by Kimberly Fox
“Huh?” Ethan grunts, looking up from his French toast. I don’t think he heard the last dozen or so sentences.
This is the first time that I’ve seen Julia without Matt. “Where’s the soulmate?”
She rolls her brown eyes. “He has this weird thing where he has to stay in bed until Price is Right comes on. He hasn’t missed an episode in ten years.”
“That’s…fucking weird,” I say.
“Tell me about it,” Julia says, rolling her eyes again.
The waitress walks over and I order a coffee and a water.
“Too bad you’re soulmates,” I say with a grin.
Megan is staring at me as she sips on her coffee. She looks like a poker player staring someone down at the table, trying to get a read on them.
“What?” I ask her.
“Did you wake up alone, Sinthia?” she asks, emphasizing the ‘sin’ in my name.
No, I woke up to a disgusting facial in a gangbang.
“Just me and Ophelia,” I answer. “Thanks again, Tanya.”
Tanya grimaces. “Is she really that bad?”
I grit my teeth and close my eyes as I force out the lie. “No, she’s great.”
Ethan shifts in his seat. “I keep catching her taking pictures of me.”
Tanya laughs. “Wait until you take your shirt off by the pool. She’ll have a camera crew following you.”
Megan is still staring me down. She doesn’t care about my roommate. She wants the dirt.
“You two were talking all night,” she says, her intense eyes locked on mine. “Start dishing.”
Ethan is staring at his plate with his eyebrows raised. He looks as uncomfortable as a kid stuck at a table of adults talking about sex.
Megan waves him off when she sees me watching him. “He’s marrying Tanya in a few days,” she says. “He’s one of us now. Right Ethan?”
Tanya, Julia, Megan and I all watch him as we wait for an answer. “That’s right,” he says with a cough.
“Just think of him as one of the girls,” Megan says, making Tanya giggle. Ethan flashes his fiancee a look.
Right. Just a hot muscular girl with a six pack.
“What happened?” Megan demands.
“Nothing,” I say. The waitress brings my coffee and I down half of it in one gulp. “I’m just not interested in anymore one night stands. They always just leave me feeling worse than before.”
“I’m sorry if he’s being aggressive,” Ethan says. “I’ll tell him to stop.”
Megan frowns at him. “No, you won’t.” She rolls her eyes and lets out a frustrated breath. “He has so much to learn,” she mutters to herself.
“Seriously, I’m not interested,” I say, trying to convince myself as much as them.
Megan does not look convinced. “A hot Navy SEAL who looks like he’s straight off of Ophelia’s Pinterest board. I think you better rethink this whole I’m not interested stance. That’s just…unamerican.”
Ethan grabs his full plate of breakfast and stands up. “I’m going to get some more…” he looks down at his plate but it’s overflowing with food. He sighs and just walks away looking uncomfortable. All four of us pause to watch him leave.
“I don’t think he’s ready to be one of the girls yet,” I say.
“I’m still working on him,” Tanya says, giving a Dr. Evil laugh. “He’ll be ready soon.”
Megan doesn’t stop pressing so I take a break and get some fruit at the buffet that I can bring down to the beach. I’m staying clear of the egg whites when I see Matt walking by the pool in a panic.
“I think Matt is looking for you,” I tell Julia as I sit back down. He’s jerking his head from side to side looking for something. He has the remote control of the television in his hand.
Julia sees him and sighs. “Shit,” she mutters.
Matt spots her through the large open window of the buffet and rushes in.
“What’s the matter now?” Julia asks, rubbing her temples.
His forehead has a sheen of sweat even though the air is still crisp. He hands her the television remote, looking nervous and stressed out. “I don’t know how to change the channel on this thing.”
“It’s in Spanish,” Julia says, taking it. “These two buttons.”
“Thanks,” he says, ripping it out of her hand and sprinting back to their room.
“What an idiot,” Julia says, watching him as he nearly knocks over a kid playing by the pool.
“No more soulmate?” Tanya asks.
