Just a Little Kiss

by Renita Pizzitola

“Angie called in. I’m working her shift now.”

  I smiled. “Well, there go my tips.”

  Isla was the epitome of beauty. Sleek dark hair, large brown eyes, perfect bone structure. Guys basically fell at her feet, worshipping the ground she walked on. Unfortunately for them, she was—and had been for as long as I could remember—in love with Colby. But in a cruel twist of fate, he was the one guy who didn’t seem to register her existence as a female.

  “Whatever. Like always, I’ll probably spill half my drinks and mess up everybody’s order before we hit the dinner rush. We both know my place is behind the hostess counter.” She smiled sweetly and batted her lashes then followed it all with an eye roll.

  It had been whispered, not so quietly behind her back, that she’d been hired for her looks, not her ability to wait tables. But that wasn’t fair to her. She’d only been working at Eddie’s for a couple of months. She’d learn. But she was hard on herself, and seemed to know—just as well as I did—most people never saw past the superficial packaging, which was a shame. Isla was one of the best people I knew.

  “You’ll do fine. You always do.” I smiled and climbed out of the boat, onto the deck. “Where do you want to eat?”

  “It’s up to you. Want me to tear up some roots?” She gestured to the strip of sago palms growing next to the parking lot. “Or are you finally eating real food?”

  I nudged her. “Ha-ha, very funny. My food is more real than half the crap you eat.”

  “Hey, those chicken nuggets now contain twenty percent more meat product.”

  “I just threw up a little.”

  She laughed as we made our way to her car parked in the lot by Eddie’s. “Okay, health freak, where should we eat?”

  “Let’s go to Lucy’s Café.”

  “Fine, but only because she makes those delicious chocolate croissants.” She tossed me her keys. “You drive.”

  I caught them and clicked the button to unlock the doors. “Did you hear about Colby’s cousin?”

  Isla perked at the mention of Colby. “No, what about him?”

  “He’s helping out with the charters while John recovers. He’s also living on John’s boat.”

  “So a neighbor, huh? Does he look like Colby?”

  That was her way of asking if he was cute—which he was—but he didn’t look that much like Colby.

  “Not really,” I said. “I mean, maybe a little. His hair is lighter. More blondish, and he has these really dark eyes.”

  “Is he hot?”

  “Very.”

  “So are you saying you found your newest Summer Boy?” She grinned as she slid into the passenger seat.

  Isla was the only person who knew about my love of Summer Boys…and all the screwed-up reasons behind it.

  “That’s what I’m kind of hoping.” I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main street of town. “You think Colby will have a problem with it?”

  “Only one way to find out.” She kicked her flip-flops off and crossed her legs. “And, of course, I have no complaints about spending time with him while you hook up with…What’s his cousin’s name?”

  “Mason, who also happened to invite me over for a drink tonight.”

  She straightened in her seat. “Seriously? Damn, you move fast. When did this happen?”

  “Around three this morning. I couldn’t sleep, found him outside completely seasick and offered him Grandpa’s remedy.”

  “That stuff is ah-mazing. I’d offer you my firstborn in trade. A drink actually seems weak in comparison. He should have thrown in dinner and some oral.”

  I laughed. “Well, if the remedy holds up all day on the boat, maybe he will.”

  “Just be wary of dessert. You might find an engagement ring in your brownie à la mode.”

  “Got it. Drinks, dinner, little oral, skip out before dessert.” I pulled into Lucy’s Café and spotted an all-too-familiar dark blue truck.

  Isla was still laughing when she realized I’d gone quiet. Her gaze followed mine. “Oh. Uh, should we go somewhere else?”

  Avoiding Brody in a town this small was damn near impossible. But the other benefit of a small town was there were only so many places people could go, and if he was at one of them, I wasn’t. Made life easier that way…for us both. But I couldn’t expect Isla to change her plans because of my issues.

  I slumped back. “Crap. I don’t know. What if he’s with her? It’s hard enough running into him, but if he’s with her…I don’t think I can sit through a meal with them a few feet away.”

