by Anthology
Chapter 7
Olivia
Shock was the best way to describe every feeling running through my body. I had no idea how in the hell to answer him. Did I want to spend the week hanging out with this guy, I didn't really know? What he suggested seemed fairly harmless. It would be a good way to make Jake leave me the fuck alone. No one else would have to know we were just friends and maybe I did get a new friend out of it, someone who shared more of my interests than anyone else I'd known.
He was sexy and funny and made my body burn with passion. After last night, I definitely wouldn't mind a few more nights of that. Especially if I gave up dating for a while. With Nick, I wouldn't have to worry about attachments and feelings. Everything we did would be for fun and enjoyment, then at the end of the week he'd leave. One question still remained.
“You know I have to work tonight, right?”
“No, but where do you work, I'll take you out when you're done.”
“Well, that might be a little late for dinner. I work at the bar we were at last night.”
“You're a bartender?”
“Yep.” I wasn't going to make excuses for it. College was expensive, he could either accept it or fuck off.
“Okay. Then how about, I'll come hang out at the bar with you and we can do something when you get off. What time is that anyway?”
The fact that he was willing to bend to my schedule seemed odd, but I didn't want to question my one bout of luck in the last few months, so I almost kept my mouth shut about it, that's not who I am. “For someone who wants to spend time together with no strings, you're awfully determined to spend the night with me.”
“What can I say? I've never met someone I had so much in common with, not even my best friend. It would be nice to have a friend who likes the same things I like. Besides you're tired of all of the bullshit and I'm pretty sure you're ready to do something without any of the normal expectations.”
Damn, did this guy have me pegged. “Okay. We can do something when I get done.”
Thankfully, the waitress seemed to wait until our conversation was over before placing the check on the table. I tried to get to it, but Nick swiped it off the table first.
“My treat,” he said. He pulled out enough money to cover the bill and stood. “Ready?”
I checked the time on my phone. “Yeah, I need to grab my car so I can go home and get ready for work.”
He held the door open for me and I followed him out to the car. “Well then, let me get you to your car.”
“Can you take me to Brianna's? That's where I left my car last night.”
“Sure.”
Brianna lived about two blocks from the restaurant. If I hadn't thought I might be late for work, I would have walked. There wasn't even enough time to talk more, but if he really wanted to see me tonight, we could talk when he got to the bar. He dropped me off next to my car. Brianna was working, thankfully, otherwise I'm sure I'd get an earful from her. No doubt in my mind that she'd show up tonight with her own version of twenty questions. It may not be that bad, since she seemed to like Nick from the beginning.
On the drive home, I couldn't believe how far yesterday afternoon seemed, or how quickly things had changed. When I pulled into the driveway, I noticed mom's car gone, meaning they were probably still at breakfast. At least that's what I was hoping for. I'd already showered. I only needed to change my clothes and I didn't really have time to get into all of Mom's theories about Nick. I knew what she thought the minute she saw him and her eyes lit up. It was safe to assume her version of twenty questions helped her decide if he'd be another loser to add to my growing roster or not.
Taking advantage of the empty space, I ran up the stairs and changed as quickly as possible. In record time, I made it back out the door. There weren't a lot of people at the bar when I arrived, but Chris threw a knowing look over his shoulder. Doing my best to ignore it, I put my stuff away at the end of the bar and took the first drink order of a guy who sat down.
As the day passed, more and more people came inside trying to escape the heat. Hours had come and gone in the blink of an eye. I'd been mixing a few frozen margaritas for the girls at the end of the bar, when a sultry voice whispered in my ear.
“I missed you today.”
Even after only having heard the voice for the first time a little over twenty-four hours ago, I recognized it immediately. His words shot heat all the way to my toes and that scared the shit out of me.
“Hmm . . . I guess that's nice to hear, but if you give me a minute I'll deliver these drinks and we'll talk more about that.”
He smiled. It was warm and inviting all at the same time. Something a girl could get lost in, if she wasn't careful. Taking the opportunity to bring the drinks to the waiting customers, I thought more about my reaction to Nick's words. It was stupid of me to get all warm and fuzzy because he missed me. After all, he made it clear this afternoon what he wanted, which was no relationship whatsoever. And that was exactly what I needed as well. Finding myself more relaxed, I walked back over to Nick who was now seated at the bar.
“What can I get you?”
“You, naked later?”
I laughed and rolled my eyes. “Maybe if you're good, but what can I get you to drink right now?”
“Sam Adams.”
Pulling out a glass, I poured the beer from the tap, watching the foam head rise to the top of the glass. It was another good distraction. The minute he mentioned naked bodies, my brain went into overdrive and I still had a few hours left to work. I set the glass in front of him and watched as he took a long sip of the beer, his neck muscles working as he swallowed the liquid down. Damn, he could make anything sexy.
“Tell me what you did today?”
“After I dropped you off, I went down to the beach to surf for a bit.”
“Did you steal any waves today?”
“Ha ha, very funny. I'm still not convinced that I stole yours.”
