One Hot Summer

by Heidi McLaughlin

  He’s like a one man show with all his lessons and excursions.

  “Hmm, maybe,” Macy says. “I’m not sure I’d find much use for the lesson though. I don’t plan to go scuba diving or snorkeling anytime soon.”

  “I don’t know. It sounds kind of fun,” Grace says, looking at me as if I need to make the decision. “What do you think, Alexa?”

  “I don’t know,” I tell her. “We should do whatever will make you happy.”

  “You know what makes me happy,” Grace argues.

  “Stop being so selfless,” I tell her.

  “We’ll have to let you know,” Macy tells Lincoln.

  “That’s fine. No pressure.”

  Part of me is wondering if Lincoln is just looking for an excuse to parade around in a bathing suit this afternoon. It all seems very convenient after Grace said she wants to sit by the pool all day.

  As we were in progress of parting ways from Lincoln in the lobby, Grace and Macy waved goodbye, stepping in front of me to head over to the elevator. Lincoln grabs my elbow, keeping me in place for a moment longer. “Should I wear my speedo or board-shorts?”

  I close my eyes and huff. “Should I wear my string bikini with a covered bottom, or a thong?” I reply.

  “I can handle a thong,” he says.

  “I can handle a speedo,” I tell him.

  “Well, good. I’ll see you soon.”

  My face is hot and my heart is racing as I walk off to follow the girls. He will be the death of me. I might as well just go strand myself back on Lover’s beach and call it a day.

  I don’t have a thong bikini, but I saw one in the gift shop. “I’ll be up in two minutes. I just need to grab something at the shop really quick,” I tell Grace and Macy as the elevator doors open.

  “Do you remember our room number now?” Macy asks with an arched brow.

  “Yes, it’s 7401,” I tell her.

  “Good.”

  I glance over at the concierge desk as I walk into the shop, spotting Lincoln looking in my direction. I give him a wink and a quick wave while disappearing into the store. I spot the bikini I noticed when walking by earlier, and oddly enough, they have my size.

  I collect my goods and hurry upstairs so the girls don’t think I’m up to anything else right now. I’m walking a fine line of selfishness this weekend and while I know Grace is encouraging a lot of these interactions between us and Lincoln, I don’t want her to ever look back on this weekend and recall me stealing the spotlight.

  “What did you need at the store?” Macy asks as I close myself into our room.

  “I had a tear on my bathing suit that I brought, so I wanted to grab another one really quick. I saw it when we walked by the window yesterday. It’s cute.”

  “I bet it’s black and sexy,” Grace sings from inside the closed bathroom.

  “Nope, it’s a one piece, full coverage, gray suit,” I tell her.

  “Liar,” she counters.

  Macy already has her bathing suit and cover-up on, and Grace is quick to offer up the bathroom after she’s dressed too. “I’ll just be a second,” I tell them.

  The bikini luckily fits, more perfect than any bathing suit I’ve tried on in a dressing room. I call this a win. I’ve never worn a thong bikini before, but I’ve seen plenty of women walking around the pool deck with one on, so I shouldn’t stand out in any uncomfortable way. Thank God for the millions of squats I’ve done this year.

  I slip on my jean shorts and t-shirt before leaving the bathroom. Macy and Grace will be less likely to poke fun at my skimpy bikini when we’re at the pool.

  Macy is dousing herself with seventy SPF sunscreen, and Grace is applying five SPF with toner. I’ll spray myself when I get down to the pool. The room already smells like a tanning salon as it is.

  The pool isn’t as packed as it was yesterday, but the sun also feels about fifteen degrees hotter. It’s lunchtime, so this is probably the peak heat for the day. Maybe that’s why.

  “Do you think they serve lunch at the pool bar?” Grace asks as we walk through the pool gate.

  “Yeah, I think I saw a few items on the menu yesterday,” Macy tells her.

  I spot Lincoln almost as soon as we reach the area of lounge chairs. He’s shirtless, but still has on the same shorts he did this morning. He’s adjusting some scuba gear laid out by the pool.

