Blue

by Jill Patten

  I flip back over on my back and face Tiffanny. “If I remember correctly, it wasn’t because he didn’t want to. I think I grabbed his package. And it was pretty damn hard. That stands for something, right?” I clench my thighs together just thinking about last night. It’s a damn shame I wasn’t more coherent because he’s worth hooking up with.

  She gives me a sideways stare with her eyebrows stitched together. “That’s weird. What kind of guy does that? There must’ve been something wrong with him,” she says as if it’s the only justifiable reason.

  I shrug. “Maybe he’s a rare good guy…even if he did wound my ego.” I mumble the last part to myself. A different set of guys in a different location isn’t turning out to be too promising. It feels like I’m still back in Pennsylvania.

  She stares at me intently, and I know there’s more to come. “So, was it thick? Is he a six incher or a ten incher?” Her eyes light up with excitement.

  I start giggling. “I don’t know. I can’t remember. I just know it felt nice in my hand.”

  “That’s all the description you got?” Tiffanny asks, disappointed lacing her words.

  “It was smooth and firm. What else do you want me to say? It was dark and I was drunk.”

  “Well, even though you didn’t get far, I’m still very happy for you,” Kristy says, beaming. “It seems like every guy who came onto me looked as if he was barely old enough to have his license.” She rolls her eyes as she picks at the gel of her hot pink nails. “Maybe I’ll have better luck tonight…or maybe not.” She covers her hands over the lower portion of her belly. “Now my stomach is starting to feel icky.” She glares at Tiffanny as if she’s to blame.

  Tiffanny shakes her head. “Don’t look at me. I feel okay now.”

  “Oh great. Are you two finished with the interrogation process? I’d like to take a shower before I pick up whatever you two are sharing.”

  “Yeah, I guess, but if I think of something else later, I’m going to ask,” Tiffanny says as she climbs off the bed and starts digging through her suitcase. “And I’m pretty sure we’re not contagious. It’s most definitely the shit we drank last night.”

  An hour later we are outside of our hotel walking down the path to the beach. My headache is finally gone and I’m ready to start over. It’s a clear, blue day without a cloud in sight. The sun blazes directly over us and my skin soaks in the rays. There’s a subtle breeze coming off the ocean, and I can taste the slightest hint of salt on my lips. I’m in spring break heaven.

  “Holy fucking hell!” Kristy shrieks, causing us to jump. “On your left are five hotties tossing around a football.” Kristy looks from me to Tiffanny. “We need to plant our cute asses as close to them as possible.”

  My eyes search an empty spot big enough for the three of us to fit. The sand is flooded with half-naked bodies, and the chance of us finding a vacant place big enough for three towels is slim to none. “Umm, I think we should’ve come down hours ago. This is ridiculous. We’re going to have to practically lie in someone’s lap.”

  “Fine by me. I pick the shaggy blond with the fluorescent green board shorts,” Kristy says. She gazes toward the direction where the beefy guys are laughing and look to be having a great time amongst themselves.

  Tiffanny grabs Kristy’s arm and pulls her toward the biggest available three-person square we can find. “Get the hearts out of your eyes, Romeo, we can focus on guys tonight. Today is all about bronzing the skin.”

  I drop my stuff down beside theirs and decide to dip my toes in the water for a few minutes. Before walking down to the water, I adjust my girls and pull my coral and black bikini bottoms out of my crack. There’s nothing tackier or more embarrassing than one side of the bikini hiding in a girl’s ass crack or having a nip slip.

  Not even five minutes of having my feet in the water, some jerk runs behind me, grabs the strings to my bikini, and pulls as hard as he can while running away from me. Within a second, my bikini is crumbled in the sand by my feet and my hands and arms are wrapped tightly over my chest. I want to scream so badly, but I don’t want to bring any extra attention to my embarrassing situation. I look up at Tiffanny and Kristy, but they’re lying on their stomachs with their heads covered with ball caps to block the sun. So much for getting their attention. Slowly and carefully, I bend down to snatch up my top. As I work at untangling the strings, I’m saved by a towel being wrapped around me.

