by Ruby Forrest
Anya cursed her inability to hide her feelings. She wished she had a good poker face because then she could easily avoid situations like this.
Anya sighed as she felt the alcohol burn through her system. She was already starting to feel it work its magic, and since Anya was a light head, she felt her muscles loosen, and her inhibitions slowly begin to lower themselves, so she leaned back against the couch and watched Lisa, wishing she could tell her the truth.
“There’s this guy I like,” she hedged.
Lisa put her drink down and turned to face her, “What? Since when? Why didn’t you say anything?”
Anya shrugged uncomfortably, “I guess because until tonight I wasn’t sure he liked me back, but today I discovered I don’t just like him, Lis. I have feelings for him, and he feels the same way.”
Lisa frowned, “Why do I feel like there’s a but coming on?”
Anya brushed her hair out of her eyes, “Probably because there is, he’s older.”
Lisa cocked her head to the side, “yeah, so? We already established that you like older guys, what’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing’s wrong with that, he’s amazing, we talk for hours about all sorts of stuff, and he makes me feel incredible, Lis,” Anya trailed off as she noticed the funny look Lisa was giving her.
“An, I’ve known you a long time, and I’ve never seen your eyes sparkle the way they are right now, and I’ve never seen you go on about a guy like that. You’ve got it bad.”
“Yeah,” she miserably laid her head in between her arms.
“So what’s the problem?” she pressed gently.
“If he dates me, his daughter might never forgive him because I’m about her age, and the thing is I know his daughter, I care about her, and I really don’t want to hurt her either.”
Lisa pursed her lips as she studied her, “I see, well if you and this guy think it’s worth it then you need to talk about telling his daughter in a way that she might be sympathetic to. Surely, if she sees that what you feel isn’t wrong, she’ll come around.”
Anya gave Lisa a small smile, “Maybe.”
“Alright, enough of that, you’re not allowed to be sad on your birthday, so let’s dance.”
Lisa stood up and yanked on Anya’s hand till she was on her feet, they made their way to the dance floor where Lisa began twisting and twirling looking very attractive as a lot of the guys on the dance floor gravitated towards her, but she only had eyes for her boyfriend who came up from behind her.
She pressed her body against his and began to move her hips while he ran his hands up and down her body. Anya stood self-consciously for a while before she grabbed a shot from a passing waiter. She downed it quickly and allowed her buzz to escalate into full on tipsy before she started to dance.
Before she knew it, she was pressed up against a guy who was doing a very good job helping her forget all about Russel. She spun around, so she was pressed up against his chest, and she ran her hand up and down his chest as she lowered her lashes and gave him a flirty grin.
Her dance partner gave her a devilish smile as his hands traveled down till they lay on her ass and squeezed. A flash of annoyance shot through Anya before she stamped it down telling herself that she wanted this. That she couldn’t have Russel, and that tonight of all nights, she didn’t want to feel undesirable or lonely.
The man’s hands moved forward, so they were cupping her breasts. Lost in the haze of alcohol, Anya pressed herself to him and hooked one leg around his, and her dress hiked up a little bit.
The man made a low guttural sound and buried his head in her neck where he began to lightly nibble. Flashes of Russel doing the same thing had Anya freeze in her spot as she tried to think clearly. She might not be able to think clearly, but she definitely didn’t want this guy hanging all over her.
She brought her hand up and lightly tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up at her through hooded eyelids, “Want to leave already? Wow, you are impatient.”
“Actually, no,” she tried to keep the disgust out of her voice because it wasn’t directed at him, it was at herself, “I just want you to stop.”
The man chuckled as he pinched her ass, “Very funny, sweetheart. That’s not the vibe I was getting just now.”
Anya shot him a look, “I know what was happening earlier, I just don’t want to anymore.”
All traces of humor vanished from the man’s face as his eyes darkened, “So you think you can just lead a guy on like that? Dance all provocatively then stop when you get bored.”