  It takes him a minute to notice me, which I notice out of the corner of my eye. I should act like I’ve been looking for him. That screams desperation.

  Is that what I am? Desperate.

  He doesn’t seem to care if I think he looks desperate as he waves in our direction.

  The girls remove their bathing suit cover-ups and head right for the pool stairs. It’s too hot to just lay out without getting wet first.

  I take my time slipping my shorts off, possibly facing my rear in Lincoln’s direction. I might also be making a show of the speed, in which, I tug my shirt over the top of my head. However, as soon as I turn around, I keep my focus on Macy and Grace in the pool, purposely ignoring Lincoln, though dying to know if he’s watching me.

  “Look at you, hot stuff,” Grace says, whistling a cat-call.

  “Who knew you had an ass of steel,” Macy adds in. “Seriously, you eat junk food and work out twice a week. How is that even possible?”

  “I do a lot of squats before bed,” I tell her, shrugging.

  “Bitch,” Grace says with a laugh.

  “Did you see the look on Lincoln’s face when you took your shorts off?” Macy asks.

  “Oh, no, I wasn’t paying attention.”

  “Well, he stood up and went to the men's room,” Grace says, continuing to laugh. “I think he might have gotten a little too excited … if you know what I mean.”

  I feel like I need to fan myself off right now, even though I’m in a pool of cool water. “Haven’t you ever heard … what happens in Cabo, stays in Cabo?” Macy asks me.

  “That’s Vegas,” I tell her. “You can’t steal that saying from another location.”

  “You should just sleep with him tonight,” Grace says. “No one will think anything less of you. I’ll be proud of you, actually.”

  “You’ll be proud of me for being easy?” I ask.

  “No, dummy, for seizing an opportunity. Live. Carpe his Diam.”

  “What is with you two in botching up sayings?” I try to brush past her suggestion because I don’t know what my brain is thinking right now. I’m not sure what I would regret.

  Lincoln returns to his scuba set up, this time in his promised speedo.

  Good Lord, what have I started?

  Lincoln slips down to the side of the pool, dangling his legs off the side as he continues to fidget with a piece of the gear. He looks up at me grins, nodding his head.

  “Is he wearing a speedo?” Grace mutters into my ear.

  “Yes, yes, he is.”

  “The guy is packin’,” she says. “Like … is there a grenade in there?”

  “Stop,” I tell her.

  “Aw, are you getting all hot and bothered?” she teases.

  “Yes, okay? Yes, I’m getting hot and bothered. Do you see him? He’s as freaking hot as the goddamn Mexican sun, Grace. I don’t know what to do. I want him, but that’s wrong on your bachelorette weekend, and it’s wrong because I’ll never see him again after tomorrow. At this point in my life, I’m not looking for a one-night stand like you might think. I’m lonely, and I want someone to love.”

  I didn’t mean to pour all that out. It was like the vomit I’ve been holding in all morning. Grace wraps her arms around my neck. “Have you bothered to ask him how long he’s staying in Mexico for?”

  “I’m sure he’s not here on a vacation, working at concierge. That’s weird, right?”

  Grace shrugs. “You should ask him those questions.”

  “So, should we be talking or screwing? I don’t think we can manage both,” I argue.

  “You can’t talk and screw at the same t
ime? Rex and I do it all the time. He doesn’t get home from work until late sometimes, and if we had the option of one thing or the other, we’d be missing out, right? So, we tell each other about our days while we release all of our daily built up sexual tension.”

  “See?” I shout. “This is what I’m missing out on!” I laugh because she’s ridiculous, but at the same time, it’s funny to hear.

  “The moral is: talking and screwing at the same time is totally normal.”

  “Good to know,” I tell her.

  As it turns out, no one showed up to take Lincoln’s class, which means he will probably continue sitting on the ledge of the pool across from me for the next ninety minutes the class is scheduled for. He keeps doing this thing where he traces the tip of his tongue along his bottom lip. Therefore, I’ve spent most of the last thirty minutes staring at his lips from a distance. That kiss earlier made me feel like there was a massive display of fireworks erupting in my stomach. Screw the butterflies, I’m going for the fireworks again.

