As the supermoon stretches up into the night sky, Joss rolls her head back on my chest and looks up at me.
“What?” I ask.
“This isn’t a pickup thing for you, is it?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you really are into the whole stars, moon, night sky thing aren’t you? I guess, well, when we went to the observatory, I figured this was your main move or something. I guess I’m a cynic.” She shrugs.
“I’m sure you have good reason to be.” I frown.
“Yeah, maybe.” Her eyes flicker down for a second, but then back up to mine. “But now, I feel like this is deeper for you and I can see why, this is amazing, but how did you get into all this astronomy stuff?”
My head tilts back and I glance up at the sky. A map of stars, like familiar old country roads I’ve traveled twinkle down at me. My first memories are of staring up at them.
“Do you know what a latch key kid is?” My lips tug down and so does my heart a little bit.
“Yeah, like when they’re home alone a lot?”
“Exactly. You don’t hear about them much anymore, now it’s all helicopter parenting or whatever. I was one of those kids who would come home after school and make my own supper, get my homework done and all that shit while my parents worked.”
“You must have been lonely.” Joss studies my face.
“Honestly, it was more like that movie, Home Alone. Like, without the bad guys, obviously.” I laugh. “I’d get into all kinds of crazy stuff and as long as it was cleaned up before my parents got home, I was golden.” A million fragments of memories run through my brain. Things like Mentos and Coca-Cola explosions and knocking down pictures off the wall with my Nerf gun. A twinge of nostalgia tugs inside me. However, there were just as many memories of eating spaghetti out of a can alone on the couch, night after night. And, sometimes, of putting myself to bed, fear gnawing at my gut, wishing my mom and dad could help me not see monsters in the shadows. “It could be lonely too,” I admit.
“I bet.” Sympathy knits her eyebrows together.
“Yeah, my parents worked their asses off to give me a good life, so I can’t complain too much. It’s the way it was. And, it’s not like they didn’t make an effort. Once a year, we’d head off into the wilderness to this old cabin in the woods. I’d get them to myself, with no distractions, the entire time. We’d stay up late and stare up at the sky. It was always the happiest and most peaceful I ever felt,” I admit.
“Sounds amazing.” Joss turns around fully and faces me. The moon has staked its claim in the sky now, casting a pale yellow glow down over her face. There isn’t a light Joss looks bad in, but right now, she’s like a fucking dream. “It’s cool you have something so meaningful that turned into a real passion for you.”
I know she’s being sweet and caring, but when I look at the way her lips move, I couldn’t care less if every star in the sky burned out. Passion is still boiling in my blood, but it’s not for the night sky.
“Yeah, one of the reasons I love it here is because the sky feels a little thinner here, you know?”
“I’m not sure what you mean.” She tilts her head and her hair falls down over her shoulder.
“It’s probably just me, but it’s like the atmosphere isn’t quite as thick here or something. I don’t know if it’s the ocean, or the magic of the island or what, but the stars seem to burn brighter. The peace I used to feel is even stronger.”
“I can see that.” She glances back up, soaking it all in.
“I guess that’s why I wanted to teach yoga,” I confess. “I wanted to help other people find that calm.” I pull Joss in closer, trying to ward off the cooling air. If we were down on the water, these cliffs would help shelter us from the cold. Up here it sends our body heat up to the universe like a sacrifice. She snuggles into me and it feels like we’ve been doing this forever. Even though I don’t really know her, it’s like our souls have met before. Curiosity tugs at me.
“What about you? Did you end up following your passion? Or your dream? Or whatever you thought you’d be when you were a kid?”
“Me?” She blinks, like I totally caught her off guard. “Oh, um, I’m a lawyer. Well, maybe I was a lawyer. I’m trying to work it out, actually.” She looks flustered. “And, no, it wasn’t my dream,” she admits.
“No? What was?”
“Honestly? I wanted to be a marine biologist when I was a kid. Cheesy, right?”
“What’s cheesy about that?”
