Champagne Kisses: A Timeless Love Story

by Krista Lakes

  Chapter 2

  June 5th, 1990

  An old man walked by wearing a Speedo swimsuit that left nothing to the imagination. You've got guts, dude, I thought, and then snickered in my head. Yup. You’ve got guts- and that's the problem! The man continued to strut up the beach, but my eyes didn't follow him. I was pretending to read a book, laying on my stomach facing the ocean, but really I was just people watching. I had read the same paragraph four times and hadn't turned the page yet. The tourists were just too interesting.

  Granted, I was a tourist too, but that wasn't going to stop me from people watching. My roommate, Jenny, nudged my beach chair with her foot, tipping her head toward the man who had just walked by. I peeked over the top of my Ray Ban sunglasses just in time to see him scratch himself.

  "Thanks, Jenny," I said, sticking my tongue out at her. She gave me a innocent smile and made sure the long brown hair in her side ponytail was still tight against her head.

  "No problem, Rachel. I thought you would appreciate that," she said with a laugh as I rolled my eyes at her. "Even with a view like that, I am having a great vacation. This was a great idea, Kimberly."

  Kimberly leaned forward on the opposite side of me and adjusted her big floppy hat with a satisfied grin. This trip had been all her doing. Her aunt owned a little vacation condo a few miles from the beach and was renting it to us three girls for practically nothing. Pooling our money together for gas, we had taken a road trip in Jenny's beat-up station wagon and were now enjoying a week of fun in the sun. It was the perfect way to celebrate our graduation.

  "Hey, would one of you put some more lotion on my back?" I asked. "I think I can feel it starting to burn." I pulled myself into a sitting position and dug under the chair for the bottle of sunscreen. Kimberly opened her hands like a football player so I could toss the bottle in her direction. I pulled my long dark hair out of the way as she squirted the white goop onto her hands and began working it into my skin.

  "Are you painting on her back?" Jenny asked, watching Kimberly draw designs into my skin with her fingertips. I didn't mind; it felt nice, and I knew she would rub it all in eventually. If she left it and gave me weird tan lines, she knew I would get her back.

  "Just seeing a pattern in her freckles," Kimberly said as she traced a circle on my skin. I looked at Jenny and the two of us began to giggle. Kim was renowned in the art department for her abstract art pieces. She had a tendency to see things very differently. All three of us had just graduated from college with our Bachelors of Fine Arts degrees. I sported a new Fashion and Design specialty, Jenny was Marketing, and Kimberly had Drawing and Painting.

  "You get me burned with one of your abstract designs, and I will put cockroaches under your pillow," I warned her. Kimberly laughed, but she hastily rubbed her design out and focused on making sure I didn't burn. Jenny snickered and settled back into her beach chair with her book. It looked like she was getting as much reading done as I was.

  "There, all done." Kimberly patted my back gently, and I turned and gave her a smile. She was small and petite with light blonde hair and green eyes. She fixed the floppy hat on her head, then rubbed some extra sunscreen into her pale arms before handing the bottle back to me.

  I settled back down with my book, glancing out at the waves. Blue water glistened along the shoreline. It was a quiet beach attached to a small town on the gulf side of Florida. The sand was white and fine, the waves soft and refreshing, and the town warm and friendly. It was probably going to be the last time the three of us would be together, now that we had all graduated.

  "You get any responses on those internships?" Kimberly asked me. I shook my head.

  It was kind of a sore spot for me. Kimberly had a job lined up in California. Jenny had an internship in Chicago. I had applied for several positions with designers in New York, Chicago, and even Paris, but so far I hadn't heard any responses.

  "I talked to my aunt last night, and there haven't been any phone calls," I said. "She checked our mail, but all we have is an electric bill." I shrugged my shoulders. My senior design piece was created with a pregnant woman in mind, and while my professors loved it, it wasn't exactly what high-fashion designers were looking for. I had meant to make something that would appeal more to the industry, but the fabric had just sewn itself together. The dress had willed itself into being. At least I had gotten an A.