A tiny prickle of fear began to worm its way up, and Anya glanced around for Lisa or her boyfriend, but they were probably off somewhere making out. Anya steeled herself and swallowed back the fear, she was sure he wouldn’t try to force her here in the middle of a crowded dance floor.
“I shouldn’t have lead you on, but dancing provocatively doesn’t mean I’ll sleep with you. Now if you’ll excuse me,” she stepped to the side, but he blocked her path.
He gazed at her, his nostrils flaring, his putrid breath suddenly hitting her senses as she wondered why she even started dancing with him in the first place, “Where do you think you’re going?” He placed a hand on her arm, and Anya deftly removed his arm and twisted it behind his back, “Don’t ever touch me like that again.”
He nodded painfully before she released him, “Whore,” he spat out. She walked up to him menacingly before she felt a pair of broad arms wrap around her from the back.
“Let me go.” She struggled furiously before she heard Russel’s face in her ear, “relax, Anya. He’s already afraid of you, he’s just trying to salvage his pride.”
“Jackass!” She called out hotly as she struggled to free herself of Russel’s vice like grip. The man opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Russel had released Anya and strode over to him. He punched the man squarely in the face before he stood up and dusted off his pants.
He casually made his way towards Anya who was watching him shell shocked. He cupped her face in his hands as he casually checked her over. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
“I’m fine.” A smile tugged on the corner of her lips. “Not that I couldn’t handle it, you know.”
“Oh, I know, I was watching for five minutes ready to pounce till I saw how you twisted his arm behind his back like that, nice grip by the way.”
Anya blushed, “Thanks,” her smile fell away, “what are you doing here?”
“I was grabbing a drink with some buddies from work, then I saw you from across the dance floor,” he leaned his forehead against hers, “Took everything I had to just stand there and not yank that guy away and dance with you instead.”
Anya breathed deeply as she allowed the scent of him to wash over her. Their spell was broken when a pair of high heels sounded on the floor, “What the hell is going on?”
***
They both froze as jumped apart guiltily. Anya began to rub her arms up and down to ward off the sudden chill, “Lis, I can explain.”
Lisa looked shocked as she stared from her dad to her best friend, “He’s the older guy you were telling me about?”
Russel threw her a look which she ignored as she took a step forward, “Lisa, I meant what I said, I won’t ruin your relationship with your father, nor will I risk our friendship, you have to believe that. This guy was just getting handsy and Ru-“
“Your father,” she hastened to correct herself, “Just came over to see if I needed help, that’s all.”
Lisa opened and closed her mouth separate times as she looked between the two of them, “I give up.” She said suddenly.
“What?” They both echoed in unison.
“I could see that you two were attracted to each other from the minute I brought you home, but I thought it was just attraction, and I mean you’re my best friend, and he’s my dad, but I’ve seen the way you two look at each other when you think I don’t notice, and I’ve seen the
connection you two have.”
Lisa threw her hair across her shoulder, “Now maybe I’m drunk, and I’ll regret this in the morning, but I honestly don’t care if you two date. I mean it is going to be weird as hell, but I’m not getting in the way of your happiness.”
She gave both of them a wide smile before she grabbed Patrick’s hand and walked off. They both gazed after her, wondering what just happened before they looked at each other, identical smiles of relief and happiness spread out across their faces.
She threw herself at him, and he hugged her tightly, nearly tripping over because of the weight of her impact.
“Now then, how do you feel about a real date followed by eating food off of someone else?”
She responded by throwing her head back and laughing as he lowered her to the floor, and they began to dance slowly, caught in their own little bubble.
THE END
In The Sea: A Workplace Romance
Chapter One
Ashlyn had barely thrown her bag on the bed assigned to her before she hurried out the house’s back door. There was nothing like the beach, and she didn’t want to wait to hear the sound of the waves and feel the warm sand between her toes. The beach was one of her favorite places ever, even though she had only been a few times. She was like a mermaid when it came to the water, and she had tried out for the swim team solely so that she could spend time in the pool at her high school.
