by J H Cardwell
“Hey guys, I’m beat. Are y’all ready to head back?” I asked, realizing I was having an argument in my own head. I was officially over-tired.
“You know I am,” said Elle. "I wanted to talk with Finn real quick when we get back to the house."
“It’s after midnight Elle, can’t you wait until tomorrow?" said Chloe.
"Uh, it already is tomorrow Chloe.”
“Oh My God girl, you have got it bad!” she said.
Elle blushed, just thinking about Finn. She knew she had it bad. Finn was the first guy she had ever felt this deeply about. But what sucked the most, was his best friend was a douche bag. Tate had to go and screw everything up. Elle and I were supposed to be with either brothers or best friends…that had always been the plan, then Tate messed up. Now I'm sure Elle hated to admit she was happy…at least to me. I should have been madly in love with Tate, and making plans for college and the future with him. I know Elle feels like I jumped to conclusions about Tate. If she were honest with me, she thinks I should at least tell him why I’m so pissed and hear him out. She didn’t know how he could talk his way out of that one, but the one plus is, as far as she knew, he had not been seeing Lisa since he started to see me. But, I was her best friend, and as long as I thought I was doing the right thing, she had to stand by me.
Elle looked at me “I’m just kidding, I promised I would call him that’s all.”
Just as we were about to get back in to my jeep, we saw a group of guys walking up to us. The gorgeous god was leading the pack. Oh shit, here goes. I started climbing in the jeep, desperately wishing the other girls would follow my lead. But, damn if they didn’t close their doors back, and lean up against the side of the jeep. Come on now, aren’t y’all as sleepy as I am, I thought. I don’t have time for more guy drama.
“Ladies, where are y’all heading to so early?”
“Hey guys…didn’t we see you all a couple of hours ago? Where did you run off too?” said Chloe.
Great Chloe, way to play it cool. We aren’t supposed to even act like we remember them. I slumped down in my seat. Fine, I thought, y’all talk it out a for a couple of minutes then I’ll start the car. That should be a sure fire sign that we were leaving.
“So, where are you heading to anyway,” said the tall and thin one, talking directly to Maura?
“We’re heading back to Elle’s house on Emerald Isle.” Oh thank God, Chloe was playing it smart for once. “We do have a pretty good drive ahead of us so I guess we better be taking off.”
“Oh really, where at in Emerald Isle?”
Don’t say it Chloe. We don’t know anything about them, don’t...
“Sailman's Pointe, you know the new development with the colored, beautiful houses.” Shit, she said it. I laid my head back against the seat thinking I’d be hidden in the dark car until I heard...
“So what are you doing over here…hiding out?” the gorgeous god whispered in my open window. I think I jumped out of my skin.
“Oh my God…you scared me to death…I..um…I’m just really tired that’s all.” I could feel myself blushing. He really was pretty amazing to look at. And there’s no telling what expression I had on my face when he snuck up on me.
“So, is your shoe still surviving? You were torturing it pretty good back there on the boardwalk,” he said.
“Yes, my shoe’s fine." I looked down at my feet, "thank you again for rescuing it.”
“You look extremely fine in those heels, but may I suggest you wear flats around here next time?”
Well, if I wasn’t blushing red before, I’m sure now I was scolding red and add speechless to the list. “I…um…what?"...fine, as in hot fine, or fine okay…then I said, "I mean, I’ll wear whatever I damn well please."
Gorgeous god was stepping back a little holding his palms out in front of him. “Yes ma’am, I can see you sure would do that.”
Crap, I had the bad habit of getting angry when I got embarrassed, and I had just exercised that little bad habit on him.
“Well, I guess you’d do good to remember that then." I said as I turned my head to the front away from him.
“Ooh, I like ‘em feisty. Where have you been hiding Miss?"
Oh no you don’t, we weren’t even supposed to be talking this long. I just looked at him with a ‘I’m not interested look’.
“Okay, I’ll go first. My name is John….John Rider. Nice to meet you,” he said holding his hand out.
My parents raised me to be polite, so it was like a knee-jerk reaction that I felt a need to shake his hand, with his waving around in the air in front of me.
“Reese Stanford.” I said and then I turned the ignition on.
“Are you that much in a hurry to get out of here Reese? I mean, can’t y’all stay for a little while longer? Where we are staying is uh very near here. How about y’all come over, and we can hang out a little?" Oh no you don't John. I have a boyfriend and I'm tired...well, I guess another knee jerk reaction...correction Reese, you had a boyfriend who turned out to be a little crazy, having an affair with my mother's friend...just thinking about that gave me chills up and down my spine.
“John, I appreciate the offer, really,” I was trying to sound genuine. In fact it kind of was starting to be genuine. The longer he was standing in front of me for me to gape at I was beginning to wish I was staying. “But, we’re exhausted. We had graduation this morning and …”
“Really, you just graduated from college? Us too…" he turned to look at the group of guys with him.
