by Gerri Hill
Which was just crazy. She hadn’t seen Gina since their first semester of college. In fact, she rarely even gave her a thought.
God, that’s a lie.
She stood up quickly, again going to the window, staring out but seeing nothing. Truth was, Gina Granbury crossed her mind far more than she should. A teenaged affair that ended badly—that’s all it was. Yet, nearly twenty years later she still hadn’t found anyone who touched her like Gina had. The intensity between them—the heat and the passion—was something she’d tried to duplicate without success. Whether it was a product of teenage hormones or not, the sex between them was...well...simply incredible. And so far in her adult life, nothing had come close.
She spun around, feeling the warm blush on her face. She closed her eyes, letting in images she’d tried to suppress all these years. Images of the two of them, naked and aching for each other’s touch, images of stolen moments where they’d hidden in dark shadows, images of hot, wet kisses where they couldn’t bear to part. And images of sunshine and high grass, a blanket and a forgotten picnic lunch, their hands and mouths unable to pause even long enough to pretend they were on a picnic. No, the precious moments when they were alone were spent doing one of two things—talking or making love.
Her hands balled into fists, squeezing tightly. She chased those images away and replaced them with others that were much more painful. The one of Gina breaking up with her, her tall frame striding purposefully away from her, and then more, images of Gina kissing other girls, Gina laughing with someone else as she teased her, Gina coming out of another girl’s dorm room at midnight, her hair and clothes in disarray, evidence of what she’d just done.
Damn her.
Chapter Nine
Twenty-three years earlier
Ashleigh closed the door to her bedroom and plopped down on the bed. The sounds of chatter and laughter wafted up the stairs as her brother and sister shouted out names of their friends. Their mother had just given them the okay to each invite one friend along for their week’s vacation at the beach. It was a trip they took every summer in June, renting a beach house on Mustang Island. The last two summers, Ashleigh had invited Crissy and her mother assumed Crissy would go again.
Ashleigh stared at the phone on her desk. Crissy would be expecting to go. They were friends. Most thought they were best friends. She rolled over onto her side, tucking her hands against her cheek. Despite what everyone thought, she didn’t really have a best friend. She and Crissy never talked about anything other than boys or cheerleading or their group of friends. There was never anything deeper. Their conversations were as shallow as their friendship.
What she really wanted to do was invite Gina Granbury to go with her to the beach. But did she dare? School had been out almost three weeks already and she’d not seen her since the last day at school. She’d caught up to her just before Gina had sped away on her bike. Ashleigh offered to give her a ride home in her car. As they’d stared at each other, Ashleigh realized how stupid her offer was—and transparent. Gina would have to catch another ride back to the school to retrieve her bike. In the few seconds that their eyes held, Ashleigh nearly blurted out that they’d put the damn bike in the back of her car, anything to spend time with Gina. But she was too late. Gina gave her a wink and a slow, knowing smile as she pushed her bike away.
Ashleigh rolled over onto her back again, staring at the ceiling. After the swim party, she’d made it a point to talk to Gina at school. Each time she did, the pull was stronger. It was almost as if she craved her nearness. She didn’t understand it. Not completely. It was . . . it was an attraction, yes. She swallowed and closed her eyes. There was nothing sexual, of course. She wasn’t one of those girls.
Was she?
No, of course not. Just because there wasn’t a spark with any of the boys in Calloway didn’t mean there’d never be a spark with a boy.
She eyed the phone again. She really wanted Gina to go. She wanted to get to know her. She had a feeling their friendship wouldn’t be shallow. So she stood quickly, pulling out one of the drawers of her desk and finding the Calloway phone directory. There were two Granburys listed. She picked up the phone and dialed the first one, her heart pounding nervously as it rang.
A lady answered with a cheery “hello” and Ashleigh let out her breath.
“May I speak to Gina, please?”
“Oh, dear, I’m sorry. She doesn’t live here. This is her Aunt Lou.”
“Okay. I’ll try the other number.”
