Unexpected Adventures

by Laura M. Baird

  “That was going to be our next stop,” he says.

  “Uh, Sherri, where is Denise by the way?” I ask as I scan the crowd.

  “She’s in the pool house, changing into a bikini.”

  “But she didn’t bring one,” I feebly reply. Seeing Sherri smile, I add, “Guess you have plenty of those too.”

  “Help yourself to one if you feel like a dip.”

  “Oh, I feel like a dip, all right,” I mumble.

  “Hey, you’re doing fine,” Shaun says. “Let’s get something to eat.”

  “Go have fun,” Sherri coaxes.

  “Thank you. Again.” I let Shaun lead the way up another level to where the grill is being tended. The delicious aroma of sizzling meat assaults my senses, causing my stomach to growl. Luckily it must not have been loud enough as Shaun makes no comment, but he continues on to what is actually an outdoor kitchen. He introduces me to Jeff, Sherri’s husband, who offers up loaded burgers. No onions on mine, thank you very much.

  After a quick conversation, Shaun then grabs an entire container of potato salad and two spoons. “Can never have too much potato salad.” He grins.

  “Apparently,” I return with a smile.

  We make our way to the opposite end of the deck, getting comfortable on a pair of lounge chairs under a canopy. Sitting in silence for a while, we work our way through the burgers and half the potato salad. Shaun makes another trip to the bar, grabbing four beers.

  “Wow. Thirsty much?” I tease.

  “Figured I’d save myself some trips. And time.” He winks.

  “In getting me drunk?”

  “Not at all.” His smile is entirely too smooth. “Besides, Sherri said you could stay the night.”

  “Hmmm,” is all I manage.

  “Well, maybe none of these are for you. Maybe I am thirsty. Really thirsty.” His lips turn up in a sexy grin.

  I laugh, unable to stop myself. “You have got to stop that.”

  “Stop what?”

  “Oh, you know.”

  “Tell me,” he nearly whispers.

  “That. That right there,” I twirl my finger at him, as if I have to emphasize my point. “Mr. Charmer.” I’m feeling the slightest of buzzes from the beers. Just enough to feel a bit daring.

  Control was still there if I wanted it. But did I want it?

  “Mr. Charmer? You think I’m charming you?”

  “I know you are.” I sit forward to reach for a third beer. Maybe I didn’t want it. Control, that is. As for wanting Shaun? Well, I’m not dead. Any woman in her right mind would want him. Wouldn’t they? There’s nothing wrong with him. Is there something wrong with me? Am I reading this all wrong?

  “What’s going on in the beautiful head of yours?”

  “You don’t want to know.” I take another drink, realizing the bottle is now empty. “Was this bottle full when I picked it up?”

  Shaun laughs. “Yes. Yes, it was.”

  “Huh,” was all I reply. I set the bottle down, plopping myself back against the chair. “As you can probably tell, I’m not much of a drinker.”

  “No? Guess a swim isn’t in order.”

  I look out over Sherri’s yard, watching the guests. I catch sight of Denise, looking gorgeous in a chocolate bikini with gold hoops worked into the design. She’s standing with an attractive older man. Well, older than my age, I’d say, but not as old as Dad. They seem to be in an intense conversation, when suddenly, she throws her head back in laughter.

  “She’s so happy,” I say, more to myself.

  “And what about you?” Shaun asks.

  “About that swim?” I say, avoiding the real topic he meant. The topic everyone seems to want me to contemplate. Well, that is if Sylvia and Denise qualify as everyone, and in my world, they pretty much are. Besides which…

  “There is that,” he says, pulling me out of the wanderings in my mind. “About your…”

  “Yes, let’s go for a swim,” I interject with too much cheer, cutting him off before he can start in on the subject of my happiness. I spring up from the chair only to find myself swaying a bit. Thankfully, there’s a column to grab hold of for balance.

  Wait, what? When did that column get there? I look up to realize I’m holding on to Shaun. Or rather, he’s holding on to me. My hand is just resting against his chest. His very warm and muscular chest, the details of which I can feel through the thin material of his shirt.