“If he is, then I need to have a serious talk with my soul.”
I stifle a laugh as I get up. “I’m going to get started on my tan,” I say, stuffing the fruit in my bag. “I’ll see you guys at the beach.”
“She’s working on her tan,” Megan says, to everyone at the table like I’m not there. “She wants to look all hot and sexy for Mr. SEAL.”
Tanya starts bouncing her head, which can only mean one thing: Tanya and Megan are about to break out into a song. These two think they live in a Disney movie.
“There used to be a graying bridesmaid alone on the sea,” she sings.
Megan sings the next line. “Until a sexy Navy SEAL became the light on the dark side of me.”
I snort a laugh. “Kiss from a Rose by Seal. Very clever guys.”
They don’t stop there. Tanya continues, pumping her hand into a fist and getting into it. Heads are starting to turn.
“But did you know, that when you blow,”
“His cock becomes large”
“and the thoughts in your head will be obscene.”
Julia and I look at each other and roll our eyes as they both break into the chorus singing way too loud.
“…kiss from a rose on the…”
Heads all around us turn as they get louder and louder.
“You guys are so weird,” I say, walking away from the embarrassing spectacle.
“The weirdest!” I hear Julia say behind me.
I can still hear them singing as I walk past the bathrooms. Poor Ethan is sitting on the floor eating in the hallway beside the men’s room.
“She’s singing again,” I warn him.
He drops his head, his chin falling to his chest, and sighs. “Why is she always doing that?”
I shrug. “I’ve been asking myself that for years. How’s your breakfast?”
“The taste is good,” he says. “The smell, not so much.” A toilet flushes in the men’s room behind him.
He’s a good one. His brother, on the other hand…that’s still waiting to be seen. So far I’m leaning towards a not sure. Anyway, it doesn’t really matter. He’ll be back in Iraq and out of my life in a week or two.
The beach chairs are starting to fill up as the lazy tourists wake up and shuttle down to the pool and beach. It’s so nice here. The little girl from yesterday with the bright green goggles on her head waves at me before diving under the water to find a penny that her dad threw in the pool for her.
The hot sun beating down makes my shoulders tingle as I look around the gorgeous resort. I take my flip flops off and let the hot pavement warm up my feet. The girl pops up out of the water and shows me the treasure that she plucked off the bottom of the pool. Her smile is adorable, showing off her two missing teeth.
I breathe in the warm salty air and smile. It feels like nothing is going to ruin this wedding week.
I spoke too soon.
Oh shit.
The sight makes my pulse race and my breakfast crawl back up my throat. A skinny blond walks out of the lobby with her chin in the air. I can’t believe she’s here.
Stephanie.
Ethan and Chase’s cousin, Megan’s sister-in-law, Satan reincarnate herself. Stephanie is the worst human I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting.
Her fiancee, and Tanya’s ex-boyfriend, Aaron is pulling all of the suitcases behind her with a sweaty forehead over his dead eyes. He looks like she broke him for good.
I gasp and try to hide b
ehind a palm tree when she looks over here but it’s too late. She sees me.
“Hi Julia!” she says, waving as she struts over in her high heels.
“Hey Stephanie,” I say. “I’m Cynthia, remember?”
She cocks her head to the side and narrows her eyes. “Are you sure? I thought the pretty one was Cynthia.”
“Wow. It sure is nice to see you again, Stephanie,” I say sarcastically.
“I know, right?” she says, her face lighting up.
“To what do we owe this pleasure?” I ask crossing my arms and glaring at her. “It can’t be the wedding because I know that Tanya and Ethan specifically didn’t invite you. Ya know…because you’re such a bitch.”
She waves her hand as she laughs. “Oh, you’re so funny!”
Stephanie licks her lips and then leans in. “I’m here to get married,” she whispers and then claps her hands together quickly.
“Huh?” That can’t be what I just heard.
She pulls Aaron’s arm and yanks him over. A large suitcase tumbles over. “We’re getting married!”