“Wow!” Ashlyn said quietly as she stood at the edge of the steps that came down on the beachside of the dunes. She kicked her flipflops off and tossed them to the side beside a few other pairs of flipflops. She was at the beach, and the crew was going to be there for two full weeks.
“Thank goodness for beach scenes,” Ashlyn murmured. She looked around, but the beach was fairly empty. Most people weren’t quite off work yet, and the all-dayers had gotten tired already. It was the perfect time. “Too bad I didn’t take time to put on my swimsuit. I’ll just dip my toes in.” Ashlyn began walking along the edge of the beach, the cool water making the sand squish beneath her toes.
Mark was trying to invade her thoughts, but Ashlyn was trying to push him out. She had pretty much ignored him as much as possible after their interesting encounter. He was still nice to her, and he acted like every gentleman should. Ashlyn was doubting herself. Maybe she really had said something that made him think what he did was okay. If she didn’t remember, then she could have said yes.
Ashlyn gazed out over the ocean. It stretched on to the horizon. The beach wrapped around and stuck out, creating almost an inlet. The waves were tough, and Ashlyn knew that the current would tug strongly under the top layer of water.
Ashlyn froze as she saw something splashing in the water. She first saw hands flailing, then she caught a brief glance of a head. All was silent as the person disappeared, then the person bobbed up again and frantically gulped in air.
Ashlyn didn’t have to think a moment longer. This person was drowning! She had to save him! Ashlyn plunged into the water, her clothes still on. She fought through the breakers and soon reached a smoother part of the ocean, but by now, her feet were barely touching. Ashlyn took a deep breath and began swimming as fast as she could, the weight of her shorts tugging down at her waist. She didn’t care. She pushed onward.
Ashlyn reached the bobbing man, and she saw that he was bigger than she was. Luckily, the salt in the water would help him stay somewhat afloat as she pulled him to a safer depth. Ashlyn wrapped an arm around the man’s chest, seeing the surprise in his eyes as she grabbed on to him. She didn’t have time for formalities. She had to help this person. He might die if she left him out here.
He started fighting against her, but Ashlyn knew how to save a life. She steadily pulled him toward shore. She moved a lot slower with him in tow, but she finally made it to where she could safely stand and the current’s pull was not too strong.
The man started coughing. Ashlyn looked at him and wondered if she should pat his back or tell him to raise his arms, but as she moved toward him, he took a step away.
“Can you breathe?” she asked, ready to perform CPR if necessary.
The man nodded his head up and down. As Ashlyn watched him, she couldn’t believe it. Was he laughing? What was he laughing about? Ashlyn gently bobbed in the waves as she looked at this strange man who was laughing about a near-death experience.
“Do you need help making it to shore?” Ashlyn tried again, trying to help the man as much as possible. Maybe he was a lunatic as well. Maybe that was why he was in the middle of the ocean in the first place.
Finally, the man coughed up a little water, gave a final cough, and wiped at his mouth. “You sure are a strong thing for being so little,” he commented.
He had a southern accent, and Ashlyn smiled at the twang in his “thing.” “It’s really not hard to save someone, even if they’re bigger than you, but it would have been easier if you hadn’t been struggling so much. Couldn’t you tell I was trying to help you?”
The man threw back his head and laughed. Ashlyn was indignant. What was so funny, and why couldn’t she be included in the joke? “I didn’t need any saving, but I do appreciate the effort.”
“What do you mean you didn’t need any saving? You were flailing around like you were being tugged under!” Ashlyn set her face in a straight line to this character of a man.
“I was looking for a shell,” the man continued. “The best shells are found away from the beach where the tide has not turned them and broken them so much. I had my goggles, and I was diving down. I found a real beauty, but an undercurrent pulled me just then. I wasn’t able to grab onto the shell. I just sort of rolled it with my fingers. The current somehow managed to tear my goggles away. So, I was trying to get that shell and my goggles. That’s why I was bobbing up and down like a lost sea buoy.”