  “Why don’t we take a rain check on that swim,” Shaun says.

  “I really am fine. I’m not drunk at all.” Not all the way, just on my way there.

  “I don’t think you’re drunk.”

  “Yes, you do, or else you wouldn’t be acting all gentlemanly right now.”

  “Gentlemanly? Is that what I’m doing?” His free hand makes its way up my arm, toying with the braid over my shoulder.

  “I think so. Aren’t you?” Is he playing games with me? Maybe I’m more on my way to Drunktown than I thought.

  He looks into my eyes, gazes down to my lips, then back to my eyes. “If I were a gentleman, I wouldn’t be having such delicious thoughts about how your lips would feel against mine.”

  I run my tongue across my lower lip as I now stare at his lips. “Well, I’ve already thought how luscious your lips are, so I gotcha beat on that one.” My head pops up, my eyes widen. “Oh my God, I just said that aloud, didn’t I?”

  Shaun chuckles. “Sure did.”

  “I barely know you. You barely know me. Maybe I am drunk.” I plop myself back down onto the chair, reluctantly breaking contact with his chest. “I’m sorry.”

  Shaun lowers himself beside me and softly says, “No need to be sorry. Nothing wrong with being attracted to a person. I already said I was attracted to you.”

  “But you don’t even know me. What if I’m some nutcase with too many cats stashed away back at my apartment? You don’t strike me as a cat person. Not that that’d matter. Well, maybe it does…”

  No further words escape me as he lightly presses his lips to mine. I don’t react. That is, until he places his hand on the side of my face, pulls back to look into my oh-so-wide-eyes, grins, and comes back for more. He deepens the kiss just a fraction, giving me every reason to believe he likes it.

  And so do I. Like it, that is. I react. Slanting my head to give our noses plenty of clearance from one another, I dive in. If I wasn’t going to swim in the pool, I was certainly going to swim in his yummy kisses. And yummy they are. A hint of beer remains, mixing with his unique taste.

  I hear him moan. Or is that me? Yep, that is me.

  His tongue teases my lips, a light brushing, but enough to make me open for him. He dips in, swirling his tongue with mine, already driving me crazy. Now it’s his turn to moan as my tongue does battle with his. My arms reach for him, my hands finding their way into his hair, raking his scalp. His arms circle my waist, the warmth from the palm of his hands pressing into my lower back.

  Holy cannoli. What is happening? I’ve barely known this man for an hour and I’m ready to devour him.

  Reluctantly, I pull back, catching my breath. With my head bowed, I’m afraid to make eye contact. I feel him kiss the top of my head.

  “Wow,” he says.

  I finally get the courage to look up and see him smiling. Which makes me return the smile. “You said it. What was that?”

  “That, was a marvelous kiss between two people highly attracted to one another.”

  “But we hardly know each other. And just for the record, I’ve never done anything like this before.”

  “You mean kiss a man at a pool party?” He chuckles.

  “Well, that too. No, I mean, a heated kiss with a stranger.”

  “It was pretty heated, wasn’t it? And just for the record, we’re not strangers. I properly introduced myself.” His smile is infectious. “Shall we take it up a degree, or three?”

  I can’t help but giggle like a schoolgirl. “Um, I’d love to, but I think I’d better not
.”

  “Don’t trust yourself?” he challenges.

  “You’re pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?” My hands have yet to leave his body. If I wasn’t concentrating so hard on controlling them, they’d have a mind of their own and start exploring all the wonderful contours of his muscles that I’m sure are hiding beneath his shirt. And jeez, why can’t I stop my thoughts from rambling on? Probably because this man is so darned distracting.

  “I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t mind another dip into that delectable mouth of yours.”

  “Wow. I’ve never been told I have a delectable mouth. Keep talking,” I nearly purr.

  He laughs heartily before leaning in for another round.

  Only we’re interrupted by my sister and her male companion. Denise has a sheer robe over herself, and I think, why bother? She’s still practically naked in that bikini. But she looks fabulous. As she approaches, I watch Shaun’s reaction to her. Am I jealous already? Impossible. But I’m childishly giddy when he doesn’t seem to be fazed by her beauty. He continues to keep his arms around me even though mine have fallen into my lap.