  “I saw you were in a bit of distress. Thought you could use some help,” an unfamiliar voice says.

  The girl is my height with a fabulous body only a lifeguard would have by spending days in the sun and saving lives. What I wouldn’t give to have the natural tan she probably doesn’t even have to work on. Her blond hair is the exact same shade as mine, pulled up tight in a ponytail.

  “Yeah, thanks,” I say while I tie the top strings to my bikini. This time I make sure I double knot them.

  “Here, face me and I’ll hold the towel around you while you put your top back on.” We work together as a team, and within about a minute I have my girls tucked back in and covered.

  I blow the wisps of hair that have fallen in my face and wipe away the sweat on my forehead. “Phew, glad that’s over with. I’d like to know who the stupid jerk was.”

  She laughs. “Ah, don’t worry about it. It happens at least five times a day. I think it’s a dare the guys do with each other. You’re not the first and surely won’t be the last today.” She wraps the towel around the back of her neck. “If it makes you feel any better, you have great tits,” she says with a slight shrug as if it’s no big deal.

  “Damn, I guess I wasn’t as quick to cover up as I thought.” I want to tell her thank you, but I don’t want her thinking I like her compliment. “Hopefully you’re the only person who got the peep show.” I laugh.

  She reaches back and tightens her ponytail. “Yeah, well, if not, don’t be surprised when some of these dudes start approaching you.”

  No sooner than she gets the words out of her mouth, a trio of hot abs with a buttaface walks by us with an array of compliments for my tits. One of the guys offers me beads for another “show.” I tell them to fuck off and the lifeguard who saved my day begins laughing.

  “I don’t know you, but I like you already. Are you staying here?” she asks, pointing her thumb back at our hotel.

  “Yeah, I came down with my two besties,” I say, pointing at the now empty spot where they’d been lying just two minutes ago. My towel and bag is still sitting there, but they are nowhere to be seen. “Well, those little bitches just up and left me.”

  She cups her hand along her eyebrows to shield the sun. “Well, at least they won’t tease you about the strip show you just had.” She laughs. “Hey, I’m about to go on my lunch break. You want to grab something to eat?” She’s now facing me with her hand still perched against her forehead.

  I haven’t really thought about eating until my stomach starts to growl, reminding me I skipped breakfast. “That’s super sweet to offer, but I should probably get back to my friends. Plus, I didn’t bring any cash down here.”

  She waves me off. “Psshh, you don’t need cash where I’m going. The meal is free.”

  I draw my eyebrows in with confusion. Is she planning on taking me to a soup kitchen or something? I can’t do that.

  “It’s nothing illegal if that’s what you’re thinking. C’mon,” she says, grabbing my wrist and pulling me behind her.

  I pull back the opposite way. “Hold on. Let me grab my things since my shithead friends ditched me.” Curiosity got the best of me. I quickly send a text to Kristy and Tiffanny, letting them know I made a new friend and that they can kiss my ass.

  About five blocks down the beach, we walk up to a vibrant wooden shack with a makeshift sign that reads “Raul’s Taco Stand”. How original. It must’ve taken Raul a whole five seconds to come up with that name. There are plastic green tables with bright yellow umbrellas in the middle. I kind of had my hopes up for ea
ting indoors where it’s cool since it feels like it’s one hundred degrees outside. Oh well, it’s free, so I better suck it up. Realizing I never caught her name, I follow her as she walks over to a table where a blond-headed guy sits. He’s wearing nothing but orange board shorts, Ray-Bans, and slip-on Vans. With his attire, blond slick-back hair, and a tan one only receives by spending hours on the beach, I’ll about guarantee he’s the surfer boy poster child. I wonder if he talks like one, or what I assume they talk like.

  “It’s about time,” he says, looking down at his phone. “My stomach’s been gnawing at my backbone.” He continues fiddling with his phone without ever looking up at us.

  “Don’t be a jerk, Lance, we have company today,” she says, plopping down in one of the plastic chairs beside him.

  He turns his head upward to get a look at me and immediately jumps in his chair as if I’m the boogie man coming to eat him up. He goes from sitting to standing within seconds. “Oh…um…hi,” he says with his hand extended to shake mine. His behavior is weird; he seems very nervous.

