by BJ Phillips
“Smart girl. I need to get mine together, too. I used to own a generator, but I sold it when I left here for California. I figured someone else could use it and it shouldn’t just sit there rotting when I wasn’t here. I gave a young couple a great deal on it. I suppose I should get another one now that I’m back.
“BJ’s has them at a decent price. The only trick is getting it home, since it would be a real pain, if not impossible, to try to fit it into your Jeep. A friend of mine from work helped me get mine home in his pickup to save me the delivery charges. If you need help, let me know. I’m sure he’d help you pick it up, too,” Carrie offered.
“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. Another margarita? We don’t want them to melt, do we?”
An hour later, the margaritas long gone, Carrie rose to go. Shawn got up, too. “How about I walk you home?”
“Why, how gallant of you! Are you competing with Kelly for Chief Knight in Shining Armor?”
“Well, I hadn’t thought of that, but maybe I should.” Shawn laughed as she slid her feet into her flip-flops. “Actually, I could use a little exercise, and I’d feel better knowing you got home safe. Sometimes I think this place needs some street lights.”
“Street lights? Nah. I like living out here. It’s sort of like living in the country. In town, you’d have a much smaller lot, and no nice big, long driveway you can turn around in.”
“Very true. Let’s walk.” Shawn took Carrie’s hand as they headed down Shawn’s driveway. They strolled down the short distance between their houses and then up Carrie’s driveway. Their flip-flops made crunching noises on the driveway as they walked in silence, barely looking at each other.
Shawn’s hand tightened around Carrie’s and then let go as they got to the door. She waited as Carrie unlocked her door and stepped inside. Carrie took Shawn’s hand again and pulled her inside as well.
“I really can’t stay…”
Carrie pushed the door shut behind them, pulled Shawn close and kissed her gently. “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it? I like kissing you. This was just a goodnight kiss.”
“I do like kissing you, too. I like you very much. I just…I just, well, I need to go slow.” Shawn paused, looking at those pretty eyes. And those long eyelashes. And those soft lips that wanted to be kissed. She gulped in some air. “Forgot to tell you, Kelly has found herself a date for Saturday night, and we were thinking it’d be fun to run out to Fort Myers Beach. There are tons of places to eat out there, and then we could find something to do on the beach, I’m sure. My cousin has lived there for years and knows all the fun places to go. Unless you have someplace in mind you’d like to go, I’ll call him.”
If Carrie noticed the change in subject, she didn’t let on. “That sounds like fun. No, nothing particular comes to mind. I’m looking forward to it. So casual attire, shorts even?”
“Sure. Let’s be comfortable. How about if I come get you about seven, then we can go pick up Kelly and her date and head out? Does that work for you? It can be earlier or later if you like. Doesn’t matter to me. Just need to let Kelly know what time we’re picking them up.”
“I like seven. That sounds like we’ll be out at the beach early enough to watch the sunset after we have dinner. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me, too. I better get going. If I don’t see you before, I’ll see you Saturday evening then.” Shawn took Carrie’s hand and pulled her closer. Another goodnight kiss was in order. Another soft kiss brushed against Carrie’s lips, a whispered goodnight and Shawn was out the door. She waved as she made her way down Carrie’s driveway.
***
Carrie watched Shawn stride down her drive and could hear her steps even after she was out of the pool of light thrown by her porch light. The porch light was on a motion sensor and finally turned off a few minutes after Shawn left the yard. Carrie realized she was still standing on her porch in the dark and went inside. This Shawn was something else—a cross between a golden knight and a teenager. Shy but bold at the same time. Sometimes Carrie could feel Shawn wanting her, gazing at her with those blue eyes that seemed to see right through her. But at other times, she seemed like some kind of scared kid that had been slapped too many times or was afraid of thunder.
Shawn Richards was an enigma for sure. Carrie had already decided she was going to be patient and see where this went. One kiss was all it took and she was toast. She could feel the heat between them every time they accidentally touched and especially when they kissed. Even that soft brush of a kiss was enough to set her on fire. She wanted more. She wanted way more.
