“Ok, I’m ready.”
Luke looked at me and smiled. When we left the apartment, I walked towards the spot where he parks his Jeep, but his Jeep was gone. I looked behind me, and Luke was sitting on his motorcycle with a big grin across his face.
“Oh no! Once was enough. I’m not getting on that bike again!”
Luke started it up and rode over to me. “Come on, Lily, hop on,” he said as he handed me his helmet.
“Let’s take the Explorer!” I yelled.
“Hop on, Lily. Let’s not keep everyone waiting.”
I rolled my eyes, grabbed the helmet from his hands, and I put it on. Climbing on behind him, I put my bag across my shoulder and wrapped my arms around him.
Here we go again, I thought to myself.
***
The beach was crowded. I took off the helmet and handed it to Luke as I got off the bike. My heart was still racing from the nerves and excitement.
“Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” he asked.
I looked at him and smirked as I made my way through the parking lot. When I reached the end of the sidewalk, I stopped to take off my flip-flops. The minute my toes hit the warm sand, I felt serene. Luke and I walked across the sand and over to where Sam and a group of people were sitting around. Lucky jumped up when he saw me.
“Hello, beautiful,” he said as he lightly kissed my hand.
I smiled at him, and I saw Luke giving him a dirty look out of the corner of my eye. I said hi to Sam, and Luke introduced me to the rest of his friends.
“Isn’t Gretchen here?” I asked Sam.
“She’ll be here in about an hour. She had a photo shoot this morning.”
I smiled at him. They already sounded like a real couple, and it made me happy that Gretchen found someone. I couldn’t ask for a better man for her. Lucky put his arm around me and started walking me away from the others.
“Every time I look at you, I feel like I’ve died and gone to Heaven. You’re a real angel in disguise, aren’t you? I just know that we can make beautiful, angelic music together. How about we give it a try?”
I looked at Luke and winked at him. He could tell I wasn’t falling for Lucky’s bullshit lines.
“You know Lucky,” I said, pausing to turn around and face him. “Every time I look at you, I feel like I’ve died and gone to hell, so please do me a favor and back the fuck off so that I can go on with my day.” I smiled politely.
He looked at me for a moment with knitted eyebrows. Extending his hand to me, he said, “You are one awesome chick! Friends?”
I smiled and shook his hand. “Friends,” I said.
Sam and Luke both busted out laughing; then I looked over at Luke as he was shaking his head at me.
“What do you guys want to do?!” Luke yelled to everyone.
“I think I’m just going to lay in the sun for a while,” I said as I took off my top and shorts, revealing my bikini underneath.
“Hot damn!” Sam squealed as he ran towards me, picked me up, and ran to the water.
I yelled at him to put me down, but he just laughed and said he would, but not until we cooled off. We hit the water and he carried me out until the water stopped at our chest.
“Sam! You just wait!”
He was smiling at me, and suddenly, out of nowhere, someone had a tight grip around my waist and pulled me under the water. My heart started racing, but within moments, I was released and returned to the surface. When I turned around, Luke was inches from my face, smiling.
“You asshole! You scared the shit out of me!” I said as I splashed him.
“Watch your mouth, and I couldn’t resist! Please tell me you’re not mad.”
How the hell could I be mad at that face? He was having fun, and I’m all up for crazy, wild fun—at least I used to be.
“I’m not mad.”
“Good. Then let’s get out of the water,” he said as we swam back to shore.
Sam was standing at the shoreline with two towels. “Here, dry off, and let’s play some volleyball.”
I saw Gretchen waving to me as she sat in the sand, so I ran over to her.
“Look at you miss sexy thing in that teeny weeny bikini! You’ve gone and gave all the boys a boner!” she said in her fake southern accent.
I threw my towel at her and sat down; then I put my arm around her and laid my head on her shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Looks like you and Luke were having some fun in the water.”
“He found out last night about Johnny.” I sighed.
“What did he say?”
“He was shocked, but then he raved about him like he was some sort of God.”
“Lily, he was a god to a lot of people, and one of them happens to be Luke. How weird is that? You move here to start a new life, and you live next door to a twenty-seven-year-old guy who worships your dad.”
I lifted my head and gave her a dirty look.
“I’m just saying.”
Sam walked over and asked Gretchen if she wanted to play volleyball. She jumped at the chance; little did the boys know she was the captain of her volleyball team and star player. She grabbed my hand and told me to come on, but I really just wanted to lay back in the sun and relax for a while, so I told her that I’d play later. I looked around, and Luke was off to the side, talking to a group of people, and the volleyball game was about ready to start. I decided to wander the beach and take some pictures instead, so I put on my jean shorts, grabbed my camera from the bag, and headed down the beach. The sun was bright, the sand was warm, and the beach was filled with people enjoying a beautiful Saturday. I heard someone call my name, so I turned around, and Luke was running up behind me.
“Hey, where are you off to?” he asked as he caught up with me.
“I was just wandering around, taking some pictures.” I smiled.
“I know this great little area that has the best view that’s perfect for taking pictures. Come on, follow me.”