Ashlyn couldn’t help it. A smile slowly spread across her face, then she started to giggle. “I guess I shouldn’t wait around for a thank you, then. I just made you lose the location of your precious shell.”
The man laughed. “Hey, it’s no big deal. I’m sure I’ll find another shell just as nice that won’t be so dangerous to my life. I’m Brandon.”
“Ashlyn.” Ashlyn wasn’t sure if she should shake hands or just leave the ocean. After all, she wasn’t wearing a swim suit, and the water was really weighing down on her shorts.
“It’s nice to meet you. You are very kind to have come out to the ocean when you clearly weren’t dressed for swimming today.”
Ashlyn looked down and saw that her pale pink blouse was now clinging to her, clearly showing the lines of her bra. Ashlyn blushed and tried to pull the shirt away from her body, but the water wouldn’t let that happen.
“Well,” she said, trying to turn the attention away from her shirt. “I guess I have served my purpose here. You are saved, whether you wanted it or not, and I had a refreshing swim.”
“Whether you wanted it or not,” Brandon finished off. “Hey, I’ve got a towel on the beach. It’ll be nice and warmed up by the sun right about now. I insist you use it.”
“No, really, it’s okay,” Ashlyn said. “My house isn’t a far walk from here. I don’t mind. In fact, it feels rather nice to be cooled off.”
“Do you have a vacation home then?” Brandon started leading the way into shore, and Ashlyn instinctually followed him. After all, she needed to go back to the house anyway.
“No, no, no,” she quickly denied. “Nothing of the sort. I’m actually. . .well, I’m working with a film crew. We’re filming a movie in the area, and everyone is put up in a beach house while we’re working.”
“Wow! That sounds nice! What movie are you filming?”
“It’s called Firebird. It won’t be out for at least another year, though. It takes a crazy amount of time to cut and produce a movie.”
“Will your name be in the credits?”
“I don’t know,” Ashlyn replied. “So, what
are you doing here, spending time diving for seashells?”
“I know this may sound crazy, but I’m house sitting.”
“You’re house sitting? At the beach?”
“Yes, it is a thing. The house is actually a half hour drive from here, so I’m not as close as you might think. Anyway, the family is going to spend the summer in Europe, and they wanted someone to take care of their house while they were gone.”
“So you take care of the house?” Ashlyn just wasn’t getting this idea.
“Yes, I’m not paid to do it, but I get a place to live for a few months. Meanwhile, it gives me time to work on my music. I’m hoping that if I get good enough, I can do more than just perform at birthday parties or ladies’ luncheons.”
“Do you play an instrument or do you sing?”
“I play acoustic guitar,” Brandon answered. “I sing too. I guess there are a thousand guys out there my age trying to become famous for doing something like this, but I can always hope I’ll get a chance at the big shots.”
For some reason, his easygoing way of approaching life appealed to Ashlyn. He wasn’t ruled by someone else’s clock, nor was he worried about reaching a certain career goal. He was just enjoying life as it came to him.
“Here’s my towel,” Brandon said, holding the bright yellow cloth out to her.
Ashlyn shook her head one more time. “I’m really fine, thanks.”
“I insist. Please.”
Ashlyn reluctantly took the big yellow towel and wrapped it around her. It was warm, and it felt nice. It also gave her a chance to fix her clothing from clinging to her. She waited a few minutes, taking her time drying off. She wasn’t quite ready to see the last of this gentleman.
“Maybe you should come and be an extra on set,” Ashlyn suggested, her stomach feeling fluttery. It was not as though she was asking him on a date, but that was sure what it felt like. She didn’t know how to handle a rejection or an acceptance. “They will take pretty much anyone if you come in about two days around nine in the morning.”