“I dunno.” She shrugs. “It doesn’t matter. I grew up and realized those jobs are few and far between, plus lawyers make better money, so …”
“Yeah, and how did all those riches work out for ya? Did they buy you happiness?” I tilt her chin up and her eyes dart down.
“No, not exactly.” Joss chews on her lip.
“Sorry.” I can see I hit a sore spot. Who the fuck am I to be judging her career choices? I hate when people do that shit to me. “I’m not trying to be a dick. All I know is, when people die, if you remember them for their passion, you’re remembering a real part of what made them who they were, you know?”
Joss finally meets my eyes and nods solemnly.
“But, if you only remember their money, you’re not really remembering them at all.”
Joss swallows hard, blinking rapidly. I don’t want to make her cry. It’s the last thing I want to do. I lean into her, letting my lips find hers softly this time. “You can never go wrong with following your heart,” I whisper.
“Well, right now my heart wants to follow you,” she breathes.
“Oh, shit, we’ve gotta get going.” I realize we’re behind schedule. Again. Tugging her hand I lead her back to my bike and help her on.
“Wait, where are we going?” she calls out as I climb on.
“I’m taking you to a luau. I know a guy, he’s got us front row seats, if we don’t get there late.”
“Of course, you do.” She smirks and puts on her helmet. “Okay, let’s go!”
18
Finn
“Five minute warning!” Alani bellows into our hut. It might look like a traditional Hawaiian house from old times on the outside, but in here it’s a circus of men getting ready for the show. I secure my malo, a traditional skirt for men, around my waist and grab some eyeliner, quickly dragging pitch-black lines around my eyes. Normally, I’m not a “maybe he’s born with it, maybe it’s Maybelline” kind of guy, but this is show biz. And I’m in the business of putting on a fucking good show.
A couple guys are doing some push-ups to get pumped before we head out. I jump up and down, slapping my arms and chest, I’m ready for whatever tonight brings. The thing is, you never know what’s waiting out there for you. Some nights, when we dance for the luau, it’s packed to the brim with international tourists who record every second of the show. They ooh and ahh over every jump, every chant, every time we swing our torches, taming the wild flames into soft circles in the night.
Other nights the chairs are full of drunk sailors who often come into port here and decide to blow off some steam at our show. They’re usually pretty rowdy, but harmless. They call out to the girls, saying things like, “Hey, if you put those flowers around my neck, did I get lei’d? Heh, heh.”
Like I said, harmless.
The audience who has the most fun are the older ladies who show up on cruise ships. They usually start out innocent enough, but a few drinks in they let their inner cougars roam free. I’ve never been a stripper, but I’m pretty sure I know what they feel like. I’ve had ladies who were old enough to be my nana trying to slip bills into my waistband or sneak a peek under my skirt. Now that I think of it, it’s almost always the ones who are my grandmother’s age who get the craziest.
The same music that always introduces us blasts out in the night and we scurry out of the hut in a line. The ladies in the show gather in front of us, walking out from their own changing room hut on the other side. We stand like statu
es behind them as they sway the soft curves of their hips, sending their grass skirts flicking all around. A couple of dudes in the back of the audience whistle loudly, but the girls ignore them.
It’s hard to see too many rows back, with the lights aimed at us, it’s only the first row of chairs you can really make out. My gaze travels the faces and stops on someone I did not expect to see. Sitting in the front row with an empty seat beside her is Joss. I don’t think she’s seen me yet. To her, I’m probably hard to pick out. All of us guys are around the same height and carry the same bulk. Many of us have long hair. There are only two of us also sporting beards though. I wonder how long it’ll take her to notice.
This must have been what Benji and she were getting up to tonight. There’s a part of the dance when we’re set loose in the crowd and we dance up close for the people watching. I know where I’ll be going.
I’m still unmoving, like I’m carved from rock, it’s part of the show when the girls open the dancing with a slow, delicate dance. They wave their hands in intricate circles out to the side and roll their hips like the ocean waves. Then we jump in and bring the fire and passion, like the volcanoes erupting into the sky.