  "You'll hear something soon. Your stuff is good. You know I wouldn't be able to get dressed without you half the time," Jenny said. I laughed. Jenny loved the flamboyant colors and patterns so prevalent in the current trends. She would wear so many colors it would make my eyes hurt to look at her if I didn't tell her to at least tone it down a little. Maybe not wear the flannel with the neon blue and pink patterned shirt.

  "Well, at least I've still got my job at Charlie's." I tried to sound upbeat, but compared to my roommates' successes, it was hard to be happy about my art-supply store job. Neither of my friends said anything, but just gave me supportive smiles as we all settled back into quiet. The gentle murmur of the ocean shushed at our feet as we all pretended to read.

  I turned a page, finally making it past that last sentence, when I saw him. He was tall. And handsome. And just a whole handful of whoa. I was very glad I had dark sunglasses, because I was most definitely staring.

  Just down the beach, the most beautiful man I had ever seen was emerging from the water. His dark hair was cut short, and he ran a hand through it, sending a spray of crystal drops through the air. I could see every perfect muscle from my chair, his body lithe and lean. His muscles weren't bulky, but instead were toned and perfectly proportioned. A tattoo of an eagle with spears clutched in its talons screamed out from his delicious-looking shoulder.

  He glanced over, and I felt my heart stop. His eyes peered right at me, and I could feel a blush starting to form as that Adonis of a man looked at me. I pretended to be very interested in my book, not wanting to be caught looking. When I glanced back up, he was greeting two more perfect specimens of the male species standing at the water's edge. All three of them had the same tattoo on their respective shoulders and all three were drool worthy.

  The three men walked casually down the beach and away from us. I was sad to see them go. They were so much better to look at than Speedo Guy. My beach chair shook as Jenny kicked it hard.

  "Did you see those hot military guys?" she asked, excited.

  "The ones with the tattoos? Yeah. Why?" I could hear the wheels turning in her head as she began plotting.

  "I think the one with the dark hair was looking at me." She gave me a sly half-smile. He was looking at me! I wanted to yell at her, but it wouldn't matter anyway. For all I knew, she was right. He could have even been looking at Kimberly. "I think we should find them tonight."

  "You're boy crazy," I told her with a roll of my eyes. She licked her lips, and I knew that tonight, we were going to be in for a man hunt. Jenny had a thing for men in uniform, and there was no way she was going to be talked out of having a good time trying to find them tonight.

  "Yeah, but you know that you're going to benefit from it," she answered with a grin. "Besides, it's a vacation. We deserve a little something nice."

  Kimberly groaned softly. I just shook my head at Jenny, but I knew we were going to have a good time.

  Chapter 3

  June 5th, 1990- Evening

  That night, in the tiny beach town, Jenny, Kimberly, and I were dressed to kill. Jenny wore shiny black leggings that emphasized her dancer-like legs with a purple and gold shirt, while Kimberly chose some amazing acid-washed jean shorts with a neon green tank-top. I had on a hot pink mini skirt with an oversized teal t-shirt hanging off one shoulder. We had used up a bottle of hairspray getting ready, so our hair looked fantastic, despite the humidity. We were ready to have some fun.

  We headed down to the main bar in town. It was called "The Pirate's Revenge" but everyone knew it as just "Revenge." Half of the venue was open to night air, music blasting o
ut and the lights twinkling into the darkness. It was the place to be. Jenny giggled and grabbed my hand, pulling me urgently toward the welcoming lights. If those military boys were anywhere tonight, they were at this bar.

  We stepped inside, adjusting our eyes to the revolving colored disco lights, and there they were. All three of them were leaned up against the bar, their jeans showing off perfect asses. Their t-shirts were ripped, and I could see how muscular they were underneath their clothing. One guy's shirt was a particularly bright shade of red and another had a gorgeous mane of blonde hair. However, "Blondie" and "Redshirt" weren't the guys that I was really checking out. The dark-haired one I liked was laughing at a joke Blondie had told. I did a quick check, and while there were no girls currently hanging on them, hungry looks abounded. We would have to move fast if we didn't want competition.