Carrie imagined them coming back to her house on Saturday night, after a night at the beach. They would get out of the car, walk up to the door, she’d bring Shawn inside. Then she’d kiss her brains out and throw her down on the sofa and make mad passionate love to her. Yeah right. No, that’s not quite the right scenario. Try again.
Okay, how about they come back from the beach, come in the door, and she offers Shawn a glass of wine as they sit on the floor cushions and listen to music. They get carried away by the music and wind up making love on the floor. Not quite right. She decided to consult one of those S.K. Richardson novels for some ideas. Somehow, she so wanted to touch Shawn, to make love to her. To feel her skin to skin. To taste her all over. Oh yeah, that’s what she wanted, all right. She had a good idea that’s what Shawn wanted, too. But what kind of scenario to play that out in? How could she get Shawn to just relax and let it happen?
Whoever made Shawn so gun-shy really did a job on her, she thought. Carrie already knew she cared very much about Shawn and wanted her to be part of her life. Before anything else could happen, though, she needed to get her to relax after the first kiss. The other night when she pushed her up against the wall, Carrie was sure it was going to happen then. She was trying everything she could to let her know she wanted it, too. But then she ran off. Carrie wanted the rest of it. And she wanted it from Shawn.
She knew she had a romance novel idea of love playing around in her head, but she also knew that Shawn could be the one she was looking for. Every time she looked into her eyes she could feel that Shawn felt something, too. But if she couldn’t get her to do something about it, they could be doomed before they really even got started.
Chapter Seventeen
SATURDAY EVENING. SHAWN HAD three pairs of cargo shorts laid out on her bed, trying to decide what to wear. She had sleeveless tops, polo shirts, and even a couple of nice tank tops laid out playing mix and match with them. She moved the blue polo shirt over with the tan shorts. Then moved the turquoise top onto the white shorts, then the navy top over with the yellow shorts. She finally settled on the navy blue polo shirt with the stone colored shorts. She put them on and stood in front of the wall mirror she had propped up in the living room.
Okay Shawn, you don’t look half bad, she told herself. The navy blue looked good with her blonde hair and blue eyes. The shorts were a good length and hid the whitest part of her legs. She slipped on some brown sandals. Good outfit. Sliding her wallet into her pocket, she picked up her keys and headed for the Jeep. She looked once more at herself in the rearview mirror. Enough, Shawn. You’re starting to act like some kind of narcissist, worrying so much about how you look. She started the Jeep and once more repeated it’s just a date. It’s just a date. I really like her. But it’s just a date. Relax.
Carrie was already dressed and ready, trying not to stand by the door to watch for Shawn to come down the driveway. She had already checked how she looked several times. She had changed outfits several times as well. She wanted to make sure she looked nice, but casual. Sort of sexy but not enough to scare Shawn. A final check in the mirror showed the navy shorts and a pale yellow sleeveless blouse did her justice.
As soon as Shawn turned down Carrie’s driveway, she saw her on the porch, already locking the house door. By the time Shawn pulled up, she had walked out to the driveway. She motioned for Shawn to stay in the Jeep and slid into the passenger s
eat.
“Wow…you really look great tonight,” Shawn said. “I mean, you look nice all the time, but you look especially nice tonight.”
“Thanks so do you.” Carrie reached over and kissed Shawn lightly on her lips. “I’m looking forward to this evening.”
Shawn felt her insides instantly turn to mush, but tried to ignore it. “Me too.”
As they drove over to Kelly’s, Shawn felt Carrie’s hand touching hers and looked over to see Carrie smiling back at her. She smiled back and took Carrie’s hand. That wasn’t very hard. We’ve done that before. Except this time Carrie’s touch sent electric shocks up her arm that led to other parts of her body that she shouldn’t be thinking about right then. She squeezed Carrie’s hand and kept driving.
