bar this afternoon, is it all right to walk up to you and give you a kiss?”
Alex looked into her eyes and paused, pretending to be thinking, “That would be all right only if you let me give you a kiss when you board the ferry.”
“Deal,” Riley said leaning over and giving her a peck on the lips. “I wouldn’t want to ruin your reputation or anything,” she added winking.
Alex laughed.
“Why, Alex—wait, you never told me your last name,” Riley said.
“Adams, Alex Adams,” she said.
“Why, Alex Adams, do you have a reputation to protect?”
“You may do whatever you want to my reputation, Riley James. I dare say being seen with you will only make it better.” She grinned and gave her a peck on the lips in return.
“I swear you make me feel like a kid, Alex,” Riley said, shaking her head.
Alex made the “hang loose” sign. “Epic!”
They both laughed.
Alex walked Riley onto the ferry and waved at the captain. She took her to the top deck so that Riley could look out over the island. “This is a great place to see everything. You can sit or stand and enjoy the ride.”
“That’s exactly what I’m doing, enjoying the ride,” Riley said.
“Me too,” Alex answered understanding the true meaning of Riley’s words.
Alex put her hands on Riley’s hips and pulled her in for a kiss. It was a sweet kiss. Longer than a simple goodbye kiss, it promised more to come.
“I’ve got to go. See you later today,” Alex said, a little breathless as she pulled away.
“I couldn’t persuade you to ride the ferry with me?” Riley said, not wanting to let her go.
“No way. Those friends may be waiting on the other shore. I’d rather you explain first,” Alex said with a laugh. She walked away and turned to go down to the lower deck, though she looked back for a moment to capture Riley in her mind. She had lots of images in her mind already and knew she’d be replaying them over and over until she saw Riley again.
On the dock she waited until the ferry pulled out and then gave Riley a little wave. She waved back and then grew smaller and smaller as the ferry headed away.
Riley walked through the hotel lobby and out to their cluster of rooms. There was an area with chairs surrounded by palm trees and exotic plants that smelled even more beautiful than they looked. The chairs circled a small koi pond, which added to the beauty. It was a wonderful place to sit and enjoy the slow pace of an island morning. All of their rooms bordered this lush garden.
As Riley walked toward her room she couldn’t get Alex off her mind. She had replayed their night over and over on the ferry ride back to the island. Looking out over the water she couldn’t help but feel like it was calling to her. She knew how crazy it sounded, but something made her want to stay here and she knew Alex had a lot to do with it. She felt captivated. She had known this other woman for just one day! This wasn’t some Lifetime movie or romance novel.
But here she was, walking to her room and thinking about Alex again. With her head in the clouds she barely noticed Kara, Kim and Kerry, and Julie and Sara sitting in the chairs watching her walk up.
“Well, look who finally made it back!” Kara said.
“Hey,” Riley said with a smile.
“Nice shirt,” Kara replied with questioning eyes.
Riley looked down. She had almost forgotten that she was wearing Alex’s shirt. “Oh, thanks. Alex let me borrow it.”
“Alex? Why did Alex lend you a shirt?” asked Kerry.
“Remember? I told you Riley was at the bar. Alex was the bartender helping her find a place to stay,” Kara explained.
“Yeah, Kara, I remember, but that still doesn’t explain why she lent her a shirt,” Kerry said raising her eyebrows at Riley.
“She let me wear her shirt,” Riley said mysteriously.
Sara said, “What are you not telling us?”
“Yeah, Riley, you look different,” added Kim.
“Where did you end up staying last night anyway?” Kerry asked.
“What’s with the twenty questions?” Riley said defensively.
“It’s not twenty questions, we were worried about you and wondered where you got a place to stay. You didn’t stay with that bartender, did you?” Sara asked.
“That bartender? Really, Sara? That bartender happens to own that bar and has a name. She’s also very nice and tried to help me when my friends left me on an island,” Riley said.
“It’s not like we left you on purpose,” Kerry said. “Where did you end up staying?”
Riley took a deep breath and said, “When we realized I’d missed the ferry, Alex called around to see if she could get me a room for the night while I tried to text Kara to see where she was. At that point I thought she was still on St. John.”
Kara chimed in. “Right, we texted back and forth and realized I was here and she was there. I told you guys this last night.”
“We know all that. Where did Alex find you a place to stay?” Sara asked.
“She didn’t,” Riley said. “The places that she would recommend were full.”
“Full? The ones she’d recommend?” Kerry asked.
“Oh my god! Riley James, you had sex!” Kara jumped up and exclaimed. She ran over and pulled Riley into a bear hug. “I’m so proud of you,” she said, stepping back with a smile. The others sat there with their mouths hanging open. “Say something. I want details.”
Riley shook her head and couldn’t stop the grin forming on her face.
“Well?” everyone said in unison.
Riley smiled from ear to ear and said, “I didn’t have sex.” She paused then said, “I had the most amazing sex!”
“Ha, I knew it! I could tell when you walked up. You were fucking glowing!” Kara said.
Kim looked at Riley with a smile, “So, spill it, what really happened?”
“She lives above the bar in the greatest apartment. It has a rooftop terrace where you can see the ocean and the stars forever. We were talking and we kissed.” Riley stopped to take a breath.
“And?” Kim said prodding Riley.
“And we had something to eat, she made up the couch, and gave me this shirt to sleep in. She planned to sleep on the couch, giving me the bed.”
Everyone was looking at Riley, encouraging her with their nodding heads and eyes. “Let’s just say she has the most beautiful wall of windows in her bedroom that looks out o
ver the ocean. That’s all I’m telling. Oh, and I didn’t sleep in this shirt. And I swear if one of you says anything or looks at me with judging eyes, you can fuck off!”
“Whoa there Riley,” Kerry said holding up her hands. “We’re not judging, hell I’m happy for you. How about this, we planned to take it easy this morning, have a little lunch, and check out the shops near the hotel. Then we could go back to Peaches and thank Alex for taking care of our friend?”
Riley smiled and said, “That sounds perfect to me.”
“Hey Riley,” Sara said, standing up, “I’m sorry if I offended you earlier. You’re the one that is always looking out for us because sometimes we can be such idiots, as you well know. I can’t wait to be the first to thank Alex.”
“Funny, I couldn’t get Alex to come back on the ferry with me this morning because she said she didn’t want seven lesbians coming after her for kidnapping their friend. Looks like she may have known this group better than I thought,” Riley told them chuckling.
Kara cracked, “Not sure you can kidnap the willing.”
“That’s what I said!” Riley laughed.
Everyone joined in the laughter. Riley sat next to Kara as the others started off on a new conversation.
“Do we need to go to our room so you can give me all the details?” Kara said twerking her eyebrows.
Riley laughed and said, “You’ve got all the details you’re going to get from me.”
“What’s really going on in that head of yours?” Kara could tell something was on Riley’s mind.
“I’m feeling a bit confused or overwhelmed, I’m not sure which.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know if it’s because I’m retired or the wedding or this place,” she said spreading out her arms. “But I had the best time last night and can’t stop thinking about her.”
“You did have amazing sex, as you put it. And it’s been awhile.”
“Yeah, but, I can’t believe I’m saying this. It felt like more than just great sex.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“I don’t know, it seems a bit far-fetched, doesn’t it? I’m always the practical one. But here we are, on an island paradise and I sleep with someone the first night. Would you believe it if you weren’t here?”