  Jenny sidled up to the bar, wedging herself between a bar-stool and the dark-haired one who had been looking at me earlier. He turned and gave her a once-over, a cocky half-smile crossing his lips. The other two raised their eyebrows as she used her sexiest voice, though it was hard to hear over the music. "Hey, Soldier."

  The handsome, dark-haired man set his drink down on the bar, careful not to spill it. Behind him, Blondie nudged Redshirt. They gave us appreciative smiles before turning to hear what the dark-haired man said to Jenny.

  "Hey, yourself." The dark-haired man's voice was even better than I could have expected. I could have listened to him talk all day.

  "Can I buy you a drink?" Jenny said, flirting shamelessly. I fought the urge to roll my eyes, especially since I knew she would be hitting Kimberly and me up for the cash later to pay for it.

  "Of course," he said. "Whiskeys all around, then." He grinned at her as he called to the bartender and ordered the house whiskey. I wanted to play in this game too, so I slid in between him and the blonde friend. Kimberly was hot on my heels.

  "I'll take one too," I chimed in.

  The dark-haired man turned and raised his eyebrows at me. I finally got a look at those crystal clear blue eyes of his. I could lose myself in those eyes. "You like whiskey?" He gave me that cocky half-grin, and I couldn't help but smile back.

  "Make mine a double," I said to the bartender as he poured out a row of drinks. Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Handsome gave me an approving nod as we all reached for a drink.

  "What are we toasting to?" Blondie asked as we raised our glasses.

  "To meeting new friends," Jenny shouted right away. We all grinned, clinked our glasses, and drank. The amber liquid gave a satisfying burn as it went down, and a happy warmth starting to tingle in my limbs. This was going to be a good night.

  Jenny set her empty glass on the bar. "I'm Jenny. This is Rachel, and that's Kimberly."

  "I'm Dean," the dark-haired man said with a smile. His blue eyes twinkled in the dim light.

  "I'm Matt, and this here's Anthony," Blondie added, tipping his head toward the tannest of the three.

  "Call me Tony." Redshirt gave all three of us girls a big grin, but his brown eyes lit up when they met with Kimberly's. I could practically hear Cupid's arrow fly past me and skewer the two of them, even with the bar music playing overhead.

  "So, Dean, where are you boys stationed?" Jenny asked, fluttering her eyelashes. I gave Matt a shy smile as I played with my glass, rolling it around between my fingers. He was big and tall; I guessed he had probably played football in high school given his build, and I would have happily had another drink with him, but his eyes were glued on Jenny.

  "What makes you think we're stationed anywhere?" Dean said, leaning his back against the bar, able to see Jenny on his right and me and everyone else on his left.

  "Your tattoos." Jenny brushed her hand against his arm where the eagle's claws poked out under his shirt sleeve. "I like tattoos. You wanna see mine?"

  Dean stiffened slightly at her touch. It was as though he finally realized that she was focusing her attention on him, and that the rest of us were watching to see what happened next. He frowned slightly as he tried to figure out what to say without turning her down.

  "Dean's not big on tattoos, but I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours." Matt jumped into the conversation before Dean found the words he was looking for. I hid a small smile as I turned towards the bar, looking for the bartender to order another drink. Matt's eyes hadn't left Jenny from the moment she walked in. There was no way he was going to let her walk out with anybody else.

  Jenny looked Matt up and down for a moment, then glanced at Dean. A slow smile crossed her face as she realized she had a sure thing with the muscular blonde man. How did the saying go? "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." It was almost magic as she shifted herself away from Dean and next to Matt.

  "Buy me a drink?" she purred, oozing desire. Matt's face broke out in a goofy smile, and he waved the bartender over. The bartender actually paid attention to him, and scuttled back down the bar with two fresh beers.

  Matt threw some money on the bar and wrapped his big arm around Jenny, leading her off toward a booth. I knew she was going to be having company tonight. I managed to catch the bartender before he disappeared again, ordering myself a beer.

