“Oh, and I fit the criteria?”
“So far.” I laughed at him and pushed a wave of water his way, unsure if it would hit him.
“So what’s on Jayden’s list of criteria?”
“Can’t tell you.”
“That’s fine. I’m kind of picky myself. We will just have to see if you make the cut.”
“Challenge accepted,” he said so sweetly I melted in the cold water. Trying to take my mind off the fact I wanted him surrounding me, I searched for conversation.
“What are your plans tomorrow?” I asked simply, curious.
“Hanging out with the guys, you?”
“I’m having brunch with my family.” I treaded through the water until I was eye level with his knees. He towered over me as I kept my distance, but now I could see him more clearly. He looked down at me with a smile playing on his lips and warning in his eyes.
“Do you have a large family?” he asked.
“Three sisters, one brother. Yeah, I’d say so.”
“Wow,” he said, looking down in the water.
“How about you?” I retorted, curious. “We didn’t cover family at dinner.”
“Just me and my mom and her brother, my uncle Stephen, who played father when my dad split.”
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly.
“I’m not.” I didn’t argue with him. He seemed fine with it. I wanted to lighten the mood so I grasped for straws.
“Fishnipple?” He burst out laughing as I asked it.
“Oh yeah, that.”
“Okay, explain,” I ordered.
“Promise not to get mad?”
“Nope,” I said with forgiving humor.
Jayden went on, anyway. “Well, I was hurting so bad from the burn, for a second I kind of...temporarily...forgot your name, so when I programmed your number in my phone I just pounded in the first thing that came into my mind.”
“And it was fishnipple?”
“You swim like a fish and of course your beautiful nipple was staring at me.”
“Nice,” I said, swimming away from him.
“You said you wouldn’t get mad, Hilary, Hilary, Hilary.”
“I’m aware you know my name...now.”
“Come on, beautiful, I was frying in the sun and in agony. Give me a little room for error.”
“It seems my nipple made more of an impression on you than I did,” I scoffed as I faked hostility.
“Hey, I’m a man, that’s my only defense. But I will add it was worth the agonizing twenty minutes you kept me back in the sun to get your number.”
“Well played,” I said, splashing more water his way.
“Thank you,” he replied, his voice still husky with need. Deciding to toy with him, I moved to the steps and out of the water, walking over to his towel. Wrapping the large, soft cover around me, I unfastened my bikini top and pulled it off. He sat motionless as I taunted. “I think you falling asleep on our first date was more than enough leeway, don’t you?”
“Did you just...your top is off. Jesus, it’s definitely off. Fuck, woman, I’m not going to last much longer.”
“You’re going to have to,” I said as he jumped in the water, coming for me fast. I dodged him, running up the stairs then towards the gate.
“Better step your game up, Jay,” I said as he caught up to me just as I closed the gate, separating us.
“For you I will,” he said sincerely.
“That means coming up with all new lines,” I said as I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned into the gate separating us from the waist down. He leaned in as well, his forehead to mine, as we shared a breath. “Thank you for tonight, Jayden.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow...fishnipple.”
Looking into his beautiful blues, I smiled and pressed my lips gently to his. We said nothing else and I felt his eyes on me until I disappeared down the stone path back to my apartment. I heard no moaning as I entered and made my way quickly to my bedroom. Stripping off the rest of my wet suit, I dried with Jay’s towel, which smelled amazing and like him. I replayed our date over and over until I drifted off.
Gerri: You are never going to believe what happened last night.
Me: I saw the red panties, MONA. I’m scarred for life.
Gerri: Mona?
I gave her a second to think about it.
Gerri: Ha ha very funny and so worth scarring you.
Me: Talk later, my mom is lecturing me. I have news too!
Gerri: :)
I set my phone down as my mother drove her point home. “I’m just saying, Hilary, it’s time you made a decision. You’re going to blink, and then you’ll be thirty and stuck in a dead end job.
“Mom, that’s what I’m trying to do. Trust me, I’m putting enough pressure on myself already. My new prospects may not be a career choice, but they are better than waitressing. I’ll handle it. You already have the successful lawyer in Alexis, the young tycoon in Bradley, Molly’s about to graduate and take over the fashion industry, and well, I can’t help you with Sabrina. Three out of five ain't bad. Cut your losses.” I gave her a stern look as I cut dough for fresh biscuits at her long, marble, kitchen counter.
“Never, and I don’t categorize my kids into a good pile and bad pile, or by what you’ve accomplished. I want you happy, and the way you’re burning through your years, I just worry. You aren’t married and you are still stuck in your habits from years ago.”
“MOM!” I heard Alexis call as she joined us in the kitchen. I’d never been so thankful for the interruption. She deposited a box full of liquor on the counter and my Mom eyed her suspiciously as she emptied its contents.
“What in the hell, child? We aren’t getting sauced at brunch,” she scolded as she studied each bottle.
“Chill, Mom, half of them are mixes and I wanted to stock up for later. I’m staying with you. I am officially on vacation for the next three days.”
My mother’s eyes lit up as she beamed at her first born. Alexis went and wrapped herself around our mother then pulled back and eyed her with concern. “How are you?”
“Most days are okay. I miss him.” She was referring to our father who had died suddenly last fall. One minute he was griping about raking the never-ending pile of leaves in our yard and the next he was gone. At least that was how it seemed it happened. He’d gone up to bed after Sunday brunch for a nap and never woke up. A brain aneurysm had taken him without apology, leaving us all completely devastated.
“It’s okay to talk about him, Mom, especially with all of us here. We need it, too,” Alexis encouraged. Our mother held his death close to her, but rarely spoke of him. We all assumed it was too painful for her and were giving her time to deal with it her way, but we were becoming concerned with each month that passed with little mention of him. Her denial was beginning to wear on us.
I stopped cutting the dough to watch my mother’s reaction to Alexis’ statement and it was the same response she always gave. “I will, baby, I promise. I just can’t do it yet. I know it’s not fair to you kids, but not yet, okay?”
Alexis nodded, cutting her concerned eyes to me. “Sup, sis.” She made her way to me and gave me a long hug. Alexis and I were the closest next to my baby sister Molly. We’d all agreed Sabrina was just weird but somehow she fit. My parents had managed to create five of the most insanely different children on the planet. Not only were our personalities unique to each of us, but our looks as well. Our family portrait looked like it had been cropped from others and pasted together. And my family was what I cherished most in the world.