Aaron is standing there looking like a shell-shocked soldier. His eyes are bloodshot and he looks whipped and abused like there’s no fire left inside him. One year with Stephanie and he’s a scared, empty shell of a man. I’d almost feel bad for him if he hadn’t been such a prick to Tanya when they were dating.
We had all traveled to Cancun with Tanya and the group for Megan and Lucas’ wedding last year. Tanya was dating Aaron at the time and had brought him along for the week. He ended up cheating on Tanya with Stephanie on the first night and that’s what led to Tanya and Ethan hitting it off. If that wasn’t enough, Stephanie and Aaron even tried to upstage Megan’s wedding when he drunkenly proposed to her in the middle of her wedding ceremony. Needless to say, I hate them both.
“You’re getting married?” I ask in shock.
“Yup.”
“Here?”
“Yup.”
“This week?”
“Isn’t that great?” she asks with a big smile.
“Are you high off your fucking hairspray or something?” I snap at her.
She cocks her head to the side in confusion. “Huh?”
Chase walks over in his bathing suit and flip flops. He’s naked from the waist up with a tank top draped over his wide shoulder. The dog tags around his neck swing from side to side as he walks. He looks even more muscular and ripped in the sunlight. The tattoos and scars on his ribs, arms and chest all add a level of sexiness that shoots him straight into the stratosphere. He’s such eye candy that I forget what we’re even talking about.
“Chasey!” Stephanie screams when she sees him. She runs over and wraps her arms around her cousin’s neck. His toned arms hang limp by his sides.
“Hey Steph,” he says, pushing her off him and keeping her at arms’ length. “I didn’t realize you were coming to the wedding.”
“Nobody did,” I say, walking over. “Because she wasn’t invited.”
Chase swallows hard as he looks me up and down in my shorts and tank top.
“I came for my own wedding!” she says, clapping her hands together. “I’m getting married!”
Aaron is still standing with the bags, looking more miserable than ever.
I turn to Chase with a fake smile. “She’s getting married at this resort!” I say with a tight jaw. “This week!”
Stephanie nods. “Thank you all for coming down for it.”
Chase looks at Aaron with sympathy. He makes a show of looking around. “Where are all of your guests?”
Stephanie touches her hand to her chest. “We just wanted a small wedding.”
“And nobody wanted to come,” I whisper.
Stephanie shoots me an evil glare.
Chase watches her curiously. “Does Ethan know about this?”
Stephanie shakes her head with a big stupid smile on her big stupid head. “I’ll surprise him later.”
“Can I be there when you do?” I ask. “Please!” I’d pay to see that.
“Definitely,” Stephanie says. “I’ll make a big scene.”
“Of course, you will,” I mutter under my breath.
She glances past me at the pool where the little girl is practicing her synchronized swimming with bent, crooked legs. “I need to get into that pool.” She snaps her fingers at Aaron. “Let’s go,” she commands without looking back at him. She struts away banging into my arm as she passes. Aaron follows with all of the heavy bags looking as dead inside as a zombie.
Chase steps closer to me as we watch them walk to their room. “You’ve met my cousin before?” he asks.
“Unfortunately.”
“She would make a great James Bond villain,” he says.
And you would make a great James Bond.
I smile. “Nah, she’s not smart enough.”
We both laugh and he grazes my arm with his. He looks at me with a grin. “Want to go-”
“I’m not going to have sex with you just because we shared a laugh,” I interrupt.
He steps back with his hands up in surrender. “I was going to say swimming in the ocean but I like where your dirty mind is.”
The ocean sounds nice. But watching a shirtless Chase get all wet sounds even better.
“Are you going to have a bathing suit on this time?” I ask.
“I’ll let you decide,” he says with a grin.
“Bathing suit,” I say, ignoring the voice in my head. “Definitely a bathing suit.”
“Deal,” he says, motioning me to follow him. “Let me know if you change your mind.”