“No John, we just graduated from high school and are heading to college. Looks like you better keep searching for a group of more mature girls. You know we’d be entirely too naïve for your intellect.”
“Whoa, someone’s feeling a little insecure. I didn’t say we still couldn’t enjoy the company of some beautiful ladies just because you were a little younger, now did I?”
“You know, I think it would be best if you found college girls, that way we wouldn’t crimp your style."
“Hey Reese, wait now, I think we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot. What’s your story anyhow? Sounds like you’ve been burned by what you think are guys like me in the past”…
Now I was fuming. How dare he get so personal so quick. It was time to end this charade.
“Girls, it’s time to go. I’m safe to drive, really…I only had one drink before dinner and even if that weren’t the case, I would have just sobered up quickly.” I looked at John to make sure he knew exactly what I meant.
After a few grumbles and sighs, everyone got in the car and we took off. The guys were standing around in a pack where our car once sat. I was so glad to be heading back to the house. I wanted to re-read Tate’s text before I went to bed. And I wanted to have time to think about all that was going on in my head.
Chapter 13
The next day we slept in until nearly 11am. We walked around in our fuzzy slippers, camisole and soft shorts, with our hair in a bun, on top of our head. It was safe to say we were dragging. There was a loud frog that had been croaking out the side of the house all night, making it hard to sleep. We made a pact to find the frog, and put it out of its misery, before we had another sleepless night. Yes, we were sleepy, but, you could still sense the excitement…our first day on the beach all year. Elle started running around getting the chairs and towels. Maura was fixing snacks and a cooler of Diet Dr. Pepper and water. Chloe was primping, and making sure her belly button ring matched her earrings. I of course was doing the only sensible thing, making a pitcher of lemonade and vodka. I mean, no need to drive and God knows I had enough sorrow to drown on the beach. First things first though, I wanted coffee! I had learned to drink it every morning this past year when I had to be at school early for student council meetings, and other committee meetings. Now it was a part of my every morning routine. Tate would sometimes bring me coffee before my meetings, even if he didn't have to be there that early at school himself. Ugh. He could be so sweet then. I loved
coffee midday too, if we were near a Starbucks. My friends weren't quite into coffee yet, so they mostly got the frozen drinks. I always got a grande non-fat, one pump of white mocha latte with light whip. I know...but it was a temporary glimpse at heaven each time I took that first sip. Wish we had a Starbucks close by. But, Elle's mom had a Keurig coffee maker at the house. Since I was the only one who drank coffee, it was easy to make me just one (sometimes two) piping hot cups of coffee. Hmmm. Now I was feeling more awake.
The sun felt amazing for the first part of June. You never can tell what North Carolina beaches are going to be like then. It could be cool and overcast or it could feel like the scorching summer came early, and be burning hot with no wind. Today though, it was neither. It was warm and there was a cool breeze blowing all around us.
We had just turned over on our stomachs…you know got to give even amount of time for each side. I mean, none of us wore less than 30 SPF, but we still like to get a little color for sure. We were listening to Humpty Hump, (a great party song from the 90’s) and reading the most recent People, when I felt a cool drizzle of water running down my back. I jumped on my feet, momentarily dazed, then slowly realizing I had left my top lying on the chair below me. Although mortified, I was too shocked to move.
“Shit Reese, here…” Elle threw me my cover-up I had been using as a pillow under my chest.
Then it registered who was there…John…John and his group of guys.
“Damn Reese,” John chuckled and looked mortified himself, “I guess I just lost more brownie points didn’t I?”
“John, what the hell? You better believe it. What?...How did you know where to find us?” If I didn't look sunburned before, I knew now I was red all over from utter embarrassment...again.
“Well, it’s not hard to find the most gorgeous group of girls on the planet, now is it? Besides, Emerald Isle is only so big, and there’s only one Sailman's Pointe development.”
I looked at Chloe like I could kill her…"Way to go Chloe. You would lead any serial killer right to our front door.”
“Dang, that stung Reese.” John said, as he covered his heart with his hand. “I promise you, those serial killing days are over,” he laughed, “I’ve turned over a new leaf since then.”
I punched him hard in the arm, so hard my hand hurt.
“Ouch, I’m just kidding, but I'll take any kind of touch you offer,” he said with a wink.
I threw my water bottle at him.
John dodged it laughing hysterically. By now, everyone was laughing…
“I’m glad y’all find this funny. Some friends you are,” I said looking around at my 'friends'.