  I shake off the strange vibe he’s giving me and shake his hand. “Hi,” I say cheerfully with a smile.

  He holds on to my hand a little longer than I like, and I have to pull away first.

  “So…” The girl pauses, possibly realizing we never learned each other’s name. “I feel like the biggest idiot ever, but what is your name?” she asks me.

  Mr. Surfer Boy sniggers at her idiocy.

  “Shut up, Lance,” she says with a sharp tone and rolls her eyes. “We were busy taking care of some important issues. It was a minor mishap, so we missed the introductions.”

  He throws his hands up in surrender. “Hey, I didn’t say a word.”

  “Anyway, my name is Molly, and this here is my jackass brother, Lance,” she introduces with her arm stretched out and palm up, directing it toward him.

  Lance…Lance…why does that name sound familiar?

  BLUE

  Phoebe.

  Damn, what’s up with this girl? She’s gorgeous and all that, but she keeps popping up everywhere I turn. First, I steal from her. Second, I turn her down when she comes onto me hot and heavy. And lastly, my sister has now made friends with her, which means I’ll most likely be seeing her the rest of the week. This never happens to me. Not once in my sexually active life have I ever continuously run into someone who would normally have been a one-night stand. I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

  “And you are?” I ask, although I remember as clear as my own name.

  “Phoebe.” She smiles at me, and I can’t help but stare at the way her lips become fuller the wider her grin grows. I also can’t help but think about the way they felt against mine last night. The way she opened up to me, inviting me in to take a taste of her sweet tongue. I squeeze my eyes shut for a brief second to gain control of myself. She’s even more beautiful than I remember. Seeing her in the daylight brings on a whole new view.

  So, it seems as if she doesn’t remember me. Either that or she’s acting like she doesn’t. If she’s going to pretend last night didn’t happen, then I’ll play along with her. No need to rock the boat when the waters are calm.

  “Well, as you already know, I’m Lance, but the locals and my friends call me Blue. It’s the name I prefer.” I set my phone down on the table to focus all my attention on her. If she remembers my name, all hell might break loose. Hopefully my nickname throws her off and she doesn’t put the two together.

  She slides her sunglasses on top of her head, and I’m suddenly staring at a set of crystal blue eyes that match my own. Only hers are outlined with a darker shade of eyelashes that only makeup can create. “Where did you get the nickname?” she asks.

  I push my sunglasses down toward the tip of my nose, just enough to give her a view of my clear blue eyes. Peeking at her over my aviators, I watch her nod in approval.

  She smiles. “Makes perfect sense, I guess, but why do you have the nickname and not your sister? Your eyes are almost identical,” she states. “Actually, you two could pass as twins. Are you?” She’s quite the observer. Molly’s are a few shades darker. Maybe I should give her a close-up so she can inspect my face more. I wouldn’t deny her an encore of last night because I sure as hell wouldn’t turn her down this time.

  “Everybody always thinks that.” He chuckles. “No, I’m ten months older than her, but we are close like most twins.”

  “That’s cool.” She nods.

  “To answer your first question, when I was little, my dad thought it was a good idea for me to learn how to surf, which turned out to be his best idea for me, so when he signed me up, we learned there was another Lance in our group. To keep my instructor from getting us confused, he nicknamed me Blue because he said my eyes matched the ocean and sky.” I shrug. “It kind of just stuck. Next thing I knew, everyone was calling me Blue, except for my family; they refuse to call me by anything other than Lance. Well, except for Molly. She likes to call me a jerk, or dick face, or some other condescending name.” I laugh as Molly slaps me in the arm.

  “Well, you are a jerk most of the time,” Molly adds.

  Coast is clear. She doesn’t seem to remember anything from last night.

  Pushing my sunglasses back up on my nose, I stare freely at Phoebe while Molly and I bicker over who’s going to order our food. Since Phoebe’s here, I want to drink her in as long as I can.

  “Fine, I’ll order,” Molly says as she walks away from the table. “But I’m putting it on your tab,” she calls out once she approaches Raul.

