“You’re welcome. Enjoy the rest of your day, and say hello to your mother, dear.”
We walk through the square, and I hand Glory the alligator wearing a Santa hat. “I guess this is gonna be a reminder of the day’s event, huh?”
She hugs the soft toy like a kid on Christmas morning. “I love it. It reminds me of my hero. In fact, that’s what I’m naming this cuddly toy. Hero.”
My chest swells. Having her call me that does something to me. But if word gets out about us being more than friends, I’m gonna be the antihero.
GLORY
The crack of thunder has me jumping out of my skin. It’s frightened me since I was a girl when a palm tree hit my dad’s car.
“You all right there, Glory?”
I dip my chin, but my entire body stiffens, bracing myself for the next loud rumble.
Noel’s knuckles graze my cheek. “You don’t need to worry. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
The suffocating fear in my body is replaced with a flutter of excitement.
“Gray would kill me.” He huffs a half laugh.
I roll my eyes. The mention of my brother dampens the flames from where Noel’s touch lingers.
The wind howls through the makeshift studio, rattling the doors. I whip my head around with visions of them busting open. “I need to get home.” The thought of cycling back in the storm sends a shudder down my spine. Icy fingers slither over my skin and I freeze.
“My rental is only a street away. We can stay there until the storm passes, then I’ll call you a cab.”
His warm hand on my arm keeps the cold shivers at bay. I swallow the lump in my throat, and manage a nod of my head.
A gust blows my hair as one of the crew members opens the door. “Night, Noel,” she says, leaving us alone in the dim room now the set lighting is off. Noel tucks the camera away for the night.
A flash of lightning lights up the room. His palms glide down my arms, leaving a flurry of goose bumps. “You’re shaking.”
I’m not sure if it’s him causing a shiver or the storm.
“Let’s go.” He guides me out of the doors with a protective arm around my shoulder. The rain pelts my face. Neither of us has a jacket, and the cool wetness seeps through the cotton of my dress. Noel slips his hand down my slick arm and takes my hand, breaking into a jog, and I have to run to keep up with him.
My breasts bounce with every step, barely staying contained in my shirtdress. The white fabric is almost transparent as it clings to my saturated skin. With panting breaths, I try to keep up as we turn a corner. My ballet flats squelch with each hurried step.
Noel pulls me along at an Olympic speed. A smile curls his lips when he glances back at my breasts, which seem to have a life of their own right now.
“Slow down. Let me catch my breath.” My chest heaves as I rest my hands on my knees, giving Noel the perfect view of my cleavage. There isn’t much of me left to the imagination. A crack of lightning in the grey rolling clouds has my body jolting and my legs propelling me forward. Fear and adrenaline take over and I’m no longer worried about how unfit I am.
“It’s just up ahead.” Water drips off his saturated brown hair and down his chiselled jaw. His t-shirt sticks to his skin, giving me a glimpse of his perfectly structured torso.
Thunder rumbles overhead, snapping me from my musings of peeling away his t-shirt. My heart booms against my ribs, only now, it's not the thunder or fear that has my heart in overdrive, it's the excitement of getting Noel out of his wet clothes. I saw him shirtless many times as a young girl when he would stay over with Gray. The little girl in me is terrified by the thunder, while the teenage me is overwhelmed with nerves and excitement. And the woman in me is getting off on thoughts of seeing him shirtless. Again.
We climb the few steps to his parents’ small bungalow, overlooking the sea. I take shelter under the white porch as he pushes the key into the lock. Water drips off our clothes, onto the deck, and another shiver racks my bones.
Walking inside, I stand on the welcome mat, not wanting to track water through the place. Noel turns a light on. Even though it’s still daytime, the sun is hiding behind the thick, black, thunderous clouds.
“You’re safe now.” He pushes back the wet hair stuck to my face. “The bedroom is through there. I’ll get you a towel.” He pulls his t-shirt over his head as he strides towards the bathroom. His body glistens under the modern living-room spotlights, giving me a hint of what he would look like after a workout.
Walking into a large bedroom, I shimmy past the camera attached to a laptop on a dresser. My big behind accidentally knocks the laptop, bringing the screen to life with a still of me on set. Curious, I press the button just like he showed me, rolling the film. The laptop monitor plays snippets from in-between takes. I’m in the background, bent over, untangling wires.
I suck in a breath as the video pans in on my ass. The wet fabric of my dress freezes my body on the spot. All I can do is watch the screen as another clip of me plays. This one licking a candy cane, my tongue teasing the red-and-white peppermint stick, before sucking it into my mouth. The next clip is my breasts in a vest top. Then he zooms out to get all of me on film as I fold my arms under my bust and laugh at something Jodi said.
The door opens. Noel hands me a towel while he rubs another over his wet hair, still dripping onto his chest. His eyes flick to the screen, then back to me. Blood drains from his face as he stutters out noises that don’t form any actual words.