I know I’m not supposed to move an inch. I’ve been doing this for a long fucking time and I’ve never budged. Not even the time a wasp stung me. The fucker. Right now though, my jaw falls slack, because what do I spy with my little eye? It’s not Benji bringing a couple of drinks up the aisle and sitting down next to my girl.
It’s Cohen.
Well, holy shit. When we were talking about ice cream the other day, I didn’t realize we were both sharing the same flavor. I mean, technically we’d be splitting the same cone, wouldn’t we?
I know some guys would be losing their shit right about now. Not me. Jealousy is a waste of time. People aren’t ours to own. They’re either interested or they’re not, and I know from this morning she’s more than interested. Besides, thinking about Cohen and I sharing the same ice cream cone, that sweet, melty goodness coating our tongues at the same time, well, fuck. I’ve got to breathe or else my malo is gonna become a tent.
The music changes, it’s our cue to jump into the dance. Literally. I leap in the air, my feet landing hard and I tilt my head back, roaring like a lion along with the other guys. I keep my eyes on her the whole time, relishing her wide-eyed stare as her attention rests on me. The red creeping up over her cheeks is like a shot of adrenaline in my veins. I already planned on giving her some special one-on-one attention, but now I’m gonna amp it up. I’m going to make her squirm in her seat until her pussy is so wet she leaves a spot behind.
19
Joss
The men’s booming voices reverberate through me, making me sit straight and take notice. I don’t mean to be a shitty date, but I can’t stop my greedy eyes from starting at the end of the row of hard, shirtless men, and let my gaze wander slowly. I’m sure he’s doing the same thing to the breathtaking row of women with their long dark hair and coconut bras.
The guys all have grass bracelets clasped around their biceps and calves, emphasizing their tight muscular frames. I’m not big on huge, hulking pecs. I always joke I could never be with a man whose boobs are bigger than mine. My gaze slides from man to man and I’m pretty sure a couple of these guys could make me a convert. And abs! I’ve spent the last year hitting up the gym with Benji and I’ve never seen this many abs in my …
Oh, fuck me.
My curled lips slowly sink down until my mouth is in a flat line. My heart does a double backflip off a diving board and belly flops somewhere deep into my gut. My eyes squeeze shut. I’m silently begging God or the universe or fate that when I open them back up, I don’t see what I think I just saw. It can’t be him, right? I’m sure there’re tons of guys in Hawaii who have the whole Aquaman thing going on. I mean, that makes sense. Breathing deep, I slide my eyelids back open and …
Double fuck me.
It’s him. It’s so him. There’s no mistaking Finn up there on the end. He leaps tall in the air and lands down into a deep squat and hammers his chest with his fists, roaring at the sky in unison with the other guys. It’s so fucking manly my ovaries almost explode right here and now. Worries flitter free from my mind and I can’t look away.
What about Cohen? You know, the beautiful, deep soul you’re on this date with? I turn and look at him, and the electrifying feeling, that buzzy need keeps building up in me. A flash of his dimples makes me melt a little. Fuck me, all right. Double fuck me sounds about perfect.
The naughty little fantasy is short lived because the dancers suddenly begin jumping down from the outdoor stage and running into the audience. Like everyone else in the crowd, I gasp when one of them stops right in front of me, slyly grinning down at me. However, I’m guessing the other members of the audience aren’t gasping for the same reason.
Flashes of this morning in the surf shop spin through my head, almost making me dizzy. My mouth on Finn’s body, my lips surrounding his, well, I can’t help but stare down at his cock, it’s literally inches from my face and he rocks his hips forward to the beat.
He looks so proud of himself, like a cat who caught a mouse. I bite my lips, nerves making me jittery and look back at Cohen. At first, he’s all smiles and dimples and sexiness. Curiosity spreads over his face when he spots my date and I cringe. My eyes dart back up to Finn, he is a tower of grinding, writhing, smirking sex. Cohen’s dimples disappear as a frown forms between his eyebrows. Finn is still that cat, holding me in his jaws by my tail. He caught me and now he’s showing off about it.
