Beautiful Mess

by Preston, Jennifer

  Christmas arrived, and Bri enjoyed watching her family open their gifts. Liam and Logan especially loved the Hot Wheels race track she’d gotten them, and they tackled her with hugs. Bri got a new smartphone, a new laptop, and a wireless Bose SoundLink, which she was ecstatic about. The first chance she got, she called Cole with her new phone to wish him a Merry Christmas. Then she called Layla and they compared presents. Bri spent the rest of the day downloading apps and music for her phone, and playing cars and watching movies with her brothers. Summer even made a good turkey dinner. It was a nice, relaxing day, and Bri went to bed happy, content, and excited for her trip.

  She woke the next morning with a huge smile on her face. She got showered and ready, and packed her bag before heading out to the kitchen for breakfast. After everyone finished, she helped her dad get their SUV loaded up, kissed her brothers and dad goodbye, and waved the family off as they took off for Fresno. She then threw her duffle bag in her car and headed off for the ferry that would take her to Catalina, and to Cole.

  Bri was surprised to find the ferry to Catalina was more like a giant speedboat on steroids. It was huge and fast. The ferry pulled into the dock in Avalon, and Bri grabbed her bag and disembarked. As she walked down the dock, she scanned the crowd and noticed a sexy, dark haired guy leaning against a nearby tree, grinning at her. Though Cole’s eyes were hidden behind his sunglasses, Bri could feel them as they traveled over her, and her heart gave a jump.

  “Hey there.” Smiling, she walked up to him. “Have you been waiting long?”

  “Days,” he smiled back at her before pulling her to him and kissing her deeply. Bri sighed into him, feeling complete again. Reluctantly they pulled apart, aware of the crowd around them. “Come on, this way.” Cole took Bri’s bag from he, grabbed her hand, and led her away from the dock.

  As they walked along the shop lined street, Bri took in the quaint little town. The beach was off to the right, and there was a long pier in the middle of it that jutted out into the bay. The bay was full of boats of all sizes, anchored in neat rows, along with a few small docks filled with various watercraft for rent. The left side of the long street was full of shops and restaurants, selling everything from souvenirs to high end clothing. Bri even spotted a grocery store and pharmacy.

  “What’s that?” Bri pointed to a beautiful, round, red roofed building that stood out on the other end of the bay.

  “That’s the famous Casino.”

  “Casino? It doesn’t look like anything in Vegas.”

  “Not that kind of casino. No gambling, but it does have a museum and a movie theater. I’ll take you sometime. But first, are you hungry?”

  “Actually I am.”

  “Good. I hope you like fish and chips!” Cole led Bri out onto the pier where they ordered lunch from a large seafood stand.

  “Mmm, this is delicious!” Bri managed between bites of flakey fish. “I’ve never been much of a seafood fan, but this is great!”

  “Nothing like freshly caught fish,” Cole agreed.

  They finished their lunch and continued down the street until Cole turned them onto a wooden dock surrounded by small boats.

  “The dinghy is down at the end.”

  “Dinghy?” Bri laughed at the unfamiliar word.

  “Hey, that is a very serious nautical term and nothing to be laughed at,” Cole reprimanded in mock seriousness. He stopped by a small boat and tossed Bri’s duffle bag in. “Here, hop in.” He held her hand and helped her in before untying the dinghy and hopping in, quite literally, himself. He started the engine, pulled away from the dock, and steered out into the marina where the larger boats were moored.

  As they got closer, Bri saw that most of the boats were decked out in Christmas lights. She couldn’t wait to see them all lit up at night.

  “This place is great!” She watched Cole as he maneuvered the dinghy around the water. “No wonder you and your dad do this every year.”

  “Yep, it’s one of our favorite traditions. We go fishing and scuba diving, sometimes golfing. It’s relaxing here, slower. It’s nice.” His dark hair was being whipped about by the breeze. Dang, he looked good.

  “So, you drive dinghies, fish, golf, and scuba dive, too? Any other hidden talents?” She eyed him, surprised that she didn’t know this about him.