“You must be blind then.”
“Maybe I am, but I can tell you I did see Brianna today when she was working.”
“Oh god,” I shuddered.
“Yeah, that about sums it up. She had her own version of the interview.”
“Oh shit, I'm so sorry about that.”
“Don't be. I can't say my friends would be any different.”
His friends. I wondered what they were like. Would they even like me? He didn't live far from school. The reality was, we could stay friends, once I went back in September, but only if his current friends liked me. It was obvious from their behavior that mine already did.
“Your brother said earlier that you like to play soccer. Why didn't you tell me?”
I shrugged. “I guess we had so much else going on last night, I hadn't even thought about it.” Okay, some of that was a lie. I forgot to mention it because I'd been entirely too distracted by his face and body.
“I'll say, that's impressive. What position do you play?”
Now it was time to really test the football player's knowledge. “Forward striker.”
“Offense, I like it. It suits you.”
My mouth dropped open. “You know something about soccer?”
He smirked. “Does that surprise you?”
“I guess it does. Most football players hate anything to do with soccer.”
“Not me.” He shook his head. “I played both sports until I started high school. I loved soccer, but my stats in football had a much better chance of getting a scholarship to college and it paid off.”
And there was another thing we had in common with each other. “How about one day before you leave, we go down to the beach and kick a ball around?”
“How about tomorrow? You can bring your board and I'll bring lunch. I promise to not steal any waves.”
Amazingly, he'd already mastered the best ways to put a smile on my face. It was a foreign feeling, but I could definitely get used to it. Nick and I had the makings of a great friendship. A group of guys
came in and sat at the other end of the bar.
“All right, I'll hit the beach with you tomorrow.” I gestured over my shoulder with my thumb. “I'll be right back, I need to go take orders for the guys who just sat down.”
He nodded. The rest of the night, went by much like that. I spent the down time talking to Nick, but would leave him every once in a while to take care of a new customer. He was patient every time I needed to walk away and we'd pick up on our conversation the minute I got back over to him. Sometimes it took a little longer, depending on the customers needing refills.
At the end of the night, I helped Chris count the drawer. There were still two hours until closing. Since I'd been the early shift, I could leave. I pulled my tips and went around the bar to meet up with Nick. We decided that taking my car with us to his house made the most sense.
“All done?” Nick asked.
“Yep.” I popped the 'p' practically bouncing on my toes in my excitement to get him back to his house. The sexual tension hadn't decreased all night. Each time I went to wait on a customer, I felt his eyes on me. The few times I could see him looking he'd do something to push my need even farther. “Let's go.”
Climbing into the two cars, we pulled out of the lot and went to Nick's place. It felt surreal to be there again. Climbing out of my car, I followed him up the porch steps and through the door. Surprisingly, he took my hand and led me to the living room. Sitting down, we continued our conversation from earlier. I knew he wanted me, but he hadn't made one move to get into my pants. Not since the flirting in the bar. Now that we were all alone and he could do whatever he wanted to me, he kept his hands to himself.
I was starting to wonder if I imagined the lust in his unguarded eyes. Then his words from earlier dance through my head. After last night, I'd love friends with benefits, but I'll leave that decision up to you. He'd been waiting for me to make the first move, or at least tell him that I liked the idea of friends with benefits. It was now or never. He was talking about football, when I stood and straddled his lap. Leaning forward I pressed my lips to his, sucking lightly on the bottom one until he groaned and opened his mouth to let me in. Our tongues dance and dueled, tasting each other's flavors.
His hand slid up into my hair, holding my mouth to his. Eventually, he pulled back, panting for air.
“I guess . . . this means you'll stay . . . here tonight?”
In answer, I pressed my body to his and kissed him once again.
“Thank fuck,” he whispered against my lips. Griping me under the ass, he carried my back to his bedroom and made the night before pale in comparison.
Chapter 8
Nick
WAKING UP TO FIND Olivia in my arms was quickly becoming a habit. I liked having her there. We spent the night having some of the hottest sex imaginable. Never in my entire life had it been that good. She had one leg wrapped around my thigh, her head leaning on my chest. There was a peaceful quality about her and I hated to wake her, but the tide would be coming in soon.
I brushed my fingers down her cheek. “Liv, wake up.” She stirred in her sleep, but her eyes were still closed. “Liv, if we want to surf, we need to get up and head to the beach for the tide.”
Her eyes fluttered open. “Why are you waking me up after you kept me up most of the night?”
She was right, we'd only gotten about three hours of sleep. “We can take a nap later. If we miss the waves now, you'll be at work when the tide comes in again. There's a fifteen mph wind.”
She groaned and sat up. “There better be some decent ones out there for me to get up so early.”
Begrudgingly, Olivia got out of bed. When she wasn't worried about her actions the night before, it turned out that she was not a morning person. I took her board off the rack of her car and put it on mine, while she was getting dressed. After I dropped her off to get ready for work the day before, I picked up stuff to pack a lunch for both of us. Plus, I'd gotten a soccer ball. I knew she didn't have to go to work until later, but I had a feeling she would still want a nap on the beach at some point.