Cohen’s eyes dart from my face to Finn’s and back again. I can’t sit here and watch this whole thing go down in flames. It’s too much. I need to get out of here. I need to get back to the hotel and hide in my honeymoon suite with Benji and drink until this becomes funny. I lunge up from my chair, pushing past Finn and hurry out past the crowd. I rush toward the entrance. I’ll call a cab or an uber or walk the fuck back to the hotel if I have to, but I can’t deal with this.
“Joss, wait!” Cohen cries out.
I pause for a second, but as soon as I imagine explaining myself to him, it’s all the motivation I need to go. What am I supposed to say? “Oh, don’t worry about that guy? He was sooo this morning’s fuck.”
I cringe and keep going.
“Hey.” His fingers circle my wrist and stop me in my tracks. I turn back and face him and he grabs my other arm too. “Stop for a second.” He holds me steady, staring directly into my eyes. “Why are you running?”
20
Cohen
“I, um …” She stares down at her feet and then pops her head up like she read an excuse off the top of her shoes. “Don’t feel great.” She upends her voice like she’s almost asking me a question.
Joss crinkles her eyebrows and glances over my shoulder, probably for Finn. He pretty much did everything but swing a huge flashing sign at Joss saying: I fucked her. I know he was having fun with it, but she looks horrified.
She doesn’t need to be. There’re two things she doesn’t know about this whole situation. The first being Finn and I are friends. Hell, I’d even call him my brother. Well, maybe I shouldn’t because the second thing she doesn’t know is, I don’t care if she’s fucking Finn or fucking me. I know Finn and I know we would never let a woman, even one as amazing as Joss come between us. Now, if she wants to cum between us, well, that’s a whole other story.
“Yeah, you look pretty flush.” I pretend I’m buying her excuse. “Do you think you have a fever?” I pull her into me and gently rest my palm over her forehead.
“Maybe.” She avoids my eyes.
“You know what I think?”
“No, what?” she answers.
“I think you might know the luau dancer who came over.” I drop my voice.
“W-What?” Her cheeks burn up bright pink.
“The crazy part is, I know him too.” I smirk. “Finn and I own the surf shop together.”
&
nbsp; “Shit,” she whispers.
“And I think maybe you’ve been dating both of us. Getting dirty with him … and me.” I raise an eyebrow.
Joss bites her lip, like she’s fighting to keep her secret buttoned up inside. Her big eyes slide up my face and settle on mine. “Maybe.” She slides her head up and down in a nod so slight, if I blinked I would’ve missed it.
“Well, there’s one more thing you should know then.” I slide my hand over her back, holding her against me.
“What?” she murmurs.
“I think it’s hot as hell.”
Joss flutters her eyelashes, clearly surprised. Heat blooms out from her, maybe she really does have a fever, or maybe I’m not the only one who thinks the three of us being together would be hot.
“If he makes you cum,” I murmur, sliding my hands down her back until they meet the curve of her ass, “and I make you cum as hard as you did the other night, what do you think we could do together?” I squeeze her cheeks in each hand, pulling them slightly apart, and grind my cock against her pussy.
Joss breathes in sharp and squeezes her eyes shut, wrapping her arms around my neck. Of course, I go for the kiss and she’s so soft and sexy and breathy that I want to take her right here not giving one single fuck who sees.
“Joss, Cohen?” Finn booms.
We both look up and watch him run toward us, still dressed for the show, his long hair blowing slightly like he’s doing a tourism ad for Hawaii or something.
Joss instantly dissolves back into nervousness, but I keep her tight in my arms. I want her to see she can trust me. She can trust us.
“Oh, I was worried I ruined your date. Sorry, if I upset you.” He looks at her. “I was just messing around.” He looks kinda like a puppy dog that tore up a pillow.
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