  “Of course! But if I told you, it would ruin all the mystery!” He kissed her briefly, before steering them up to a large, beautiful boat. Bri saw the words Sharlene LaRue painted in a beautiful gold on the back. Cole tied up the dinghy, grabbed her bag, then stepped out and helped Bri onto the boat.

  He opened a pair of wooden sliding doors and Bri stepped into a warm, cozy cabin. On one side was a rectangular dining table with booth-style seating around three sides. Directly behind the eating area was a small kitchen. Across from the table were two comfy looking armchairs and a TV mounted up in the corner. Three small steps led up out of the cabin. Bri glanced around, a bit nervous, at the people occupying the room.

  “Hey everyone, this is Bri. Bri, this is Scott,” Cole gestured to a tall, brown haired man sitting in one of the arm chairs. Scott smiled at Bri and nodded. “And this is Sharon.” The blond woman in the kitchen walked up to Bri.

  “Bri, we’re so glad you’re here!” Sharon’s blue eyes were as warm as her smile. “Cole has told us a lot about you, but he failed to mention how stunning you are!”

  “Um, thanks,” Bri’s cheeks blushed in embarrassment.

  “And this old man you already know.”

  Jimmy slid out from the table and gave Bri a brief hug.

  “Hello, my dear. Glad you could make it,” he smiled.

  “Well, thanks for convincing my dad to let me come. I don’t know what you said to him, but I may need your services again sometime!” she laughed.

  “Is she here yet?” A pretty blond girl came barreling down the steps. She looked about fifteen and had deep brown eyes. The girl stopped in front of Bri and beamed.

  “Bri, this is Claire, Scott and Shar’s daughter.”

  Claire let out an excited squeal and launched herself at Bri, hugging her.

  “I’m so glad you’re here, you have no idea! I just know we’re going to best friends!” Claire released a slightly shocked Bri and bounced up and down. “Finally, I’m not going to be the only girl around here. You have no idea how obnoxious these boys can be!”

  “Oh, obnoxious huh?” Cole grabbed Claire, pulled her into a headlock, and proceeded to rub his knuckles into her head. Bri burst out laughing.

  “Cole! Stop! You’re messing up my hair!” Claire half laughed, half screamed.

  “Alright. I’ll go easy on you this time.” Cole released Claire, who ran immediately to Bri and latched onto her arm.

  “See what I mean? It’s like he’s still thirteen or something,” she eyed Cole. “Now come on and I’ll show you our room, and you can tell me everything about yourself.” Claire led Bri up the steps. Bri tossed a worried glance back at Cole, who just smiled, shaking his head.

  Claire led Bri through a narrow room with a big wheel, assumedly for steering the boat, and down a small set of twisting stairs to where the sleeping compartments were. Claire pulled Bri down the short hall to the front of the boat.

  “We get to sleep in the bow! It’s the best place to sleep because you can hear the water lapping on both sides, and it sort of sings you to sleep!” The bow had two bunks on each side. Claire climbed up onto her bunk and sat expectantly. “So, tell me about yourself! I seriously want to know everything!”

  “Oh, okay.” Bri climbed up on her bunk as well, and told Claire a little about herself. Claire had a ton of questions, and side-tracked Bri a lot, but she seemed to genuinely want to get to know her. Bri asked some questions of Claire and found out that she was in fact fifteen, in ninth grade, she didn’t have a boyfriend, but she had already kissed three boys. As they talked, Bri found herself drawn to the bubbly girl. She was sweet and charming, and her enthusiasm was contagious. Bri found he
rself wishing she’d had a younger sister just like her. After Claire was sufficiently satisfied with Bri’s debriefing, she jumped off the bunk.

  “Come on, Bri, I’ll give you the tour!”

  “Um, that would be my job,” Cole pushed open the door to the bow, and Claire shrieked.

  “How long have you been standing there?” she accused him.

  “Long enough,” Cole replied evasively. “One thing to keep in mind. The walls on a boat are thin, so don’t say anything here that you don’t want everyone else to know.” He dropped Bri’s duffle on the bottom bunk. “Thought you might need that,” he smiled before turning to Claire. “Oh, and I heard that bit about you kissing every boy in sight, missy! Not cool. And don’t think I won’t tell your parents!” He gave her a stern look.

  “What? No, you can’t! My dad will never let me out of the house again!”