A bit later, they were standing around with Kelly in her front yard, waiting for the last member of their foursome to arrive. “Yeah, I know she’s late,” Kelly said. “Not a good start, but she did call. She said she had to work a little late and will be here in a few. Y’all might as well come on inside while we wait. Carrie, you look great, by the way.”
“Thanks, Kelly,” Carrie said as they stepped inside. “Nice place. Have you lived here long?”
“A couple of years. This is my second house. I sold the first one after I fixed it up and made enough money for a nice down payment on this one. Now I’m renovating this one. It’s sort of a hobby.” Kelly pulled out her phone and thumbed through some photos. “Want to see?”
“Sure, I’d love to.”
“This is what this house looked like before, and you can see the after.”
“Wow. You could definitely do this for a living if you wanted to. If you’re ever looking for a job, let me know. I work for a construction company, and renovations and additions are part of what we do. My boss is always looking for talent, and you definitely qualify there.”
“I love doing this for myself, but I’m not sure how much I’d like doing a job for someone else. Working on my own house, I can take my time and decide exactly what I think it should look like. If I did this work for someone else, it’d be their idea of what should be done. I guess I could do that if I had to, but I don’t think it would be near as much fun. Doing it for myself is relaxing.”
The sound of the doorbell startled everyone, making them laugh. Kelly’s date was a cute redhead in her early thirties with freckles all over her face and arms. Kelly hugged her briefly and brought her in to meet everyone. “Shawn and Carrie, this is my friend Tracy Creamer. She’s a photographer.”
Carrie reached out to shake hands. “A photographer…what an interesting profession. Are you a wedding photographer, portraits, or wildlife, or…?”
“Actually, I do a little of everything. Whatever strikes my fancy. I prefer pictures of wildlife or the outdoors, but I pay the bills by doing portraits at Edison Mall. It isn’t a bad gig. Most people are very nice and are excited about having their pictures taken for a family event or birthday.”
“Doesn’t sound bad at all to me,” Shawn said. “Creamer. Sounds familiar. Have you ever shown your work in San Francisco?”
“Actually, yes, I have. I had a showing just once a couple of years ago. It wasn’t in a fancy gallery, though it was well reviewed and I did sell some prints there.”
“I own one of them,” Shawn said. “I bought the photo taken on a Captiva Island beach with a sandpiper on it and a worn down piece of beach fence. I was pretty sure I knew exactly where you took it. At the time I bought it, I was homesick and that picture gave me a piece of home there.”
“Well, thank you. I’m glad you liked it. So that picture lives in California?”
“Oh no, that photograph came back here with me. I wouldn’t leave it behind. It’s hanging on my wall here.”
“Okay enough shop talk. Let’s go get some food. I’m starving,” Kelly said.
“Do we know where we’re going for supper? I’m definitely curious what you two came up with.” Carrie looked from Shawn to Kelly for an answer.
“Well, my cousin recommended a fairly new place called the Yucatan Beach Stand,” Shawn said. “I told him we wanted to keep it casual. He swears it’s an actual sit-down place. They have great food, and you’re inside and outside at the same time. It’s not right on the beach, but close to it, so maybe we can walk on the beach later.”
“That sounds like fun,” Tracy said.
“I’m with Kelly,” Carrie said. “Let’s get going.”
Chapter Eighteen
AS THEY DROVE OVER the bridge into Fort Myers Beach, the crowds on foot became more pronounced. People were walking around all over, in various stages of attire – from swimsuits to dresses. Just the parade of humanity was entertaining. Shawn turned right just after the bridge and found the Yucatan Beach Stand right where her cousin had described. The parking lot seemed to be full. They could hear a steel drum band playing as they finally found one spot left in the parking lot and slid the Jeep into it, being thankful for not having a large vehicle.
The restaurant looked like something out of a movie. It had a palm frond thatched roof, woven bamboo half-walls all around the outside, and bamboo blinds rolled up for the evening. Since it was still quite warm, it appeared everyone who was already there was claiming seats along the perimeter to watch the human parade go by.
