“Guilty as charged,” I said, raising my hands in the air in surrender. “I’m a big pussy—excuse my French—who doesn’t like the snow.”
My conscience pricked at the fibbing, the tiny alterations to the truth that were coming so easily to me.
She giggled. It was soft and quiet, but it was a laugh. “Hey, look. Maybe I’m just rationalizing since I’m not lucky enough to live in Florida.”
“Well, you’re here now, so soak it all up,” I said with finality, laying the subject to rest.
I relaxed in my chair, taking in our surroundings. It was late afternoon, heading into early evening, and the sun was sinking in the west. We could still feel the heat of the day, but a light ocean breeze had picked up, ushering in the evening. Seated together at a café with the sun’s glow on Bess’s brown hair, slight curls forming around her face from the moist air, her face fresh and dewy—we probably looked like a young couple in love.
“Listen, before we order, I really want to thank you,” she said. “I don’t want you to think that I’m not appreciative. This is the chance of a lifetime for me. I don’t get to travel much, and I can’t believe that I’m here, but it’s super exciting to be in this gorgeous paradise.”
She gestured to the view, pulling me from my heated thoughts, and I looked straight into her eyes as she went on.
“I just want to make it clear that I’ve never done this before. This is so absurd when I really think about it, and I hope there are no huge expectations for, um, you know ... intimate behavior.” Her words were broken by small gulps and tiny glances at me, but she finished with her gaze cast downward as a slight pink blush overtook her neck.
I grabbed her hand and pulled it into mine, running my thumb over hers. “That’s not why I brought you here, Bess. I mean, I would be straight-out lying if I didn’t say I felt the heat when we kissed over Christmas, and I want more of that. But that’s not why you’re in Florida. I want to get to know you, and mostly, I want you to have fun.”
A second light sweat broke out over my body. Of course, I meant all of what I said, but I also wanted to sink into Bess. If I could, I would bury my cock and possibly my soul deep within the folds of her body and mind. So deep, I might never pull either one out, which was why this was about her having a fun time in Florida and not my overly anxious dick ... or heart.
It was also supposed to be about me coming clean with her, yet I didn’t.
“Okay,” she said, and squeezed my hand back. “To fun.”
Before I could tell any more half truths, a peppy little server in a bikini top and sparkly boy shorts popped over to our table.
“Hey, guys, my name is Andi. What can I get you to drink?” she asked while bouncing back and forth on her feet.
I looked at Bess and asked, “You want to get a pitcher of margaritas?”
She looked down again. “No, thanks. I’ll just have a Diet Coke with lemons, please,” she said while casting a hesitant glance at the server.
And like a fucking grenade flying through the sky, it hit me.
Bess didn’t drink.
The water with lemons—it wasn’t a cute healthy thing. I felt like smacking myself in the head, but couldn’t.
Fuck, I’m stupid.
I mean, I knew she had a problem with drugs years ago and clearly was cleaned up, but I didn’t give much thought to what that all meant now. It meant she was dry.
Andi was still jumping around, more than likely hopped up on coke herself. And not the soda variety.
“Um, I think I’ll just have a beer on tap,” I said, then immediately regretted it. Should I drink? I did the last time we had dinner. I didn’t want to be obvious, but I had no clue what to do. What was right and what was wrong?
Fuck.What had I gotten myself into?
“Sure thing, babe,” Andi said, and was off and running to grab the drinks.
In an effort to redirect, I picked up the menu and asked, “So, what kind of Mexican do you like?”
Bess looked up and her eyes were glistening.
Shit.
She licked her lips, then said, “Look, I know we just finished up one heavy discussion started by me, but there’s something else.”
“No problem. You aren’t gonna tell me you like girls?” I teased, trying to lighten the mood.