I grabbed what was left of my dignity (along with my bikini top), and stomped off toward the beach house. I was so fed up with this…this boy shit. I didn’t know which way to turn. I mean what was it? I wasn’t deliberately asking for this attention. First Carter, then Tate, now John. All three gorgeous, fit guys. But each had his own story. Carter and Tate had let me down. I was sure John would too. I couldn’t get inside fast enough. My friends weren’t making any move to join me. I could only imagine they were enjoying the extra company. Well not me, I would be fine chilling and watching the soaps. I had gotten a little too relaxed with the lemonade vodka and sunshine anyway.
Just as I was almost to the outside shower to rinse my feet off, I heard my name.
“Reese, wait up.”
I thought, are you kidding me John? Ugh, can he just leave me alone? I am not interested!
I kept walking and went right inside the sliding glass door.
And so did John.
“John, what in the world, did I invite you in?”
He jumped right back out with both feet on the deck, his whole body leaning in. "You’re right, Reese. May I please come in?”
He looked so silly I just had to chuckle. His shoulders relaxed a little sensing I had lightened up.
“Reese, can I just have five minutes to talk with you? I mean, I did come all this way.”
I almost blurted out – I didn’t ask you to. I motioned my hand in the air like to say ‘whatever’.
“So, is this your house?”
“Is this what you wanted to know? Are you looking for a real estate venture John?” I couldn’t help it, I knew it was a smart ass remark, but I was in that kind of mood. I walked right inside the bathroom.
“Geez, put the claws back in Reese. I was just making small talk.”
I was behind the locked bathroom door, trying to quickly retie my bathing suit and throw my cover up on, wondering what in the hell he was doing out there.
When I came back out, he was holding up a framed picture of Elle and me. We were probably around the age of twelve, our most awkward age. We were arm in arm, brown as gingerbread girls, and mouths full of braces. Shit. I traipsed over to him and jerked it out of his hands.
“John what do you want?” He chuckled a little. God this man was exasperating, but so ridiculously gorgeous...ugh! I thought.
“I take it that was you?” he said with a smirk, “and it must have been Elle with you. You two were really cute Reese.” I knew he was lying because we were hideously out of style.
“Look John, I’m not looking for a boyfriend okay, so I would suggest you don’t waste your time…”
“Whoa, whoa Reese, wait…I mean no offense, but don’t get ahead of yourself. I...uh…I just wanted to get to know you and spend a little time with you, that’s all.”
“Well, John, no offense to you either, but I’ve heard that a time or two and trust me, it didn’t end well.”
“Now I get it…you are talking like a woman that has been burned. What a shame Reese. When you do get a serious boyfriend again, the dude will have a lot to make up for.” John had walked over to me, arms distance apart.
“Now you’re already worried for my future boyfriend that you’re so sure I’m going to have?”
John stepped a little closer to me. “Well, a guy has to watch out for himself doesn’t he?”
“So now you’re saying you are going to be my boyfriend, you are a confusing man John?”
“Well, since you asked so nicely?”
“JOHN!”
I threw my hands up in the air. ”I give up,” I said.
“No Reese, don’t do that…I mean from where I stand that would be the worst thing you could do.”
“You sound like my mom or Elle, not some guy I just met.”
“Look, how about we go back down to the beach and hang out a while? I could stand to catch some rays.” John said as he slipped back on his Maui Jim sunglasses.
“Oh, I guess I should stay with my friends," I said. "John, I’m not trying to be mean to you okay. I’ve just got a lot going on, and as long as you know where we stand from the beginning, I guess it wouldn't do any harm to lay out together as a group.”
John let a slow, deep smile linger across his lips.
“Good,” he said, “besides there would have been nothing to look forward to anyway, I already saw the goods," then he took off like he was going to run out the door before I hit him...again.
His remark about my topless moment on the beach made me gasp.
“John!”
“I’m just kidding Reese, just trying to lighten the mood.”
He glanced over at me sideways as we were walking to the beach.
“I think you’re just trying to be an ass.”
He laughed out loud.
Chapter 14
We hung out on the beach until nearly 5 pm. We had played corn hole, and football and jumping the waves for what felt like hours. For the most part they were a lot of fun. We even had hotdogs from the corner beachfront café. I had tried to keep my distance from John, but somehow he always found a way to be beside of me in the games we were playing.
John’s friends seemed pretty cool. Brett was stocky and cute with short brown hair. He took up with Chloe right away. They seemed to hit it off. He was full of personality and himself for that ma
tter. A little too wild if you ask me, but Chloe liked that sort of thing. Maura had seemed to be cozying up with Harrison. He was tall and slender with blondish hair and cute freckles to go with his dark tan. He evidently had just finished his bachelors in Science on his way to med school at UNC. Then there was Sam and Kerry. They too seemed pretty cool, but Elle didn’t seem interested. She was just having a good time or at least trying to. She was completely smitten with Finn, so she wasn’t getting too close to either.