  “I can go inside and scope it out. If it’s all good, I’ll shoot you a quick text. If not, I’ll grab something to go.”

  “I guess that would work. Of course, it’s not like I can avoid them forever…” My words trailed off as Brody stepped out the front door, a white bag in one hand and baby in the other. My heart and gut launched into a game of tug-of-war. His little girl was adorable with a pink bow framing her tiny face, but she was also her daughter.

  I scooted down in my seat, hoping he didn’t see us, but being that we were in Isla’s car, he didn’t even do a double take. He opened his back door, buckled the baby into her car seat then hopped in his truck and drove away.

  My breath came out in a rush.

  “It’s so weird seeing him with a kid.” Isla echoed my thoughts exactly.

  Never in a million years would I have seen his life headed in that direction. Especially with someone other than me.

  I pressed my forehead against the steering wheel. “I’ve got to get out of this town,” I groaned.

  Isla studied me, her expression sympathetic, maybe even concerned. “Maybe it’s time to just go. You could get a job waitressing somewhere while working on your degree or whatever.” She waved her hand as if it were that simple, but nothing was that simple.

  “You know it’s more than that. Sure, I could find a job, but where do I live in the meantime? In my car? I hardly have anything saved. I’ve missed registration for most universities, but even if I did get in, what would I do there? School’s never been my thing.”

  “You’re a smart girl. You’ll do fine.”

  “I’m not college smart.” I didn’t really know what I meant by that, but it was so ingrained in me to think that way. I was the youngest of four girls, and none of my sisters went. My parents hadn’t gone either. They were all fine. I’d be too. College wasn’t for everyone, and I was okay with that. It was just a matter of figuring out where I did belong.

  “That’s not true.” Isla shifted in her seat and faced me. “Felicity, c’mon, what’s really going on? You’ve been complaining for the past year about how bad you want out, yet you aren’t trying to get away. That’s not like you. You don’t sit around doing nothing. What’s holding you back?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m all talk. Realistically, where would I go? As much as I don’t want to admit it, this place is home.”

  “As your friend, I’d love for you to stay. But as your best friend, I want you to go.” She nudged me on the shoulder. “I don’t know how we will manage it, but we are getting you out of this town.”

  It was nice of her to want something better for me, but there was too much fear holding me back. I was an independent person, but making the big leap terrified me. I’d have no control over the future. Maybe this one time I needed someone alongside me. Like a best friend.

  “What about you? You want out with me?” I asked.

  “Unlike you, I don’t totally hate this place.”

  “I don’t hate it.” I shrugged. But I didn’t like it either. Of course, I knew exactly what Isla found appealing about Port Lucia. I grinned at her. “Maybe if I had a guy who I was madly in love with like you, I’d be happier sticking around.”

  I didn’t think she realized it, but her gaze drifted to where Brody’s truck had been parked. “Maybe that’s your ticket out of here.”

  “A guy I’m madly in love with?” I practically snorted my laugh. “Th
ere won’t be one.”

  “What about one who’s madly in love with you?”

  I was pretty sure people were only granted one mad love, and Brody had been mine. I shook my head. “He’d never leave her, not that I’d want him t—”

  “I’m not talking about Brody.”

  Where in the world was she going with this?

  “You know those Summer Boys could be useful…maybe the next one will be your ticket out of here.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

  “You mean a guy like, Mason?” With a laugh, I shook my head. She’d officially lost her mind. If everything went well, I’d have a fun summer fling with him. A little entertainment, topped with flirtation, sprinkled with a bit of hotness…sure. But running off with him? Yeah, right. When it came to Summer Boys, I had my rules.

  She bit her lip while a grin tugged up the free side.

  God, she was serious. “You’re crazy. I don’t even know where Mason is from. I’m not running off to some random place with a guy I hardly know.”

  “So you find out. Get to know him better. You have time. And if he’s not the one, maybe it will be the next guy. Or reach out to one of the others. You’ve had, what, three Summer Boys in the last two months, not including him?”