  “Well, I might be persuaded to change my mind,” he pretended to think it over. “But someone is going to owe me a favor. A big one.”

  “Okay, fine,” Claire relented gloomily. “But I’m not doing your laundry again. That wasn’t a favor, that was torture.” She visibly shivered.

  “Deal. Now, go! You’ve taken up enough of Bri’s time. It’s my turn.” He turned smoldering eyes on Bri.

  “You guys are totally going to make out, huh?” Claire giggled.

  “Oh, Sharon!” Cole called.

  “Okay, okay, I’m going. Have fun!” She wagged her eyebrows at Bri before skipping up the stairs.

  Cole walked up to Bri, put his hands on her waist, and lifted her down from the bunk, setting her on the floor in front of him.

  “Mmm, much better,” he murmured as his arms wrapped around her.

  “Much, much better.” Bri tipped her lips up in invitation. A smile spread over her face as Cole eagerly accepted.

  All of the restraint they had shown earlier on the dock was gone, and they kissed each other hungrily. It had only been a few days since they’d seen each other, but it had felt like weeks to Bri. Her body melted into his and her hands dug into his hair. It scared her how intense they were together sometimes, like they almost couldn’t live without each other. But Bri’s body paid no heed to that fear, as it tried to communicate to Cole how glad she was to be with him. Cole’s body seemed to need to express that same sentiment, and their kissing heated up.

  “Dude! If you’re going to do that, at least close the door!”

  Bri jumped away from Cole guiltily, completely startled, and Cole tried to smother a laugh.

  “Thanks man, I’ll get you back for this,” Cole eyed their interrupter. He reached for Bri and pulled her into his side. “Bri, this is Sebastian. Scott and Sharon’s other annoying offspring. Seb, this is Bri.”

  “Nice to finally meet you, Bri,” the tall, dark haired, dark eyed boy held out his hand.

  Bri blushed as she shook it. “Nice to meet you, too.”

  “Seb’s a freshman at UNLV. He’s their starting cornerback,” Cole informed her. “Defense,” he whispered tragically.

  Bri grinned. “Oh, wow! That’s awesome. Your parents must be really proud.”

  “Yeah, something like that.” Sebastian eyed her like he was trying to figure her out. “Anyway, I just came down to tell you that we’re heading to shore in a bit, if you want to come. Mom’s gotta pick up some stuff for breakfast tomorrow.”

  As much as Bri wanted to go exploring, she wanted some alone time with Cole more. As if reading her mind, Cole answered.

  “You know, I think Bri and I will just hang out here.” He looked to Bri for approval, and she nodded her consent.

  “Sure you will,” Seb gave them a knowing smirk. “Well, we’ll be back in an hour or so,” he turned to leave. “Oh, and no getting it on, on my bed!” he called over his shoulder.

  “No promises, man!” Cole shot back without missing a beat. Bri on the other hand, had turned bright red, and was standing there frozen by embarrassment. Cole turned to her and laughed.

  “Don’t worry, he doesn’t really think we’re going to do anything. He’s just messing with us.” He leaned in and kissed the top of her head. “Come on, I’ll show you the rest of the boat.” He pulled her along by the hand. “The bathroom is here, and the guest room where Seb’s sleeping is here,” Cole pointed to the two doors opposite the hall from each other. “Scott and Shar’s room is there, at the other end of the hall.” He led her back up the spiral stairs into the pilot house, or the big wheel room as Bri called it, and up a longer staircase leading to the roof. Cole tried to teach her the correct nautical terms for the various rooms on the boat, but Bri knew there was no way she’d ever remember them. So she decided to call things as she saw them.

  They emerged into an open, canopied bridge, complete with another big wheel and control panels, and an L-shaped bench with padded seats. Down a short ladder at the back was a long deck that extended the rest of the length of the boat.

  Bri sat on the bench and took in all the boats around her and the shore behind her. “What’s that for?” She pointed to a small metal crane that looked very out of place perched on the side of the deck.

  “That’s how we get the dinghy up and down. It’s stored up here when it’s not in the water.”

  “Wow. This is really amazing.” Her eyes continued to scan her beautiful surroundings.