  “Hiya, sis… Shaun! Enjoying the party?” she says, winking at me.

  “We are,” Shaun answers.

  “We were taking a break from the pool when I spotted you guys up here. I wanted to introduce Jim, my boss. Jim, this is my sister, Abby. And I’m sure you know Shaun.”

  “I do,” Jim responds in a deep, smooth voice. He extends his hand to shake Shaun’s, which means Shaun disengaging from me. “Good to see you again.” He turns to me. “And nice to finally meet you, Abby. Denise speaks highly of you.”

  “Really? I mean, nice to meet you too. Denise just told me of you this afternoon.”

  I notice the corner of his mouth rise, hinting at a devilish smile.

  “I thought I’d see if you’d like to get in the pool,” Denise starts, “but I can see you’re otherwise occupied.”

  “Uh, yeah,” I stumble, sitting up a little straighter, and slightly, reluctantly, inching away from Shaun. “Thought about it, but I think I’ll pass. Thank you anyway.”

  Denise eyes the empty beer bottles, smiles and turns to Shaun, who has given me a bit of space. “Well, you two have fun … and take care of my sis. I want to be sure to enjoy my few days with her.”

  “Will do,” Shaun confirms.

  “Wait, Denise, we can…”

  “Abby, relax. I’ll catch up with you later.” She leans in for a quick hug before turning to leave with Jim who exchanges a goodbye with us.

  “Well, okay then,” I mumble, almost pouty. I came here to spend time with my sister. But was I really disappointed to be seated next to this hot guy?

  Guess we have some time to see about that.

  “Nervous?” Shaun asks.

  “Honestly, a little.”

  “Abby, if you want to spend time with your sister, I understand. You came all this way to do just that. I can…”

  “No, really, it’s fine. She’d just be mad at me that I left you.” Seeing his questioning look, I go on to explain. “What I mean is, she wanted me to talk to you… when we gave you the ride up here. She’s always pushing me to meet people, to get out of my comfort zone.”

  “Ah,” he begins, almost sounding disappointed.

  “Not that I don’t like talking to you on my own! I mean, if I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t be here.”

  “So you’re not just being nice to me because your sister said to be?” he teases.

  “No!” I firmly state again. “I do like you. I’d like to like you. Am I making any sense?”

  He chuckles. “Yes. I just like seeing that cute blush on your face.” He reaches out to toy with my braid, working the end loose and combing his fingers through the strands. As my hair comes undone, so do I. I never thought having someone run their hand through my hair could feel so sensual.

  “Your hair is so thick and beautiful.”

  “Thank you.”

  “So, Abby, whatever shall we do next that’s out of your comfort zone?”

  His eyes pierce mine and I try like heck to read them but I think I’m still a little too tipsy although it sure looks like desire in them … or am I just projecting my own feelings? Jeepers, why can’t I keep a coherent thought in my head? Well, I just used the word ‘coherent’ so I must have some wits about me.

  “I can see that you’re thinking entirely too much.” He stands, offering his hand to me. “Let’s go see what fun Sherri has in store for the evening, shall we?”

  Without further thought, I place my hand in his, stand, and quickly kiss his lips, clearly surprising him. “Let’s,” I state.

  He leads me around the deck, which I just now notice is nearly void of any other guests. A few are scattered here and there, close to the pool. I also notice that evening is definitely upon us as the sky dims and a few stars begin to twinkle above. Yes, I said twinkle, because that’s what stars do.

  We make our way into Sherri’s house via the kitchen off the deck. He continues to lead me through a sitting room, through a hallway, and finally down a flight of stairs. As we approach another room, music and laughter grow louder. We’re clearly in the entertainment-party room as I look around to see TV screens mounted on three walls, words scrolling on them. Lights are bouncing around the room and a small group of people are dancing. Along one wall is a bar, which Jeff is now tending. And along another is a small stage. There’s a table with a laptop, a large machine, and a microphone stand. Behind the stand is Sherri herself, perfectly belting out a song by Gwen Stefani.

  Karaoke?