  “Matt hardly counts. He was only here for four days and we went on, like, two dates. Of course, there’s Evan.” I’d known him the longest since his family spent a month at the beach every summer. Oh my God. Why was I entertaining this? I shook my head. “This idea is insane.”

  “C’mon, why wouldn’t it work? You just need a place to live until you get on your feet, right?”

  I shook my head. “I couldn’t use someone like th—”

  “Like they aren’t using you?” Her dark eyebrows squished together. “Please, Felicity. Those boys roll into town, knowing full and well they are leaving before summer ends. Does it stop them from hooking up with you?”

  In my defense I didn’t “hook up” with them in the traditional sense. Well, except for Evan, and I already seriously regretted breaking that rule. But as for the rest of them, we messed around but we didn’t have sex. And the lack of commitment was mutual. But did Isla see it that way?

  She continued. “For the sake of argument, let’s pretend they aren’t all assholes. That we aren’t dealing with one horny little man-child after another.”

  Isla was a hand-talker when she was on a rant, and right now she was in full-on rant mode. The interior of her car didn’t provide me with much of a safety zone, but I scooted into the driver door and hoped she didn’t accidentally swat me in the process.

  She pressed one hand to her chest, while the other waved through the air. “Let’s say, deep down inside they truly care about you. And if they stayed in town, they might keep the relationship going a little longer but, c’mon, we both know it’d eventually fizzle out.”

  Which was exactly what I wanted. For so many reasons. Ones I’d thought she knew and understood. I wanted to date and have fun, but local boys were completely out of the question, and not just because they all seemed to know my ex, but also because I didn’t want to be trapped in Port Lucia like my sisters…and Brody, who I’d tried to save. Unfortunately my plan backfired, sealing his small-town-life fate—stolen youth, meaningless job, dead-end future. Thanks to that situation, I learned a valuable lesson: All decisions had a ripple effect—good or bad—and I had to live with the outcome.

  From that point on, I was more cautious and avoided the seemingly inevitable outcome that so many around me had already succumbed to. I dated Summer Boys. They were fun, I never got attached, so heartbreak wasn’t an issue, and there were no long-term consequences of the relationship. Everyone was happy in the end. It worked, and that was what mattered.

  I glanced back at Isla, who seemed to be waiting for me to get on board with her idea, but she failed to remember one thing. “This is my choice too, you know.”

  “Exactly. You don’t want a serious relationship any more than they do. You’d both be looking for an easy out eventually.”

  I sighed. “Let’s go eat. Clearly, your blood sugar is low and triggering delusional thoughts.” I pulled the keys from the ignition and popped open my door.

  “It’s not a crazy idea,” Isla said as she met me in front of her car. “You need a place to crash until you get on your feet. Think about it.”

  “Right now all I can think about is the fact we only have half an hour before work, and Lucy makes a delicious Greek salad that will take me no less than twenty minutes to consume.”

  “Fine.” She looped her arm through mine and pulled me to the door. “But this conversation isn’t over.”

  Oh, but it was. Incredibly over. Because no matter how badly I wanted out of this town, there was one thing I’d never do: Be dependent on a guy. Hell, if I wanted to head down that road, I might as well stay here. Too bad some other girl had filled that role with the one guy who’d actually meant something. I shook my mind clear of memories that no longer mattered. That was another life for us both; no point in dredging up the past.

  But Isla was right about one thing. It was time to focus on my future…whatever the hell that was.

  I needed a life, and that wouldn’t be found here.

  —

  Since it was a summer weekend, we were slammed, and my shift practically flew by. It wasn’t until the charter boats started drifting back into the harbor that I had time to think about Mason. Assuming he hadn’t been thrown overboard, I’d have a chance to get to know him. But now, thanks to Isla, I had this weird feeling about it. She’d planted a seed that I shouldn’t water, but let’s face it, I was a tiny bit curious about how it might sprout if given a chance.

