“What the fuck bitch?” He comes towards me again.
“Did I ask you to grind your dick against my ass?” I ask him not backing down.
“If you don’t want it you shouldn’t shake it like that.” His words are slurring and I just want him gone.
“Whatever, just go away.” I put my hand in his face.
“Bitch” he murmurs before finally walking away from me.
“Way to go Maddy!” Mackenna comes over putting her arm around my neck. She is clearly surprised and happy I stuck up for myself. It is an unusual occurrence. “Let’s celebrate with a couple more shots.”
I am downing my fourth shot picking green this time completing all the colors. I am buzzed but the dancing has kept me sober enough that we won’t get in trouble. Scanning the crowd I see all the young adults dancing with each other some closer than others. It is nice to see some guys have the decency to not grind up to a girl unless asked. I am amazed at how many students venture down here for spring break. We didn’t know anyone else coming down here from our school and I guess when you factor in how many colleges in the United States and then how many students it isn’t as many people as you think.
“Maddy? Right?” I deep voice comes up next to me and I step back hesitant. Mackenna is carrying on a conversation with the shot girl not paying attention and I don’t know who would know me here. A familiar face besides me smiling.
“Hey are you trying to pick pocket people here. I can imagine you would clean up pretty good.” I smile at jock boy from this afternoon at the beach.
“Yeah, I have my whole team here tonight.” He laughs showing a dimple in his left cheek. It’s adorable.
“I better keep my money close to my chest then.” I pat where my money is hidden between my boobs in my bra. I don’t know if it is the shots making me flirt so blatantly or just being in a different country. I haven’t been myself tonight but I am loving who I am.
“Careful. That’s the first place a thief might look.” He stares down at my chest raising his eyebrows in humor.
“Well, I keep it well guarded.” I smirk back to him.
“Let me buy you a drink. I was fortunate to find some money on the beach.” He motions over to a small bar a couple feet away that only sells beer and pre-mixed bottle drinks.
“You have to buy my friend one too.” I point over to Mackenna still chatting the shot girl up about what I have no idea.
“Of course.” He says.
“Mackenna!” I scream over the music waving her over to me. She says goodbye to the waitress who I am sure is happy to start making money again.
“Hey, if it isn’t the crook.” She laughs.
“He is going to buy us some drinks with his new found money.” I tell her and she nods her head in agreement.
“Miles Clybourn.” He holds his hand out to me.
“Madeline Jennings and this is Mackenna Ross.” He shakes both our hands.
“What do you prefer? Beer or wicked lemonade?” He asks having to whisper it in my ear for me to hear him.
“Beer for me and wicked lemonade for her.” I get close to his ear and when he turns his head showing me he heard me our lips are so close it would take the slightest movement before they would touch. Do I want them to touch?
Miles pays for our drinks and we both say thank you. He asks us if we want to go to his friends table in the back where it is a little quieter and we follow him. Mackenna raises her eyebrows from me to him while he walks in front of us. I shake my head back and forth. Yes he is attractive and as tempting as it is to have some fling while on vacation in another country, it just isn’t me. Why can’t I be like the other girls out there shaking their booties to the music not caring how they look or where the night is going to take them? They are living in the moment and I am extremely jealous of them. They don’t have those sparkling blue eyes embedded into their head.
It ends up being a small VIP area that Miles takes us to. There are a couple areas around the bar where it is roped off and small tables consume the area. I assume him or his friends paid extra for this and Mackenna and I are happy to indulge. There are three other guys sitting around the table with some girls behind them and one sitting on another ones lap. They glance over to Kenna and myself giving us dirty looks. The girls who are all blonde or at least have made themselves blonde have glazed over eyes and can barely stand. The guys aren’t much better and I start to think Kenna and I should leave. Miles leads us over to a table by itself away from them and the girls stare angrily watching our every step.
“So are you staying at the Hotel Americano?” Miles asks me. Mackenna is staring towards the dance floor and I know she wants to be out there. I figure I can humor Miles a little longer and then we can leave.
“Yes. You?” I ask back. It is a little quieter over here but we still have to talk close together to hear each other.
“Yeah. Got in two nights ago. Where do you go to school?” He asks.
“Wisconsin. You?” The questions are the standard questions when two college student’s talk and it is starting to bore me.
“You have to be shittin me? Me too.” Miles lips get wide not believing we go to the same college.
“What year are you?” I am surprisingly shocked as well.
“Grad student, second year.” He remarks.
I knew he looked older but not that much older. I am embarrassed to tell him I am a freshman so I don’t volunteer and am surprised he never asks me.
“It’s a small world huh?” He says.
“Yeah” when I look over at his friend’s table one of the guys picks up his head looking like he is going to be sick and I can’t believe my eyes. He catches me at the same time I see him. I can tell he can’t place me yet but the recognition is there. When the click happens I see it in the smirk on his lips.
“Little Jennings” he screams across the tables and Miles looks from him to me wondering what he missed.
“Grady Smith” I say back. I am astonished he remembers me as Jack’s sister but since it has been that way my whole life I don’t think much of it.
“How the hell are you? I haven’t seen you in forever.” He comes around to the back of my chair hugging me from behind picking me up until I am standing up away from the chair. “And Ross, looking hot as always.” He winks down at her.
“Grady.” She says straight-faced.
I saw Grady a couple times during my first semester when I would hang out with Gabe but since Gabe acts like I don’t exist I don’t see him anymore.
“Where’s your husband?” He asks Kenna.
“Miami.” She says.
“You break up?”
“No”
“Damn it.” He says. “Hoping we could get some vacation sex going.” He laughs but Mackenna doesn’t join in.
“How do you guys know Miles?” He thumbs to Miles sitting down trying to figure how we know each other.
“Just met him earlier on the beach.” I say.
“You aren’t?” He looks back at Miles and Miles shakes his head confirming whatever thought Grady is recalling. “They are?”
“We are what?” I ask coldly defensively.
“You are the hot girls that Miles told us all about this afternoon.”
I blush in embarrassment until Grady continues.
“Sorry man, they are off limits.” Grady puts his hand on Miles shoulder shaking his head.
“Why is that?” Miles asks.
“The little hottie in red has a serious boyfriend like practically reserve the church serious and this one.” He puts his arm around me. “One” he puts his finger up. “She’s Jack Jennings little sister.” Miles frowns but it doesn’t look like it intimidates him like others that know my brother. “And two” Grady sticks another finger up in the air. The alcohol is affecting him making him talk slower than normal.