  Oh, goody, I think as I groan.

  Chapter Four

  Denise approaches us, squealing with delight. I notice she’s now back in her capris and blouse. “You’re just in time! Although I didn’t think I’d see you so soon. Doesn’t Sherri sound wonderful? This is going to be so much fun!”

  My enthusiasm nowhere near matches hers. Sweat is breaking out along my upper lip and I feel my armpits tingle. I want to slink back out of the room. Singing in the car or the privacy of my own apartment is one thing … again, something Denise is privy to, as we’ve shared plenty of private singing parties. But singing in front of all these people? Not happening.

  It all stems back to grade school when for some unknown reason I was chosen to be the lead in a play. I never did anything to stand out and say, “Hey, pick me!” And being the lead actress requires talking. And singing! What were they thinking? I tried to explain to the teacher that I couldn’t do it, but all I ever got was his encouragement to try.

  So, try I did … and failed miserably at it. During the first rehearsal, my voice cracked, the classroom laughed, and I curled up into a ball of embarrassment. I even wet my panties. Talk about insult to injury. Needless to say, the teacher wisely reconsidered and I was recast. As a rabbit. Who didn’t talk.

  Over the years, try as I might, taking public speaking classes or anything dealing with self-confidence and motivation always left me a wreck. I could get through a job interview all right, and interacting with my clients one-on-one has always been a breeze. But put me in front of a captive audience and I turn to Jell-O.

  “Oh, come on, Abbs. I happen to think you have a rockin’ voice! All those years of singing parties? They’ve given you plenty of practice.”

  “Yeah, well, that was in private and not meant for public display… Denise,” I lower my voice as I lean in to her. “I can’t do this and you know it.”

  I watch Shaun as he grins at our exchange. Denise turns to him, shaking her head. “Don’t let her fool you. She’s great! And with your help, I’m determined to get her behind that microphone.”

  “Good luck with that!” I yelp.

  “Oh, come on, Abbs,” Shaun mimics my little sis. “Now my curiosity is piqued.”

  “No way, José. I’ll just sit back and watch everyone else.”

  “Now what fun is it to watch everyone else having fun and not engage in it?”

&n
bsp; “I can be quite content as a spectator, thank you very much.” I inch my way backward, intent on becoming another face in the crowd.

  “Oh, no, big sis.” Denise grabs my arm. “If I have to drag your cute little butt up there, I will. And Shaun will help, won’t you, Shaun?”

  “I think I can handle her cute little butt with no problem,” he grins.

  So cute and sexy. Damn… I’m in trouble. My attraction is only growing stronger.

  “Everyone’s having fun, and most are on their way to having a few too many. Nobody’s going to care,” Denise adds, as she’s clearly one of those who’s had more than a few.

  “Well, that certainly boosts my confidence,” I mumble.

  “Just have another drink before it’s your turn. I’ll even do a duet with you to get you started off.”

  “How many songs do you think I’m going to do? This isn’t Abby’s concert. I’m sure there are plenty of others who’d like a turn.” I face Shaun. “Like you, for instance.”

  “Okay.”

  Well, that wasn’t at all what I had hoped he’d say. Double damn.

  I notice Sherri making her way towards us, drinks in hand. Another brave soul is on the stage, trying to match the pitch of Evanescence. Truly brutal. But, hey, who am I to judge? It’s all in fun, right?

  “Hope you’re having a great time,” Sherri says in greeting, handing a beer each to Shaun and me. “Going to give it a whirl?” She nods her head toward the stage.

  “No.”

  “Sure.”

  Both of us speak at once, causing a grin from our hostess.

  “That’d be a ‘yes’ and a ‘yes’,” Denise supplies. “Abby doesn’t think much of her own talent, but I’m going to prove her wrong. I bet that before she ends her second song, all eyes will be on her.”

  “Oh, way to scare me silly. I don’t want all eyes on me!”

  “She’s shy,” Denise mimics a whisper, only she’s basically shouting it out over the music.

  Sherri places her hand on my arm in comfort. “It’s all in fun. Just go for it!”

  Hmmm… didn’t I just think the same thing?