  Could I run off with some guy?

  Doubtful.

  Isla might have been right about my relationships’ shelf life and, yeah, maybe we’d be looking for an easy out a few months in, but everything else about the situation was complicated, which I didn’t do. There was too much to worry about. From the dynamics of living with a guy, to my personal guilt over using someone like that, to just the trust factor. For it to work, everything would have to line up perfectly and, well, I was all too aware that nothing stayed perfect forever.

  I leaned up against the hostess stand as the dinner rush began to fizzle. My feet were killing me, and I really wanted to sit.

  “Ooh, is that John’s charter I see pulling in?” Isla’s shoulder pressed against mine as she squeezed in next to me.

  We both shamelessly stared out the large glass windows as the boat maneuvered into its slip. She watched for Colby, while I waited for Mason, but considering he was currently living on the boat, I wasn’t sure if he’d emerge.

  Colby finally stepped off and stretched, his shirt rising slightly around his waist.

  I nudged Isla. “You just sighed. Loudly. Like, really, table seven heard it.”

  “I did not.” She sighed again. “But look at that stomach. One day I’m going to get all up in that.”

  I laughed. “You should tell him. I’m sure he’ll let you ‘get all up in that’ when you phrase it like that.”

  She rested her chin in her palm. “That’s the problem. It needs to be mutual, not only because I’m there and available. I’m not going to throw myself at him…no matter how badly I want to.” She whimpered, “Why doesn’t he want me?”

  I honestly had no clue. I’d seen the other girls he’d dated; Isla had way more to offer. “Because he’s incredibly stupid.”

  “Hey, is that his cousin?” She pointed out the window.

  I turned back to the boat and sure enough, Mason stepped off, followed by a girl around my age. She said something to him that earned her a smile then walked off to join a group of older men who’d also been on the charter. As she walked away she tossed one last glance back at Mason and grinned.

  “Oh my God. Could she be any more obvious?” Isla asked.

  Though I couldn’t ignore the little twinge of jealousy that ran through me, I shrugge
d. “Maybe she’s being nice.”

  Colby punched him in the shoulder, and Mason shook his head, a smirk affixed to his face.

  I suppressed a groan. “Or maybe the feeling is mutual,” I grumbled.

  Isla straightened. “Wait, but did you see that?”

  “See what?”

  “He looked at your boat.”

  “He’s looking around, not at my boat.”

  “No way. He looked right at it.”

  So I’d kind of noticed his gaze sweeping over my boat, maybe fixing on the cabin area, but from this distance he could have been looking anywhere. Hard to tell.

  “That girl may want his attention, but looks like he’s thinking about you.” She nudged me then added in a singsong voice, “Someone is looking forward to tonight.”

  “That or Grandpa’s remedy didn’t hold up and he’s cursing me.”

  “Yeah, right. That stuff is amazing. Someone’s getting a little appreciation loving tonight.”

  “Oh stop.” I playfully elbowed her. “Table four is waiting for their check.”

  She pointed to her face as she walked away. “See this? It’s called jealousy.”

  With a laugh, I rolled my eyes. “I promise you, my night will not be nearly as exciting as you seem to think it will be. And, heads-up, here comes Colby.”

  She jerked her head toward the door then adjusted her ponytail and smoothed her apron. Her eyebrows furrowed a tiny bit before she spun away to give her table their check.

  The door swung open and Colby walked in. “Hey, Felicity. Do you think I could get a turkey sandwich to go?”

  “Sure.” I moved to the computer and punched in his order. “It should be ready in ten minutes.”

  “Cool.” He settled against the wall in the waiting area. “So I hear you and Mason talked last night.”

  I nodded, unable to get a read on where Colby was going with this. “I gave him some medicine for motion sickness. Hopefully, it helped.”

  “It did. Thanks for that. It would have been a mess out there today had he been sick. The guys are already giving him shit for being the new guy. Could you imagine what they’d think if he’d been puking overboard all day?” He chuckled and shook his head.