I glance over my shoulder at the cute little girl in the pool. She gives me a thumbs up as we walk away. She approves. I give her a little wink and she smiles before diving back under the water.
We walk down to the beach chatting about his cousin, Stephanie. Apparently she was just as crazy as a teenager. She lit her poor first boyfriend’s car on fire once and spent the weekend in jail.
The beach is spectacular during the day. The palm trees are swaying lazily over the little tiki huts and beach chairs. The sand is hot under my feet and all you can hear is the gentle waves, the seagulls cawing and the German guy with the open book on his chest snoring like a bear hibernating in January.
There’s a volleyball court to the left with a yellow volleyball dug into the sand. It’s a bit early and everyone is still digesting their pancakes to play. I’ll hit that up later.
Tanya’s parents have reserved a block of chairs for our group so we head over there. I dump my bag on a chair in the sun and Chase quickly claims the chair next to me by throwing his tank top on it.
He stands there grinning at me as he waits for me to take off my shorts and tank top. From the way his eyes are glued to me, there’s no point in fighting him. I’m a bit self-conscious getting down to my bikini in front of him but I play it cool. I’m sporty and work out regularly so I am pretty fit. Still, every girl has a list of imaginary flaws to worry about.
I pull off my tank top and Chase mutters a ‘Goddamn’ under his breath.
“What was that?” I ask, smiling on the inside.
“Huh?” he asks, too focused on my chest to have understood anything else.
“Yeah I thought so.”
He straightens up as I hook my fingers into my shorts to pull them down. Fuck it. I slide them down my legs and I hear a little groan escape from his throat as he watches.
“Suntan lotion?” I ask, offering him the bottle.
“Absolutely,” he says, jumping up. I squirt a glob onto his palm and he steps forward. “I should do your chest first,” he says, reaching towards my breasts. “They always burn first.”
“I meant for you, you dolt,” I say, slapping his hand away playfully.
His face drops like I’m his doctor and I just told him that he’s impotent. “Oh,” he mutters. “I already have some on.”
I slap his palm with mine, scratching off the suntan lotion with my hand. He g
awks as he watches me spread it on my stomach.
“There’s a spectacular view of the ocean,” I say with a raised eyebrow. “Why don’t you look over there?”
He huffs. “The only way I’m looking over there is if you walk over there. The view here is too good.”
“You’re lucky I left my pepper spray up in my room,” I say, unable to hide my smile. It’s been too long since a man has looked at me the way he is right now. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t like it.
“Ready?” he asks when I’m all suntan lotioned up. He waves his hand forward. “Ladies first.”
I step back and cross my arms. “So you can stare at my ass the whole way there?” I say with a furrowed brow. “I don’t think so. That’s such a male scam. Pretend to be a gentleman and let the woman walk through the door first but really you’re staring at her ass the entire time? I’m not falling for that.”
“Ha,” he laughs. “I’ve never thought of it that way but I guess you’re right.”
“Sure you didn’t,” I say sarcastically.
“Fine,” he says, stepping forward. “I’ll go first and you can stare at my ass.”
“In your dreams,” I say as he walks ahead of me but my eyes are glued to his board shorts over his hard ass. The naked image of it running to the balcony last night keeps replaying in my head. I’ve never cared about asses on guys but I have a feeling that Chase is going to change all of that. How can you not fall in love with those cheeks?
The water is just the right temperature. Cool enough to be refreshing in the hot sun but warm enough that you can stay in there all day, floating around with a slushy drink and a hot Navy SEAL.
The waves hit my knees and I dive in letting the cool water wash over my face and closed eyelids. That feeling right there is worth the price of the plane ticket.
We swim out a bit where there’s no one around us. Chase floats on his back with his eyes closed, breathing slowly. His abs are flexed and his wet bathing suit traces the long shape of his package.
“Do you know what I would have given for this feeling all of those months in the hot desert hiking in full battle gear?” he asks, breathing peacefully. “I would have emptied half my bank account for ten seconds of this.”