Just as they gave their names to wait for seating, a table came open at the outside so they took it. Carrie felt Shawn’s hand on her back and her arm halfway around her as they followed the waiter to their table. Even after they sat down on the high stools at the well-polished wooden tables, Carrie could still feel Shawn’s touch. She knew her hand was no longer there, but she could still feel its warmth.
Carrie tried to make small talk during dinner, but all she could think about was walking down the beach at sunset, hand in hand with Shawn. The possibility of that happening was pretty slim, but a girl can have her fantasies, can’t she? She could see them kicking off their sandals and carrying them, their feet making little toe prints in the damp sand. Maybe they would wade in the little waves by the shore, looking into each other’s eyes off and on. Then Shawn would put her arm around her and kiss her. Yes, that would be very nice.
“Carrie, what do you think about that?” Kelly asked.
“Uh, what?” Carrie suddenly realized she had no idea what she was being asked about.
Shawn laughed. “You were a million miles away. That was pretty obvious. This beach air making you dreamy?”
“I guess that’s it. Sorry. I didn’t mean to zone out on you guys.”
“That’s okay. We were just wondering how your grouper is. You were the only one who ordered it. It looked good,” Tracy said.
“Oh. Yes. The grouper. It’s really great. How are the scallops, Tracy?”
“Love them. Looks like Kelly liked them, too. The operative word here being liked. Hers are already gone. So are Shawn’s shrimp. Guess we owe your cousin a thank you for telling us about this place, Shawn.”
“I agree,” Shawn said. “The service is good, too. I’ll call him tomorrow and thank him.”
“No, call him now,” Carrie said. “We should tell him we’re having a great time and thank him.”
“Okay. Let’s do it.” Shawn pulled out her phone and punched in Greg’s number.
“Shawn! Everything going well?” Greg asked. They could hear a band playing in the background.
“We’re fine. Actually, we’re enjoying our dinner so much we decided to call right away to thank you for recommending this place. I warn you we have you on speaker so don’t say anything you’ll regret later.” Shawn chuckled. “Sounds like you’re having a good time yourself, so we won’t keep you.”
“Hey, that’s great! I’m glad you guys are having a great time. In fact, I’m just down the street from you if y’all want to come. I’m at the Bait Bucket having a drink. You can park down the street at the public parking and walk down here. There’s a great band playing. You could even sit on the beach to listen to them.”
“We might just do that.” Shawn looked around the table and everyone nodded yes. “Make that we will do that. See you in a little bit. One of us is a little slow finishing her dinner,” she looked pointedly at Carrie.
Carrie began stuffing food into her mouth like a cartoon character, making the rest of them laugh. It didn’t take long for them to head out to the car and on to their next big adventure. The surprise this evening turned out to be on all of them, since none of them had ever been to the Bait Bucket before. They were sure it was not a gay/lesbian place, so they would not be dancing, but it would be fun to have a drink and enjoy the music for a little while.
Greg had a second table pulled over next to his when they got there, with some extra chairs so they could all sit together. Shawn introduced her party to Greg, who shook each hand as he was introduced.
No introduction was necessary for one member of the party. “Carrie, so nice to see you again,” Greg said. “Always a pleasure.”
He looked at Tracy a second time when introduced and then asked, “I hope you won’t be offended, but you wouldn’t be a photographer, would you? I own a really nice print by a photographer by the same name.”
“I’m not offended at all. I am a photographer. If you’ll describe the picture, I’ll tell you if it’s mine.”
“It’s the one with a seagull standing next to a single conch shell that looks like it washed up on the beach.”
“That’s mine,” Tracy said, smiling. “I like that one, too. You must’ve gotten that one a while back, since I haven’t made a print of it for several years.”
“A few. It’s definitely one of my favorites. I have it in a sixteen by twenty matted in a twenty by twenty-four frame that looks like driftwood. It’s beautiful. Have the rest of you seen any of her work? It’s great.”