  Grace and Macy are ordering food so I take the moment to wade across the pool. “No one showed up for your class?”

  “No one likes me, I guess,” he says, forcing a pout to his plump lips.

  “I like you,” I tell him, “But, not enough to learn how to scuba dive.”

  “I can teach you something else,” he utters.

  “What’s that?”

  “I don’t know. I was trying to sound sexy, but had nothing to follow my line up with,” he says, covering his hand over his face.

  “I’d opt in for learning how to kiss the way you kissed me earlier. Do you have a class for that?”

  “No, but I can put a word in with the hotel manager. They’re always looking for new activities to offer the hotel guests.”

  We both laugh, but the heat … it’s almost too much to bear.

  “So, just for peace of mind, will you be in your room later tonight if I happen to get lost again?” I can’t believe I just asked him that. I just forfeited our challenge.

  “Yeah, but, I got to be honest, I know what hotel room you’re in now, and I’m not sure I can sleep on a chair a second night in a row.”

  “Who said anything about sleeping?” I ask.

  Lincoln bites down on his lip. “You’re making me think dirty thoughts, Alexa, and I’m usually pretty good with self-control. You’re pushing buttons I didn’t know I had.”

  I press my fingertips to his waxed, bare chest and run my fingernails across the width. “Well, maybe I’ll see you later,” I tell him, trying to regain some of the power I had earlier.

  “No, no, no, no, you can’t—you can’t just,” he tries to argue.

  I turn around, walking backward in the pool. “I can’t what?”

  Lincoln pulls his legs out of the pool and stands up. “I have to show you something. Come with me.”

  He isn’t asking. He’s demanding, and I’m following him.

  10

  I have been following Lincoln for the last five minutes around small sections of the hotel that aren’t attached to the main building. He brings me to a botanical garden area I didn’t know was on the property. He’s taken my hand and we’re walking fast, down a set of worn wooden steps.

  “This is beautiful,” I tell him, feeling breathless.

  Lincoln doesn’t respond. When we reach the bottom step, we take a sharp left and I see an exquisite waterfall, gushing over pebbles. “This is a hidden gem,” he says.

  My heart is pounding. I know why he brought me down here.

  “Are you okay with getting a little wet?” he asks.

  Now, I’m the one biting my lip. I shake my head, telling him I’m not afraid. Before I have a second to rethink what he might have truly meant, we’re walking through the cascading water, and I’m spun around until my back is against the rock. Lincoln has his hard body flush against mine and his hands cup my cheeks. Though the water is no longer falling on us, I’m still having trouble catching my breath before his lips crash against mine. This kiss is different from the last two. This kiss has purpose and meaning. It’s like he’s trying to get it out of his system now before the chance is gone. His tongue touches mine and he tastes like mint.

  A groan seeps through my mouth, unintentional, but unavoidable. When our lips part, I lean my head back against the rock. “I really really freakin’ like you, Lincoln. This isn’t fair. There’s a country between us and tomorrow is my last day here.”

  Lincoln offers a small smile in return and leans forward to place another kiss on my tingling lips. “I’m only here for another month, Alexa. Then, I’m moving back to New York. We won’t be so far away from each other, then.”

  I think I might have gasped at his words. “Wait, I thought you lived here?” He’s staying in a hotel room. That could have tipped me off that this wasn’t his permanent residency.

  “It was a three-month temporary position with my company. I took it, and I’m glad as hell I did,” he says just before his lips are back on mine. His hands fall to my waist and I’m completely wrapped up an overload of sensations. “I’m looking for my next big adventure. Maybe Boston has something in store for me.” His words are whispered into my ear. I don’t know if he’s just saying this all in the heat of the moment, or if he means it, but I wouldn’t reject the idea of living closer to him and having a chance to learn more about him.