  "I guess that leaves just you and me," Dean said, putting money on the bar for my beer before I had the chance. I glanced beside me to see that Kimberly and Tony had vanished into a dark corner of the bar together. Looking at Dean, though, I wasn't sad. I was glad to have him all to myself.

  "I'll get the next one, then," I said as the bartender whisked the money away before I could tell him otherwise.

  "Deal." The man had a wicked grin. It was just lopsided enough to give him such a cockiness that I couldn't decide if I wanted to smack it or kiss it off his face.

  "It was Dean, right?" I asked. I was doing my best to play nonchalant, but it was hard. With those blue eyes, and rippling arm muscles, he could have had me on the bar right there.

  Dean nodded. "So, what are three lovely ladies doing in a town like this?" The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled and sipped on his drink from before we arrived.

  "We just got out of school. We're celebrating while we still have loan money and before real life sets in. What about you?" I asked. It took conscious effort not to inch closer and touch him.

  "We're on leave. We have to head back out at the end of the week." He said it like it didn't bother him, but his jaw tightened and his arms crossed his chest. I could tell that he wasn't looking forward to returning to whatever real life was for him.

  "Why'd you come here?" I asked, guessing that if he didn't mention where he was going, he didn't want to talk about it. "I would think you would want to go to a bigger city for a vacation. Someplace like Miami or Vegas, not a tiny tourist-trap beach town like this."

  He gave me that wicked smile again. Something deep inside me started to ache to feel that smile kiss me. I hadn't felt this physically attracted to a man in a long time. I'd had a couple of boyfriends in college, but nothing had ever really stuck. My relationships were either all physical or all mental, and neither of those will last for long without the other.

  "Frontera's mom has a beach house here. It's nicer than anything we could have gotten anywhere else," Dean said matter-of-factly. "She's not using it, so we got it for the week. Besides, this place is all Frontera ever talks about. We had to make sure he wasn't making it up." He took a long draw on his drink.

  "Frontera?" I asked, confused.

  "Tony. Sorry, he's Anthony Frontera, but we usually call him Frontera."

  "Well, I guess if you need to, you can call me Weber," I said with a smirk.

  He laughed and finished his drink. "All right, Weber. What's your plans for your 'real life' that you're delaying by coming here?"

  Normally I would have been put off by such a question, but I opened up to Dean immediately. I bought the next drink, and he bought the one after that. My head was starting to buzz, so I slowed down, feeling that I had drank enough.

  I talked about my hop
es of working for a fashion designer in New York, about my dreams of opening my own design place. In the meantime, how I'd be happy just to get a job in the field. He listened attentively, nodding at just the right spots, asking questions that I was happy to answer. It seemed so easy to fall into a conversation with him, and I felt myself leaning closer and closer as we talked. He didn't volunteer any information about his job in the Army, and I didn't ask. I was happy to talk about myself for a while.

  After talking for what seemed like forever, I decided to change the subject. "So," I said with a sly smile. "Where is this house that Tony couldn't shut up about?"

  "Are you trying to get my address?" Dean asked with a mock-scandalized look, putting his hand up to his face like some Victorian age lady. I couldn't help but laugh. "It's right off the beach and about half a block that way." He nodded his head up toward the expensive houses. "It's the blue one."

  "Are you serious?" I exclaimed. "That place is huge! You could fit half the Army in that house," If it really was the house I was thinking of, it was the biggest house on the beach.

  "Yeah, it's probably the nicest place I've ever been," he said. He set his empty glass on the bar and gave me that smile again, this time with a little bit of conspiracy behind it. "You want a tour?"

  "Hell yes!" I couldn't even hide my excitement.

  Chapter 4

  June 5th, 1990- Evening

  Dean took me by the hand, and we stumbled out of the brightly-lit bar and onto the sidewalk. I knew that the other girls would wonder about where I went, but I didn't care. I could feel the whiskey and beer buzzing through my system, making me giddy. We were outside before I realized that Dean hadn't let go of my hand. I could feel his heat seeping into my skin, sending little tendrils of electricity up my spine. I was lightheaded, and I knew it wasn't just from the alcohol.