I'd decided to drive over to avoid carrying everything. She hadn't said a word when she climbed into the car. Actually, she hadn't said anything since grumbled about getting her cute little ass out of bed. Stopping at one of the cafes, I ran in to get us both a coffee. I had high hopes that might bring her out of her head. When I got back in the car and handed her the cup, she wrapped her hands around it, like she couldn't survive without the first sip.
Olivia drank a bit of the coffee and turned toward me. “Thanks. I needed that.”
“Which beach did you want to go to?” She knew more about where we'd find the best waves.
“Let's do the same one from the other day. The waves are decent there and we won't have to deal with the crowds until later in the day.”
“That works for me.” I pulled onto the street and headed for the beach Olivia suggested.
We parked and walk down to the beach and just like Olivia predicted, we were the only two people there. I carried both boards and lunch down to the beach.
She yawned. “Since you got me up so early to surf, let's go. Well, that's as long as you promise not to steal my wave again.
I took her hand pulling her up against my body and kissed her until her shoulders moved up and down with each panting breath. “I would do no such thing.”
Stepping out of my reach, she laughed and grabbed her board, running into the water. She paddled out into the surf, sitting on her board waiting for me. “Come on. I'm waiting.”
Shaking my head, I picked up my own board and paddled out to her. “Here I am, now show me what you've got.”
Smirking she paddled into the first wave, her grace and speed were astounding. Very few surfers were able to hold a wave at the speed she rode the waves. The next few hours I watched her take every wave that came at her, even ones that other surfers would shy away from. It also amazed me at how quickly we each adapted to each other's style and were able to surf the same waves in tandem. It was the first time in my life that I'd ever felt that connected to another person. There was a connection, I didn't want to read too much into. Shaking it off, I followed her onto the beach.
After drying off, I laid out the blanket and lunch that I brought with us.
“When did you do all of this?” she asked, a glint in her eye.
“Last night before I came down to the bar. I hoped you'd come with me today and we could sit and talk.”
Her face brightened. “I like that idea.”
She sat down on the blanket and I started handing her food from the bag. Olivia sat next to me, eating her sandwich and watching the ocean. I found myself curious about where she learned to surf like that.
“When did you start surfing?” I asked, genuinely curious.
She finished the bit in her mouth and glanced over her shoulder at me. “My uncle put me on my first board when I was six. Steven had already been surfing for a few years.”
“You're a natural.”
A smile graced her lips, but I saw the shadow in her eyes. “So are you. Both of us surfed for the school team. My uncle was trying to find a release for Steven's anger at being the only kid we knew whose father didn't love them enough to stay.”
Reaching up, I cupped her face with my hand. “I'm sorry your father didn't understand what an amazing family he had.”
Consciously or unconsciously, she leaned into the comfort I offered. For that moment, it made me feel like I could conquer the world singlehandedly.
“His loss. We did okay without him.”
“I'd say you did better than okay.”
Leaning in, I pressed my lips to hers, enjoying the warm feel of her tongue as it danced with mine. Realizing what I'd done, and what it could mean, I pulled back.
“Sorry,” I offered, but her face was flushed, her breaths sawing in and out of her lungs.
She nodded, her eyes wide. After a few minutes of silence, Olivia changed the subject and the conversat
ion continued like nothing happened. But that was hard to keep telling myself after I dropped her off to get ready for work. The connection I felt to Olivia the first time we met, only strengthened as the week progressed. Then the kiss on the beach, it hadn't been about sex. I'd kissed her to offer comfort when she'd been sad. I wanted her to know that I cared. None of it mattered. I shook off the feelings and picked up the phone to check in with my mom.
She was the type that would undoubtedly worry since I went down there alone.
“Hi, Nick.” her excited voice came over the other end of the phone.
“Hey, Mom. I knew you'd worry if I didn't check in.”
“You've got that right. How's everything down there?”
I got a shirt and shorts out of my bag to wear back to the bar that night. “It's great. The water is a little cooler than I'm used to. But it's nice to be away.”
“What have you been doing, besides surfing?”
“Not a whole lot. I met this really cool girl my first day here and I've been spending time with her. She's been showing me all of the hangouts that only the locals know about.”
Mom started laughing.
“What's so funny?”
“You left all of your friends home to get away from the dating scene and here you are, seeing some girl.”
I dropped the clothes on the counter in the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror above the sink. “I'm not seeing her. She's just a new friend.”
“You're kidding yourself if you think you see her as just a friend. I can hear it in the way your voice changed when you first mentioned her. I've never heard you have that reaction about a girl.”
My eyes narrowed. “What reaction?”
“The one where your voice went up a few octaves when you mentioned her. You've found the one, and you don't want to admit it yet.”
“I haven't found anyone, and if we're being technical I'm not looking for anyone either.”
“You're deluding yourself if you think that.”