  “Is it safe to eat the food here?” Phoebe asks. “I’m not trying to be rude, but the place looks like it was put together from scrap you find at a landfill.” She drops her sunglasses back down on her face, screwing up my line of vision.

  “Oh, I’ve only found a roach in my burrito twice,” I say with a blank face.

  The corner of her mouth tugs upward into a crooked grin, and I like it. “You’re so full of shit,” she says with a light laughter. “If I end up with food poisoning, you’re paying for my medical bill, and if not, thank you for buying my lunch.” She smirks and it’s the cutest damn thing.

  “Since I know you won’t have food poisoning, you’re welcome.” Buying her lunch is the least I can do after stealing five hundred bucks from her wallet. Talk about feeling like complete shit, I’m sitting here wondering what the hell kind of bad luck I’m going to endure. No way is karma going to let me off the hook so easily.

  Molly walks over with a tray full of tacos, tamales, and taquitos. As she sets them down, she scolds me. “The least you can do is get your lazy ass up and help me with the drinks.”

  I hold my palm up in surrender. “Chill, Chihuahua, I’ve been keeping our guest company,” I say with a smirk. I slide my chair out and walk over to Raul standing in the window of the taco shack.

  Raul slides our drinks forward. “Nice little blonde you’ve got over there,” he says, nodding toward Phoebe. Raul always makes it his business to keep up with who I’m banging for the week, or sometimes the month. It all depends on the time of year on how much ass I’m getting. “Is she your flavor for the day, the week, or are you going to make this old guy happy and turn it into a lifetime?” he asks, with beady gray eyes full of hope. He’s been my mentor since I was in high school and has taught me everything there is to know about surfing. He wants to see me settle down with a girl, so every time I show interest in someone, he gets his hopes up thinking I finally found “the one” who will tame me. “What are you now, Blue, twenty-five? You can’t surf and live on a beggar’s salary for the rest of your life.”

  “I’m twenty-four years old. I’ll be a bachelor until I’m at least thirty.”

  He waves away my comment. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that a million times. How about you send that pretty blonde over here and let me talk to her.”

  “Dude, how many times have I told you my sister isn’t interested? Cut your dick off and she might
give you a chance,” I say, knowing he’s talking about Phoebe. Raul takes a playful swing at me, and I dodge it. “Yeah, she’s cute,” I say, glancing over my shoulder to look at her. “Molly brought her along, so I’m not sure which of us she’s into.”

  Raul starts laughing. “Get your punk-ass out of here and bring those girls their drinks before they choke on your bullshit.”

  “You got it, old man!” I yell as I walk back to our table.

  “Ladies.” I place the drinks down along with some napkins as I take my seat next to Phoebe. Both of them already start grubbing without me, so I take whatever is left.

  After inhaling a taco, I decide to open up conversation to find out more about Phoebe. “So, how did you two meet?” I ask, pointing my pinky at both of them while I go for another taco.

  “Some guys were harassing her, so I gave her a hand in the matter,” Molly says before taking a long pull of soda from her straw. Instantly, anger shoots through me. I might not know her, but I don’t fuck around with guys dicking with girls just to get their kicks. I dealt with that bullshit long enough in high school when Molly was constantly bullied for turning them down.

  “Anybody I know?” I ask. A few of the locals know better than to fuck with me, and I sure as hell hope it wasn’t the idiot who thought it was wise to pick a fight with me last night.

  She shakes her head.

  Wanting to change the subject, I cram the last bite of taco in my mouth before I ask her what she thinks of Panama City Beach.

  I catch her in the middle of drinking, so when she pulls the straw from her mouth, a drop of soda flips out from the top and lands on my lip. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!” she exclaims before hiding her face behind her napkin.

  “No problem,” I say then slowly lick the sweet drop from my lip. I give her a sly as a snake smile then lift my sunglasses up on top of my head so she can see I’m blatantly staring at her. She might seem a little embarrassed right now, but last night there was nothing about her that screamed reserved. And I want some more of what I had. “It’s better than landing in my eye, right?” I say with a chuckle to ease her discomfort.