She hung up quickly, embarrassed. She stared at the second number, memorizing it, but decided against calling. She scribbled down the address, noting the street wasn’t too far from school. No wonder Gina rode her bike. She grabbed her keys and purse and nearly ran out of her bedroom, taking the stairs two at a time. She ignored Mark and Courtney who were now perched in front of the TV. She found her mother in the kitchen making sandwiches for lunch.
“I’m going to run out,” she said, dangling her keys for emphasis.
“Where to? It’s almost lunchtime.”
Ashleigh leaned her hip against the counter next to her mother. “Mom, I don’t think I want to invite Crissy to the beach this year,” she said.
Her mother glanced at her, then went back to spooning mayo out of the jar. “I thought you had a good time with her last year.”
“I did. It’s not that. It’s just...well, I want to invite a new friend.”
“Oh? Who?”
“Gina. Gina Granbury.”
Her mother stopped, turning to look at her. “Gina Granbury? I’ve never heard you mention her before.”
Ashleigh shifted her weight, knowing she had no reason to be nervous, yet she was. “She went to Catholic school so she’s only been with us since freshmen year. She was at Jennifer’s swim party last month,” she added, as if that made all the difference.
“I see.” Her mother studied her for a moment, then went back to her sandwiches. “Well, honey, you can invite whomever you want.”
Ashleigh smiled with relief and leaned closer, kissing her mother quickly on the cheek. “Thanks, Mom. I’m going to run over to her house now, okay?”
“Okay. Be careful.”
Ashleigh was nearly giddy as she drove across town. She was too excited to be nervous, and too nervous to even think about what she was going to say to Gina. That is, providing Gina was even home. She may have a summer job. Or worse, she may be at her basketball camp. Ashleigh bit her lower lip. What if her basketball camp was the same week as their vacation?
“Oh, no. Please not that,” she whispered to the empty car.
She slowed as she passed the street where she would normally turn for school, going another two blocks before turning left. She drove to the end, watching street signs until she found Gina’s. She took a deep breath, turning slowly as her hands tightened on the wheel. Maybe this was too soon. Maybe she should think about it. Maybe she should just call instead.
But as she approached the Granbury’s modest house, she found Gina pounding a basketball on the driveway, spinning and executing a perfect jump shot into the torn netting of the basketball rim. She was mesmerized, watching the muscles of Gina’s legs as she dribbled, enjoying the fluid grace of her movements, her tan skin, just the barest glimpse of flat stomach as her T-shirt flew up when she jumped again.
Then Gina stopped and turned, their eyes meeting through the windshield of the car. Ashleigh realized she was still in the middle of the street, stopped. She took her foot off the brake, easing into the Granbury’s driveway as Gina moved to the side.
Gina bent down and peered through the open window. “What are you doing slummin’ on this side of town?”
Ashleigh laughed. “Looking for you.”
“Well, you found me.”
Gina stepped back, opening the door for her. Ashleigh got out, her nervousness returning as she stood in front of Gina. While not exactly short, Ashleigh still conceded several inches in height to Gina. Gina, too, appeare
d a bit nervous as she fidgeted with the basketball.
“Is this where you practice?”
“Mostly.”
Ashleigh shoved both hands into the pockets of her shorts, trying to appear nonchalant, as if she was used to showing up at a girl’s house unannounced. They stood there, eyes darting about—meeting—then quickly looking away, only to come back together again.
“So, are you enjoying the summer?” Ashleigh asked, mentally rolling her eyes at her lame attempt at conversation.
“It’s okay. Haven’t done anything, really.”
“When’s your basketball camp?”
“At the end of July.”
Ashleigh smiled broadly. “Great.”
“Great?”
“Yeah, great.” She took a step closer, unable to resist the pull. “You want to go to the beach with me?” she blurted out.
Gina’s eyebrows shot up. “The beach?”
Ashleigh nodded. “My family rents a beach house every summer.”
“Where?”