  “Yes, it really is,” Cole agreed. “Now that we’re finally alone, I have something for you.” He pulled out the small package he’d picked up before they came up top.

  “Oh! Wait, I have something for you, too. I’ll be right back.” Bri rushed down to her bag and pulled out Cole’s gifts. When she got back, she handed him two brightly wrapped boxes. “Merry Christmas, Cole! You open your presents first.”

  Cole was ecstatic when he opened the pair of designer sunglasses Bri got him. She knew he had been wanting them for a while now, and she’d even called Jimmy to make sure he wasn’t getting them for him for Christmas. The other present was an assortment of art supplies.

  “Thanks, baby!” Cole pulled her in for a hug. “This is perfect! But you spent way too much money on me.”

  “You’re worth it,” Bri kissed him. “I wanted to get you something special.” She picked up the box of art supplies. “I called your dad and he told me where you get your art supplies. I told the guy at the shop I was buying for you, and he said these were some things you might want. I hope you like them”

  “I do. It was a very thoughtful gift. Thank you,” Cole kissed her again. “Your turn! Merry Christmas, Ambria!”

  Bri opened the box to find a framed picture Cole had drawn of the two of them sitting on the beach. Cole had his arms wrapped around Bri and was placing a kiss on her temple, while she leaned into him with a happy, content smile.

  “Coleston! It’s beautiful,” she got a little teary-eyed as she noticed how detailed the drawing was. He’d obviously spent a lot of time on it. “It’s perfect! Thank you!” She threw her arms around him.

  “I have one more for you,” he pulled back and dug a small, blue box out of his pocket.

  Bri took the box, recognizing the Tiffany’s blue, and opened it slowly.

  “Oh, wow,” she gazed down at the silver butterfly pendant resting inside. “Cole, this is really too much! And you think I spent too much on you? I... I can’t... it’s too expensive,” Bri shook her head and tried to give the box back.

  “It reminded me of you,” Cole pushed it back towards her. “I wanted you to have it. Here,” he pulled out the necklace and fastened it around her neck. “See, it’s perfect on you.”

  “Thank you,” she smiled at him, getting teary-eyed again. “It is perfect. It’s exactly what I would’ve picked out. I love it. I’ll always wear it. Though now, in comparison, my gifts to you seem really lame.”

  “Are you kidding?” Cole slipped on his sunglasses. “Do you know how long I’ve been eyeing these babies? They’re perfect!”

  “Wow, just when I thought you couldn’t possibly get
any sexier!” Bri pulled him to her, wanting to demonstrate her gratitude for his thoughtful gifts. They made good use of their privacy, and the padded benches on the bridge, before they were interrupted by the sound of the dinghy returning.

  Later that evening, the whole group went ashore for dinner at one of the local restaurants. Afterward, Cole took Bri on a tour of the town, meandering up and down many of the side streets. Bri found the entire island charming. It was so far removed from what she was used to in LA. Avalon had more of a European feel, and she instantly fell in love with it.

  After returning to the boat, Claire corralled the whole group for game night. One four hour marathon game of Monopoly, and a very rich, smug Sebastian later, it was time for bed. Cole kissed Bri briefly before she settled into the bow with Claire, and the lapping waves lulled her to sleep.

  Bri woke the next morning to the smell of bacon. She glanced over to find Claire’s bunk empty. She climbed down, grabbed her brush from her bag, tried to tame her hair as best she could, and went in search of the others.

  She found everyone seated around the dining table eating waffles, bacon, and eggs. Most of them were already dressed and ready. Cole was sitting in an armchair, his knee bouncing up and down impatiently. For a moment Bri was embarrassed. She was obviously the last one to wake, and it looked like they had been waiting on her. She walked down the stairs into the kitchen. Cole saw her and jumped out of his seat, wrapping her in a hug.

  “Good morning. I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to wake up!” he teased before planting a quick kiss on her lips.

  “What time is it? How long have you been up?” She glanced at the clock and couldn’t believe it. It was almost 11:00!

  “We’ve been up for a while,” Cole grinned. “We tried to wait on breakfast, but we got a little hungry.”

  Bri was thoroughly embarrassed.

  “I’m so sorry! I can’t believe I slept that long!”