  “I might like you even more right now,” I whisper. “I was scared to fall for you. It’s been two days and I feel like I’ve known you for months. The thought of this being a weekend fling excited me until it made me hurt. I want more of you.”

  Our embrace becomes a much-needed hug, and I feel secure and warm within his hold. “I need more of you,” he replies. “I realized that sometimes we live for the moment, but once in a rare while, we become lucky, and that moment never ends.”

  “Lovers Beach. We owe it to the rock we etched our names into,” I tell him.

  “I had hoped all those people were telling the truth about the rock.”

  I must be walking around with hearts in my eyes because I have fallen for a man I hardly know, and I’m not ashamed. I told Lincoln I needed to have a girls' dinner and a few drinks, but I would stop by his room after. I don’t have intentions or expectations, but whatever happens, it’s meant to be. I’m going with that.

  “I love you both so much,” Grace holds up her wineglass for a toast. “I just wanted to tell you how much it means to me that I’ve been able to depend on you for friendship. You’re my sisters from different misters, and I will never put our relationship on a back burner. Thank you for giving me the best weekend ever. It’s days like today, I’ll never forget. I know we’ll all be married within the next few years, and babies will start to appear, but I hope we never fade from each other’s lives because I can’t imagine a day without talking to you both. “Thank you for being my girls, my bridesmaid and maid-of-honor. Thank you,” Grace says, wiping a tear from her eye.

  I’m getting choked up too. I hadn’t stopped to think about what the three of us mean to each other, but we’ve had something special for what we’ve seen through our adult lives so far. Even when a weekend is supposed to be solely about one of us, the happiness has shone through for all.

  We finished dinner, keeping the liquid intake at bay after last night. “I’m surprised Lincoln hasn’t been floating around the bar,” Macy says, waggling her eyebrows.

  “He might be waiting in his room for me to stop by after we call it a night.” I’m embarrassed to say this out loud, but I’d have to tell them when I disappear again. I’ve already made them nervous twice this weekend.

  “He invited you back to his room?” Grace asks.

  “I might have invited myself first. So, as it turns out, he’s moving home to New York in a few weeks, and—”

  “Oh my God. You’re going to be able to see him again!” Grace squeals.

  “Maybe,” I say, feeling the uncontrollable smile stretch across my cheeks.
/>   “Listen, we’re going to the bar for a little dancing and not so many drinks as last night. It would make this weekend the best of the best if you went to Lincoln’s room and brought him back down here after you’re done doing whatever it is you plan to do to him,” Grace says.

  “I don’t want to leave you guys. I feel like I’ve done enough of that.”

  “Go,” Grace says. “I’m demanding that you leave this table right now and yonder off to that sexy man’s room.”

  “You heard the girl,” Macy says. “We should do what she wants. It’s her weekend.”

  Despite the heat spreading through my cheeks, I stand from the table, place my napkin on my chair, and head off for the lobby.

  My heart is beating at a marathon’s pace as I ride the elevator up to Lincoln’s floor, and my hand is shaking as I knock.

  I hear a rustling inside, so I know he’s in there, but the door doesn’t open.

  I knock again in case he didn’t hear the first time.

  I wait a solid two minutes.

  I get the hint.

  Ouch.

  I place the palm of my hand on the door and despondently walk away, feeling mortified and upset.

  I’m at the end of the hall when I hear a door open from behind me, but I continue to the elevator.

  Footsteps escalate behind me, they’re moving so fast I don’t have time to turn around before I’m tossed over a shoulder, being run back down the hall. “I was playing hard to get,” Lincoln says. “Did it work?”

  I slap my hands against his back. “You jerk. I thought you changed your mind,” I shout at him.

  As soon as the door to his room closes, Lincoln lowers me from his shoulder only to pin me against the wall. His lips are working meticulously around mine. He isn’t being cautious or gentle. There is heat within every movement. His hands are squeezing around me. It’s hard to breathe, but in the moment, air doesn’t seem necessary with Lincoln breathing into me. The eager sounds and breathless moans are triggering every nerve-ending in my body.