“Mustang Island. It’s across the bay from Corpus, near Port Aransas.”
“Sounds like fun.”
“Will you go with me?”
Seconds passed as Gina’s eyes searched hers, looking for what, Ashleigh didn’t know. She held her gaze, hoping Gina found what she was looking for.
“When...when are you going?” Gina asked, her voice sounding odd to Ashleigh. Gina cleared her throat, then smiled. “I think it’d be fun.”
“We go in two weeks. We’ll be there over the Fourth and they have a great fireworks show on the beach.” Without thinking, her hand found Gina’s, and she squeezed her fingers. “Please come.” She realized she sounded like she was practically begging and perhaps she was. She couldn’t explain it, but she needed Gina to go with her.
“Yes.” Gina’s voice was nearly a whisper. She cleared her throat again. “Of course, I’ll have to make sure it’s okay with my mother,” she said, motioning to the house.
“She can...she can call my mom.” Ashleigh went back to her car and found a crumpled piece of paper in her purse. She scribbled out her parents’ number, then below that, added the number for her private line. “Here. That’s our number. The one on the bottom, that’s the number for my bedroom.”
“So if I want to talk to your bedroom, I dial that one?”
Ashleigh laughed. “No, silly. You’ll talk to me. I’ll just be in my bedroom.”
Again, that invisible pull guided her closer. She couldn’t resist it. Gina didn’t move away. Ashleigh stood close, trying to think of something to say, something to prolong her visit here.
“Do you...I mean, you and your parents, do you take a vacation during the summer?”
Gina shook her head. “Not really, no. My dad, he works for Ashwood Gas so he’s out in the field a lot. If we go somewhere it’ll be to see my grandmother over in New Braunfels.”
“New Braunfels is fun,” Ashleigh said. “They’ve got that big water park there.”
“Yeah. I’ve been a few times.”
“Do you have a brother or a sister?”
“No. Just me. You?”
“Both. They’re twins. Ten. They act like they’re eight most of the time,” she said with a laugh. “And they will each invite a friend to go along too, so be prepared.”
Gina nodded and spun the basketball between her hands. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course. What?”
“Why me?”
Ashleigh felt a blush settle on her face immediately. Yes, why Gina Granbury? Why not someone safer, like Crissy? Safer? She tried to think of a reason to give Gina and could come up with nothing other than the truth.
“I want to get to know you,” she finally admitted. “I think we could be really good friends.”
“You do?”
“Don’t you?” Ashleigh held her gaze. “I like you.” She wasn’t prepared for the fluttering of her heart as Gina returned those words to her.
“I like you, too,” Gina said, almost in a whisper.
Chapter Ten
Present Day
Gina sped down the highway, the wind whipping at her hair in the open Jeep as she left Corpus Christi behind and headed over the causeway. The island was where she normally went when she needed to think, when a design or a jingle eluded her, or when she just needed some alone time.
Like now.
She turned onto the state park road, flashing her annual pass at the gate. The attendant waved her through without looking. They all knew her Jeep by now. It was a Wednesday in early May and the parking lot at the day-use area was nearly empty. She parked in her usual spot under one of the palm trees and got out, taking a water bottle with her as she walked.
She headed south, her bare feet cooled by the waves as they splashed on shore, then raced back again. Taking a deep breath of the salty, humid air, she let her mind wander where it may as she aimlessly walked, listening to the sounds of the gulls and shorebirds as they came to inspect her, hoping for a handout.
She wasn’t surprised to find herself chasing around memory lane again. It was something she’d been doing ever since she got that damn invitation to her twentieth class reunion. She didn’t know why it had affected her so. When the invitation for her tenth reunion came, she’d looked at it, shrugged, and tossed it in the trash, not giving it another thought. Of course, ten years ago she was still enjoying the freedom of life in Austin, hanging out with grad students, following the live music scene or relaxing at the lake with a group of rowdy friends. She was content working for someone else, learning her trade at one of the larger advertising agencies in the city, putting in her eight-to-five shift, then forgetting about it until the next morning. She was still in her “whore dog” days, as Tracy called it.
She wasn’t quite sure when she finally grew up and realized she wasn’t twenty-one any longer. Perhaps it was just one too many hangovers, one too many nameless, faceless women in her bed or one too many unsatisfying affairs.
Or maybe she just got tired of running. Because that’s what she’d been doing. Running from her life, running from Ashleigh’s ghost, running from a long lost love. Running from her memories.
It was purely by accident that she ran into Tracy, her old friend from college. They’d left San Marcos the day after graduation, Tracy heading home to Corpus and Gina heading to Austin. They’d kept in touch sporadically, finally drifting apart as new friends took their places. She never expected she’d run into her at a grocery store one evening. They’d picked up their friendship where they’d left off, Tracy inviting her for a visit to Corpus to meet her husband and kids. That visit was all it took to convince Gina to leave Austin. The peace she’d been searching for—she found it there, at the beach. The one place that held the most precious memories for her.
She paused, looking out over the gulf, reflecting on the past like she’d been doing for the past couple of weeks. She wondered what Ashleigh’s reaction would be if she knew Gina had settled here, having Mustang Island as her playground. They’d come here twice together, once the summer before their junior year of high school, and then again the summer before their senior year. Of course, by the second summer, they were already lovers, sneaking off wherever they could to be together. But it was that first summer that she remembered the most. That summer was one of discovery, of love and longing, of a new friendship that turned into much more by the week’s end. Because that was all it took. One short—one incredible—week to fall deeply in love with Ashleigh Pence.
Chapter Eleven
Twenty-three years earlier
“This is our bedroom,” Ashleigh said as she placed her suitcase on the dresser.
Gina stood in the doorway, eyeing the one double bed in the corner of the room. Our bedroom. Our bed. It would be a miracle if she survived the week without making a complete fool of herself. The control she had on her raging hormones was tenuous at best.
“Come on. Let’s change.”
Gina’s
eyes widened as Ashleigh pulled her shirt off, standing in nothing but her bra and shorts as she ripped open her bag, searching for her swimsuit. When she found it, her bra joined her shirt on the floor. Gina stood rooted to the spot, her greedy eyes roving over Ashleigh’s half-naked body. Being tall and lanky, Gina had no breasts to speak of. In fact, if her mother would allow it, she wouldn’t ever wear a bra. But Ashleigh, oh, her breasts were well-formed, standing firm and taut as she slipped on her bikini top.
Gina made herself turn away, knowing she would fall into a dead faint if Ashleigh stripped off her shorts and underwear in the same manner she had her shirt and bra.
“Are you shy?” Ashleigh asked quietly.
Gina didn’t turn around as she sorted through her own clothes, trying to decide between the one-piece suit and the bikini she’d dared to include. “I’m a little shy, yes,” she said. It was, of course, a lie. She was on the basketball team. She was used to stripping naked and showering in a group stall with ten other girls at once.
“I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful.”
Gina turned then, finding Ashleigh standing close, her shorts unbuttoned but still on, thankfully. She swallowed, then shook her head, using all her willpower to keep her eyes from straying to Ashleigh’s breasts, now covered in the tiny bikini top. “It’s okay. I don’t mind.” She pulled her own T-shirt off, watching Ashleigh’s face flush, her eyes darken. She was startled by Ashleigh’s reaction. Startled and confused.
Ashleigh’s mouth opened and closed several times before words came out. “I...I should...I mean...I could...if you’re—”
For the first time in her young life, Gina felt empowered as the truth hit home. Ashleigh was having the same reaction to Gina’s body as Gina had had to hers. Without thinking, she pulled her new sports bra off, leaving her as naked as Ashleigh had been earlier. She heard Ashleigh’s sharp intake of breath as her eyes settled on Gina’s breasts. Gina turned then, her hands shaking as she chose the bikini over the one-piece.